Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 103 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

2 — ea . But, as we have stated, the bird had flown, and when the tidings were brought to the Dey his anger flamed out afresh, and he swore by his beard that he would retake the fugitive at any cost. Ali, of the Blue Beard, was directed to make sail with all ee haste in pursuit of the embassador’s transport. But the Englishm wm had nearly two hours’ start, and although Ali’s vessel was by far the best gailer, yet the adage that a stern chase is a long chase proved to be true in this instance, for it was fully five hours ere Ali came near enough to use his guns upon the fugitive; and then a strange ‘ae Saints rapidly down from the windward, seemed likely to prove a foe, rather than a friend. Ali thought that he recognized the craft, as she came up, capitally handled, and in a man- ner which plainly indicated that her sailing- master knew his business. Ali had given up his chase of the embassador’s transport and was maneuvering to meet the stranger, who evidentlv was bent on mischief. The two prisoners—the Lion-head and his companion—stood together on the quarter-deck, and although their faces betr ayed not their emo- tions, yet it was plain from the sparkle in their eyes that both of them had recognized the strange craft. Ali turned abruptly to them. ‘* You know her, eh?” ‘Tt is the Lion,” was the answer. And then, as if the noble craft had heard her name pronounced by her master’s lips, a puff of white smoke came from her side and the heav ball of her long gun bored an ugly hole throug the side of the Algerine vessel, just at the Water line. in hot rage the pasha swore: ‘By Allah!” he cried, ‘I’ve half a mind to string you up to the yard-arm as a warning to this rascal!” and as he spoke he shook his clenched fist in the face of the prisoner. ** A sail—a sail—a fleet!” came loudly from the look-outs at the bow, and there, sure en- ough, with their spars rising dark against the western horiz: m, were ten or fifteen heavy ral ts, ‘lt is the fleet of Blake!” cried the Lion Cap- tain. ‘* Now, Ali, look to yourself, or b/ngland’s power will pluck you by your blue beard until your chin is sore!” The hand of the pasha sought the handle of his saber, intent am taking immediate venge- ance upon the bold speaker, but, ere he could pluck forth the weapon, w ‘ith a terrible buffet the Lion Captain lai the Moor prostrate upon the deck and then both of the pr isoners, before the astonished crew could collect their senses and avenge the insult offered to their chief, leaped boldly over the quarter into the sea, and the vessel which was running at full speed before the wind soon left them behind. A volley of musketry the Algerines fired af- ter the fugitives, but tbe balls glanced harmless- ly over the surface of the waves, the swimmers diving like wild ducks the instant they saw the flash of the guns. The Algerines could not put their craft about to pursue » the: fugitives, for the Lion was bear- ing down right upon their quarter, already hav- ing them at a disadvantage, and it woul Lhave been mere madness to have * gone about.” The Lion altered her course slightly, so as to pick up the two men struggling bravely in the water, and passing across the stern of the Al- ger ine sent a well-aimed ball at her which raked the decks, dismounted three guns and killed or disabled a dozen men The two were none the worse for their bath, and after donning dry suits came again on deck and the Lion Captain took command. The Algerine had taken advantage of the action to Zo about and now was endeav oring to beat back to the harbor of Algiers, The Lion was by far the better sailer, though, and soon recovered the slight adv antage which she had lost, and then came a game in which the Algerine craft suffered terribly. Keeping well off, the Lion pounded her with her heavy gun, every shot, almost, telling, while from the = ferior ordnance with w hich she was equipped e Moor was unable to retaliate with any se- vorit The “deck of Ali’s craft was slippery with blood and the crew were almost on the verge of mutiny, for slaves fight not like free men, and naught but Ali’s threats that he would slay the first man that flinched from his duty kept the men to their guns. Ned lowly the line ef the coast grew more and more distinct. * Courage!’ eried the Algerine coinmander ; a —_— The Lion of the Sea. - =r more and we shall be free from this evil! But, hardly had he finished his speech when a well-aimed shot cut away his mizzen-mast, which, going by the board, reduced the Moorish craft to the condition of a help less hulk. A torrent of curses rolled sae the lips of the Algerine. In truth it was hard; this was the second time that Ali had suffered at the hands of the Lion of the Sea. The victorious craft was quick to improve the advantage which she had gained. nder full mer bore down and raked. the Algerine fore an Feeble indeed was the fire the Moor returned, and a loud wail went up from the lips of the crew—a cry to surrender. ‘* Never!” cried Pasha Blue Beard, in utter desperation; “let no man dare to lay a hand ay 5 a flag. We'll go down with our colors ying But, even slaves will turn if the punishment be too great, and the crew of the frigate were sick of slaughter. A solitary shot—fired no one knew by whose hand—struck the Algerine commander full in the center of the forehead. The saber dropped from his grasp; he clutched convulsively at the air and then fell lifeless to the deck. For a moment the crew glared upon each other, and then, as another death-dealing ball from the enemy came tearing its way through the bulwarks, the shock roused them from the stupor into which they had fallen, and three or four simultaneously rushed to the flag and haul- ed it down. A ringing cheer, which resounded over the waters, went up from the deck of the Lion, which was now bearing down upon the Al- gerine’s quarter, with intent to grapple and board her, as the Crescent flag came sliding down. The Lion came up alongside and the un- a7 eo - the head of a boarding-crew, came on boar The Aligerin e ship had commenced to fill, hav- ing been badly injured at the water-line by the hea ivy tire of the Lion, and as the Lion Captain ste} PP ad on the deck his experienced eye at once perccived that the frigate would soon sink be- nei th the waves. ‘To the boats, men!” he commanded. ‘‘I give you your lives: pull at once for Algiers and warn Aboo Hassan that, with the rising of ano! he r sun, we'll batter his city about ” his ears!” CHAPTER XXII. EXPECTS EVERY MAN TO DO HIS DUTY.” RESTLESS night indeed the Algerine mon- arch passed after having received the w arning oi the Lion of the Sea. Who'and what was this mysterious man, and how came it that he joined hands so readily with the English fleet, as his words indicated that he had, Was he indeed Hamet, the outcast heir? Had he a claim to the throne of Algiers, and had he gladly joined hands with the Turkish foe so that he might have their aid in his endeavor to seat himself in the place of power? Few were the hours indeed that the Moorisb Dey devoted to sleep that night, or, for that matter, few within the city s! lept. The Eng! ish fleet, piloted by the Lion craft, had come up in battle array, and, with springs upon their cables, all ready for action were riding at anchor just outside the harbor. It was plain that with t.:.e coming of the morn a terrible fight would ensue, and ‘although the Moors had arrogantly boas ted, with all their usual pride, that the fleet existed not that could harm their city, yet now, as they gazed upon the powerful men-of-war riding at anchor just beyond cannon-shot, and each and evei ‘y craft with the exception of the Lion, displaying the well-known ensign of old Engi and, mistress of ; the sea, a dim forebo: ling struck them that Al- giers was about to encounter the brunt of the most severe attack that she had ever expe- rienced since the Barbarossa brother s, the fierce and bloody-handed pirates seized ‘upon the throne and unfurled their standard upon which hostility to all the world was emblazoned. Even El Tokar, the most arrogant of ail, be gan to shrewdly suspect that it would be far cheaper and better to yield to the English de- mands than to risk the peril of the fight, but for his life he dared not say so, for Aboo Hassan was abs lutely bent upon war. ** ENGLAND ‘ ‘* We'll give these Frankish dogs a lesson that | maid, the da he de- | shall send them howling to their homes!” clared., ' prs eek. a All night long the Moors worked to prepare for the coming struggle, and with the ap ance of the dawn, which came bright and beau- tiful, the gazed anxiously out to sea where rode the fleet of the enemy. It was not for the first time that morning that the people of the city of Algiers had risen — their beds and looked upon a foe in battle rray. ~icties attacks had Algiers withstood, and eames it it was not without foundation their a boast that the captain did not exist who could compel them to sue for quarter. Bright and early the Englishmen beat to quarters, and with the rising of the sun the at- tack began. Contrary to all recognized rules of battle the fight was waged by the English commander, and the Algerines, taken completely by sur- rise, found that all their preparations had been in vain. It was the custom of the age in the case of a naval attack upon land batteries to w arp the vessels in within range, put springs upon their cables ard there remain stationary until they had either silenced the shore defenses or had suffered so severely themselves as to be obliged to retire. And therefore, relying upon this upon the exact spot where they expected the vessels of the enemy to ride at anchor, and in these days it was no easy matter to alter the position of a gun, all the modern appliances for that purpose Hebag unknown. Admiral Blake, the English commander, was a captain far in advance of the generation in which he lived, and he adopted a maneuver which completely upset all the plans of the Moors. Iustead of coming into line one by one and at a certain stationary range opening fire, he ran up the signal, which, in an after age was to be- come famous, “England expects every man to do his dut and then crowding on ail sail, came round in a aero circle, the Lion in the lead, close in to the land right ‘under the bat- teries, so that their fire passed harmlessly through the light top spars, and as each ship passed it poured an almost point-blank fire, not a ee -shot away from the forts, into the land defenses, then standing out to sea passed around the circle to repeat the operation. It took just a single hour to silence every in the Moorish defenses: at the end of that time the forts were a mass of smoking ruins; the de- fenders had fled in dismay, scores of t! em hev- ing been slaughtered at their guns; the vessels in the harbor were blazi ing, the city was on fire in a dozen different places, the ships having used red-hot balls; in brief, Ali iers Was helpless, at the mercy of the foe, The white flag was run up in a terrible hurry from the most conspicuous point, and as this evidence of victory appeared, a ringing cheer came rolling over the waters from the vic- see The haughty Algerines cried for quarter! The Lion stood boldly into the harbor, follow- ed by the rest of the fleet and anc hored off the mole, the double-shotted guns bearing full on the defenseless cit y: 3ut there was no danger of further resistance. Algiers was prostrate at the feet of the con- querors, Aboo Hassan, now thoroughly alarmed for the safety of the citv, and believin that the English meant to complete their oak by utter- ly destroyi ing the town, took a boat, and with some of his chief officers, came in person to beg for mercy and arrange terms of surrender. The defeated Dey was now as humble as he had been insolent. The Lion was the first vessel that the barge reached, and as the boat came up to her, intend- ing to pass by and proceed to one of the English ships beyond, a file of mi arines en at the side with leveled guns menacing the Moors. ‘A flag of truce!” cried the Dey, in person, pointing to where it floated from the stern; ‘‘ we wish to arrange terms; Algiers surr enders.” “Come on board !” was the answer; and the Algerines obeyed, although unwillingly, for it was gall and wo rmwood for the Dey to tread the deck of the Greek pirate. And as the Dey ascended to the deck of the Lion, the English embassador, aecompanied by Cleora, made his ¢ 5 en ance on the other side, baving just come by gig from his own vessel. Aboo Hassan stared in astonishmetit at the girl, for, seeing her in company with Sir Ed- ward, he recognized at once that she was the ehter of El Bo Tro. On the quarterleck of the craft stood the on Captain, not arrayed now in the seaman COMNICGOOO© eS fact, the Moors had trained every gun to bear — — wey a ee — es ee es —S Oe a oe rs o - A ee ee ee a Gom