The Pirate City: An Algerine Tale

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

  THE PLOT THICKENS, AND MARIANO'S FORBEARANCE AND COURAGE ARE TESTED.

  When the commander-in-chief of cavalry condescended to pay a visit to aJew, it was a sign that events of considerable importance were hoveringin the air. The approach, therefore, of Sidi Hamet to the residence ofBacri one night, under cover of the darkness, was regarded by the Jewwith feelings of misgiving, which caused his face to become suddenlyvery grave, as he looked through the little iron-bound hole, or window,which commanded a view of his court.

  The Aga carried no light, although the laws ordained that all who movedabout after night-fall should do so; but Bacri knew him as well by hisoutline and gait as if he had seen his face in the sunshine.

  Descending the stair at once, the Jew opened the door and let him in.

  "Thou art surprised, Bacri?" said Hamet, swaggering into the skiffa,where Angela chanced to be at work at the time.--"Ha! thou hast a prettydaughter," he added, with a gaze of insolent admiration.

  "The girl is passing fair," replied the Jew, opening the door of hisstudy, and purposely avoiding the correction of the Aga's mistake."Please to enter here."

  Hamet obeyed; remarking as he passed that the girl were worthy of beingthe wife of a Dey, if she had not been a Jewess.

  "Bacri," he said, sitting down, while the master of the house stoodrespectfully before him, "thou knowest the object of my visit--eh?Come, it is not the first time thou hast had to do with such as I. Theplot thickens, Bacri, and thou must play thy part, willing or notwilling. Say, how much is it to be?"

  "How much do you demand?" asked the Jew.

  The Aga rose and whispered in his ear.

  "Impossible!" said Bacri, shaking his head decidedly.

  "How, dog! impossible?" exclaimed the Turk sternly. "Dost know that Ican let the whole Turkish army loose on thee and thy false-heartedrace?"

  "My race is maligned alike by Mohammedan and Christian," returned theJew, with dignity. "You know full well, Sidi Hamet, that the sum youhave named would ruin all the Jews in the town. If the security of mypeople is not to be purchased for a smaller sum, we must perish. Myutmost efforts would not avail to raise more than the half thereofwithin the specified time. You may indeed ruin us, if you will, but itwere wise to remember that if you kill the goose that lays the goldeneggs, there will be no more golden eggs to lay."

  "True, O Bacri," returned Hamet, laughing; "thou art wise, and I shallact on thy wisdom--having first, however, acted on mine own when Idemanded double the sum I expected to receive, knowing thine inveteratetendency to drive a hard bargain! Now, good-night," he said, rising andleaving the room.--"Ha! thy pretty daughter has fled. Well, we shallhope to see her again. Mean while, have a care; our plot is in yourhands, but thine every movement shall be watched from this hour, and ifa note of warning escapes thee, thou art but a dead man!"

  Saying this, the Aga departed, and Bacri, returning to the skiffa,summoned Mariano, who had been engaged in another part of the house whenHamet entered.

  "Come hither, lad," said the Jew, while a careworn expression seemed tosettle on his handsome features; "I have work for you to do whichrequires courage and speed. Hamet the Aga--I may say, the black-heartedAga--has been here on an errand which I have been looking forward to forsome months. You may be aware, perhaps, that in this barbarous citythere is no hereditary succession of Deys. Each Dey is elected by theTurkish janissaries from among the men of their own ranks; one result ofwhich is that various factions are kept up in the army, and the mostvigorous man among them, the one who can command the greatest number ofadmirers and followers, generally wins the unenviable but much-covetedpost. When the reigning Dey becomes unpopular, the factions begin toferment; and, instead of waiting for him to die, they invariablystrangle, poison, or behead him. The factions generally have somedisturbance among themselves, but in any case, the consequence of arevolution of this kind is, that complete anarchy prevails in the city,and, until a new Dey is elected by the janissaries, the Moors and Jewsare at the mercy of the rude soldiery. Of course, all who have enemiesamong them hide themselves and their pelf, if possible, until theanarchy ceases, which it does the moment the green standard of theProphet is hoisted on the terrace of the palace, announcing that a newDey is seated on the warm throne of his not quite cold predecessor.

  "I tell you all this," continued the Jew impressively, "that ye mayunderstand what is about to happen and know how to act. It is a sharpordeal to go through, but a short one; the scene of violence lastingusually but one day. Still, that affords ample time for irreparableinjury to be done.

  "It is usual, just before a revolution, for the dominant faction to makean arrangement with the persecuted Jews, so that, in virtue of thepayment of a large sum, their families and possessions may be spared.Of course, we are compelled to agree to this, and even compliance doesnot always secure us, because when violent men are once let loose, theyoften become unmanageable for a time, even by those who command them.Still, the payment of this unjust tax is our only safeguard. Thisevening, Sidi Hamet, the commander-in-chief of cavalry, has been here tomake the arrangement with me. I have long known of his designs; indeed,we Jews know nearly all the secret plots that go on around us; for goldis potent, and we have those who are willing to give us information bothin the palace and in the casba. I likewise know that Sidi Omar, whomyou may have seen, also aims at the throne; but he has no chance againsthis rival Hamet, who is a more powerful man in mind and body, besidesbeing younger. Your old enemy Sidi Hassan has agreed to assist Hamet,who has promised to reward him with the office next in dignity to hisown. I have more than once warned Achmet of what is plotting, for hehas been kinder to my people than most of the Deys who preceded him, buthe is strangely slow in guarding himself. He is a bold, fearless man,and perchance trusts too much to a popularity which for some time hasbeen on the wane--chiefly, I believe, because he is not a sufficientlyunprincipled villain to please the taste of the lawless crew over whomhe reigns."

  "This is a dreadful state of things!" said Mariano, who had listened tothe narration in silent amazement.

  "It is indeed dreadful," returned Bacri, "and yet, although the Europeanpowers must be thoroughly aware of it, through their consuls, this isthe state of things that they not only tolerate, but absolutely sanctionby the presence of their representatives and the payment of tribute."

  "Tribute!" exclaimed Mariano, in a tone of indignation, "is it possiblethat tribute is paid by the great powers to these miserable pirates?"

  "Even so, young man," answered Bacri, with a smile, "just as we Jews paythem tribute to avoid being pillaged--only, without having our excuse.We are compelled to do it; but no one can suppose for a moment that asmall power like Algiers can _compel_ nearly all the maritime nations tobow before it. Nevertheless, the nations _do_ submit, some of them tovery humiliating terms. You saw the Swedish frigate conveying twostore-ships that entered the port yesterday?"

  "Yes."

  "Well, these vessels contained the annual tribute due by Sweden, andthat country is also bound by treaty to furnish the Dey with a personcapable of directing his gunpowder factory! Denmark not only paystribute, but is bound to pay it in naval stores, and her consul here isat present in disgrace because his country has failed to pay its tributeat the specified time. There is an American ship just now detained inport because the nation to which it belongs is also dilatory in payingup what is due by treaty, therefore the American consul is also in theDey's black books; and I may add in regard to him that, at the time ofhis appointment to his office, he gave the Dey a consular present ofsixteen thousand Spanish dollars. Even that notorious warrior Napoleon,who is at present turning Europe upside down, thought it worth his whilelately to send to the Dey a present of telescopes and other things tothe amount of four thousand pounds; and England, that great nation whichstyles herself mistress of the seas, cannot enter the Mediterranean withher merchant ships until she has paid toll to this exacting city."

>   "Now," continued Bacri, stopping abruptly in his account of thesematters, "I must not waste more time on a subject which isincomprehensible. Indeed, I would not have said so much were it notthat the hour is yet too early for the undertaking which I have in viewfor you.

  "Achmet, then, must be at once put on his guard; but to do so is no easymatter, for his enemies surround him. It would be impossible for me, orany one sent by me, to gain admittance to him. I am already undersurveillance, and should forfeit my life were I to attempt it. The onlymethod I can think of is to send to the British consul, and let him knowwhat is pending. He is the only consul here to whom the Dey will grantan immediate unquestioning audience. You are active and strong,Mariano, and are, I believe, willing to aid me."

  "Indeed I am," replied the youth fervently.

  "I need scarcely tell you," said Bacri sadly, "that you and your friendsare intimately concerned in the safety of the present Dey, for if hefalls it will go ill with all connected with him, especially with theScrivano-Grande, your brother Lucien, and your father."

  "I guessed as much," said Mariano, with an anxious look; "but, tell me,is there likely to be much danger to this house and its inmates?"

  "I think not, I hope not, Mariano, but there is no place of absolutesafety for me or mine in the city. I might indeed take refuge in theBritish consulate, but I prefer to remain where I am, and put my trustin God."

  "Then you and yours," returned the youth, with hesitation, "may want theaid of a stout and willing arm. Is it well that I should leave you atthis crisis?"

  "Fear not; I think there will be ample time for you to go and return, ifyou make haste," said the Jew.

  "Then let me go at once," urged the other.

  "Not so," answered Bacri; "we must proceed wisely as well as withcaution.--Go, Angela," he said to the maiden, who entered the room atthat moment, "open the closet at the head of the terrace stair; you willfind a thin knotted rope hanging there,--fetch it hither."

  In a few minutes Angela returned with the rope.

  "Sit thee down, pretty one," said Bacri kindly, "while I give this youthsome directions. I will explain to you afterwards the cause of hisbeing sent away.--This line, Mariano, is all you need. It is longenough to reach from the city walls to the ground. You will go towardsthe tower to the west of Bab-Azoun gate. There is an iron spike on thewall there, on which is fixed the head of your poor friend Castello.Fasten the rope to the spike and lower yourself. The ground reached,leave the rope hanging, it will serve for your ascent on returning; thenspeed round the back of the town, and over the hills by Frais Vallon tothe house of the British consul, tell him of the urgent need there isfor his seeing the Dey and letting him know the danger which hovers overhis head, and then return as fast as possible. This rope you will findsuitable to its objects. An active young fellow like you can have nodifficulty in re-mounting the walls with the aid of these knots, and youneed not fear interruption if you exercise ordinary caution, for Turkishsoldiers, like the warriors of all nations, become arrant cowards whensupernatural fears assail them. Poor Castello's head will keep thenearest sentinel as far off as is consistent with his duty. No doubtthey are well used to trunkless heads in this city, but there is a vastdifference between the sight of such in the glare of day, whensurrounded by comrades, and amid the excitement of war or an execution,and a similar head in the stillness of a calm night during the solemnhours of a long and solitary watch."

  "But why not allow me to start off at once?" asked Mariano, with someimpatience at the Jew's prolixity.

  "Because the sentinels will not be relieved for an hour yet, and it iswell to make such an enterprise as near to the relief as possible--wearied men at the end of a long watch being less on the alert than atthe beginning of it. Besides, the moon will be lower in half an hour,and that will favour your enterprise."

  Being constrained to wait, Mariano busied himself in making the usefulpreparations. He wound the rope tightly round his waist, and covered itwith a thin scarf such as was commonly worn by the Moors. He alsotrimmed and prepared a small lantern.

  "Now," said Bacri, looking at his watch, "you may go. But, stay--not inthe direction of our usual passage. You could not move ten yards frommy door to-night without being intercepted. Follow me; I have long beenprepared for emergencies such as this."

  "Good-night, Angela," said Mariano, extending his hand, as he preparedto follow the Jew.

  "Oh, be careful," said Angela earnestly. "From the little I have heardit seems that there is much danger impending."

  "What I can do to avert it shall be done," replied the youth, kissinghis hand to the girl as he passed through the doorway and followed hismaster to the terrace-roof of the house.

  We have said that Algerine roofs are flat, but they are by no meansregular. There are often various elevations on the same roof, andvarious forms, as if the architect had terminated the summits of theseveral walls and partitions at the dictates of a wayward fancy ratherthan a settled plan. In some cases a step--in others a flight ofsteps--formed the communication between one part of a roof and another,while division-walls varying from a foot to two yards in height, cut itup into irregular squares and triangles. Such roofs are eminentlyfitted for the game of "hide and go seek," to which, doubtless, theyhave been applied more or less since the days of Abraham.

  Issuing on the terrace of his house, then, Bacri pointed out to Mariano,by the light of the moon, which was slowly descending to its bed in theSahel hills, that the roof of his neighbour's house could be easilyreached by a single step.

  "You will cross over this roof," he said, taking a ring from his fingerand placing it on that of his slave, "and be sure that you tread withcare until you come to the other edge of it, where you will be able toplace yourself in the shadow of a chimney until a cloud covers the moon.My neighbour is not a friend, therefore tread like a cat. Attend wellto my directions now, and obey them implicitly. You require no arms.Whatever happens to you, offer no resistance, as that will only ensuredeath. When the moon is clouded leap to the next roof, which you maysee now in line with yonder minaret. There is about six feet betweenthe two--which is nothing to a youth like you; only be careful, forfailure will plunge you into the street, sixty feet below. That terracegained, you are on friendly ground. Go, knock gently at the doorleading to the house below, and show the owner my ring, asking him atthe same time to guide you to the street, after which you know how toact; and may the God of Abraham direct you. Stay! If the owner of thehouse, who is a Jew, should use you roughly, heed it not. Whatever youdo, be passive. Your own life, and it may be the lives of others,depends on this."

  The first part of the Jew's caution would have availed little, for whenMariano was roused he recked little of his own life; but the referenceto others reminded him of Angela and his father, so that he made up hismind to be a very model of forbearance whatever should happen.

  Stepping easily from the house of the Jew to the terrace of hisneighbour, he proceeded with extreme caution to the chimney pointed outto him, and took his stand under its shadow.

  It was a time and situation which induced many burning thoughts and sadreflections to chase each other through the youth's brain, as he awaitedimpatiently the clouding of the moon. From the elevated point on whichhe stood nearly the whole city lay spread out at his feet, its whiteterraces, domes, and minarets shining like silver in the pale light, andcontrasting vividly with the dark blue bay lying between it and thedistant range of the Jurjura mountains. Everything was profoundly calm,quiet, and peaceful, so that he found it difficult to believe in thefierce passions, black villainy, horrible cruelty, and intolerablesuffering which seethed below. For some time his eyes rested on thepalace of the Dey, and he thought of his father and Lucien with deepanxiety.

  Then they wandered to the hated Bagnio, and he thought with pity of themiserable victims confined there, and of the hundreds of other Christianmen and women who toiled in hopeless slavery in and around the piratecity. Passing
onward, his eyes rested on the light-house andfortifications of the port, and he wondered whether any of the powerfulnations of the earth would ever have the common-sense to send a fleet toblow such a wasps' nest into unimaginable atoms!

  At this point his thoughts were interrupted by the darkening of the moonby a thick cloud, and the sudden descent of deep shadow on the town--asif all hope in such a blessed consummation were forbidden.

  Turning at once to the parapet of the terrace, he mounted, but paused amoment, as he endeavoured to gauge the distance of the opposite wall,and gazed into the black gulf below. Bacri had told him that the spacewas six feet. In the darkness that now prevailed it appeared twenty.He would have ventured it in the circumstances had it been sixty!

  Collecting all his energies and courage, he made a bound forward thatmight have roused the envy of an acrobat, and cleared not only the spacebetween but the parapet beyond, coming down with an awful crash into themidst of a certain box-garden, which was the special pride of the ownerof the mansion.

  Poor Mariano leaped up in horror, and listened with dread, but suddenlyremembering that he now stood on what Bacri had termed friendly ground,he recovered self-possession and sought for the door on the roof.Finding it after some trouble, he knocked gently.

  It was opened much sooner and more violently than he had anticipated,and a tall man springing out seized him by the throat in a grasp like avice, and held a gleaming dagger to his breast.

  In other circumstances Mariano would certainly have engaged in astruggle for the dagger, but remembering Angela and the Jew's warning,he gave back, and said in French, as well as the vice-like grip wouldallow--

  "A friend."

  "Truly," replied the man gruffly, in Lingua Franca, "thy knock mightimply friendship, but thine appearance here at such an hour requiresmore explanation than a mere assurance."

  "Remove your hand and you shall have it," replied the youth, somewhatangrily. "Dost suppose that if I had been other than a friend I wouldnot have ere now flung thee headlong from thine own terrace?"

  "Speak quickly, then," returned the man, relaxing his hold a little.

  "This ring," said the youth.

  "Ha! Enough, a sure token," interrupted the Jew, in a low friendlytone, on seeing the ring, at the same time leading Mariano within thedoorway. "What wouldst thou?"

  "Nothing more than to be shown the nearest way to the street."

  "That is soon done--follow me."

  In a few minutes Mariano found himself in a narrow street, down which,after lighting his lantern and thanking the Jew, he proceeded at a rapidpace.

  In the intricacies of that curious old town the youth would certainlyhave lost himself, but for the fact that it was built, as we have said,on the slope of a hill, so that all he had to do was to keep descending,in order to secure his final exit into the principal thoroughfare--Bab-Azoun.

  Few persons met him at that hour, and these appeared desirous ofavoiding observation. After passing the Bagnio with a shudder, heextinguished the lantern. And now the real danger of his enterprise hadbegun, because he was acting illegally in traversing the streets afterdark without a light, and liable to be taken up and punished by any ofthe guards who should find him. He proceeded therefore with greatcaution; keeping close to the walls in the darkest places, and glidinginto doorways to hide when any one approached. Thus he succeededescaping observation, and had almost reached the city wall, not far fromthe spot where it was garnished by poor Castello's head, when he heardthe tramp of soldiers. They were about to turn a corner which would inanother second have brought him full into view. To retreat wasimpossible, and no friendly doorway stood open to receive him. In thisextremity he pressed himself into a niche formed by a pillar and anangle of the house beside him. It could not have concealed him inordinary circumstances, but aided by darkness there was some possibilityof escaping notice. Crushing himself against the wall with all hismight, and wishing with all his heart that he had been a smaller man, hebreathlessly awaited the passing of the soldiers.