第48章

"I have slept a long while!" said Taras, coming to his senses, as if after a heavy drunken sleep, and trying to distinguish the objects about him.A terrible weakness overpowered his limbs.The walls and corners of a strange room were dimly visible before him.At length he perceived that Tovkatch was seated beside him, apparently listening to his every breath.

"Yes," thought Tovkatch, "you might have slept forever." But he said nothing, only shook his finger, and motioned him to be silent.

"But tell me where I am now?" asked Taras, straining his mind, and trying to recollect what had taken place.

"Be silent!" cried his companion sternly."Why should you want to know? Don't you see that you are all hacked to pieces? Here I have been galloping with you for two weeks without taking a breath; and you have been burnt up with fever and talking nonsense.This is the first time you have slept quietly.Be silent if you don't wish to do yourself an injury."But Taras still tried to collect his thoughts and to recall what had passed."Well, the Lyakhs must have surrounded and captured me.I had no chance of fighting my way clear from the throng.""Be silent, I tell you, you devil's brat!" cried Tovkatch angrily, as a nurse, driven beyond her patience, cries out at her unruly charge.

"What good will it do you to know how you got away? It is enough that you did get away.Some people were found who would not abandon you;let that be enough for you.It is something for me to have ridden all night with you.You think that you passed for a common Cossack? No, they have offered a reward of two thousand ducats for your head.""And Ostap!" cried Taras suddenly, and tried to rise; for all at once he recollected that Ostap had been seized and bound before his very eyes, and that he was now in the hands of the Lyakhs.Grief overpowered him.He pulled off and tore in pieces the bandages from his wounds, and threw them far from him; he tried to say something, but only articulated some incoherent words.Fever and delirium seized upon him afresh, and he uttered wild and incoherent speeches.

Meanwhile his faithful comrade stood beside him, scolding and showering harsh, reproachful words upon him without stint.Finally, he seized him by the arms and legs, wrapped him up like a child, arranged all his bandages, rolled him in an ox-hide, bound him with bast, and, fastening him with ropes to his saddle, rode with him again at full speed along the road.