CHAPTER III.
At the signal of the admiral, an officer made his appearance, receivedcertain commands, the most agreeable of which to the young cavalier werethose in reference to his own liberation, and then immediately withdrew.
"Thou wilt now see, worthy cousin," said Cavallero, "a man, whom,although a base Moor and infidel, thou shouldst regard with some sort ofadmiration; since, from the reports of those who brought him hither, heis endowed with a spirit and pugnacity worthy even of a Christian."
While the admiral spoke, the door of the cabin was darkened by thebodies of several men, who, at his beck, advanced, and stood full in theview of the neophyte. He perceived in these, besides two or threeofficers of the ship, nothing more, with a single exception, than therough figures of ordinary sailors. This exception presented itself inthe bronzed visage and wildly attired person of the Moor; and Amadoralmost started, when the bright eyes of the pagan rolled from theadmiral to himself in a brief but most penetrating stare. In person, theMoor was somewhat above the ordinary stature, but his limbs, thoughhardy and active enough, were much attenuated. His face was emaciatedand bony, and the long black locks falling wildly over it, gave it anappearance exceedingly haggard,--a character greatly augmented by thewhite eyeballs flashing like stars in its almost Nubian blackness.Something perhaps was to be allowed for the effect of his uncouth andsavage attire, which was composed almost entirely of skins, seemingly ofdogs or wolves, a portion of which encircled his loins as a tunic, whilethe remainder lay, like a cape or short cloak, about his shoulders.Under this latter garment, however, was a shirt of cotton, stained withbright colours; and a kerchief of similar material glittered, not somuch like a turban as a fillet round his head. Rude sandals, strapped ashigh as the midleg with shreds cut from his cloak, completed theprimitive costume of the barbarian.
"This fellow," said the admiral, turning from him to one who seemed aschief of the seamen,--"this fellow is then the commander of that Salleepirate, you took among the Canaries?"
"Commander or not, I cannot say," said the sailor, with a shrug; "butchief varlet at the gun, as I am free to maintain; and freer was he atthat same ordnance than was like to be safe for the good snow, _LaEncarnacion_, as her ribs may yet testify. But the knave speaks Spanish;and if your excellency chooses to ask him, can tell you his rank andcondition."
"No commander--no pirate!" said the Moor, with a voice whose soft andharmonious accents contrasted strangely with his rude appearance. "Nocommander--no pirate," he repeated in good Castilian; "but a poorMorisco of Fez, voyaging in a harmless trader to the Gibbel-al-Tarik."
"The Gibbel-al-Tarik," said the admiral, dryly, "would have been muchbeholden for the new visit of an infidel."
"No commander, no pirate, no infidel!" said the Moor, earnestly; "but apoor shepherd of Fez, brought to a knowledge of the true faith, anddriven from the home of his fathers for the exercise of it, to the landof his fathers' enemies."
"Moor," said the admiral, composedly, "there are three reasons why Ishould not believe thee: First, because thou _art_ a Moor, and thereforeborn to be a liar and deceiver; secondly, because, unless God shouldhave worked a greater miracle for the good of a besotted heathen than heoften vouchsafes to prayerful Christians, there is no possibility thoucouldst be converted to the faith among the sands of Barbary; andthirdly, because the fact that thou art skilful in the management ofordnance, is sufficient proof thou canst not be an ignorant shepherd ofFez, whose hands are more commonly trained to the spear and arrow, thanto the quoin and linstock."
"He manages them," said the sailor, "as if he had been born with them inhis hands; as I have made proof, sometimes, for my amusement, during thetedium of the voyage."
"If my lord will listen to me," said the Moor eagerly, though humbly, "Iwill make it apparent that I speak nothing but the truth.--My fatherdrew his first breath among the Almogavars of the desert; his son openedhis eyes among the hills of Granada."
"Ha!" cried the admiral; "thou art then one of the accursed tribe ofmine own land!"
"A Morisco of the Alpujarras," said the Moor, submissively; "whom, in myvery early youth, it pleased my father to have baptized in the holyfaith, as was the command of his most faithful and ever-blessed majesty,the king Fernando, the conqueror of the kings of Granada. This willshow, my lord, that I speak the words of a Christian. As an Almogavar, Iwas born to be a soldier, and so trained to all arms of an Almogavar,the knife and dart, the spear and axe, the cross-bow and musket, as wellas other weapons of Christians. This will show my lord how it came thatI was found skilful at the cannon."
"Thou speakest like a cunning and most honest man," said the admiral,gravely; "but all this revelation does not show me how an Almogavar ofGranada became a herdsman of the desert; and, after that, how theherdsman of the desert was transformed into the gunner of a Salleecorsair, or, as thou callest her, a harmless trader, on her innocentvoyage to Gibraltar."
"May it please my lord," said the Almogavar, bending for a moment histroubled eyes on the admiral, as if to resolve himself whether or notthese questions were put to him in mockery, and then casting theminstantly on the floor; "may it please my lord to remember that afterthe fall of Granada and the subjugation of the Alpujarras, many Moors,Christian as well as pagan, preferring rather to lament their miseriesat a distance than in their own enslaved country, chose to accept themerciful permission of the king, and withdrew from the land altogether.This did I, my lord's servant and slave. I fled to the country of myfather; and although, there, I suffered many indignities and hardships,as well as constant peril, as being suspected to be an apostate to thefaith of the land, I had been content to drag out a wearisome life, butfor one grief that was sharper than others."
"I will shrive thee as patiently as thy confessor," said the admiral;"but while thou art speaking the sharpest of thy calamities, it will bemuch proof to me of the sincerity of thy religion, if thou use languagesomewhat of the briefest."
"My son," said the Moor, hurriedly, "my son, that was the lamp of myeye-sight, the perfume of my nostrils, the song and music of my soul,was in great danger to be led astray, and converted back to infidelity.To save him from the contagion of heathenism, I resolved to return toGranada, where, though he might grow up to bondage, he should be freefrom the thrall of darkness: it was better he should be a slave than aninfidel. With these thoughts and these hopes in my heart, I embarked inthe Sallee trader; when it was my hard fate to be arrested in my courseby these men of the Canaries."
"Thy course," said the admiral, "was none of the straightest; and howthou couldst find thy way to Gibraltar by way of the Fortunate Isles, ismuch more than my nautical experience can teach me to understand."
"A great storm," said the Moor, with the deepest humility, "drove usfrom our course; and it was the will of God that when the tempestsubsided, we should find ourselves beset by two strong ships, whichnothing but the fears and desperation of our captain could have temptedhim to think of resisting. We fought, and were subdued; the lives of myson and myself were preserved out of the horrors of that combat. Theships were traders of the Isles, bound to these new lands; they broughtus hither; where there is nothing left us but to claim the privileges ofour faith, acknowledge ourselves the thrall and bondmen of his majestythe king, and entreat of my lord to send us, when it may suit his goodpleasure, to our homes and our altars in Granada."
The Moor concluded his speech with a degree of eagerness approachingalmost to vehemence. The admiral indifferently rejoined:--
"Thy name is Abdalla----?"
"Abdoul al Sidi," said the Moor, hastily. "When my father gave me up tobe baptized, he called me, in token of his true devotion and humility,Esclavo de la Cruz; but in my days of darkness I was known as Abdoul alSidi, a poor Almogavar, but descended from the ancient lords of Fez."
"Sidi Abdalla, or sir Slave of the Cross, whichever it may please you tobe called," said the admiral, coolly, "in respect to your lordly descentand most dignified title, which I think no Christian has
dared to assumesince the days of the Cid Rodrigo, I will, before determining how far Ican make your fate agreeable to your wishes, condescend to compare yourstory with that of the brave sailor, master of the Encarnacion, whocaptured you."
"If I am to say any thing," said the master, gruffly, "it will be firstto pronounce this same Abdalla, or Esclavo, as he calls himself, ahypocrite and knave not to be trusted. It is true there was a greatstorm, which might have driven his piratical galley into theneighbourhood of the Canaries; but that he showed any extraordinaryardour to escape, as long as my consort was out of sight, is a matternot to be believed. Trusting to his skill in the management of the great_mangonneau_, with which the galley was armed, and not doubting tocripple me with some lucky ball, before I could approach him, he fell towith right good will; and it was not until my consort joined in themelee that I was able to lay him aboard. Even then, when our crews werespringing on his decks, and his fellow-pirates had fled in dismay below,I saw him, this very knave Abdalla, with mine own eyes, lay match to thelast charge which thundered against us; immediately after which, with amost devilish spirit of desperation, he snatched up his boy, as onewould a kitten, and springing to the opposite side, was in the act ofdashing himself into the sea, when he was brought down by apistol-shot."
"I thought they would have murdered my poor Jacinto," said theAlmogavar, in a low voice; "and, in my desperation, desired he shouldrather die the easy death of the deep, than be mangled by crueldaggers."
"There was much fear of that," said the master; "for my sailors hadmarked him at the linstock with no great love. In faith, there were somefive or six cutlasses aimed at his prostrate body; but I could not bearthey should slay the boy, who lay on his breast; and therefore Icommanded them to hold."
"Thou art a right worthy and noble heart!" said Amador ardently,interrupting him; "for there is no reason a brave soldier, even in theheat of blood, and with a pagan under his foot, should strike at thelife of a boy: and hadst thou done otherwise, I swear to thee, I was somuch moved by the relation, I should have gone nigh to slay thee for thybarbarity!"
"And besides, senor," said the master complacently, "I was beset withthe idea, that if I preserved his life, and brought him to this land ofMexico, I might sell him at a good price as an able cannonier; such aman, as I had good reason to know, being worth the value of a dozenbloodhounds. And besides," he continued, without regarding theexpression of disgust and contempt which drove the look of benevolencefrom the visage of the cavalier, "I had greater reason to applaud myclemency, when I discovered that the boy Jacinto, besides being a comelyand very dexterous stripling, was so great a master of the Moorishlute, singing withal in a most agreeable manner, that I was well assuredsome noble cavalier among the invaders would not scruple, at any price,to have him for a page."
"I am a Christian! the boy is a Christian!" cried the Moor, hurriedly;"and neither of us can be sold to bondage, except at the command of hismost faithful and merciful majesty, the emperor and king; to whosegracious will and pleasure I desire, with my boy, to be rendered."
"Good Cid," said the admiral, "that is a matter wherein, if hismajesty's will were certainly known, thou shouldst not have to complainof our negligence; but, under present circumstances, we must make ourown judgment the representative of the royal wisdom, and dispose of theein such manner as we may think most conducive to his majesty's interest.We are resolute thou wilt serve him better by directing the thunders ofhis cannon against the heathen hordes of Mexico, than by cultivating hisvines and fig-trees on the hills of Granada. We must send thee to thecommander Narvaez, whom if thou please, he will doubtless advance theeto the command of a falconet, wherewith thou mayst divert many of thyAlmogavar propensities for battle and bloodshed. As for the boy, it notappearing to me that the strumming of his strings, or the uplifting ofhis voice in ballad and redondilla, are, in any wise, necessary to theconquest of this barbarous empire, I may be able, if thou insistest uponthat, to send him to Spain."
"I take my lord at his word!" said Abdoul, trembling with eagerness andanxiety; "let the boy be sent to Spain--to Granada--to either of theports Algeciras, Malaga, or Almeria; and he will find some friendsthere, to protect his youth and inexperience; while I submit to myharder fate in Mexico."
"To Almeria?" said Amador quickly. "I have myself some acquaintance withthat town; and it may perhaps advantage thee to make me thy confidant,if there be any secret friend there thou wouldst send the boy to; or totake my counsel as to what Christians may be persuaded to show himkindness."
The Moor regarded Amador for an instant with a disturbed but piercingeye. His answer was, however, prevented, by the admiral saying,
"Sir Slave of the Cross, (With the consent of my very noble kinsman); tocut short all needless discussion on this subject, I may as well informthee, first, that if thy boy be sent to Spain, it will not be to anyport of thy choosing, but to such an one as may seem most fit to otherpersons, and which will most probably be the port of Seville; wherefromthou canst better imagine than myself, how thy boy will be helped toGranada. In the second place, as I deem it but honesty to acquaint thee,if the youth be taken from this land, he will first be sent to theexcellent senor, the honourable Don Diego Velasquez, governor of Cuba,to be disposed of by him as may seem most agreeable to his judgment; andI warn thee, if the lad be an adept at the lute, as is asserted, DonDiego will find him such employment in twangling to the ladies of ourbrave cavaliers, as will leave it uncertain how much sooner thandoomsday he will bethink him to advance the poor youth on his voyage."
"It is enough!" said the Moor with a gloomy countenance. "God is withus; and it may be better to have the boy among the perils of death thanthe seductions of pleasure. Let my boy stay with me, and I am content tofollow my lord's bidding."
He bowed his head upon his breast, and, at the signal of the admiral,was led away.
"Senor Capitan," continued Cavallero, addressing the master, who stilllingered in the cabin, "I will satisfy thee for the armament thou hastbrought, by acknowledgments, which thou must present to the governor.What more Moors hast thou brought with thee from the galley, capable ofdoing service in these exigencies?"
"The father and son are all," replied the master. "The others, as I toldyour excellency, had fled below from the fury of my sailors. To make allsure, while rummaging about their cabin, we had fastened down thehatches. We had not picked up many things of value, before there was asudden cry that the pirate was sinking. Whether this happened from ashot she may have received, or because the accursed runagates below hadknocked a hole in her bottom, was more than was ever determined. Thealarm sent us scampering to our own vessel; and in our hurry, as wasnatural enough, we forgot the infidels in the hold; so that, when shewent down, which she did as soon as we were well clear of her, her crewwent along with her.--But your excellency has not told me whether I amto receive pay for Sidi and the boy?"
"I swear to heaven," said the admiral, "thou hast no more heart thanthine anchor! Thou shockest me with the detail of a catastrophe, which,though affecting the lives of nothing but heathen Moors, is neverthelessboth dreadful and pitiable; and yet thou dost abruptly demand me, 'ShallI have payment for the two lives I saved?' Thou wilt have payment, if itplease the governor; and not otherwise. Betake thee to thy ship: I willsend thee thy warranties, and the sooner thou leavest with them thebetter."
The master departed, and again Amador found himself alone with theadmiral.
"Cousin," said Cavallero, "I am now able to comply with your wishes. Ishould have been rejoiced to keep you a prisoner on board the Capitanafor a few days; but I will not invite you, when I perceive you are soimpatient for freedom. Your horses are doubtless at this moment rollingon the beach; your grooms are with them, either combing the sand fromtheir manes, or scraping the sea-spots from your armour. A company ofartisans, with a military escort, is on the eve of marching to the campof Narvaez. I have given such commands as will secure you the companyand friendly aidance of that escort; in addition to whi
ch, I willimmediately send after you a trusty officer with despatches concerningyourself, to the general, and recommendations to him to assist you injoining your kinsman, the knight Calavar, without delay. You will easilyreach Zempoala by night-fall. I beseech you to salute the general withcourtesy; and to-morrow you will be in the arms of your leader."
"I am so overjoyed," said the Cavalier, "at the thought of once morebestriding my poor Fogoso, and exchanging the stupid pitching of a shipfor the bound of his gallop and curvet, that I know not how I can dootherwise than treat the Biscayan with urbanity."
"A barge is ready to conduct you to the shore," continued the admiral,leading the young soldier to the side of the vessel. "I pray heaven togive you a prosperous journey, and to carry you with as much safety ashonour through the weapons of the heathen multitude. Make my devoirs tohis noble valour, the good knight of Rhodes; and say to the senorCortes, that though fate has arrayed me against him as an enemy, Icannot forget the friendship of our past lives. Nay," continuedCavallero, with emphasis, "tell him, that though it does not become me,as an officer commissioned by Velasquez, to hold any communications withhim excepting those of simple form and civility, I shall be well pleasedwhen heaven has removed the obstruction, and left me at liberty to meethim with full friendship and confidence. This salutation," said theadmiral significantly, "there is no reason thou shouldst impart toNarvaez; for he is distrustful and suspicious to that degree, that, I donot doubt, he would torture its harmlessness into a matured treason."
"I will do your bidding," said Amador blithely, "both to the Biscayan,and the cavalier of Medellin. And now, with a thousand acknowledgmentsfor your favour and assistance, and as many wishes for your weal andcomfort, I bid you the farewell of a kinsman and true friend."
And so saying, and heartily shaking the hand of his excellency, theyoung cavalier sprang into the boat, and was soon wafted to the beach.
Calavar; or, The Knight of The Conquest, A Romance of Mexico Page 5
