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I will serve you for old clothes and patched boots, so long as I have a shelter for the winter. Here Maciek paused, astonished at himself for having said so much, for he was silent by nature. Slimakowa looked him up and down, gave him a bowl of barszcz and another of potatoes, and told him to wash in the river.
'Why, yes, said the woman, pleased, 'he is always at the manor or in the town and doesn't care about his home; it was all I could do to make him lay the floor. Be so kind as to sit near the stove, neighbour, I'll get supper. She poured out a large bowl of peeled barley soup and put it on the table, and a small one for Maciek. 'Eat in God's name, and if you want anything, say so.
The darkness deprived him of energy, and he thought with fear of the Germans who were so many and he but one. Might they not attack him or set his house on fire? About midnight a shot rang out, followed by another. He ran into the back-yard and came upon the equally frightened Maciek. Shouts, curses, and the clatter of horses' hoofs came from beyond the river. Gradually the noise subsided.
But these were interrupted the next afternoon by a visit from the Hamers; their cousin, Hermann, had his head so tightly bandaged that hardly anything was visible of his face. They stood outside the gate and shouted to Maciek to call his master. Slimak hastily fastened his belt and stepped out. 'What do you want? he said.
Woa! They entered the forest. 'Here we are! this is the forest, and it belongs to the squire. Slimak has bought a cartload of wood, and we must get it home before the roads are too bad. Steady, lads! They stopped by a square pile of wood. Maciek untied the child and put her in a sheltered place, took out a bottle of milk and put it to her lips.
'Do you know if your squire has sold his estate yet? asked a guttural voice from the second sledge. 'You shouldn't ask him such a question, Fritz, remonstrated his companion. 'Oh! the devil take the whole business! replied Fritz. 'Aha, here they are again! said Slimak. 'What do all those Old Testament Jews want? asked Maciek. 'There was only one Jew, the others are Germans from Wolka.
Old Maciek, who was not good at hand to hand combat, retreated, clearing a place before him to the right and to the left; now with the tip of his sabre he sheared a bayonet from a gun barrel as a wick from a candle; now with a slashing blow from the left he cut or stabbed. Thus the cautious Maciek retired to the open field.
One shouted continually, “Shave,” and the other, “Pour”; Maciek held his peace, but he was evidently beginning to be angry. For a quarter of an hour the uproar seethed, when above the bawling crowd, out of the throng of heads, there leapt aloft a shining pillar. This was a sword two yards long and a whole palm broad, sharp on both edges.
She would fall into a furrow and sleep until sundown, though she was paid for a full day's work. As she had a sharp tongue, Slimak had no wish to offend her. When he haggled about the money, she would kiss his hand and say: 'Why should you fall out with me, sir? Sell one chicken more and you'll be all right. 'Cheek always pays! thought Maciek.
Before he was conscious of what he was doing, Maciek had pulled a long draft of the health-giving speciality. He gulped it down and pulled a wry face. The drink was not only strong, it was nauseous; it simply tasted like ordinary medicine. 'Well, that wasn't worth longing for! he thought, as he stuffed up the neck of the bottle again.
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