Adventure stories; Spain -- History -- Ferdinand and Isabella, 1479-1516 -- Fiction
A woman having brought hot water and some loose garments in which to
wrap themselves while their own were drying, they undressed and washed
and afterwards, utterly worn out, threw themselves down and fell asleep
upon the beds, having first hidden away their gold in the food bag,
which Peter placed beneath his pillow. Two hours later or more they
were awakened by the arrival of Father Henriques and the
barber-surgeon, accompanied by the woman-servant, and who brought them
back their clothes cleaned and dried.
When the surgeon saw Peter’s hurt to the left side of his neck and
shoulder, which now were black, swollen, and very stiff, he shook his
head, and said that time and rest alone could cure it, and that he must
have been born under a fortunate star to have escaped with his life,
which, save for his steel cap and leather jerkin, he would never have
done. As no bones were broken, however, all that he could do was to
dress the parts with some soothing ointment and cover them with clean
cloths. This finished, he turned to Castell’s wound, that was through
the fleshy part of the right forearm, and, having syringed it out with
warm water and oil, bound it up, saying that he would be well in a
week. He added drily that the gale must have been fiercer even than he
thought, since it could blow an arrow through a man’s arm—a saying at
which the priest pricked up his ears.
To this Castell made no answer, but producing a piece of Morella’s
gold, offered it to him for his services, asking him at the same time
to procure them mules or horses, if he could. The barber promised to
try to do so, and being well pleased with his fee, which was a great
one for Motril, said that he would see them again in the evening, and
if he could hear of any beasts would tell them of it then. Also he
promised to bring them some clothes and cloaks of Spanish make, since
those they had were not fit to travel in through that country, being
soiled and blood-stained.
After he had gone, and the priest with him, who was busy seeing to the
division of the spoils from the ship and making sure of his own share,
the servant, a good soul, brought them soup, which they drank. Then
they lay down again upon the beds and talked together as to what they
should do.
Castell was downhearted, pointing out that they were still as far from
Margaret as ever, who was now once more lost to them, and in the hand
of Morella, whence they could scarcely hope to snatch her. It would
seem also that she was being taken to the Moorish city of Granada, if
she were not already there, where Christian law and justice had no
power.
When he had heard him out, Peter, whose heart was always stout,
answered:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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