who was not swept in as a captive. The descent of the corsairs in
force, such as Kheyr-ed-Din now had at his disposal, was one of the most
awful calamities for a country that it is possible to imagine. When
Sardinia had ceased to yield up either booty or slaves the fleet sailed for
Tunis, where it arrived before Bizerta on August 15th. The arrival of the
corsairs was totally unexpected, and caused the greatest consternation. The
story which Barbarossa had told to Sultan Soliman concerning the reigning
King Muley Hassan was correct in every detail, and there is no doubt that
he was a bloody and cruel tyrant of the worst description.

Therefore when the wily Barbarossa sent on shore and informed the sheiks
and ulemas of the place that he had come in the name of the head of the
Mohammedan religion to free them from this monster by whom they were
oppressed, and that he intended to place on the throne the brother of Muley
Hassan, Raschid, who had miraculously escaped from the fate which had
overtaken all the other members of his house, the townspeople were inclined
to listen to his advances and to admire the picture which he drew of the
peace and prosperity which would accrue to them should Raschid, and not
Muley Hassan, be on the throne of their country. That which he inferred in
all his dealings with these people was that he had Raschid with him ready
to step into the shoes of his unpopular brother as soon as the latter
should be deposed by a justly indignant populace. The fact of the matter
was that Kheyr-ed-Din had taken the fugitive prince with him to
Constantinople, thinking to make use of him, and that, when he was sailing,
Soliman had absolutely forbidden him to remove Raschid from his capital.

Completely deceived, the townspeople allowed the landing of eight hundred
Janissaries. The tyrant, who was, as Barbarossa had told the Sultan, a
craven coward, waited for no further demonstration of force, but
incontinently fled into the interior with such valuables as he could carry.
As soon as this was reported to Barbarossa he landed in force and entered
the town, and then the townspeople noticed that the soldiers were all
shouting for Soliman and for Barbarossa. They then demanded that Raschid
should be produced according to promise, but naturally he was not
forthcoming. Those who had acclaimed the soldiers of Soliman as liberators
now began to arm against them, and they very shortly discovered, from some
Tunisians who had