just here was heard the mild voice of Panurge : —
'Gentlemen, you will pardon me, if I say it is not we who have stretched your noble companions there, but the sea-water, which makes the sand slippery. We surrender at your good pleasure.'
Eusthenes, and Carpalim, and Epistemon, who was on deck, said the same thing.
But, even while he was talking, the cunning Panurge had been sliding off and, when he saw that all the horsemen were drawn well within the circles, and that his two friends had got to a safe distance, making way for the cavalry who were pressing forward to see the ship, shouted out suddenly to Epistemon : —
' Turn ! turn ! '
Hearing these words, Epistemon began to turn for his life, and the two ropes twisted themselves around the legs of the horses in such a fashion that, in falling, they brought their riders down with them. Those in the rear, seeing the trick, drew their swords to cut the ropes, and so escape ; but Panurge was quite ready for them. It was when they did so that he fired his powder-train, which burned up every one of the company, men and horses, except one. He only escaped the flames because he was mounted on a Turkish horse of great swiftness, which bore him off with his light hoofs. But when Carpalim saw this he said to himself: 'Here, now, is a chance to show that /am of the lineage of Camilla ! ' and ran after him with such speed that he caught up with the Turkish steed within less than a hundred steps, and, leaping on his croup, hugged the rider from behind and brought him a prisoner to the ship.
Pantagruel was, of course, in a most jovial mood, and praised to the; skies the cunning of his friends. Nothing would do but that they should celebrate their victory in eating and drinking, and the prisoner along with them. It was a merry feast on the shore, for all but the poor captive, who was not at all sure that Pantagruel was not going to gobble him up whole, which he might have done — his throat being so large — with as much ease as he would have taken down a sugar-plum. Indeed, the prisoner would not have made any greater show in the Giant's throat than a grain of millet in an ass' mouth.
CHAPTER XXX.
HOW CARPALIM WENT HUNTING FOR FRESH MEAT, AND HOW A TROPHY WAS SET UP.
WHILE they were thus chatting and feasting, Carpalim suddenly cried out: 'Are we never to have any fresh meat ? His Highness makes us thirsty enough, but this salt meat quite finishes me. Wait a moment! I am going to fetch you here the thigh of one of those horses which are burning over yonder. No fear of their not being roasted enough ! ' As he was springing up to do this, his quick eye caught sight, just at the edge of the wood, of a large stag, which had come out of the forest, attracted doubtless by Panurge's big bonfire. Carpalim ran towards the stag with such fleetness that he seemed to have been shot from a cross-bow, and caught up with him in a moment. Even while he was bounding along, he was holding his hands up in the air, with all his fingers spread open, and, in that way, he caught four great bustards, seven bitterns, twenty-six gray partridges, sixteen pheasants, nine snipes, nineteen herons, thirty-two red-legged partridges ; and he killed moreover with his feet, by kicking here and there, ten or twelve hares or rabbits that chanced to start up in his path and hadn't time to get away ; fifteen tender young boars, and three large foxes. First killing the stag by striking him on the head with his sword, he picked him up and, while joyously returning along the road, gathered together his hares, rabbits, boars, and foxes. And from as far as could be heard, he began to cry out: — ' Panurtre !
Panurge !
Vinegar!
Vinegar!'
The good Pantagruel, having his back turned to the road, thought from this that Carpalim surely must be sick, and so ordered that vinegar should be at once brought. But Pauurge, who happened to be looking out, had already noticed what Carpalim had about him, and told Pantagruel that his valet was carrying a fine stag around his neck, and around his waist a belt of hares. Wise Master Epistemon at once made nine handsome wooden spits in the old style. Eusthenes, wanting to be useful, helped him to skin the game ; while Panurge placed two of the dead men's saddles in such a way that they served as andirons. The prisoner was made cook, and at the f Jj very same fire where his friends were burning poor cook roasted
CARPALIM CATCHES SOME FRESH MEAT.
Carpalim's venison. Of course, everybody enjoyed the fresh meat after so much salt meat, and became very gay and chatty. Pauurge evidently thought his friends were getting too noisy, for, of a sudden, he cried : —
'We had better think a little about our affairs, so as to decide in what way we will conquer our enemies.'
''That is well thought on!' said Pantagruel.
He at once turned to the prisoner, and, wishing to frighten him still more, said: 'My friend, tell us here the truth, and do not lie to us in any one single thing, if thou dost not want to be eaten alive, for they say I am he who eats little children. Give us, therefore, the order, the number, the strength in guns, of thy army.'
' My lord,' . answered the prisoner humbly, ' know for truth that in (l my army there are three hundred
giants, all clad in armor, and wonderfully tall giants they are, too, — not quite so tall as Your Highness, save one who is their chief, who is called Loupgarou, and who is armed with anvils. Be-O sides these giants, there are one hundred and sixty-three thousand foot-soldiers, all armed with the skins of hobgoblins, and all strong and valiant men ; eleven thousand, four hundred men-at-arms ; three thousand, six hundred double cannon, and quite too many arquebusiers to count; and ninety-four thousand pioneers.'
'That is all very well, so far as it goes,' said Pantagruel, dryly ; ' but is thy King there ? '
'Yes, sire, the King is there in person. He is known among us as Anarchus, King of the Dipsodes, which is the same as saying the Thirsty People, because you have never yet seen a people so thirsty by nature or with such throats for drinking. The giants guard the King's tent.'
'Enough!' said Pantagruel. 'Brave boys, are you willing to follow me ? '
' May Heaven confound those who would leave you ! ' cried out Panurge.
THE TROPHY.
Then the party began to joke one another about the prisoner's report, and to boast about the glorious feats each one was going to do on the giants who guarded King Anarchus' tent.
As was his habit the noble Pantagruel laughed at all the nonsense, but, in the midst of a good shaking, he suddenly thought of what was really before him.
' Gentlemen,' he said, ' you reckon without your host. I am rather afraid that, if you go on much longer in the way you are now, it will not be dark before you are in such a state that those Thirsty People can come here and maul you with pike and lance. So, then, children, let's be marching. However, before we leave this place, in remembrance of the courage you have just shown, I wish to erect here a fine trophy.'
This was a happy idea, and everybody was at once busy — singing meanwhile pleasant little songs — in setting up a high post. This done, they hung up on the post a great cuirassier saddle, the front-piece of a barbed horse, bridle-bits, knee-pieces, stirrups, stirrup-leathers, spurs, a coat of mail, a battle-axe, a strong, short, sharp sword, a gauntlet, leg-harness, and a throat-piece, —all spoils from the poor horsemen whose bones were then lying half-charred on the sands.
And this was the trophy which Pantagruel raised.
CHAPTER XXXI.
THE STRANGE WAY IN WHICH PANTAGRUEL OBTAINED A VICTORY OVER THE THIRSTY PEOPLE.
