Then I, And Certain Christians
More, Were Sent Twelve Miles Into The Country With A Cart To Load
Timber, And We Returned Again The Same Day.
Now, the king had eighteen captives, which three times a week went to
fetch wood thirty miles from the
Town, and on a time he appointed me
for one of the eighteen, and we departed at eight of the clock in the
night; and upon the way, as we rode upon the camels, I demanded of one
of our company who did direct us the way: he said that there was a
Moor in our company which was our guide; and I demanded of them how
Tripolis and the wood bare one off the other, and he said, "East-north-
east and west-south-west." And at midnight, or thereabouts, as I was
riding upon my camel, I fell asleep, and the guide and all the rest
rode away from me, not thinking but I had been among them. When I
awoke, and, finding myself alone, I durst not call nor holloa, for fear
lest the wild Moors should hear me - because they hold this opinion,
that in killing a Christian they do God good service - and musing with
myself what were best for me to do: if I should return back to
Tripolis without any wood or company I should be most miserably used;
therefore, of the two evils, rather I had to go forth to the losing of
my life than to turn back and trust to their mercy, fearing to be used
as before I had seen others.
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