r them by one road they fetched a compass by another and] in
this way managed to reach the enemy's ships and to get aboard of them.
This they did easily enough, for they encountered no opposition.

Once they were on board they got under weigh immediately for the great
Island, and landed there, carrying with them the standards and banners of
the King of the Island; and in this wise they advanced to the capital. The
garrison of the city, suspecting nothing wrong, when they saw their own
banners advancing supposed that it was their own host returning, and so
gave them admittance. The Tartars as soon as they had got in seized all
the bulwarks and drove out all who were in the place except the pretty
women, and these they kept for themselves. In this way the Great Kaan's
people got possession of the city.

When the King of the great Island and his army perceived that both fleet
and city were lost, they were greatly cast down; howbeit, they got away to
the great Island on board some of the ships which had not been carried
off. And the King then gathered all his host to the siege of the city, and
invested it so straitly that no one could go in or come out. Those who
were within held the place for seven months, and strove by all means to
send word to the Great Kaan; but it was all in vain, they never could get
the intelligence carried to him. So when they saw they could hold out no
longer they gave themselves up, on condition that their lives should be
spared, but still that they should never quit the Island. And this befel
in the year of our Lord 1279.[NOTE 1] The Great Kaan ordered the Baron
who had fled so disgracefully to lose his head. And afterwards he caused
the other also, who had been left on the Island, to be put to death, for
he had never behaved as a good soldier ought to do.[NOTE 2]

But I must tell you a wonderful thing that I had forgotten, which happened
on this expedition.

You see, at the beginning of the affair, when the Kaan's people had landed
on the great Island and occupied the open country as I told you, they
stormed a tower belonging to some of the islanders who refused to
surrender, and they cut off the heads of all the garrison except eight; on
these eight they found it impossible to inflict any wound! Now this was by
virtue of certain stones which they had in their arms inserted between the
skin and the flesh, with such skill as not to show at all externally. And
the charm and virtue of these stone