Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/267

Rh which had dropped from the body. De Lorche lay near by motionless, looking like an iron wedge on the snow. The wild bull seemed for an instant to hesitate whether to pass them and strike other horses; but having his first victims there before him, he turned again and began to gloat over the hapless steed, crushing him with his head, and tearing in rage the open belly with his horns.

People rushed out from the forest, however, to save the foreign knight. Zbyshko, concerned for the safety of the princess and Danusia, came first, and thrust in his sharp spear behind the foreleg of the beast. But he struck with such force that the handle, when the bull turned suddenly, broke in his hand, and he himself fell face forward on the snow.

"He is lost! he is lost!" cried Mazovians, rushing to aid him.

Meanwhile the bull's head had covered Zbyshko and was pressing him to the earth. From the prince's side two powerful "defenders" rushed up; but help would have been late had not Hlava, the man given by Yagenka, preceded them luckily. He ran ahead, and raising a broad-axe with both hands cut the bent neck of the bull right behind his horns.

The blow was so terrible that the beast dropped as if struck by lightning, his backbone was severed and his head half chopped away; but in falling he pressed Zbyshko. Both "defenders" pulled off the monstrous body in a twinkle, but meanwhile the princess and Danusia sprang from their horses, and dumb with fright, ran to Zbyshko. Pale, covered with his own blood and the blood of the bull, he raised himself somewhat, tried to stand, but staggered, fell on his knees, and leaning on his hand could utter only one word:

"Danusia!"

Then he threw out blood through his mouth, and darkness embraced his head. Danusia, standing at his back, seized his arms, but unable to hold him, cried for assistance. People surrounded him from all sides, rubbed him with snow, poured wine into his mouth; finally the chief hunter, Mrokota, gave command to put him on a cloak, and stay the blood-flow with soft pine punk.

"He will live if only a rib and not his spine is broken," said he, turning to the princess.

Meanwhile other damsels, assisted by hunters, were saving De Lorche. They turned him on every side, seeking on