Page:Adventures of Baron Wenceslas Wratislaw of Mitrowitz (1862).djvu/185

 from prison. When he had cut these girdles to pieces without being seen, and had taken off the diamonds, rubies, emeralds, turquoises, and other ornaments, he buried all in a can in the ground where he lay. But fortune did not grant him his wish. For one of the prisoners who had noticed him digging, after his departure stole the things again—one thief robbing another —and thus he afterwards sought for the second thief with tears, and confided to us what he had lost. Having, however, still a small silver goblet, he sold it to a Turk on his way to work, and thereby betrayed himself; for, some days afterwards, the goblet was recognized, and the question asked from whom it had come. When the merchant confessed that he had bought it from a prisoner, and also gave that prisoner’s name, Krygala Pasha’s kihaja, or major-domo, came with a good many Turks, and ordered poor Matthew to be called out. He, firmly believing that he would be hung without mercy, resolved to die heroically, and leave his fame behind him. When about to quit the prison, he took with him secretly a long knife, and when he came before the kihaja, on being asked where he had put those stolen girdles, confessed all truly, how he certainly had stolen them himself, and buried them in the ground, but that he had been robbed again by another. The kihaja, therefore, commanded him to be seized, on hearing which he unexpectedly rushed on him with the knife, intending to stab him, but was prevented by the superior numbers of the Turks. The kihaja began to call to the Turks to seize him, while he, springing on his feet, and seeing that he could not escape, defended himself valiantly with the knife, and wounded several of the Turks,