Beadle's Dime Library No. 157 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

‘ _ ——- —_+_— —— At this moment Mourad the Mameluke, who had heen sleeping soundly, came on deck out of the cabin, awakened by the noise of the gun, and exclaimed in French: ‘Take care. Now is the time to beware of treachery. The Greeks are sailors: we are not. Watch them.” There were only four of the Greeks on deck as he spoke and St. George asked him quickly: ‘* Have you ever been at sea since you were a child?” “Certainly. Iam used to these craft here though I know nothing of your big ships. i see, for instance, that you have something tow- ing overboard, and that it must retard our speed,” St. George started and ran to the port quar- ter, = gate sure enough, was arope towing over- Loard, As he hauled at it, he found an unusual re- sistance, and Mourad came to his help. Between them they hauled on board a spare sail, to all appearance left to tow on purpose, and the Mameluke said savagely: ‘*T thought so. The cowards are afraid to fight, but they want the frigate to catch us. Hallo! what’s that?” Another flash and boom, and a second shot that dropped into the water close abeam, told what it was. The English frigate was getting nearer. Another cable length, and they would be within range. With a guttural Arabic curse Mourad drew his saber and rushed all round the bulwarks, looking over the side to find if any thing else were towing. . Presently he made a hack at something out- side, and St. George saw, to his intense amaze- ment, a sack of grain go floating astern, while the increased speed with which the xebec slip- ped through the water sufficiently showed the means that had been used to re her. Then the Mameluke shouted in Arabic to the steersman, who was looking very pale and frighte and bellowed down the hatchway something that brought the Greeks running upon deck in a bunch, ayperalery Soe aoe ‘* Whatis the matter?’ asked Lafangere, inno- cently. ‘‘ What have they done?’ ‘* Cheated us out of two points in the wind,” cried Mourad, savagely. ‘‘ I know the thieves.”’ And he kept up such a hectoring and beating with the flat of his saber, that he speedily had the Greeks hauling at the ropes, trimming every- tuing flat as boards, while the felucca slipped away from the frigate at such a rate that it was easy to see they would escape, when the “— fired a third gun. he shot fell into the water about two cable- lengths abeam, and in the same moment the Greek steersman uttered a loud cry, as if of terror, and let go the tiller. In an instant the bows of the little xebec flew up into the wind, all her sails shivered, and she Legan to drift down on the frigate. ‘* Cut the dogs to pieces!” yelled Mourad, be- side himself witu fury. ‘‘It’s our only chance.” As he spoke he flew at the steersman, and, had not the Greek instantly jumped overboard, would have cut him down, Then he caught the helm, brought the xebec to the wind, and held on his course like grim death, assisted by the fact that St. George, seiz- ing the situation at a glance, had presence of mind enough to run to the jib sheet and hold it to windward till the vessel paid off. Lafangere, confused by these strange maneu- vers, did not understand what was going on till the hum of a rouud shot passing between their raasts told him that this last trick of the Greeks had brought them within range. ‘What am I to do?” he called out; for he was alone on deck, St. G.orge being at the jib, Mourad at tho tiller, while the Greeks, in a frightened group were watching their comrade rey sea, now swimming for the English ves- sel, Mourad looked at the frigate, then at the Greeks, and m.de up his mind. ‘‘ Drive those dogs overboard!” he cried, ‘They are better away than here. The English will stop to pick them up, aud give us time to— ilurry! Here’s another shot!” Again came the flash and boom of the . and this time the shot went humming past their s.ern, Lafangere looked; understood; drew his saber ud rushed at the Grevks, ‘* Overboard, coqgu:as/ Swine!” he shouted. ‘bey unders as wellasif he had spoken ihe best Romaic, for be aimed a cut at the Lcarest, which the man only avoided by leap- iug over the low bulwaiks, Tuto the sea they all went, one after the oiler, preferring the chance of drowning to the certainty of decapitation, and the Mameluke re- marked with a grin smile: ‘‘Now, Monsieur Rosbif, if your next shot does not bit us, we shall be out of range in two minutes,’’ On skimmed the little xebec like a bird, and they noticed that, besides keeping to windward they had drawn ahead of the ship, which had bezun the chase broad abeam. This circumstance favored them in so far that A A A A ee es eee Mourad, the Mameluke. the ship could no longer try any gun of her bruadside, but was restricted to her bow- chaser on one side, unless she lost distance by yawing. A single gun takes time to reload, and the next shot came so feebly, on account of the long range, that, although it passed over the cabin, it dropped into the water, spent, on the other side of the vessel. ‘That is the last shot that reaches us,” observed Mourad coolly; and he proved to be right, for the next dropped a cable-length astern, and in ten minutes more they were so far ahead of the cruiser that Mourad called out to St. George: ‘*] wit for orders, captain, there is room to slip by, now, if you are ready to handle the sails, with our friend from Gascony.” St. George came aft, and it was at once frigate. ‘The only difficulty in the way was the lands- man’s stupidity of Lafangere, who didn’t know the name of a single rope, and misinterpreted everything he heard. However, by dint of patience, they beat it into his head at last that to unfasten and let out a rope gradually while the vessel was turning had the effect of alterin the inclination of a sail, and, as they only edg off gradually to the west till they got before the wind, wing-and-wing, the Gascon fivally exclaimed: ‘Why, it’s easy enough after all. I believe I should make a sailor in time.” They were then nearly three miles ahead of the cruiser, runniog down before the wind with aspeed that the Mediterranean xebecs never exhibit so much as when running wing-and- wing, and the huge frigate, with studding-sails set, alow and aloft, came toiling after them like a cart-horse after a thoroughbred. As the morning wore on they began to drop her astern, till at noon she was but a speck on the horizon, and vanished into the Mediter- ranean. Then Lafangere gave a sigh of relief. ‘‘ Now we can go to France all right,” he said innocently. ‘' How long will it take?” St. George, who had relieved Mourad at the helm, shook his head gravely. ‘A long time, I fear.”’ ‘* Why a long time?” ‘* Because we have no chart, and can only make for Italy and creep along the coast, as people did, hundreds of years ago. My friend, you see the place is full of English cruisers, and we have only three men to work this vessel. You have been up all night and must be worn out. I see only one way for us to do, stand cn all day and take down the sails at night. To be frank, by to-morrow night we shall none of us know where we are; and whether we ever get to France depends on just two things—a kind Providence and a favoring wind.” Lafangere looked disappointed. ‘I think I’m sorry we ever came to sea,” he remarked, CHAPTER IX. CAPTURED AT LAST. THe English briz-of-war Bulldog was stand- ing off and on, about ten miles from Marseilles, a month or so later, when the lookout on the fore royal yard shouted down: “Sailho! A lateener trying to run in on the port quarter, sir.” ‘“The deuce she is,” quoth Lieutenant-com- manding Brown, with a growl of astonishment. ‘She'll have to be uncommon sharp to do it under our teeth, eh, Munson?” Mr. Munson, first luff, grinned respectful ap- proval of his commander’s speech, and proceed- ed to Pas: the brig under all sail to intercept the impu blockade. The Bulldog had been put on the outside line of vessels on account of her known speed and it was Captain Brown’s boast that not so | much as a floating cork could get by him in daylight. _The brig, under a press of sail, soon came in sight of a smailx bee that was supping over the waves with wonderiul speed, coming down, wing-and-wing, before the breeze, while the Bulldog was close bauled. ‘‘By Jove!” ejaculated Munson, “it’s lucky that fellow isn’t a mile further off, captain, or I verily believe he’d slip by us. As it is we shall just shave him, unless he bears ‘Mp, and stands off.” . ae But the little xebec did not seem to feel any fear of the brig, for she continued to stand on, sailing like a witch, and in a quarter of an hour more wasnot three cable-lengths from the Bull- dog’s bows, still passing on, ‘Why don’t he bring to?’ muttered Brown amazed. ‘* Does he think that his majesty’s ships are not able to stop him? Give him a shot between the masts.” The brig bore up and fired a ‘gun over the xebec, the officers watching her keenly through their glasses. Only three men were visible on board and Munson exclaimed: ‘*By Jove, sir, I believe they’re Turks,” ‘Turks or whatever they are, they can’t fool —S——— ee , 9 me,” quoth Brown angrily. ‘‘I do believe they’re trying to do it. uare away and give them another gun, Mr. Munson. nock the sticks out of the impudent hooker.” The xebec had already crossed their bows and was skimming away to the leeward at a rate that promised to take them out of gunshot in a very short time, when this order was given. The Bulldog put up her helm to come round and let fly anotber gun, the shot grazing the felucca’s main-yard, but still she kept on. ‘* Load the port broadside and bring her to,” roared Brown angrily. ‘‘If some of you don’t hit her, Pll stop the grog of the whole ship's company.” The order was rapidly ¢beyed, and, as soon as Munson reported, ‘‘ Ali ready, sir,” the brig yawed and fireda whole brcadside of tw elve- | poms shot at the tiny craft, so impudently de- resolved to try running down and passing the | ying them. They beard the snapping of sticks, and, a mo- ment later, cown came the huge mainsail of the xebec, which at.once ran up into the wind and _ lay drifting. “I thought I'd settle your hash,” the irate captain growled. ‘‘ Now let’s see what you’re m: d2 of, to try and pass the Bulldog.” They ran down to the belpless xebec, and saw that she was already settling in the water, while.three men in Oriental dress were stand- ing on the deck as if in despair, staring at the wreck of the mainsail. Five out of the nine guns of the brig had struck the tiny craft, and she was a perfect wreck, When the three men were hailed from the brig they looked defiantly up, and one of them shook his fist and said something to bis com- panions which made Munsen observe: “It’s only a French trick after all. That man’s a Frenchman.” ‘* What did he say?’ asked Brown. ‘* He was calling us sacres coquins, which in English means, ‘confounded rascals,’ that’s all, captain. The boat seems tobesinking. Hadn't we better pick them up?’ ‘Certainly, Mr. Munson. rope, sir, at once.” ut though the brig steered up so as to shave the felucca, and a rope was thrown, none of the three men deigned notice it. They seemed resolved to sin * Lower a boat and take them off,” said the captain. ‘ There’s something strange in ail th How do they come out here?” > The jolly-boat was lowered ave pulled up to the felucca, wiuen a midshipman hailed them: *Hollo, you, I say, Johnny Crapaud! Do you want to get drowned? Your craft will go down in five minutes. Come into this boat. We don’t want to burt you.” The, three men stared angrily at him; but . made no answer though they spoke to each other in French, ‘‘The accursed rosbifs,” said Lafangere, “think that we are afraid to drown, after hav- ing. erepen all other perils, Let us show them a Frenchman can die any where.” ‘‘On the contrary,” observed St. George, “they mean kindly. We bave done all we can to get to France and deliver our dispatches. Let us surrender sirce we cannot escape, and throw the papers overboard.” “You have no right to destroy them,” said Mourad. ‘They are, as you say, only to the general’s wife, and—” “Therefore the enemy must not read them,” answered St. George, firmly. ‘ Well, my friends, I take the responsibility.” He moved to the side of the xebec and cast Throw them a | overboard the packet of letters he had kept so ' | carefully. To his mortification they did not rink at once, and the midshipman excitedly ent felucca that was trying to run the | yelled: ‘Give way, boys. Save those papers!” The boat dasbed forward and the boy man- aged to save the white packet just as it was sinking. St. George watched him and said quietly: ‘It is the will of Heaven we should deliver those dispatches, or they would have sunk. It is time we surrendered, comrades.” They made no more difficulty of stepping into the boat, ard it was just in time that they did so; for, ere they reached the brig, the xebec went down. Then they were taken to the quarter-deck of the Bulidog, where oe espe Brown — captain by courtesy—received the report of the mid- shipman and tbe packet of letters, and observed with an important air: vmx unson, I thought it was some French trick, These fellows are probably officers in disguise, and, as such, liable to be bung as spies... Important dispatches no doubt. You read their You shall translate them when Ask these fellows who they are.” unson obeyed, with more politeness than his commander would have shown, and Lafangere lingo, [ believe, they’re dry. answered: ‘* As the senior officer present I will tell you. We are French officers, my friend and I, just come from Egypt, with our Mameluke servant ourad. We are in no sense combatants or dis- Pavan HOATeCe, our letters being from General naparte to his wife, and, therefore, private, S.co Gomme JOO a