Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/253

Rh the morning meal. The glitter of the flame fell on the snow, lighting up also those wild forms, veiled somewhat by the smoke of the fires, the cloud of breaths, and the steam which rose from roasting meat. Beyond them were visible the ruddy-colored trunks of giant pines, and new crowds of people, the number of which astonished the Knight of Lorraine, unaccustomed to the sight of such hunting multitudes.

"Your princes go to a hunt as to a war," said he.

"As you see," answered Matsko of Turoboy, "they lack neither hunting gear nor people. These are the prince's beaters, but there are others also who come from the depth of the wilderness to trade."

"What shall we do?" interrupted Zbyshko; "they are asleep in the house yet."

"Wait till they wake," answered Matsko. "We will not strike the doors and wake our lord the prince."

So saying, he conducted them to a fire near which the Kurpie threw down bison and bear skins, and then began promptly to entertain them with steaming meat. Hearing foreign speech, they crowded to look at the German. Soon it was spread about by Zbyshko's retinue that the stranger was a knight "from beyond the sea," and then they so crowded about that Matsko had to use his authority to save the foreigner from overmuch curiosity. In the crowd De Lorche noticed women dressed in skins also, but ruddy as apples and uncommonly good-looking; so he inquired if they took part in hunts also.

Matsko explained that they did not belong to the hunts, but that they came with the beaters through female curiosity, or as to a fair to buy local products and sell the wealth of the forest. Such was the case in reality. That house of the prince was a centre around which, even during his absence, two elements met, those of the town and the forest. The Kurpie did not like to go forth from their wilderness, for they felt strange without the sound of trees above their heads; so the people of Prasnysh took to that edge of the forest their renowned beer; flour ground in local windmills or in watermills on the Vengerka; salt, rare in the forest and sought for with eagerness; iron implements, straps, and similar products of industry. In return they received skins, costly furs, dried mushrooms, nuts, healing herbs, or pieces of amber found without too much trouble among the Kurpie. So a continual market was active around the house of Prince Yanush. The activity was intensified