The Chevalier Merlin, Chapters X-XII [pp. 569-578]

him. He made signals of peace; these were spoke him, looked to the sun which by this waspresently returned, and one of the five came for- midway of its morning quarter in the heavens,
ward, the others following at a short distance. and presently said:
He who thus came forward was an old man with "Thirty leagues are to be overcome. Yonder
a long and thick beard, as white as snow, but circle abot trl sun,gives promise of storn~
with none of the feebleness of age visible in either weather. If you travel with us, your spurs must
person or countenance. His face was stony- be keen. Dome, brother: we are even now
hard, and swarthy, and lighted with small black dropping precious moments, like pearls from a
eyes as penetrative and unquailing as a falcon's. string."
He sat erect on his shaggy Tartar; he was low T he Cossacks were presently in swift motion,
of stature, but with Herculean shoulders, and bending forward in the saddle as if devouring
his frame seemed to present angles of iron to the the air. The'journey seemed to become a race.
jacket of dyed wool and the short heavy cloak Merlin held his position wth the foremost, and
which he wore loosely belted.'A tall conical sitting erect,with the immense Hungarian charcap, made entirely of white furs, rose like a sugar ger bounding under him with haughty neck curvloaf from his head. Wide pantaloons of a thick ed and mane and tail streaming, made a strong
elastic cloth looking like close net-work, laid contrast to the white-bearded Cossack and his
down at the seams with gold lace, and boots of slight courser, whose gait seemed as equal and
yellow leather completed his costume. His arms as swift as the flight of a bird.
were a sabre glittering with precious stones, and The route of the party led in a direction a little
a light lance with a silken penon near its steel north of eas. The sun shone in their faces.
point. As this gallant looking old man came on, The stormy circle grew less defined about it. At
Merlin advanced to meet him. It was in tolera- last it quite faded in a growing haze which dmbly pure Latin-which venerable language is to med the lustre of the orb itself-dimmed it more
a great extent in use among the inhabitants of andmoreastheday advanced. Thewind which
portions of the country adjacent to the Ukraine- had blown freshly from the north-east, lulled as
that the Cossack addressed the Norwegian. the sun becam vei -. The air grew warmer.
;Peace and good-will abide with us and be- The haze of the horizon before them had gradtw'een us," he said. ually thickened until it became a bank of white
ierlin drew upon the stores of the metropoi- cloud. White-white-nothing but the whiteta-n Bishoo of Aggerhaus, and answered: - ness of death garments! The very plain, the
"It is eace that I also, not dreading war, de- skeletons of the few trees, seemed to have been
sire. Truly let amity prevail between us." touched with a ghastly white.
"It shall be so," said the wearer of the white "What does this betoken?" said Merlin, wabeard, who then stroked that natural ornament, ving his hand from the sky to the plain.
and was silent, l-ke a man whose words are valu- " A storm of snow," answered the Cossack
able. chief.
Merlin broke the silence which followed, by Without chlange of pace, the parypressed on,
saying: passing the homes of peasants w ho watched
" Where there is amity there should be confi- them as they swept by and until they were out
dence." of view, passing at times through desolate woods
"It is true," replied the Cossack. of chestnuts, pines and low-growing oaks, pass " Therefore tell me," Merlin continued, "with ing once a village where women and children ran
which of the hostile powers you hold-the Swede to the doors to mark for a moment their scudding
or the Muscovite." dash, and to hear the music of the smiting hoofs.
"We are five men," the Cossack answered. At last the wind became once more audible. It
"You are one man. Confidence should begin sobbed and moaned. Soon after a few flakes of
with the strong, and not with the weaker. There- snow fell.
fore I speak first, and with a straight tongue. We "The storm will be upon us," said the Cosare friends of the King of Sweden, and now ride sack pointing to the north-east.
to his camp." Merlin looked to observe its approach. A
"Then we are well met," said Merlin. "That white wall seemed to be advancing upon them,
camp is also my destination. If you do not reject a wall of immeasurable height, and hiding in its
my companionship we will ride together. Truly length one half of the whole circle of the horithese pathless plains bewilder the mind of the zon. This advancing wall at length struck their
traveller. Your better knowledge will conduct front; they were in the midst of a snow storm so
me on a straight course." dense in its descent that the very breathing was
The Cossack chief, for such his equipment, obstructed. The Cossack chief arrested the
and the submissive demeanour of his party be- party, his long white conical cap, and flowing
574
The Chevalier Merlin.
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