The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 / Page 532 (Color Image)

0532	The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2

472

MARCO POLO

ß00K IV.

CHAPTER XIV.

How ARGON GOT THE SOVEREIGNTY AT LAST.

•

WHEN Argon heard the words of Boga he took them in

truth for an untimely jest, and replied with much bitter-

ness of soul : " Good my Lord," quoth he, " you do ill to

mock me thus ! Surely it suffices that you have done

me so great wrong already, and that you hold me, your

lawful Lord, here a prisoner and in chains ! Ye know

well, as I cannot doubt, that you are doing an evil and a

wicked thing, so I pray you go your way, and cease to

flout me." " Good my Lord Argon," said Boga, " be

assured we are not mocking you, but are speaking in

sober earnest, and we will swear it on our Law." Then

all the Barons swore fealty to him as their Lord, and

Argon too swore that he would never reckon it against

them that they had taken him prisoner, but would hold

them as clear as his father before him had done.

And when these oaths had passed they struck off

Argon's fetters, and hailed him as their lord. Argon

then desired them to shoot a volley of arrows into the

tent of the Melic who had held them prisoners, and who

was in command of the army, that he might be slain.

At his word they tarried not, but straightway shot a

great number of arrows at the tent, and so slew the

Melic. When that was done Argon took the supreme

command and gave his orders as sovereign, and was

obeyed by all. And you must know that the name of

him who was slain, whom we have called the Melic, was

SOLDAN ; and he was the greatest Lord after Acomat

himself, In this way that you have heard, Argon re-

covered his authority.

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