Under the Flag of France: A Tale of Bertrand du Guesclin

by David Ker

  CHAPTER XXVII

  An Astounding Revelation

  It was now El Zagal's turn to be amazed at the effect that his wordsproduced on his foeman; for Alured grew pale as death, and swayed inhis saddle as if stunned by a blow.

  But instantly the wary Englishman was himself again, for the cautiontaught him by a two years' struggle with the endless wiles of Moslemwar, warned him at once of the imprudence of betraying such emotionbefore an enemy. Rallying his wonderful self-command, he said withperfect steadiness--

  "Marvel not, valiant emir, if thy words amaze me; for, in truth, a goodknight of mine own land, who was as like to me as my image in a glass,hath long been accounted dead, and I myself deemed I had seen him slainwith my own eyes. If he be yet alive, it is as great a marvel as everminstrel's lay hath told."

  This explanation was all the more satisfactory to the emir, that (ashis next words showed) it agreed with his own opinion.

  "As truly as the Prophet (may his name be exalted!) made the full moonpass through the sleeves of his mantle, it must be as thou sayest, OChristian. At Grenada all men say that this slave of whom I speak hathindeed been raised from the dead, and that no weapon hath power to harmhim, even as they say of thee."

  "Know'st thou," asked Alured, "the land of his birth, or the name hebore?"

  But El Zagal shook his head, and frankly owned that he knew nothing ofeither.

  "At some fitter season, then," said De Claremont, "I will gladly hearall thou canst tell me of him, for I would fain learn if he be in truthmy ancient comrade: but now must we go hence with speed, lest we beassailed in turn. Lo! I give thee back thy good blade, which none canwield so well; and if thou wilt pledge thy word to be true prisonertill rescued or ransomed, thou shalt ride among us free and unfettered."

  The Moor's handsome face brightened at a courtesy that he could wellappreciate, the civilized Moslems of Spain having a chivalry of theirown, wholly wanting to the savage and ignorant Turks who were thenhewing their way into the Greek Empire of Constantinople. He at oncegave the required pledge; and when they were clear of the perilouspass, and riding down the northern side of the range to the borderfortress of Santa Fe (Holy Faith), then garrisoned by Alured and hismen, the emir told freely all he knew of the mysterious captive ofGrenada.

  He had been bought at Seville by one of the king's purveyors, someyears before, from the crew of a Barbary corsair, who had taken himwith a captured Christian ship, after a long and hard fight, which costthem half their number. In this combat the nameless captive hadperformed prodigies of valour, fighting so desperately that even whensorely wounded, and assailed by five or six at once, he held out forsome time after the rest of his comrades. At last he was struck down,and, as every one thought, slain; but when the deck was cleared, he wasfound still alive, to the amazement of the pirates, who thenceforthtreated him with the utmost care, not only on account of the high pricesuch a slave would fetch, but from a superstitious awe of one over whomdeath seemed to have no power.

  "When he came to Grenada," went on the emir, "he found favour with ourking, who loveth strong and valiant men; and he named him 'El Katoom'(the strong), and would have had him take the faith of Islam, and be acaptain of our host, as being a mighty man of valour. But the Christiansaid nay; and then was the king wroth, and laid before him the holyKoran and a sharp sword, and bade him choose between them. But theChristian said that he feared not death, and that the king might slayhim if he would; but that it was ill done for a king to bid any man dowhat, in like case, he would not do himself. Then the king marvelledand let him be, and to this day he dwells in the palace unharmed, andall men wonder at him."

  "He is a brave man, be he who he may," said De Claremont, withsparkling eyes. "Said'st thou, noble emir, that he is not suffered togo forth even of the palace gates?"

  "Even so; for a certain wise man read in the stars that it was the fateof one like this slave to do much ill to the servants of the Prophet.Howbeit, methinks that prophecy spake of thee rather than of him; forthou art made in the same likeness as himself, and truly thy sword hathbeen mighty against the hosts of the faithful."

  Alured made no reply, and seemed lost in thought; and when they enteredthe fortress, the knight, after seeing the sentries relieved, therescued captives cared for, and the emir lodged in a commodious upperroom near his own, withdrew to think over, as calmly as he could, theastounding possibility of this mysterious slave being his lost brotherHugo, of whose blood he had till now believed himself guilty.

  The more he thought of it, the more likely it seemed. Though he hadseen Hugo fall, he had no proof of his death, having fled from the spotwithout looking behind him. And could there be two men in the world soexactly like himself, not only in face and form, but even in look andvoice?

  Nor was it hard to find an answer to the question how Hugo--if Hugo itwere--after being left for dead at Calais, could have reappeared alivein Seville. He well remembered--for every detail of that fatal day wasindelibly stamped on his memory--the Black Prince's charge to him andhis brother to watch the shore against a descent of the corsairs whoinfested the coast. Had some of these rovers landed and found a man inrich armour lying seemingly dead, their first thought would have beento strip him, and then, finding him still alive, to carry him off forransom or sale as a slave. That the ship taken by the Barbary pirateswas one of these corsairs, with Hugo on board, Alured had little doubt,for no peaceful trader could have so long resisted the superior numbersof the Africans, and the unknown Christian's heroic and long-sustainedcombat against such fearful odds was just what might be expected of hisgallant brother. Lastly, the captive's strict confinement within thepalace walls explained why Hugo--if it were he--had never sent wordhome that he was still alive.

  Putting all this together, he felt sure that his wild guess was right,and his heart bounded with such a thrill of joy as had not pulsedthrough it for many a weary day.

  "If this," cried he, "be indeed the blessing of which good BrotherMichael spake as awaiting me here in the south, he said truly, for allI have were a cheap price to pay for the knowledge that I am free of mybrother's blood, and may yet find him again!"

  He lost no time in questioning the emir as to the personal habits andpeculiarities of "El Katoom," and learned that he had the lofty bearingof a man of high birth, that he excelled in all exercises, especiallyriding, and that, when in deep thought, he was wont to twist his hairround the forefinger of his left hand.

  De Claremont's heart leaped at the last words, for he well rememberedthis habit of his lost brother. There could be no more doubt; Hugo wasalive, and not far away!

  "This seems a true picture of my lost comrade," said he, as composedlyas he could; "and whether it be he or no, it were a good deed to saveso bold a warrior from captivity. Think'st thou, brave emir, thy kingwould set him free if I offer him thy freedom in exchange? I trow hehath in his host few like thee!"

  El Zagal acknowledged the compliment with a stately bow, but his gravelook showed that he doubted the success of the plan.

  "Thy words are gracious as thy deeds, noble knight; but a servant ofthe Prophet cannot lie, and thou must hear the truth from me, though itbe bitter as an unripe date. Our king might miss me, were I to returnno more; but not for my ransom, nor for the best jewel in his crown,would he free yon slave, who is to work such ill to the hosts of thefaithful."

  "But if, as thou say'st, the prophecy spake not of him, but of me, whatboots it to hold him captive?"

  "Most true. Yet it will not be easy to convince the king that it is so.But this will I do; I will write with mine hand a letter to the king,and tell him how the case standeth, and what terms thou dost ask for myransom; and then let him do as Allah (God) shall guide him."

  The letter was sent off to Grenada at once, but for several weary weeksthe impatient Alured waited in vain for an answer.

  Trying as it was, however, this interval was not wasted; for, both froma wish to lighten his galla
nt foe's captivity, and because thecultivated Moor was a pleasanter companion than his own rude spearmen,he improved his acquaintance with El Zagal till the two brave men,widely as they differed in all points, felt to each other as oldfriends rather than foes. Thus De Claremont gained a far betterknowledge than before of the manners, customs, beliefs, and evensuperstitions of the Grenada Moors, which was hereafter to do him goodservice.

  At last, as the two stood side by side on the walls one evening,watching the stormy sunset fade over the dark mountains, El Zagal saidsuddenly--

  "Yonder comes a rider in the dress of my people, as one in haste!"

  In fact, the solitary rider who had just come dashing over the crest ofa far-off ridge in the last glow of sunset, neared them so fast thatthe emir's keen eye was soon able to recognize the messenger he hadsent to Grenada; and Alured, with undisguised impatience, hurried downto hear his all-important tidings.

  But the reply, for which he had waited so long, crushed all his hopesat one blow; for the king sternly refused to give up "the slave ElKatoom" on any terms whatever!