regiments assigned to Kilvonos drank deeply, for they were
going to death. They knew this well themselves, but there
was no fear in their hearts. "Once our mother bore us!"
repeated they after their leader; and on this account they
spared nothing on themselves, as is usual before death.
Hmelnitski permitted and encouraged this; the crowd fol-
lowed their example. The legions began to sing songs in a
hundred thousand voices. Horses let loose and prancing
through the camp raised clouds of dust, and caused inde-
scribable disorder. They were chased with cries and shouts
and laughter. Great crowds loitered along the river, fired
muskets, crowded and pushed to the quarters of the het-
inan himself, who finally ordered Yakubovich to drive them
away. Then began fighting and confusion, till a drenching
rain drove them all to the wagons and tents.

In the evening a storm burst forth in the sky. Thun-
der rolled from one end of the clouds to the other; light-
ning flashed through the whole country, now with white
and now with ruddy blaze. In the light of these flashes
Krivonos marched out of camp at the head of sixty thou-
sand men, -- some from the best warriors, the rest from
the mob.