don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第93节

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voyage；　in　which　a　breeze　from　the　right　point　so　favoured　us　that
we　made　sure　of　finding　ourselves　off　the　coast　of　Spain　on　the　morrow
by　daybreak。　But；　as　good　seldom　or　never　comes　pure　and　unmixed；
without　being　attended　or　followed　by　some　disturbing　evil　that
gives　a　shock　to　it；　our　fortune；　or　perhaps　the　curses　which　the　Moor
had　hurled　at　his　daughter　（for　whatever　kind　of　father　they　may
come　from　these　are　always　to　be　dreaded）；　brought　it　about　that
when　we　were　now　in　mid…sea；　and　the　night　about　three　hours　spent；　as
we　were　running　with　all　sail　set　and　oars　lashed；　for　the　favouring
breeze　saved　us　the　trouble　of　using　them；　we　saw　by　the　light　of
the　moon；　which　shone　brilliantly；　a　square…rigged　vessel　in　full　sail
close　to　us；　luffing　up　and　standing　across　our　course；　and　so　close
that　we　had　to　strike　sail　to　avoid　running　foul　of　her；　while　they
too　put　the　helm　hard　up　to　let　us　pass。　They　came　to　the　side　of
the　ship　to　ask　who　we　were；　whither　we　were　bound；　and　whence　we
came；　but　as　they　asked　this　in　French　our　renegade　said；　〃Let　no
one　answer；　for　no　doubt　these　are　French　corsairs　who　plunder　all
comers。〃　Acting　on　this　warning　no　one　answered　a　word；　but　after　we
had　gone　a　little　ahead；　and　the　vessel　was　now　lying　to　leeward；
suddenly　they　fired　two　guns；　and　apparently　both　loaded　with
chain…shot；　for　with　one　they　cut　our　mast　in　half　and　brought　down
both　it　and　the　sail　into　the　sea；　and　the　other；　discharged　at　the
same　moment；　sent　a　ball　into　our　vessel　amidships；　staving　her　in
completely；　but　without　doing　any　further　damage。　We；　however；　finding
ourselves　sinking　began　to　shout　for　help　and　call　upon　those　in　the
ship　to　pick　us　up　as　we　were　beginning　to　fill。　They　then　lay　to；　and
lowering　a　skiff　or　boat；　as　many　as　a　dozen　Frenchmen；　well　armed
with　match…locks；　and　their　matches　burning；　got　into　it　and　came
alongside；　and　seeing　how　few　we　were；　and　that　our　vessel　was　going
down；　they　took　us　in；　telling　us　that　this　had　come　to　us　through　our
incivility　in　not　giving　them　an　answer。　Our　renegade　took　the　trunk
containing　Zoraida's　wealth　and　dropped　it　into　the　sea　without　anyone
perceiving　what　he　did。　In　short　we　went　on　board　with　the
Frenchmen；　who；　after　having　ascertained　all　they　wanted　to　know　about
us；　rifled　us　of　everything　we　had；　as　if　they　had　been　our
bitterest　enemies；　and　from　Zoraida　they　took　even　the　anklets　she
wore　on　her　feet；　but　the　distress　they　caused　her　did　not　distress　me
so　much　as　the　fear　I　was　in　that　from　robbing　her　of　her　rich　and
precious　jewels　they　would　proceed　to　rob　her　of　the　most　precious
jewel　that　she　valued　more　than　all。　The　desires；　however；　of　those
people　do　not　go　beyond　money；　but　of　that　their　covetousness　is
insatiable；　and　on　this　occasion　it　was　carried　to　such　a　pitch　that
they　would　have　taken　even　the　clothes　we　wore　as　captives　if　they　had
been　worth　anything　to　them。　It　was　the　advice　of　some　of　them　to
throw　us　all　into　the　sea　wrapped　up　in　a　sail；　for　their　purpose
was　to　trade　at　some　of　the　ports　of　Spain；　giving　themselves　out　as
Bretons；　and　if　they　brought　us　alive　they　would　be　punished　as　soon
as　the　robbery　was　discovered；　but　the　captain　（who　was　the　one　who
had　plundered　my　beloved　Zoraida）　said　he　was　satisfied　with　the　prize
he　had　got；　and　that　he　would　not　touch　at　any　Spanish　port；　but
pass　the　Straits　of　Gibraltar　by　night；　or　as　best　he　could；　and
make　for　La　Rochelle；　from　which　he　had　sailed。　So　they　agreed　by
common　consent　to　give　us　the　skiff　belonging　to　their　ship　and　all　we
required　for　the　short　voyage　that　remained　to　us；　and　this　they　did
the　next　day　on　coming　in　sight　of　the　Spanish　coast；　with　which；
and　the　joy　we　felt；　all　our　sufferings　and　miseries　were　as
completely　forgotten　as　if　they　had　never　been　endured　by　us；　such
is　the　delight　of　recovering　lost　liberty。
　　It　may　have　been　about　mid…day　when　they　placed　us　in　the　boat；
giving　us　two　kegs　of　water　and　some　biscuit；　and　the　captain；　moved
by　I　know　not　what　compassion；　as　the　lovely　Zoraida　was　about　to
embark；　gave　her　some　forty　gold　crowns；　and　would　not　permit　his
men　to　take　from　her　those　same　garments　which　she　has　on　now。　We
got　into　the　boat；　returning　them　thanks　for　their　kindness　to　us；　and
showing　ourselves　grateful　rather　than　indignant。　They　stood　out　to
sea；　steering　for　the　straits；　we；　without　looking　to　any　compass　save
the　land　we　had　before　us；　set　ourselves　to　row　with　such　energy
that　by　sunset　we　were　so　near　that　we　might　easily；　we　thought；
land　before　the　night　was　far　advanced。　But　as　the　moon　did　not　show
that　night；　and　the　sky　was　clouded；　and　as　we　knew　not　whereabouts　we
were；　it　did　not　seem　to　us　a　prudent　thing　to　make　for　the　shore；
as　several　of　us　advised；　saying　we　ought　to　run　ourselves　ashore　even
if　it　were　on　rocks　and　far　from　any　habitation；　for　in　this　way　we
should　be　relieved　from　the　apprehensions　we　naturally　felt　of　the
prowling　vessels　of　the　Tetuan　corsairs；　who　leave　Barbary　at
nightfall　and　are　on　the　Spanish　coast　by　daybreak；　where　they
commonly　take　some　prize；　and　then　go　home　to　sleep　in　their　own
houses。　But　of　the　conflicting　counsels　the　one　which　was　adopted
was　that　we　should　approach　gradually；　and　land　where　we　could　if
the　sea　were　calm　enough　to　permit　us。　This　was　done；　and　a　little
before　midnight　we　drew　near　to　the　foot　of　a　huge　and　lofty　mountain；
not　so　close　to　the　sea　but　that　it　left　a　narrow　space　on　which　to
land　conveniently。　We　ran　our　boat　up　on　the　sand；　and　all　sprang
out　and　kissed　the　ground；　and　with　tears　of　joyful　satisfaction
returned　thanks　to　God　our　Lord　for　all　his　incomparable　goodness　to
us　on　our　voyage。　We　took　out　of　the　boat　the　provisions　it　contained；
and　drew　it　up　on　the　shore；　and　then　climbed　a　long　way　up　the
mountain；　for　even　there　we　could　not　feel　easy　in　our　hearts；　or
persuade　ourselves　that　it　was　Christian　soil　that　was　now　under　our
feet。
　　The　dawn　came；　more　slowly；　I　think；　than　we　could　have　wished；　we
completed　the　ascent　in　order　to　see　if　from　the　summit　any　habitation
or　any　shepherds'　huts　could　be　discovered；　but　strain　our　eyes　as
we　might；　neither　dwelling；　nor　human　being；　nor　path　nor　road　could
we　perceive。　However；　we　determined　to　push　on　farther；　as　it　could
not　but　be　that　ere　long　we　must　see　some　one　who　could　tell　us
where　we　were。　But　what　distressed　me　most　was　to　see　Zoraida　going　on
foot　over　that　rough　ground；　for　though　I　once　carried　her　on　my
shoulders；　she　was　more　wearied　by　my　weariness　than　rested　by　the
rest；　and　so　she　would　never　again　allow　me　to　undergo　the　exertion；
and　went　on　very　patiently　and　cheerfully；　while　I　led　her　by　the
hand。　We　had　gone　rather　less　than　a　quarter　of　a　league　when　the
sound　of　a　little　bell　fell　on　our　ears；　a　clear　proof　that　there　were
flocks　hard　by；　and　looking　about　carefully　to　see　if　any　were
within　view；　we　observed　a　young　shepherd　tranquilly　and
unsuspiciously　trimming　a　stick　with　his　knife　at　the　foot　of　a　cork
tree。　We　called　to　him；　and　he；　raising　his　head；　sprang　nimbly　to　his
feet；　for；　as　we　afterwards　learned；　the　first　who　presented
themselves　to　his　sight　were　the　renegade　and　Zoraida；　and　seeing　them
in　Moorish　dress　he　imagined　that　all　the　Moors　of　Barbary　were　upon
him；　and　plunging　with　marvellous　swiftness　into　the　thicket　in
front　of　him；　he　began　to　raise　a　prodigious　outcry；　exclaiming；
〃The　Moors…　the　Moors　have　landed！　To　arms；　to　arms！〃　We　were　all
thrown　into　perplexity　by　these　cries；　not　knowing　what　to　do；　but
reflecting　that　the　shouts　of　the　shepherd　would　raise　the　country　and
that　the　mounted　coast…guard　would　come　at　once　to　see　what　was　the
matter；　we　agreed　that　the　renegade　must　strip　off　his　Turkish
garments　and　put　on　a　captive's　jacket　or　coat　which　one　of　our
party　gave　him　at　once；　though　he　himself　was　reduced　to　his　shirt；
and　so　commending　ourselves　to　God；　we　followed　the　same　road　which　we
saw　the　shepherd　take；　expecting　every　moment　that　the　coast…guard
would　be　down　upon　us。　Nor　did　our　expectation　deceive　us；　for　two
hours　had　not　passed　when；　coming　out　of　the　brushwood　into　the　open
ground；　we　perceived　some　fifty　mounted　men　swiftly　approaching　us
at　a　hand…gallop。　As　soon　as　we　saw　them　we　stood　still；　waiting　for
them；　but　as　they　came　close　and；　instead　of　the　Moors　they　were　in
quest　of；　saw　a　set　of　poor　Christians；　they　were　taken　aback；　and　one
of　them　asked　if　it　could　be　we　who　were　the　cause　of　the　shepherd
having　raised　the　call　to　arms。　I　said　〃Yes；〃　and　as　I　was　about　to
explain　to　him　what　had　occurred；　and　whence　we　came　and　who　we
were；　one　of　the　Christians　of　our　party　recognised　the　horseman　who
had　put　the　question　to　us；　and　before　I　could　say　anything　more　he
exclaimed：
　　〃Thanks　be　to　God；　sirs；　for　bringing　us　to　such　good　quarters；　for；
if　I　do　not　deceive　myself；　the　ground　we　stand　on　is　that　of　Velez
Malaga　unless；　indeed；　all　my　years　of　captivity　have　made　me　unable
to　recollect　that　you；　senor；　who　ask　who　we　are；　are　Pedro　de
Bustamante；　my　uncle。〃
　　The　Christian　captive　had　hardly　uttered　these　words；　when　the
hor