Gradually a greater amount of liberty was given to Gervaise. Escape
from Tripoli was deemed impossible, especially as he was supposed to be
entirely ignorant of Arabic. He was, indeed, scarcely regarded now as a
slave by the head mason, and instead of being clad in rags was dressed
like other overseers. He was no longer obliged to walk with the gang to
and from the palace, and was at last granted permission to go into the
town for an hour or two after his work was over, instead of returning
direct to the prison. The first time this permission was given to him
he placed himself on the road by which Ben Ibyn would leave the town,
choosing a quiet spot where the meeting would not be observed. Gervaise
had for some time taken to staining his face, hands, and legs with
walnut juice, beginning with a weak solution, and very gradually
increasing the strength until he had reached a shade approximating to
that of the lighter coloured portion of the population. The head mason
had on one occasion noticed it, and said, “The sun is darkening your
skin, Gervaise, until you might verily pass as a Moor.”
Gervaise detected an expression of doubt in the tone the officer had
spoken to the interpreter, and replied at once, “It is not altogether
the sun. Since I have obtained permission to come to my work alone,
I have taken to slightly darkening my skin, in order to go to and fro
unmolested, and free from the insults that the boys and beggars hurl at
Christians.”
The master mason nodded approvingly when the answer was translated to
him.
“It is a wise step,” he said; “for truly the hatred of Christians is
very strong among the lower classes, especially since it became known
that the galleys that sailed from here nearly two years ago were, with
all the fleet from which so much was expected, utterly destroyed. It is
well, then, that you should pass unnoticed, for were there a tumult in
the street you might lose your life, and I should lose the best labour
overseer I have ever had.”
Thus, then, as Gervaise walked through the streets on the first occasion
of obtaining his liberty, he attracted no attention whatever. When he
saw Ben Ibyn approaching he stepped out to meet him. The merchant looked
in his face, but for a moment failed to recognise him, then he exclaimed
suddenly, “It is Gervaise! Ah, my son, I am indeed rejoiced to see
you. We have spoken of you so often at home, and sorely did my wife and
daughters grieve when you were torn from us. I did not dare to send any
message to you, for the sultan pretended great anger against me, and
used the opportunity to squeeze me hardly; but I have frequently made
inquiries about you, and was glad indeed to find that even in prison you
received promotion; had it been otherwise--had I found that you were
in misery--I would have endeavoured, whatever the risk, to aid you to
escape.”
“I have indeed nothing to complain of, and was sorry to learn that you
had suffered on my account. Have you ever learned how it came about that
I was denounced?”
“No, indeed; I would have given much to know, and assuredly the dog,
whoever he was, should have been made to suffer.”
“It was Hassan. The villain met me when I was with the gang, and boasted
that it was he who had sent me there. He had told the news to some
official, who had, of course, repeated it to the sultan; doubtless he
concealed his own share in the matter, otherwise he too would, next time
he returned here, have had to pay for his part in it.”
“I will make him pay more heavily than the sultan would,” Ben Ibyn said
sternly; “I will speak to my friends among the merchants, and henceforth
no Berber will buy aught from him; and we have hitherto been his best
customers. But let us not waste our time in speaking of this wretch. How
comes it that you are walking freely in the streets of Tripoli? I can
see that your face is stained, although you are no longer a Nubian.”
Gervaise told him how it was that he was free to walk in the city after
his work was done.
“I shall now,” he went on, “be able to carry out any plan of escape that
may occur to me; but before I leave, as I shall certainly do ere long,
I mean to settle my score with Hassan, and I pray you to send one of
the men who were with me in the galley, and whom you took into your
employment, directly you hear that his ship is in harbour. Do not give
him either a note or a message: bid him simply place himself in the
road between the prison gate and the palace, and look fixedly at me as I
pass. I shall know it is a signal that Hassan is in the port.”
“Can I aid you in your flight? I will willingly do so.”
“All that I shall need is the garb of a peasant,” Gervaise said. “I
might buy one unnoticed; but, in the first place, I have no money, and
in the second, when it is known that I have escaped, the trader might
recall the fact that one of the slave overseers had purchased a suit of
him.”
“The dress of an Arab would be the best,” the merchant said. “That I
will procure and hold in readiness for you. On the day when I send
you word that Hassan is here, I will see that the gate of my garden is
unbarred at night, and will place the garments down just behind it. You
mean, I suppose, to travel by land?”
“I shall do so for some distance. Were I to steal a boat from the port,
it would be missed in the morning, and I be overtaken. I shall therefore
go along the coast for some distance and get a boat at one of the
villages, choosing my time when there is a brisk wind, and when I may
be able to get well beyond any risk of being overtaken. Now, Ben Ibyn, I
will leave you; it were better that we should not meet again, lest some
suspicion might fall upon you of having aided in my escape. I cannot
thank you too much for all your past kindness, and shall ever bear a
grateful remembrance of yourself and your family.”
“Perhaps it were better so,” Ben Ibyn said; “for if the Moors can find
any excuse for plundering us, they do so. Have you heard the news that
the Sultan of Turkey's expedition for the capture of Rhodes is all but
complete, and will assuredly sail before many weeks have passed?”
“I have not heard it,” Gervaise replied; “and trust that I may be in
time to bear my share in the defence. However, the blow has been so
often threatened that it may be some time before it falls.”
“May Allah bless you, my son, and take you safely back to your friends!
Be assured that you shall have notice as soon as I know that Hassan has
returned, and you shall have the bundle with all that is needful, behind
my gate.”
Another two months passed. Gervaise looked in vain for Ben Ibyn's
messenger as he went to and from the palace, and chafed terribly at the
delay, when, for aught he knew, the Turkish fleet might already have
brought Mahomet's army to Rhodes. At last, as he came back from work, he
saw with intense satisfaction one of the men, whose face he recognised,
leaning carelessly against the wall. The man gave no sign of
recognition, but looked at him earnestly for a minute, and then
sauntered off up the street. Gervaise went up into the town as usual,
walked about until it became quite dark, and then went to the gate that
led into the merchant's garden. He found that it was unfastened,
and, opening it, he went in and closed it behind him. As he did so he
started, for a voice close by said,
“Master, it is I, the messenger whom you saw two hours since. Ben Ibyn
bade me say that he thought you might require some service, and, knowing
that I could be trusted, bade me wait for you here. He thought that you
might possibly need a messenger to Hassan.”
“The very thing,” Gervaise exclaimed. “I have been puzzling myself in
vain as to how I could get speech with him in some quiet place; but
with your assistance that will be easy; but first let me put on this
disguise.”
This was easily effected, even in the dark. A loose flowing robe of
white cotton, girt in at the waist, a long bernouse with hood to cover
the head, a sash with a dagger, and a scimitar, completed the disguise.
“Here is a pouch,” the man said, “with money for your journey, and
a long sword, which he says you can hang at your back beneath your
bernouse.”
Gervaise gave an exclamation of pleasure. By its length and weight he
was sure that the weapon must have been the property of a Christian
knight.
“Shall I carry the message this evening?” the man asked. “It is early
still, and it were best that you should not linger in the city, where
there is sure to be a strict search for you in the morning.”
“But perhaps he may recognise your face?”
“It is blackened, my lord, and I am dressed as you were when with Ben
Ibyn.”
“Let us settle our plans, then, before we sally out from here; we could
not find a safer place for talking. What message, think you, would be
the most likely to tempt Hassan to come ashore? You do not know what
spoil he has brought?”
“No; besides, if a merchant wanted to buy he would go on board to
inspect Hassan's wares. We must have something to sell. It must be
something tempting, and something that must be disposed of secretly. I
might tell him that my employer--and I would mention some merchant whose
name would carry weight with him--has received from the interior a large
consignment of slaves, among whom are three or four girls, who would
fetch high prices in Egypt, and as he believes they have been captured
from a tribe within the limits of the sultan's territory, he is anxious
to get rid of them, and will either dispose of them all cheaply in a
lot, or will hand them over to him to take to Egypt to sell, giving him
a large commission for carrying them there and disposing of them.”
“I do not like tempting even an enemy by stories that are untrue,”
Gervaise said doubtfully.
“I have no scruples that way,” the man said, with a laugh; “and it is I
who shall tell the story, and not you.”
Gervaise shook his head.
“Could you not say that you came from one who owes him a heavy debt and
desires to pay him?”
“I do not think that would bring him ashore. Hassan doubtless trades for
ready money, and must be well aware that no one here can be greatly in
his debt. No, my lord; leave the matter in my hands. I will think of
some story before I go on board that will fetch him ashore. But first we
must settle where I am to bring him; there are some deserted spots near
the wall on the east side of the town.”
“I know where you mean,” Gervaise agreed; “let us go in that direction
at once, for the sooner you are off the better.”
In half an hour a spot was fixed on, near some huts that had fallen into
ruin. Here Gervaise seated himself on a sand heap, while the man hurried
away. The moon had just risen, it being but three days since it was at
its full. The night was quiet; sounds of music, laughter, and occasional
shouts came faintly from the town. Seated where he was, Gervaise could
see the port and the ships lying there. Half an hour later he saw a boat
row off to one of them, which he had already singled out, from its size
and general appearance, as being that of Hassan; ten minutes later he
saw it returning. At that distance separate figures could not be made
out, but it seemed to him that it loomed larger than before, and he
thought that certainly one, if not more, persons, were returning with
his messenger. Presently he heard men approaching; then Hassan's voice
came distinctly to his ears.
“How much farther are you going to take me? Remember, I warned you that
unless I found that my journey repaid me, it would be bad for you.”
“It is but a few yards farther, my lord. There is my master the sheik of
the Beni Kalis awaiting you.”
Gervaise rose to his feet as Hassan and two of his crew came up.
“Now,” the former said roughly, “where have you bestowed these captives
you want to sell me?”
“Will you please to follow me into this courtyard?” Gervaise said.
He had, while waiting, reconnoitred the neighbourhood, and found an
enclosure with the walls still perfect, and had determined to bring
Hassan there, in order to prevent him from taking to flight. Hassan
entered it unsuspectingly, followed by his two men. Gervaise fell back
a little, so as to place himself between them and the entrance. Then he
threw back the hood of his bernouse.
“Do you recognise me, Hassan?” he said sternly. “I am the captive whom
you beat almost to death. I told you that some day I would kill you;
but even now I am willing to forgive you and to allow you to depart in
peace, if you will restore the amulet you took from me.”
The corsair gave a howl of rage.
“Christian dog!” he exclaimed. “You thought to lead me into a trap,
but you have fallen into one yourself. You reckoned that I should come
alone; but I suspected there was something hidden behind the story of
that black, and so brought two of my crew with me. Upon him, men! Cut
him down!” So saying, he drew his scimitar, and sprang furiously upon
Gervaise. The latter stepped back into the centre of the gateway, so as
to prevent the men, who had also drawn their swords, passing to attack
him from behind. He had undone the clasp of his bernouse, and allowed it
to fall to the ground as he addressed Hassan, and his long sword flashed
in the moonlight as the corsair sprang forward.
Hassan was a good swordsman, and his ferocious bravery had rendered him
one of the most dreaded of the Moorish rovers. Inferior in strength to
Gervaise, he was as active as a cat, and he leapt back with the spring
of a panther, avoiding the sweeping blow with which Gervaise had hoped
to finish the conflict at once; the latter found himself therefore
engaged in a desperate fight with his three assailants. So furiously did
they attack him that, foot by foot, he was forced to give ground. As he
stepped through the gateway one of the pirates sprang past him, but as
he did so, a figure leapt out from beyond the wall, and plunged a dagger
into his back, while at the same moment, by cutting down another pirate,
Gervaise rid himself of one of his assailants in front; but as he did
so, he himself received a severe wound on the left shoulder from Hassan,
who, before he could again raise his weapon, sprang upon him, and tried
to hurl him to the ground.
Gervaise's superior weight saved him from falling, though he staggered
back some paces; then his heel caught against a stone, and he fell,
dragging Hassan to the ground with him. Tightly clasped in each other's
arms, they rolled over and over. Gervaise succeeded at last in getting
the upper hand, but as he did so Hassan twisted his right arm free,
snatched the dagger from Gervaise's girdle, and struck furiously at him.
Gervaise, who had half risen to his knees, was unable to avoid the
blow, but threw himself forward, his weight partly pinning the corsair's
shoulders to the ground, and the blow passed behind him, inflicting but
a slight wound in the back; then, with his right hand, which was now
free, he grasped Hassan by the throat with a grip of iron. The pirate
struggled convulsively for a moment, then his left hand released his
grasp of his opponent's wrist. A minute later Gervaise rose to his feet:
the pirate was dead.
Gervaise stooped and raised the fallen man's head from the ground, felt
for the chain, pulled up Claudia's gage, and placed it round his own
neck; then he turned to his guide.
“I have to thank you for my life,” he said, holding out his hand to him.
“It would have gone hard with me if that fellow had attacked me from
behind. I had not bargained for three of them.”
“I could not help it, my lord. It was not until Hassan had stepped down
into the boat that I knew he was going to take any one with him; then he
suddenly told two of his men to take their places by him, saying to me,
as he did so, 'I know not whether this message is a snare; but mind,
if I see any signs of treachery, your life at any rate will pay the
forfeit.' I knew not what to do, and indeed could do nothing; but,
knowing my lord's valour, I thought that, even against these odds, you
might conquer with such poor aid as I could give you.”
“It was not poor aid at all,” Gervaise said heartily. “Greatly am I
indebted to you, and sorry indeed am I, that I am unable to reward you
now for the great service that you have rendered me.”
“Do not trouble about that, my lord. I am greatly mistaken if I do not
find in the sashes of these three villains sufficient to repay me amply
for my share in this evening's work. And now, my lord, I pray you to
linger not a moment. The gates of the town shut at ten o'clock, and it
cannot be long from that hour now. But first, I pray you, let me bind up
your shoulder; your garment is soaked with blood.”
“Fortunately my bernouse will hide that; but it were certainly best to
staunch the blood before I start, for it would be hard for me to get at
the wound myself.”
The man took one of the sashes of the corsairs, tore it into strips, and
bandaged the wound; then with another he made a sling for the arm. As
he took off the sashes a leather bag dropped from each, and there was a
chink of metal. He placed them in his girdle, saying, “I shall have time
to count them when I get back.”
Gervaise sheathed his sword, and put on the bernouse, pulling the hood
well over his head; then, with a few more words of thanks, started for
the gate, leaving the man to search Hassan's girdle.
The gate was a quarter of a mile distant. Gervaise passed through with
the usual Arabic salutation to the sentry, and with difficulty repressed
a shout of exultation as he left Tripoli behind him.
Following the coast road he walked till daylight; then he left it and
lay down among the sand hills for five or six hours. He calculated that
no pursuit would be begun until midday. His absence was not likely to be
noticed until the gangs began work in the morning, when an alarm would
be given. The sentries at the gates on the previous evening would
be questioned, and when it was found that no one answering to his
description had passed out before these were closed, there would be
a rigid search throughout the city and port. The vessels would all
be examined, and the boatmen questioned as to whether any craft was
missing. Not until the search proved absolutely fruitless would it be
seriously suspected that he had, either by passing through the gates in
disguise, or by scaling the walls, made for the interior. None knew that
he could speak Arabic, and it would be so hopeless an undertaking for
any one unacquainted with the language to traverse the country without
being detected, that the Moors would be slow to believe that he had
embarked upon such adventure. However, when all search for him in the
town and in the vessels in the port proved fruitless, doubtless mounted
men would be despatched in all directions; some would take the coast
roads, while others would ride into the interior to warn the head men of
the villages to be on the lookout for an escaped slave.
After a sleep of five hours, Gervaise pursued his journey. He had walked
for eight hours, and calculated that he must be fully thirty miles from
Tripoli, and that not until evening would searchers overtake him. After
walking four miles he came to a large village. There he purchased a bag
of dates, sat down on a stone bench by the roadside to eat them, and
entered into conversation with two or three Moors who sauntered up. To
these he represented that he belonged to a party of his tribe who had
encamped for the day at a short distance from the village in order
to rest their horses before riding into Tripoli, whither they were
proceeding to exchange skins of animals taken in the chase, and some
young horses, for cotton clothes, knives, and other articles of barter
with the tribes beyond them.
After quenching his thirst at a well in front of the mosque, he retraced
his steps until beyond the village, then struck out into the country,
made a detour, came down into the road again, and continued his journey
eastward. He walked until nightfall, and then again lay down.
He was now fully fifty miles from Tripoli, and hoped that he was beyond
the point to which horsemen from that town would think of pursuing their
search. It was likely that they would not have gone beyond the village
at which he had halted on the previous day; for when they learned from
the inhabitants that no stranger, save an Arab, had entered it, they
would content themselves with warning the head man to be on the watch
for any stranger unable to speak their tongue, and would not consider it
necessary to push their steps farther.
For four days Gervaise continued his journey. At each village through
which he passed he added to his stock of dates, until he had as many
as he could carry under his bernouse without attracting observation. He
also purchased a large water bottle, which he slung round his neck.
All this time the sea lay to his left like a sheet of glass, and he
knew that until a change of weather occurred, it was useless for him
to attempt to escape by boat. On the fifth day there were signs of a
change. He saw a dark line far out at sea; it came across the water
rapidly, and presently a gentle breeze began to blow from the northwest;
it gradually increased in strength, and when, in the afternoon, he
stopped at a village, the waves were breaking upon the shore.
After repeating his usual story, he sauntered down to the water's edge.
There were several boats hauled up, and a hundred yards out two or three
larger craft were lying at anchor. He entered into conversation with
some of the fishermen, and his questions as to the boats led them to
believe him altogether ignorant of the sea. The craft were, they told
him, used sometimes for fishing, but they often made voyages to towns
along the coast with dates and other produce. Each boat carried a single
short mast, to the top of which was attached a long tapering spar, on
which the sail was furled.
Gervaise knew that these small feluccas were generally fast sailors and
fair sea boats, and resolved to seize one of them, trusting that when
once the sail was shaken out he would be able to manage it single
handed. Accustomed to boats, he picked out that which he thought would
be the fastest, and then walked away for half a mile, and lay down to
sleep until the village was silent for the night. He had with him some
oaten cakes he had bought there, a string of fish he had purchased from
the boatmen, and with these and the dates he thought he could manage
for four or five days at least. As to water, he could only hope that he
should find a supply on board the boat. When he judged it to be about
ten o'clock he went down to the shore again, took off his clothes and
made them into a bundle; then, wading out into the water to within fifty
yards of the felucca, swam off to it, towing the bundle behind him.
He had no difficulty in climbing on board, and after dressing himself in
the clothes he had worn at Tripoli, and had kept on underneath the Arab
attire, he pulled the head rope until the craft was nearly over the
anchor. He then loosened the line that brailed up the sail, got the
stone that served as an anchor on board, hauled the sheet aft, and took
his place at the tiller. The wind had dropped a good deal with the sun,
but there was still sufficient air to send the light craft fast through
the water. He steered out for a time, and then, when he thought himself
a good mile from the shore, headed east. By the appearance of the water
as it glanced past, he thought that he must be making from five to six
miles an hour, and when the sun rose at five o'clock, believed that he
was nearly forty miles on his way. He now fastened the tiller with a
rope and proceeded to overhaul the craft.
It was decked over forward only, and he crept into the cabin, which was
little more than three feet high. The first thing his eye lit on was a
bulky object hanging against the side, and covered with a thick black
blanket of Arab manufacture. Lifting this, he saw, as he expected, that
the object beneath it was a large waterskin well filled; the blanket had
evidently been placed over it to keep it cool when the sun streamed down
on the deck above it. There was also a large bag of dates, and another
of flat cakes, and he guessed that these had all been put on board the
evening before, in readiness for a start in the morning. This relieved
him of his chief anxiety, for he had been unable to think of any plan
for replenishing his supply, or to concoct a likely tale that, were he
obliged to go on shore, would account for his being alone in a craft of
that size.
The wind increased again after sunrise, and being unable to reef the
sail single handed he managed partially to brail it up. All day the
craft flew along with the wind on the quarter, making six or seven miles
an hour; and he felt that by morning he would be well beyond pursuit. On
the run he passed several craft engaged in fishing, but these gave him
no uneasiness. He had in the morning, with some old sails he found,
constructed three rough imitations of human figures, one with the Arab
dress and another with the bernouse, and had placed them against the
bulwarks, so that at a short distance it would appear that there were
three men on board. Feeling confident that the deception would not be
noticed, he kept his course without swerving, and passed some of the
fishing boats within hailing distance, waving his hand and shouting the
usual Arab salutation to their crews.
During the day he contented himself with eating some dates and an
oatmeal cake or two; but at sunset he added to this two or three fish
that he had split open and hung up to dry in the sun and wind. There was
charcoal on board, and a flat stone served as a hearth in the bottom of
the boat, but he had no means of lighting a fire, for this the fishermen
would have brought off when they came on board in the morning. After he
had finished his meal and taken his place again at the tiller he
altered his course. Hitherto he had been steering to the south of east,
following the line of coast, but he now saw before him the projecting
promontory of Cape Mezurata, which marks the western entrance of the
great Gulf of Sydra; and he now directed his course two points north
of east, so as to strike the opposite promontory, known as Grenna, more
than a hundred miles away. The wind fell much lighter, and he shook out
the sail to its full extent. All night he kept at his post, but finding
the wind perfectly steady he lashed the tiller so as to keep the boat's
head in the direction in which he was steering, and dozed for some
hours, waking up occasionally to assure himself that she was keeping her
course.
At sunrise he indulged in a wash in sea water, and felt freshened and
revived. He now kept a sharp lookout for distant sails, for he was out
of the ordinary course a coaster would take, and would have attracted
the attention of any corsair coming out from the land; the sea, however,
remained clear of ships. All day the felucca made rapid progress, for
although the wind freshened, Gervaise did not lessen sail as before,
being now accustomed to the boat and confident of her powers. As soon
as the wind died away again after sunset, he lay down for a good sleep,
feeling this was an absolute necessity, and knowing that before morning
he should be obliged to keep a sharp lookout for land. He slept longer
than he had intended, for the day was breaking when he opened his eyes.
He sprang to his feet, and saw the land stretching ahead of him at a
distance, as he thought, of some fifteen miles, and at once put the helm
down and bore more to the north.
He judged, from what he had heard on the coast, that he must be nearly
off Cape Tejones, behind which lies the town of Bengasi, and was
confirmed in the belief on finding half an hour later that the coast,
which had run nearly north and south, trended sharply away to the
northeast. All day long he kept about the same distance from the land,
and at night, instead of keeping on his course, brailed up the sail
entirely, and allowed the vessel to drift, as he knew that before
morning he should lose the coast if he continued as he was going. He
slept without moving until daylight, and then saw, to his satisfaction,
by means of landmarks he had noticed the evening before, that the boat
had drifted but a few miles during the night. As the day went on, he saw
that the coastline was now east and west, and felt that he must be off
the most northerly point of the promontory; he accordingly laid his
course to the northeast, which would take him close to Cape Saloman, the
most easterly point of Crete, and from two hundred and fifty to three
hundred miles distant.
For twenty-four hours he sailed quietly on, the wind dropping lighter
and lighter; then it suddenly died out altogether; for some hours there
was not a breath to stir the surface of the water, and the heat was
stifling. Gervaise slept for some time; when he awoke the same stillness
reigned, but there was a change in the appearance of the sky; its
brightness was dulled by a faint mist, while, although the sea was of
a glassy smoothness, there was an imperceptible swell that caused the
felucca to sway uneasily. Gervaise had sufficient experience of the
Levant to know that these signs were ominous of a change, and he at
once set to work to prepare for it. Although he saw that it would be
difficult for him unaided to hoist the long spar back into its place,
he decided to lower it. This was not difficult, as its weight brought it
down on to the deck as soon as he slackened the halliards; he unhooked
it from the block, and then lashed the sail securely to it. When he had
done this he looked round. A bank of dark clouds lay across the horizon
to the northwest, and in a short time he could see that this was rising
rapidly.
Before taking down the spar and sail, he had deliberated as to whether
it would be better to run before the coming gale or to lie to, and had
decided on the latter alternative, as, were it to continue to blow long,
he might be driven on to the Egyptian coast. Moreover, the felucca's
bow was much higher out of water than the stern, and he thought that she
would ride over the waves with greater safety than she would did they
sweep down upon her stern.
He had heard that the Greeks, when caught in a sudden gale in small
boats, often lashed the oars together, threw them overboard with a rope
attached, and rode to them safely through a sea that would otherwise
have overwhelmed them. After much consideration as to what had best be
done, he took the anchor rope, which was some sixty yards in length,
fastened one end to each end of the spar, and then lashed the middle of
the rope to the bow of the felucca; then, using an oar as a lever, he
with great labour managed to launch the spar over the bow, with the sail
still attached to it.
When he had completed this, he looked round at the state of the weather.
The clouds had risen so fast that their edge was nearly overhead,
spanning the sky like a great arch. Ahead of him it seemed almost as
black as night. He had not been out in many of the gales that at times
sweep the eastern waters of the Mediterranean with terrible violence,
but had seen enough of them to know that it was no ordinary one that he
was about to encounter. He looked over the bow; the spar at present was
lying in contact with the stem. With an oar he pushed it across so as to
be at right angles with the craft, and then, there being nothing else to
do, sat down and waited for the storm to burst. In a short time he
heard a dull moaning sound, a puff of wind struck the boat, but in a few
seconds died out; it was sufficient to give the light craft stern way,
and she drifted backwards, the rope tightening, until the spar lay
across her bows, and some twenty yards away.
The dull moaning had grown louder; and now ahead of him he saw a white
line. It approached with extraordinary rapidity. Knowing the fury with
which it would burst upon him, he leapt down, and stood at the entrance
to the cabin, with his head just above the deck. With a deafening roar
the wind struck the boat, which staggered as if she had on her full
course struck on a rock, while a shower of spray flew over her. Half
blinded and deafened, Gervaise crawled into the cabin, closed the door,
and lay down there; whatever happened, there was nothing he could do. He
was soon conscious that the spar and sail were doing their work, for
the boat still lay head to wind. The noise overhead and around was
deafening; above the howl of the wind could be heard the creaking of the
timbers, and the boat seemed to shiver as each fresh gust struck her.
In half an hour he looked out again. There was, as yet, but little sea;
the force of the wind seemed to flatten the water, and the instant a
wave lifted its head it was cut off as if by a knife, and carried
away in spray. The boat herself was moving rapidly through the water,
dragging the spar behind her, and Gervaise almost trembled at the
thought of the speed at which she would have flown along had it not been
for the restraint of the floating anchor. Gradually the sea got up, but
the light craft rode easily over it, and Gervaise, after commending
his safety to God, lay down, and was soon fast asleep. In spite of the
motion of the vessel, he slept soundly for many hours. When he awoke he
opened the cabin door and looked out. A tremendous sea was running, but
he thought the wind, although so strong that he could scarce lift his
head above the shelter of the bulwark, was less violent than it had
been when it first broke upon him. He saw to his satisfaction that the
felucca breasted the waves lightly, and that although enveloped in spray
she took no green water over the bows.
The spar and sail acted not only as a floating anchor, but as a
breakwater, and the white crested waves, which came on as if they
would break upon the boat, seemed robbed of half their violence by
the obstruction to their course, and passed under the felucca without
breaking. For forty-eight hours the gale continued; at the end of
that time it ceased almost as suddenly as it had begun. The sun shone
brightly out, the clouds cleared entirely away. It was some hours before
the sea went down sufficiently for Gervaise to attempt to get the spar
on deck again. It was a heavy task, taxing his strength to the utmost,
but after a deal of labour it was got on board, and then raised to its
position at the masthead; the sail was shaken out, and the felucca again
put on her course.