is admiral in so doing had not
succeeded in capturing that remarkably wily animal; for Dragut was not only
still at liberty, but was burning for revenge on those by whom he had been
dispossessed. He had lost "his city," as he called "Africa"; he had lost
two thousand five hundred men--among them some of the fiercest and most
experienced of his corsairs; he had lost ten thousand slaves, representing
a large sum of money, and much wealth besides. The corsair, however, was
not one of those who merely sit down and repine; for him strenuous and
continued action was the law of his being, and he at once repaired to
Constantinople. Here he was well known as an adroit and skilful seaman and
a most determined enemy of the Christians, and, in consequence, was not
only certain of a welcome, but of substantial help as well, if he could but
win over the Grand Turk to take the same view of his grievances as he did
himself. In reality, the corsairs, as we have seen, played the game of the
Padishah, as a rule, at no expense to that potentate; when they were in
trouble he was therefore by no means indisposed to render them assistance.

Dragut, like all the sea-wolves, was fond of money, fonder still of what
money could buy; he now hankered after revenge as the sweetest morsel that
his hoarded ducats could procure for him. That the Sultan was well disposed
to him he had every reason to think; none the less did he spend royally
among the venal favourites of the Court in order that nothing might be left
undone to inflame the ardour of Soliman against those whom he considered to
be his hereditary foes.

With such skill and address did the corsair manage his suit that he
prevailed upon the Sultan to address a letter to Charles demanding the
immediate return of the towns of Susa, Sfax, Monastir, and "Africa." This,
of course, meant war; as Charles immediately replied that these places were
dependencies of the King of Tunis, and that that ruler was under his
special protection; further that they were his by right of conquest;
finally that the matter was no concern whatever of the Sultan of
Constantinople. The stern and imperious Christian Emperor was in no mood to
brook interference, the more so that he discerned plainly that though the
demand was that of Soliman, the mover in the affair was none other than
Dragut. He therefore by way of a rider to his answer to the Sultan informed
that monarch that these places which he had taken on the coast o