CHAPTER TWELVE.
We must now go back to the day on which our story commences, or rather,at an early hour on the following morning, when the young Greek, ArgiriCaramitzo, and his Italian companion, Paolo Montifalcone, left theball-room of the Auberge de Provence.
Highly satisfied with the adventures of the evening, Caramitzo took hisway to the abode of the Jew, Aaron Bannech, not deeming it prudent tosleep under any other roof; perhaps he would not have trusted himselfunder that of the Israelite, had he not felt assured that thepreservation of his life and liberty was of very considerable importanceto his host. As he reached the door of the house, he encountered thebeggar Giacomo, who had concealed himself, till his approach, beneath aneighbouring archway.
"Hist, signor," said the beggar, hobbling up. "I'm glad you are atlength come. I have long waited for you, to give you some importantinformation regarding your safety. But who is the person with you? MayI speak before him?"
"He is a friend--say on," replied the Greek.
"Well, signor, what I have to say is, that before long you will findthis city too hot for you," answered Giacomo. "As you directed me, Iwatched the three Greeks you left at the _caffe_. For a long time theyremained inside, and at last when they came out I followed them for somedistance, and heard them making inquiries for the office of the police.They went to the wrong one first, and then I followed them to the other.Fortunately the office was closed, and they were told that they couldnot make their complaint till to-morrow. I could understand but littlethat they said, yet I am certain that they spoke of having seen youhere."
"You have done well," returned the Greek. "You saw where they lodge?"
"_Si, signor_, certainly."
"Then follow them to-morrow, and let me know the result of theirinformation."
Saying this, the Greek summoned the Jew to admit him and his companionto the house.
"I shall have to quit you to-morrow," he observed, as their host, afterexamining numerous bolts and bars, followed them to the onlysitting-room the Jew possessed; his dining-room, library, and sanctum,where all his most private and important business was transacted.
"What! will you not take a passage by the good brig, the _Zodiac_,"asked the Jew. "I had arranged everything for you, and should not havehad to appear in the affair."
"I had done my part also at the ball to-night, and I flatter myself theEnglish colonel and his niece would have been pleased to have mycompany. All would have gone well, had it not been for the appearanceof those Greeks, who fancy they know me, and will swear that I am noother than the pirate Zappa, which, by the bye, exhibits the folly ofbeing merciful. Now, though with your assistance, my friend, I mighteasily prove who I am, still, as you know I might find the detentioninconvenient, I shall therefore sail early in the speronara. Yourletters may be addressed to me as before, but bear in mind that yourinformation is generally too stale. Now I will get a little rest, ifyou will show me where I am to sleep."
"Wonderful man," muttered the Jew, as he quitted his guest, who hadthrown himself on a couch, and was already asleep. "He has no fear oftreachery."
The Greek knew that the Jew was a wise man, and would not kill hisgolden goose. The Jew had procured some ordinary morning dresses forthe Greek and his companion, and habited in them, with Italian cloaksthrown round them, they next morning fearlessly took their way to thequays.
Manuel was in attendance, and Paolo immediately embarked, and went onboard the speronara, while the Greek returned once more into the city.Had any one watched the movements of the two strangers, they would haveobserved that the Greek never for an instant allowed the Italian toleave his side while they were on shore, and that the latter regardedhim with a look much more of fear than of affection, somewhat as anill-used dog does his master, though he still follows his footsteps.
As the Greek walked along, he made observations on several vessels whichhad been mentioned to him by the beggar, and afterwards looked into thepolice-office, where his accusers had not arrived. Again, therefore,returning to the quay, he summoned the boatman, Manuel, who had returnedfor him, and directed him to pull on board the speronara, to which hehad previously sent an order by Paolo to get under weigh, and heave totill he should come on board.
"Let draw," he exclaimed, as soon as he stepped on board, "we will trythe quality of your craft, Master Alessandro, steer as if we were boundfor Syracuse, and afterwards we will run off shore. In case any vesselshould be sent in chase, I wish to mislead them as to the course we havetaken."
"_Capisco_--I understand, signor," said the Sicilian. "We have a goodbreeze, and shall reach the _Sea Hawk_, if she is at her post, longbefore dark."
"Did you ever know her miss her rendezvous?" said the Greek. "And now,my good Paolo, let me ask how it has fared with you since yesterday?"
"As it may with a man weary of the world," returned the youth, sighingdeeply.
"You will yet do bravely, Paolo," said Caramitzo. "How like you now thelife of a sailor? We have variety and excitement enough to please you?"
"Too much--I should prefer less change, and a more tranquil existence,"returned the youth. "But I am willing to undergo all to please you."
"The very words your sister would have spoken. Come, come, Paolo, youmust rouse yourself, and learn to enjoy the pleasures of life, insteadof moping and weeping as she does."
As the Greek spoke, the youth's eyes flashed angrily; but as if with aneffort, he controlled himself, and his countenance directly assumed itsusual dejected look.
The speronara, as has been described, kept first to the northward; andafter standing in that direction for six or seven miles, she eased offher sheets, and ran off to the eastward. After three hours a largepolacca brig was seen from her deck a couple of points on her larboardbow. On this a small flag was run up to the end of her main-yard, whichwas immediately answered by the brig. The speronara then hauled herwind on the starboard tack which brought her head looking almost intoValetta harbour, while the brig hove to on the same tack.
The Greek had for some time been looking through a spy-glass towardsMalta, which lay like a line of blue hillocks rising from the sea.
"Here Paolo," he said, at length. "Do you take the glass, and tell me,what vessels you see, which appear to have come out of the port we leftthis morning."
For some time Paolo made no answer. He was examining the interveningspace between them and the shore.
The Greek, meantime, reclined on a seat to rest, for he was weary withhis exertions.
Paolo at last addressed him.
"I make out a square-rigged vessel of some sort, steering this way. Shelooms large."
The Greek sprang to his feet, and took the glass.
"She is the one we are in search of," he exclaimed. "Up with the helmand let draw the head sheets."
The orders were obeyed, and the speronara ran off again before the windtowards the brig, with which she had communicated, and the head of whosetopsails were just seen above the horizon. It took a couple of hoursbefore the speronara hove to close to her, by which time the day wasalmost over.
The brig was a remarkably fine looking vessel, with a long low hull,painted black, with sharp bows, a clean run and a raking counter. Shewas what is denominated polacca-rigged; a name given to designate thosevessels which have their lower masts and topmast in one piece; thusevading the necessity of tops and caps, and much top-weight. Her yardswere very square; her masts, which were polished, raked somewhat; herrigging was well set up, and very neat; and her canvas looked white andnew. She was in truth a very rakish-looking and beautiful craft. Asthe speronara drew near, a boat was lowered from the brig and manned,and now came alongside.
As soon as the boat, which was full of armed men in the picturesquecostume of Greek sailors, came alongside, Caramitzo turned to thepadrone of the speronara:--
"Alessandro," he said, "your personal services to me are over, for thepresent; but I have occasion for the use of your vessel for a few hoursl
onger. Do you and your people go quietly on board the brig, and remaintill my return. Some few of my followers will man the speronara in themean time."
The padrone of the speronara would have expostulated, but the Greek cuthim short, and intimated that, as just then his will was law, if he didnot consent with a good grace, he would be compelled to do so--pointingat the same time to the boatload of desperadoes alongside. Seeingtherefore that resistance was useless, the padrone and his crew weretransferred to the brig, and thirty Greek seamen took their place. Theexchange was made very rapidly, as their chief, for such he was whom wehave known as Argiri Caramitzo, appeared in a hurry.
An officer, who seemed to have charge of the brig, came off in a smallerboat at the summons of the captain.
"Understand," he said, "you are, if possible, to keep the English brig,you see to the westward, just in sight; at, indeed, about the samedistance we are now from her. Steer east-northeast, which is hercourse, and look out for the speronara. I am about to visit the brig,and may perhaps be able to render you a good account of her."
The officer bowed.
"I understand your orders clearly," he said. "We would rather, however,see you returning in the brig, than in the speronara."
"I will not forget your wishes," the chief answered laughing, as theboat shoved off.
"Now my men let draw the foresheet--now she has way on her--haul it wellaft, and see if she will lay up for the brig yonder. Ah, she does itbravely--call me when we near her."
And wrapping himself in his cloak he lay down to sleep, or, it mighthave been, to meditate on the daring plans and projects working in hisactive brain. The speronara flew over the waves like a sea-bird on thewing. She soon neared the brig which Paolo at once recognised as theEnglish merchantman they had passed in Valetta harbour. He had heardfrom the chief who were the passengers on board, and the _ruse_ to bepractised had also been confided to him. He had been endeavouring tobeguile, to him, the weary hours of the voyage with reading, while thechief slept, for sleep refused to visit his eyelids. A thought seemedto strike him. He wrote hastily in the book, and tearing out the leaf,placed it in his bosom. He then roused his companion from his slumber.The Greek started up and eyed the approaching brig.
"It is she," he exclaimed. "That vessel, my men, is to be your prize;but much caution will be required to take her. She is armed, that is tosay, she has four real guns and two wooden ones; but from what I saw ofher captain and crew, I think they are likely to fight. They are verydifferent sort of characters, are those English, to the Italians we areaccustomed to deal with, who call on their saints to help them, and fromthe Turks, who make up their minds it is their fate to be taken andthrown overboard. The difficulty, on the contrary, with these English,is ever to persuade them that they are beaten; and, as they don't carefor the Saints, and don't fear the devil--heretics that they are--theytrust to their own right arm, their cutlasses, and big guns; and byAchilles, if you do manage to throw them overboard, they will swim aboutin the hopes of getting a cut at you. Now, where we cannot succeed byforce, we must employ stratagem; and I intend to go on board and toinform them that the _Sea Hawk_ is an Austrian ship-of-war, anxious toprotect merchantmen from the attacks of the corsair Zappa, and torevenge herself on him for his capture of one of their brigs of war, ofwhich they will have heard. If I find them unprepared and unsuspiciousof us, we will at once run alongside and take possession; and, as I amanxious not to be under the necessity of throwing the crew overboard, wewill stow them all away in the hold of the vessel, and make the padronecarry them with him to Sicily. If he murder them on the voyage thatwill be no fault of ours; and if he lands them, they can be no evidenceagainst us at any time, for they have not seen our brig, and SignorSandro will not dare to give any correct information, though, of course,he will tell a number of lies to exonerate himself; but for that we arenot to blame. Now we will heave to, to windward of our friend, and seethe boat clear for launching, to carry me and Paolo on board her."
Having concluded his observations, the chief and Paolo went below, andsoon returned so completely disguised in the costume of Sicilianboatmen, as I have described, that the Greeks at first scarcely knewthem.
As they passed the brig, they hailed her, and then hove to. The pirate,for there is little use concealing the character of the pretendedprince, with his young companion, whom he had instructed how to act,stepped into the boat, manned by two stout hands, and pulled alongsidethe brig. He was somewhat startled and disappointed on discovering thepreparations which were made to receive him, should he appear as anenemy; and, seeing Colonel Gauntlett at the gangway, with whom he hadheld so much conversation on the previous day, it occurred to him atonce that it might be dangerous to trust his own voice, and he thereforeresolved to make Paolo the spokesman. His greatest trial, however, wasto come, when, in the presence of Ada Garden, his countenance wasexposed to the bright light of the cabin lamp. The admiration he hadfelt for her at the ball was increased when he beheld her again; but itwas not so great as to make him forget that now was not the time to showit, and it was with some feeling of relief that he found himself oncemore in his boat, fully convinced that, even with his thirty men, itwould be a work of considerable danger to attempt the capture of the_Zodiac_ by means of the speronara. He accordingly determined to returnon board the brig, dismiss the speronara, and keep a bright look outafter the merchantman, till he should find a favourable opportunity totake her unawares. As the speronara sailed almost two feet to one ofthe _Zodiac_, he was soon able to pass her and to reach the polacca brigbefore she was discernible through the darkness. As the Greek steppedon the deck of the brig, the crew received him with a shout of welcome.
"Long life to our captain," they exclaimed. "Long life to Zappa."
The Prince Caramitzo or the pirate Zappa, for under either of thosenames that worthy person may in future be recognised, assured hisfollowers of the satisfaction their affection afforded him, and thenordered them to tumble the Sicilians into their speronara, and to makeall sail without delay.
The _Sea Hawk_ was kept before the wind, and next morning, at daybreak,they found themselves still a long way ahead of the English brig. Thepirates, who had on board a number of Austrian uniforms, and seamen'sdresses, and flags, indeed every means of disguising the ship to appearlike a man-of-war of that nation, now, by their chief's orders, set towork on the necessary preparations to make her assume that character,while Zappa himself appeared in the uniform of an Austrian captain.
His purpose was to dodge on, under easy sail, till the _Zodiac_ came upwith him; and then, under pretext of friendly converse, to run heralongside, and to pour his men on her decks before her crew should havetime to make any resistance. The gale of wind, which so suddenly sprangup, prevented the execution of this plan, and preserved the _Zodiac_.
When Zappa observed her bearing down on him, he was in hopes that hisruse had succeeded, and that his vessel was taken for what he wished herto appear; but when he saw, on his following her, that the English brigmade more sail in the very height of the gale, and at last carried on ina way that seemed even greatly to hazard her safety, he began to fearthat he was suspected. He, however, was determined not to lose sight ofher again, and accordingly made sail in chase, with the hopes of findinga favourable opportunity to execute his purpose at the termination ofthe gale. At length it fell calm, and his vessel lay about four milesfrom her.
We have seen that he was a man of extraordinary nerve, and he bethoughthim that he would try once more to blind the master and crew of the_Zodiac_, and, ordering a boat to be manned, he pulled boldly on boardher. Had not Bowse been forewarned, there can be little doubt but thathe would have triumphantly succeeded, and there can be no reflection onhis want of talent either in planning or executing that he did not doso. Had he known as much as does the reader, he would probably have hadnothing to do with the speronara, which was suspected, but would at oncehave run alongside the _Zodiac_ in his own vessel which was unknown.Whe
n he found himself, on his second visit to the _Zodiac_, so nearlycaught in his own net, he pulled back to the _Sea Hawk_, vowing that hewould not again be foiled.