Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/64

40 evening he may hear you, and appear the next moment in the form of the giant."

"The charm on a dog!" answered Ofka.

But at that moment Matsko, who, sitting on his lofty stallion, could see farther than those in the carriage, reined in his steed, and said,—

"Oh, as God is dear to me! What is that?"

"What?"

"Some giant is rising from behind the hill before us."

"The word has become flesh!" cried the princess. "Do not say anything!"

But Zbyshko rose in his stirrups, and said: " As I am alive, the giant Valger, no one else!"

From terror the driver stopped the horses, and, without letting the reins out of his hands, fell to making the sign of the cross; for now he too saw from his seat the gigantic figure of a horseman on the opposite eminence.

The princess stood up, but sat down immediately with a face changed by fear. Danusia hid her head in the folds of the princess's robe. The courtiers, the damsels, and the choristers, who rode behind, when they heard the ominous name, began to gather closely around the carriage. The men feigned laughter yet, but alarm was in their eyes; the damsels grew pale; but Mikolai, who had eaten bread from more than one oven, preserved a calm countenance; and, wishing to pacify the princess, he said,—

"Fear not, gracious lady. The sun has not set, and even were it night Saint Ptolomeus could hold his own against Valger."

Meanwhile the unknown horseman, having ascended the prolonged summit of the hill, reined in his horse and stood motionless. He was perfectly visible in the rays of the setting sun, and really his form seemed to exceed the usual dimensions of men. The distance between him and the princess's retinue was not more than three hundred yards.

"Why has he stopped? " asked one of the choristers.

"Because we too have stopped," answered Matsko.

"He is looking toward us, as if to take his choice," remarked the second chorister. "If I knew that he was a man, and not the evil one, I would go and strike him on the head with my lute."

The women, now thoroughly terrified, began to pray aloud, but Zbyshko, wishing to exhibit his courage before the princess and Danusia, said,—