a veteran company of Spanish
infantry, stark fighters to a man, who feared no odds, and who were
skilfully commanded by Captain Robeira, grown grey in the Moorish wars.
With bloodcurdling yells the galleys swept alongside with the fighting men
massed on the high poops and forecastles of their vessels. Behind the high
bulwarks of the "round ship" (as the sailing craft of the day were
denominated to distinguish them from the long ships, or galleys) crouched
the Spaniards, their muskets in their hands. Captain Robeira had them
perfectly in hand, and not a piece was discharged until the beaks of the
galleys crashed into her sides.

Robeira then gave the order to fire, and at the short range into packed
masses of men the volley did terrible execution. Completely surprised, the
corsairs attempted to board, but were repulsed and driven back with more
slaughter. His men becoming demoralised, Hassan withdrew amidst the
ferocious taunts of the Spaniards, who had escaped almost unscathed. Sore
and angry, the corsairs continued their voyage for another three days, at
the expiration of which they arrived at Algiers. Hassan, who had acquired
quite a considerable booty, expected a warm reception; this he received,
but hardly in the way that he expected. He told his tale to Kheyr-ed-Din,
which that commander received in frowning silence; when he had finished the
storm burst.

"O miserable coward! dost thou dare to stand in my presence and to confess
that thou hast been whipped like a dog by those sons of burnt fathers, the
Spaniards?"

The miserable Hassan attempted to justify himself by reference to the booty
which he had obtained and the number of captives with which he had
returned; but this, far from assuaging the wrath of Barbarossa, only made
it worse.

"Dastard and slave! thou boastest that, thou hast destroyed defenceless
villages and brought back many captives, but that shall avail thee nothing.
No profit shalt thou derive from that. Let the captives be brought before
me."

This was done, and to the horror even of those hardened men of blood who
followed in the train of Barbarossa, they were all executed. Even this
wholesale massacre did not assuage the wrath of the corsair. Standing and
surveying the weltering shambles which tainted the air, he pulled
ferociously at his red beard, and commanded that they should whip Hassan
till the blood ran; when this was done thoroughly and to the satisfaction
of the despot, he gave o