THE NINTH MAN
nobles who had been moved to do this, Mazzaleone sat in the loggia, his captains about him, and he saw it and smiled.
"This spectacle," I heard him say, "is more diverting and instructive than I thought."
And the captain behind him, to whom he spoke, answered:
"Small honor it seems to have taken such a town."
Indeed, as one looked down upon it it seemed that there were more old hags and women and children and pottering old men than aught else. Very different, indeed, from the time when all such were within-doors and our burghers and stout men-at-arms were out with their clanking swords by their sides.
So San Moglio walked along three abreast through a solid line of Mazzaleone's men. In the beginning, as they came close, I was told to count upon the ninth, and as the ninth came, small black ballots were given them, which they were told to keep. All came docilely. Pride made them come so in the case of our black-robed nobles; cold fear, some of our burghers.
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