Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/432

408 "Thou seest that he has sight in one eye only; burn that one out of him."

There was in the old comtur's voice a certain weakness and decrepitude, but precisely because of that the dreadful order seemed still more dreadful. The torch trembled somewhat in the hand of the executioner, but he inclined it, and soon great naming drops of pitch began to fall on the eye of the captive, and finally they covered it completely from his brow to his prominent cheek-bone.

Yurand's face writhed, his yellow mustaches turned upward and disclosed his set teeth, but he uttered no word, and whether it was through exhaustion, or the innate force of will in his tremendous nature, he groaned not.

"They promised to let thee go forth free," said Siegfried, "and thou wilt go, but thou wilt not be able to blame the Order, for the tongue with which thou hast blasphemed against it will be taken from thee."

Again he made a sign to Diedrich, who gave forth a strange guttural sound and indicated by winks that he needed both hands and wished the comtur to hold the light for him.

The old man took the torch and held it with outstretched, trembling hand, but when Diedrich pressed Yurand's bosom with his knees, Siegfried turned his face away and looked at the wall, which was lined with hoar-frost that night.

For a while the clatter of chains was heard, next the panting breaths of human breasts, after that something like a deep, dull groan, and then silence followed.

At last the voice of Siegfried was heard again,—

"Yurand, thy punishment had to meet thee in this way, but besides the punishment already suffered, I have promised Brother Rotgier, now slain by thy daughter's husband, to lay thy right hand in his coffin."

Diedrich, who had raised himself, when he heard these words bent anew over Yurand.

After a certain time the old comtur and Diedrich found themselves again in that yard which was filled with moonlight. While advancing through the corridor Siegfried took the lantern from the executioner, and also a dark object with a rag round it.

"Now back to the chapel," said he to himself aloud, "and then to the watch-tower."

Diedrich looked at him quickly, but the comtur commanded him to sleep, and, swinging the lantern, dragged on himself