But alongside them were also those who knew of Horace, Cicero, and the Roman Republic. The Sech harbored many officers who would later make a name for themselves in the Imperial Army. There was a great number of educated and experienced partisans who cherished the noble belief that it was of little consequence where one fought, as long as one did fight, for it was unseemly for a man of mettle not to be in battle. There were also many who came to the Sech merely to be able to say that they had been there and were thus hardened knights. This strange republic was a necessity in that era. Lovers of a life of war, of golden chalices, rich brocade, gold ducats, and silver reals could always find what they were seeking. Only admirers of women would find nothing, for there was not a single woman, even in the settlement around the Sech.

Ostap and Andri found it extremely odd that hordes of men simply wandered into the Sech without anyone questioning who they were, where they came from, or what their names might be. These men came as if they were returning home after an hour’s absence, and went over to see the Ataman.*

“Greetings! So, you believe in Christ?” the Ataman would ask.

“I do!”

“How about the Holy Trinity?”

“I do!”

“You go to church?”

“I do!”

“So let’s see you cross yourself!”

The new arrival would cross himself.

“Well then,” the Ataman would say, “go join one of the companies.”

And that was the end of the initiation ceremony. The whole Sech was of one faith and prepared to defend this faith to the last drop of blood, though it disregarded all fasting periods and temperance. Only extremely covetous Jews, Armenians, and Tatars dared live and trade in the settlement, for the Zaporozhians never liked trading, and always paid with fistfuls of money. And yet the lot of these covetous traders was pitiful. They called to mind the people who lived at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, because the moment the swashbuckling Zaporozhians ran out of money they ransacked the stores and took whatever they wanted without paying.

The Sech was made up of some sixty companies, which resembled separate, independent republics, and resembled even more a school or academy where students are given full board. No one acquired or owned anything at all. The company captain kept everything in his hands, and for that reason was usually called Papa. He kept the money, clothes, and all the provisions: flour paste, kasha, and even fuel. Often disputes broke out among the companies. When that happened, everyone came to blows. The companies poured out over the square, and there was a big brawl until one side finally got the better of the other, at which point they would all begin carousing. This was the Sech, so attractive to the young men.

Ostap and Andri threw themselves into this sea of revelry with all the fervor of youth and embraced their new life, forgetting their home, the Seminary, and everything that had troubled their souls. They were fascinated by the wild ways of the Sech and the rough code of justice, which at times struck them as too harsh in such a willful republic. If a Cossack was caught stealing, stole even a trifle, it was viewed as an affront to the whole of Cossackry. Stripped of all honor, he would be tied to a post of shame with a cudgel placed next to him, and every passerby was required to strike him until he had been bludgeoned to death. A Cossack who defaulted on his debts was chained to a cannon and had to sit there until one of his comrades paid the debt. But what struck Andri most was the terrible penalty for murder. A pit was dug and the murderer, still alive, was lowered into it. The coffin of the victim was placed over him, after which the grave was covered with earth. For a long time afterward, Andri could not banish the awful execution rite from his mind, and kept imagining the man buried alive with the terrible coffin.

Soon the two young men were in good standing with all the Cossacks. They often rode out into the steppe with comrades to shoot the boundless variety of birds, deer, and goats, or rode out to the lakes, rivers, and streams, which were assigned to each company by lot. There they cast nets and pulled in plentiful catches for the whole company. Though no one in the Sech practiced the war skills that a Cossack needs, Ostap and Andri stood out among the other young men through their daring and success.