CHAPTER THIRTY NINE.
The bright sun at length arose, and as his warming rays fell on theraft, they served to cheer the hearts of the adventurers. The raft hadmade but little way, for the wind had failed them completely, and thesail had been lowered as totally useless, so that they had to dependentirely on their oars, to make progress towards the south, while thecurrent still carried them along at a faster rate to the westward. Thepirates were, as may be supposed, excessively anxious to get on shore assoon as possible, it mattered little to them where, because, while theyremained afloat, they might, at any moment, be fallen in with by one ofthe vessels in pursuit of them; and even should they be met by anymerchantman, they were perfectly unable to defend themselves, and shouldthey be recognised, they would equally be delivered up to justice. Sofast, however, did the current run, that it appeared very probable, notonly that they would be carried far to the westward, but that they mightpass the island altogether, and be obliged to attempt to gain another.Zappa spoke but little; his mind was troubled with many thoughts, thoughthe present earnestly claimed his attention; he saw that if they couldnot fetch the island, their voyage would be much prolonged, and theywould be exposed to many additional risks; and pointing this out to hismen, he entreated them to exert themselves to the utmost. From themuttered words and growls he heard, he perceived that he must still beon his guard against them, for they had conceived the idea, he had nodoubt, that if they could once free themselves of the ladies, whom theybelieved to be the origin of their disasters, they should no longer bepursued; but it did not occur to them, that unless the English lady wasrestored, in safety, to her friends, their case would in no way bebettered. Luckily, their intended victims did not understand them, andZappa would not alarm them by warning them of what he had heard. Hetold Paolo to be on his guard, and kept his own weapons ready to be usedat a moment's notice. On went the raft, a thin pillar of smoke markingthe spot whence it had been launched.
Zappa had been silent for some time.
"Nina," he said at last, "you have endeavoured lately to induce me toquit the life I have hitherto led. Your persuasions have influenced megreatly, and I would now gladly follow your wishes; but, alas! all thewealth I possess in the world went down in the hold of the Sea Hawk, andI am now again a penniless adventurer. I could never consent to dependon you, even had you wealth to support me, and I shall therefore oncemore be driven to follow my old calling on the ocean. Not my own will,but fate, drives me to it."
"Oh, no, no; neither fate nor necessity drives you to it!" exclaimedNina. "Had the wealth, for which you mourn, not been lost, I would nothave consented to use it. My brother and I have sufficient in our owncountry for all our wants; what is mine, surely is yours also."
"And I have in my own power a sum which some would consider an amplefortune," said Ada; "it is more, probably, than would have been demandedas my ransom, and yet I will gladly make it over to you, provided youquit for ever your lawless calling, and place your wife in safety in hernative country."
"Refuse the generous offer," said Nina, rising from her seat, andplacing her hand on his arm. "Do not be tempted to rob the fatherlessorphan. We shall have enough, without depriving her of her property."
"Peace, girl," said the pirate. "I will not now further speak on thesubject. It is folly to speak of the future when the present demandsall our care."
He spoke truly. His attention, while the conversation I have describedwas going forward, had been less occupied than was requisite during thelast few minutes, in guiding the raft, and observing the direction inwhich she was drifting; when, looking up, he saw on the starboard side,at no great distance from them, a ledge of black rocks, whose heads werejust flush with the water, which broke over them in a line of hissingfoam, threatening to wreck the raft should it once be driven againstthem. The pirate urged his men to exertion, for every instant the raftdrifted nearer and nearer the danger. All hands went to the oars, forthey saw that by their own exertions alone could they hope to escape.
The end of the reef, which it was necessary to clear before they couldbe again in comparative safety, was still a considerable way off; andyet it seemed scarcely possible, at the rate at which the raft could beurged on, to avoid striking it. Never did Zappa more anxiously wish fora breeze to carry them clear; for though, to the inexperienced eye, thedanger appeared but slight, he knew that, if the raft, for an instant,struck the ledge, it would be forced on to it by the current, then theslightest increase of wind would form waves which would quickly sweepthem all off to destruction. So slight, however, was the surf, that, ata little distance, it had not been perceived; and even now, as Ada andNina watched it, the expression of the countenances and the eagergestures of the men alone assured them of the risk to which they wereexposed.
Several times Zappa had looked astern, in the hopes of seeing the signsof a breeze coming up in that direction.
"Ah, our good genius has not deserted us," he exclaimed, at last. "Rowon, my men--row on. The wind will come in time; but we must not slackenin our exertions till it reaches us."
These encouraging words had their due effect; the crew, alreadybeginning to weary, aroused themselves afresh, the raft glided on, herhead turned off from the rocks; yet still she neared them, and the sidealmost touched the outer ones, when the voice of the chief was againheard.
"Hoist the sail, my men," he exclaimed. "Be quick about it, and we aresafe."
The sail was hoisted, and bulging out with the first breath of the windaided to keep the raft from the threatened danger. Again the wind fell,and they once more glided towards the rock; but a stronger puff came,and they rapidly increased their distance, till Zappa was able to steeron a parallel line with the reef, and they shortly had the satisfactionof seeing the dangerous point far astern. In this manner the greaterpart of the voyage was accomplished, and the day drew on; but still theywere at some distance from the land.
The breeze, however, continued, and there was now little or no prospectof their passing the island, and drifting out to sea. They were aboutfour miles off the nearest island, and were going at the rate of perhapstwo knots an hour through the water, when, as Nina was watching theever-changing countenance of the pirate, as troubled thoughts passedthrough his mind, she saw him start, and shading his eyes with his hand,cast an anxious glance towards the west. Long he looked, and as he, atlength, turned his face once more towards her, she observed a fiercenessin his eye and a stern frown on his brow, which at once aroused all herfears.
"I see that something is again amiss," she said, looking timidly up athim. "Oh, tell me what it is has agitated you?"
"Look there," he said. "A cause sufficient to make many a bold man,circumstanced as I am, tremble," he replied, in a slow, determined tone,pointing, as he spoke, towards the north-west. "Do you see yonderstranger, which has just hove in sight?"
"I see the sails of a ship above the horizon. But what harm can she doto us?" said Nina. "If she sees us, and takes us on board, she willcarry us to some land, whence we may proceed to Italy."
"You forget that, to the hunted pirate, all men are enemies," answeredZappa, bitterly. "I could not venture on board a merchant-vessel,without the risk of being recognised, and, if my eyes deceive me not,yonder craft is no peaceful trader, but rather a British ship of war."
"Heaven forbid it," exclaimed Nina. "But should she be, still the raftis so low in the water, that, at the distance we are off from her, wesurely shall scarcely be recognised."
"I wish that I could think so," said Zappa; "but on board that craftthere are numerous sharp eyes on the look out, and our sail may longsince have been seen from her mast-heads. She is also, I well know, oneof the very ships sent in chase of the _Sea Hawk_, and will not allow usto pass unquestioned."
"Even should she be an enemy, are we not so near the shore that you mayeasily escape thither?" asked Nina, who was unwilling to acknowledge,even to herself, the danger to which Zappa was exposed.
"She is stand
ing this way, and, by the manner in which her sails risefrom the water, she is making rapid progress towards us," murmured thepirate, speaking to himself rather than answering Nina's question. "Ah!I know her now; and long ere we can reach the shore she will be uponus. Well, we will strive to the last. Fate may, for this once, favourus. The wind may fail, or, by chance, we may not be seen; and if, whenI have done all that I can to escape, rather than be captured, to hangalongside those wretches I saw not long ago on the fortifications ofMalta, I have but the brave man's last resource to fly to, and the waveon which I have so long loved to float shall be my grave."
Ada Garden had heard the previous part of the conversation with feelingsbetween hope and fear. She trusted that the ship in sight was a friend;and yet she could not tell what effect it might have on the pirates whenthey discovered that such was the case. She deeply regretted, also, thefate which she feared might await Zappa, were he captured,notwithstanding the efforts she purposed to make to preserve his life,more certainly for Nina's sake than for his own; yet she was grateful tohim for the forbearance he had shown towards her.
It was an anxious time for her--indeed, the joy and satisfaction shewould otherwise have felt at the thoughts of her own deliverance wasmuch alloyed by grief for poor Nina, who, at the moment of realising herfondest hopes of reclaiming her husband, found them rudely torn fromher.
The crew had not yet observed the stranger, as they were occupied at theoars, or tending the sail, and Zappa was unwilling to alarm them beforeit was necessary; for he knew their caitiff nature, and though ferociousenough when they were sure of victory, he could not now depend on theircourage, and he thought that they were very likely, when they saw thatall chance of escape was gone, to quit their oars, and refuse to exertthemselves further.
On came the stranger till her hull rose out of the water, and the reportof one of her guns was the first intimation the crew had of hervicinity. They all looked round with astonishment, not unmixed withterror; but the calm bearing of their chief reassured them.
"Bow on, my comrades," he said. "That ship will not fire at us, and inanother short hour we may be among our friends on shore."
The stranger was, as she drew near, seen to be a brig of war, and theensign which blew out from her peak showed her to be British.
"I know her," he muttered in Romaic. "She is no other than the accursed_Ione_, which has already wrought me so much injury. To escape from heris hopeless, and naught remains for me but to execute my last resolve.Paolo, come here." He now spoke in Italian. "You know well how tosteer, so take the helm and keep the raft for yonder headland."
Paolo came aft and took the pirate's place at the helm, who, putting hishand on his arm, continued in a whisper, "Now show your manhood, for toyou I commit the charge of those men. Save their lives, if you can; andyou yourself, with the testimony your sister and yon fair girl can give,will run no hazard. Say that Zappa refused to fall alive into the handsof his enemies, and bravely met the fate he had awarded to so many.Farewell."
Whether the act of giving up the helm to Paolo, or the expression of thepirate's countenance, made Nina suspect his intentions, she herselfcould scarcely tell, but her eye was upon him, while her limbs shookwith dread, and, just as he was about to take the fatal leap from theraft, she sprung up, and grasped him convulsively by the arm, while herbrother seized him on the other side, so that, without running the riskof upsetting the raft, or dragging them both into the water, he couldnot execute his dreadful purpose.
"You shall not--you shall not!" exclaimed Nina, trembling in an agony offear, and scarcely able to utter the words she wished to speak. "Commitnot so dire a crime, or fill the cup to the brim, and drag me with you.In destroying yourself, you slay me likewise."
As the unhappy girl said this she clung to him, endeavouring to draw himto the centre of the raft.
Ada had been afraid of leaving her seat, for she saw the risk to whichall were exposed by the struggle, and that the weight of another personthrown on the spot might complete the catastrophe, though her agitationwas scarcely inferior to that exhibited by Nina.
"Stay, stay, signor," she exclaimed--"before you commit the impious deedyou threaten, listen to me. You would seek a certain death, and certainpunishment in another world, to avoid the risk you run of meeting it atthe hands of my countrymen in this--now listen to me. I have alreadypromised Nina to intercede in your behalf, and I now solemnly vow to youto employ every means in my power to preserve your life, and I feelalmost certain of success. A petition made by me under thecircumstances of the case will, I am confident, be attended to, and youmay yet enjoy many years of happiness with one who is so well able toafford it you."
"Lady," said Zappa, "again you have conquered me. Unworthy as I am tolive, I accept life at your hands, and confide in your promise, thoughsomething tells me it will avail me but little. Nina, you need not thusso fearfully clasp my arm. I will not attempt to escape you, girl."
As he said this, he allowed himself to be led forward by Nina, and sathimself down on a chest, where he remained for some minutes with hisface buried in his hands, and bent down on his knees. Paolo steered ashe had been directed, and as the raft had for some time passed all therocks and shoals to be feared, the task was not difficult. Ada,meantime, watched anxiously, the approach of the English brig; but thewind, she thought, was lighter than it had been, for the distancebetween them did not appear to decrease so rapidly as at first, and asshe looked alternately from the brig to the shore, she thought thatthere was more than a probability of their reaching it before they wereovertaken. The pirate seemed indifferent to his fate, but he was oncemore aroused to exertion by a shout from his men, and guided by whatthey said, he turned his eyes towards the shore, whence, from behind theheadland towards which they were steering, the long low hull of amistico was seen stealing forth, with her pointed lateen sails hauledclose on a wind.
"The _Zoe_, the _Zoe_," shouted the pirates. "Our comrades come to ourassistance."
There could be little doubt that the mistico in sight was the _Zoe_.
"But is she manned by our friends?" thought Zappa, whose suspicions werekeenly alive to treachery. "If she were, would she thus venture out inthe very face of an enemy?" The men, however, seemed convinced that shecame as a friend, and welcomed her with every extravagant sign of joy.Though so near them, she had to make several tacks before she couldreach them, whereas the brig of war, being before the wind, came downsteadily towards them, and was rapidly approaching within range of herguns. Zappa watched them both. The mistico was manned by Greeks, fortheir picturesque costume was easily distinguishable, but he was notcertain that they were friends; and far rather would he have fallen intothe hands of the English, than into the power of his own countrymen.Should he continue his course, and should they prove enemies, the momenthe was recognised would probably be his last, and those with him wouldbe sacrificed; but, on the other hand, if he lowered the sail andattempted to pull up to the brig, he might lose the chance of savinghimself and his followers. He saw the risk of having to trust to theclemency of the British authorities, whom he had so often, by hismisdeeds, offended. He was decided on continuing his course by seeingthe mistico get out her sweeps, and from the point where she then was,she could lay almost up for them. In a short time all doubt was at anend, well-known faces were recognised on board, and greetings, loud andfrequent, were exchanged between them. A universal cry of sorrow wasuttered as the loss of their favourite _Sea Hawk_ was announced, thoughtheir chief was warmly welcomed, as they saw that he was among thosesaved, and no mutinous feeling was perceptible among them. The sail waslowered, and he raft was soon alongside the mistico. The crew jumped onboard, and pointing to the approaching brig, urged their friends toinstant flight, but Zappa still remained with the rest.
"Lady," he said, addressing Ada, "I leave you here, whence you willspeedily be rescued by your own countrymen, and to your charge also Ileave this poor girl; you will, I feel assured, see her safel
y restoredto her country and her home; and Nina, listen to me; should I succeed inescaping my enemies, I will join you there, and in peace and safetyforget the dangers we have passed."
"Listen, Nina," said Ada. "You cannot serve him by accompanying him,while with me you will speedily, I trust, be in safety."
"What, leave him now in danger and in difficulty!" she exclaimed. "No,no, I am not so light of feeling as to do that. Farewell, sweet lady.You have loaded me with a debt of gratitude I cannot hope to repay."
She stooped as she spoke, and kissed Ada's brow, then sprang backtowards Zappa, who was stepping on board the mistico, for the piratesloudly summoned him, and with good cause, for at that moment anothersquare-rigged vessel was seen coming round the east end of the island.Nina was in time to clasp the pirate's arm.
"Oh, take me with you!" she cried. "Your lot I will share, your fateshall be mine."
He clasped her round the waist, and seizing the stay of the mast, leapedwith her on board. Paolo stood irresolute a moment. He looked at Ada,she turned her face from him. He saw his sister among the pirates. Herecollected his devoted love for her, and the sacrifice she had alreadymade, besides which he felt the hopelessness of his passion, and just asthe raft was being cast off, he followed her on board the mistico.
The next moment Ada Garden found herself the only occupant of the raft,drifting on the face of the water.
CHAPTER FORTY.
The _Ione_ had in vain chased the _Sea Hawk_. She had examined everyisland in her course, and searched in every bay and nook, and behindevery rock and headland, but the pirate still evaded her, till captain,officers, and men were almost worn out with their labours. Fleetwood,it may be supposed, did not save himself, and it could scarcely beexpected that he should allow his officers to do so; in truth, however,every man and boy on board was almost as eager in the pursuit as he was,and fatiguing as it was, never was any duty performed more willingly,though, as they could relieve each other, they were not so muchexhausted with fatigue. Night and day he was on deck, and it was withdifficulty he could be persuaded to take any food or rest, expecting, ashe did, that the next few hours would place the _Sea Hawk_ in his power.Thus day after day passed away. Sometimes a sail hove in sight, andthey stood after her in chase, but only to come up with her to find thatshe was some English trader to the Bosphorus, or Greek man-of-war, ofperhaps little less doubtful character than the _Sea Hawk_ herself. Theinhabitants of the islands either knew nothing about her, or would giveno information, nor could any clue be obtained from any craft they fellin with; so at last Captain Fleetwood resolved to return south again,keeping close along by the Greek coast, to examine the dense group ofislands and islets of which I have spoken.
The wind had been light all night, and the _Ione_ had made littleprogress; but as the morning broke a breeze sprang up from thenorthward, and she hauled in a little to fetch the easternmost of theislands, among which she was about to cruise. A Greek pilot had beentaken on board on the _Zone's_ first entering the Archipelago. He was aclever old fellow, and he undertook to carry the ship in safety throughall the dangers with which she would be surrounded. Zappa had onceplundered a ship of which he had charge, and he was doubly anxious toget hold of him. All the officers were on deck with telescopes in hand,sweeping the horizon, while the captain, as was his custom every hour,had just gone aloft with his glass to take a wider sweep, and to assurehimself, with his own eyes, whether any sail was or was not in sight.
"Poor fellow," said Linton, "I am afraid the captain will never livethrough it. He is worn almost to a skeleton, and he looks as if a feverwere consuming him. Should anything dreadful have occurred, I am afraidit will kill him when he hears of it."
"I fear so too, and it would be the last way I should wish to gain mycommission," said Saltwell, with much feeling. "I wish to Heaven wecould fall in with this phantom rover."
"It takes a great deal of worry to kill a man," observed the doctor, whohad no great faith in the effect of any but physical causes on the body,the consequences of a limited medical education, though he was a veryfair surgeon. "If he persists in going without food and sleep, ofcourse he will grow thin."
"That's very well for you to say, doctor; but when a man's heart is sickhe can't eat," answered Linton. "It is the uncertainty of the thing iskilling him. Let him once find the young lady, and he will pluck upfast enough; or, let him know the worst, and, as he is a man and aChristian, he will bear his affliction like one, I'll answer for him."
"Deck, ahoy!" hailed the captain, from aloft. "Keep her away one pointmore to the southward."
"Ay, ay, sir," answered Saltwell, and every telescope was pointed in thedirection the ship was now steering.
Nothing, however, was to be seen from the deck; but the captain stillkept at the mast-head with his glass, intently watching some objectstill below the horizon. At last he descended, and summoned the pilot,with the first lieutenant and master, into his cabin, where a chart wasspread out on the table.
"And we may stand safely on towards that island on our present coursewithout fear of rocks or shoals, pilot?" he asked.
The answer was in the affirmative.
"There is a strong current setting from the eastward, you say, and youhave known many vessels wrecked attempting the passage? Then, MrSaltwell, pack all sail on the brig. There is a large boat, or a raft,with a square sail, to the south-east of us, which we will overhaulwithout delay."
Royals and studding-sails, alow and aloft, were now set, and away the_Ione_ flew before the breeze. Now the wind fell, and now it freshened;but the brig gained rapidly on the chase, which, by the little way itmade, was soon suspected of being a raft. Then came all the horribledoubts and fears, naturally suggested to Fleetwood's mind--but we willnot dwell on them.
"Sail, ho!" sung out the hand at the foremast-head.
"A felucca-looking craft right under the land ahead of us," was theanswer to the usual questions.
Saltwell himself went aloft to ascertain more clearly her character, andsoon returned with the report that she was a mistico beating up for theraft.
"She will be up to it, too, sir, I am afraid, long before we can reachit," he observed. "Shall we get a gun ready to fire, sir?"
"In mercy's name, no!" exclaimed Fleetwood. "We do not know whatinnocent people might be injured."
"I meant to fire at the mistico, sir," said the lieutenant. "She is, Iam certain, a piratical craft, and if those on the raft are of the samekidney, she will assist them to escape; or if not, her people will roband murder them under our very eyes."
"You forget, Mr Saltwell, that we cannot be certain of that craft beinga pirate, and till we are, we have no right to fire," said the captain."Besides, our shot might strike the raft, or the pirates, if such theyare, might fire on it in revenge."
The cry of "a sail on the larboard bow" interrupted the conversation,and, as the glasses were turned in the direction indicated, the sails ofa lofty ship were seen appearing above a headland, which ran out fromthe east end of the small island which lay before them. The misticocould not yet see the stranger, so she stood on fearlessly towards theraft. The people on the raft were then seen to quit it, and to go onboard the mistico, which directly kept away, and ran to the westward,evidently to avoid the stranger which she must have just then seen forthe first time.
The ship made the number of the _Venus_, and after standing on somelittle time, tacked and stood towards the _Ione_. The mistico, it mustbe understood, was now about a mile from the shore, and little more thanthe same distance from the west end of the island, while the _Ione_ wasanother mile to windward of her, so that if she sailed well, she mighteasily get round the point, and then by keeping away among the clusterof islands and rocks further to the south, very likely escapealtogether.
To avoid this, Fleetwood made the signal to the _Venus_ to bear up andrun round to the south end of the island, to intercept the chase,trusting to his senior officer following his wishes. Old Rawson was no
ta man to stand on etiquette, and if a midshipman had signalised him hewould have obeyed the order, and he instantly put up his helm, and ranback again out of sight, though the mistico was already too far to thewestward to profit by the change by dodging round in the same direction.
"We must leave the raft to take its chance, sir, while we chase themistico, I suppose," asked Saltwell.
"Yes, by all means--haul up a couple of points on the starboard tack."
"Port the helm. Larboard fore braces. Starboard after braces," criedSaltwell.
"Avast," exclaimed Captain Fleetwood, who had been looking at the raftthrough his glass. "Starboard the helm again. Keep her as she was.The _Venus_ will look after the mistico. There is some one on the raft.It is the figure of a female, and by heavens she is waving to us. Itis, it must be--"
His agitation was so great, that he was obliged to support himself onSaltwell's arm, who sprang to his side to catch him, thinking that hewas about to fall to the deck.
The brig ran on till she neared the raft, a boat was lowered--hercaptain threw himself into it. He was speedily alongside the raft; inanother moment Ada Garden lay fainting in his arms, overcome with excessof joy and gratitude to Heaven, and love for him, who had rescued her.Thus he bore her up the side of his ship, and was about to carry herbelow when the report of a gun was heard booming along the water. Itseemed to have the effect of arousing Ada; for at that instant sheopened her eyes, and gazing into her lover's face as she pressed thehand which clasped hers, she whispered--
"Oh, do not let them kill him, Charles. For his sake, for he treated mewell; for the sake of that poor girl--spare him--I promised him. Oh,hasten to save him!"
Her earnestness might have made a less sensible man jealous; butFleetwood knew her too well, and loved her too well, to have any otheridea than the true one, that she was anxious to fulfil a promise to theletter, and in the spirit with which it was received.
"I will do my utmost, dearest," he answered; "I will do all you canwish, but I know not whence that gun can have come; for the _Venus_ hasgone round the other side of the island. Keep her after the mistico,Mr Saltwell, and hoist a white flag at the fore, to show her we meanher no harm. Fire a gun also away from her to draw her attention, andshe will perhaps stand back towards us."
These orders were given as he stood at the top of the companion-ladderbefore he conveyed Ada into his cabin, where little Marianna, almost outof her senses with delight, was arranging a sofa on which to place her.She again went off into a fainting fit, during which, while Marianna wassearching for restoratives, and the surgeon was making his appearance,Fleetwood, as he knelt by her side, and called on her name, could notresist the temptation of bestowing many a kiss on her fair brow andlips, while he pressed her cold hands within his. The remedy wasefficacious--perhaps Marianna thought it would be so, by the long timeshe was in procuring any other, as probably did the surgeon; for Ada hadopened her eyes, and was able to sit up before he entered the cabin withthe implements of his calling under his arm, which he had brought, notthat he expected there would be any use for them, but as a plausibleexcuse for his dilatoriness.
At length, however, Captain Fleetwood tore himself away from Ada's side,and left her to the exclusive care of the surgeon and her maid, while hehurried on deck to endeavour to overtake the mistico before she gotunder the guns of his consort, who, of course, was not likely to treather with the leniency he had undertaken to do. A generous man, when hegets an enemy, especially a personal enemy, possessed of courage or anyother noble quality, into his power, has a pride and satisfaction inpardoning him, and shielding him from punishment, and such was very muchthe feeling which animated Fleetwood, when he endeavoured to induceZappa to return under the guns of the _Ione_. The pirate had certainlybeen, to him, a very great enemy, but he had been an open and bold one;he had caused him much misery and suffering, both bodily and mental, yethe had behaved with forbearance towards those in his power, and now thathis beloved Ada was once more in safety, Fleetwood felt not onlywilling, but anxious, to preserve him. When he reached the deck he soonascertained from whence the firing had proceeded, for another vessel hadappeared on the scene. She was a brig, which had evidently come roundthe south side of the island, and was now rather more than three milesto leeward, standing up towards the unfortunate mistico, which she hadjust got under her guns. The mistico was by this time nearly two milesfrom the _Ione_, and with her sheets eased off, was standing along closein shore, with the hopes of getting round the west end of the island,and thus again away to the eastward, inside of her new enemy, notknowing that the _Venus_ had already gone round there to intercept her.
"What brig is that, Mr Saltwell?" asked the captain, as he came ondeck, his countenance expressing very different emotions from any whichhad appeared there for many a long day.
"She carries the Greek colours, sir, and we make her out to be our oldfriend the _Ypsilante_. I think she can be no other," was the answer.
"It is her, there can be no doubt," said Fleetwood; "but I wish myfriend Captain Vassilato would understand our signal. I am afraid thathe will destroy the mistico and kill those on board before we can get upto her."
"There can be little to regret in that, sir," said Saltwell. "It willsave the hangman some work, if he sends them all to the bottomtogether."
"You would not say so, Mr Saltwell, I am sure, did you know that thereis an unfortunate girl on board, the wife of the pirate, who hasrendered great service to Miss Garden, as well as her brother, a youngItalian, whom I am most anxious to save, as I am also the piratehimself," answered Fleetwood.
"Then I am sure, sir, every one on board will be most anxious to secondyour wishes," said the first lieutenant. "And allow me, in the name ofthe officers and the ship's company, to congratulate you, CaptainFleetwood, on the fortunate issue of our adventures in the recovery ofMiss Garden. We all feel as we ought to feel--the most sincere joy andsatisfaction at your happiness, and, perhaps, you'll understand what wewant to express without my making a longer speech about it, but the factis, we haven't had time to cut and dry one, and I didn't like to put offsaying this longer than we could help."
"And I, on my part, must not lose a moment in thanking you, MrSaltwell, and the officers and ship's company, for the zeal andperseverance you have exhibited on this very trying occasion," returnedCaptain Fleetwood, putting out his hand and pressing that of his firstlieutenant, warmly. "You have all done me the greatest service any mencould render another, and I am most sincerely grateful to you all. Praysay this to all hands, for I cannot now more publicly express myfeelings. We must settle some way to mark the day as a bright one onboard, but we shall have time to think about that by-and-by, and we mustnow see how the mistico gets on."
It promised to fare badly enough with the unfortunate mistico. EitherZappa did not see, or did not comprehend, the _Ione's_ signal, forinstead of attending to it, he continued running down the west shore ofthe island, directly into the jaws of the Greek; but he reckonedprobably that he should be able to hug the shore so close that she couldnot come near him, and he then hoped, it seemed, to get away among therocks and reefs to the southward, where she could not venture to follow.This the Greek was equally resolved to prevent her doing, and no soonerhad she got her within range of the guns, than she opened the fire ofher whole broadside on her.
Though she had not seen the people getting on board from the raft, shehad no doubt of her character, and seemed determined to award her thepirate's fate. The _Ypsilante_, it must be understood, was on thestarboard tack, with her head about north-west, while the mistico wasrunning about south, and about to haul up as soon as she could round theisland on the larboard tack, so that the attempt to escape was notaltogether so hopeless as might at first have appeared, had not the_Venus_ gone round to intercept her. Zappa, of course, recognised the_Ypsilante_, and, knowing that her gunnery was not first-rate, heprobably hoped that, as she could not venture into the shoal water,where the mistico was, she would not
knock away any of his spars, andthat he might manage to escape clear of her. The wind, however, as thetwo vessels approached each other, came more from the eastward, and atthe same time fell considerably, thus exposing the mistico much longerto the fire of the brig, which now opened upon her at the same time withmusketry. Several of the shot had told with dire effect, and those onboard the _Ione_ could perceive that many of the pirates had been killedor wounded. At last a round shot struck the mainmast, and down came themainsail on deck. The pirates, seeing that all hopes of escaping in thevessel were gone, were observed to leap overboard in an endeavour togain the shore by swimming, in which many of them succeeded, though somein the attempt were swept out by the current, which still set to thewestward, and sunk to rise no more.
The mistico, deprived of the guiding power of the helm, and without anyafter sail, ran off the shore before the wind, in the direction thecurrent was likewise drifting her. She thus passed at no great distancefrom the _Ione_, which had reached her too late to prevent thecatastrophe. Captain Fleetwood, and all on board, were anxiouslywatching her as she drew near them. On her deck two forms only wereseen. Near the shattered mainmast lay the pirate Zappa; the hue ofdeath was on his countenance, and his side, torn and mangled by around-shot, told that he was beyond all human help. He was not desertedin his utmost need. The unhappy Nina, faithful even to death, kneltover him. His hand was locked in hers. Her eyes watched the last faintgleam of animation which passed over those much-loved features. Sherecked not of her own agony, for a purple stream issuing from her neck,told where a bullet had done its fatal work on her.
In vain she tried to conceal it from her husband. It was the last sighthe beheld, and it added to his dying pangs to know that she also hadsuffered for his crimes. Once more he opened his eyes, now growing dimwith the shades of death. He beheld the look of unutterable love fixedon him, and in that, his last moment, he understood what he had beforeso little prized. He attempted to press her hand, but his strengthfailed him in the effort, his fingers relaxed their hold, and Nina,wildly calling on his name, received no answering look in return. Againand again she called, then with an agonised scream, which was heard evenon board the ships of war, and which made the hearts of the rough seamensink within them, so fearful did it sound, she fell prostrate across thelifeless body of the pirate.
The _Ione_ soon ran close to the mistico, and a boat being lowered,Fleetwood leaped into it, and went on board her, accompanied by thesurgeon, who had discovered that Miss Garden had very little occasionfor the exercise of his skill. They lifted up poor Nina, but they hadcome too late to save, for death had kindly released her from the miserywhich would too probably have been her future lot. Fleetwood, believingthat it would gratify Ada, had the bodies carried on board the _Ione_,to be interred on shore; and as no other had been found on her decks,the pirates had probably thrown their slain comrades overboard. Hesearched in vain for Paolo Montifalcone; he could scarcely believe thathe would have deserted his sister at such a moment, and he was fain toconclude that he had been among those killed by the first broadside ofthe Greek brig. She had hove too close in shore, and had sent her boatsin chase of the fugitive pirates, but none of them were overtaken.
The two brigs then ran round to meet the _Venus_, when Captain Rawsonordered the _Zoe_ to be burnt in sight of the island, as a warning toits piratical inhabitants.
It was proposed by Captain Vassilato to make an expedition inland, tohunt them up; but Captain Rawson considered that it would not be worththe loss of time, as their chief was killed, observing that, after all,they were, probably, not much worse than a large proportion of theirfellow-islanders, and as their vessel was destroyed, they could do nomore harm, for the present.
The three vessels then made sail for the island of Lissa, where the_Vesta_ had just before arrived.
The seamen and marines, who had formed the garrison, were then orderedto embark on board their respective ships, first having dismantled therude fortifications, and tumbled all the guns over the cliffs.
The bodies of Nina and the pirate chief were conveyed on shore, in twocoffins, and buried, side by side, in a green spot, under the shade ofthe only remaining tower, which, to this day stands as a monument totheir memory.
The island, where so many of the stirring events I have described tookplace, is once more silent and deserted, except by a few harmlessfishermen, among whom, however, the name and deeds of the famous pirate,Zappa, and his stranger bride, are not forgotten; and, as they point totheir graves, they say her spirit may be seen in bodily form, on calmmoonlight nights, standing on the summit of the cliff, watching for thebark to convey her to her distant home.
Colonel Gauntlett's delight on getting on board the _Ione_, and findinghis niece in safety, and with the hue of health once more returning toher cheek, showed the affection he felt for her. He wrung Fleetwood'shand warmly.
"I have done you and your profession a wrong," he exclaimed, as he didso; "and I am not ashamed to own it. From what I have seen of you andyour brother-officers since this work has been going forward, I amconvinced that there are as fine fellows in the British navy as thereare in the army; and while both remain firm and loyal to their sovereignand their country, as I am sure they ever will, we may defy the world inarms against us. But to the point--as you, Miss Ada, happen to prefer ablue jacket to a scarlet one, however much I might, when I was ayoungster, have pitied your taste, egad, you have chosen so fine afellow inside it, that I promise, when I slip my cable (as he wouldsay), to leave you and him every rap I possess; for from what I haveseen of him, I am very certain that he loves you for yourself (which, bythe bye, shows his good taste), and does not care one pinch of snuff forthe gold he knows that I am reputed to possess."
Ada, on this, threw her arms round her uncle's neck, and thanked himover and over again for his kindness; while Fleetwood assured him, witha frank honesty which could not be mistaken, that he only spoke thetruth, and that he intended to have done his best to marry her with orwithout his consent, though he expected to forfeit every chance ofgetting a penny with her.
The _Ione_ touched at Cephalonia on her voyage to Malta, where thecolonel found that, as he was supposed to be lost, another officer hadbeen appointed to his post. This, however, was much to hissatisfaction, as he was anxious to return to England to makearrangements for the marriage of his niece.
On reaching Malta, the _Ione_ was ordered home; and as Ada was not yethis wife, Fleetwood was able to carry her and her uncle to England,where, without the usual vexatious delays, his happiness was soon aftercompleted.
Of our characters, all I can say is, that most of our naval friends goton in their profession, and that the greater number are now postcaptains.
After the conclusion of the Greek war, in which he greatly distinguishedhimself, Captain Teodoro Vassilato paid a visit to England to see hisold friends, Captain and Mrs Fleetwood, and he is now an influentialperson in his native country.
Our honest friend, Captain Bowse, must not be forgotten. He returned toEngland in the _Ione_, and soon supplied the loss of the _Zodiac_ withan equally fine brig, in which he made numerous voyages to all parts ofthe world, and was able to lay by, for his old age, a comfortableindependence, which, I am happy to say, he still enjoys.
At the end of nearly every voyage, he used to run down to pay a visit toCaptain and Mrs Fleetwood, at their place in Hampshire; and, on oneoccasion, he persuaded the lady to allow him to take her eldest boy, whowas a little sickly, a short summer cruise.
Young Charles was so delighted with his trip, that nothing would satisfyhim till he was allowed to enter his father's noble profession, to whichhe promises to be an ornament, and is now a lieutenant of two years'standing. Among other accomplishments, he is a first-rate hand atspinning a yarn, and often amuses his shipmates with an account of hisfather's adventures in chase of the _Sea Hawk_.
THE END.
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