gladly followed his gaoler. Surely Lazuraque would not have
troubled to send for him unless deliverance had been at hand? But his
hopes fell at the sight of Lazuraque's face, which was cruel and stern
as usual.

'Your brother the king of Portugal is dead,' were the words that fell
upon Fernando's ears, and he sank fainting to the ground. When he came
to himself, he was lying chained in his cell, with his friends anxiously
bending over him.

Dom Pedro was now regent, ruling for Duarte's little son, Alfonso V.,
and besides the view which he had always held that the honour of the
country demanded the surrender of Ceuta, he felt bound to carry out the
late king's will, which directed him to deliver Fernando at any cost.
But now it was not Ceuta that Lazuraque wanted, but a huge ransom,
impossible for Portugal to raise, and till this was forthcoming the
horrors of the prisoners' captivity were increased.

For some days after hearing the news Fernando's grief, together with the
stifling air of the cell, made him so ill that his companions expected
that every hour would be his last. Well he guessed that shame at the
result of the expedition, and sorrow for his own fate, had hastened the
end of dom Duarte, and the infante's thoughts flew back to the day of
the proclamation of the king, five years before, and to the prophecy of
master Guedelha. One thing, however, did not occur to him--that it was
Duarte's weakness in allowing the expedition which had brought about the
fulfilment of the prophecy.

* * * * *

After a while Lazuraque saw that unless he meant his captives to die,
which would not have suited him at all, he must free them from their
dungeon, so they were sent back to the gardens. Slowly the years 1439
and 1440 wore away. The hearts of the poor prisoners grew sick, but
Fernando alone never lost his cheerfulness, and kept up the spirits of
the others when they were bowed down with despair.

It was in 1441 that hope suddenly sprang into life again, for the news
reached them that some envoys had arrived from Portugal to treat for
their release, and that the governor of Arzilla was using his influence
on their behalf. Soon after they were removed from Fez near to Ceuta,
where they could once more see the blue Mediterranean and feel
themselves close to Portugal again. But everything came to an end
because neither side would trust the other. Lazuraque, though he still
preferred a ranso