Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/485

Rh old Knight of the Order blind of both eyes, who on a time had been comtur of Brodnitsa, and growing attached to the town and the castle, was passing the last of his life there. When the local priest read to him the letter from Lichtenstein, he received Matsko hospitably, and since he was living in the midst of a Polish folk he knew Polish speech excellently, so that it was easy to converse with him. It had happened to him also to be summoned to Malborg six weeks before, whither he had been called to a military council as a knight of experience; hence he knew what was happening at the capital.

When they asked him about the young knight, he said that he did not remember his name, but that he had heard of some knight who had roused wonder first of all by this, that he was belted notwithstanding his youthful years, and then by his success at the tournament which the Grand Master had arranged for foreign guests before he set out on his expedition. Gradually he recalled even this, that Ulrich von Jungingen, the noble-minded though quick-tempered brother of the Grand Master, had conceived a liking for that knight, had taken him under his care, and given him special letters, which the young man took with him and went away toward the eastern boundary.

Matsko was comforted immensely by these tidings, for he had not the least doubt that that knight was Zbyshko. In view of this there was no reason to go to Malborg, for though the Grand Hospitaller, or other dignitaries, and Knights of the Order who remained there might give more minute information, they could in no case tell where Zbyshko was at the moment. Moreover, Matsko himself knew best of all where to find him. It was not difficult to divine that he was circling about Schytno, or, if he had not found Danusia in that place, he was searching for her in the remoter Eastern castles or towns of the comturs.

So, without losing much time, he moved through the territory of the Order toward the east, and Schytno. He passed the road quickly, for the numerous towns and villages were joined by highways which the Knights of the Cross, or rather merchants in the towns, had made, and maintained in good condition,—highways scarcely inferior to those which had appeared in Poland under the managing and active care of King Kazimir's government. Moreover, the weather was marvellous; the nights starry, the days serene, and at the hour of afternoon milking a warm, dry