Part 31 (2/2)
”Grant heaven it may be so,” ejaculated Nina ”And now, Vlacco, you must obeythe shore, to where that vessel will be wrecked Remember, the life of your chief was preserved in a similar manner, and it were i such as escape safe to my tower; and beware that no one robs or injures them”
The old man, who had found that he had been verythe last absence of Zappa, was glad of an opportunity of regaining her favour, and accordingly promised to obey her directions
In spite of the violence of the storm, he immediately set out to collect some ain seen crossing the causeway in the direction of the place towards which the vessel was driving
As it was scarcely possible for Nina to reach her oer, she continued, with Ada Garden, watching the awful progress of the mistico
On came the little vessel, scarcely visible, amid the foaot completely to the east side of the tohereas, when first seen at the greatest distance, she was in the south-west Her course must, therefore, have been about northeast, as nearly as possible, directly before the wind; and whatever old Vlacco ht have said to the contrary, she norant hands
”She et round the east end of the island!” exclaimed Nina, whose eye had seldom been off her ”If she can once do that, the unhappy men on board her may yet escape with their lives”
”But suppose she does not, will not the old Greek and his followers be able to rescue theh less apparently excited, felt an equal, if not a greater interest in the fate of the stranger
”Ah! she appears even now to be full a mile short of the point And see yonder hich lifts her up--in another instant, it will dash her on those frowning rocks, and all on board must perish Oh! Heaven, have mercy on thee wave ca summit, and, with a loud roar, bore her, with the wildest i cliffs Doard it ca upwards in showers of foa the rocks All the females, as they beheld the sad spectacle, uttered a cry of horror, and they fancied that they could hear, a shrieks of the drowningforony, for assistance, where none could co her face in her hands to shut out the dreadful sight her iination had conjured up ”May the saints intercede for their souls!”
Her exah pale and tre, had pointed the telescope towards the spot, for the purpose of discovering whether any hue of the wreck could she see; but on the summit of the cliff, above where she supposed the vessel must have struck, she beheld a person, who, as if to some one below He and his followers then disappeared down the cliffs
”There is hope yet, Nina--there is hope yet!” she exclaimed joyfully
”Thank Heaven! some may have escaped”
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
Thethe storone out at an early hour; and was standing on the edge of the cliff overlooking the harbour and the sea, while he meditated on the plan of some future predatory expedition he had proposed to himself to undertake on board the _Sea Hawk_ He was interrupted in a short time by the appearance of one of his followers, who had come up the ravine fro on you without warning; but I have tidings of i a reverential obeisance
”What is it, Baldo?” asked Zappa ”Haste, I am always impatient of news”
”It is this, chief A boat arrived this , soon after break of day, from the island of Naeiri, and a man, who has come in her, Gerassimo Listi, one of the scouts, states that a British shi+p of war has been anchored some days at the farther end of it, and that he suspects--”
”Where is thehim suddenly ”I want not to hear his suspicions--I will examine him-- where is he, I say?”
”Under the walls of the tower, chief, waiting your return,” replied the o in search of Vlacco, and tell him I would speak with him--I may have need of his counsel”
The man hurried off to obey the orders he had received, while Zappa stood, with his arer
”A shi+p of war, and British,” hehere She may possibly be in search of me; but yet, how can it be knohere I aood care that neither she nor any on board should tell tales Well, friend, what news do you bringto a man in the costume of a Greek fisherman, who now approached ”Haste, tell it me”
”Why, chief, for the last six days, in a sheltered bay, to the west end of our island, a brig of war, carrying eighteen guns, has been at anchor When she first cahts only, to supply herself ater, for there is a fine spring there, and perhaps with fuel; but she hoisted no flag, and see with the shore; and, instead of going away, there she remained, day after day, till my suspicions of her intentions were excited I watched her narrowly for soo; and I ae I heard spoken, that she is British Now, it struckwhat sort of character were the people of that nation, that she had co out after the _Sea Hawk_, or the mistico; and as soon as I arrived at this conclusion, I hurried off to bring you the information”
”I believe your suspicions are turned in the right direction; and it will be necessary to be on our guard,” replied the pirate, who had listened somewhat impatiently to the man's account