“To Upita!”
“To Yendrus, our worthy friend! We will make complaint before him.”
“If only we do not miss him.”
“To horse, comrades, to horse!”
They mounted, and moved on at a walk, chewing their anger and shame. Outside the gate Ranitski, whom rage still held as it were by the throat, turned and threatened the house with his fist. “Ei! I want blood! I want blood!”
“If we can only raise a quarrel between her and Kmita,” said Kokosinski, “we shall go through this place yet with fire.”
“That may happen.”
“God aid us!” added Uhlik.
“Oh, pagan’s daughter, mad heath-hen!”
Railing thus, and enraged at the lady, snarling sometimes too at themselves, they reached the forest. They had barely passed the first trees when an enormous flock of crows whirled above their heads. Zend began at once to croak in a shrill voice; thousands of voices answered him from above. The flock came down so low that the horses began to be frightened at the sound of their wings.