Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/227

Rh them, but I will share their contents with you if you take me and them."

"Thou callest thyself God's servant and knowest not that a man is to be rescued for heavenly, not for earthly rewards. But how hast thou kept the caskets, since the horse ran away?"

"Before I found the horse the wolves had devoured him in an opening of the forest, and the caskets were left. I brought them to the road so as to wait for the favor and help of good people."

Thus speaking, and wishing to show that he had told truth, he pointed at two bark caskets lying under a pine tree. Zbyshko looked at the man rather suspiciously, for to him this stranger did not seem over honest; and besides, his speech, though pure, betrayed an origin in distant regions. Zbyshko, however, was loath to refuse assistance, and permitted the man to sit, with his caskets, which proved to be very light, on that detached horse led by Hlava.

"May God increase your victory, valiant knight!" said the unknown. Then, seeing the youthful face of Zbyshko, he added in an undertone, "and also the hairs in your beard."

A moment later he was riding by the side of the Cheh. For some time they could not talk, as a strong wind was blowing and the noise of the forest was tremendous, but when it had calmed somewhat Zbyshko heard the following conversation behind,—

"I do not deny thy visit to Rome, but thou hast the look of a beer guzzler."

"Guard thyself against eternal damnation," answered the unknown, "for thou art talking with a man who last Easter ate hard-boiled eggs with the Holy Father. Talk not on such a cold day to me of beer, even though it were heated; but if thou hast on thy person a flask of wine, give me two or three gulps of it, and I will give a month's indulgence from purgatory."

"Thou art not ordained, for I heard thee say so thyself; how couldst thou, then, give me indulgence for a month of purgatory?"

"I am not ordained, but I have a shaven head, for which I received a dispensation; besides, I bear with me indulgences and relics."

"In those caskets?"

"In these caskets. And if thou wert to see what I have,