don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第98章

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without　giving　way　to　despair　I　immediately　began　to　look　out　for　or
conjure　up　some　new　hope　to　support　me；　however　faint　or　feeble　it
might　be。
　　In　this　way　I　lived　on　immured　in　a　building　or　prison　called　by　the
Turks　a　bano　in　which　they　confine　the　Christian　captives；　as　well
those　that　are　the　king's　as　those　belonging　to　private　individuals；
and　also　what　they　call　those　of　the　Almacen；　which　is　as　much　as　to
say　the　slaves　of　the　municipality；　who　serve　the　city　in　the　public
works　and　other　employments；　but　captives　of　this　kind　recover　their
liberty　with　great　difficulty；　for；　as　they　are　public　property　and
have　no　particular　master；　there　is　no　one　with　whom　to　treat　for
their　ransom；　even　though　they　may　have　the　means。　To　these　banos；
as　I　have　said；　some　private　individuals　of　the　town　are　in　the
habit　of　bringing　their　captives；　especially　when　they　are　to　be
ransomed；　because　there　they　can　keep　them　in　safety　and　comfort　until
their　ransom　arrives。　The　king's　captives　also；　that　are　on　ransom；　do
not　go　out　to　work　with　the　rest　of　the　crew；　unless　when　their　ransom
is　delayed；　for　then；　to　make　them　write　for　it　more　pressingly；
they　compel　them　to　work　and　go　for　wood；　which　is　no　light　labour。
　　I；　however；　was　one　of　those　on　ransom；　for　when　it　was　discovered
that　I　was　a　captain；　although　I　declared　my　scanty　means　and　want
of　fortune；　nothing　could　dissuade　them　from　including　me　among　the
gentlemen　and　those　waiting　to　be　ransomed。　They　put　a　chain　on　me；
more　as　a　mark　of　this　than　to　keep　me　safe；　and　so　I　passed　my　life
in　that　bano　with　several　other　gentlemen　and　persons　of　quality
marked　out　as　held　to　ransom；　but　though　at　times；　or　rather　almost
always；　we　suffered　from　hunger　and　scanty　clothing；　nothing
distressed　us　so　much　as　hearing　and　seeing　at　every　turn　the
unexampled　and　unheard…of　cruelties　my　master　inflicted　upon　the
Christians。　Every　day　he　hanged　a　man；　impaled　one；　cut　off　the　ears
of　another；　and　all　with　so　little　provocation；　or　so　entirely　without
any；　that　the　Turks　acknowledged　he　did　it　merely　for　the　sake　of
doing　it；　and　because　he　was　by　nature　murderously　disposed　towards
the　whole　human　race。　The　only　one　that　fared　at　all　well　with　him　was
a　Spanish　soldier；　something　de　Saavedra　by　name；　to　whom　he　never
gave　a　blow　himself；　or　ordered　a　blow　to　be　given；　or　addressed　a
hard　word；　although　he　had　done　things　that　will　dwell　in　the　memory
of　the　people　there　for　many　a　year；　and　all　to　recover　his　liberty；
and　for　the　least　of　the　many　things　he　did　we　all　dreaded　that　he
would　be　impaled；　and　he　himself　was　in　fear　of　it　more　than　once；　and
only　that　time　does　not　allow；　I　could　tell　you　now　something　of
what　that　soldier　did；　that　would　interest　and　astonish　you　much
more　than　the　narration　of　my　own　tale。
　　To　go　on　with　my　story；　the　courtyard　of　our　prison　was　overlooked
by　the　windows　of　the　house　belonging　to　a　wealthy　Moor　of　high
position；　and　these；　as　is　usual　in　Moorish　houses；　were　rather
loopholes　than　windows；　and　besides　were　covered　with　thick　and
close　lattice…work。　It　so　happened；　then；　that　as　I　was　one　day　on　the
terrace　of　our　prison　with　three　other　comrades；　trying；　to　pass
away　the　time；　how　far　we　could　leap　with　our　chains；　we　being
alone；　for　all　the　other　Christians　had　gone　out　to　work；　I　chanced　to
raise　my　eyes；　and　from　one　of　these　little　closed　windows　I　saw　a
reed　appear　with　a　cloth　attached　to　the　end　of　it；　and　it　kept　waving
to　and　fro；　and　moving　as　if　making　signs　to　us　to　come　and　take　it。
We　watched　it；　and　one　of　those　who　were　with　me　went　and　stood
under　the　reed　to　see　whether　they　would　let　it　drop；　or　what　they
would　do；　but　as　he　did　so　the　reed　was　raised　and　moved　from　side
to　side；　as　if　they　meant　to　say　〃no〃　by　a　shake　of　the　head。　The
Christian　came　back；　and　it　was　again　lowered；　making　the　same
movements　as　before。　Another　of　my　comrades　went；　and　with　him　the
same　happened　as　with　the　first；　and　then　the　third　went　forward；
but　with　the　same　result　as　the　first　and　second。　Seeing　this　I　did
not　like　not　to　try　my　luck；　and　as　soon　as　I　came　under　the　reed　it
was　dropped　and　fell　inside　the　bano　at　my　feet。　I　hastened　to　untie
the　cloth；　in　which　I　perceived　a　knot；　and　in　this　were　ten　cianis；
which　are　coins　of　base　gold；　current　among　the　Moors；　and　each
worth　ten　reals　of　our　money。
　　It　is　needless　to　say　I　rejoiced　over　this　godsend；　and　my　joy　was
not　less　than　my　wonder　as　I　strove　to　imagine　how　this　good　fortune
could　have　come　to　us；　but　to　me　specially；　for　the　evident
unwillingness　to　drop　the　reed　for　any　but　me　showed　that　it　was　for
me　the　favour　was　intended。　I　took　my　welcome　money；　broke　the　reed；
and　returned　to　the　terrace；　and　looking　up　at　the　window；　I　saw　a
very　white　hand　put　out　that　opened　and　shut　very　quickly。　From　this
we　gathered　or　fancied　that　it　must　be　some　woman　living　in　that　house
that　had　done　us　this　kindness；　and　to　show　that　we　were　grateful
for　it；　we　made　salaams　after　the　fashion　of　the　Moors；　bowing　the
head；　bending　the　body；　and　crossing　the　arms　on　the　breast。　Shortly
afterwards　at　the　same　window　a　small　cross　made　of　reeds　was　put
out　and　immediately　withdrawn。　This　sign　led　us　to　believe　that　some
Christian　woman　was　a　captive　in　the　house；　and　that　it　was　she　who
had　been　so　good　to　us；　but　the　whiteness　of　the　hand　and　the
bracelets　we　had　perceived　made　us　dismiss　that　idea；　though　we
thought　it　might　be　one　of　the　Christian　renegades　whom　their
masters　very　often　take　as　lawful　wives；　and　gladly；　for　they　prefer
them　to　the　women　of　their　own　nation。　In　all　our　conjectures　we
were　wide　of　the　truth；　so　from　that　time　forward　our　sole
occupation　was　watching　and　gazing　at　the　window　where　the　cross　had
appeared　to　us；　as　if　it　were　our　pole…star；　but　at　least　fifteen　days
passed　without　our　seeing　either　it　or　the　hand；　or　any　other　sign　and
though　meanwhile　we　endeavoured　with　the　utmost　pains　to　ascertain　who
it　was　that　lived　in　the　house；　and　whether　there　were　any　Christian
renegade　in　it；　nobody　could　ever　tell　us　anything　more　than　that　he
who　lived　there　was　a　rich　Moor　of　high　position；　Hadji　Morato　by
name；　formerly　alcaide　of　La　Pata；　an　office　of　high　dignity　among
them。　But　when　we　least　thought　it　was　going　to　rain　any　more　cianis
from　that　quarter；　we　saw　the　reed　suddenly　appear　with　another
cloth　tied　in　a　larger　knot　attached　to　it；　and　this　at　a　time　when；
as　on　the　former　occasion；　the　bano　was　deserted　and　unoccupied。
　　We　made　trial　as　before；　each　of　the　same　three　going　forward　before
I　did；　but　the　reed　was　delivered　to　none　but　me；　and　on　my　approach
it　was　let　drop。　I　untied　the　knot　and　I　found　forty　Spanish　gold
crowns　with　a　paper　written　in　Arabic；　and　at　the　end　of　the　writing
there　was　a　large　cross　drawn。　I　kissed　the　cross；　took　the　crowns　and
returned　to　the　terrace；　and　we　all　made　our　salaams；　again　the　hand
appeared；　I　made　signs　that　I　would　read　the　paper；　and　then　the
window　was　closed。　We　were　all　puzzled；　though　filled　with　joy　at　what
had　taken　place；　and　as　none　of　us　understood　Arabic；　great　was　our
curiosity　to　know　what　the　paper　contained；　and　still　greater　the
difficulty　of　finding　some　one　to　read　it。　At　last　I　resolved　to
confide　in　a　renegade；　a　native　of　Murcia；　who　professed　a　very
great　friendship　for　me；　and　had　given　pledges　that　bound　him　to
keep　any　secret　I　might　entrust　to　him；　for　it　is　the　custom　with　some
renegades；　when　they　intend　to　return　to　Christian　territory；　to　carry
about　them　certificates　from　captives　of　mark　testifying；　in
whatever　form　they　can；　that　such　and　such　a　renegade　is　a　worthy
man　who　has　always　shown　kindness　to　Christians；　and　is　anxious　to
escape　on　the　first　opportunity　that　may　present　itself。　Some　obtain
these　testimonials　with　good　intentions；　others　put　them　to　a
cunning　use；　for　when　they　go　to　pillage　on　Christian　territory；　if
they　chance　to　be　cast　away；　or　taken　prisoners；　they　produce　their
certificates　and　say　that　from　these　papers　may　be　seen　the　object
they　came　for；　which　was　to　remain　on　Christian　ground；　and　that　it
was　to　this　e