Beadle's Dime Library No. 157 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

; . SN ue eg en ~- A A. ES SE ng + ee ee - - = Oe ee . ~ ee st ey, —e- - 1+ - ap ae Bb Oe - DS an x ~ > . Aa a a 10 ee . — — —EE — ie —_ If you are a gentleman you will return them, or will give us satisfaction for the affront.” Munson translated the answer and the cap- tain burst out laughing: ‘*Does he think we care any thing for his French monkey notions? Ask him his name and rank, and tell him be will be a prisoner un- less the admiral chooses to relieve him.” Munson gave the Frenchman the substance of this speech, and the fiery maitre darmes was much disgusted, However, be gave the name and rank of bis companion, St. George, accounting for Mourad, as before, as their servant, and refused to an- swer any further questions. Munson tried to find out how they came there and from whence, but it was all in vain; and he finally reported to his captain that there was something very suspicious about these French- men, at which Brown observed: “Ofcourse. All Frenchmen are rascals. Put them in irons and we’ll signal the admiral. In the mean time dry and read those dispatches.” The three prisoners were according put in irons down in the hold, and the maitre d’armes said gloomily: : ‘It is allover. Weshall never see France.” It was Mourad the Mameluke who answered him with spirit: . “On the contrary we shall land there and get to Paris. We have not found our way here alone for nothing.” CHAPTER X. A DESPERATE ATTEMPT. For some hours the prisoners were left alone down in the hold of the brig with the pleasant odor of bilge-water to console them in their captivity, while the vessel bowled along ata rapid rate as they could tell from the swash of the waves that passed. The atmosphere was stifling and they all felt more or less dejected, preserving a gloomy silence. At last a door opened above and they saw the marine sentry standing at a carry, while an officer called down to them in true Anglo- French: ‘* Vooly vous come up-stairs—I mean ascendy, mousséers?” The three. prisoners rose up and followed the’ officer between decks, when they saw through an open port that the brig was alongside of a huge line-of-battle ship. he officer waved them to the ladder on deck, took them to the gangway and pointed to a voit lying alongside. | ‘Entry, mousseers,” he said blandly. ‘Nooz allong voir Sir Sidney—I mean we’re going to see the commodore.” ~ He seemed ‘so proud of his French that none of the three smiled, and they were soon in the boat and rowing to the ship. The officer followed them up the side-ladder and took them to the handsome cabin, where he saluted a tall, jolly-looking officer who was writing at a desk and said stiffly: “The prisoners, Sir Sidney. Mr. Brown thinks they’re spies, sir, a8 they had on Turkish clothes and can’t talk anything but French, sir.” The English commodore looked up. “Very good, sir. (ll attend to them. Did they have any papers?” * Yes, sir. These.” The officer was about to hand his superior the eons) which St. George had thrown over- oard, when the creole, somewhat to the astor is!- ment of his companions, seized them and said to Sir Sidney in Frenct; “If you are a gallant man, sir, as I suppose, you will not examive those papers. They arc rivate and by no means contraband of war—a etter from General Bonaparte to Madame his wife. I pledge you my honor as a French officer to that aA - . The English eommodore looked amazed but he evidently understood French well for it was in that language he answered: ‘That is all very well monsieur: but in war nothing is private. Give up those papers and do not compel me to call a guard if you are an officer,” St. George hesitated. . ‘I know you have the power, monsieur, but Ientreat you not to abuse it. The love of a husband for his wife is not a thing to be made a jest of in your English oper. ' Sir Sidney seemed to struck by his re- mark, for he asked, without insisting on the re- turn of the papers: ‘What is your name, sir, and how do you come here?” ; ‘IT come from Egypt, monsieur, where I was promoted on the field to he an officer of Guides the body-guard of the General Bonaparte.” ‘Ab! said the Englishman with a bright smile. ‘“‘f bave heard of this Bonaparte, though I never saw him. Where was he? In Alexandria?” ‘No, monsieur, opposite Cairo, where he had just defeated Mourad Bey under the shadow of the Pyramids. The cfficial news of the battle was sent by the river, but the general permit- ted me with my two comrades to carry this let- Ler to his wife through the desert to Alexandria, rr rr where we arrived in time to witness a terrible misfortune to our people.” ‘*T know. Nelson licked them all to bits,” broke in Sir Sidney in English, luck, and I wasn’t there! Too bad, too bad!” St. George waited till he bad done and then pursued: ‘*T should not have told you this news, had I | the door for he went away an not i 4 oh cave you knew it already, for we have the English cruisers. I therefore am not ex- ceeding my duty in giving the information.” ‘* But how did you get here?’ asked the En- glish officer. ‘‘The captain of the brig sends word that you three were alone in a xebec. Mameluke. ———_—_—$—_$_$—_$_$_$_[_ LS en a month on the way here, owing to | ‘Please, sir, the captain’s compliments and wishes to know if—” They could not understand the rest, but St. ‘“‘Curse the | George went to the middle of the cabin and _ called out: : ' How did you get from Alexandria? Are you | sailors?’ ‘‘Never was at sea in my life till I went to Egypt,” interrupted re brusquely. ‘* But Frenchmen can learn anything.” The English commodore smiled. “Indeed? Who are you?’ “‘Lafangere, maitre d’ armes Seventh Dra- oons, at your service, and sailor or soldier as ong as the wind is fair.” ‘* And how came you here, monsieur?” ‘ Faith, simple enough. We hired a lot of rascally Greeks to take us to France, and they tried to sell us to the English. So we drove them overboard and we three have been sailing along ever since, not knowing where we were till we came on that accursed brig of yours, and we could not run from her as we did from the rest. That’s all, monsieur.” The commodore listened with a smile of some amusement, and, when Lafangere had finished, turned to the officer in attendance: ““Youcan go back, sir. Tell Mr. Brown to resume bis station. I will take care of these men, They are not dangerous.” The lieutenant touched his hat and departed and Sir Sidney turned to St. George. “If I give you my honor to conceal the con- tents of these —s if they turn out to be pri- vate, will you let me examine them without troubling me to send for a guard?” “No, monsieur,” returned St. George, firmly. ‘“‘T have given you the word of a French officer that these are private property. If you take them by force you are a marauder, and I shall proclaim you such whenever I am éxchanged.” The English commodore flushed scarlet. “Enough. I take that risk. Sentry!” i ** No, no, no!” The answer seemed to satisfy the person at nothing more was heard till it was. quite dark, All this time the vessel seemed to be lying still; but they could notice that the harbor of Marseilles was much nearer and St. George whispered: i ‘*A current is setting usin. They must have wanted to know if they could not make sail and stand out. That is why I called out ‘ No, no.’ It was the only word of English I could think of. {wonder what has become of our friend down stairs. He is very quiet.” ‘* | took care that heshould drop on his head,” observed Lafangere dryly. “ He is certainly senseless, perhaps dead, Hark! what’s that?’ They heard a rush of feet outside and the cabin door bent inward. ‘*They have found it out at last,” cried the creole. ‘‘ Now is the time.” As he spoke the words he slipped through the narrow port and the three Frenchmen dropped into the sea under the stern of the line-of-battle ship and began to swim for the lights of the city of Marseilles. They kept perfect silence, a great contrast to the ship-of-war behind them, which re-echoed with shouts while lights ran to and fro, show- ing that an active search was being prosecuted for the insensible commander and the prisoners. Presently they heard the rattle of blocks and saw a boat lowered. ‘* Keep as quiet as you can,” whispered St. George. ‘*They can never find us in the dark, and the current is carrying us in all the time.” Pretty soon they heard the dip of oars close by them, and the form of another boat loomed up ahead. N they ceased to swim and it passed by them when they heard a low voice say: “ Arretez !” [Stop.] : “Tt is our own people,” cried Lafangere in’ a tone of great joy. “ Help, comrades, we have just escaped from the English.” The boat stopped rowing and just then the _ flash of a gun from the ship showed them a long _ black boat pulling a dozen oars of a side, with Before be could say another word the threo | Frenchmen were on him and had him pinned by | stern. the throat in a silent, pe struggle. None but trainéd athletes like them would have dreamed of such an apparently insane un- dertaking as attacking the commander of a line- of-battle-ship in his own cabin, but circum- stances favored them fur the moment. Sir Sidney, a habitually reckless man, was for | the moment alone in his cabin, the door shut, He had only escaped from a French prison | himself a few months before, and in‘his long so- | journ had Iearned to talk their tongue so well that he was proud of if, these prisoners he had sbut himself in with them, | sh hopiag to gain their confidence by apparently generous treatment. Therefore for the moment, he was powerless, and Lafangere whispered: ‘Let’s kill him; lock the door and blow up | reply. the ship before they hear ts.” St. George shook his head. ‘* Lock him in down-stairs,” he said. ‘* There is always a trap-door to the store-room under these cabins.” All this passed with speed in silence and in another moment they had bundled the comme- core, completely stunned, down into the store- room, ard stood alone in the cabin. ‘“What next?’ asked Lafangere briskly. ‘I feel thet | may see France yet.” from whence they eould see the harbor of Mar- seilles with its crowds of shipping. ‘Weare only two miles off,” he said, ‘‘ and if you can all swim as wellas I, we can get there.” He stole to the door and locked it. * That will give us halfanhour. They will think the commander did it. This ship is in command of the blockaders, and it is near sun- set. She will probably go in as close as she dares before dark; for that is the fime traders try to get out. Let us be ready to jump over- board if any one comes, At all events I have my. papers safe, once more.” hey took off their outer garments, made them into bundles, tied them on their heads, and went to the stern windows to look out for a chance. : The setting sun shone directly into the cabin and they waited till they saw it dip usder the western horizon and heard the ship’s bell strike. Then came a sharp rap at the cabin door. “They begin to grow uneasy;” quoth the Gascon with a grin. ‘ Let them knock & little more.” After a pause came a second rap, and St. George said in a low voice: _ ‘They will think the commodore is busy as soon as they try the lock and will go away. Get ready.” heard a voice call out: St. George pointed to the stern windows | Pretty soon some one shook the door and they the well known blue and red uniforms in the In another moment they had swum toward it and were being he!ped in by French marines who hurriedly asked: ‘* Who are you? How did you escape?” All answer was cut off by the report of a second gun from the shin, and this time a shower of grape shot flew over their heads, showing that they were seen. | ‘* Pull!” cried the French officer commanding, and away they went toward Marseilles, the English boat coming after them in lively style | for several hundred yards, when she apparently In the hope of getting important news from | thought better of it and turned back to the ip. Then St. George found time to ask: ‘* What is this boat, and how came she here?” ‘We are the outer guard boat,” was the ** Whence come you last?” ‘*From Egypt,” answered Lafangere. ‘We | beat the Turks; but the English have beaten | | | | _ said to the officer in comman our fleet. wen one comfort remains.” ‘* And what is that?” ‘‘ That we three at least will see France once more.” } ‘*T told you we should,” observed the creole. CHAPTER XII. A MARCH ON CHESTNUTS. WHEN the boat touched the steps of the quay in the harbor, our three adventurers had ro- sumed their Oriental clothing, and St. George ~_" of the crew: ‘*T suppose we oug report to the com- mandant of the port. We are officers from Gen- eral Bonaparte , with letters to Madame, and I have an order on the paymaster here fcr funds, the English having robbed us of all our arms and money.” | ° The officer shrugged his shoulders and gave a short laugh. “*{ fear your order will not be respected as much as it would have been a week ago.”’ ‘* Indeed, and why not?’ ‘‘ Because we have had news from Egypt that our fleet is destroyed, which settles the fate of the army and the —— The English com- modore outside, Sir Smeet, sent us the news with the usual sarcastic politeness of those English devils, but it is none the less good news for some of our gentry in Paris.” The three friends listened in astonishment, and St. George exclaimed: é ** But it is not possible any one in France can rejoice in our misfortune?’ he officer laughed again. ‘‘There are some people here who hate Bona- parte worse than the English and Austrians. [f am not one of them; but you will see. I am glad [ was able to rescue you. Good-night, messieurs.”’ Then they found themselyes alone on the Sn