Selim, the Grand Turk. The Governor, recognising him as
an intrepid mariner, ordered the Basha of Smyrna to furnish him with a ship
fitted for that _guerre de course,_ which he desired to pursue against the
Christians. The value of the corsair as an auxiliary was beginning to be
recognised among the high Turkish officials. For the complaisance of
Khorkud there were two reasons: in the first place, he was acting in the
interests of his brother in sending to sea any really capable man to make
head against his enemies, and the fact that Uruj was a pirate pure and
simple did not weigh for a feather in the balance; in the second place, it
was a decidedly good mercantile speculation as he ordered his inferior, the
Basha of Egypt, to bear the expense of fitting out the necessary
ship--which came to some 5,000 ducats--and doubtless received a handsome
percentage on all captures from his grateful protege.

This latter, as may easily be imagined, had had quite enough of the
Caramanian coast, which had turned out a veritable nest of hornets; also,
he had no desire at present to cultivate the further acquaintance of the
knights, and therefore put the whole width of the Ionian Sea between
himself and them, and succeeded in taking several rich prizes. He avoided
Mitylene and returned to Egypt, wintering at Alexandria. It may here be
remarked that the corsairs, as a rule, regarded the winter as a close
season, as in those early days the mariner did not, if he could avoid it,
risk his ship by sailing her at this period of storm and tempest. In
consequence there was nothing to tempt the pirates to range the seas during
these months, and if they had had a successful summer and autumn, as they
generally did, they could well afford to lay up and await the coming of
spring.

But when storm and rain gave way to the smooth waters and balmy breezes,
the Sea-wolves were certain of their prey, as the whole length and breadth
of the tideless sea was sure to be filled with the ships of the detested
Christians trafficking in every direction. In the ethics of the Moslem all
ships which sailed under the banner of the Cross, no matter to what nation
they belonged, were fair game, even supposing that her insignia were the
Crescent--well, supposing the spot to be sufficiently remote, dead men tell
no tales, and the pirates were to be trusted to see to it that none
escaped.

But, however this might have been, it is quite certain that no qualms of
cons