The Knights of the Cross, or, Krzyzacy: Historical Romance

  CHAPTER III.

  Zbyszko was unable to overtake Hlawa, because the latter traveled day andnight, and only rested as much as was absolutely necessary to avoid thebreaking down of the horses, which only subsisted on grass, and wereconsequently faint and unable to withstand such long marches as theycould in regions where oats could be easily procured. Hlawa neitherspared himself, nor took into consideration the advanced age and weaknessof Zygfried. The old knight suffered terribly, especially because thesinewy Macko had previously wrenched his bones. But still worse were themosquitoes which swarmed in the humid wilderness, and as his hands werebound and his legs fastened beneath the horse's belly, he was unable todrive them away. Hlawa did not directly torture him in the least, but hehad no compassion for him, and only unfastened his right hand to enablehim to eat when he stopped for refreshment.

  "Eat, ravening wolf, so that I may bring you alive to the lord ofSpychow." Such were the words of inducement to stimulate Zygfried'sappetite. At first Zygfried resolved to starve himself to death; but whenhe heard the announcement that in such case Hlawa would forcibly open histeeth with a knife and stuff the food down his throat, he gave up hisintention in order to avoid such a degradation of the Order and knightlyhonor.

  But the Bohemian was particularly anxious to arrive at Spychow before hismaster, so that he might spare his adored young lady from shame. Simple,but courageous and fearless, he was not void of knightly noble sentiment,and he well understood that Jagienka would be humiliated if she were atSpychow together with Danusia. "It will be possible to tell the bishop,in Plock (he thought) that the old knight of Bogdaniec, owing to hisguardianship, thought it necessary to take her with him, and then, assoon as it was known that she was the bishop's ward, and besidesZgorzelice she was also entitled to the abbot's estate, then even the_wojewoda's_ son would not be too great for her." That thoughtcontributed to soothe his troubled mind. The very reason of his conveyinggood news to Spychow troubled his mind, as it would be the source ofmisfortune to Jagienka.

  The beautiful face of Sieciechowna, as red as an apple, often appearedbefore his eyes. On such occasions, he would, if the road permitted,tickle the horse's sides with his spurs, because he wanted to reachSpychow as soon as possible.

  They traveled along intricate roads, or rather no roads at all, throughthe woods, going straight ahead as the reaper does. The Bohemian knewthat by pushing on a little toward the west and constantly in a southerlydirection, he would reach Mazowsze and then all would go well. During thedaytime he followed the sun, and at night he marched by the stars. Thewilderness in front of him appeared endless. Days and nights passed by.More than once he thought that Zbyszko would not succeed in bringing thewoman through the terrible wilderness alive, where there was no food tobe procured, and where the horses must be guarded by night from wolvesand bears. During the daytime they had to get out of the way of herds ofbison and aurochs; where the terrible wild-boar sharpens his crookedtusks against the roots of the pine-trees, and very often it happenedthat those who made no use of the crossbow, or did not strike with thepike into the sides of a deer or young boar, such passed whole dayswithout food.

  "How will it be here," thought Hlawa, "with a maiden who is alreadyalmost tortured to death!"

  Now and then, it happened that they had to cross swamps and deep ravines,which continuous spring rains filled for days with rushing streams.Lakes, too, were not wanting in the wilderness, in which they saw atsunset whole flocks of deer and elk disporting in the red transparentwaters.

  Often they also perceived smoke which showed the presence of people. Onseveral occasions Hlawa approached such forest settlements, whence wildpeople would issue, clothed with skins upon their naked bodies, armedwith clubs and bows, and looking from under their shaggy-tangled hair;the men took them to be werewolves. It was necessary to take advantage oftheir first astonishment whilst they were looking at the knights, andleave them in the greatest haste.

  Arrows whistled twice near the Bohemian's ears, and he heard the shoutsof "Wokili" (Germans!) But he preferred to run away rather than to makehimself known. Finally, after a few days he began to think that perhapshe had already crossed the frontier, but there was nobody from whom hecould ascertain. Only when he met some colonists who spoke the Polishlanguage did he get the information, that he finally stood uponMazowszian soil.

  There it was better, although the whole eastern part of Mazowsze was alsoone wilderness. But it did not terminate uninhabitated as the other did.When the Bohemian arrived at a colony they were less shy--perhaps becausethey were not so much brought up in constant hatred, or that the Bohemiancould converse with them in Polish. The only trouble with them was theboundless curiosity of the people who surrounded the travelers, andoverwhelmed them with questions. When they were informed that he carrieda prisoner, a Knight of the Cross, they said:

  "Give him to us, sir, we will take care of him!"

  They importuned the Bohemian so much, that he often became very angrywith them, but at the same time, he explained, that he could not granttheir request because the prisoner belonged to the prince. Then only theyrelented. Later on when he arrived in the inhabited places among thenobles and land-owners, he did not get off so easily. The hatred againstthe Order was raging, because everywhere they still remembered vividlythe wrongs which the prince had suffered at its hands when, in time ofpeace, the Knights of the Cross had kidnapped the prince near Zlotorjaand imprisoned him. They did not wish to dispatch Zygfried at once. Buthere and there, one of the doughty Polish nobles would say: "Unbind himand we will give him arms, and then challenge him to deadly combat." Tosuch the Bohemian would give a potent reason: that the right to vengeancebelonged to the unfortunate lord of Spychow, and one must not deprive himof that privilege.

  The journey through the inhabited region was easy; because there weregood roads and there was plenty of provender for the horses. The Bohemiancontinued his uninterrupted march until after ten days' travel he arrivedbefore Corpus Christi day at Spychow.

  He arrived in the evening, at the same time as when he had brought thenews from Macko, that he had left Szczytno for the Zmudz country. It alsohappened now as before, that Jagienka, observing him through the window,rushed toward him, and he fell at her feet. He was speechless for awhile. But she soon lifted him up and took him aside, as she did not wishto interrogate him in the presence of others.

  "What news?" she asked, trembling with impatience, and scarcely able tocatch her breath. "Is she alive? Well?"

  "Alive! Well!"

  "Has she been found?"

  "She has. They rescued her."

  "Praised be Jesus Christ!"

  But whilst she spoke these words her face assumed a deathly pallor,because all her hopes crumbled into dust.

  However, her strength did not forsake her, neither did she loseconsciousness. After a moment she mastered herself entirely and enquiredagain:

  "When will she be here?"

  "Within a few days! She is sick and the road is very bad."

  "Is she sick?"

  "Martyred. Her reason is confused with her tortures."

  "Merciful Jesus!"

  Silence reigned for a moment. Jagienka's lips became pale and they movedas though in prayer.

  "Did she recognize Zbyszko?" she asked again.

  "She may have done so, but I am not sure, because I left at once, inorder to inform you, lady, of the news. That is the reason why I amstanding here."

  "God reward you. Tell me how it happened!"

  The Bohemian related briefly how they rescued Danusia, how they capturedthe giant Arnold together with Zygfried. He also informed them that hehad brought Zygfried with him, because the young knight wished to presenthim to Jurand so that the latter might avenge himself.

  "I must now go to Jurand," said Jagienka, when he had finished.

  Then she left, but Hlawa had not been long alone when Sieciechowna rushedtoward him from the next apartment; but either because not entirelyconscious, owing to the fatigue and exceedi
ng great troubles he hadpassed through, or owing to his yearning for her, he entirely forgothimself when he saw her; suffice it to say he caught her by the waist,pressed her to his breast and kissed her eyes, cheeks and mouth in such amanner as though he had previously informed her of everything that wasnecessary for her to know before the kissing began.

  Perhaps he had already told her everything in spirit, when upon the road,therefore he kissed her and kept on kissing endlessly. He embraced her sostrongly that she lost her breath. Yet she did not defend herself, atfirst from surprise and then, from faintness, so that were it not forHlawa's powerful grasp she would have fallen to the ground.

  Fortunately this did not last too long because distant steps were heardon the stairs, and after a moment, Father Kaleb rushed into the room.

  They then quickly separated, and the priest began to overwhelm him withquestions. But Hlawa was unable to catch his breath and replied withdifficulty. The priest thought that his condition was owing to fatigue.But when the news of the finding of Danusia, her rescue and the presenceof her torturer in Spychow was confirmed by Hlawa, he fell upon his kneesto thank God for it. Meanwhile Hlawa quieted down a little, and when thepriest got up, he was able to repeat his story in a more intelligent andquiet manner in what way Danusia had been found and how they had rescuedher.

  "God did not deliver her," the priest said, whilst listening to hisnarrative, "in order that her reason and soul should be restored whilstshe was in the darkness and in the power of the unclean. Let Jurand onlylay his saintly hand upon her, and offer only one of his prayers, and hewill restore her reason and health."

  "Knight Jurand?" asked the Bohemian, with astonishment. "Does he possessso much power? Can he become a saint whilst he is alive?"

  "Before God he is considered a saint even whilst he is alive. But when hedies the people will have one more patron saint in heaven;--a martyr."

  "But you said, reverend father,'that if he were only to lay his saintlyhands upon the head of his daughter.' Has his right hand grown again? forI know you prayed for it."

  "I said: 'the hands,' as it is customary to say," replied the priest."But one hand is enough, if God will."

  "Surely," answered Hlawa.

  But in his voice there was something discouraging when he thought that itappeared like a miracle. Jagienka's entrance interrupted furtherconversation.

  "Now I have informed him carefully of the news," she said. "To avoid thedeath, which sudden joy might cause, but he fell with the cross in hishands and prayed."

  "I am sure that he will be in such a condition till morning, as he isaccustomed to lie prostrate in prayer whole nights," said Father Kaleb.

  And so it happened; they called to see him several times and each timethey found him stretched on the ground, not asleep but in such a ferventprayer that it bordered on perfect ecstasy. Now the watchman, whose dutyit was to watch according to custom over Spychow from the top of thetower, said afterward that he observed that night an extraordinarybrightness in the house of the "Old lord."

  Very early on the following morning when Jagienka called again to seehim, he showed his desire to see Hlawa and the prisoner. The prisoner wasbrought before him immediately from the dungeon. He was tightly boundwith his hands crossed upon his chest. All, including Tolima, advancedtoward the old man.

  But owing to a dark, cloudy day and the insufficient light of athreatening tempest, which penetrated the bladder panes, the Bohemian wasunable to see Jurand well. But as soon as his keen eyes grew accustomedto the darkness and looked upon him, he scarcely recognized him. Thegigantic man had dwindled to a giant skeleton. His face was so white thatit did not much differ from his snow-white hair, and when he bowed on thearm of his chair, with his eyelids closed, he appeared to Hlawa like areal corpse.

  In front of the chair stood a table; upon it were a crucifix, a pitcherof water, and a loaf of black bread in which stuck the _misericordia_,that terrible knife which the knights made use of in dispatching thewounded. Besides bread and water, Jurand enjoyed no other nourishment.His only garment consisted of coarse sackcloth upon his naked bodyfastened with a straw girdle. Such was the manner of living of that oncepowerful and terrible knight of Spychow, since his return from hiscaptivity in Szczytno.

  Now, when he heard them arrive, he kicked aside the tame she-wolf whichgnawed at his bare feet, It was then that Jurand appeared to the Bohemianlike a real corpse. There was suspense for a moment, because theyexpected some sign from him ordering them to talk: but he sat motionless,pale, and peaceful; his mouth, a little opened, had the real appearanceof one who is plunged in the everlasting sleep of death.

  Jagienka finally announced that Hlawa was there, and gently enquired:

  "Do you wish to hear him?"

  Old Jurand nodded his head affirmatively, and the Bohemian began, for thethird time, to narrate briefly the story of the battles with the Germansnear Gotteswerder. He told him of the fight with Arnold von Baden and howthey had rescued Danusia. Not wishing to add new pains to the sufferingsof the old martyr and destroy the effect produced by the good news ofDanusia's rescue, he purposely avoided relating that her mind sufferedfor a long time on account of terrible distress. But, on the other hand,as his heart was filled with rancor against the Knights of the Cross, andthirsting to see Zygfried receive his deserved terrible chastisement, hepurposely mentioned the fact that when they found her she was terrified,emaciated and sick, and it was evident that they must have treated her asexecutioners do, and had she remained longer in their terrible hands shewould have withered and perished as a little flower withers and perisheswhen trodden under foot.

  Whilst Hlawa recited the news, the sky was overcast and the clouds grewdarker, which showed the approach of a storm. The copper-colored massesof clouds which hung over Spychow rolled more heavily upon one another.

  Jurand was motionless and listened to the recital without any trembling,so that he appeared to be in deep sleep. Nevertheless, he heard andunderstood everything, for when Hlawa told the story of Danusia's woes,two large drops of tears rolled down his cheeks from the hollows of hiseyes. Only one earthly feeling still remained in his breast, and that waslove for his child.

  Then his blue lips began to move in prayer. The first distantthunderclaps were heard outside. Now and then lightning illuminated thewindows. He prayed long, and again the tears trickled down upon his whitebeard. When he finally ceased to pray, long silence reigned, which was somuch prolonged as to cause uneasiness to those present because they didnot know what to do.

  Finally, old Tolima, who was Jurand's right hand, his companion in allbattles, and the chief guard of Spychow, said:

  "That man of Hades, that werewolf Knight of the Cross who tortured youand your child stands now before you. Give a sign what shall be done tohim, and in what manner we shall chastise him!"

  Upon hearing these words, rays of light crossed Jurand's face and henodded to them to bring the prisoner near him. And in the twinkling of aneye, two men grasped him by the shoulders and placed him in front of theold man, who stretched out his hand to Zygfried's face, which he touchedas though to feel the outlines and recognize it for the last time. Thenhe lowered his hand to Zygfried's chest upon which he felt his boundhands, touched the fastening ropes, again closed his eyelids and bowedhis head.

  They thought that he was absorbed in thought, but whether that was so ornot, it was not of long duration, because after a while he started out ofhis reverie and pointed with his hand in the direction of the loaf ofbread, in which the ill-omened _misericordia_ stuck.

  Then, Jagienka, the Bohemian, even old Tolima and all present held theirbreath. It was a hundredfold well-deserved punishment, a righteousrevenge. Yet their hearts palpitated at the thought that the half-aliveold man should be groping to slash the bound prisoner.

  But Jurand, seizing the knife in the middle, ran his finger along itssharp edge, so that he might feel the thing he was cutting, and began tosever the bonds upon Zygfried's arms.

  At that sight,
all were seized with amazement, because they understoodhis desire and could scarcely believe it. However, that was too much forthem. Hlawa was the first to murmur; he was followed by Tolima and theother men. Only the priest Kaleb began to ask, in a voice broken withunrestrained weeping:

  "Brother Jurand, what are your wishes? Do you intend to give the prisonerhis liberty?"

  "It is so!" replied Jurand, nodding his head affirmatively.

  "No punishment for him, nor vengeance? Is that your desire?"

  "It is!" and he nodded again.

  Open discontent was shown in the murmurs and anger of the men, but thepriest did not wish to belittle such an unheard-of deed of mercy. Heturned to the murmurers and exclaimed:

  "Now who dares to oppose the saint? Down upon your knees!"

  Then he knelt down himself and began to say:

  "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdomcome...."

  And he repeated the Lord's Prayer to the end. At the words: "And forgiveus our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us," hedirected his eyes involuntarily toward Jurand, whose face actuallyassumed an unearthly radiance.

  That sight, and that expressive prayer crushed the hearts of all present;even old Tolima, the confirmed, hardened warrior, made the sign of theHoly Cross, and immediately embraced Jurand's feet and said:

  "Lord, if you want your wishes to be accomplished, then the prisonershould be led to the frontier."

  "Yes!" nodded Jurand.

  The storm approached nearer and nearer and the lightning more frequentlyilluminated the windows.