Taras had already divined it from the noise and movement in the city, and hastened about, making his arrangements, forming his men, and giving orders and instructions.

He ranged the kurens in three camps, surrounding them with the waggons as bulwarks--a formation in which the Zaporozhtzi were invincible--ordered two kurens into ambush, and drove sharp stakes, broken guns, and fragments of spears into a part of the plain, with a view to forcing the enemy's cavalry upon it if an opportunity should present itself.

When all was done which was necessary, he made a speech to the Cossacks, not for the purpose of encouraging and freshening up their spirits--he knew their souls were strong without that--but simply because he wished to tell them all he had upon his heart.
"I want to tell you, brother gentles, what our brotherhood is.

You have heard from your fathers and grandfathers in what honour our land has always been held by all.

We made ourselves known to the Greeks, and we took gold from Constantinople, and our cities were luxurious, and we had, too, our temples, and our princes--the princes of the Russian people, our own princes, not Catholic unbelievers.