But as it happened,
instead of being killed like Uriah, Kari conquered the distant nation,
and after two years returned to the King's court, where he found that
his brother Urco had led astray his wife whom he had taken into his
household. Being very angry, Kari recovered his wife by command of the
King, and put her to death because of her faithlessness.
Thereon the King, his father, a stern man, ordered him into banishment
because he had broken the laws of the land, which did not permit of
private vengeance over a matter of a woman who was not even of the royal
blood, however fair she might be. Before he went, however, Urco, who was
mad at the loss of his love, caused some kind of poison to be given to
Kari, which although it does not kill, for he dared not kill him because
of his station, deprives him who takes it of his reason, sometimes
for ever and sometimes for a year or more. After this, said Kari, he
remembered little or nothing, save long travellings in boats and through
forests, and then again upon a raft or boat on which he was driven
alone, for many, many days, drinking a jar of water which he had with
him, and eating some dried flesh and with it a marvellous drug of his
people, some of which remained to him in the leathern bag that has power
to keep the life in a man for weeks, even if he is labouring hard.
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