In the twinkle of an eye neither wolves nor boars held the snow plain; they had scattered as if a whirlwind had struck them. Gunshots were heard, also shouts, and again those strange outbursts of laughter. Pan Gideon's attendants rushed after the horsemen, so that there remained at the sleigh only the postilion and the driver. Inside the sleigh there was such mighty amazement that no one dared move a lip for some moments. "But the word became flesh!" called out Pani Vinnitski, at last. "That must be help from above us." "May it be blessed, whencesoever it came. Our plight was growing evil," said Pan Gideon. "God sent those young knights!" said Panna Anulka, who wished to add her word. It would have been difficult to divine how this maiden could have seen that those men were knights and young, in addition, for they shot past like a whirlwind; but no person asked for her reasons, since the older man and woman were occupied overmuch with what was happening before them. Meanwhile, on the plain the sounds of pursuit were heard yet for the space of some Our Fathers, and not very far from the sleigh was a wolf with its back broken, evidently by a sling-shot. The beast was on its haunches and howling so dreadfully that every one shivered. The man on the leading horse slipped down to kill the beast, for the horses were plunging with such violence that the sleigh-pole was cracking. After a time the horsemen seemed black again on the snow field. They came in a crowd, without order, in a mist, for though the night was cold and the air very clear, the horses had been driven unsparingly, and were smoking like chimneys. The horsemen approached with loud laughter and singing, and when they had drawn near, one of them shot up to the sleigh, and asked in glad, resonant accents,-- "Who is travelling?" "Pangovski from Belchantska. Whom am I to thank for this rescue?" "Stanislav Tsyprianovitch of Yedlinka!" "The Bukoyemskis!" "Thanks to your mightinesses. God sent you in season. Thanks!" "Thanks!" repeated a youthful voice. "Glory to God that it was in season!" continued Pan Stanislav, removing his fur cap. "From whom did ye hear of us?" "No one informed us, but as the wolves are now running in packs, we rode out to save people; since a person of such note has been found, our delight is the greater, and the greater our service to God," said Pan Stanislav, politely. But one of the Bukoyemskis now added,-- "Not counting the wolf skins." "A beautiful deed and a real knightly work," said Pan Gideon. "God grant us to give thanks for it as promptly as possible. I think, too, that desire for human flesh has left those wolves now, and that we shall reach home without danger." "That is by no means so certain. Wolves might be enticed again easily and make a new onrush." "There is no help against that; but we will not surrender!" "There is help, namely this: to attend you to the mansion. It may happen that we shall save some one else as we travel."