The blaze from the piles on the square spread such a
glare over the town that all Chigirin seemed burning. The
bustle and shouts increased with the approach of night.
The Jews did not peep from their houses. In every cor-
ner crowds of Chabani howled plaintive songs of the
steppe. The wild Zaporojians danced around the fires,
hurling their caps in the air, firing from their "squealers,"
and drinking gorailka by the quart. Here and there a
scuffle broke out, which the starosta's men put down. The
lieutenant had to open a way with the hilt of his sabre.
Hearing the shouts and noise of the Cossacks, he thought
at times that rebellion was already beginning to speak. It
seemed to him, also, that he saw threatening looks and
heard low-spoken curses directed against his person. In
his ears were still ringing the words of Barabash, "Christ
save us! Christ save us!" and his heart beat more quickly.

But the Chabani sang their songs more loudly in the
town; the Zaporojians fired from their muskets and swam
in gorailka. The firing and the wild "U-ha! u-ha!"
reached the ears of the lieutenant, even after he had lain
down to sleep in his quarters.