Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven

Pirate A: Stop, brother, leave your things, if there is half a word, don't blame us for being rude.Master Speed, we're done for this time; these rascals are the ones most dreaded by a traveler. Valentine: my friends Pirate A: You are wrong, man, we are your enemies. Pirate B: Don't shout!Listen to what he has to say. Bandit C: That’s right, let’s listen to what he has to say first; Because he still looks like a decent guy. "Two Gentlemen of Verona" [Note: Shakespeare's Comedy. 】 Ge Si's dark night adventures were not over yet; indeed, after he had gone outside the town, passed through one or two desolate huts, and entered a bottomless alley, he himself felt apprehensive; Tall hazels and holly grew over it, and here and there a stubby oak or two stretched out its arms across the road.Moreover, the vehicles transporting various items for the tournament recently came and went, making the road rough and full of ruts.The earth embankment and trees blocked the moonlight in mid-autumn, making the alley even more eerie.

The sound of the town's drinking and merrymaking came from afar, mingled with manic laughter, staccato screams, and the wild rhythm of distant instruments.All these sounds reminded one of the chaotic and noisy state of the town, which was full of officers, nobles and their dissolute entourage; Ge Si felt a little uneasy, and muttered to himself: The Jewish girl is right, I hope God and St. Deng Stan bless me on a safe journey and bring these many gold coins to the destination!Any kind of people can be encountered in this kind of place, besides robbers who kill and steal goods, there are also knights and retinues wandering the rivers and lakes, monks and bards wandering the rivers and lakes, jugglers and clowns wandering the rivers and lakes, as long as there are a few money.It is inevitable that I will be in danger, not to mention that I am a poor pigger with a whole bag of gold coins!I wish I'd come out of these damned shades soon, so in St. Nicholas [Note: The patron saint of thieves. ] before his apprentice pounced on me, I could at least see him first!

In this way, Ge Si stepped up his pace, trying to get out of the alley as soon as possible and reach the open flat ground, but he was destined not to achieve this goal.As soon as he reached the other end of the alley, four big men suddenly jumped out from the dense bushes nearby, and just as he had expected, two on each side jumped on him from both sides of the road and grabbed him tightly. Even if he wants to resist, it's too late now, hand over your things, one of them said, we are heroes who rob the rich and give to the poor, and we specialize in lightening everyone's burden. It is not so easy for you to lighten my burden, Ge Si muttered, he is naturally straight, even if the knife rests on his neck, he will not accept it, as long as I still have the strength to protect it, you will never succeed.

Try it then, said the robber, and to his companion: Take the bastard away.I think he wants to lose not only his purse, but also his head, so let him lose both together. Ge Si obediently accepted the verdict and was taken away.Escorted by some robbers, he stumbled across the embankment on the left side of the alley, and came to a sparse jungle between the alley and the open common.The brutish escort, who could not be dissuaded, forced him into the depths of the jungle, and stopped abruptly in an irregular clearing, where the trees were more spaced apart, so that the moonlight could pour down between the branches and leaves.At this moment two more men came, evidently also in their party.They were wearing short swords and holding iron-headed wooden sticks in their hands. Now Ge Si could see that all six of them were wearing masks, so it was easy to imagine what they were doing, although he was a little skeptical at first.

Hillbilly, how much money do you have?asked a robber. Thirty gold coins are my own.Ge Sili replied confidently. The money came from nowhere, cried the robbers. A Saxon, with thirty gold pieces, is going home from the town instead of drinking!There is no doubt that all his property should be confiscated immediately. This is my savings, for redemption, I want to be free.Ge Si said. You are a donkey, answered the robber, and three quarts of double ale will make you as free as your master, and yes, if he is a Saxon like you, you will be freer than he is. This is an unfortunate fact, Ge Si replied, but if these thirty gold coins can redeem my freedom from you, you let me go, and I will give you the money.

Wait a minute, a person said, he seems to be the leader of this gang, your money bag is hidden in the coat, I can see that it is very heavy, more than the amount you mentioned. Those are excellent knights, my master's, replied Ge Si, of course I don't need to mention them, because you want only my own property. You are honest, I assure you, replied the robber, we are not very religious to St. Nicholas, and if you are honest with us, we may not even want your thirty gold pieces.Now, please temporarily hand over the money bag in your custody to me.As he said this, he took out the big leather wallet from Ge Si's chest, and put the wallet that Rebecca gave him together with other gold coins in this bag.The robber continued to ask: Who is your master?

Disinherited knights.Ge Si replied. The knight who won the tournament today?The robber asked, what is his name, what family status? He didn't want to disclose his name, Ge Si replied, of course, you don't want to find out anything from me. What about your own name and status? I can't tell you this, Ge Si said, otherwise my master's name will be revealed. You are a clever fellow, said the robber, but more on that later.How did your master get these gold coins?Did he inherit the property, or did he acquire it in some other way? With one of his guns, Ge Si replied, these bags contained the ransom money for four horses and four suits of armor.

How many total?the robber asked. Two hundred gold coins. Only two hundred gold coins!Said the robber, Your master has been too generous to the vanquished, and has given them advantage.State the name of the person who paid the gold coin. Ge Si complied. Templar Brienne.Bois-guibert's horses and armor How much ransom are they?You see, don't try to trick me. My master does not want the ransom of the Templars, replied Ge Si, but only his life.It was a life-and-death struggle they had agreed upon, and there was no other deal to be made. yes!said the robber, pausing and repeating, "Then what did you come to Ashby with all this money entrusted to you?"

I went there to ask Isaac the Jew from York to pay, and Ge Si replied that it was for a suit of armor, which is the suit my master wore at the tourney today, and it was borrowed from the Jew. How much did you pay Isaac?From the weight of the bag, I thought there were still two hundred gold coins in it. I paid Isaac eighty gold pieces, and the Saxon said, and he returned me a hundred pieces. how!What!All the robbers shouted in unison, how dare you play tricks on us, and fool us with such goddamn words? Everything I said was the truth, Ge Si said, it was as real as the moon in the sky.You see, there's a silk purse in the leather purse, and that's the number in the purse, and they're not with the other gold coins.

Come to think of it, brother, said the leader, you are talking about a Jew, an Israelite, they are like a dry desert, a traveler pours a glass of water on the desert, and it will be sucked up immediately, and the Jew is the same, he can drain Is the gold coin returned to you? They are never kind, said another robber, just as the tax collectors are not immune to bribes. But I'm telling the truth.Ge Si said. Light a fire right away, the leader said, I have to check this purse, if it is true, as this guy said, that the Jews showed kindness, then this is indeed a miracle, just like their ancestors can draw living water out of a rock Same [Note: When the Israelites escaped from Egypt, they came to the wilderness and had no water to drink, so Moses struck the rock with the staff in his hand, and water flowed out of the rock. 】.

So the fire was lit, and the robber began to examine the purse.The rest of the people surrounded him, even the two who had grabbed Ge Si let go, and stretched their necks to see the results of the examination.Taking advantage of the opportunity they missed, Ge Si broke free immediately with all his strength; he could have escaped if he would leave his master's money alone, but he would not do so, and only snatched a stick from one man's hand. , Hitting the leader on the head, the latter didn't watch out for his move, and almost snatched the purse and money from him.But these robbers were quick and quick, and immediately grabbed the loyal Ge Si and took back the money bag. asshole!The leader said, Get up from the ground, you broke my head, if such a thing is committed by others, they will not be as polite as me.As for what we will do to you, you will know in a moment.First let's talk about your master. According to the laws of chivalry, the knight problem has to be dealt with first, and then the squire.Now please stand still, if you do anything wrong again, I will tell you not to move again for the rest of your life.guys!He continued to his companions, "This purse is embroidered with Hebrew characters, and I have every confidence that this country bumpkin is telling the truth."The wandering knight, his master, needn't leave money with us.He is a fellow traveler with us, and we cannot deprive him of his money, because the same kind cannot harm each other. You must know that wolves and foxes are still doing evil around us. Similar people!A robber said, I would like to ask, what is the reason for this. Why, you fool, answered the chief, is he not disinherited and as poor as we are?Didn't he, like us, live by his sword?Didn't he defeat Bullface and Malworthy and do what we're going to do too?He's the same Brienne we have every reason to fear.Isn't Bois-Ghibert also a sworn enemy?And if that's not enough, do you want us to have a worse conscience than an unChristian Jew? Of course not, that's embarrassing, muttered the other, but we never talked about conscience when I was with old tough old Dilling.This countryman is so arrogant, can't we let him go without teaching him a lesson? Not really, if you can teach him a lesson.The chief answered.Then he continued to Ge Si: Hey, you bastard, just now you snatched a stick, can you use it? I think, Ge Si said, it is best to ask yourself this question. Yes, to be honest, you gave me a hard stick, the leader replied, now you can give this guy a shot, if you succeed, we will let you go, it is not difficult for you; if you can't win, then you are a dead man You scoundrel who refuses to admit defeat, then I'm afraid I'll have to pay for the road for you.Take your stick, miller. 】.He also said, protect your head; and you people, let go of that guy, and give him a stick too; fortunately, it is very bright here, so you can compete. The two warriors also picked up the iron-headed wooden sticks, stepped forward a few steps, and walked to the center of the open space, where the moonlight shone like daylight.The rest of the people were laughing and laughing, watching the fun, and shouting to their companions: Miller, be careful of your head.At this time, the mill owner had already grasped the middle of the stick, and, according to the way the French call a windmill, he swung it round and round on top of his head, shouting menacingly: "Come on, country bumpkin, come up if you can, try it!" Taste the strength of your miller's hand! If you are really a miller, replied Ge Si, undaunted, and with the same skillful swing of the stick above your head, then you are a double robber, but I am a real person, and I don’t put you at all. in the eyes. While shouting, the two approached each other. After fighting for a few minutes, neither of them succeeded. They were evenly matched in terms of strength, courage, and martial arts; There was such a crackling sound that, to one standing at a distance, one would have thought there were at least six men fighting on each side.Fights that are not so tenacious, and even not so dangerous, have been described in heroic poems, but this fierce battle between Ge Si and the mill owner has not been sung. This is only because no sacred poet has yet paid enough attention to its ever-changing performance. .Although stick jousting is no longer popular [Note: Iron-headed wooden sticks are the traditional weapons of British farmers, most of the thieves headed by Robin Hood carry them with them. ], we have to do our best to record these two brave fighters in prose. They fought for a long time, still dead; and the miller found himself met with equal adversaries, and heard his companions laughing at him, for always the more anxious he was on such occasions, the more amusing they were. Hold on, but this kind of mood is as bad for the noble stick match as it is for the ordinary stick match. Absolute calmness is necessary at this time, and this gave Ge Si, who is determined but quite calm, an opportunity to take advantage of him. His ability has also been brought into full play, so that he has a clear advantage. The owner of the mill jumped into a rage, and used the two ends of the stick to attack forward in turn, trying to shorten the distance to half the length of the stick, but Ge Si kept his hands on the stick separated by a yard or so, blocking the opponent's attack while at the same time Spin the stick as fast as you can, protecting your head and body.In this way, he not only achieved the purpose of defense, but also kept his eyes and hands and feet in the correct rhythm. Finally, he saw the opponent's mistake, raised the wooden stick with his left hand and swayed at him, while the mill owner was eager to block the attack. At the right time, he slipped his right hand to his left, swung the whole stick, and hit the opponent hard, hitting him on the head from the left, and laying him flat on the grass. Play well, like an English farmer!Hail the robbers, Long live the fair game!Long live old England!The Saxon kept his purse and his head, and the miller had a match. You can go your way, my friend, the leader said to Ge Si, expressing his approval of the crowd's cheers in this special way, I will send two men to lead you the way, so that you can return to your master's tent as soon as possible, At the same time, it will also protect you from being attacked by the Night Tour God again. You must know that some people are not as compassionate as us.In this dark night, there are those people walking everywhere.But listen, he said sternly again, please remember, you didn't tell us your name, and you don't ask for our names, don't want to know who we are and what we do. If you don't listen to advice, go down The first time you come across us, you won't be so cheap. Ge Si thanked the leader for his courtesy, and promised to remember his advice.The two robbers took the wooden sticks and told Ge Si to follow closely behind them. Then they spread their legs and walked straight forward along a small path.The path passed through a grove of trees and an adjoining clearing, and at the edge of the grove two men had a whispered word with the guide, and after hearing the answer, they returned to the wood and let them pass without difficulty.This situation convinced Ge Si that the group of strong men he met was very powerful, and regular sentries were set up around the place where they met. They came to a wasteland overgrown with weeds, and Ge Si might have lost his way if someone hadn't led the way; after that, two robbers led him straight to a high ground, and when he reached the top of the hill, he could already see in the moonlight that the fence of the tournament field was stretched out. Under his feet, the tents at both ends of the field were shining brightly, and the swallowtail flags beside them were constantly fluttering, and the sentries on duty at night could still be heard faintly humming a little song to pass the long night. Then the two thieves stood still. We don't walk with you any more, they say, or it's not safe.Remember our warning to you, that what happened to you this night must be kept secret lest you regret it; don't let our words fall on your ears, or the Tower of London It is the residence of the royal family and is heavily guarded. 】Can't protect you from our revenge. Good night, kind friends, Ge Si said, I will remember your instructions; believe me, I have no ill intentions towards you, I just hope that you can do some safer and more beneficial business. Thus they parted, the robber returning by the way they had come, and Gesi running straight for his master's tent; but despite his earnest warnings, he told his master all that had happened that night. The disinherited knight was dumbfounded, but he had no intention of accepting Rebecca's bounty, nor the magnanimity of the brigands, which seemed to him quite contrary to what he had heard them do.But the thoughts caused by these adventures did not continue. He must have a good rest, which is indispensable for recovering from the fatigue of the day and recharging his energy for tomorrow's battle. There was a splendid couch in the tent, and the knight lay down to rest; the faithful Ge Si spread a bearskin at the door of the tent, like a carpet, and lay there with his tired limbs stretched out, so that no one would If he wakes up, he won't be able to enter.