Читать «Айвенго / Ivanhoe» онлайн - страница 16

“My master,” replied Gurth, “will take nothing from the Templar except for his life.”

“And what were you doing at Ashby with such a sum of money?”

“I went there to return to Isaac the Jew of York,” replied Gurth, “the price of a suit of armour with which he fitted my master for this tournament.”

“And how much did you pay to Isaac?” – “I paid to Isaac,” said the Saxon, “eighty coins, and he restored me a hundred.”

“What?!” exclaimed all the robbers at once, “You are lying!”

“What I tell you,” said Gurth, “is as true as the moon is in heaven. You will find the money in a silken purse separate from the rest of the gold.”

The Captain said, “You are talking about a Jew—as unable to return gold, as the dry sand of the desert is to return water.”

“It is, however, as I say,” said Gurth.

“Strike a light,” said the Captain, “I will examine this miracle.”

Somebody made a light, and the robber examined the purse. The others crowded around him, and even the two who were holding Gurth relaxed while they stretched their necks to see. By a sudden effort Gurth shook himself free of their hold, and might have escaped, but he didn’t want to leave his master’s property. He took a staff, struck down the Captain and almost succeeded in taking back the money. The thieves, however, were too strong for him, and again secured both the bag and himself.

“Knave!” said the Captain, getting up, “you have broken my head, and other men of our sort would have killed you. I’ll tell you what I’m going to do, only stand still. – Friends!” he then said, addressing his band, “this purse has words in Hebrew on it, and I well believe the yeoman’s story is true. We will not take his master’s money. He is too like ourselves for us to rob him.”

“Like us?” answered one of the band, “I would like to hear why.”

“You fool,” answered the Captain, “is he not poor and disinherited as we are? – Doesn’t he win his food with his sword as we do? – Has he not beaten Front-de-Boeuf and Malvoisin, as we would beat them if we could?”

The man replied: “And this man, – he too will leave unharmed?”

“Not if you can harm him,” replied the Captain. “Here, fellow,” he said to Gurth, “can you use the staff?”

“I think,” said Gurth, “you can answer that question.”

“True,” replied the Captain, “do the same for this fellow, and you will pass freely. – Take your staff, Miller,” he added, “and keep your head, and give the fellow a staff—there is enough light to fight.”

The two champions stepped forward into the centre of the open space. For a long time they fought equally, until the Miller began to lose temper because his opponent was strong and his companions started to laugh at him. This gave Gurth the opportunity to win which he used immediately.

The Miller pressed furiously forward, using both ends of his weapon, while Gurth defended himself against the attack, covering himself by shifting his weapon with great speed. When the Miller was out of breath, Gurth pretended to attack him with one side of his staff and suddenly struck him on the left side of the head with the other end of the weapon. The Miller fell to the ground.