Страница 401 из 788

"I too want to fight," he shouted, pounding his breast with his

fist; "though I don't carry a sprinkling-brush, yet with a pole

from a river barge I once gave a good christening to four

Prussians who tried to drown me in the Pregel when I was drunk."

"Good for you, Bartek," said Sprinkler, "good for you; sprinkle,

sprinkle!"

"But in the name of the most dear Jesus, we must first know with

whom the war is and about what; we must proclaim that to the

world," shouted the Prussian, "for what is going to make the

people follow us? Where they are to go, and when, and how, we do

not know ourselves. Brother gentlemen, we need discretion! My

friends, we need order and method! If you wish war, let us make a

confederacy,131 and discuss where to form it and under whose

leadership. That was the way in Great Poland-we saw the retreat

of the Germans, and what did we do? We consulted secretly

together; we armed both the gentry and a company of peasants;

and, when we were ready, we waited Dombrowski's orders; at last,

to horse! We rose as one man!"