The Deluge. Vol. 2. Генрик Сенкевич

are coming!" whispered one of the soldiers.

      "That is no party; only a few horses are to be heard," answered the other. "Pan Babinich is returning."

      Meanwhile those approaching came in the darkness within a few tens of yards.

      "Who is there?" cried Tyzenhauz.

      "Ours! Do not fire there!" sounded the voice of Kmita.

      At that moment he appeared before Tyzenhauz, and not knowing him in the darkness, inquired, —

      "But where is the king?"

      "At the end of the pass."

      "Who is speaking, for I cannot see?"

      "Tyzenhauz. But what is that great bundle which you have before you?" And he pointed to some dark form hanging before Kmita, on the front of the saddle.

      Pan Andrei made no answer, but rode on. When he had reached the king's escort, he recognized the person of the king, for it was much clearer beyond the pass, and cried, —

      "Gracious Lord, the road is open!"

      "Are there no Swedes in Jivyets?"

      "They have gone to Vadovitsi. That was a party of German mercenaries. But here is one of them, Gracious Lord; ask him yourself." And Pan Andrei pushed to the ground that form which he held before him, so that a groan was heard in the still night.

      "Who is that?" asked the astonished king.

      "A horseman!"

      "As God is dear to me! And you have brought an informant! How is that? Tell me."

      "Gracious Lord; when a wolf prowls in the night around a flock of sheep it is easy for him to seize one; and besides, to tell the truth, this is not the first time with me."

      The king raised his hands. "But this Babinich is a soldier, may the bullets strike him! I see that with such servants I can go even in the midst of Swedes."

      Meanwhile all gathered around the horseman, who did not rise from the ground however.

      "Ask him, Gracious Lord," said Kmita, not without a certain boastfulness in his voice; "though I do not know whether he will answer, for he is throttled a little and there is nothing here to burn him with."

      "Pour some gorailka into his throat," said the king.

      And indeed that medicine helped more than burning, for the horseman soon recovered strength and voice. Then Kmita, putting a sword-point to his throat, commanded him to tell the whole truth.

      The prisoner confessed that he belonged to the regiment of Colonel Irlehorn, that they had intelligence of the passage of the king with dragoons, therefore they fell upon them near Suha, but meeting firm resistance they had to withdraw to Jivyets, whence they marched on to Vadovitsi and Cracow, for such were their orders.

      "Are there other divisions of the Swedes in the mountains?" asked Kmita in German, while squeezing the throat of the horseman somewhat more vigorously.

      "Maybe there are some," answered he in a broken voice. "General Douglas sent scouting-parties around, but they are all withdrawing, for the peasants are attacking them in passes."

      "Were you the only ones in the neighborhood of Jivyets?"

      "The only ones."

      "Do you know that the King of Poland has passed?"

      "He passed with those dragoons who fought with us at Suha. Many saw him."

      "Why did you not pursue him?"

      "We were afraid of the mountaineers."

      Here Kmita began again in Polish: "Gracious Lord, the road is open and you will find a night's lodging in Jivyets, for only a part of the place is burned."

      But unconfiding Tyzenhauz was speaking at this time with the castellan of Voinik, and said: "Either that is a great warrior and true as gold, or a finished traitor. Consider, your worthiness, that all this may be simulated, from the taking of this horseman to his confederates. And if this is a trick, – if the Swedes are in ambush in Jivyets, – if the king goes and falls as into a net?"

      "It is safer to convince one's self," answered the castellan of Voinik.

      Then Tyzenhauz turned to the king and said aloud: "Gracious Lord, permit me to go ahead to Jivyets and convince myself that what this cavalier says and what this trooper declares is true."

      "Let it be so! Permit them to go, Gracious Lord," said Kmita.

      "Go," said the king; "but we will move forward a little, for it is cold."

      Tyzenhauz rushed on at all speed, and the escort of the king began to move after him slowly. The king regained his good humor and cheerfulness, and after a while said to Kmita, —

      "But with you it is possible to hunt Swedes as birds with a falcon, for you strike from above."

      "That is my fashion," said Kmita. "Whenever your Royal Grace wishes to hunt, the falcon will always be ready."

      "Tell how you caught him."

      "That is not difficult. When a regiment marches there are always a few men who lag in the rear, and I got this one about half a furlong behind. I rode up to him; he thought that I was one of his own people, he was not on his guard, and before he could think I had seized and gagged him so that he could not shout."

      "You said that this was not your first time. Have you then practised somewhere before?"

      Kmita laughed. "Oh, Gracious Lord, I have, and that of the best. Let your Royal Grace but give the order and I will go again, overtake them, for their horses are road-weary, take another man, and order my Kyemliches to take also."

      They advanced some time in silence; then the tramp of a horse was heard, and Tyzenhauz flew up. "Gracious King," said he, "the road is free, and lodgings are ready."

      "But did not I say so?" cried Yan Kazimir. "You, gentlemen, had no need to be anxious. Let us ride on now, let us ride, for we have earned our rest."

      All advanced at a trot, briskly, joyously; and an hour later the wearied king was sleeping a sleep without care on his own territory.

      That evening Tyzenhauz approached Kmita. "Forgive me," said he; "out of love for the king I brought you under suspicion."

      Kmita refused his hand and said: "Oh, that cannot be! You made me a traitor and a betrayer."

      "I would have done more, for I would have shot you in the head; but since I have convinced myself that you are an honest man and love the king, I stretch out my hand to you. If you wish, take it; if not, take it not. I would prefer to have no rivalry with you save that of attachment to the king; but I am not afraid of other rivalry."

      "Is that your thought? H'm! perhaps you are right, but I am angry with you."

      "Well, stop being angry. You are a strong soldier. But give us your lips, so that we may not lie down to sleep in hatred."

      "Let it be so!" said Kmita.

      And they fell into each other's arms.

      CHAPTER X

      The king's party arrived at Jivyets late in the evening, and paid almost no attention to the place, which was terrified by the recent attack of the Swedish detachment. The king did not go to the castle, which had been ravaged by the enemy and burned in part, but stopped at the priest's house. Kmita spread the news that the party was escorting the ambassador of the emperor, who was going from Silesia to Cracow.

      Next morning they held on toward Vadovitsi, and then turned considerably to one side toward Suha. From this place they were to pass through Kjechoni to Yordanovo, thence to Novy Targ, and if it appeared that there were no Swedish parties near Chorshtyn to go to Chorshtyn; if there were, they were to turn toward Hungary and advance on Hungarian soil to Lyubovlya. The king hoped, too, that the marshal of the kingdom, who disposed of forces so considerable that no reigning prince had so many, would make the road safe and hasten forth to meet his sovereign. Only this could prevent, that the marshal knew not which road the king would take; but among the mountaineers there was no lack of trusty men ready to bear word to the marshal.