Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/170

146 Here he touched his tankard of mead with Zbyshko's, and asked,—

"But, perhaps, thou hast the wish to sing something?"

"No," replied Zbyshko, "I listen to you with curiosity."

"The young bears, seest thou, will get this place. If only they do not fight about it some time!"

"How, the young bears?"

"Yes, the boys, Yagenka's brothers."

"Hei! they will not need to suck their paws in winter."

"Oh no. But neither will Yagenka's mouth in Mochydoly lack a bit of cheese."

"Surely not!" "But why not eat and drink? Yagenka, pour out to him and to me!"

"I am eating and drinking as much as I am able."

"If thou art not able to eat more, ungirdle— That is a beautiful belt! Ye must have taken brave booty in Lithuania?"

"We make no complaint," answered Zbyshko, who used the occasion to show that the heirs of Bogdanets were not poor little possessors. "We sold a part of the booty in Cracow and received forty gryvens of silver—"

"Fear God! One might buy a village for that much."

"Yes, for there was one suit of Milan armor which uncle sold when expecting to die, and that, you know—"

"I know! That is worth going to Lithuania for. In my time I wanted to go, but I was afraid."

"Of what? The Knights of the Cross? Ei, who is afraid of the Germans? Why fear till they attack?—and when they attack there is no time for fear. I was afraid of those pagan gods or devils. In the forest there are as many of them as of ants, very likely."

"But where are they to live, since their temples are burnt? In old times they had plenty, but now they live only on ants and mushrooms."

"But hast thou seen them?"

"I have not seen them myself, but I have heard that people do see them. One of those devils will thrust out his hairy paw from behind a tree, and shake it, asking to give him something."

"Matsko said the same thing," remarked Yagenka.

"Yes, on the road he said the same thing to me," added Zyh. "Well, it is no wonder! For that matter, with us here, though the country is Christian this long time,