Another and a very different vessel chanced to be floating in those seas
at the time the Sicilian trader set sail. At a distance she might have
been mistaken for a fishing-boat, for she carried only two lateen sails,
of that high triangular form which may still be seen in the
Mediterranean and on the lakes of Switzerland. In reality, however, the
vessel was of greater dimensions than even the largest boat, and her
main-mast with its sail was of gigantic proportions. She was also
full-decked, and several pieces of heavy ordnance pointed their black
muzzles 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 bronzed
and stalwart men. Their costume, as well as their arms, told that these
were of Eastern origin. Although there was much variety in detail, they
all wore the same gold-laced jackets, the same loose Turkish drawers
gathered in below the knees, and broad silken scarfs round their waists,
with richly chased silver-mounted pistols and yataghans or curved
swords. Some wore the turban, others the blue-tasselled red fez or
tarbouch of Tunis, while a few contented themselves with a kerchief tied
loosely round their heads.
One, who appeared to be the captain of the vessel, stood near the
steersman, leaning on the bulwarks, and scanning the horizon with a
telescope. His costume was similar to that of his men, but of richer
material.
"It is certainly a sail," said he whom we have styled the captain to one
who 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 well
abreast of her, and then--"
The captain shut up the telescope with an emphatic bang, by way of
termination to his remark, and, turning on his heel, paced the deck
rapidly by the side of his mate.
"We have been unlucky hitherto," he observed; "perchance fortune may
change 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 down
in a series of squalls that caused the piratical-looking craft to lie
over as if she were about to capsize. The vessel which they were
pursuing also bent over to the breeze and crowded all sail; for well did
Francisco, its owner and padrone, know, from past experience, that
Algerine corsairs were fast sailers, and that his only hope lay in
showing them his heels! He had often given them the slip before--why
should he not again?
While thus doing his best to escape, however, the bluff merchant did not
neglect to make preparations for defence.
"Clear away the big gun," he said to Mariano, who acted as his first
officer, Lucien being the scrivano or supercargo of the vessel; "'tis a
good piece, and has turned the flight of many a pirate with its first
bark."
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 little
chance--"
"What say you?" demanded Francisco.
"I say that if it be the vessel of a man whom I happen to know, you will
have to trust to your sails for deliverance--fighting will be of no
avail."
Francisco looked at the Jew with some surprise, not unmingled with
contempt.
"A warlike spirit, it seems, does not always consort with a powerful
frame," he said; "but how come you to have scraped acquaintance with
these pirates, whose existence is a blight upon the commerce of the
Mediterranean, and a disgrace to our age?"
"None should know better than thyself that a trader, like any other
traveller, becomes acquainted with strange bedfellows," replied Bacri,
with a quiet smile. "As to a warlike spirit, of what use would it be in
a despised Israelite to display such?"
"There is truth in that," returned the padrone in a more respectful
tone; "nevertheless, if fighting becomes needful, I trust that one
furnished with such thews and sinews will not fail to lend effective
aid."
"That he will not, I dare say; and here is a cutlass for him, wherewith
to carve a name and fame," said Mariano, coming aft at the moment and
presenting 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 be
double-shotted, and that big black rascal Manqua slily crammed in a
handful of nails without leave. I only hope she won't burst."
"Burst!" exclaimed the padrone, with a laugh; "if you were to load her
even beyond the muzzle she wouldn't burst. I remember once loading her
with a full dose of canister, and clapped two round shot on the top of
that, after which the same negro you have mentioned, (for he has a
tendency in that way), shoved in a handspike without orders, and let the
whole concern fly at a pirate boat, which it blew clean out of the
water: she well-nigh burst the drums of our ears on that occasion, but
showed no sign whatever of bursting herself."
"Nevertheless," said Bacri earnestly, "I advise you to trust entirely to
your 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 before
a stiff breeze, with all the sail set that she could carry, while the
water dashed in clouds from her bows, and rushed over her lee bulwarks.
But the sailing powers of the pirate-vessel were superior to those of
the trading schooner. In a short time she was close alongside, and
fired 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 board
the pirates the varied contents of the big gun, which cut the halyards
of their smaller sail, and brought it down on the deck. This result was
celebrated by a hearty cheer from the schooner's crew. The pirates, in
return, discharged a broadside which cut away the foremast of the
schooner, thus rendering escape impossible.
"Now, men," cried Francisco, when the disaster occurred, "you must this
day make your choice--victory or slavery--for there is no mercy in the
breasts of these scoundrels."
He waited for no reply, but at once sprang to the big gun, which had
been re-loaded with a charge so miscellaneous that the sable Manqua
grinned with satisfaction as he endeavoured to ram it home.
Meanwhile Mariano and Lucien placed the men, who were armed to the
teeth, at the gangways, and along the weather-side of the schooner, to
be in readiness to repel the foe when they should attempt to board.
There was no hesitation on the part of the pirates, although they saw
plainly the vigorous preparations which were being made to receive them.
Bearing down on the crippled vessel at full speed, in spite of the
bellowing discharge from the great gun, and a well-delivered volley of
small shot, which stretched many of them on the deck, they ran straight
against her, threw grappling-irons into the rigging, and sprang on board
with a fierce yell.
The melee that followed was sharp, but very short and decisive. The
Sicilian crew fought with the courage of desperate men, but were almost
instantly overpowered by numbers. Mariano had singled out the pirate
captain as his own special foe. In making towards the spot where he
expected that he would board, he observed the tall Jew standing by the
wheel with his arms crossed on his breast, and regarding the attack with
apparent indifference.
"What!" cried Mariano, anger mingling with his surprise, "do you stand
idle at such a moment?"
"You will miss your chance," returned Bacri, giving a glance and a nod
towards the side of the vessel where the pirate captain stood ready to
spring.
Almost at the instant that the brief hint was given, Mariano had sprung
to the bulwarks, and parried the thrust of a boarding-spike, which act
unfortunately disconcerted his aim in discharging his pistol. Next
moment he had seized the pirate by the throat, and fell with him to the
deck, where a fierce struggle ensued.
We have said that the Sicilian youth was powerfully made, but the pirate
captain was more than a match for him in size, if not in courage;
nevertheless, the superior activity of Mariano, coupled with the fact
that he chanced to fall uppermost, gave him an advantage which would in
a few moments have cost the pirate his life, had not a blow from behind
rendered his youthful adversary insensible.
Rising hastily and regaining the yataghan which had fallen from his
grasp in the struggle, the pirate captain was about to rush again into
the fight, but, perceiving that although one or two of the schooner's
crew still showed resistance, his men were almost everywhere in
possession of the deck, he desisted, and turned with a look of surprise
to the man who had freed him from his antagonist.
"_You_ here, Bacri!" he said. "Truly my fate is a hard one when it
condemns me to be rescued by a dog of a Jew."
"It might have been harder, Sidi Hassan, if it had condemned you to be
slain by the hand of a Christian," replied the Jew, with an air of
humility that scarcely harmonised with his towering height and his
breadth of shoulder.
Hassan uttered a short laugh, and was about to reply when a shout from
his men caused him to run to the forward part of the vessel, where
Francisco, Lucien, and the warlike negro already referred to were still
fighting desperately, surrounded by pirates, many of whom were badly
wounded. It was well for the three heroes that their foes had
discharged all their pistols at the first rush. Some of them, now
rendered furious by the unexpectedly successful opposition made by the
dauntless three, as well as by the smarting of their wounds, were
hastily re-loading their weapons, when their captain came forward. It
was obvious that mercy or forbearance had been driven from their
breasts, and that a few seconds more would put a bloody end to the
unequal contest.
"Spare them, Sidi Hassan," said the Jew in a deeply earnest tone.
"Why should I spare them?" returned the captain quietly; "they deserve
to 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 at
his companion. "May I trust thee, Jew?"
"You may trust me," replied the Jew, apparently quite unmoved by the
insolent 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 shall
reserve them for something better." Then, turning to Francisco, "Lay
down your arms."
"We will lay down our arms," answered the bluff merchant, who was not at
all sorry to obtain this brief period of breathing-time, "when we have
laid 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 along
with them poor Mariano, who was just recovering from the blow given to
him by Bacri. On seeing the plight of his father and brother he made a
desperate effort to free himself, but quickly found that he was as
helpless 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 your
choice, but see that you be quick about it."
There was that in the pirate captain's tone and look which induced
instant compliance. Francisco and his companions, at once laying down
their weapons, were seized and had their arms pinioned. Mariano was
also bound, and then their conquerors proceeded to clear the decks of
the dead and wounded. This was soon accomplished; a prize crew was
placed in the schooner; the captives, still pinioned, were transferred
to 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 glided
quietly along, while the rascally crew lay conversing and smoking on her
deck, many of them bearing marks of the recent conflict, and some
sleeping as peacefully as though their hands were guiltless of shedding
human blood, and legitimate trade their occupation.