dignity of a chief
Mameluke, together with Burs Bey, now the Sultan of Egypt, they were
both cast into prison during a certain war and lay in the same dungeon.
There had Tagri Verdi dreamed one night that his fellow, Burs Bey, would
in due time be placed on the throne, and had revealed this to him. Then,
when this prophecy was fulfilled, and Burs Bey was Sultan, Tagri Verdi
rose step by step to high honor, and had won many glorious fights as his
Sovereign's chief Emir and Captain. The Sultan heaped him with honors
and treasure, until he learned that his former companion had dreamed
another dream, and this time that it was to be his fate to mount
the throne. Hereupon Burs Bey was sore afraid; thus he had cast the
victorious Captain into prison, and many feared for Tagri that his life
would not be spared.

And Master Windecke could tell us yet more of the matter; and whereas
from him we heard that our Emperor, by reason that his coffers were
empty, could do nought to ransom King Janus, and that the Republic of
Venice was fain to take it in hand, we were in greater fear than ever,
inasmuch as this must need add yet more to the high respect already
enjoyed by the Republic in the land of Egypt, and to that in which its
Consul Giustiniani was held; and thereby his wife Ursula might, with the
greater security, give vent to that malice she bore in her heart against
Herdegen.

Thus we went to our beds silent and downcast; and after we had lain
there a long time and found no sleep the words would come, and I said:
"My poor, dear Kunz! to be there in that hot Moorish land, wounded and
alone! Oh, Ann, that must be full hard to bear."

"Hard indeed!" quoth she in a low voice. "But for a free man, and so
proud a man as Herdegen, to be a slave to a misbelieving Heathen, far
away from all he loves, and chidden and punished for every unduteous
look; Oh, Margery! to think of that!" And her voice failed.

I spoke to her, and showed that we had much to make us thankful,
inasmuch as we now at last knew that he we loved was yet alive.

Then was there silence in the chamber; but I minded me then of what
Akusch had written, that he besought some wise and mighty gentleman to
set forth from Nuremberg to overpower the foe, and now I racked my brain
to think whom we might send to take my brothers' cause in hand--yet
still in vain. None could I think of who might conveniently quit home
for so long, or who was indeed fit for such an enterprise