etimes there rise up through the green of the grass, like two
jets of water, a pair of stag's antlers; and a beast flits between the
trees like a yellow streak, as when a sunbeam falls between the forest
trees and dies.

And again there is quiet below. A woodpecker on a fir tree raps lightly
and flies farther on and vanishes; it has hidden, but does not cease to
tap with its beak, like a child when it has hidden and wishes to be sought
for. Nearer sits a squirrel, holding a nut in its paws and gnawing it; its
tail hangs over its eyes like the plume over a cuirassier's helmet: even
though thus protected, it keeps glancing about; perceiving the guest, this
dancer of the woods skips from tree to tree and flashes like lightning;
finally it slips into an invisible opening of a stump, like a Dryad
returning to her native tree. Again all is quiet.

Now a branch shakes from the touch of some one's hand, and between the
parted clusters of the service berries shines a face more fair than they.
It is a maiden gathering berries or nuts; in a basket of simple bark she
offers you freshly gathered cowberries, rosy as her lips. By her side
walks a youth who bends down the branches of the hazel tree; the girl
catches the nuts as they flash by her.

Now they have heard the peal of the horns and the baying of the hounds;
they guess that a hunt is drawing near them; and between the dense mass of
boughs, full of alarm, they vanish suddenly from the eye, like deities of
the forest.

In Soplicowo there was a great commotion; but neither the barking of the
dogs, nor the neighing of the horses and the creaking of the carts, nor
the blare of the horns that gave the signal for the hunt could stir
Thaddeus from his bed; falling fully dressed on his couch, he had slept
like a marmot in its burrow. None of the young men thought of looking for
him in the yard; every one was occupied with his own affairs and was
hurrying to his appointed place; they entirely forgot their sleeping
comrade.

He was snoring. Through the heart-shaped opening that was cut in the
shutter the sun poured into the darkened room like a fiery column,
straight on the brow of the sleeping lad. He wanted to doze longer and
twisted about, trying to avoid the light; suddenly he heard a knocking and
awoke; cheerful was his awakening. He felt blithe as a bird and breathed
freely and lightly; he felt himself happy and smiled to himself. Thinking
of all that had happened to him the