Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/691

 Rh "He would cry after laughing," said Yasko; "if not he, then his wife and children would surely cry."

And the youth glanced around with tremendous daring, as if to say to all knights wandering through the world, "Prepare for death!" But the old man of Bogdanets inquired,—

"Well, Stan and Vilk, have they left thee in peace? I ask, for they were glad to look at Yagenka."

"They have indeed; Vilk was killed in Silesia. He attacked a German castle there, and he took it; but they hurled down a beam of wood from the walls on him, and two days later he let his last breath out."

"A pity for him. His father went also in his day to Silesia against the Germans, who oppress our people—and plunder them. To take castles is the worst work of all, for neither armor nor knightly training assist a man. God grant that Prince Vitold will not try castles, but will crush the Knights of the Order in the field! But Stan, what is he doing?"

Yasko began to laugh.

"Stan is married. He took the daughter of a free landtiller in Wysoki Breg, a great beauty. Hei! not only a good-looking girl, but a manager: she does not give the man his will once, and slaps his hairy face for him; she leads Stan by the nose, as a bear-trainer leads his beast on a chain."

The old knight was immensely amused when he heard this.

"Look at her! All women are the same! Yagenka, thou too wilt be like the others! Praise to God that there was no trouble with those two quarrellers; it is a real wonder to me that they did no harm to Bogdanets."

"Stan wanted to do something, but Vilk, who was wiser, gave him no chance. He came to us at Zgorzelitse, and inquired, 'What has become of Yagenka?' I told him that she had gone for an inheritance from the abbot. 'Why did not Matsko tell me? ' asked he. 'But is Yagenka thine, that he should tell thee?' said I to him. So, after thinking a while he said, 'True, she is not mine.' And as he had a quick mind, he saw, of course, that he would win you and us to his side by defending Bogdanets from Stan. So they met on the Lavitsa near Piaski, cut each other up, and then drank to kill, as they always did."

"Lord light Vilk's soul!" added Matsko.

And he sighed deeply, glad that there were no damages in Bogdanets beyond those caused by his long absence.