Page:Adventures of Baron Wenceslas Wratislaw of Mitrowitz (1862).djvu/187

 that, if they did this, and the Lord God permitted us to return to Christendom, we would wage war against the Turks to the day of our death, and whomsoever we captured we would cut off their noses and ears, and would induce others also to do the same.

The pasha of the guard then came to our prison, bringing with him two barbers, or hair-cutters, had us all summoned out, and ordered us all to sit down on the ground. We all wept, and entertained no other idea but that it would be done, as we had been told, and, therefore, no one was willing to be the first to sit down, until the scourge compelled us so to do. Anybody can imagine how we, at this time, felt about the region of the heart. We were all as pale as a sheet, and the barbers, stepping up and seeing us so frightened, laughed heartily, and all our stomachs began to ache. When we had seated ourselves on the ground, instead of cutting off our noses and ears, they shaved our heads and beards with a razor, for some of us had their hair and beard grown to a considerable length, and, after laughing at us to their heart’s content, bade us go back to prison. When our terror passed away, and we looked at and saw each other all clipped round and beardless, like so many calves’ heads, we could not help laughing, because we could scarcely recognize one another. Neither did we bear them any malice for the state of baldness to which they had reduced us, and they were satisfied with having frightened us abundantly about nothing. Afterwards more trustworthy Turks informed us that the grand vizier had really ordered our noses and ears to be cut off, and ourselves to be sent, thus shamefully handled, to Christendom; but the mufti, their chief bishop, on learn-