Part 32 (1/2)
”But here comes Vlacco--ill hear what is his opinion on the subject”
The consultation between the pirate and his lieutenant-governor--for so we nate old Vlacco--was earnest and brief
The result was that Zappa instantly descended the cliffs, down to the bay, where the loud blast of a horn speedily collected a large number of his followers, always ready to undertake any exploits in which he led them
He selected as many as he required for his purpose, and ordered the in the mistico, called the _Zoe_, in the space of a quarter of an hour Meanti his aruise should it be necessary
The island spoken of lay about thirty miles to the ard of the harbour; and, towards it, the ed from between the cliffs, shaped her course under all sail, with the wind on the larboard beam The little vessel flew across the water at a rapid rate; for, though the sea was smooth, there was a fresh breeze to fill the sails
All the creere in high spirits--they invariably hen Zappa led them, as they believed he would always show them where plunder was to be obtained; and they were not a little disappointed when he thought fit to inform them that he now required them to perforer attending it; and yet one which was absolutely necessary, as the safety of the island demanded it
”Youwe have heard of, is, as I have every reason to believe, a British man-of-war, her purpose is either to watch for our _Sea Hawk_, and to attack her the next tiholds on shore How, though, in the latter point, I do not think she would have any chance of success, we should find her a re; in fact, to confess the truth, it would be wiser to run away than to fight her Those English are deter as their own shi+p is afloat; and, on your decks afterwards, if they can et there Now, if I find that my suspicions are correct--and I shall venture on board even to ascertain their purpose-- my proposal is, that we treat the enemy as we treated the Turks; atch our opportunity; and, during soht, ill let a fire-shi+p float down across their bohen they are not dreaether We lers, who are not killed at once by the explosion; and then, as no one will survive to say how the accident happened, it will be supposed her ht fire; and we shall escape all suspicion”
This speech which was made in choice Roant in that idiohly applauded by his followers--indeed, had they ever heard of Homer, they would have considered it equal in substance and talent to anything ever uttered by the most valiant of the heroes he speaks of It was scarcely concluded, however--and they were still discussing the subject, when the man at the helm, who had kept his eye to ard, exclaimed that he saw a black cloud to the south-east, which he was certain betokened a sudden storm, and would advise the postponeot safely into port He was an old Levant eneral, was rather fonder of action than words; and, though he had no objection to cut a throat, or plunder a shi+p, he did not approve of talking about it
Though he was a sulky old rascal, Zappa had great confidence in his sagacity, and accordingly turned his eye in the direction to which he pointed He there saw, too certainly, a mass of black clouds which had, by this ti others to their nu towards them
”We must look out for ourselves, my men,” he exclaimed ”Lower the sails while we have set under the lee of the land, till the fury of the teiven than obeyed; and the sails were closely reefed and hoisted again before the first blast of the tempest struck the vessel She had by this tie, so that she had soet under shelter of the land If she could succeed in doing this before the height of the storm caht be driven far up the gulf, before she could get under the lee of any other shore The safest plan would be at once to run back for their own port, which there was every probability of their reaching, though not quite a certainty, as a shi+ft of the wind ht possibly drive them to the northward of it As, however, Zappa was anxious to ascertain all about the English shi+p, he determined to persevere I have already described one or two storms, and may probably have to introduce two or threethem how the waves leaped and tuled h to say that it blew a very hard gale, and that the oldest mariners on board never wished to be out in a harder Even Zappa his very philosophically, began to think, when it was too late, that it would have been wiser to have gone quietly hoain
They had, fortunately, kept well to ard of their course, and were thus able to keep well away to fetch the north of the island; thus bringing the wind and the sea abaft the bea up after theot well in with the land, and very nearly swamped the _Zoe_, and drowned Zappa and all his crehich event would, doubtless, have been a very great benefit to society in general, although, fortunately for the interest of my history, which it would have materially injured, it did not occur; but the pirate and his followers got safely into a little bay, where they dropped their anchor, and offered up their thanksgivings to their patron saints, for having preserved theer they had just encountered
After having thus piously perforious duties, they set to work to prepare the materials for a fire-shi+p, hich they purposed to blow the English brig and all her crew to the devil The storot under weigh, and beat round to the south side of the island to the bay, where they had at first intended anchoring, it being, by far the safest, as the as very likely to shi+ft round, and bloith al the islands of the Archipelago, the gales generally come from the northward, and it is consequently considered always more prudent to anchor under a southern shore The pirates now recollected, as they were congratulating the had been seen anchored in a bay to the south-west of the island; and they began piously to hope that she ht have been driven on shore, and lost with all her hands, which would have saved the up their fire-shi+p, and the risk of atte to use it Before, however, they took any steps in that direction, Zappa determined to pull up into the bay, where she was reported to have been, and to ascertain what she was, and her purpose in co, for he was an early man as to be done, he was prepared to set out on his expedition
The bay where the _Zoe_ had anchored, was about five miles from where he believed the British vessel was to be found, so he had a long pull before hiht oars, and he selected as est of his hands tocraft, and did not appear as if any ah the water; indeed, she see-boat, such as are used in those waters He had the precaution also to pile up a couple of nets in her bow and stern, and also to take on board a large supply of fish, which he got fro to complete the deception; for he had taken care that all his men should be habited in the ordinary fisherman's dress as he was himself
As the boat left the side of the mistico, she had, in every respect, the appearance of one belonging to a harmless fisherh Zappa had with justice full confidence in his owntalents, he wisely did not wish to run any unnecessary risk, and he, therefore, ordered the h, and to sweep close in shore after hiht, in case of necessity, have some support at hand; she was, however, not to come nearer than a , for fear of causing his character to be suspected Every arrange made, the boat shoved off--away she pulled, while he quietly sat on the top of the nets, s else to think of besides where he should find the best market for his fish
For about fouras they toiled at their oars A headland, from which a reef of rock projected some way out into the sea, then presented itself, and, as they pulled round it, the radually opened on them
It was a secure and landlocked place, and so he was looking for His practised eye at once recognised her as a brig-of-war, and, as he drew nearer, he had little doubt from her build that she was British He had, however, made up his mind to run every risk, so he pulled boldly up the harbour towards her
”Now,depends on your coolness and courage We are going to put our heads into the lion's ive hihtest ceremony Do not stir from your seats, and pretend not to understand a hich is said to you, which it is not very likely you will do; but should any on board speak Ro your boat while I am on board”
By the time he had finished this address, they ithin a cable's length of the brig
”What boat is that?” hailed the sentry on the poop
On which Zappa, concluding that the hail was intended for hi-boat co up astern, sir,” said the sentry to the officer of the watch
”Let her coside, then--ant some fish,” said the officer in return
”Ah! I think I know that brig!” exclaimed Zappa--”I am certain of it-- she is no other than the one which lay in Valetta harbour when I was last there; and her captain, too, was, I learnt, the very officer Iso frequently with my fair prisoner Now, by some wonderful chance or other, he has discovered that she was not lost in the _Zodiac_, and has coht--good luck befriend me; for, should he discover me, I have not a chance of escape It would be wiser not to venture on board, but to pull quietly back to the ht, e ain, it is not likely that any one but he should know me at all, and my dress is so different to what it hen he saw ht into his presence, he will not probably recogniseof what they are about, and the venture is, at at events, worth ”
Zappa arrived at this conclusion as his boat ran alongside the _Ione_, when it was rather too late to think of turning back; indeed, he felt that his atte suspicion on hiain any inforing ideas, and for that purpose, he enerallyup the side, and, as he stood at the gangway, he ordered his men to hand hi so, his eye ranged over the decks, fore and aft, and he was glad to see that Captain Fleetas not a hiun-room steas the first to become the purchaser of a fine dish of fish for his master, at a very low price, too, which ills, and turned the that there must be sootten to learn what price to ask; for, as he had seldohtest conception of as their value, and was very nearly betraying himself thereby He saever, with his usual acuteness, that he had made a mistake, and took care to correct it with the next purchaser, as the midshi+pmen's steward, and who cah they had to pay more, the price was still so low as to induce them to lay in a stock for future consumption The warrant-officers and shi+p's coained experience in his new calling