Stepa tells the Cossacks that he found the Crimeans who kidnapped Govor, but the Cossacks with a hangover are not able to go camping. Stepa, with the help of "modern anti-hopping procedures," quickly puts the Cossacks on their feet and organizes a campaign against the Crimeans. The Cossacks take them by surprise, but immediately find out that they do not have a dialect - the Crimeans sold it to the Poles. In parallel, Lukyan completes the well and Stepa, saying goodbye to friends, dives into it.

Stepa learns that because of him, his direct ancestor, Yesaul, is in danger, and therefore the entire Steppe family. The Cossacks receive a dispatch from Pozharsky and decide not to go to the aid of the militia, and Stepa is thrown into a pit because of a dispute with Nazar. Ataman Markov announces the wedding of his daughter Alyonka with the Cossack Nazar.

Stepa and his friends find Yesaul Govor in captivity by the Poles, who are preparing to hang him. Nazar manages to convince everyone that Stepa is a Polish spy and he is in danger again, now from the Cossacks themselves.