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.”

Pale and trembling, Marya approached Ivan Kouzmitch and dropped on her knees, bending before him with reverence.

The old Commandant made the sign of the cross three times over her, then raised her up, kissed her, and said to her, in a voice husky with emotion—­

“Well, Masha, may you be happy.  Pray to God, and He will not forsake you.  If an honest man come forward, may God grant you both love and wisdom.  Live together as we have lived, my wife and I. And now farewell, Masha.  Vassilissa Igorofna, take her away quickly.”

Marya threw herself upon his neck and began sobbing.

“Kiss me, too,” said the Commandant’s wife, weeping.  “Good-bye, my Ivan Kouzmitch.  Forgive me if I have ever vexed you.”

“Good-bye, good-bye, little mother,” said the Commandant, embracing his old companion.  “There, now, enough; go away home, and if you have time put Masha on a ‘sarafan.’"[53]

The Commandant’s wife went away with her daughter.  I followed Marya with my eyes; she turned round and made me a last sign.

Ivan Kouzmitch came back to us, and turned his whole attention to the enemy.  The rebels gathered round their leader, and all at once dismounted hastily.

“Be ready,” the Commandant said to us, “the assault is about to begin.”

At the same moment resounded wild war cries.  The rebels were racing down on the fort.  Our cannon was loaded with grape.  The Commandant allowed them to approach within a very short distance, and again applied a match to the touch-hole.  The grape struck in the midst of the crowd, and dispersed it in every direction.  The leader alone remained to the fore, brandishing his sword; he appeared to be exhorting them hotly.  The yells which had ceased for a moment were redoubled anew.