Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/341

Rh saw that it might be needful to chain down desire of revenge and head-breaking as he would a bear, and seek new ways entirely of finding and saving Danusia. While thinking of this, he regretted that Matsko was not with him. Matsko was as adroit as he was valiant. Still he resolved to send Sanderus from Spyhov to Schytno to find that woman, and endeavor to learn from her what had become of Danusia. He said to himself that though Sanderus might wish to betray him, he could not injure the cause much, and if he were true he might render considerable service; for his occupation gave him access to all places.

Wishing to take counsel first with Yurand, he deferred this matter till they reached Spyhov, all the more as night had fallen, and it seemed to him that Yurand, as he sat on his lofty saddle of a knight, had fallen asleep from his toils, his suffering, and grievous sorrow. But Yurand was riding with hanging head only for the reason that misfortune had bent him. And it was evident that he was thinking of it continually; for his heart was full of cruel fears, since he said at last,—

"Would that I had frozen to death at Nedzborz. Was it thou who dug me out of the snow?"

"I, with others."

"And at that hunt it was thou who saved my child?"

"What was it my duty to do?"

"And now wilt thou help me?"

But in Zbyshko love for Danusia burst forth, and hatred against the Knights of the Cross so great that he rose in his saddle and spoke through his set teeth as if with difficulty,—

"Listen to what I say: Though I had to gnaw Prussian castles with my teeth, I would gnaw them down and get her."

A moment of silence followed. The vengeful and unrestrained nature of Yurand responded evidently with all its force under the influence of these words; for he gritted his teeth in the darkness, and after a while repeated the names,—

"Danveld, Lowe, Rotgier, Gottfried."

In his soul he thought that if they wished him to release De Bergov he would release him; if they demanded pay in addition, he would pay, though he were to add all Spyhov. But woe later on to those who had raised hands on his only child.

All that night sleep did not close the eyes of those two