[Taras Bulba and Other Tales by Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol]@TWC D-Link book
Taras Bulba and Other Tales

CHAPTER VIII
13/20

Obey your hetman, but you know yourselves what you have to do: you know yourselves what Cossack honour requires." And all the Cossacks kissed each other.

The hetmans first began it.
Stroking down their grey moustaches, they kissed each other, making the sign of the cross, and then, grasping hands firmly, wanted to ask of each other, "Well, brother, shall we see one another again or not ?" But they did not ask the question: they kept silence, and both grey-heads were lost in thought.

Then the Cossacks took leave of each other to the last man, knowing that there was a great deal of work before them all.
Yet they were not obliged to part at once: they would have to wait until night in order not to let the Lyakhs perceive the diminution in the Cossack army.

Then all went off, by kurens, to dine.
After dinner, all who had the prospect of the journey before them lay down to rest, and fell into a deep and long sleep, as though foreseeing that it was the last sleep they should enjoy in such security.

They slept even until sunset; and when the sun had gone down and it had grown somewhat dusky, began to tar the waggons.


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