of the hapless slaves as the
whips of their taskmasters bit through skin and flesh: the galley-slave
rowed stark naked chained to his bench. This was to be his fate, and he was
well aware of the fact.

At last, after nightfall, the galley anchored under the Isle of Castel
Rosso, at the entrance of the Gulf of Satalie. It still blew hard, but, in
the comparative peace of the anchorage, sounds hitherto hidden by the war
of the elements now made themselves manifest. There were the snores of the
sleepers, the clank of the leg-chains as the wretched slaves shifted their
positions in the attempt to gain an easier place on the bench, there was
also the sound of men carousing with loud laughter in the stern of the
vessel; but above them all rose the hollow groaning as of one in mortal
agony. This proceeded from a slave who was quite close to Uruj. There came
a spell in the laughter and loud voices in the stern, and presently an
imperious voice spoke: "That noise disturbs me; see that it ceases at
once." An obsequious answer came from out of the prevailing darkness: "It
shall cease at once, Excellency." Then came men with lanterns, who
unshackled the wretch who groaned and--flung him overboard.

The night grew worse, the wind backed, and the galley began to drag her
anchors. The slaves were roused, and the oars got ready to shift her from
her dangerous position on what had now become a lee-shore. Uruj had managed
to slip his shackles, a defective bolt having given him his liberty; for
him it was now or never, and he was a bold swimmer. He had seen enough and
heard enough of _Our Lady of the Conception_, and, as the great oars
plunged once more into the sea, the corsair, preferring the mercy of the
elements to that of the knights, slipped over the side unobserved and swam
for the shore. He reached dry land by a miracle, and from Satalie he found
his way to Egypt, where he took service as a mariner in a ship of the
Soldan of Egypt which was bound for the coast of Caramania, from which
province the Egyptians, as well as the knights, drew the timber which they
required for shipbuilding. But again this neighbourhood proved disastrous
to Uruj, as the ship in which he sailed was attacked by a Christian galley,
and he once more had to save himself by swimming on shore. There was no
lack of incident in the life of a corsair of the sixteenth century.

This time he presented himself to Khorkud, the Governor of Caramania,
brother to Sultan