Part 10 (1/2)
”Now, just look at the entlemen,” said Saation, and he wants soate his shi+p, for, as far as I can learn, these Moorish fellows do not understandHe will make officers of you and treat you well, and I do not suppose he expects you to fight”
”How could he know that we understood navigation?” asked Stephen
”That is more than I can say,” answered Sam ”I know that I did not tell hiht you of the old Sheik, and paid such a high price for you too So you see he is not likely to be balked, and I'd advise you to corace I am very sorry that you should have to do what you do not like, but you see you have no choice in the ht”
”Me tell how it happened,” said Jumbo ”Me tell Captain Hahby were two officers, and that if he buy deood ransom, but neber tink at de time dat he want dem to serve aboard his shi+p; dat's how it came about”
”That explains the mystery, and we don't blao and serve willingly on board a pirate”
”Still I entlemen,” said Sam, ”and I came ashore with a boat's crew to carry you on board, and I will bear witness if we ever fall into the hands of a king's shi+p that you did not con to severalat the entrance to the court-yard, who at once, lish theled to free the muscular fellows, quickly h the narrow lanes towards the port On reaching it they were shoved somewhat unceremoniously into a boat, which ie vessel which lay at the entrance of the harbour
”Very sorry, gentlemen, that you should be treated in this fashi+on,”
said Saly it would not have happened It is not my fault, you will understand; but if I did not carry out the orders I receive, I should have er were too indignant just then to h they saw clearly the position in which poor Sa the deck when they arrived alongside He received the Jumbo, told him to say that their treatment would depend on the way they behaved themselves
”Tell him that as he has compelled us to come on board, we desire to knohat he requires us to do,” said Stephen
On this Captain Hamet beckoned them to come into the cabin He then placed several nautical instruments before them, with charts of the Mediterranean, the western shores of Africa and Europe, extending as far as England
”He wants you to ood use of these to mark down every day the course the shi+p has run,--her position at noon He does not require you to fight; indeed, if we o below and keep out of harm's way if you wish it”
”Under those circumstances I do not think we should wisely refuse to obey him,” observed Stephen
”I would rather not have to do it,” said Roger
”But I do not see hoe can get off, and we shall certainly, by re than if ere kept in slavery on shore,” said Stephen ”Tell the Captain, Juh ould rather have been allowed to pay a ransorimly, nodded his approval, and then sent for Sam, who showed them a cabin which he told theentlereed to do as the Captain wishes It would have been no earthly use to refuse, as he could have compelled you with a pistol at your heads”
”I do not think he would have fired it, considering that he had paid a high price for us, though he ht have ill-treated us till he could have obtained a price for setting us free”
”Well, as far as I can see, all you have got to do is to put a good face on the ate the shi+p carefully I warn you that if you do not do that, he will heave you overboard without the slightest cereer_ wherever the Captain wants her to go; it won't be our fault if he some day catches a Tartar, or runs his nose into a lion's den”
CHAPTER FIVE
As the harbour was very shallow, the _Tiger_ had to haul out into the outer roads, inside the island of Tedal, off the uns, powder, or stores on board A number of boats ca and provisions on board, and was now ready for sea She uns, and had a crew of a hundred men, sturdy, active, dark-skinned fellows, armed with sharp scimitars, hich they practised daily