"We took pirates, released prisoners, restored property fourfold to the right owners, and also enriched our own ship with all sorts of wealth. At length my companions felt a wish to return home to their nets and families; Carino and Solercio fancied that it was possible they might find their wives there, since they were to be discovered nowhere else. Before this, however, we had come to the island, the name of which is, I believe, Scinta, where we heard of the festival and games given by King Polycarp, and we felt a desire to join in them, but our ship could not get near, owing to the contrary wind; so dressing ourselves as rowers, we manned the boat, and went off to the appointed place. There I won the prizes; there I was crowned as victor in all the contests, and thence sprang Sinforosa's curiosity to know who I was, as you have seen by the eagerness with which she sought to discover my history. We returned to our ship, and my companions were resolved to leave me; I asked them to let me keep the boat as a reward for all the perils we had encountered together. They would have given me the ship too if I had wished it, and said, 'They would not have left me, but that it seemed my own desire to be alone;' in fine, accompanied by six of my fishermen, who would not quit me, perhaps in consequence of the recompense I offered them, I embarked in the boat they had given me--embraced and bade adieu to my friends--and steered towards the barbarous isle, for I had heard the account of the customs of its inhabitants, and of the false and foolish prophecy by which they were deluded, which I need not repeat, as you already know it. We crossed the island, were taken prisoners and thrown into the dungeon, where their captives were buried alive. I was one day dragged from it, in order to be sacrificed; then followed the tempest, which dispersed the rafts they used as boats, and drove me out into the open sea on a portion of one of them, tied hand and foot, and fast-bound to it. Then I fell into the compassionate hands of Prince Arnoldo; and afterwards, by his order, I went ashore again to the island, disguised, that I might discover if Auristella was there, he being then ignorant that she was my sister; and there I found her, just about to be sacrificed, the barbarians supposing her to be a man: I knew her, and prevented her death, by declaring her to be a female, as Clelia told you. As to the history of how _they_ got there, _that_ she herself must relate when it pleases her. All that afterwards befell us in the island is well-known to you; and now with this and what my sister has still to tell, you will rest satisfied with having heard all that you desired to know of our adventures." FOOTNOTES: [K] See Note 5. [Illustration] CHAPTER XXII.