Mongolians counseled on how best to make a renewed attack, Maxim had not been day-dreaming either. A fortunate idea had occurred to him. In the wooden-shingled roof of the boyar’s house on all four sides were cut out tiny windows. At each of these vantage points Maxim placed two of his weaker men to watch the maneuvers of the enemy and to try to inflict with shots of arrows or stones all the injury possible from these positions. While one stayed at his post by the window the other handed him ammunition or whatever was needed and kept all their comrades down below informed as to the enemy’s progress.
The horns sounded and the Mongols whooped wildly throwing themselves into the assault upon their adversaries. They ran quickly about half the distance between them, halted and aimed their shots at the defenders. When the besieged, who were prepared to battle resolutely to the finish, greeted them with a hailstorm of shots inflicting wounds and causing many losses, the whole Mongolian line retreated at once.
The youths greeted this retreat with loud derisive laughter. “See, Boyarin!” shouted Maxim, “The powerful force of the great Jinghis Khan evidently has the heart of a rabbit, it takes a swift run forward and then leaps back. Isn’t it a shame for you, a distinguished old hero, to command such dispirited, fearful creatures who are brave like sheep, only in a crowd, and none stands alone even for half a man?”
The boyar made no answer to this mockery, he saw very plainly that Maxim laughed too soon. And Maxim himself was rapidly made aware of his mistake.
The triumphant shouts of the Mongols echoed right behind the walls of the additions on the right and left side of the house at once. At the same time that the main body of Mongols had been feigning an attack, they had crept up to these walls. Because the walls were windowless and doorless the youths had not guarded them so carefully. Of course the young men at
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