Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/75

Rh forgetting the Knight of the Cross altogether, had such a lofty look that Mikolai, wishing to bring him to moderation, said,—

"It is useless to plume thyself with strength, for there are stronger than thou. I have not seen what thou hast done, but my father was witness of something better which happened at the court of Carolus, the Roman Emperor. King Kazimir went on a visit to him with many courtiers, among whom was this Stashko Tsolek, famous for strength and son of the voevoda Andrei. The emperor boasted that among his men he had a certain Cheh who could grasp a bear around the body and smother him immediately. Then they had a spectacle and the Cheh smothered two bears, one after the other. Our king was greatly mortified, and not to go away shamefaced he said: 'But my Tsolek will not let himself be put to shame.' They appointed a wrestling match to come three days later. Knights and ladies assembled, and after three days the Cheh grappled with Tsolek in the courtyard of the castle; but the struggle did not last long, for barely had they embraced when Tsolek broke the Cheh's back, crushed in all his ribs and only let him out of his arms when dead, to the great glory of our king. Tsolek, surnamed Bonebreaker from that day, once carried up into a tower a great bell which twenty townspeople could not stir from the earth."

"But how many years old was he?" inquired Zbyshko.

"He was young."

Meanwhile Povala, riding at the right near the princess, bent at last toward her ear and told her the whole truth concerning the seriousness of what had happened, and at the same time begged her to support him, for he would take the part of Zbyshko, who might have to answer grievously for his act. The princess, whom Zbyshko pleased, received the intelligence with sadness, and was greatly alarmed.

"The bishop of Cracow has a liking for me," said Povala. "I can implore him, and the queen too, for the more intercessors there are, the better for the young man."

"Should the queen take his part a hair will not fall from his head," said Anna Danuta; "the king honors her greatly for her saintliness and her dower, especially now when the reproach of sterility is taken from her. But in Cracow is also the beloved sister of the king, Princess Alexandra; go to her. I too will do what I can, but she is his sister while I am a cousin."