Page:Czecho-Slovak Student Life, Volume 18.djvu/10

HE SUN was casting its first golden rays on the rose tinted sky when the Royal Special travelling between Bruno and Prague passed beneath the Blanik mountain. Mr. Jaros and his son Frank were sleeping in the rear of the Pullman car. As the train made the curve to the west of the mountain, it gave a sudden jerk, and Mr. Jaros awoke. The first thing that struck his half opened eyes was the name Blanik printed in large white letters on the black door of the little station. Mr. Jaros was immediately fully awake. He roused Frank and pointing out of the window said, “Look! There’s the Blanik mountain”.

Frank rubbed his eyes and wondering why he had been so suddenly aroused from his dreams, looked out but saw nothing extraordinary. He next looked at his father questioningly, and saw his eyes settled on some object in the distance. He followed the gaze and his eyes fell on the Blanik mountain. This morning Blanik presented a pleasing picture. A long rolling meadow stretched between the train and the mountain. The mountain, rising some eighteen hundred feet, was covered with woods. On its very crest were the ruins of an old moss-overgrown stone bastion. Behind the mountain on the azure sky, the sun was just rolling out its golden dise from beneath the horizon. It was a beautiful scene, but Frank had seen many beautiful scenes. He was about to resume his sleep when his father suddenly spoke, “Look well at that mountain, and mark what I shall tell you”.

“There beneath that fortification, in the mountain itself, live the Blanik Sleepers, the Knights of St. Wenceslaus. They slumber there and wait for the day when Bohemia will need them. There, where you see that arch at the bottom of the eastern slope, is the entrance to the mountain.

There, too, is a spring where the Blanik Knights water their horses when once in a great while during a moonlit night they ride out into this meadow. On such nights, the bugle and the muffled rolling of drums is heard and a strange dull rumble echoes through the neighborhood.

“Once, now a long time since, a maid was cutting grass in this meadow when suddenly a knight confronted her and asked her to clean up in the mountain. As the maid peered into the mountain a strange sight met her eyes. She was standing on the threshold of a large vaulted dimly lighted chamber. The massive stone ceiling rested on heavy marble pillars from which all manner of arms were hanging. Throughout the entire hall were long marble tables around which sat the Blanik Knights resting their heads on the tables. Their horses were all standing in stalls along the walls. A deadly silence pervaded the entire cave. The maid began to