Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/557

 Rh know this from letters which have come to the castle. Are they not taken prisoners?"

"No!" answered Zbyshko, springing up. "None of the more important were taken. But, as God lives, thou givest me great tidings. As God lives! there are other prisoners, from whom I shall know before they hang them whether Siegfried was not bringing some woman."

He summoned the attendants to bring torches and ran to the place where Skirvoillo's captives were; De Lorche, Matsko, and Hlava ran with him.

"Listen to me," said De Lorche on the way. "Let me out on my word; I myself will search all Prussia through for her, and if I find her I will return to thee, and then thou canst exchange me for her."

"If she is living! if she is living!" said Zbyshko.

By this time they had run to where Skirvoillo's captives were. Some of them were lying on their backs, others were near the trees, lashed to them cruelly with bark ropes. The torch gleamed brightly over Zbyshko's head, so that the eyes of all those unfortunates were turned toward him.

Then from the depth came a shrill voice full of terror,—

"Oh, my lord and defender! save me!"

Zbyshko snatched from the hands of the attendant a couple of flaming torches, sprang to the tree from beneath which the voice came, and raising the torches cried,—

"Sanderus!"

"Sanderus!" exclaimed Hlava, astounded.

But Sanderus, unable to move his stiffened arms, stretched his neck up, and again cried,—

"Mercy! I know where the daughter of Yurand is! Save me!"