historic girls-第25章

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　　I　am　Ruy　Diaz　of　Bivar；

　　　　　　The　Cid　Campeador！〃



shouted　the　little　crusader；　charging　against　his　pagan　enemy　at

a　furious　rate。



〃O　spare　him；　spare　my　brother；　noble　emir。　Let　me　die　in　his

stead；〃　cried　the　terrified　Theresa；　not　quite　so　confident　now

as　to　the　pleasure　of　martyrdom。



The　old　man　stretched　out　his　staff　and　stopped　the　headlong　dash

of　the　boy。　Then　laying　a　hand　lightly　on　his　assailant's　head　he

looked　smilingly　toward　Theresa。



〃Neither　prince　nor　emir　am　I；　Christian　maiden；〃　he　said；　〃but

the　poor　Morisco　Abd…el…'Aman　of　Cordova；　seeking　my　son　Ali；

who；　men　say；　is　servant　to　a　family　in　Valladolid。　Pray　you　if

you　have　aught　to　eat　give　some　to　me；　for　I　am　famishing。〃



This　was　not　exactly　martyrdom；　it　was；　in　fact；　quite　the

opposite；　and　the　little　Theresa　was　puzzled　as　to　her　duty　in

the　matter。　Pedro；　however；　was　not　at　all　undecided。



〃Give　our　bread　and　cake　to　a　nasty　old　Moor？〃　he　cried；　〃I

should　say　we　will　not；　will　we；　sister？　We　need　it　for

ourselves。　Besides；　what　dreadful　thing　is　it　that　the　Holy

Inquisition　does　to　people　who　succor　the　infidel　Moors？〃



Theresa　shuddered。　She　knew　too　well　all　the　stories　of　the

horrible　punishments　that　the　Holy　Office；　known　as　the

Inquisition　of　Spain；　visited　upon　those　who　harbored　Jews　or

aided　the　now　degraded　Moors。　For　so　complete　had　been　the

conquest　of　the　once　proud　possessors　of　Southern　Spain；　that

they　were　usually　known　only　by　the　contemptuous　title　of

〃Moriscoes；〃　and　were　despised　and　hated　by　their　〃chivalrous〃

Christian　conquerors。



But　little　Theresa　de　Cepeda　was　of　so　loving　and　generous　a

nature　that　even　the　plea　of　an　outcast　and　despised　Morisco

moved　her　to　pity。　From　her　earliest　childhood　she　had　delighted

in　helpful　and　generous　deeds。　She　repeatedly　gave　away；　so　we

are　told；　all　her　pocket…money　in　charity；　and　any　sign　of

trouble　or　distress　found　her　ready　and　anxious　to　extend　relief。

There　was　really　a　good　deal　of　the　angelic　in　little　Theresa；

and　even　the　risk　of　arousing　the　wrath　of　the　Inquisition；　the

walls　of　whose　gloomy　dungeon　in　Avila　she　had；　so　often　looked

upon　with　awe；　could　not　withhold　her　from　wishing　to　help　this

poor　old　man　who　was　hunting　for　his　lost　son。



〃Nay；　brother；〃　she　said　to　little　Pedro；　〃it　can　be　not　so　very

great　a　crime　to　give　food　to　a　starving　man〃；　and　much　to

Pedro's　disgust；　she　opened　the　wallet　and　emptied　their　little

store　of　provisions　into　the　old　beggar's　hand。



〃And　wither　are　ye　bound；　little　ones？〃　asked　this　〃tramp〃　of　the

long　ago；　as　the　children　watched　their　precious　dinner　disappear

behind　his　snowy　beard。



〃We　are　on　a　crusade；　don　Infidel；〃　replied　Pedro；　boldly。　〃A

crusade　against　your　armies　and　castles；　perhaps　to　capture　them；

and　thus　gain　the　crown　of　martyrdom。〃



The　old　Moor　looked　at　them　sadly。　〃There　is　scarce　need　for

that；　my　children；〃　he　said。　〃My　people　are　but　slaves；　their

armies　and　their　castles　are　lost；　their　beautiful　cities　are

ruined；　and　there　is　neither　conquest　nor　martyrdom　for　Christian

youths　and　maidens　to　gain　among　them。　Go　home；　my　little　ones；

and　pray　to　Allah　that　you　and　yours　may　never　know　so　much　of

sorrow　and　of　trouble　as　do　the　poor　Moriscoes　of　Spain　this

day。〃



This　was　news　to　Theresa。　No　martyrdom　to　be　obtained　among　the

Moors？　Where　then　was　all　the　truth　of　her　mother's

romances；where　was　all　the　wisdom　of　her　father's　savage　faith？

She　had　always　supposed　that　the　Moors　were　monsters　and　djins；

waiting　with　great　fires　and　racks　and　sharpest　cimeters　to　put

to　horrible　death　all　young　Christians　who　came　amongst　them；　and

now　here　was　one　who　begged　for　bread　and　pleaded　for　pity　like

any　common　beggar　of　Avila。　Evidently　something　was　wrong　in　the

home　stories。



As　for　little　Pedro；　he　waxed　more　valiant　as　the　danger

lessened。　He　whetted　his　toy　sword　against　the　granite　rocks　and

looked　savagely　at　the　old　man。



〃You　have　eaten　all　my　bread；　don　Infidel；〃　he　said；　〃and　now　you

would　lie　about　your　people　and　your　castles。　You　are　no　beggar；

you　are　the　King　of　Cordova　come　here　in　this　disguise　to　spy　out

the　Christian's　land。　I　know　all　about　you　from　my　mother's

stories。　So　you　must　die。　I　shall　send　your　head　to　our　Emperor

by　my　sister　here；　and　when　he　shall　ask　her　who　has　done　this

noble　deed　she　will　say；　just　as　did　Alvar　Fanez　to　King　Alfonso：



　'My　Cid　Campeador；　O　king；　it　was　who　girded　brand：

　　The　Paynim　king　he　hath　o'ercome；　the　mightiest　in　the　land

　　Plenteous　and　sovereign　is　the　spoil　he　from　the　Moor　hath

　　　　　　won；

　　This　portion；　honored　king　and　lord；　he　sendeth　to　your

　　　　　　throne。'





〃So；　King　of　Cordova；　bend　down　and　let　me　cut　off　your　head。〃



The　〃King　of　Cordova〃　made　no　movement　of　compliance　to　this

gentle　invitation；　and　the　head…strong　Pedro；　springing　toward

him；　would　have　caught　him　by　the　beard；　had　not　his　gentle

sister　restrained　him。



〃I　do　believe　he　is　no　king；　my　Pedro；〃　she　said；　〃but　only；　as

he　says；　a　poor　Morisco　beggar。　Let　us　rather　try　to　help　him。　He

hath　no　castles　I　am　sure；　and　as　for　his　armies〃



〃His　armies！　there　they　come；　look；　sister！〃　cried　little　Pedro；

breaking　into　his　sister's　words；　〃now　will　you　believe　me？〃　and

following　his　gaze；　Theresa　herself　started　as　she　saw　dashing

down　the　mountain　highway　what　looked　to　her　unpractised　eye　like

a　whole　band　of　Moorish　cavalry　with　glimmering　lances　and

streaming　pennons。



Pedro　faced　the　charge　with　drawn　sword。　Theresa　knelt　on　the

ground　with　silver　crucifix　upraised；　expecting　instant

martyrdom；　while　the　old　Moorish　tramp；　Abd…el…'Aman；　believing

discretion　to　be　the　better　part　of　valor；　quietly　dropped　down

by　the　side　of　the　rocky　roadway；　for　well　he　understood　who　were

these　latest　comers。



The　Moorish　cavalry；　which　proved　to　be　three　Spaniards　on

horseback；　drew　up　before　the　young　crusaders。



〃So；　runaways；　we　have　found　you；〃　cried　one　of　them；　as　he

recognized　the　children。　〃Come；　Theresa；　what　means　this　folly？

Whither　are　you　and　Pedro　bound？〃





〃We　were　even　starting　for　a　crusade　against　the　Moor；　Brother

Jago；〃　said　Theresa；　timidly；　〃but　our　Infidel　friend　herewhy；

where　hath　he　gone？says　that　there　are　neither　Infidel　castles

nor　Moorish　armies　now；　and　that　therefore　we　may　not　be

crusaders。〃



〃But　I　know　that　he　doth　lie；　Brother　Jago；〃　cried　little　Pedro；

more　valiant　still　when　he　saw　to　what　his　Moorish　cavalry　was

reduced。　〃He　is　the　King　of　Cordova；　come　here　to　spy　out　the

land；　and　I　was　about　to　cut　off　his　head　when　you　did　disturb

us。〃



Big　brother　Jago　de　Cepeda　and　the　two　servants　of　his　father's

house　laughed　long　and　loudly。



〃Crusaders　and　kings；〃　he　cried；　〃why；　we　shall　have　the　Cid

himself　here；　if　we　do　but　wait　long　enough。〃



〃Hush；　brother；〃　said　young　Pedro；　confidentially；　〃say　it　not　so

loudly。　I　did　tell　the　Infidel　that　I　was　Ruy　Diaz　of　Bivar；　the

Cid　Campeadorand　he　did　believe　me。〃



And　then　the　cavalry　laughed　louder　than　ever；　and　swooping　down

captured　the　young　crusaders　and　set　the　truants　before　them　on

their　uncomfortable　Cordova　saddles。　Then；　turning　around；　they

rode　swiftly　back　to　Avila　with　the　runaways；　while　the　old　Moor；

glad　to　have　escaped　rough　handling　from　the　Christian　riders；

grasped　his　staff　and　plodded　on　toward　Avila　and　Valladolid。



So　the　expedition　for　martyrdom　and　crusade　came　to　an

ignominious　end。　But　the　pious　desires　of　little　Theresa　did　not。

For；　finding　that　martyrdom　was　out　of　the　question；　she　proposed

to　her　ever…ready　brother　that　they　should　become　hermits；　and

for　days　the　two　children　worked　away　trying　to　build　a　hermitage

near　their　father's　house。



But　the　rough　and　heavy　pieces　of　granite　with　which　they　sought

to　build　their　hermitage　proved　more　than　they　could　handle；