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Updated: May 6, 2025
"You are Joco Hics," he said; "two years ago you deserted from my regiment." The strong, tall, young peasant began to tremble so that his knees knocked together, but could not answer a single word. Fritz Winter, Ritter von Wallishausen, whispered into Joco's ear, his speech agitated and stuttering: "You have a woman with you," he said, "who surely is not your wife. Set her free.
"I do not want to harm you; but I could put you in prison and in chains, and what would become of your sweetheart then?" Joco answered proudly: "She would cry her eyes out for me; otherwise she would not have run away from her rich father's house for my sake." Ah! thought the Captain, if it were only that! By degrees I could win her to me.
But it was not advisable to make a fuss, whether for the sake of his position or because of his wife, who lived in town. "Joco, I tell you what," said the Captain, suddenly becoming calm. "I am going away now for a short time. I shall be gone about an hour. By that time everybody will be in bed. The officers who sup with me, and the innkeeper and his servants, will all be sound asleep.
When he lifted himself up on his hind legs he was half a head taller than Joco, his master. The villagers stood round them with anxious delight, and animated the bear with shouts of "Jump, Ibrahim! Hop, Ibrahim!" but nobody ventured to go near. Joco was no stranger to these people. After every harvest he visited the rich villages of Banat with his bear.
The bears were lodged in a little room which used to serve the former owner of the house as pantry, and were chained to the strong iron lattice of the window. In one corner of this little room the landlord ordered one of his servants to make a good bed of straw. "The Captain will pay for it," he said. When everything was ready in the little room, the Captain called Joco and took him there.
For Joco is not satisfied to let Ibrahim jump and dance, but, whistling and singing, grasps the wild beast's skin, and squeezes his paws; and so the two dance together, the one roaring and groaning, the other singing with monotonous voice a melancholy song.
His eyes sparkled from the strong wine he had taken during supper, as well as from the exquisite expectation which made his blood boil. Joco stood smiling submissively before him. "I have thought it over, sir," he said. "I will speak with the little Zorka about it." Ritter Winter now forgot that he was speaking with a deserter, whom it was his duty to arrest.
He held out his hand joyfully to the Bosnian peasant, and said encouragingly: "Go speak with her; but make haste. Go instantly." They crept together to the pantry where the girl slept near the chained bears. Joco opened the door without making a sound, and slipped in. It seemed to the Captain that he heard whispering inside. These few moments seemed an eternity to him.
Butler admitted his general merits; but said, "He would presume to apply to the worthy gentleman the words of the poet to Marrucinus Asinius, Manu Non belle uteris in joco atque vino." The discourse being thus turned on parish business, nothing farther occurred that can interest the reader.
Butler admitted his general merits; but said, "He would presume to apply to the worthy gentleman the words of the poet to Marrucinus Asinius, Manu Non belle uteris in joco atque vino." The discourse being thus turned on parish business, nothing farther occurred that can interest the reader.
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