Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/595

 thought of something, for he sprang to his nephew, and putting his hand on his knee, said,—

"Listen! If thou overtake Hlava, be careful as to Siegfried that thou bring no disgrace on thyself and my gray hairs; Yurand may act, not thou. Swear to me on thy sword and on thy honor!"

"Until you are freed I will restrain Yurand also, so that the Germans should not avenge Siegfried on you," answered Zbyshko.

"Art thou so concerned about me?"

"Thou knowest me, I think," replied Zbyshko, smiling sadly.

"To the road! Go in health!"

The horses started and soon the bright hazel thickets hid them. All at once Matsko grew terribly sad and lonely; his soul was tearing away with all its force after that dear boy, in whom the whole hope of his race lay. But immediately he shook himself out of his sorrow, for he was a firm man, with self-mastery.

"Thank God that I am the captive, not Zbyshko," thought he; and turning to the Germans, he asked,

"And, gentlemen, when will you start, and whither will you go?"

"We will start when it pleases us," answered "Wolfgang, "and we shall go to Malborg, where first of all you will have to stand before the Grand Master."

"Hei, they are ready there to cut my head off for helping the Jmud men," thought Matsko. But he was comforted by this, that De Lorche was in reserve, and that the Von Badens themselves would defend his life if only to save the ransom.

"If they take my head, Zbyshko will not need to come himself, and decrease his property; "and this thought brought him a certain solace.