CHAPTER SEVEN.
SOME NEW CHARACTERS WALK, GLIDE, AND FURIOUSLY GALLOP INTO THE TALE, ANDOTHERWISE INTRODUCE THEMSELVES TO NOTICE.
In the interior court of a beautiful Moorish villa not far from thecity, sat Mrs Langley, wife of Colonel Langley, British consul at the"Court" of Algiers.
The lady of whom we write was unusually romantic, for her romanceconsisted of a deep undercurrent of powerful but quiet enthusiasm, witha pretty strong surface-flow of common-sense. Her husband was a man ofnoble mind and commanding presence--a magnificent representative JohnBull, with the polish of a courtier and the principles of a Christian;one who had been wisely chosen to fill a very disagreeable post, full ofresponsibility and danger.
On a stool at the feet of Mrs Langley sat a sunny second edition ofherself, about eight years of age, named Agnes. In the cradle whichAgnes had formerly occupied reposed a remarkably plump and dimpledrepresentative of the Colonel. When respectfully addressed he wascalled Jim, but he was more familiarly known as Baby.
A small negress from beyond the Zahara, and blacker than any coal,rocked Jim violently. For this--not the rocking, but the violence--shehad been unavailingly rebuked by Mrs Langley, until that lady's hearthad nearly lost all hope.
"There--you have done it again, Zubby," said Mrs Langley, referring toa push that well-nigh rolled Master Jim, (as a sea-captain once said),out at the starboard side of the cradle.
Zubby confessed her guilt, by looking abashed--and what a solemn look anabashed one is in a negress with very large eyes!--as well as by rockingmore gently.
Agnes vented a sudden little laugh at the expression of Zubby's face;and, the door opening at that moment, Colonel Langley entered the court,and sat down beside his wife under the giant leaves of a smallbanana-tree, whose life was drawn from a boxful of earth about threefeet square.
"My dear," said the Colonel, "I have two rather amusing things to laybefore you this evening. One is a gift from the Dey, the other is aletter. Which will you have first?"
"The gift, of course," replied the lady.
"Let her come in, Ali," called the Colonel to his interpreter, who stoodin the passage outside.
Rais Ali, a Moor clad in the usual Turkish garb, but with a red fez orskull-cap on his head instead of a turban, threw open the door leadingout of the court, and ushered in poor Paulina Ruffini with her child.
"Is _this_ the Dey's gift?" asked the astonished lady, rising hurriedly.
"It is; at least she is lent to us, and we are bound to accept her.--Address her in French, my dear; she does not understand English. Infact, you'd better take her to your own room and have a talk."
Mrs Langley addressed to the poor captive a few reassuring words, andled her away, leaving the Colonel to amuse himself with Agnes.
"What has she been sent to us for?" asked Agnes.
"To be a serv--a companion to you and baby, my pet."
"That was kind of the Dey, wasn't it?" said the child.
"Well--ye-es; oh yes, doubtless, it was very kind of him," replied theColonel.
We fear that the Colonel did not fully appreciate the kindness thatresulted in the gift either of Paulina Ruffini as his servant, or ofSidi Hassan as his attendant, for he saw clearly that the former wasunaccustomed to menial work, and he knew that Sidi Hassan was aturbulent member of the community. However, being a man of promptaction, and knowing that it was of the utmost importance that he shouldstand well in the good graces of the Dey, he resolved to receive Paulinainto his establishment as governess of the nursery and companion to hiswife, and to leave Sidi Hassan very much to the freedom of his own will,so long as that will did not interfere with the interests of theconsulate.
On the return of his wife he listened to her pathetic account ofPaulina's sad history, and then produced the letter to which he hadreferred on first entering.
"This letter necessitates my riding into town immediately. It is acurious document in its way, therefore lend me your ear."
Opening it he began to read. We give it _verbatim et literatim_:--
"_To the brittish Cownsul algeers_.
"7 _teenth Jully_, 18--
"Sur i'm an irishman an a sailer an recked on the cost of boogia wid six of me messmaits hoo are wel an arty tho too was drowndid on landin an wan wos spiflikated be the moors which are born divls an no mistaik. I rite to say that weer starvin but the Kaid as they cals the guvner Here says heel take a ransum for us of 150 spanish dolars the Kaid has past his word in yoor name to the moors for that sum or theyd hav spiflikate us too. I hope yer onor has as much to spair in yer pokit, an will luke alive wid it, for if yoo don't its all up wid me mesmaits inkloodin yoor onors obedent humbil servint to comand ted flagan."
"Well, I hope, with poor Flaggan," said Mrs Langley laughingly, "thatyou _have_ as much to spare in your `pokit,' for if not, it is plainthat the poor fellows will be led into captivity."
"I would readily advance a larger sum for so good an end," replied theconsul, folding the letter. "I shall at once ride into town to makearrangements, and as it is so late, will pass the night in our townhouse. I shall send our new attendant, Sidi Hassan, on this mission,and leave you for the night under the guardianship of Rais Ali."
The consul left immediately, and next morning Sidi Hassan set out forBugia with the necessary ransom.
In regard to this we need say nothing more than that he accomplished hispurpose, paid the ransom, and received the seven British seamen,accompanied by whom he commenced the return journey, he and his menriding, and driving the sailors on foot before them as though they hadbeen criminals. On the way, however, they were attacked, not far fromAlgiers, by a body of predatory Arabs from the Jurjura mountains.
These bold villains, at the very first onset, killed more than half ofthe Turkish escort, and put the rest to flight. Six of the sailors theycaptured and carried off, but Ted Flaggan, who was an exceedingly activeas well as powerful man, proved himself more than a match for them all.During the melee he managed to throw himself in the way of one of thebest-mounted among the Arabs, who instantly charged him, but Ted sprangaside and let him pass, ducking low to avoid a cut from his curvedsword.
Before he could turn, the Irishman ran close to his side, seized him bythe burnous, at the same time grasping his bridle, and pulled him out ofthe saddle with such sudden violence that he fell headlong to theground, where he lay quite stunned by the fall. Flaggan instantlysprang into the saddle, as if he had been an accomplished cavalier,though in reality he knew no more about horses than an Esquimaux.However, a man who was accustomed to hold on to a top-sail-yard in agale was not to be easily shaken off by an Arab charger. He clung tothe high saddle-bow with one hand, and with the other grasped hisclasp-knife, which he opened with his teeth. Therewith he probed theflanks of his fiery steed to such an extent that he not only distancedall his Arab pursuers, but overtook and passed his own escort one byone, until he reached Sidi Hassan himself. He then attempted to pullup, but the clasp-knife had fired the charger's blood in an unusualdegree. With a wicked snort and fling that lifted Flaggan high out ofthe saddle, it rushed madly on, left the pirate captain far behind, andat length dashed through the Bab-Azoun gate of Algiers, despite thefrantic efforts of the guard to check or turn it. Right onward it spedthrough the street Bab-Azoun, scattering Turks, Moors, Jews, negroes,and all the rest of them like chaff; passed the Dey's palace, straightalong the street Bab el-Oued; out at the water-gate, with similarcontempt of the guards; down into the hollow caused by the brook beyond;up the slope on the other side, half-way towards the summit, on theopposite side of Frais Vallon, and was not finally pulled up until ithad almost run down the British consul, who chanced to be ridingleisurely homeward at the time.
"You seem to have had a pretty sharp run, my man," said the consul,laughing, as the Irishman thankfully jumped off, and grasped the bridleof the now thoroughly winded horse.
"Faix an' I have, yer honour; an' if I haven't run down an' kilt halfth
e population o' that town, wotever's its name, no thanks to thisself-opiniated beast," replied Flaggan, giving the bridle a savage pull.
"You're an Irishman, I perceive," said the consul, smiling.
"Well, now, yer right, sur; though how ye came to persaive is more nor Ican understand."
"Where have you come from? and how in such a plight?" demanded theconsul in some surprise, observing that a troop of janissaries camegalloping up the winding road, near the top of which they stood.
"Sorrow wan o' me knows where we touched at last," replied the seaman insome perplexity; "the names goes out o' me head like wather out of asieve. All I'm rightly sure of is that I set sail four days ago from aport they calls Boogee, or so'thin' like it, in company with a mancalled Seedy Hassan; an' sure he'd ha bin seedy enough be now if hishorse hadn't bin a good 'un, for we wos attacked, and half his partykilled and took, forby my six messmates; but--"
"Your name is Ted Flaggan?" inquired the consul hastily.
"It is," said the seaman, in great surprise; "sure yer honour must be--"
The sentence was cut short by the arrival of the janissaries, who pulledup with looks of considerable astonishment on finding the mad fugitiveengaged in quiet conversation with the British consul.
"Gentlemen," said Colonel Langley, with much urbanity of tone andmanner, "I suppose you wish to make a prisoner of this man?"
The soldiers admitted that such was their desire and intention.
"Then you will oblige me," continued the Colonel, "by allowing me to behis jailer in the meantime. He is a British subject, of whom I can givea good account at the fitting time and place. Sidi Hassan, under whosecharge he has been by my orders, will doubtless soon arrive in town, andfurther enlighten you on this subject."
Without waiting for a reply the Colonel bowed, and wheeling his horseround rode quietly away, followed by the Irishman, who regarded his newjailer with a very puzzled look, while a touch of humour further tendedto wrinkle his remarkably expressive countenance.