The Daughter of the Commandant

At this moment Vassilissa Igorofna appeared on the ramparts, followed by

Marya, who had not wished to leave her.

"Well," said the Commandant's wife, "how goes the battle? Where is the

enemy?"

"The enemy is not far," replied Ivan Kouzmitch; "but if God wills all

will be well. And you, Masha, are you afraid?"

"No, papa," replied Marya, "I am more frightened alone in the house."

She glanced at me, trying to smile. I squeezed the hilt of my sword,

remembering that I had received it the eve from her hand, as if for her

defence. My heart burnt within my breast; I felt as if I were her

knight; I thirsted to prove to her that I was worthy of her trust, and I

impatiently expected the decisive moment.

All at once, coming from a height about eight versts from the fort,

appeared fresh parties of horsemen, and soon the whole steppe became

covered with people, armed with arrows and lances. Amongst them, dressed

in a red caftan, sword in hand, might be seen a man mounted on a white

horse, a conspicuous figure. This was Pugatchef himself.

He stopped, and they closed round him, and soon afterwards, probably by

his orders, four men came out of the crowd, and approached our ramparts

at full gallop. We recognized in them some of our traitors. One of them

waved a sheet of paper above his head; another bore on the point of his

pike the head of Joulai, which he cast to us over the palisade. The head

of the poor Kalmuck rolled to the feet of the Commandant.

The traitors shouted to us-"Don't fire. Come out to receive the Tzar; the Tzar is here."

"Children, fire!" cried the Commandant for all answer.

The soldiers fired a volley. The Cossack who had the letter quivered and

fell from his horse; the others fled at full speed. I glanced at Marya

Ivanofna. Spellbound with horror at the sight of Joulai's head, stunned

by the noise of the volley, she seemed unconscious. The Commandant

called the corporal, and bid him go and take the paper from the fallen

Cossack. The corporal went out into the open, and came back leading by

its bridle the dead man's horse. He gave the letter to the Commandant.

Ivan Kouzmitch read it in a low voice, and tore it into bits. We now saw

that the rebels were making ready to attack. Soon the bullets whistled

about our ears, and some arrows came quivering around us in the earth

and in the posts of the palisade.

"Vassilissa Igorofna," said the Commandant, "this is not a place for

women. Take away Masha; you see very well that the girl is more dead

than alive."

Vassilissa Igorofna, whom the sound of the bullets had somewhat subdued,

glanced towards the steppe, where a great stir was visible in the crowd,

and said to her husband-"Ivan Kouzmitch, life and death are in God's hands; bless Masha. Masha,

go to your father."