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of Klobuko had finished one mass, Yarosh, the parish priest of Kaliska, was soon to begin a second, and the king had gone out in front of the tent to straighten his knees wearied somewhat with kneeling, when a noble, Hanko Ostoichyk, rushed up on a foaming horse, like a whirlwind, and shouted before he sprang from the saddle,—

"Germans! Gracious lord!—they are coming!" At these words the knights started, the king's face changed; he was silent during the twinkle of an eye, and then exclaimed,—

"Praised be Jesus Christ! Where didst thou see them, and how many regiments?"

"I saw one regiment at Grünwald," answered Hanko, with a panting voice;" but beyond the hill dust is moving, as if more were advancing."

"Praised be Jesus Christ," repeated the king. Hereupon Vitold, to whose face the blood rushed at the first word from Hanko, and whose eyes began to burn like coals, turned to the courtiers, and cried,—

"Defer the second mass! Bring a horse for me!"

The king placed his hand on Vitold's shoulder, and said: "Go thou, brother, but I will remain and hear the second mass."

Vitold and Zyndram sprang to their horses; but just at the moment when they turned toward the camp, Peter Oksha, a second scout, flew up shouting from a distance,—

"The Germans! the Germans! I saw two regiments!"

"To horse!!" called voices among the courtiers and the knights.

But Peter had not ceased shouting, when again the clatter of horse-hoofs was heard, and a third scout rushed up, after him a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth. All had seen German regiments advancing in greater and greater numbers. There was no longer a doubt that the whole army of the Order would bar the road to the troops of Yagello.

The knights scattered in a twinkle; each rushed to his own regiment. With the king at the chapel tent remained