hands, and
running from Sprinkler to Maciek like a shuttle thrown from one side of
the loom to the other. "Only do you, Maciek of the switch, and you, Maciek
of the club, make up your disagreement, and, so help me Heaven, we will
knock the Muscovites to splinters; Razor advances under the orders of
Switch."

"Orders are good on parade," interrupted Sprinkler. "We had a standing
order in the Kowno brigade, a short and pointed one: 'Strike terror and be
not terrified; fight and do not surrender; advance always, and make quick
strokes, slish, slash!' "

"Those are my principles," squealed Razor. "What's the use of spilling ink
and drawing up acts of confederation? Do you want one? That's the whole
question. Maciej is our marshal and his little switch is his baton of
office."

"Long live Cock-on-the-Steeple!" shouted Baptist. The gentry answered,
"Vivant the sprinklers!"

But in the corners a murmur had arisen, though it was stifled in the
centre; evidently the council was dividing into two sides. Buchmann
shouted: "I will never approve an agreement; that's my system." Somebody
else yelled "Veto,"134 and others seconded him from the corners. Finally
the gruff voice of Skoluba was heard, a gentleman from another hamlet.

"What is this, my friends of the Dobrzynski family? What does all this
mean? How about us, shall we be deprived of our rights? When we were
invited from our hamlet--and the Warden, My-boy Rembajlo invited us--we were
told that great things were to be done, that the question did not affect
the Dobrzynskis alone, but the whole district, the entire gentry; Robak
mumbled the same thing, though he never finished his talk and always
stammered and expressed himself obscurely. Well, finally we have gathered,
and have called in our neighbours by messengers. You Dobrzynskis are not
the only men here; from various other hamlets there are about two hundred
of us here; so let us _all_ consult together. If we need a marshal, let us
all vote, with an equal voice for each; long live equality!"

Then two Terajewiczes and four Stypulkowskis and three Mickiewiczes
shouted, "Vivat equality," taking the side of Skoluba. Meanwhile Buchmann
was crying, "Agreement will be our ruin!" Sprinkler yelled: "We can get
along alone without you; long live our marshal, the Maciek of Macieks! Let
him have the baton!" The Dobrzynskis cried, "We beg you to take it!" but
the rest of the gentry shouted with one voice, "We forbid it!" The t