PIRATES.
It was not possible that a matter of this sort could be entirely hushed
up. Not many hours passed before rumors were current of events which had
taken place, though none knew what those events were.
There were reports that the tire-woman of the Princess Berengaria had in
the night discovered that her mistress' couch was unoccupied, that she
had found signs of a struggle, and had picked up a dagger on the floor,
where it had evidently fallen from the sheath; also it was said that the
princess had returned at daylight escorted by an armed party, and that
she was unable to obtain entrance to the palace until one of the ladies
of the queen had been fetched down to order the sentries at the gate to
allow her to enter.
This was the news which rumor carried through the camp. Few, however,
believed it, and none who could have enlightened them opened their lips
upon the subject.
It was known, however, that a messenger had come to King Richard early,
and that he had at once mounted and ridden off to the bishop's palace.
What had happened there none could say, but there were rumors that his
voice had been heard in furious outbursts of passion. He remained there
until the afternoon, when he sent for a number of his principal nobles.
When these arrived they found him standing on a daïs in the principal
hall of the palace, and he there formally introduced to them the
Princess Berengaria as his affianced wife. The ceremony of the marriage,
he told them, would shortly take place.
This announcement caused a tremendous stir in both armies. The English,
who had never been favorable to the alliance with the French princess,
were glad to hear that this was broken off, and were well content that
the Princess Berengaria should be their future queen, for her beauty,
high spirit, and kindness had won all hearts.
On the part of the French, on the other hand, there was great
indignation, and for some time it was feared that the armies would come
to open blows.
King Philip, however, although much angered, was politic enough to
deprecate any open outbreak. He knew that a dispute now began would not
only at once put a stop to the Crusade, but that it might lead to more
serious consequences at home. The fiery bravery of the English king,
backed as it would be by the whole strength of his subjects, might
render him a very formidable opponent; and the king felt that private
grievances must be laid aside where the good of France was concerned.
Still the coldness between the armies increased, their camps were moved
further apart, and during the time that they remained in Sicily there
was but little commerce between the two forces.
As soon as the winter had broken the French monarch broke up his camp,
and in March sailed for the Holy Land.
The English had expected that the marriage ceremony of the king and
Princess Berengaria would be celebrated before they left Sicily, but
this was not the case. There were high joustings and _fêtes_ in honor of
the princess, but the marriage was delayed. A fortnight after the French
had sailed the English embarked in the two hundred ships which had been
prepared, and sailed also on their way to Acre.
It must not be supposed that the attempted abduction of the Princess
Berengaria was unimportant in its results to Cuthbert.
After returning from the palace the king, who had heard from her the
details of what had taken place, and the names of her rescuers, sent for
the Earl of Evesham. The latter had of course learned from Cuthbert all
that had happened, and had expressed his high approval of his conduct,
and his gratification at the result.
"I learn, Sir Earl," said King Richard, "that it is to you that I am
indebted for the rescue of the princess. She tells me that suspecting
some plot you placed a guard around the bishop's palace, with a strong
body on the shore ready to rescue her from the hands of any who might
attempt to take her to sea."
"It is as you say, sire," replied the earl; "but the whole merit of the
affair rests upon my page, the lad whom you may remember as having
fought with and conquered the French page, and of whose conduct you then
approved highly. You may also remember that he escaped by some display
of bravery and shrewdness the further attempts to assassinate him, and
your majesty was good enough to make a complaint to King Philip of the
conduct of one of his nobles on that head. It seems that some two months
since the lad in coming through the French camp at night missed his way,
and accidentally overheard a few words spoken in a voice which he
recognized as that of his enemy. The name of your majesty being
mentioned, he deemed it his duty to listen, and thus discovered that a
plot was on foot for carrying off the princess. After consultation with
me, we agreed upon the course to be adopted, namely, to place sentries
round the bishop's place and the buildings adjoining, who should follow
and bring word should she be taken to another place in town, while a
band was placed on the shore in readiness to interfere at once to
prevent her being carried away by sea. He undertook the management of
all details, having with him a trusty squire who commands my Saxon
bowmen."
"For your own part I thank you, my lord," the king said, "and, believe
me, you shall not find Richard ungrateful. As to your page, he appears
brave and wise beyond his years. Were it not that I think that it would
not be good for him, and might attract some envy upon the part of
others, I would at once make him a knight. He already has my promise
that I will do so on the first occasion when he can show his prowess
upon the infidels. Bring him to me to-morrow, when the princess will be
here with the Queen of Navarre at a banquet. I would fain thank him
before her; and, although I have agreed--at the princess' earnest
solicitation--to take no further notice of the matter, and to allow it
to pass as if it had not been, yet I cannot forgive the treachery which
has been used, and without letting all know exactly what has occurred
would fain by my reception of your page let men see that something of
great import has happened, of the nature of which I doubt not that rumor
will give some notion."
Upon the following day, therefore, Cuthbert to his confusion found
himself the center of the royal circle. The king expressed himself to
him in the most gracious manner, patting him on the shoulder, and said
that he would be one day one of the best and bravest of his knights. The
princess and the Queen of Navarre gave him their hands to kiss, and
somewhat overwhelmed, he withdrew from the royal presence, the center of
attention, and, in some minds, of envy.
Cnut too did not pass unrewarded.
His majesty, finding that Cnut was of gentle Saxon blood, gave him a
gold chain in token of his favor, and distributed a heavy purse among
the men who had followed him.
When the British fleet, numbering two hundred ships, set sail from
Sicily, it was a grand and martial sight. From the masts were the colors
of England and those of the nobles who commanded; while the pennons of
the knights, the bright plumes and mantles, the flash of armor and arms
made the decks alive with light and color.
The king's ship advanced in the van, and round him were the vessels
containing his principal followers. The Queen of Navarre and the
Princess Berengaria were with the fleet. Strains of music rose from the
waters, and never were the circumstances of war exhibited in a more
picturesque form.
For two days the expedition sailed on, and then a change of a sudden and
disastrous kind took place.
"What is all this bustle about?" Cuthbert said to Cnut. "The sailors are
running up the ladders, all seems confusion."
"Methinks," said Cnut, "that we are about to have a storm. A few minutes
ago scarce a cloud was to be seen; now that bank over there has risen
halfway up the sky. The sailors are accustomed to these treacherous
seas, and the warnings which we have not noticed have no doubt been
clear enough to them."
With great rapidity the sails of the fleet came down, and in five
minutes its whole aspect was changed; but quickly as the sailors had
done their work, the storm was even more rapid in its progress. Some of
the ships whose crews were slower or less skillful than the others were
caught by the gale before they could get their sails snug, and the great
sheets of white canvas were blown from the bolt-ropes as if made of
paper, and a blackness which could almost be felt covered the sea, the
only light being that given by the frothing waters. There was no longer
any thought of order. Each ship had to shift for herself; and each
captain to do his best to save those under his charge, without thought
of what might befall the others.
In the ship which carried the Earl of Evesham's contingent, order and
discipline prevailed. The earl's voice had been heard at the first puff
of wind, shouting to the men to go below, save a few who might be of use
to haul at ropes. His standard was lowered, the bright flags removed
from the sides of the ship, the shields which were hanging over the
bulwarks were hurriedly taken below, and when the gale smote them the
ship was trim, and in readiness to receive it. A few square yards of
sail alone were all that the captain had thought it prudent to keep
spread, and in a minute from the time she was struck the lofty hulk was
tearing along through the waters at a tremendous speed. Four of the best
hands were placed at the helm; and here the captain took his post.
The danger was now that in the darkness they might run against one of
their consorts. Even in the war of the elements they could hear from
time to time crashes as of vessels striking against each other, with
shouts and cries. Once or twice from the darkness ships emerged, close
on one hand or the other; but the steadiness of the captain in each case
saved the ship from collision.
As the storm continued these glimpses of other vessels became more and
more rare, and the ship being a very fast sailer, the captain indulged
the hope that he was now clear of the rest of the fleet.
He now attempted to lie-to to the storm, but the wind was too strong.
The ships in those days, too, were so high out of the water, and offered
in themselves such a target to the wind, that it was useless to adopt
any other maneuver than to run before it.
For two days and nights the tempest raged.
"What think you," the earl said to the captain, "of our position? Where
are we, and where will the course upon which we are running take us?"
"I cannot say with certainty," the captain said, "for the wind has
shifted several times. I had hoped to gain the shelter of Rhodes, but a
shift of wind bore us away from there, and I much fear that from the
direction in which we have been running we must be very nigh on the
coast of Africa."
"_Peste!_" the earl said. "That would indeed be a speedy end to our
Crusade. These Moors are pirates and cutthroats to a man; and even
should we avoid the risk of being dashed to pieces, we should end our
lives as slaves to one of these black infidels."
Three hours later the captain's prophecies turned out right. Breakers
were seen in various points in front, and with the greatest difficulty
the vessel was steered through an opening between them; but in another
few minutes she struck heavily, one of her masts went over the side, and
she lay fast and immovable. Fortunately, the outside bank of sand acted
as a sort of breakwater; had she struck upon this the good ship would
have gone to pieces instantly; but although the waves still struck her
with considerable force, the captain had good hope that she would not
break up. Darkness came on; the tempest seemed to lull. As there was no
immediate danger, and all were exhausted by the tossing which they had
received during the last forty-eight hours, the crew of the Rose slept
soundly.
In the morning the sun rose brilliantly, and there was no sign of the
great storm which had scattered the fleet of England. The shore was to
be seen at a distance of some four miles. It was low and sandy, with
lofty mountains in the distance. Far inland a white town with minaret
and dome could be seen.
"Know you where we are?" the earl asked.
"As far as I can tell," the captain said, "we have been driven up the
bay called the Little Syrtis--a place full of shoals and shallows, and
abounding with pirates of the worst kind."
"Think you that the ship has suffered injury?"
"Whether she has done so or not," the captain said, "I fear greatly
that she is fast in the sand, and even the lightening of all her cargo
will scarce get her off; but we must try at least."
"It is little time that we shall have to try, Master Captain," Cuthbert,
who was standing close, said. "Me thinks those two long ships which are
putting out from that town will have something to say to that."
"It is too true," the captain said. "Those are the galleys of the
Moorish corsairs. They are thirty or forty oars, draw but little water,
and will be here like the wind."
"What do you advise?" asked the earl. "The falconets which you have upon
the poop can make but a poor resistance to boats that can row around us,
and are no doubt furnished with heavy metal. They will quickly perceive
that we are aground and defenseless, and will be able to plump their
shot into us until they have knocked the good ship to pieces. However,
we will fight to the last. It shall not be said that the Earl of Evesham
was taken by infidel dogs and sold as a slave, without striking a blow
in his defense."
Cuthbert stood watching the corsairs, which were now rowing toward them
at all speed.
"Methinks, my lord," he said presently, "if I might venture to give an
opinion, that we might yet trick the infidel."
"As how, Cuthbert?" the earl said. "Speak out; you know that I have
great faith in your sagacity."
"I think, sir," the page said, "that did we send all your men below,
leaving only the crew of the vessel on deck, they would take us for a
merchant ship which has been wrecked here, and exercise but little care
how they approach us. The men on deck might make a show of firing once
or twice with the falconets. The pirates, disdaining such a foe, would
row alongside. Once there, we might fasten one or both to our side with
grapnels, and then, methinks, that English bill and bow will render us
more than a match for Moorish pirates, and one of these craft can
scarcely carry more men than we have. I should propose to take one of
them by force, and drive the pirates overboard; take possession of, if
possible, or beat off her consort; and then take the most valuable
stores from the ship and make our way as best we can to the north."
"Well thought of!" exclaimed the earl cordially. "You have indeed
imagined a plan which promises well. What think you, captain?"
"I think, my lord," the Genoese said, "that the plan is an excellent
one, and promises every success. If your men will all go below, holding
their arms in readiness for the signal, mine shall prepare grapnels and
ropes, and the first of these craft which comes alongside they will lash
so securely to the Rose that I warrant me she gets not away."
These preparations were soon made.
The soldiers, who at first had been filled with apprehension at the
thought of slavery among the infidels, were now delighted at the
prospect of a struggle ending in escape.
The archers prepared their bows and arrows, and stood behind the
portholes in readiness to pour a volley into the enemy; the men-at-arms
grasped their pikes and swords; while above, the sailors moved hither
and thither as if making preparations for defense, but in reality
preparing the grapnels and ropes.
One of the pirates was faster than the other, and soon coming within
reach, opened fire upon the Rose with a heavy cannon, which she carried
in her bow.
The crew of the Rose replied with their falconets and sakers from the
poop.
The corsair at first did not keep her course direct for the ship, but
rowed once or twice round her, firing as she did so. Then, apparently
satisfied that no great precaution need be observed with a feebly-manned
ship in so great a strait as the Rose, they set up a wild cry of
"Allah!" and rowed toward her.
In two minutes the corsair was alongside of the Rose, and the fierce
crew were climbing up her sides. As she came alongside the sailors cast
grapnels into her rigging, and fastened her to the Rose; and then a loud
shout of "Hurrah for England!" was heard; the ports opened, and a volley
of arrows was poured upon the astonished corsair; and from the deck
above the assailants were thrown back into the galley, and a swarm of
heavily armed men leaped down from the ship upon them.
Taken by surprise, and indeed outnumbered, the resistance of the
corsairs was but slight. In a close fierce _mêlée_ like this the
light-armed Moors had but little chance with the mail-clad English,
whose heavy swords and axes clove their defenses at a blow. The fight
lasted but three minutes, and then the last of the corsairs was
overboard.
The men who rowed the galley had uttered the most piercing cries while
this conflict had been raging. They were unable to take any part in it,
had they been disposed to do so, for they were all slaves chained to the
oars.
Scarcely had the conflict ended when the other galley arrived upon the
scene; but seeing what had happened, and that her consort had fallen
into the hands of the English, she at once turned her head, and rowed
back rapidly to the town from which she had come.
Among the slaves who rowed the galley were many white men, and their
cries of joy at their liberation greatly affected those who had thus
unexpectedly rescued them. Hammers were soon brought into requisition,
the shackles struck off them, and a scene of affecting joy took place.
The slaves were of all nationalities, but Italians and Spaniards, French
and Greeks formed the principal part. There was no time, however, to be
lost; the arms and munitions of war were hastily removed from the Rose,
together with the most valuable of the stores.
The galley-slaves again took their places, and this time willingly, at
the oars, the places of the weakest being supplied by the English,
whose want of skill was made up by the alacrity with which they threw
their strength into the work; and in an hour from the time that the
galley had arrived alongside of the Rose, her head was turned north, and
with sixty oars she was rowing at all speed for the mouth of the bay.