“Of course!” said Pan Nyenashinyets. “I know Krychinski personally, and all know him now from his evil fame.”
“We were at school together—” began Pan Zagloba; but he stopped suddenly, remembering that in such an event Krychinski must be ninety years old, and at that age men were not usually fighting.
“Speaking briefly,” continued the little knight, “Krychinski is a Polish Tartar. He was a colonel of one of our Tartar squadrons; then he betrayed his country and went over to the Dobrudja horde, where he has, as I hear, great significance, for there they hope evidently that he will bring over the rest of the Tartars to the Pagan side. With such a man Mellehovich has entered into relations, the best proof of which is this letter, the tenor of which is as follows.” Here the little knight unfo
