Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 103 — page 16: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

16 The Lion of the Sea. ously, tear the Dey from his chair of state and thrust him into a dungeon, as his father thrust his brother when he seized upon the throne, long ag0. I have hoodwinked the tyrant com poly: e is eaten up with curiosity to know who and what you are, and I procured this interview with you by representing to him that I could most certainly succeed in inducing you, either by threats or fair promises, to reveal yourself.” The captive for a moment or two looked at El Boro, a strange expression upon his face; then he spoke: ‘From what you have said I should be led to believe that you know, and yet Ido not think you do.” ‘*You are wrong, for my spies have served me well,” El Boro replied. ‘‘ You are Hamet, the rightful heir to the throne of Algiers!” CHAPTER XX. TRICK FOR TRICK. THE prisoner burst into a loud laugh, much to the astonishment of the minister of war, who could not see uny cause for mirth. “Oh, [am Hamet then, the rightful heir to the throne of Algiers!” he exclaimed. ‘ And if I am Hamet will you tell me who Hamet is, and how comes it that he has any claim to the throne of Aboo Hassan?” El Boro frowned; this levity and questioning did not please him, but he believed that it was ony s trick on the part of the prisoner to try his knowledge, and so he answered: “You are of the elder branch of the family Aboo Hassan of the younger; his father seized upon your father’s birthright and intended to y you, but your mother, who was a Greek woman, managed to save you from his power, and fled with vor to her own land, where you were reared. In time you took to the sea, be- came the Lion Captain, and did all in your Eerste injure the man who had your *“ Ah, that was the reason I wore the lion’s head then—to escape recognition until the fa- vorable moment arrived for me to assert my hts.” eo Boro looked at the speaker in wonder; was the man losing his senses to talk thus strangely! ‘* By my faith!” the captive continued, ‘if I were Hamet, the man you take me to be, I would jump eagerly at the chance you offer, for I will own to you, frankly, that I do fancy Cleora, whom I met two years ago at San Tropez, and whose image has remained imprinted on my heart ever since. A wife and a throne ata single bound!—it is not every day in this life that a man has such an offer, and right sorry am I that I am not the man you take me to be.” ‘You are not Hamet?”’ cried El Boro, in as- tonishment. ‘* No, I am not.” ‘* Your companion then is—I am wrong—he is the Lion Captain?” ‘*No, Iam the man that wore the head and bore the name. It was I that fought and con- quered Ali of the Blue Beard, yet, for all that I am not Hamet; Iam not an Algerine by birth; I am not the son of a Greek woman, and I have no more claim to the throne of Algiers than I have to the chair of the Prophet at Mecca.” El Boro’s face fully displayed the disappoint- ment which he felt at this unexpected revela- tion. “What is the meaning of this riddle?” he cried. ‘‘My spies, who seldom deceive me, as- sured me that the Lion Captain was Hamet.” “The Lion Captain might have been the man you speak of, but he who wore the lion’s head on the day of the fight with Ali was no other than myself, and I am not Hamet, and never ‘But who then are you?” ** A simple soldier of fortune who owes all he is in this world to his own good right arm.” ‘¢ Assume then the place of Hamet, since, as I gather from your words, he lives not; take his name and grasp the fortune which awaits the | bold hand and stout heart.” ‘‘ Half the spoils I will gladly take,” the pris- oner replied—‘‘ your daughter, Cleora, if the girl is willing to link her fate with mine, and if you contrive to arrange my escape from this dungeon I will pledge you my word to do my ’ best to aid the English fleet to batter down the walls of Algiers if the English Admiral, Sir Francis Blake, will accept of the poor assistance of my dainty craft.” ‘Be it so; I will procure your release, but it must be done by craft and stealthily accom- plished. As to Cleora, the girl shall be free to choose. I had designed her as a bait to lure on a daring man to seize Algiers; but, renegade and traitor to my country as I have been, lam | not all bad. In my heart there has always lin- gered a father’s tenderness for his child, al- | though you did not give me credit for it, and | believed that I brought my girl across the wa- ters solely to sell her to this dusky tyrant; but I | trust now you will believe that ——— I in- _ tended to use her as a tool to accomplish my own ends, yet 1 had not designed her for quite so bad a fate as you believed.” Before the captive could make reply to this statement there came upon the air the sound of many feet in the corridor without; the door of the cell was rudely opened, and the Dey of Al- giers, backed by the wily El Tokar and a score or more of armed men, appeared in theentrance. The face of Aboo Hassan was inflamed with anger, and he shook his fist fiercely at El Boro. ** Dog of a traitor!” he cried, in wrath, ‘vile renegade! outcast wretch! tlying in terror from your own land—from the vengeance of your en- raged countrymen, is if thus that you repay the protection and shelter that I have bestowed upon you? You would strip the crown from my head and tear the scepter from my hand, and now I in turn will strike your treacherous hand from your body and your head from the neck! Dog! I knew that you were a traitor, only waiting for an opportunity to do mischief; and when you, with crafty thought, craved for an interview with this captive, I mistrusted your object; I granted you your wish, for it was the very chance I sought. This is the ‘ear’ cell, the ceiling is constructed like an ear; even a whisper given to the air here is in- stantly conducted to the watching room above. There are some secrets in the palace that have not been confided to your care! I have heard every word that has been spoken, and with er own lips you have pronounced your doom. ou will snatch me from my throne and tbrust me into a cell! I will snatch you from the world and thrust am into a tomb, and that so quickly that small time will be given you for either prayers or curses, and this English beauty, whom you have kept so closely hidden from my oyenitoe shall be one of the jewels of arp ag ee ize him! away withhim! Strike off his head at once! El Tokar, be that your charge!” In a trice El Boro was seized and bound. He did not attempt to resist; indeed, it would have oe madness against such overpowering num- rs. ‘“Away with him!” again shrieked the en- raged Moor. ‘‘ Bring his head, El Tokar, or yours shall answer for it!” ‘* Blake and the English fleet will se my death, and when he rains hot shot upon Algiers and the city is in flames, from the grave will I look back and laugh with glee!’’ cried the rene- gade, as they bore him away to die. Never before had any of those present seen Aboo Hassan give way to such wild and fear- fulrage. He seemed like a man fast verging into madness. ' “ Withdraw, all of he oo he cried, after the soldiers, headed by El Tokar, had borne the minister of war away. The attendants were quick to obey, for they knew the nature of their master well, and in his present state it was dan- gerous to trifle with him. With his own hands the Dey closed the heavy iron door, and then he approached and looked eagerly into the face of the prisoner, who bore the scrutiny without flinching, al- though utterly in the dark as to the reason that impelled the ruler of Algiers to the act. **'Was El Boro mad that he took you to be my cousin?’ the Dey cried. ‘‘ Why, there is not a single feature in your face that resembles him,’ “*T haven’t any idea why he believed that I was Hamet,” the captive answered. ‘*He was mad—mad to ee me. Itisa lie that Hamet lives; he died, long ago, and if he were living not all the powers of the world com- bined could shake me from the throne of Al- giers!” he declared, arrogantly. ‘ And now, my bold fellow, what fate do you choose? Will you let the silken cord of the stranglers encircle your neck—will yoube tied upin a bag and be cast into the sea—give your neck to the keen edge of the ax, or walk forth a free man to take your place on the deck of one of my ships and help to give battle to these English bu'l-dogs who are barking so loudly? Come! I'll make you a fair offer. I will forget the past—forget that you destroyed the best frigate that I had in my navy if you and your companion will enter my service.’ ‘Put me on board of the ship and when we are at sea on the blue water you shall have my answer,” the captive replied, promptly. ‘*By Allah! you choose wisely, and if you fight for me as well as — fought for yourself you shall not regret having entered my ser- vice. ‘*Stay a moment. I have not agreed to en- ter your service yet,” continued the other. ‘I said that on the open sea I would give you my answer.” ‘‘Oh, you will consent,” replied the Dey, with the faint ugly smile peculiar to him, which so strongly resembled a tiger’s grin. ‘‘ You will consent,” be repeated, ‘* because I will give my officers orders that if you refuse to fight when the enemy beats to quarters to tie you to one of the guns and blow you into atoms.” “* Quite a convincing argument,” observed the captive, in no wise obs by the threat. _ ‘In an hour you l be on board; the Eng- lish fleet is reported off our shores, and I intend to give them battle the moment they draw near. This ok captain, Blake, comes to beard me in iers, but I will meet him on the one and in fair and open battle destroy his eet. ‘* How astonished he will be,” remarked the other, and so quietly delivered was the sarcasm that the brutal and ignorant Moor never ob- served it. Aboo Hassan summoned his guards, gave his orders, and in obedience thereto the two prison- ers were at once taken from the prison and placed on board of a frigate in the harbor com- manded by Ali Blue-Beard, who ey as the two came up the side of the vessel. CHAPTER XXI. THE ATTACK. THE Dey returned to his own = a een and at once sent an officer to bring the daughter of the dead El Boro from his a ents in the trom The doom of the minister of war had en immediately carried out; the keen-edged! ax had severed the head from the body wit in| ten minutes after the order had been given. In a foreign land, afar from the country which he had betrayed, the bold and daring spirit of the Englishman had found rest at last. After the departure of the officer in search of the girl, Aboo Hassan waited in ill-concealed impatience. His imagination had been inflamed by the accounts given of her, and therefore great was his rage when the messenger returned and announced that she was not to be found. He at once had all the” attendants of E] Boro summoned, and one and all stoutly denied all knowledge of the girl’s departure. Among his followers the nister of war had had one faithful friend, and the moment he had heard that El Boro had been seized and was being led to execution, he at once hurried to the daughter told of the danger which impended, and guided her, all muffled up like a female slave, to the house of the English embassador. That gentleman, having delivered the defiance of England to the Dey, had demanded his pass- ports and was preparing to embark on a ship which he had chartered to convey him to the English fleet, now momentarily expected to heave in sight. To the representative of England the faithful servant told the story of EF] Boro’s downfall and the claim that the dead man’s daughter had upon him for protection, and the envoy of Great Britain at once promised to be to her as a fa- ther and to see her safely conveyed to England. The embassador embarked, and the vessel, gesting under way, ran past the wall, under the Prlesiow, Algerian guns, with the English flag displayed at her peak, and then, getting clear of the harbor, made for the blue water outside, heading toward the north-west, from which di- rection the fleet of Admiral Blake was ex- pected. As soon as the Dey discovered that he could not gain any information from the attendants, he sent for the chief of his spies, and this sa- gacious individual at once suggested an examin- ation of the palace guards, and so after three or four hours’ delay, it was at last discovered that a vailed woman had left the palacein com-. pany with one of El Boro’s men. This fact ascertained, the spy chief suggested that the girl, being English, would most probably seek the protection of the English embassador. The Dey was quick to act upon the idea. An armed force was dispatched to search the en- voy’s house, and the officer in command had strict Injunctions to bring the girl, if he found her, even over the dead body of England’s re- presentative. Little regard had this ruthless ruler of Algiers for the Jaw of nations which renders the house of an embassador sacred from search, except in criminal cases, com grinned fe- — x j ae eS ee i | oe wes JOOKS COM —