a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第63部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


with　done。　They　attacked　the　enemy　so　hotly　that　many　of　the　King's　troops　found　themselves　on　the　tops　of　the　trenches＇554＇　that　the　Moors　had　constructed　in　the　fields。　The　Moors　were　disposed　as　if　they　expected　that　the　King　would　engage　them　all　at　once　with　all　his　forces；　and　so　it　appeared　to　the　Ydallcao　and　to　his　officers；　and　for　that　reason　he　held　ready　all　his　artillery；　waiting　for　the　time　when；　owing　to　the　adventurousness　of　their　main　body；　his　men　must　of　necessity　cause　much　slaughter　in　their　ranks。　Then　he　intended　to　bring　up　his　artillery　and　destroy　them。　But　as　soon　as　he　saw　the　manner　of　their　attack　the　Ydallcao　had　to　abandon　the　plan　that　had　seemed　to　him　best　for　their　safety；　and　he　commended　the　whole　of　the　artillery　at　once　to　open　fire；　which　discharge；　as　it　was　very　great；　did　much　damage　to　the　enemy；　killing　many　of　the　horse　and　foot　and　many　elephants；　and　it　compelled　the　King's　troops　to　retire。　As　soon　as　the　Moors　saw　their　enemies　beginning　to　leave　the　field　they　charged　all　amongst　them；　so　that　there　did　not　remain　one　man　in　the　saddle　nor　one　who　kept　his　face　to　the　foe；　but　all　the　King's　troops　began　to　fly；　and　the　Moors　after　them；　slaughtering　them　for　about　half　a　league。　When　the　King　saw　the　way　in　which　his　troops　fled　he　began　to　cry　out　that　they　were　traitors；　and　that　he　would　see　who　was　his　side；　and　that　since　they　all　had　to　die　they　should　meet　their　fate　boldly　according　to　custom。＇555＇　〃Who　ranges　himself　with　me？〃　he　cried。　Immediately　there　thronged　about　him　all　those　lords　and　captains　that　were　ready　to　side　with　him；　and　the　King　said　that　the　day　had　arrived　in　which　the　Ydallcao　would　boast　that　he　had　slain　in　it　the　greatest　lord　in　the　world；　but　that　he　should　never　boast　that　he　had　vanquished　him。　Then　he　took　a　ring　from　his　finger　and　gave　it　to　one　of　his　pages；　so　that　he　might　show　it　to　his　queens　in　token　of　his　death；　that　they　might　burn　themselves　according　to　custom。　Then　he　mounted　a　horse　and　moved　forward　with　all　his　remaining…divisions；　commanding　to　slay　without　mercy　every　man　of　those　who　had　fled。　As　soon　as　these　last　saw　what　a　reception　they　received　at　the　hand　of　their　fellows　they　felt　compelled　to　turn　and　charge　the　enemy；　and　their　attack　was　such　that　not　one　amongst　the　Moors　was　found　to　face　them；　for　the　Moors　met　them　as　men　engaged　in　a　pursuit；　all　in　great　disorder。　The　confusion　was　so　great　amongst　the　Moors　and　such　havoc　was　wrought　（in　their　ranks）　that　they　did　not　even　try　to　defend　the　camp　they　had　made　so　strong　and　enclosed　so　well；　but　like　lost　men　they　leaped　into　the　river　to　save　themselves。　Then　after　them　came　large　numbers　of　the　King's　troops　and　elephants；　which　latter　worked　amongst　them　mischief　without　end；　for　they　seized　men　with　their　trunks　and　tore　them　into　small　pieces；　whilst　those　who　rode　in　the　castles　（howdahs）　killed　countless　numbers。

The　troops　advanced　thus；　pursuing　the　foe；　till　the　King　reached　the　river；　where；　seeing　the　death　of　so　many　　for　here　you　would　see　women　and　boys　who　had　left　the　camp；　there　horses　and　men　who　through　clinging　one　to　another　could　not　escape　as　there　was　so　much　water　in　the　river　　and　the　King's　troops　stood　on　the　bank；　so　that　whenever　a　man　appeared　he　was　killed；　and　the　horses　that　tried　to　clamber　up　by　the　bank　of　the　river；　unable　to　do　so；　fell　back　on　the　men；　so　that　neither　one　nor　the　other　escaped；　and　the　elephants　went　into　the　stream；　and　those　that　they　could　seize　were　cruelly　killed　by　them。　Seeing　what　passed；　I　say；　the　King　out　of　compassion　commanded　the　troops　to　retire；　saying　that　numbers　had　died　who　did　not　deserve　death　nor　were　at　all　in　fault；　which　order　was　at　once　obeyed　by　all　the　captains；　so　that　each　one　withdrew　all　his　forces。

The　King　then　advanced　to　the　camp　of　the　Ydallcao　and　rested　himself　in　his　tent；　but　many　of　the　captains　spoke　against　his　action　in　thus　taking　repose；　saying　that　he　ought　rather　to　complete　the　destruction　of　all　his　enemies；　and　they　would　secure　this　for　him；　and　that　if　he　did　not　wish　himself　to　do　this　he　should　at　least　command　some　of　them　to　do　it；　and　that　it　was　not　wise　to　cease　from　pursuit　so　long　as　daylight　should　last。　To　whom　the　King　answered　that　many　had　died　who　were　not　to　blame；　that　if　the　Ydallcao　had　done　him　wrong；　he　had　already　suffered　enough；　and　moreover；　that　it　did　not　seem　to　him　good；　since　Rachol　remained　behind　them　to　be　taken；　that　they　should　go　forward；　but　rather　they　should　make　themselves　ready　for　its　capture；　for　that　the　siege　had　to　be　conducted　henceforth　in　a　new　and　better　manner。　For　the　King　was　persuaded　throughout　that；　since　the　Ydallcao　had　lost　so　many　men　and　so　much　honour；　and　had　lost　indeed　all　his　power；　he　would　not　wish　to　live　any　longer；　and　that　he　must　be　dead　on　the　field。　Which；　however；　was　not　so；　seeing　that　the　Ydallcao　had　not　even　entered　into　the　fight；　but　had　all　the　time　remained　under　guard　of　Sefallarym＇556＇　　he　who　now　calls　himself　Acadacao　and　is　lord　of　Belgaum　　who；　fearing　the　event；　contrived　by　cunning　that　the　Ydallcao　should　select　him　for　his　guard　with　all　his　troops；　among　whom　he　had　four　hundred　cavalry；　and　when　he　saw　how　the　soldiers　fled；　and　how　completely　they　had　been　defeated；　he　said　to　the　Ydallcao；　〃Sire；　if　thou　seekest　to　live　follow　me！〃　and　the　Ydallcao　took　refuge　on　an　elephant　and　followed　him；　leaving　his　camp　and　all　that　he　possessed。　And　as　Acadacao　wished　him　to　travel　by　land；＇557＇　he　took　no　care　to　search　for　the　ford；　but　skirting　the　range　of　hills　on　the　south　he　went　by　that　way。＇558＇

As　it　may　be　asked　what　became　of　the　captain　who　sallied　out　of　Rachol　with　the　two　hundred　horsemen　and　elephants　and　foot…soldiers；　I　say　that　he　ever　kept　himself　advised　of　what　passed　in　the　field；　and　as　soon　as　he　learned　that　the　Ydallcao　was　defeated　he　turned　back　to　take　refuge　again　in　the　citadel。　But　those　within　were　not　of　a　mind　to　receive　him；　there　being　a　quarrel　between　him　and　another　captain　who　was　in　the　city；　and　he；　seeing　that　they　would　not　admit　him；　was　forced　to　think　how　he　could　save　himself；　and　he　did　so　by　passing　the　river　by　another　ford　farther　down；　and　so　saved　himself。　The　belief　of　many　was　that　he　who　was　inside　thought　that　he　would　now　possess　the　city　for　his　own；　and　that　he　would　thereby　become　rich；　and　for　that　reason　refused　to　receive　the　captain。


CHAPTER　10


Of　the　spoil　taken　from　the　Moors；　of　how　the　King　burned　all　the　dead；　and　of　what　Christovao　de　Figueiredo　did。

The　King　being　thus　in　the　camp；　he　commanded　the　spoil　that　remained　of　the　Moors　to　be　collected；　and　there　were　found　five　captains　who　were　taken　prisoners　（those　of　highest　rank　were　found　amongst　the　dead）；　the　chiefest　of　them　was　Salabatacao；＇559＇　who　was　captain…general　of　all　the　troops　of　the　Ydallcao　He　had　taken　for　his　guard　in　the　battle　five　hundred　Portuguese　of　the　renegades　who　were　with　the　Moors；　and　as　soon　as　this　Salabatacao　saw　that　his　army　was　defeated；　he　strove　to　collect　and　form　a　body　of　men；　but　could　not　do　it　because　there　was　not　one　amongst　them　who　thought　of　aught　but　to　save　himself。　And　thinking　it　worse　to　be　conquered　than　to　die；　he　threw　himself　amongst　the　King's　troops；　slaughtering　them；　and　doing　such　wonderful　deeds　that　ever　after　he　and　his　Portuguese　were　remembered；　so　much　were　their　terrible　strokes　feared；　and　the　deeds　they　did；　so　that　they　let　them　pass　on；　and　they　penetrated　so　far　amongst　the　troops　that　they　found　themselves　close　to　the　King's　bodyguard。　There　the　horse　of　Salabatacao　was　killed。　In　order　to　succour　him　the　Portuguese　did　great　deeds　and　killed　so　many　men　that　they　left　a　broad　road　behind　them　which　no　one　dared　to　enter；　and　they　fought　so　well　that　they　got　another　horse　for　Salabatacao。　As　soon　as　he　was　on　its　back　he　seemed　like　nothing　but　a　furious　wolf　amongst　sheep；　but　since　already　they　were　all　so　exhausted；　so　wounded　all　over；　and　so　encircled　by　the　enemy　（for　they　were　attacked　at　every　point）；　Salabatacao　was　at　length　overthrown；　and　his　horse　with　him。　And　as　the　Portuguese　who　tried　to　succour　him　were　all　killed；　not　one　escaping；　and　he　himself　was　wounded　in　many　places；　he　was　taken　prisoner。

The　spoil　was　four　thousand　horses　of　Ormuz；　and　a　hundred　elephants；　and　four　hundred　heavy　cannon；　besides　small　ones；　the　number　of　gun…carriages　for　them　was　nine　hundred；　and　there　were　many　tents　and　pavilions。　I　take　no　account　of　the　sumpter…horses　and　oxen　and　other　beasts；　for　they　were　numberless；　nor　of　the　numbers　of　men　and　boys；　nor　yet　of　some　women；　whom　the　King　ordered　to　be　released。

Here　the　King　stayed　till　all　the　dead　had　been　burned；　and　the　customary　honours　had　been　paid　to　them；　and　here　he　gave　much　alms　for　the　souls　of　those　who　had　been　killed　in　battle　on　his　side。　These　numbered　sixteen　thousand　and　odd。　These　things　done；　he　turned　again　upon　Rachol　and　pitched　his　camp　as　he　had　done　before。

During　this　return　of　the　King　there　came　to　meet　him　Christovao　de　Figueiredo；＇560＇　who　was　at　that　time　in　the　city　of　Bisnaga　with　horses；　and　he　took　with　him　twenty　Portuguese　musqueteers；