XIX
It was not many days before Gonch found himself subjected to increased pressure. The grim hetman fretted and chafed incessantly simply because the Lion Man failed to appear. With all his sharpness, Gonch had merely relieved one bad situation by creating another. He was congratulating himself for his shrewdness in diverting Totan’s channel of wrath to someone other than himself, but now that the Lion Man had become rooted in the hetman’s mind, Gonch found himself worse off than ever. Pic did not appear. There were no others worth while to soothe Totan’s pugnacious spirit, so he centered the burden of his rancor upon Gonch.
“Time passes and still your Lion Man does not come,” he fumed. “I believe you lie when you say he will.”
“And I still say so,” replied the Muskman although in a less cocksure manner than formerly, for he was beginning to feel grave doubts. “But the lad; does he not please you? Never have we fared so well as since he came here.”
The Hetman Loses Patience