The Knights of the Cross, or, Krzyzacy: Historical Romance
uncertain whether the count would laugh or whether his inappropriate
remark would result in an order for a flogging for him. But the religious
brethren, gentle, well-behaved, and even humble, whenever they felt they
were not in power, did not know any limits before the defeated;
therefore, Danveld not only nodded his head at the bear-leader as a sign
that he permitted the mockery, but he himself burst out with such
unheard-of roughness that the faces of the younger warriors expressed
astonishment.
"Don't complain that you were put to shame," he said, "because even if I
had made you a dogcatcher, a religious dogcatcher is better than you,
knight!"
And the encouraged fool commenced to shout: "Bring the currycomb, comb
the bear, and he in turn will comb your shags with his paws."
At that, laughter was heard here and there, and a voice exclaimed from
behind the religious brethren:
"You will cut reeds on the lake in the summer!"
"And catch crabs with your carcass!" exclaimed another.
A third added: "And now begin to drive away the crows from the hanging
thief! There will always be plenty of work for you."
Thus they made fun of the once terrible Jurand. The assembly gradually
became joyous. Some, leaving the table, began to approach the prisoner
and look at him closely, saying:
"This is the wild boar of Spychow, whose tusks our count has knocked out;
his snout is surely foaming; he would gladly tear somebody, but he
cannot!"
Danveld and others of the religious brethren, who at first had wished to
give the hearing the solemn appearance of a court, seeing that the affair
had turned out differently, also arose from their benches and mingled
with those who approached Jurand.
The old Zygfried of Insburk was dissatisfied at that, but the count
himself said:
"Be cheerful, there will be a greater joy yet!"
And they also commenced to look at Jurand, for this was a rare
opportunity, because when any of the knights or servants had seen him
before from so near, they had usually closed their eyes forever. Some of
them also remarked:
"He is broad shouldered, although he has a fur beneath his sack; he could
be wrapped up with pease straw, and exhibited in country fairs."
Others again commenced to ask for beer in order to make the day a still
pleasanter one.
And so in a few moments flowing pitchers began to clink and the dark hall
became covered with the foam escaping from under the covers. The
good-humored count said:
"That is just right, let him not think that his disgrace is of great
importance!"
So they again approached him, and touching his chin with their pewters,
said:
"You would like to drink, Mazovian snout!" and others, pouring the beer
into their palms, cast it into his eyes, while he stood among them
stunned and abused, until at last he moved toward the old Zygfried, and
apparently feeling that he could not stand it any longer, he began to cry
so loudly as to deafen the noise in the hall:
"By the torture of the Saviour and the salvation of the soul, restore to
me my child, as you promised!"
And he attempted to seize the right hand of the old count who quickly
withdrew and said:
"Avaunt, prisoner! what dost thou want?"
"I released Bergow from prison, and came myself, because in return you
promised to restore my child who is here."
"Who promised you that?" inquired Danveld.
"By the soul and faith, you, count!"
"You will not find any witnesses, but they amount to nothing, if honor
and word are in question."
"Upon your honor, upon that of the Order," exclaimed Jurand.
"Then your daughter will be returned to you!" replied Danveld, and,
turning to the others, remarked: "All that has happened to him here is an
innocent trifle in comparison with his violence and crimes. But since we
promised to return his daughter if he should appear and submit himself to
us, then know, that the word of a Knight of the Cross is, like God's
word, irreproachable, and that that girl, whom we saved from the hands of
robbers, shall now be given her liberty, and after an exemplary penance
for his sins against the Order, he also shall be allowed to go back to
his home."
Such a speech astounded some, because, knowing Danveld and his old hatred
for Jurand, they did not expect such honesty from him. Therefore old
Zygfried, together with Rotgier and Brother Godfried, looked at him,
raising and wrinkling their brows with astonishment, but he pretended not
to observe their inquiring looks and said:
"I'll send your daughter back under guard, but you must remain here until
our guard returns safely and until you have paid your ransom."
Jurand himself was somewhat astonished, because he had ceased to hope
that his sacrifice would be of any use to Danusia; he therefore looked at
Danveld, almost with thankfulness and replied:
"May God reward you, count!"
"Recognize the Knights of the Cross," said Danveld.
"All mercy from Him!" replied Jurand; "but, since it is long since I saw
my child, permit me to see and bless my girl."
"Bah, and not otherwise than before all of us, so that there may be
witnesses of our good faith and mercy."
Then he ordered the warriors standing near to bring Danusia, while he
himself approached von Löve, Rotgier and Godfried, who surrounded him and
commenced a quick and animated conversation.
"I do not oppose you, although this was not your object," said old
Zygfried.
And the hot Rotgier, famous for his courage and cruelties, said: "How is
this? not only the girl but also that devilish dog is going to be
liberated, that he may bite again?"
"He will bite not that way only!" exclaimed Godfried.
"Bah! he will pay ransom!" lazily replied Danveld.
"Even if he should return everything, in a year he will have robbed twice
as much."
"I shall not object as to the girl," repeated Zygfried; "but this wolf
will yet make the sheep of the Order weep more than once."
"And our word?" queried Danveld, laughingly.
"You spoke differently...."
Danveld shrugged his shoulders. "Did you not have enough pleasure?" he
inquired. "Do you wish more?"
Others surrounded Jurand again and commenced to brag before him, praising
the upright conduct of Danveld, and the impression it made upon the
members of the Order.
"And what bone breaker!" said the captain of the castle-archers. "Your
heathen brethren would not have treated our Christian knights so!"
"You drank our blood?"
"And we give you bread for stones."
But Jurand paid no attention either to the pride or to the contempt which
their words contained: his heart swelled and his eyelashes were moist. He
thought that he would see Danusia in a moment, and that he would see her
actually by their favor; he therefore gazed at the speakers almost with
humility, and finally said:
"True! true! I used to be hard on you but ... not treacherous."
That instant a voice at the other end of the hall suddenly cried: "They
are bringing the girl;" and immediately silence reigned throughout the
hall. The soldiers scattered to both sides, because none of them had ever
seen Jurand's daughter, and the majority of them did not even know of her
presence in the castle on account of the secrecy with which Danveld
surrounded his actions; but those who knew, whispered to one another
about her admirable grace. All eyes turned with extreme curiosity toward
the door through which she was to appear.
Meanwhile a warrior appeared in front followed by the well-known servant
of the Order, the same woman that rode to the court in the forest. After
her entered a girl dressed in white, with loose hair tied with a ribbon
on the forehead.
And suddenly one great outburst of laughter, like the roaring of thunder,
rang through the entire hall. Jurand, who at the first moment had sprung
toward his daughter, suddenly recoiled and stood as pale as linen,
looking with surprise at the ill-shaped head, the bluish lips, and the
expressionless eyes of the wench who was restored to him as Danusia.
"This is not my daughter!" he said, in a terrifying voice.
"Not your daughter?" exclaimed Danveld. "By the holy Liboryusz of
Paderborn! Then either we did not rescue your daughter from the murderers
or some wizard has changed her, because there is no other in Szczytno."
Old Zygfried, Rotgier and Godfried exchanged quick glances with each
other, full of admiration at the shrewdness of Danveld, but none of them
had time enough to speak, because Jurand began to shout with a terrible
voice:
"She is, she is in Szczytno! I heard her sing, I heard the voice of dear
Danusia!"
Upon that Danveld turned to those assembled and said quietly but
pointedly:
"I take you all present as witnesses and especially you, Zygfried of
Insburk, and you pious brothers, Rotgier and Godfried, that, according to
my word and given promise, I restore that girl, who was said by the
robbers whom we defeated, to be the daughter of Jurand of Spychow. If she
is not--it is not our fault, but rather the will of our Lord, who in that
manner wished to deliver Jurand into our hands."
Zygfried and the two younger brethren bowed to signify that they heard
and would testify in case of necessity. Then again they glanced quickly
at each other, because it was more than they ever could have expected to
capture Jurand, not to restore his daughter, and still ostensibly to keep
a promise; who else could do that?
But Jurand threw himself upon his knees and commenced to conjure Danveld
by all the relics in Malborg, then by the ashes and heads of his parents,
to restore to him his true child and not proceed like a swindler and
traitor, breaking oaths and promises. His voice contained so much despair
and truth, that some began to suspect treason; others again thought that
some wizard had actually changed the appearance of the girl.
"God looks upon your treason!" exclaimed Jurand. "By the Saviour's
wounds, by the hour of your death, return my child!"
And arising, he went bent double toward Danveld, as if he wished to
embrace his knees; and his eyes glittered with madness, and his voice
broke alternately with pain, fear, and dread. Danveld, hearing the
accusations of treason and deceit in presence of all, commenced to snort,
and at length his features worked with rage; so that like a flame in his
desire utterly to crush the unfortunate, he advanced and bending down to
his ear, whispered through his set teeth: "If I ever give her up, it will
be with my bastard...."
But at that very moment Jurand roared like a bull, and with both hands he
caught Danveld and raised him high in the air.
The hall still resounded with the terrible cry: "Save me!" when the body
of the count struck the stone floor with such terrible force that the
brains from the shattered skull bespattered Zygfried and Rotgier who
stood by. Jurand sprang to the wall, near which stood the arms, and
snatching a large two-handed weapon, ran like a storm at the Germans, who
were petrified with terror. The people were used to battles, butchery and
blood, and yet their hearts sank to such an extent that even after the
panic had passed, they commenced to retreat and escape like a flock of
sheep before a wolf who kills with one stroke of his claws. The hall
resounded with the cry of terror, with the sound of human footsteps, the
clang of the overturned vessels, the howling of the servants, the
growling of the bear, who, tearing himself out of the hands of the
trainer, started to climb on a high window, and a terror-stricken cry for
arms and targets, weapons and crossbows. Finally weapons gleamed, and a
number of sharp points were directed toward Jurand, but he, not caring
for anything, half crazed, sprang toward them, and there commenced an
unheard-of wild fight, resembling a butchery more than a contest of arms.