ts carrion throws itself blindly into the
pack that disturbs its meal; he is already chasing them, he is about to
tear them, when amid the yelping of the dogs a gun hammer gently clicks;
the wolf recognises it by the click, glances in that direction; he notices
that in the rear, behind the hounds, a hunter, half crouching and upon one
knee, is moving the gun barrel towards him and is just touching the
trigger; the wolf droops its ears and scuttles off with its tail between
its legs; the pack with a triumphant uproar rush on and pluck it by its
shaggy flanks; the beast often turns, glances at them, snaps its jaws; and
hardly does he threaten them with the gnashing of his white teeth when the
pack scamper away whining: so did Gerwazy withdraw with threatening mien,
checking his assailants by his eyes and by the bench, until the Count and
he reached the back of the dark niche.

"Catch him!" they cried again; the triumph was not long: for over the
heads of the throng the Warden appeared unexpectedly in the gallery, by
the old organ, and with a crash began to tear out the leaden pipes; he
would have worked great havoc by his blows from above. But the guests were
already leaving the hall in a throng; the terrified servants did not dare
to hold their ground, but, seizing some of the platters, ran out after
their masters; they left behind even the plates and a part of the service.

Who last, caring not for the threats and blows, retired from the scene of
battle? Protazy Brzechalski. He, standing unmoved behind the Judge's
chair, in his apparitor's voice recited his notification until he had
reached the very end; then he abandoned the empty battlefield, where
remained corpses, wounded, and ruins.

Among the men there were no casualties; but all the benches had legs
dislocated, and the table was also crippled: stripped of its cloth, it lay
upon plates dripping with wine--like a knight upon bloody shields--among
numerous bodies of chickens and turkeys, from which protruded the forks
lately stuck within their breasts.

In a moment all within the deserted building of the Horeszkos had returned
to its wonted calm. The darkness thickened; the remnants of the
magnificent feast lay like that nocturnal banquet to which the ghosts of
the departed must gather when evoked at the festival of the
_Forefathers_.96 Now the owls had cried thrice from the garret, like
conjurers; they seemed to greet the rising of the moon of which the form
fel