"You would become a renegade like me?" His tone was bitter.

"I ha' been thinking that 'renegade' is a word that depends upon which
side you're on. I'd prefer to say that I've a wish to be converted to
the faith of Mahound."

"Converted to the faith of piracy and plunder and robbery upon the seas
is what you mean," said Sakr-el-Bahr.

"Nay, now. To that I should need no converting, for all that I were
afore," Captain Leigh admitted frankly. "I ask but to sail under another
flag than the Jolly Roger."

"You'll need to abjure strong drink," said Sakr-el-Bahr.

"There be compensations," said Master Leigh.

Sakr-el-Bahr considered. The rogue's appeal smote a responsive chord in
his heart. It would be good to have a man of his own race beside him,
even though it were but such a rascal as this.

"Be it as you will," he said at last. "You deserve to be hanged in spite
of what promises I made you. But no matter for that. So that you become
a Muslim I will take you to serve beside me, one of my own lieutenants
to begin with, and so long as you are loyal to me, Jasper, all will be
well. But at the first sign of faithlessness, a rope and the yard-arm,
my friend, and an airy dance into hell for you."

The rascally skipper stooped in his emotion, caught up Sakr-el-Bahr's
hand and bore it to his lips. "It is agreed," he said. "Ye have shown me
mercy who have little deserved it from you. Never fear for my loyalty.
My life belongs to you, and worthless thing though it may be, ye may do
with it as ye please."

Despite himself Sakr-el-Bahr tightened his grip upon the rogue's hand,
and Jasper shuffled off and down the companion again, touched to the
heart for once in his rough villainous life by a clemency that he knew
to be undeserved, but which he swore should be deserved ere all was
done.

CHAPTER VII. MARZAK-BEN-ASAD

It took no less than forty camels to convey the cargo of that Dutch
argosy from the mole to the Kasbah, and the procession--carefully
marshalled by Sakr-el-Bahr, who knew the value of such pageants to
impress the mob--was such as never yet had been seen in the narrow
streets of Algiers upon the return of any corsair. It was full worthy
of the greatest Muslim conqueror that sailed the seas, of one who, not
content to keep to the tideless Mediterranean as had hitherto been the
rule of his kind, had ventured forth upon the wider ocean.

Ahead marched a hundred of his rovers in their short caftans of