nvictions that Christianity was at fault went the length of
making him suppose that Islam was right, or that his conversion to the
Faith of Mahomet was anything more than superficial. But forced as he
was to choose between the rower's bench and the poop-deck, the oar and
the scimitar, he boldly and resolutely made the only choice that in his
case could lead to liberty and life.

Thus he was received into the ranks of the Faithful whose pavilions wait
them in Paradise, set in an orchard of never-failing fruit, among
rivers of milk, of wine, and of clarified honey. He became the Kayia or
lieutenant to Yusuf on the galley of that corsair's command and seconded
him in half a score of engagements with an ability and a conspicuity
that made him swiftly famous throughout the ranks of the Mediterranean
rovers. Some six months later in a fight off the coast of Sicily with
one of the galleys of the Religion--as the vessels of the Knights of
Malta were called--Yusuf was mortally wounded in the very moment of the
victory. He died an hour later in the arms of Sir Oliver, naming the
latter his successor in the command of the galley, and enjoining upon
all implicit obedience to him until they should be returned to Algiers
and the Basha should make known his further will in the matter.

The Basha's will was to confirm his nephew's dying appointment of a
successor, and Sir Oliver found himself in full command of a galley.
From that hour he became Oliver-Reis, but very soon his valour and fury
earned him the by-name of Sakr-el-Bahr, the Hawk of the Sea. His fame
grew rapidly, and it spread across the tideless sea to the very shores
of Christendom. Soon he became Asad's lieutenant, the second in command
of all the Algerine galleys, which meant in fact that he was the
commander-in-chief, for Asad was growing old and took the sea more and
more rarely now. Sakr-el-Bahr sallied forth in his name and his stead,
and such was his courage, his address, and his good fortune that never
did he go forth to return empty-handed.

It was clear to all that the favour of Allah was upon him, that he had
been singled out by Allah to be the very glory of Islam. Asad, who had
ever esteemed him, grew to love him. An intensely devout man, could
he have done less in the case of one for whom the Pitying the Pitiful
showed so marked a predilection? It was freely accepted that when the
destiny of Asad-ed-Din should come to be fulfilled, Sakr-el-Bahr must
succeed