Part 56 (2/2)
Though she had not seen the people getting on board from the raft, she had no doubt of her character, and seemed determined to award her the pirate's fate The _Ypsilante_, it must be understood, was on the starboard tack, with her head about north-west, while theabout south, and about to haul up as soon as she could round the island on the larboard tack, so that the atteht 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, he probably hoped that, as she could not venture into the shoal water, where the mistico was, she would not knock away any of his spars, and that he e to escape clear of her The wind, however, as the two vessels approached each other, came more from the eastward, and at the saer to the fire of the brig, which now opened upon her at the same time with musketry Several of the shot had told with dire effect, and those on board the _Ione_ could perceive that many of the pirates had been killed or wounded At last a round shot struck the main that all hopes of escaping in the vessel were gone, were observed to leap overboard in an endeavour to gain the shore by swih some in the attempt were swept out by the current, which still set to the ard, and sunk to rise nopower of the helm, and without any after sail, ran off the shore before the wind, in the direction the current was likewise drifting her She thus passed at no great distance from the _Ione_, which had reached her too late to prevent the catastrophe Captain Fleetwood, and all on board, were anxiously watching her as she drew near them On her deck two forms only were seen Near the shattered mainmast lay the pirate Zappa; the hue of death was on his countenance, and his side, torn and led by a round-shot, told that he was beyond all human help He was not deserted in his utmost need The unhappy Nina, faithful even to death, knelt over him His hand was locked in hers Her eyes watched the last faint gleam of animation which passed over those ony, for a purple strea from her neck, told where a bullet had done its fatal work on her
In vain she tried to conceal it froht he beheld, and it added to his dying pangs to know that she also had suffered for his cri dim with the shades of death He beheld the look of unutterable love fixed on him, and in that, his last moment, he understood what he had before so little prized He atteth failed hiers relaxed their hold, and Nina, wildly calling on his naain she called, then with an agonised scream, which was heard even on board the shi+ps of war, and which h seamen sink within them, so fearful did it sound, she fell prostrate across the lifeless body of the pirate
The _Ione_ soon ran close to thelowered, Fleetwood leaped into it, and went on board her, accoeon, who had discovered that Miss Garden had very little occasion for the exercise of his skill They lifted up poor Nina, but they had come too late to save, for death had kindly released her from the misery which would too probably have been her future lot Fleetwood, believing that 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 He searched in vain for Paolo Montifalcone; he could scarcely believe that he would have deserted his sister at such athose killed by the first broadside of the Greek brig She had hove too close in shore, and had sent her boats in chase of the fugitive pirates, but none of thes then ran round to meet the _Venus_, when Captain Rawson ordered the _Zoe_ to be burnt in sight of the island, as a warning to its piratical inhabitants
It was proposed by Captain Vassilato to make an expedition inland, to hunt them up; but Captain Rawson considered that it would not be worth the loss of ti that, after all, they were, probably, not e proportion of their fellow-islanders, and as their vessel was destroyed, they could do no more harm, for the present
The three vessels then made sail for the island of Lissa, where the _Vesta_ had just before arrived
The seaarrison, were then ordered to e disuns over the cliffs
The bodies of Nina and the pirate chief were conveyed on shore, in two coffins, and buried, side by side, in a green spot, under the shade of the only re tohich, to this day stands as a monument to theirevents I have described took place, is once more silent and deserted, except by a few har whom, however, the naer bride, are not forgotten; and, as they point to their graves, they say her spiriton the su for the bark to convey her to her distant ho on board the _Ione_, and finding his niece in safety, and with the hue of health onceto her cheek, showed the affection he felt for her He wrung Fleetwood's hand war,” he exclaimed, as he did so; ”and I am not ashamed to own it From what I have seen of you and your brother-officers since this work has been going forward, I am convinced that there are as fine fellows in the British navy as there are in the arn and their country, as I aainst us But to the point--as you, Miss Ada, happen to prefer a blue jacket to a scarlet one, however ster, have pitied your taste, egad, you have chosen so fine a fellow inside it, that I promise, when I slip my cable (as he would say), to leave you and him every rap I possess; for from what I have seen of him, I am very certain that he loves you for yourself (which, by the bye, shows his good taste), and does not care one pinch of snuff for the gold he knows that I am reputed to possess”
Ada, on this, threw her arain for his kindness; while Fleetwood assured him, with a frank honesty which could not be mistaken, that he only spoke the truth, and that he intended to have done his best to h he expected to forfeit every chance of getting a penny with her
The _Ione_ touched at Cephalonia on her voyage to Malta, where the colonel found that, as he was supposed to be lost, another officer had been appointed to his post This, however, was land to e of his niece
On reaching Malta, the _Ione_ was ordered home; and as Ada was not yet his wife, Fleetas able to carry her and her uncle to England, where, without the usual vexatious delays, his happiness was soon after completed
Of our characters, all I can say is, that ot on in their profession, and that the greater number are now post captains
After the conclusion of the Greek war, in which he greatly distinguished hiland to see his old friends, Captain and Mrs Fleetwood, and he is now an influential person in his native country
Our honest friend, Captain Bowse, land in the _Ione_, and soon supplied the loss of the _Zodiac_ with an equally fine brig, in which he es to all parts of the world, and was able to lay by, for his old age, a comfortable independence, 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 to Captain and Mrs Fleetwood, at their place in Hampshi+re; and, on one occasion, he persuaded the lady to allow him to take her eldest boy, as a little sickly, a short suhted with his trip, that nothing would satisfy him till he was allowed to enter his father's noble profession, to which he promises to be an orna A other acco a yarn, and often amuses his shi+pmates with an account of his father's adventures in chase of the _Sea Hawk_
THE END