Kmita drew the ring from his finger. Jendzian on his part took it hastily, and said, —
"I thank your grace humbly."
An hour later, Jendzian with his wagons and his people, a little shaken up however, rode forward quietly toward Shchuchyn, taking three killed and the rest wounded, among whom were Yuzva Butrym, with a cut face and a broken head. As he rode along Jendzian looked at the ring, in which the stone glittered wonderfully in the moonlight, and he thought of that strange and terrible man, who having caused so much harm to the confederates and so much good to the Swedes and Iladzivill, still wished apparently to save the confederates from final ruin.
"For he gives sincere advice," said Jendzian to himself. "It is always better to hold together. But why does he forewarn? Is it from love of Volodyovski, because the latter gave him his life in Billeviche? It must be from love! Yes, but that love may come out with evil result for the hetman. Kmita is a strange man; he serves Radzivill, wishes well to our people, and is going to the Swedes; I do not understand this." After a while he added: "He is a bountiful lord; but it is evil to come in his way."
As earnestly and vainly as Jendzian, did old Kyemlich rack his brain in effort to find an answer to the query, "Whom does Pan Kmita serve?"
"He is going to the king, and kills the confederates, who are fighting specially on the king's side. What is this? And he does not trust the Swedes, for he hides from them. What will happen to us? "
Not being able to arrive at any conclusion, he turned in rage to his sons: "Rascals! You will perish without blessing! And you could not even pull away a little from the slain?"
"We were afraid!" answered Kosma and Damian.
Soroka alone was satisfied, and he clattered joyously after his colonel.
"Evil fate has missed us," thought he, "for we killed those fellows. I'm curious to know whom we shall kill next time."
And it was all one to him, as was also this, — whither he was faring.
No one dared approach Kmita or ask him anything, for the young colonel was as gloomy as night. He grieved terribly that he had to kill those men, at the side of whom
