The Knights of the Cross, or, Krzyzacy: Historical Romance
not; Macko turned from side to side, and when he observed Zbyszko sitting
near the fire covering his knees with twigs, he asked:
"Listen! Why did you give advice to go as far as Ragnety against
Gotteswerder, and not near here? What do you profit by it?"
"Because there is a voice within me which tells me that Danuska is at
Ragnety, and they are guarded less than they are here."
"There was no time to continue the conversation then, for I too was
fatigued and the people after the defeat gathered in the woods. But now,
tell me, how is it? Do you mean to search for the girl forever?"
"I say that she is not a girl, but my wife," replied Zbyszko.
There was silence, for Macko well understood that there was no answer to
that. If Danuska were still Jurandowna (Miss Jurand) Macko might have
advised his nephew to abandon her: but in the presence of the Holy
Sacrament, his search for her was his simple duty. Macko would not have
put the question to him if he had been present.
Not having been there he always spoke of her at the betrothal or marriage
as a girl.
"Very well," he said, after a while. "But to all my questions during the
last two days, you replied that you knew nothing."
"Because I do know nothing, except that the wrath of God is probably upon
me."
Then Hlawa lifted up his head from the bearskin, sat up and listened with
curiosity and attention.
And Macko said:
"As long as sleep does not overpower you, tell me what have you seen,
what have you done, and what success have you had at Malborg?"
Zbyszko stroked his long, untrimmed hair from his brow, remained silent
for a moment, and then said:
"Would to God that I knew as much of Danuska as I do of Malborg. You ask
me what I have seen there? I have seen the immense power of the Knights
of the Cross; it is supported by all kings and nations, and I do not know
any one who could measure himself with it. I have seen their castles,
which even Caesar of Rome does not possess. I have seen inexhaustible
treasures, I have seen arms, I have seen swarms of armed monks, knights,
and common soldiers,--and as many relics as one sees with the Holy Father
in Rome, and I tell you that my soul trembled within me at the thought of
the possibility of fighting them. Who can prevail against them? Who can
oppose them and break their power?"
"We must destroy them," exclaimed the Bohemian, who could restrain
himself no longer.
Zbyszko's words appeared strange also to Macko, and although he was
anxious to hear all the adventures of the young man, nevertheless, he
interrupted him and said:
"Have you forgotten Wilno? How many times we threw ourselves against
them, shield against shield, head against head! You have also seen that,
how slow they were against us; and, at our hardiness, they exclaimed that
it was not enough to let the horses sweat and break the lances, but it
was necessary to take the strangers by the throat or offer their own.
Surely there were also guests who challenged us. But all of them went
away with shame. What has caused you to change?"
"I am not changed, for I fought at Malborg where also they tilted with
sharp weapons. But you don't know their whole strength."
But the old knight got angry and said:
"Do you know the whole strength of Poland? Did you see all the regiments
together? Well, you did not. But their strength consists in the people's
wrongs and treachery; there, they do not even possess one span of land.
They received our princes there in the same manner as a beggar receives
in his house, and they presented gifts, but they have grown powerful,
they have bitten the hand which fed them, like abominable mad dogs. They
seized the lands and treacherously captured the city; that is their
strength. The day of judgment and vengeance is at hand."
"You requested me to tell you what I have seen, and now you get angry; I
prefer to tell no more," said Zbyszko.
But Macko breathed angrily for a while, then he quieted down and said:
"But this time, thus it will be: You see a tremendous tower-like
pine-tree in the forest; it seems as it will stand there forever; but
strike it fairly with your axe and it will reveal hollowness and punk
will come out. So is it with the strength of the Knights of the Cross.
But I commanded you to tell me what you have done and what you have
accomplished there. Let me see, you said you fought there with weapons,
did you not?"
"I did. They received me at first in an ungrateful and arrogant manner;
they knew of my fight with Rotgier. Perhaps they had planned some evil
against me. But I came provided with letters from the prince; and de
Lorche, whom they honor, protected me from their evil designs. Then came
feasts and tourneys in which the Lord Jesus helped me. You have already
heard how Ulrych, the brother of the grand master, loved me, and obtained
an order from the master himself to surrender Danuska to me."
"We were told," said Macko, "that when his saddle-girdle broke, you would
not attack him."
"I helped him up with my lance, and from that moment he became fond of
me. Hey! Good God! They furnished me with such strong letters, that
enabled me to travel from castle to castle and search. I thought then
that my sufferings were at an end, but now I am sitting here, in a wild
country, without any help, in sorrow and perplexity, and it is getting
worse daily."
He remained silent for a moment, then he forcibly threw a chip into the
fire which scattered sparks among the burning brands, and said:
"If that poor child is suffering in a castle, somewhere in this
neighborhood, and thinks that I don't care for her, then let sudden death
overtake me!"
His heart was evidently so full of pain and impatience that he began
again to throw chips into the fire, as though carried away by a sudden
and blind pain; but they were greatly astonished because they had not
realized that he loved Danusia so much.
"Restrain yourself," exclaimed Macko. "How did you fare with those
letters of safe conduct. Did the _comthurs_ pay no attention to the
master's command?"
"Restrain yourself, sir," said Hlawa. "God will comfort you; perhaps very
soon."
Tears glistened in Zbyszko's eyes, but he controlled himself, and said:
"They opened different castles and prisons. I have been everywhere; I
searched up to the breaking out of this war. At Gierdaw I was told by the
magistrate, von Heideck, that the laws of war differ from those in time
of peace, and that my safe conduct was of no avail. I challenged him at
once, but he did not accept, and he ordered me to quit the castle."
"What happened in other places?" inquired Macko.
"It was the same everywhere. The Count Könizsberg, who is the chief
magistrate of Gierdaw, even refused to read the letter of the master,
saying that 'war is war,' and told me to carry my head--while it was
intact--out of the place. It was everywhere the same."
"Now I understand," said the old knight, "seeing that you got nothing,
you came here at least to avenge yourself."
"Exactly so," replied Zbyszko. "I also thought that we should take
prisoners, and also invest some castles. But those fellows could not
conquer castles."
"Hey! It will be otherwise when Prince Witold himself comes."
"May God grant it!"
"He will come; I heard at the Mazovian court that he will come, and
perhaps the king and all the forces of Poland will come with him."
Further conversation was interrupted by the appearance of Skirwoilla who
unexpectedly appeared from the shadow, and said:
"We must be on the march."
Hearing that, the knights got up with alacrity. Skirwoilla approached his
tremendous head to their faces, and said in low tones:
"There is news: A relief train is moving toward New Kowno. Two knights
are at the head of the soldiers, cattle and provisions. Let us capture
them."
"Shall we cross the Niemen," inquired Zbyszko.
"Yes! I know a ford."
"Do they know at the castle of the relief train?"
"They know and will come to meet them, but we shall pounce upon them
too."
Then he instructed them where they were to lie in ambush, so as to
attack, unexpectedly, those hurrying from the castle. His intentions were
to engage the enemy in two battles at the same time, and avenge himself
for the last defeat, which could easily be effected, considering that
owing to their last victory the enemy considered himself perfectly safe
from an attack. Therefore Skirwoilla appointed the place and time where
they should meet; as for the rest, he left it with them, for he relied
upon their courage and resource. They were very glad at heart because
they appreciated the fact that an experienced and skilful warrior was
speaking to them. Then he ordered them to start, and he went to his
_numy_ where the princes and captains were already waiting. There he
repeated his orders, gave new ones, and finally put to his lips a pipe,
carved out of a wolf's bone, and whistled shrilly, which was heard from
one end of the camp to the other.
At the sound of the whistle they gathered around the extinguished
camp-fires; here and there sparks shot up, then little flames which
increased momentarily, and wild figures of warriors were visible
gathering around the stands of arms. The forest throbbed and moved. In a
moment there were heard the voices of the ostlers chasing the herd toward
the camp.
CHAPTER V.
They arrived very early at Niewiazy where they crossed the river, some on
horseback, some upon bundles of osier. Everything went with such dispatch
that Macko, Zbyszko, Hlawa and the Mazovian volunteers were astonished at
the skilfulness of the people; only then they understood why neither
woods, nor swamps, nor rivers could prevent Lithuanian expeditions. When
they emerged from the river none had taken off his wet clothing, not even
the sheep and wolfskin coats, but exposed themselves to the rays of the
sun until they steamed like pitch-burners, and after a short rest they
marched hastily toward the north. At nightfall they arrived at the
Niemen.
The crossing of the great river at that place, swollen in the spring, was
not an easy matter. The ford, which was known to Skuwoilla, changed in
places into deep water, so that the horses had to swim more than a
quarter of a furlong. Two men were carried away quite near Zbyszko, and
Hlawa tried to rescue them, but in vain; owing to the darkness and the
rushing water they lost sight of them. The drowning men did not dare to
shout for help, because the leader had previously ordered that the
crossing should be effected in the most quiet manner possible.
Nevertheless all the others fortunately succeeded in reaching the other
side of the river, where they remained without fires till the morning.
At dawn, the whole army was divided into two divisions. Skirwoilla at the
head of one went toward the interior to encounter the knights at the head
of the relief train for Gotteswerder. The second division was led back by
Zbyszko, toward the island, in order to attack the people coming from the
castle to meet the expedition, upon the elevated ground.
It was a mild and bright morning, but down in the woods the marshes and
bushes were covered with a thick white steam which entirely obscured the
distance. That was just a desirable condition for Zbyszko, because the
Germans coming from the castle would not be able to see them in time to
retreat. The young knight was exceedingly glad of it, and said to Macko:
"Let us get to our position instead of contemplating the mist yonder. God
grant that it is not dissipated before noon."
Then he hurried to the front to give orders to the _setniks_,[116] and
immediately returned and said:
"We shall soon meet them upon the road coming from the ferry of the
island toward the interior. There we shall hide ourselves in the thicket