c, and worthy is Pac of the palace;200 worthy are the huntsmen
of the hounds, and worthy are the hounds of the huntsmen. Thus is ended
your long and furious quarrel; I, whom you appointed your judge and
stakeholder, at last give my verdict: you both have triumphed. I return
your stakes; let each man keep his own, and do you both sign the treaty."

At the summons of the old man the huntsmen turned beaming faces on each
other and joined their long parted right hands. Then the Notary spoke:--

"My stake was a horse with its caparison; I also agreed before the
district authorities to deposit my ring as a fee for the judge; a forfeit
once pledged cannot be withdrawn. Let the Seneschal accept the ring as a
reminder of this incident, and let him have engraved on it either his own
name or, if he prefers, the armorial bearings of the Hreczechas; the
carnelian is smooth, the gold eleven carats fine. The uhlans have now
commandeered my horse for their troop, but the caparison remains in my
possession; every expert praises this caparison, that it is strong and
comfortable, and pretty as a picture. The saddle is narrow, in the
Turko-Cossack style; in front it has a pommel, and in the pommel are set
precious stones; the seat is covered with a damask pad. And when you leap
into your place, you rest on that soft down as comfortably as in a bed;
and when you start to gallop"--here the Notary Bolesta, who, as is well
known, was extremely fond of gestures, spread out his legs as though he
were leaping on a horse, and then, imitating a gallop, he swayed slowly to
and fro--"and when you start to gallop, then light flashes from the housing
as though gold were dripping from your charger, for the side bands are
thickly set with gold and the broad silver stirrups are gilded; on the
straps of the bit and on the bridle glitter buttons of mother of pearl,
and from the breastplate hangs a crescent shaped like Leliwa,201 that is,
like the new moon. This whole splendid outfit was captured, as rumour
reports, in the battle of Podhajce,202 from a certain Turkish noble of
very high station. Accept it, Assessor, as a proof of my esteem."

Happy in his gift, the Assessor replied:--

"My stake was the gift that I once received from Prince Sanguszko--my
elegant dog-collars, covered with lizard-skin, with rings of gold, and my
leash woven of silk, the workmanship of which is as precious as the jewel
that glitters upon it. That outfit I wanted to leave as an