FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126  
127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   >>   >|  
econd Voyage, if he might be permitted to kiss the dust in his presence. "Khoda shefa midehed-- God gives relief," replied the pacha, as he resumed his seat: "let him approach." The renegade entered; and having paid the customary obeisance, took his seat, and commenced the narrative of his Second Voyage:-- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ May it please your most sublime highness, the day after I embarked we sailed with a fair wind; and having cleared the Straits, flattered ourselves with the prospect of a successful voyage; but we were miserably disappointed, for three days afterwards we fell in with a small brig under English colours. As she was evidently a merchant vessel we paid no attention to her running down to us, supposing that she was out of her reckoning, and wished to know her exact position on the chart. But as soon as she was close to us, instead of passing under our stern, as we expected, she rounded to, and laid us by the board. Taken by surprise and having no arms, we were beaten down below; and in a few minutes the vessel remained in the possession of our assailants. They held a short consultation, and then opening the hatches, a boatswain pulled out his whistle, and in a tremendous voice roared out, "_All hands ahoy_!" which was followed by his crying out, "_Tumble up there, tumble up_!" As we understood this to be a signal for our appearance on deck, we obeyed the summons. When we all came up, we found out that if we had had any idea that they were enemies, we might have beaten them off, as they were only fifteen in number while we mustered sixteen. But it was too late: we were unarmed, and they had each of them a cutlass, with two pistols stuck in their girdles. As soon as we were all on deck, they bound our arms behind us with ropes and ranged us in a line. Having inquired of each of us our respective ranks and professions, they held a short consultation, and the boatswain addressing me, said: "Thank Heaven, you scoundrel, that you were brought up as a barber, for it has saved your life!" He then cut loose the cords which bound me, and I remained at liberty. "Now then, my lads!" continued the boatswain, "_Come, every man his bird_!" and, so saying, he seized upon the captain of the vessel, and leading him to the gangway, passed his sword through his body, and tossed him into the sea. In the same manner each of the murderous villains led forwa
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126  
127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

vessel

 

boatswain

 

consultation

 

remained

 

Voyage

 

beaten

 

signal

 

cutlass

 

tumble

 

pistols


understood
 

mustered

 

enemies

 
fifteen
 
number
 
unarmed
 

sixteen

 
obeyed
 

summons

 

appearance


addressing

 

seized

 

captain

 

leading

 

gangway

 

continued

 

passed

 

murderous

 

manner

 

villains


tossed
 
professions
 
Heaven
 

respective

 

inquired

 

ranged

 

Having

 

scoundrel

 
brought
 
liberty

barber

 

girdles

 
embarked
 

sailed

 
highness
 

sublime

 
Second
 

voyage

 

miserably

 
disappointed