Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/527

Rh "How did they do it?"

"They did it well."

"Wait," said Matsko, "for I know not this country. Where is New Kovno, and where is Ragneta?"

"From here to Old Kovno is not quite five miles," said Zbyshko, "and from Old to New Kovno the same distance. The castle is on an island. We wanted to go over to it, but they beat us at the passage. They followed us half a day, till we hid in this forest, and our men were so scattered that some of them only turned up this morning."

"But Ragneta?"

Skirvoillo stretched forth his arm, as long as a tree branch, toward the north, and said,—

"Far! far!"

"Just because it is far should we go," added Zbyshko. "There is peace there, because all the armed men in that region have joined us. The Germans in Ragneta expect no attack, hence we shall strike on men off their guard."

"That is true," said Skirvoillo.

"Do you think that we can take the castle?" asked Matsko.

Skirvoillo shook his head in sign of denial.

"The castle is strong," added Zbyshko, "by chance alone could we take it. But we shall ravage the country, burn towns and villages, destroy storehouses, and, above all, take captives, among whom may be considerable people, and such the Knights of the Cross ransom willingly, or else exchange for them." Here he turned to Skirvoillo: "You have acknowledged, prince, that I speak justly; and now consider: New Kovno is on an island. There we shall not destroy villages, drive away cattle, or take captives. And besides, they have just beaten us. Ei! let us go to a place where they are not expecting us at this moment."

"The victor is the last man to think of surprise," muttered Skirvoillo.

Here Matsko began, and began by supporting Zbyshko's opinion, for he understood that the young man had greater hope of learning something at Ragneta than at Old Kovno, and that at Ragneta he could more easily capture some considerable person whom he might exchange. He thought, too, that in every case it was better to go farther, and slip into a country less guarded, than to rush onto an island which was defended by nature, and guarded besides by a strong castle and a victorious garrison. As a man