The Greek, little dreaming of the danger to which he was exposed, or, at
all events, little fearing it, turned on his heel, and retraced his
steps for some part of the distance he had come. His air was more
buoyant and independent than before.
"So much for business," he muttered. "And now for amusement. We'll try
what this brave city can afford. Let me see, I passed a _tratoria_ or a
_caffe_ but just now; I'll look in there, and learn what is going
forward!"
He soon reached the place he spoke of; and throwing open the
folding-doors at the entrance, entered with his usual careless air, and
took his seat at a marble table, which chanced to be unoccupied. There
was a billiard-table in the room beyond, and upstairs were more secret
apartments, where games of chance were, at times, played.
The place was full of persons of all descriptions. English and Maltese,
and others of various nations. Those belonging to the army and navy,
were either of inferior rank, or were harum-scarum fellows, who cared
not at all with whom they associated. There were, also, masters and
mates of merchantmen, Frenchmen and Italians; and there was a
representative, indeed, to be found of almost all the people dwelling on
the shores of the Mediterranean, as also, of more distant nations. Some
were smoking, and others drinking; but the greater number were idling
about, laughing and talking, as if they had come there to kill time; and
when, by chance, any pause occurred, the noise of the billiard balls was
heard, and the cry of the marker from the next room. The Greek seemed
to excite less observation even here than in the street, except from two
or three of his countrymen, who were in the room, and who eyed him
narrowly. He rose and sauntered into the billiard-room, perhaps to
avoid their scrutiny, perhaps simply to amuse himself by looking on at
the game. He soon, however, returned, and ordering some coffee, he took
up a Maltese newspaper, which appeared to afford him considerable
interest.
"Ah! here we have a complete list of all the vessels about to sail from
this port," he muttered to himself. "It will serve to compare with old
Bannech's and Giacomo's account," and taking out a pocket-book he
quickly copied the list. "And let me see," he continued. "What have we
here? A ball to-night at the Auberge de Provence. By Saint Genario; it
will be a good amusement to go there. I shall pick up not a little
useful information of what is going forward in the great world, what way
the wheel is next to turn, and how those English are going to act with
regard to Greece,--whether we are to have a loan or an army to assist
us. Heaven defend us from the latter, and afford us good pickings from
the first. But, with regard to this ball. A stranger, I suppose, would
not be admitted without an introduction. They are, I know, of old, very
suspicious in this place. Well, I must make old Bannech settle that
matter also for me. He must forge some good introductions, if he cannot
procure them for me in any other way. He is well able to do so, for he
keeps his hand in at the work, and knows everybody here and elsewhere."
While he sat meditating and sipping his coffee, the three Greeks, at
another table, continued eyeing him narrowly, and, at the same time,
whispering among themselves. If he was conscious that their glances
were fixed on him, he stood the scrutiny admirably, without the
slightest change of colour, nor did his eye quail in the least. Looking
suddenly up, however, he appeared first to discover that their eyes were
turned towards him. Immediately rising, with a bland smile, he walked
up to them.
"You seem to know me, gentlemen," he observed, with a courteous tone, in
pure Romaic. "Unfortunately, I do not enjoy the same happiness. Will
you inform me where it was we met?"
"Pardon, sir, for our rudeness," answered one of the three, rather
abashed. "We mistook you for another person--we were trying to
recollect where we had seen you."
"It is not impossible that you may have met me before, if you have been
in Italy, in which country I have resided for some years; or lately in
Sicily," answered the Greek. "In the fair city of Valetta you could not
have seen me, as I only landed an hour ago from the last-mentioned
island, and in our native Greece, I have not been since the days of my
early boyhood, though I am on the very point of returning thither."
"Then, clearly, we are mistaken," replied another of the three. "We,
ourselves, arrived here only yesterday from Greece, after encountering
numerous hardships and dangers. Among others, when off the southern end
of Cerigo, our vessel was boarded by a rascally pirate, manned, too, by
our own countrymen, who robbed us of everything we possessed, which they
could carry off, and we fully believe they would have sunk the ship, and
murdered us, had not a British man-of-war hove in sight, and made them
sheer off before they had completed their work."
"I dare say they would," replied the Greek, quietly. "Such gentry, I
have heard, generally consider that the only safe plan of avoiding
detection, and the troublesome affair of a trial, and perhaps a very
disagreeable result, is to stop the mouths of those they plunder beneath
the waves, lest they should afterwards tell inconvenient tales of them.
If they thought you had escaped, they would take very good care another
time not to commit such a blunder."
"Why, it was certainly from no leniency on the part of the villains that
we were not drowned, for they had bored holes in our ship's bottom, and
thought we should have sunk at once; but, fortunately, a fresh breeze
brought up the man-of-war alongside of us before we went down, and her
people stopped the leak, and saw us safely into port."
"I regret to hear this account you give me," said the stranger, in a
sympathising tone; "though I congratulate you on your narrow escape,--I
may call it miraculous. You are far more fortunate than the generality
of people who fall into the hands of those gentry, I should think. I
was in hopes that our countrymen, since the commencement of the glorious
struggle to throw off the foul Turkish yoke, had abandoned all their
malpractices, and had joined heart and hand in the great cause against
the common enemy. I, too, am personally interested; as I am about to
embark on board some merchant vessel for the East and may fare as badly
as you have done, if not worse. Do you know any particulars of the
pirate who attacked you? I should like to learn all about him, that we
may, if possible, avoid the vessel if we see her at a distance."
"It was dark when she boarded us, so that we had not an opportunity of
scrutinising her near," answered the person addressed, who was
evidently, by his costume and appearance, a Greek merchant, and, as it
afterwards appeared, the two younger men with him were his sons. "Our
misfortune happened in this way. We sailed, you must know, on board a
Neapolitan brigantine from Athens, bound to Syracuse. The first part of
our voyage was performed in safety; but when some ten miles or so to the
south of Cerigo, we lay becalmed the whole day. Our captain and the
mariners set to work to pray to those accursed little images they call
their saints, for a breeze; and, at last, it came; but to prove what
sort of characters their saints are, at the same time appeared in the
north east, a large polacca brig, of a very rakish look, stealing round
the east end of the island. The stranger brought the wind up with her,
and, as she neared us, the captain, who had been eyeing her earnestly,
grew into a state of great trepidation, and began to pray harder than
ever; but this time his saints would not listen to him. He wrung his
hands, and beat his breast, and said that the stranger had a very
suspicious look, and that he did not like it at all. After stamping on
the deck, and weeping, and tearing his hair for some time, in which he
was imitated by most of his crew, he bethought himself of getting more
sail on his craft, and of trying to escape from the enemy, if enemy she
were. A wild boar might as well try to outstrip the fleet hunter. The
stranger came up with us hand over hand; our only hope of getting away
from him was in the coming darkness. At last the seamen managed to set
all the sail the vessel could carry, and, with the wind right aft, we
began to glide through the water. On, however, came the stranger after
us; if we wished to get away, he did not intend that we should do so,
and all of a sudden he yawed to port, and let fly a bow chaser right at
us; the shot did not hit us, but it frightened our captain excessively--
for it flew directly over our heads. I verily believe, if we had not
stopped him, he would have let fly everything, and waited patiently to
be robbed and murdered. We caught hold of him, and urged him to be
calm, and that we might yet have a chance of escaping. The breeze
freshened, and we held on, and, though the stranger still continued to
overhaul us, he did not come up so fast as at first. Every instant,
too, it was growing dark; and as there was no moon shining, we hoped, by
hauling our wind, to slip away from him, if we could contrive to run on
without being hit till darkness had completely set in. He, however,
seemed in a hurry, and again yawing, let fly another shot at us; though
his gunnery was not particularly good--for he again missed us--it had
the effect of setting the Neapolitan master and his crew dancing like
madmen; they leaped and jumped, and twisted and turned, and tore their
hair, and prayed and swore, all in the same breath. They prayed for
themselves, and swore at their enemies, and at their own hard fate
should they be taken; for they all had a venture on board, I believe.
Though two shots had missed, it was not to be expected that all should
have such ill-luck, and accordingly, when the brig yawed a third time
and fired, down came our fore-topsail by the run. If the crew had been
in a fright before, when they were not hit, it must be supposed that
they were now in a complete paroxysm of terror; their first impulse was
to let fly all the tacks and sheets, and to jam down the helm, so as to
let the vessel fly up into the wind; their next was to rush below to put
on their best clothes, and the very little money they had in their
pockets, and then to fall to again at praying and beating their breasts.
Cowardly fools that they were; had they held on like men, as matters
turned out, we should have escaped being plundered at all. In ten
minutes after the last shot had created such confusion on board, a boat
pulled alongside, and a dozen fellows in Greek dresses jumped over the
bulwarks down upon our decks. We three, my sons and I, sat aft as
dignified as Turks, and as all the crew were below, there was not the
slightest show of resistance. Our countrymen--for such I am sorry to
say they were--seemed inclined to be civil to us, but vowed they would
punish the Neapolitans for making them expend the three shots, and they
forthwith began plundering the vessel; and hauling out the master from
his berth, into which he had crept, they made him point out whatever was
most valuable on board--brightening his wits up every now and then with
a rope's end. How the poor fellow did howl! but he deserved it; for he
was an arrant coward. The leader of the pirates who boarded us was a
very polite young man: he told us, that he should be sorry to be under
the necessity of cutting our throats, or of otherwise sending us out of
the world; but that he was afraid he should be compelled to do so,
except we would consent to come on board his vessel, where he would make
us take the vow of secrecy, and re-land us in Greece. He told us that
he was in earnest, and would give us till the last moment to consider on
the subject before he quitted the vessel. By this we concluded that he
intended to murder all hands in cold blood, or to sink the brigantine.
It is very extraordinary, and I hope that you will pardon me the remark,
but he bore a very striking resemblance to you, except that he looked
younger, and it was this circumstance that first attracted our attention
to you."
The Greek stranger who had been standing against the wall, with his arms
folded and his legs crossed in an easy attitude during this narrative,
at different parts indulging in a slight smile, now laughed outright.
"An extraordinary coincidence as you say, my friend, though I confess
that I would rather not bear so striking a resemblance to the cut-throat
gentleman you describe. The consequences at times might be unpleasant;
and I trust that no relative of mine--no younger brother nor cousin, has
turned his hand to so disreputable an occupation. Men of the first
families, it is true, have become pirates, especially in these
disordered times; but they usually make war only against their natural
enemies, the Turks or Moors. I cannot solve the mystery; however, I am
very interested in your tale--pray go on with it."
"Before I say another word, I must entreat your pardon for the remark I
just made," said the Greek merchant; "I was compelled to do so to
account for our apparent rudeness."
"Oh, certainly, my friend," said the stranger, "I pardon you with all my
heart. Nothing was more natural--only I must beg that you will not
repeat the observation to any one else. The consequences you know might
be unpleasant, as it might create disagreeable suspicions in men's minds
as to the rectitude of my character; but pray continue your tale."
It must be remembered that although there were numbers of people within
earshot, as this conversation was carried on in the Romaic, none of them
understood it, which was, perhaps, fortunate for our stranger friend, as
it would certainly have drawn their attention towards him; and if a man
happens to be unknown in a place, the slightest shade of suspicion
thrown on him, is sufficient to blacken his character to the darkest
tint.
The Greek rubbed his red cap off and on his head two or three times to
brighten his recollection, and then continued--
"While the pirates were ransacking below, their vessel ran alongside,
and our decks were soon crowded with a cut-throat set of fellows, who
speedily joined their comrades in the work of plunder, and in
transporting everything they considered of value to their own ship. It
is extraordinary with what rapidity bales and packages were handed out
of one vessel into the other. The rascals must have been well
accustomed to the work. Everything was done with the greatest
regularity; their young leader directing all their movements. It did
not take them a quarter of the time to unload that it had taken to load
the vessel. Such discrimination, too, as the villains showed in
selecting the most valuable merchandise.
"In the midst of the work, however, a cry was raised that a strange sail
was in sight, right to windward, bearing down on us. With all their
avidity for booty, the fellows had kept their eyes about them in the
dark. Their leader sprang on board his own vessel to have a clearer
view. He was convinced that the strange vessel was an enemy to him at
all events, though a friend to us; and calm and collected as if he was
enjoying a game of play, he issued his orders. The first was to tell
his people to quit the brigantine, and to make sail on the brig. The
second, part of which I heard, made my heart sink within me, and my
blood run cold. He did not seem to think it had reached our ears,--
indeed, I believe he had forgotten all about us; the words were--
"`Sink her--drown the people. No help for it--patience; we should
otherwise be suspected.'
"Directly afterwards, several men with carpenters' instruments for
boring holes, went below, and quickly returning, knocked our boat to
pieces, and jumped on board their own vessel. As soon as all the
pirates had quitted us, the brig sheered off. Just as she did so, I
heard some one exclaim--
"`Our countrymen, our dear compatriots, where are they? We have
forgotten them.' However, I don't think their regret for us could have
been very great, for the next moment they fired a broadside slap into
our hull, between wind and water, to try to make us sink the faster;
and, making all sail, stood away from us as fast as a rattling breeze
would carry them. Two of the crew had been knocked on the head by the
pirates, and their broadside killed two more. The master and the
survivors were utterly incapacitated from helping themselves; so we
three Greeks, with the black cook, feeling some wish to preserve our
lives, rigged the pumps which had escaped destruction, and set to work
to keep the water from gaining enough on her to send us to the bottom.
This we found we could easily do; and the cook, going below, was able to
plug several of the holes, which had been very imperfectly bored. Some
of the crew, also, at last recovered their senses and assisted us in our
labours; so that we continued to keep the craft afloat till the vessel,
which had frightened away the pirates, came up to us. She proved to be
the British brig-of-war, the _Cockroach_, and a boat immediately came on
board to learn what all the firing was about. Our condition proved the
truth of our story; and we entreated the officer who boarded us not to
desert us, as the sacrifice of our lives would have been the inevitable
consequence; whereas, the improbabilities of his catching the pirate
were very great. The British are a very humane people, I will say that
for them; and the captain of the brig accordingly sent two boats' crews
on board us, with the carpenter and his crew, and they plugged the
holes, and thrummed a sail, and got it under our bottom. Some manned
the pumps, to which they quickly drove the Neapolitans with a rope's
end; and next morning we made sail for Zante, which we reached in
safety, escorted by our preservers, who immediately afterwards started
again in search of the pirate."
"Did they fall in with him, do you know?" asked the Greek, carelessly.
"Can you catch a sunbeam?" said the first speaker. "She must be a fast
craft to come up with him. They say nothing can catch him."
"What, then, you learnt who your friend was?" said the stranger.
"Oh, yes! we heard a good deal about him in Zante. He is the very
terror of all honest, quiet-going traders in those parts."
"And who is this formidable, light-heeled gentleman, may I ask?" said
the stranger.
"No other than that daring devil, Zappa," said the merchant. "You have
heard of him, doubtless?"
"I think I have somewhere heard his name mentioned," said the stranger.
"But has he already established so terrific a name for himself? You
described him as very young."
"Ay, but old in crime. A man who murders all his captives, and sinks
every ship he plunders, soon gets his name up in the world. It is one
of the various methods to gain notoriety. Each man to his taste."
"You are right, my friend," said the stranger, stretching out his arms
and yawning; "there are many methods by which a man may gain an elevated
position; and your friend, Signor Zappa, as you call him, seems to have
chosen a very certain one, at least, if he falls into the hands of the
governor of this island; who, judging from the specimens I saw hanging
up at the entrance of the port, treats such gentry with no slight
distinction, by placing them in the most conspicuous posts within his
jurisdiction."
"You joke merrily on the subject; but it is no laughing matter to those
who have been robbed and nearly murdered," said the Greek merchant. "I
only wish I could get the villains in my power, I would hang them all
without mercy, as high as Haman."
"I dare say you do," said the stranger, smiling. "Such is but a natural
impulse. Yet, as I have not suffered, I cannot enter quite so warmly
into your feelings. However, I am grateful to you for your account; and
I shall take very good care to keep out of the way of your friend Zappa.
May I ask, by the way, the appearance and name of the vessel commanded
by this renowned cut-throat?"
"Certainly," said the merchant, "though, as I said, it was nearly dark
when he boarded us; but I should describe her as a rakish polacca brig,
of about two hundred and fifty tons burden; and from what we learnt
afterwards, we discovered that she must be the celebrated _Sea Hawk_.
It is said that she is so fleet that nothing could ever catch her, and
that she comes up with everything she chases; so that, my friend, you
may not avoid her quite so easily as you may wish."
"It is something to know what she is like; and, if we cannot run from
her, we must fight her," returned the stranger. "However, before we
part, let me assure you that I shall be most happy to be of any service
to you in my power. When do you again sail from hence?"
"In a few days our mission here will be concluded. We then return to
our beloved Greece," replied the merchant.
"What! and run the risk of being chased by the _Sea Hawk_, and of
falling into the hands of that rogue, Zappa!" exclaimed the stranger.
"However, as, by the law of chances, you could scarcely encounter him
twice, I should much like to accompany you, for I should then consider
myself safe from him. By what vessel do you go?"
"A Venetian merchant schooner, the _Floriana_. She sails hence in four
days; and, as she has a rich cargo, she is well-armed and has plenty of
men--so we need not fear Zappa or any other pirate."
"Just as I should wish. I will look out for her, depend on it,"
exclaimed the stranger, quickly. "But I must, for the present, wish you
farewell, gentlemen. I have an appointment, and I have already
overstayed my time."
Saying this, the stranger bowed to his new acquaintance; and throwing
down his reckoning with a haughty air, quitted the coffee-house.
"He seems an honestly fair spoken gentleman," said one of the young
Greeks to his father. "He will be a great addition to our society on
board."
"I am not quite so certain of that," replied the more sagacious
merchant. "Fair spoken he is without doubt; but for honesty, why you
know the safe rule is to look upon all men as knaves till you find them
otherwise. Therefore, my sons, never consider a stranger honest, or you
may discover, when too late, that he is a rogue. Now, though it is
doubtless fancy, I cannot help thinking that our friend there bears a
very striking resemblance to the pirate Zappa."