weeping, and drawing a ring from her finger, gave it to him, saying,
'And it chance that I die ere I see you again, remember me when you
look upon this ring.'

[Footnote 475: _i.e._ should any rumour get wind of death.]

Torello took the ring and mounted to horse; then, bidding all his
people adieu, he set out on his journey and came presently with his
company to Genoa. There he embarked on board a galleon and coming in a
little while to Acre, joined himself to the other army[476] of the
Christians, wherein, well nigh out of hand, there began a sore
sickness and mortality. During this, whether by Saladin's skill or of
his good fortune, well nigh all the remnant of the Christians who had
escaped alive were taken by him, without blow stricken, and divided
among many cities and imprisoned. Messer Torello was one of those
taken and was carried prisoner to Alexandria, where, being unknown and
fearing to make himself known, he addressed himself, of necessity
constrained, to the training of hawks, of which he was a great master,
and by this he came under the notice of Saladin, who took him out of
prison and entertained him for his falconer. Messer Torello, who was
called by the Soldan by none other name than the Christian, recognized
him not nor did Saladin recognize him; nay, all his thoughts were in
Pavia and he had more than once essayed to flee, but without avail;
wherefore, certain Genoese coming ambassadors to Saladin, to treat for
the ransom of sundry of their townsmen, and being about to depart, he
bethought himself to write to his lady, giving her to know that he was
alive and would return to her as quickliest he might and bidding her
await him. Accordingly, he wrote letters to this effect and instantly
besought one of the ambassadors, whom he knew, to cause them come to
the hands of the Abbot of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro, who was his uncle.

[Footnote 476: Sic (_all' altro esercito_). The meaning of this does
not appear, as no mention has yet been made of two Christian armies.
Perhaps we should translate "the rest of the army," _i.e._ such part
of the remnant of the Christian host as fled to Acre and shut
themselves up there after the disastrous day of Hittin (23 June,
1187). Acre fell on the 29th July, 1187.]

Things being at this pass with him, it befell one day that, as Saladin
was devising with him of his hawks, Messer Torello chanced to smile
and made a motion with his mouth, which the former had much noted,