Zbyszko leaped from behind a tree, again stretched the crossbow, and approached the bull who was pawing the ground with his hind feet.
But having glanced at it, he turned quietly toward the retinue, and began to shout from afar:
“I hit him so hard that he is severely wounded!”
“You are a strong boy!” said Zych, riding toward him, “with one arrow only!”
“Bah, it was near, and the speed was great. Come and see; not only the iron, but even the shaft has disappeared under the left shoulder bone.”
“The huntsmen must be near; they will claim the beast.”
“I will not give it to them!” answered Zbyszko. “It was killed on the road, and the road is not private property.”
“But if it belong to the abbot?”
“Well, then he may have it.”
Meanwhile, several dogs came out of the forest. Having perceived the animal, they rushed on him.
“Soon the huntsmen will appear,” said Zych. “Look! There they are, but they do not see the beast yet. Stop! Stop! Here, here! Killed! Killed!”
Then he became silent, and sheltered his eyes with one hand; after a while, he said:
“For God’s sake! what has happened? Have I become blind, or does it only seem so to me?”
“There is some one on a piebald horse in the front,” said Zbyszko.
Then Zych exclaimed at once:
“Dear Jesus! It must be Jagienka!”
And he began to shout:
“Jagna! Jagna!”
Then he rushed forward; but before he could make his horse gallop, Zbyszko perceived a most wonderful spectacle; he beheld a girl sitting like a man, on a swift piebald horse, rushing toward them; she had a crossbow in one hand and a boar-spear on her shoulders. Her floating hair was full of hop strobiles; her face was bright like the dawn. Her shirt was opened on the bosom, and she wore a serdak. Having reached them, she reined in her horse; for a while, her face expressed surprise, hesitation, joy; finally, being scarcely able to believe her own eyes, she began to cry in a childish voice:
“Tatulo, tatus dearest!”
In the twinkling of an eye, she jumped from her horse, and Zych dismounted also to welcome her; she threw her arms around his neck. Fora long time, Zbyszko heard only the sounds of kisses and these two words: “Tatulo! Jagula! Tatulo! Jagula!” repeated in a joyful outburst.
Both retinues now approached, and Macko arrived also; they continued to repeat: “Tatulo! Jagula!” and still kissed each other. Finally Jagienka asked:
“Then you decided to return from the war? Are you well?”
“From the war. Why should I not be well? And you? And the boys? Are they well also? Yes, otherwise you would not run in the forest. But, my girl, what are you doing here?”
“Don’t you see that I am hunting?” answered Jagienka, laughing.
“In somebody else’s woods?”
“The abbot gave me permission. He even sent me experienced huntsmen and a pack of hounds.”
Here she turned to the servants:
“Chase the dogs away, they will tear the skin!”
Then to Zych:
“Oj, how glad I am to see you!” And they again kissed each other. When they were through, Jagna said:
“We are far from home; we followed the beast. I am sure it must be more than ten miles; the horses are exhausted. What a large urus! Did you notice? He must have at least three of my arrows in him; the last one killed him.”
“He was killed by the last, but it was not yours; this knight killed him.”
Jagienka threw her hair back and looked at Zbyszko sharply, but not very friendly.
“Do you know who he is?” asked Zych.
“I do not know.”
“No wonder you do not recognize him, because he has grown. Perhaps you will recognize old Macko of Bogdaniec?”
“For God’s sake! is that Macko of Bogdaniec?” exclaimed Jagienka.
Having approached the wagon, she kissed Macko’s hand.
“It is you?”
“Yes, it is I; but I am obliged to ride in the wagon, because the Germans wounded me.”
“What Germans? The war was with the Tartars?”
“There was a war with the Tartars, but we were not in that war; we fought in the war in Lithuania, Zbyszko and I.”
“Where is Zbyszko?”
“Then you did not recognize Zbyszko?” said Macko smiling.
“Is that man Zbyszko?” exclaimed the girl, looking again at the young knight.
“Yes, it is he.”
“You must give him a kiss, because he is an old acquaintance of yours,” said Zych, mirthfully.
Jagienka turned gaily toward Zbyszko; but suddenly she retreated, and having covered her eyes with her hand, she said:
“I am bashful.”
“But we have known each other since we were children,” said Zbyszko.
“Aha! we know each other well. I remember when you made us a visit with Macko about eight years ago, and my matula gave us some nuts with honey; you being the elder, struck me with your fist and then ate all the nuts yourself.”
“He will not act like that now!” said Macko. “He has been with Kniaz Witold, and with the court in Krakow, and he has learned courtly manners.”
But Jagienka was now thinking about something else; turning toward Zbyszko, she asked:
“Then you killed the urus?”
“Yes.”
“We must see where the arrow is.”
“You cannot see it; it disappeared under the shoulder bone.”
“Be quiet; do not dispute,” said Zych. “We all saw him shoot the urus, and we saw something still better; he bent the bow without a crank.”
Jagienka looked at Zbyszko for the third time, but now with astonishment.
“You bent the crossbow without a crank?”
Zbyszko, detecting some doubt in her voice, rested the crossbow on the ground, and bent it in the twinkling of an eye; then wishing to show that he was familiar with knightly manners, he kneeled on one knee and handed the bow to Jagienka. But the girl, instead of taking it from him, suddenly blushed — she did not know why herself, and began to fasten the shirt, which, during the swift riding, had become opened on her bosom.
CHAPTER IV.
The next day after their arrival at Bogdaniec, Macko and Zbyszko began to look around their old home; they soon realized that Zych of Zgorzelice was right when he told them that at first they would be uncomfortable.
With the farming they could get along quite well. There were several fields cultivated by the peasants whom the abbot had settled there. Formerly there had been much cultivated land in Bogdaniec; but after the battle at Plowce where the family Grady perished, there was a scarcity of working hands; and after the invasion of the Germans from Szlonsk and after the war of Nalenczs with Grzymalits, the formerly rich fields became overgrown with trees. Macko could not help it. In vain he tried for several years to bring farmers from Krzesnia and rent the land to them; they refused to come, preferring to remain on their own strips of land rather than to cultivate some one else’s. His offer however attracted some shelterless men; in the different wars, he captured several slaves whom he married and settled in the houses; and in that way he populated the village. But it was hard work for him; therefore as soon as he had an opportunity, Macko pledged the whole of Bogdaniec, thinking that it would be easier for the powerful abbot to settle the land with peasants, and that the war would bring to him and to Zbyszko some people and money. In fact, the abbot was energetic. He had increased the working force of Bogdaniec with five peasant families; he increased the stock of cattle and horses; then he built a barn, a stable and a cow house. But as he did not live in Bogdaniec, he did not repair the house. Macko, who had hoped to find the grodek surrounded with a ditch and hedge when he returned, found everything just as he had left it, with this difference only, that the walls were more crooked and seemed to be lower, because they had settled deeper in the ea
rth.
The house contained an enormous hall, two large rooms with alcoves, and a kitchen. In the rooms there were windows made of bladders; and in the centre of each room, there was a fireplace made of lime, and the smoke escaped through a hole in the ceiling. From the ceilings now blackened from smoke, during former times used to hang the hams of boars, bears and deer, rumps of roes, sides of beef and rolls of sausages. But now the hooks were empty as well as the shelves fastened to the walls, on which they used to put the tin and earthen dishes. The walls beneath the shelves were no longer empty, however, because Zbyszko had ordered his servants to hang helmets, cuirasses, long swords and short swords on them; and further along boar-spears and forks, caparisons and saddles. The smoke blackened the weapons, and it was necessary to clean them very often. But Macko, who was careful, ordered the servants to put the costly clothes in the alcove in which his bed stood.
In the front rooms there stood near the windows, pine tables and benches of the same, on which the lords used to sit during the meals, with all their servants. People accustomed to war were easily satisfied; but in Bogdaniec there was neither bread nor flour and no dishes. The peasants brought what they could; Macko expected that the neighbors, as was then customary, would help him; and he was not mistaken, at least as far as Zych of Zgorzelice was concerned.
The second day, when the old wlodyka was sitting on a log in front of the house, delighted with the bright autumn day, Jagienka came, riding a black horse; she dismounted and approached Macko, out of breath on account of fast riding, and rosy as an apple; she said:
“May you be blessed! Tatulo sent me to inquire about your health.”
“I am no worse,” answered Macko; “and at least I have slept in my own house.”
“But you cannot be comfortable at all, and a sick person needs some care.”
“We are hardened people. It is true that at first there was no comfort; but we were not hungry. We ordered an ox and two sheep killed, so there is plenty of meat. The women brought some flour and eggs; the worst is that we have no dishes.”
“Well, I ordered my servants to load two wagons. On one there are two beds and dishes, and on the other different provisions. There are some cakes and flour, some salt pork and dried mushrooms; there is a barrel of beer and one of mead; in fact a little of everything we had in the house.”
Macko, who was grateful for this kindness, caressed Jagienka’s head, and said:
“May God reward your father and you. When our housekeeping improves, we will return the provisions.”
“How clever you are! We are not like the Germans, who take back what they give.”
“Well, so much more may God reward you. Your father told us what a good housekeeper you are, and that you had taken care of Zgorzelice the whole year?”
“Yes! If you need anything else, send somebody; but send some one who will know what is needed, because a stupid servant never knows what he has been sent for.”
Here Jagienka began to look round, and Macko having noticed it, smiled and asked:
“For whom are you looking?”
“I am looking for no one!”
“I will send Zbyszko to thank you and your father. Do you like Zbyszko?”
“I have not looked at him.”
“Then look at him now, because he is just coming.”
In fact Zbyszko was coming from the stable. He was dressed in a reindeer jacket and round felt cap like those worn under the helmets; his hair was without a net, cut evenly over his eyebrows and hung in golden curls on his shoulders; he walked swiftly, having noticed the girl; he was tall and graceful, looking like the shield-bearer of a rich nobleman.
Jagienka turned toward Macko as if to show that she came only to see him; but Zbyszko welcomed her joyfully, and having taken hold of her hand, raised it to his mouth, notwithstanding her resistance.
“Why do you kiss my hand?” asked she. “Am I a priest?”
“Such is the custom; you must not resist.”
“Even if he had kissed both your hands,” said Macko, “it would not be enough for all that you have brought us.”
“What have you brought?” asked Zbyszko, looking around the court-yard; but he did not see anything except the black horse tied to the post.
“The wagons have not come yet; but they will soon be here,” answered Jagienka.
Macko began to enumerate what she had brought; but when he mentioned the two beds, Zbyszko said:
“I am satisfied to sleep on the urus’ skin; but I thank you because you thought about me also.”
“It was not I; it was Tatulo,” answered the girl, blushing. “If you prefer to sleep on the skin, you can do it.”
“I prefer to sleep on what I can. Sometimes after a battle, I slept with a dead Krzyzak instead of a pillow under my head.”
“You do not mean to tell me that you have ever killed a Krzyzak? I am sure you have not.”
Zbyszko, instead of answering, began to laugh. But Macko exclaimed:
“For heaven’s sake, girl, you do not know him yet! He has never done anything else, but kill the Germans. He can fight with an axe, a spear or with any weapon; and when he sees a German from afar, one must tie him with a rope, or else he will rush against him. In Krakow he wanted to kill the envoy, Lichtenstein, and for that he barely escaped execution. Such a man! I will tell you also about the two Fryzes, from whom we took their retinues and so much rich booty, that one could redeem Bogdaniec with half of it.”
Here Macko began to tell about his duel with the Fryzjans; also about other adventures which had happened to them, and about the deeds they had performed. How they had fought from behind the walls and in the open fields, with the greatest knights living in foreign lands; how they had fought Germans, Frenchmen, Englishmen and Burgundians. He also told her what they had seen! They had seen German castles of red brick, Lithuanian wooden grodzce and churches, more beautiful than one could see around Bogdaniec; also large cities and the dreadful wilderness in which during the nights Lithuanian gods cried, and many different, marvelous things; and everywhere, in any fight, Zbyszko was victorious, so that even the greatest knights were astonished at him.
Jagienka, who was sitting on the log beside Macko, listened with open mouth to that narrative, tossing her head and looking at the young knight with increasing admiration and amazement. Finally when Macko was through, she sighed and said:
“I am sorry I was not born a boy!”
But Zbyszko, who during the narration had been looking at her attentively, evidently was thinking about something else, because he suddenly said:
“What a beautiful girl you are now!”
Jagienka answered, half in displeasure and half in sadness:
“You have seen many more beautiful than I am.”
But Zbyszko could truly answer her that he had not seen many as pretty as she, because Jagienka was beaming with health, youth and strength. The old abbot used to say that she looked like a pine tree. Everything was beautiful in her; a slender figure, a broad bosom that looked as if it were cut out of marble, a red mouth, and intelligent blue eyes. She was also dressed with more care than when in the forest with the hunting party. Around her neck she had a necklace of red beads; she wore a fur jacket opened in front and covered with green cloth, a homespun skirt and new boots. Even old Macko noticed this beautiful attire, and having looked at her for a moment, asked:
“Why are you dressed as if you were going to church?”
But instead of answering, she exclaimed:
“The wagons are coming!”
In fact the wagons now appeared and she sprang toward them, followed by Zbyszko. The unloading lasted quite a long time to the great satisfaction of Macko who looked at everything, and praised Jagienka all the time. It was dusk when the girl started home. While she was getting ready to mount her horse, Zbyszko suddenly caught her, and before she was able to say a word, lifted her into the saddle. Then she blushed like the dawn and turning her head toward him, said with emot
ion in her voice:
“What a strong boy you are!”
But he, not having noticed her confusion nor her blushes because it was dark, laughed and said:
“Are you not afraid of wild beasts? It is night!”
“There is a boar-spear in the wagon. Give it to me.”
Zbyszko went to the wagon, took the boar-spear and handed it to Jagienka; then he said:
“Be in good health!”
“Be in good health!” she answered.
“May God reward you! To-morrow, or the day after, I will be in Zgorzelice to thank Zych and you for your kindness.”
“Come! You will be welcome!”
Having touched her horse, she disappeared among the bushes growing on the sides of the road.
Zbyszko returned to his uncle.
“You must go inside.”
But Macko answered, without moving from the log:
“Hej! I what a girl! I She made the court-yard brighter!”
“That is true!”
There was a moment of silence. Macko seemed to be thinking about something while looking at the stars; then he said, as if he were speaking to himself:
“She is pretty and a good housekeeper, although she is not more than fifteen years old.”
“Yes!” answered Zbyszko. “Therefore old Zych loves her dearly.”
“And he said that the estate of Moczydoly will be her dowry; and there on the pastures is a herd of mares with many colts.”
“Are there not a great many marshes in the Moczydlowski estate?”
“Yes; but in those marshes there are plenty of beavers.”
There was silence again. Macko looked intently at Zbyszko for a while, and finally he asked, “About what are you thinking?”
“Seeing Jagienka reminded me of Danusia, and something pricked me in the heart.”
“Let us go into the house,” answered the old wlodyka. “It is getting late.”
Complete Works of Henryk Sienkiewicz Page 501