CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.
IN WHICH DANGER LOOMS VERY DARK IN AND AROUND THE PIRATE CITY.
About this time four vessels entered the port of Algiers. One was aFrench man-of-war with a British merchantman as a prize. The other wasan Algerine felucca with a Sicilian brig which she had captured alongwith her crew of twenty men.
There were a number of men, women, and children on board the Frenchman'sprize, all of whom, when informed of the port into which they had beentaken, were thrown into a state of the utmost consternation, givingthemselves up for lost--doomed to slavery for the remainder of theirlives,--for the piratical character of the Algerines was well-known andmuch dreaded in those days by all the maritime nations. Newspapers andgeneral knowledge, however, were not so prevalent then as now, and for athousand Englishmen of the uneducated classes who knew that theAlgerines were cruel pirates, probably not more than two or three wereaware of the fact that England paid tribute to Algiers, and wasrepresented at her Court by a consul. The crew of the prize, therefore,were raised from the lowest depths of despair to the highest heights ofextravagant joy on hearing that they were free, and their gratitude knewno bounds when the consul sent Ted Flaggan and Rais Ali to conduct themfrom the Marina to his own town residence, where beds and board,attendance and consolation, were hospitably provided for them. We mightadd with truth that they were also provided with amusement, inasmuch asTed Flaggan allowed the effervescence of his sympathetic spirit andwayward fancy to flow over in long discourses on Algerine piracy andpractice in general, in comparison with which the "Arabian Nights" istameness itself.
With the poor Sicilian captives, however, the case was very different,for the felucca which brought them in brought also a report that theSicilian government had behaved very brutally to some Algerines whomthey had captured. The immediate result was that all the Siciliancaptives then in Algeria were ordered to be heavily ironed and put tothe severest work at the quarries and on the fortifications, while someof the most refractory among them were beaten to death, and others werethrown upon the large hooks outside the town-wall, or crucified.
To the latter death Francisco Rimini and his sons were condemned, and itis certain that the sentence would have been carried into immediateeffect--for legal processes among the pirates were short, and judicialaction was sharp--had not an event occurred which arrested for a briefperiod the hand of piratical justice.
This event was the arrival of a Sicilian priest, who was commissioned totreat for the exchange of prisoners and the ransom of a certain numberof Sicilian slaves. The ransom of these slaves varied much according totheir position, but a very common price demanded and paid was from 200pounds to 400 pounds sterling. Of course noblemen, bankers, wealthymerchants, etcetera, were rated much higher than others, but not toohigh to render their ransom impossible, for the Algerines were adepts atthis species of traffic, having been engaged in it more or less forseveral centuries! As the settlement of these ransoms, and theascertaining as to who were the fortunate ones whose friends hadsucceeded in raising the necessary funds, required time, the executionof the Riminis and other Sicilians was, as we have said, delayed.
When Paulina and her sister heard of the arrival of the priest, theyflew into each other's arms, never doubting that the husband of theformer must have at last raised the required sum for their ransom, buton being reminded that the priest was commissioned to redeem onlycaptives of Sicily, they sat down and relieved themselves by giving wayto floods of tears. Paulina, however, soon comforted herself by kissingher baby, and Angela consoled herself with the reflection that, at allevents, Mariano and his father and brother would be ransomed, which, shenaturally argued, would enable the first to move heaven and earth inorder to effect the ransom of herself, and sister also. She did notknow, poor girl, of the dreadful fate to which her lover was alreadydoomed, for the consul, although aware of it, could not prevent it, andhad not the heart to tell her.
Previous to this event the British consul had endeavoured to use hisinfluence to bring about peace between the Algerines and Sicilians, butthe former, having no desire for peace, made the terms such as could notbe agreed to, namely, that the Sicilians should pay them 450 poundsbefore any negotiations for peace should be entered on. The rejectionof this proposal did not, of course, facilitate the arrangements thatwere now being made, and when Omar demanded that, in cases of exchangeof prisoners, _two_ Algerines should be returned for each Sicilian slaveset free, it was seen that the prospect of a speedy termination ofhostilities was not bright.
After some days spent in useless discussion, the worthy priest wasobliged to return home without accomplishing his mission.
One good result, however, followed. Those captives who had beencondemned to death, and for whom ransoms had been offered, werereprieved; nevertheless, they were treated with cruel severity. Ofcourse the unfortunates for whom no ransom had been offered were treatedwith the utmost rigour, and the sentences of such as had been condemnedto die were ordered to be carried out. In the case of poor Mariano thesentence was altered, for that headstrong youth had in his despair madesuch a fierce assault on his jailers that, despite his chains, he hadwell-nigh strangled three of them before he was effectually secured. Hewas therefore condemned to be buried alive in one of the huge squareblocks of concrete with which the walls of a part of the fortificationswere being strengthened. (See Note 1.)
While these things were pending, very different scenes were taking placeat the French consulate, for great preparations were going on for amask-ball which was about to take place there.
It may, perhaps, appear strange to some readers that any one could havethe heart to engage in gaieties in the midst of such horrible scenes ofinjustice, cruelty, and death, but it must be remembered that humanbeings have a wonderful capacity for becoming used and indifferent tocircumstances the most peculiar--as all history assures us--and it mustalso be borne in remembrance that the unfortunate Sicilian captives,whose sorrows and sufferings we have tried to depict, were a merefraction of the community in the midst of which they suffered. It isprobable that the great body of the people in Algiers at that time knewlittle, and cared less, about the Riminis and their brethren.
Since the reconciliation of the English and French Consuls, at the timewhen the representative of Denmark was rescued, the Frenchman haddisplayed great cordiality to the Briton--not only accepting theinvitations which before he had refused, but drinking with apparententhusiasm to the health of the English king, on the occasion of adinner given in celebration of that monarch's birthday at the Britishconsulate.
The mask-ball was a very great affair indeed when it came off--which itdid at the country residence of the French consul. The mansion, whichwas Mauresque in style, was splendidly decorated with flags of variousnations, and the skiffa, with its sparkling fountain and gracefulpalmettas, was a perfect blaze of variegated lamps. These hung amid thefoliage of the creepers that twined round the curved marble pillars, andtheir red garish light contrasted powerfully with the clear purity ofthe star-lit sky, which formed the natural roof of the skiffa.
The grounds around the consulate were also decorated and lighted up withthe taste for which the French are peculiarly noted.
Of course all the consuls were invited, with their respective families,and were present, with the exception of Mrs Langley, who happened to beindisposed, and Agnes, who stayed at home to nurse her mother. As anaffair of the kind involved a good deal of laxity of what may be styleddomestic discipline, many of the superior servants were also permittedto stroll about the grounds in fancy costumes. The consuls themselvesappeared in their proper uniforms, but some of the members of theirhouseholds displayed themselves in forms and aspects which we find itdifficult to describe, while others of the guests habited themselves inthe skins, and gave themselves the airs, of wild beasts of the forest.
There were wild-boars from the Jurjura Hills, overgrown monkeys from thegorge of "la Chiffa," lions from Mount Atlas, and panthers from theZahara, bes
ides other nondescript creatures from nowhere. But thesewere a mere sprinkling in the gay scene of richly dressed ladies andgentlemen, among whom, strange to say, were not a few Christian slaves!These last were Italian and Portuguese officers who had been captured bythe Algerines at various times. Had they been taken by civilisedpeoples, they would have been deemed prisoners of war, and treated assuch, but the pirates styled them slaves, and would certainly havetreated them as beasts of burden--as they treated hundreds of theircountrymen--but for the fact that they had friends at home who paid anannual sum to purchase for them exemption from such drudgery. Havingnothing to do, and no means of escaping, these unfortunate men did whatthey could to mitigate the woes of their brethren--though they were notallowed to do much--and entered more or less into the society andamusements of the city. Hence, though liable at any moment to be put inchains, or sent to the quarries, or even slain by their savage captors,they were to be found waltzing at the fancy ball of the French consul!
Among those who cut a very conspicuous--we may venture to say abeastly--figure that night was our friend Ted Flaggan. The eccentrictar, desiring to enjoy the ball under the shelter of a mask which wouldpreserve his incognito, had, with the aid of Rais Ali, provided himselfwith the complete skin of a wild-boar, including the head with itsenormous tusks, and, having fitted it to his person, and practised avariety of appropriate antics, to the delight of Agnes, who was the onlyperson besides Rais admitted to his secret, he felt himself to be quiteup in his part--almost fitted to hold converse with the veritabledenizens of the forest.
Flaggan had arranged that he was to put on the boar-dress in the townresidence of Rais Ali. Being unwilling to attract the attention of thepopulace by passing through the streets, in broad daylight, hedetermined to postpone his advent to an advanced part of the evening.
It was a clear, calm night when he left the country residence of theBritish consul, with a crescent moon to light him on his way. He hadjust issued from the garden gate, when an old man, clad in ahalf-monkish robe, advanced, towards him with strides that would havedone credit to a dragoon.
"I've me doubts that yer not so ancient as ye look, owld feller," hesaid, eyeing the man keenly as he drew near, and moving the head of thethick stick, which, as usual, rested in his pocket, as if to hold it inreadiness for instant action.
"Be the Breetish consul at home?" said the old man in broken English andin breathless haste.
"Not at present," answered the seaman quickly, for he now saw that theman was really old, and that anxiety had given him strength to exerthimself beyond his ordinary powers, "but I'm goin' to meet him--bein',if I may so spake, his edgedukong. Av you've anything in the world tosay to his Excellency I'm your man to carry the message."
"You are Breetish sailor, I zee," returned the old man, sitting down andheaving a deep sigh, as if unable to recover breath. "You willonderstan' when I say your Lord Exmouth do come quickly for bombard decity!"
"Onderstand you--is it?" exclaimed Ted, with sudden excitement. "Faixdo I, but I don't belave ye."
"Man!" said the other, with an earnest look, "doos you tink I come herelike dis for tell do Breetish consul a lie!"
"Shure yer right, an' I'm a goose," exclaimed the tar, becoming stillmore excited; "but are 'ee sure yer not mistaken, owld man?"
"Quite sure. Listen. Go, tell consul dat one boat come shore at PointePescade, find me dere, capture me--carry me off. It was fishin' boat inBreetish pay. Dey find out who I be. Give leave to go shore again, andwarn Breetish consul to look out, for Turk ver' savage when him hear ofdis. Lord Exmouth, wid large fleet come straight to Algiers, fordelivrin' all slaves, an' blow up de city."
"Hurrah!" shouted Flaggan, in a subdued voice, while he unpocketed thecudgel and twirled it over his head. "Good luck to 'ee, owld man. I'moff to tell the consul. Go in here an' they'll give 'ee some grub. SayI sent 'ee.--But, hallo!" he added, when on the point of starting,"what's yer name?"
"The Padre Giovanni," replied the old man.
"Och! it's mesilf has heard of 'ee," cried the seaman, as he turned anddashed down the road leading to the city. So energetic was he in hismotions, and so quick was his pace, on reaching Bab-el-Oued gate, thatthe guard--a young soldier, lately arrived from Turkey--becamesuspicious, and ventured to intercept him.
Flaggan was in no humour to be stopped, or even spoken with. He made anattempt to force past, which caused the soldier to present his piece athim. Hereupon Ted drew forth his cudgel, hit the Turk a Donnybrookianwhack over the skull that laid him flat on the ground, and took to hisheels.
The rest of the guard, who saw this little incident and recognised thenow well-known seaman, instantly gave chase; but Ted was too active forthem. He doubled down a narrow street on his left, and in five minuteswas beyond their reach. He knew now that nothing but prompt actioncould save him from immediate arrest and probable castigation. Hetherefore went straight to Rais Ali's house, and was admitted by an oldnegress.
Arraying himself in the skin of the wild boar, he attempted to coverhimself with an Arab burnous, but, do what he could, he found itimpossible to draw the hood over him in such a way as to conceal thehead of the boar, and after his recent escapade with the guard, he feltthat it was not safe to venture forth again uncovered. He thereforeresolved to keep the boar's head exposed, and to venture boldly forth,despite the attention it was sure to attract.
To his great relief Rais himself came in just as he was about to start,and after relating his adventure, that worthy suggested that he shouldjoin half a dozen of the French consul's own servants, who were about toset out for the scene of festivities.
Agreeing to this plan, he passed through the streets without attractingmuch more attention than did his somewhat wildly-habited companions, andsoon reached the French consul's residence, which was not more than halfa mile beyond the southern gate of the city.
The blaze of light and buzz of musical noise that reigned hereimmediately swallowed them up, so that Ted felt himself, for the time atleast, to be safe. His grotesque figure did indeed attract someattention at first, for he was an exceeding tall and sturdy boar, butthere were so many other notabilities from the forest and desert aroundhim that he quickly sank into comparative insignificance.
Some of the other creatures referred to gave him a little uneasiness bytheir curiosity and desire to claim acquaintance, if not kindred, withhim, but by humouring some, frightening others, running away fromseveral, and tumbling a few into the bushes, he managed to push throughthe crowd of domestics unrecognised, and made his way into the outerlobby of the mansion.
Here, seated under the shadow of a Moorish arch way, drinking lemonade,in default, as he said, of better tipple, Ted resolved to bide his time,but his time seemed rather long of coming. He therefore boldly enteredthe magnificent skiffa in search of Colonel Langley.
His appearance was greeted with a shout of delight by several childrenwho were present, and the French consul, willing to amuse them, went up,and, shaking hands with the boar, begged of him to join in the dance.
Poor Ted would have given anything to have known what was said to him,but, being utterly ignorant of French, shook his head and bowed with anair of profound respect, which piece of politeness caused his short andrather ill-fitting tail to stick straight up in the air for a moment,and drew roars of laughter from the company.
"Dansez, dansez-vous," said the Frenchman, with more emphasis.
"Och! it's that ye want, is it?" said Ted, much relieved; "sure I'll doit with all the pleasure in life.--Clear the deck, boys!"
And without more ado the lively tar began to whistle a sailor'shornpipe, and to dance the same with an amount of vigorous dexteritythat had in former years made him the favourite of the forecastle.
The surprise soon merged into admiration, for our hero dancedexceedingly well, and all eyes were attracted to him. Among others theBritish consul came forward to look on with much interest and curiosity,for his ear was perhaps the only one present to
which the tune whistledwas familiar.
Dancing close up to him, Ted Flaggan suddenly slipped, and, staggeringas if about to fall, flung his arm over the consul's shoulder.
"Take care!" said the latter, catching him.
"Och!" gasped Ted, sinking down and almost dragging the other after him,"spake to me av ye love me."
Amazed by this tender appeal, and suddenly suspecting the personality ofthe boar, the consul bent down while the rest of the onlookers crowdedround,--and said in a low voice--
"Why, Flag--"
"Whist! whist! blood an thunder! it'll rain scimitars an' grape-shot avye say a word! Mate me in the gardin' dear, _under the palm_."
This was said in the midst of a writhing and growling which would havedone credit to a lunatic boar, if such there were!
"Not hurt, I hope?" said the French consul, coming forward.
"Not at all," replied Colonel Langley, rising with a smile, "the fellowis one of my domestics, and has almost over-acted his part. He will beall right in a minute if some one will be kind enough to fetch him aglass of water--"
"An' brandy, ochone!" exclaimed the boar, with another tremendous growl,that again sent the children into shouts of delight.
The brandy and water was brought, and Ted making a polite bow to thecompany, passed down the room with a slight tremor of the hornpipe inhis legs, and a faint trill of the tune on his lips, both of whichmelted gradually into a boarish grunt and roll as he reached the lobbyand passed out into the garden.
Hastening to a stately date-palm, of which there happened to be only onespecimen in the garden of the French residence, the heated seaman pushedoff his head, wiped his brow, drank the brandy and water, and threw awaythe tumbler, after which he sat down on a root, mechanically pulled outhis pipe, and was in the act of filling it when Colonel Langley camehurriedly forwards.
"Why, Flaggan," he asked, "what's wrong? for something must be, toinduce your strange conduct."
"Lord Exmouth, sir," replied Ted, rising up with an air of dignifiedimportance which the elevated snout of the boar tended sadly to impair,"is in the offing with fifty sail o' the line, more or less, comin' toblow this precious city into the middle of next week."
"Come, Flaggan, let us have it without jesting," said the consulgravely.
Thereupon Ted related in as serious a tone as it was possible for him toassume all that had been told by the Padre Giovanni.
"Our position will indeed be critical if this be true," muttered theconsul, with a look of anxiety. "Omar is a man who fears nothing, andhas unbounded faith in his men and fortifications. Moreover, he isutterly regardless of consequences, and has no mercy when once roused.My poor defenceless wife and children!--if--"
"You may depend upon _me_, sir," said Ted, seeing that he hesitated;"I'll stick to 'em, I will, through--"
"I have no doubt of that, my man," interrupted the consul, with a sadsmile, "but your aid in this case will be useless. The fact is that thepreservation of your life will be a more difficult matter for me toaccomplish than my own. If Lord Exmouth really arrives and proceeds toextremities, I and my family will be in the greatest peril from theseirate corsairs, but you, my poor fellow, are doomed whatever happens,seeing that you have laid violent hands on the Turkish guard of thegates."
"Sure, an' small blame to me," said Ted.
"I do not blame you, but the Turks will, and they will do more,--theywill strangle you for a certainty the moment they get hold of you, andno power that I possess can save you, so that your only chance lies inmaking your escape from the city, either by land or sea."
"An' that won't be aisy, sur," said the seaman, with a perplexed look.
"Indeed it will not. You may be sure that the Turks are even nowsearching for you, and as they know that I am here, and that you belongto my household--"
"By your lave," said Ted suddenly, "it sames to me that it's time forTed Flaggan to look after his owld bones. I'm grateful to 'ee, sur.--Good-night."
He pulled his boar-head down without awaiting a reply, and went hastilyoff in the direction of a small outhouse where Rais Ali was enjoyinghimself amid a circle of the French consul's domestics.
Dashing forward, he seized his friend by the arm and dragged him out bymain force, to the amusement of the domestics, who thought it was apractical jest.
"Arrah! don't stare like that, but come along wid ye," said Ted, hastingto a neighbouring thicket, into the very heart of which he penetratedbefore halting.
"What be go wrong?" exclaimed Rais.
"They're after me, lad. Don't waste time spaikin'. You've got yourburnous here, haven't ye?"
"Yis!"
"Go, fetch it, an' sharp's the word."
Flaggan's tone and actions were such as to instil a spirit of promptunquestioning obedience into his friend, who instantly went off; and ina few seconds, (which seemed years to Ted), returned with his burnous.
While the seaman quickly but quietly divested himself of the boar-skin,and put on the burnous with the hood well drawn over his face, herelated to his friend the incident at the gate, without, however,mentioning the true cause of his behaviour.
"An' wat for you go be do now?" asked Rais Ali anxiously.
"To make me escape, sure," said Ted, holding the head of his cudgelclose up to his friend's nose; "across the mountains or over the say, byhook or crook, or through the air, escape I will somehow, even though Ishould have to jump out at me mouth an' lave me body behind me, fordepind upon it that all the Turks an' Moors an' boors an' naigers in thePirates' Nest ain't able to take Ted Flaggan alive!"
"Unposs'ble!" exclaimed Rais decidedly.
"I manes to try, anyhow," returned Ted; "so give us your flipper, owldboy; I've a sort o' sneakin' regard for 'ee, tho' ye haven't much toboast of in the way o' pluck."
"Unposs'ble!" again ejaculated Rais Ali, with greater decision thanbefore.
"Well, good-bye to 'ee--I'm off."
"Stay. _I_ will save you."
"How?" asked Ted, pausing with some impatience.
"Stay. Hold. Stop," cried, the Moor, seizing the arm of his friend."You be mad. Unposs'ble I say?--no, yes, poss'ble anuf for you 'scapewithout your body. But me save bof. Me knows hole in de rocks; cometake you dere,"--here the Moor became emphatic, and lowered his voice toa whisper,--"no boddy do knows it. All dead w'at know'd it vonce. Mewas a--what you call?--pirate vonce. Hah! nebber mind, come 'long.Queek, no time for d'liberazhun."
"Git along then, old feller," said Flaggan, thrusting his companionthrough the thicket very unceremoniously. "Don't palaver so much, buttake the helm; an' wotiver ye do, clap on all sail--ivery stitch you cancarry--for the case is desprit."
Rais Ali did "clap on all sail," steered his friend through thebrightly-lighted grounds and laughing throng of revellers, throughnumerous lanes between hedges of aloes and prickly pear, over the Sahelhills, and away to the northward, until they reached the neighbourhoodof Pointe Pescade, which lay about three and a half miles on the otherside of the town.
"It's a purty big raigion hereaway," said Flaggan, during a brief haltto recover breath; "why shouldn't I steer for the Great Zahairy, an'live wi' the Bedooin Arabs? I s'pose it's becase they'll always bedoin' somethin' or other that they've got the name."
"'Cause they'd robb an' kill you," replied Rais.
"Umph!" ejaculated Ted, as they descended to the bold rocky coast, wherethe celebrated pirate of old was wont to mount guard over theMediterranean.
"Betterer for you trust to de sea," said Rais.
"True for ye, boy--seein' that I'm a say-farin' man," returned Ted.
Proceeding cautiously down a wild and almost invisible pathway among thecliffs, Rais Ali reached the base at a part where the sea ran under theoverhanging rocks. Stepping into a pool which looked black and deep,but which was only a few inches at the edge, he waded slowly into theinterior of a cavern, the extremity of which was quite dry. It was darkas Erebus, but flint and steel soon produced a light.
"There vas vonce a torch here," said Rais, looking about hastily, whilethe vault above was lighted for a few seconds by the bunch of dry grasswhich he had brought with him, "but it long since me be--ah, here it is;dis am de torch."
He lighted it, and showed his friend the form and size of the cave,reiterated that it was known to no one but himself--at least so hethought--advised him to remain close all day and keep a good look-outseaward at night, promised to return with food the following evening,and finally left him to his meditations.
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Note 1. A very remarkable and authentic instance of this style ofpunishment is recorded in the annals of Algiers.
A Moor named Geronimo was, about the beginning of the seventeenthcentury, converted to Christianity by a captive. The reigning Pashaordered him to recant, and gave him _twenty-four_ hours to make up hismind. On his refusal, the Pasha caused Geronimo to be buried alive inthe mud which was being poured into moulds and dried into blocks, forthe purpose of building fort Bab-el-Oued. In this block the poor martyrwas built into the wall of the fort, which was thereafter named the"Fort of the Twenty-four Hours." The incident was soon nearlyforgotten. Two and a half centuries afterwards, (in December 1853), theFrench, while carrying out their improvements in the town, destroyed theancient "Fort of the Twenty-four Hours," but were warned, by one who waswell read in the history of the place, to be careful on razing a certainpart of the walls to examine them well. They did so, and found the bodyof Geronimo--or, rather, the _mould_ formed by his body, which latter,of course, had crumbled to dust. A plaster cast was taken from thismould, and this cast--which gives an almost perfect representation ofthe martyr lying on his face, with his hands tied behind his back--isnow in the museum of the library of Algiers.
The Pirate City: An Algerine Tale Page 23
