enemies. Do as they bid you, and make as if
you would yield unto them, but take heed you come not
within the compass of the ropes—be sure
to keep yourselves free of them. And presently
he went aboard the ship, and took a bundle of straw
and a barrel of gunpowder, strewed it round about
the compass of the cords, and stood by with a brand
of fire or match lighted in his hand. Presently
came the horsemen with great fury, and the foremost
ran almost home to the ship, and, by reason of the
slipperiness of the bank, they fell, they and their
horses, to the number of four and forty; which the
rest seeing, came on, thinking that resistance had
been made them at their arrival. But Panurge
said unto them, My masters, I believe that you have
hurt yourselves; I pray you pardon us, for it is not
our fault, but the slipperiness of the sea-water that
is always flowing; we submit ourselves to your good
pleasure. So said likewise his two other fellows,
and Epistemon that was upon the deck. In the
meantime Panurge withdrew himself, and seeing that
they were all within the compass of the cables, and
that his two companions were retired, making room
for all those horses which came in a crowd, thronging
upon the neck of one another to see the ship and such
as were in it, cried out on a sudden to Epistemon,
Draw, draw! Then began Epistemon to wind about
the capstan, by doing whereof the two cables so entangled
and empestered the legs of the horses, that they were
all of them thrown down to the ground easily, together
with their riders. But they, seeing that, drew
their swords, and would have cut them; whereupon Panurge
set fire to the train, and there burnt them up all
like damned souls, both men and horses, not one escaping
save one alone, who being mounted on a fleet Turkey
courser, by mere speed in flight got himself out of
the circle of the ropes. But when Carpalin perceived
him, he ran after him with such nimbleness and celerity
that he overtook him in less than a hundred paces;
then, leaping close behind him upon the crupper of
his horse, clasped him in his arms, and brought him
back to the ship.
This exploit being ended, Pantagruel was very jovial,
and wondrously commended the industry of these gentlemen,
whom he called his fellow-soldiers, and made them
refresh themselves and feed well and merrily upon
the seashore, and drink heartily with their bellies
upon the ground, and their prisoner with them, whom
they admitted to that familiarity; only that the poor
devil was somewhat afraid that Pantagruel would have
eaten him up whole, which, considering the wideness
of his mouth and capacity of his throat was no great
matter for him to have done; for he could have done
it as easily as you would eat a small comfit, he showing
no more in his throat than would a grain of millet-seed
in the mouth of an ass.
Chapter 2.XXVI.
How Pantagruel and his company were weary in eating
still salt meats; and how Carpalin went a-hunting
to have some venison.