The colonels were silent; but evidently not Pan Michael alone was burning with such friendly feeling toward the Swedes, for soon the following conversation of the dragoons surrounding the wagon came to the ears of the prisoners.
“Did you see those pagan dog-faiths?” said one soldier; “we were to fight with them, but now we must clean their horses.”
“May the bright thunderbolts crush them!” muttered another dragoon.
“He quiet, the Swede will teach thee manners with a broom over thy head!”
“Or I him.”
“Thou art a fool! Not such as thou wish to rush at them; thou seest what has happened.”
“We are taking the greatest knights to them, as if into the dog’s mouth. They, the sons of Jew mothers, will abuse these knights.”
“Without a Jew you cannot talk with such trash. The commandant in Shavli had to send for a Jew right away.”
“May the plague kill them!”
Here the first soldier lowered his voice somewhat and said, “They say the best soldiers do not wish to fight against their own king.”