The Pirate City: An Algerine Tale Read online

  CHAPTER TWO.

  UNFOLDS A LITTLE OF THE TALE.

  Another and a very different vessel chanced to be floating in those seasat the time the Sicilian trader set sail. At a distance she might havebeen mistaken for a fishing-boat, for she carried only two lateen sails,of that high triangular form which may still be seen in theMediterranean and on the lakes of Switzerland. In reality, however, thevessel was of greater dimensions than even the largest boat, and hermain-mast with its sail was of gigantic proportions. She was alsofull-decked, and several pieces of heavy ordnance pointed their blackmuzzles from port-holes in her bulwarks.

  No one could have mistaken her character as a vessel of war, for,besides the guns referred to, she had an unusually large crew of bronzedand stalwart men. Their costume, as well as their arms, told that thesewere of Eastern origin. Although there was much variety in detail, theyall wore the same gold-laced jackets, the same loose Turkish drawersgathered in below the knees, and broad silken scarfs round their waists,with richly chased silver-mounted pistols and yataghans or curvedswords. Some wore the turban, others the blue-tasselled red fez ortarbouch of Tunis, while a few contented themselves with a kerchief tiedloosely round their heads.

  One, who appeared to be the captain of the vessel, stood near thesteersman, leaning on the bulwarks, and scanning the horizon with atelescope. His costume was similar to that of his men, but of richermaterial.

  "It is certainly a sail," said he whom we have styled the captain to onewho stood by his side, and might have been his lieutenant or mate.

  "She bears sou'-west, I think," replied the latter.

  "So much the better," returned the captain; "let her fall off a little--so, steady. If this wind holds for half an hour we shall get wellabreast of her, and then--"

  The captain shut up the telescope with an emphatic bang, by way oftermination to his remark, and, turning on his heel, paced the deckrapidly by the side of his mate.

  "We have been unlucky hitherto," he observed; "perchance fortune maychange and now be favourable. At all events, we shall be ready. See,the breeze freshens. Go, call up the men and clear for action."

  The breeze had indeed been freshening while he spoke, and now came downin a series of squalls that caused the piratical-looking craft to lieover as if she were about to capsize. The vessel which they werepursuing also bent over to the breeze and crowded all sail; for well didFrancisco, its owner and padrone, know, from past experience, thatAlgerine corsairs were fast sailers, and that his only hope lay inshowing them his heels! He had often given them the slip before--whyshould he not again?

  While thus doing his best to escape, however, the bluff merchant did notneglect to make preparations for defence.

  "Clear away the big gun," he said to Mariano, who acted as his firstofficer, Lucien being the scrivano or supercargo of the vessel; "'tis agood piece, and has turned the flight of many a pirate with its firstbark."

  The latter part of this remark was addressed to Bacri, who stood,leaning over the taffrail, looking anxiously at the vessel in chase.

  "If it be Sidi Hassan," muttered the Jew half aloud, "there is littlechance--"

  "What say you?" demanded Francisco.

  "I say that if it be the vessel of a man whom I happen to know, you willhave to trust to your sails for deliverance--fighting will be of noavail."

  Francisco looked at the Jew with some surprise, not unmingled withcontempt.

  "A warlike spirit, it seems, does not always consort with a powerfulframe," he said; "but how come you to have scraped acquaintance withthese pirates, whose existence is a blight upon the commerce of theMediterranean, and a disgrace to our age?"

  "None should know better than thyself that a trader, like any othertraveller, becomes acquainted with strange bedfellows," replied Bacri,with a quiet smile. "As to a warlike spirit, of what use would it be ina despised Israelite to display such?"

  "There is truth in that," returned the padrone in a more respectfultone; "nevertheless, if fighting becomes needful, I trust that onefurnished with such thews and sinews will not fail to lend effectiveaid."

  "That he will not, I dare say; and here is a cutlass for him, wherewithto carve a name and fame," said Mariano, coming aft at the moment andpresenting the weapon to Bacri, who took it with a half-humorous smile,and laid it on the seat beside him.

  "Hast got the big gun ready, boy?" demanded Francisco.

  "Ay--loaded her almost to the muzzle. I ordered her to bedouble-shotted, and that big black rascal Manqua slily crammed in ahandful of nails without leave. I only hope she won't burst."

  "Burst!" exclaimed the padrone, with a laugh; "if you were to load hereven beyond the muzzle she wouldn't burst. I remember once loading herwith a full dose of canister, and clapped two round shot on the top ofthat, after which the same negro you have mentioned, (for he has atendency in that way), shoved in a handspike without orders, and let thewhole concern fly at a pirate boat, which it blew clean out of thewater: she well-nigh burst the drums of our ears on that occasion, butshowed no sign whatever of bursting herself."

  "Nevertheless," said Bacri earnestly, "I advise you to trust entirely toyour sails."

  "We haven't another stitch of canvas to set," said Francisco in reply;"and if we had, the old schooner couldn't stand it, for, as you may see,the strain is already as much as she can bear."

  This was indeed the case, for the vessel was by that time flying beforea stiff breeze, with all the sail set that she could carry, while thewater dashed in clouds from her bows, and rushed over her lee bulwarks.

  But the sailing powers of the pirate-vessel were superior to those ofthe trading schooner. In a short time she was close alongside, andfired a shot across her bows to cause her to heave-to. This, however,the determined skipper resolved not to do. In reply he sent on boardthe pirates the varied contents of the big gun, which cut the halyardsof their smaller sail, and brought it down on the deck. This result wascelebrated by a hearty cheer from the schooner's crew. The pirates, inreturn, discharged a broadside which cut away the foremast of theschooner, thus rendering escape impossible.

  "Now, men," cried Francisco, when the disaster occurred, "you must thisday make your choice--victory or slavery--for there is no mercy in thebreasts of these scoundrels."

  He waited for no reply, but at once sprang to the big gun, which hadbeen re-loaded with a charge so miscellaneous that the sable Manquagrinned with satisfaction as he endeavoured to ram it home.

  Meanwhile Mariano and Lucien placed the men, who were armed to theteeth, at the gangways, and along the weather-side of the schooner, tobe in readiness to repel the foe when they should attempt to board.

  There was no hesitation on the part of the pirates, although they sawplainly the vigorous preparations which were being made to receive them.Bearing down on the crippled vessel at full speed, in spite of thebellowing discharge from the great gun, and a well-delivered volley ofsmall shot, which stretched many of them on the deck, they ran straightagainst her, threw grappling-irons into the rigging, and sprang on boardwith a fierce yell.

  The melee that followed was sharp, but very short and decisive. TheSicilian crew fought with the courage of desperate men, but were almostinstantly overpowered by numbers. Mariano had singled out the piratecaptain as his own special foe. In making towards the spot where heexpected that he would board, he observed the tall Jew standing by thewheel with his arms crossed on his breast, and regarding the attack withapparent indifference.

  "What!" cried Mariano, anger mingling with his surprise, "do you standidle at such a moment?"

  "You will miss your chance," returned Bacri, giving a glance and a nodtowards the side of the vessel where the pirate captain stood ready tospring.

  Almost at the instant that the brief hint was given, Mariano had sprungto the bulwarks, and parried the thrust of a boarding-spike, which actunfortunately disconcerted his aim in discharging his pistol. Nextmoment he had seized the pirate by the throat, and fell with him to
thedeck, where a fierce struggle ensued.

  We have said that the Sicilian youth was powerfully made, but the piratecaptain was more than a match for him in size, if not in courage;nevertheless, the superior activity of Mariano, coupled with the factthat he chanced to fall uppermost, gave him an advantage which would ina few moments have cost the pirate his life, had not a blow from behindrendered his youthful adversary insensible.

  Rising hastily and regaining the yataghan which had fallen from hisgrasp in the struggle, the pirate captain was about to rush again intothe fight, but, perceiving that although one or two of the schooner'screw still showed resistance, his men were almost everywhere inpossession of the deck, he desisted, and turned with a look of surpriseto the man who had freed him from his antagonist.

  "_You_ here, Bacri!" he said. "Truly my fate is a hard one when itcondemns me to be rescued by a dog of a Jew."

  "It might have been harder, Sidi Hassan, if it had condemned you to beslain by the hand of a Christian," replied the Jew, with an air ofhumility that scarcely harmonised with his towering height and hisbreadth of shoulder.

  Hassan uttered a short laugh, and was about to reply when a shout fromhis men caused him to run to the forward part of the vessel, whereFrancisco, Lucien, and the warlike negro already referred to were stillfighting desperately, surrounded by pirates, many of whom were badlywounded. It was well for the three heroes that their foes haddischarged all their pistols at the first rush. Some of them, nowrendered furious by the unexpectedly successful opposition made by thedauntless three, as well as by the smarting of their wounds, werehastily re-loading their weapons, when their captain came forward. Itwas obvious that mercy or forbearance had been driven from theirbreasts, and that a few seconds more would put a bloody end to theunequal contest.

  "Spare them, Sidi Hassan," said the Jew in a deeply earnest tone.

  "Why should I spare them?" returned the captain quietly; "they deserveto die, and such men would prove to be but troublesome slaves."

  The Jew bent towards Hassan's ear and whispered.

  "Ha! sayest thou so?" exclaimed the pirate, with a piercing glance athis companion. "May I trust thee, Jew?"

  "You may trust me," replied the Jew, apparently quite unmoved by theinsolent tones of the other.

  "Stand back, men!" cried Hassan, springing between the combatants;"death by sword or pistol is too good for these Christian dogs; we shallreserve them for something better." Then, turning to Francisco, "Laydown your arms."

  "We will lay down our arms," answered the bluff merchant, who was not atall sorry to obtain this brief period of breathing-time, "when we havelaid you and a few more of your ruffians on the deck."

  Hassan turned to his men and gave them an order in the Turkish language.

  Several of them hurried aft, and immediately returned, dragging alongwith them poor Mariano, who was just recovering from the blow given tohim by Bacri. On seeing the plight of his father and brother he made adesperate effort to free himself, but quickly found that he was ashelpless as a child in the grasp of the three powerful men who held him.

  Hassan drew a pistol and put its muzzle to the youth's temple, then,turning to Francisco, said:--

  "Lay down your arms, else I scatter his brains on the deck. Take yourchoice, but see that you be quick about it."

  There was that in the pirate captain's tone and look which inducedinstant compliance. Francisco and his companions, at once laying downtheir weapons, were seized and had their arms pinioned. Mariano wasalso bound, and then their conquerors proceeded to clear the decks ofthe dead and wounded. This was soon accomplished; a prize crew wasplaced in the schooner; the captives, still pinioned, were transferredto the deck of the pirate-vessel, and there left to do as they pleased,while the captain and Bacri descended to the cabin.

  Night soon after descended on the sea, the wind fell almost to a calm,the moon shone round and full in a cloudless sky, and the vessel glidedquietly along, while the rascally crew lay conversing and smoking on herdeck, many of them bearing marks of the recent conflict, and somesleeping as peacefully as though their hands were guiltless of sheddinghuman blood, and legitimate trade their occupation.