'Look! they are carrying poles,' Jendrek cried; 'and they are dragging a rope after them.' 'Ah, they must be surveyors. What can they be after?' reflected Slimak. 'Surely, they are taking a fresh survey; now, Josef, aren't you glad you did not buy that land?' asked his wife. They took up their work again, but did not get on very fast, for they could not resist throwing sidelong glances at the approaching men. It was now quite plain that they were not peasants, for they wore white coats and had black ribbons on their hats. Slimak's attention became so absorbed that he lagged behind, in the place which Magda usually occupied, instead of being at the head of the party. At last he cried: 'Jendrek, stop cutting; run and find out what they are doing, and if they are really measuring for a new land-distribution.' Jendrek was off in a moment, and had soon reached the men. He forgot to come back. The little party watched him talk to the men for a few moments, and then becoming busy with the poles. 'I say!' cried Slimakowa, 'he is quite one of the party! Just look, how he is running along with the line, as if he had never done anything else in his life. He has never seen a book except in the Jew's shop window, and yet he can run better than any of them. I wish I had told him to put on his boots; they will never take him for the son of a gospodarz.' She watched Jendrek with great pride until the party disappeared behind the line of the hill. 'Something will come of this,' said Slimak, 'either good or bad.' 'Why should it be bad?' asked his wife; 'they may add to our land; what do you think, Maciek?' The farm labourer looked embarrassed when he was asked for his opinion, and pondered until the perspiration flowed from his head. 'Why should it be good?' he said at last. 'When I was working for the squire at Krzeszowie, and he went bankrupt, just such men as these came and measured the land, and soon afterwards we had to pay a new tax. No good ever comes of anything new.' Jendrek returned towards sunset, quite out of breath. He called out to his mother that the gentlemen wanted some milk, and had given him twenty kopeks. 'Give them to your mother at once,' said Slimak; 'they are not for you, but for the milk.' Jendrek was almost in tears. 'Why should I give up my money? They say they will pay for everything they have, and even want to buy butter and fowls.' 'Are they traders?' 'Oh no, they are great gentlemen, and live in a tent and keep a cook.' 'Gipsies, I dare say!' Slimakowa had run off at top speed, and now the men appeared, perspiring, sunburnt, and dusty; nevertheless, they impressed Slimak and Maciek so much with their grand manner that they took off their caps. 'Which of you is the gospodarz?' 'I am.' 'How long have you lived here?' 'From my childhood.' 'And have you ever seen the river in flood?' 'I should think I had!' 'Do you remember how high the water rises?'