The Knights of the Cross, or, Krzyzacy: Historical RomanceSienkiewicz, Henryk
History
The Knights of the Cross, or, Krzyzacy: Historical Romance
Sienkiewicz, Henryk
Poland -- History -- Jagellons, 1386-1572 -- Fiction; Teutonic Knights -- History -- Fiction
Suddenly she struck her hip with her hand and exclaimed:
"Well, I left my arrows on the willow. Wait!"
Before he could say that he would return for them, she jumped back like a
roe and disappeared. Zbyszko waited and waited; at last he began to
wonder what detained her so long.
"She must have lost the arrows and is searching for them," he said to
himself; "but I will go and see whether anything has happened to her."
He had hardly started to return before the girl appeared with her bow in
her hand, her face smiling and blushing, and with the beaver on her
shoulders.
"For God's sake!" cried Zbyszko, "how did you get him?"
"How? I went into the water, that is all! It is nothing new for me; but I
did not want you to go, because the mud drags anyone down who does not
know how to swim in it."
"And I waited here like a fool! You are a sly girl."
"Well, could I undress before you?"
"Bah! If I had followed you, then I would have seen a wonder!"
"Be silent!"
"I was just starting, so help me God!"
"Be silent!"
After a while, wishing to turn the conversation, she said:
"Wring my tress; it makes my back wet."
Zbyszko caught the tress in one hand and began to wring with the other,
saying:
"The best way will be to unbraid it, then the wind will soon dry it."
But she did not wish to do that on account of the thicket through which
they were obliged to make their way. Zbyszko now put the beaver on his
shoulders. Jagienka walking in front of him, said:
"Now Macko will soon be well, because there is no better medicine for a
wound than the grease of a bear inside, and the grease of a beaver
outside. In about two weeks, he will be able to ride a horse."
"May God grant that!" answered Zbyszko. "I am waiting for it as for
salvation, because I cannot leave the sick man, and it is hard for me to
stay here."
"Why is it hard for you to stay here?" she asked him.
"Has Zych told you nothing about Danusia?"
"He did tell me something. I know that she covered you with her veil. I
know that! He told me also that every knight makes some vow, to serve his
lady. But he said that such a vow did not amount to anything; that some
of the knights were married, but they served their ladies just the same.
But Danusia, Zbyszko; tell me about her!"
Having come very close to him, she began to look at his face with great
anxiety; he did not pay any attention to her frightened voice and looks,
but said:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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