Even when they began to break the bones in his hands and feet, when, amid the death-like stillness of the crowd, the horrible cracking was audible to the most distant spectators; when even his tormentors turned aside their eyes, nothing like a groan escaped his lips, nor did his face quiver.

Taras stood in the crowd with bowed head; and, raising his eyes proudly at that moment, he said, approvingly, "Well done, boy! well done!" But when they took him to the last deadly tortures, it seemed as though his strength were failing.

He cast his eyes around.
O God! all strangers, all unknown faces! If only some of his relatives had been present at his death! He would not have cared to hear the sobs and anguish of his poor, weak mother, nor the unreasoning cries of a wife, tearing her hair and beating her white breast; but he would have liked to see a strong man who might refresh him with a word of wisdom, and cheer his end.

And his strength failed him, and he cried in the weakness of his soul, "Father! where are you?
do you hear ?" "I hear!" rang through the universal silence, and those thousands of people shuddered in concert.

A detachment of cavalry hastened to search through the throng of people.