LESSON 41 MAZEPPA'S RIDE

MAZEPPA'S RIDE

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THE steed ［1］ struggles madly with the waves, which break against his chest. He tries to mount the bank, which seems to repel ［2］ his efforts. His mane is wet and shining, his limbs tremble, and a dense vapour ［3］ rises from his heated flanks ［4］ . At length he succeeds in gaining a firm footing, and pursues his headlong course. A plain extends before him, but the eye cannot measure its length, through the shadows of night,and there is not a hut to be seen. The horse now slackens his speed. It is with difficulty he bends his tottering limbs. Mazeppa tries to burst the cords that bind him, but only tightens them the more. The sun has risen. Not a trace of man or animal is there on the wild, bare earth. The very air itself is damp. The horse, gasping as if about to expire ［5］ , goes another mile or so. At length Mazeppa fancies he hears a loud neighing, and soon sees a herd of horses dashing swiftly across the plain. Fain ［6］ would he cry aloud, but his lips are mute. The horses gallop quickly, but no rider guides them. Their tails and glorious manes float in the wind. They are wild steeds, free as the waves of the ocean! Their approach gives some life to the wearied limbs of Mazeppa's courser. He seems ready to leap with joy and replies to them with a feeble neigh, gallops a pace or two, and then falls. For a few moments he breathes, but soon his eyeballs are glazed. His first course has been his last! HIS FIRST COURSE HAS BEEN HIS LAST!"

Meanwhile the herd has drawn near. These wild animals behold, with fear, a man bound to their dead comrade by blood-stained bonds! They halt, they tremble, and gallop hither and thither. Then they speed away into the dim distance, alarmed by the sight of man.

They leave the hapless ［7］ Mazeppa far from all human help. There is no hope of his being set free. He believes himself doomed to mix his dust with that of the ice-cold corpse to which he is bound. His glances are fixed upon the sky, and lo! between him and the heavens what a flight of carrion-crows ［8］ he sees, waiting for their human prey! He faints, and knows no more."

When Mazeppa came to his senses, he found around him a number of peasants, who took him to the nearest hut. They were people of the Ukraine, for instinct ［9］ had guided the wild horse back to the country which had given him life.

When Mazeppa's wounds healed, he remained among the Cossacks, and made himself famous by his bravery in several wars with the Tartars ［10］ . This won for him the homage ［11］ of the Cossaeks ［12］ . Peter the Great, the true founder of the Russian Empire, was forced to recognize him as Prince of the Ukraine.

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［1 ］ steed: Horse.

［2 ］ repel: Drive back.

［3 ］ vapour: Mist, steam.

［4 ］ flanks: Sides.

［5 ］ expire: Die.

［6 ］ fain: Gladly, if he could.

［7 ］ hapless: Unlucky.

［8 ］ carrion-crows: Crows that live on dead flesh.

［9 ］ instinct: Inborn sense.

［10 ］ Tartar: A native of Tartary, the ancient name for Central and Eastern Asia.

［11 ］ homage: Respect, loyalty.

［12 ］ Cossaek: One of a warlike people dwelling in the south of Russia.