Part 6 (1/2)
”Let her come in, Ali,” called the Colonel to his interpreter, who stood in the pa.s.sage outside.
Rais Ali, a Moor clad in the usual Turkish garb, but with a red fez or skull-cap on his head instead of a turban, threw open the door leading out of the court, and ushered in poor Paulina Ruffini with her child.
”Is _this_ the Dey's gift?” asked the astonished lady, rising hurriedly.
”It is; at least she is lent to us, and we are bound to accept her.-- Address her in French, my dear; she does not understand English. In fact, you'd better take her to your own room and have a talk.”
Mrs Langley addressed to the poor captive a few rea.s.suring words, and led her away, leaving the Colonel to amuse himself with Agnes.
”What has she been sent to us for?” asked Agnes.
”To be a serv--a companion to you and baby, my pet.”
”That was kind of the Dey, wasn't it?” said the child.
”Well--ye-es; oh yes, doubtless, it was very kind of him,” replied the Colonel.
We fear that the Colonel did not fully appreciate the kindness that resulted in the gift either of Paulina Ruffini as his servant, or of Sidi Ha.s.san as his attendant, for he saw clearly that the former was unaccustomed to menial work, and he knew that Sidi Ha.s.san was a turbulent member of the community. However, being a man of prompt action, and knowing that it was of the utmost importance that he should stand well in the good graces of the Dey, he resolved to receive Paulina into his establishment as governess of the nursery and companion to his wife, and to leave Sidi Ha.s.san very much to the freedom of his own will, so long as that will did not interfere with the interests of the consulate.
On the return of his wife he listened to her pathetic account of Paulina's sad history, and then produced the letter to which he had referred on first entering.
”This letter necessitates my riding into town immediately. It is a curious doc.u.ment in its way, therefore lend me your ear.”
Opening it he began to read. We give it _verbatim et literatim_:--
”_To the brittish Cownsul algeers_.
”7 _teenth Jully_, 18--
”Sur i'm an irishman an a sailer an recked on the cost of boogia wid six of me messmaits hoo are wel an arty tho too was drowndid on landin an wan wos spiflikated be the moors which are born divls an no mistaik. I rite to say that weer starvin but the Kaid as they cals the guvner Here says heel take a ransum for us of 150 spanish dolars the Kaid has past his word in yoor name to the moors for that sum or theyd hav spiflikate us too. I hope yer onor has as much to spair in yer pokit, an will luke alive wid it, for if yoo don't its all up wid me mesmaits inkloodin yoor onors obedent humbil servint to comand ted flagan.”
”Well, I hope, with poor Flaggan,” said Mrs Langley laughingly, ”that you _have_ as much to spare in your `pokit,' for if not, it is plain that the poor fellows will be led into captivity.”
”I would readily advance a larger sum for so good an end,” replied the consul, folding the letter. ”I shall at once ride into town to make arrangements, and as it is so late, will pa.s.s the night in our town house. I shall send our new attendant, Sidi Ha.s.san, on this mission, and leave you for the night under the guardians.h.i.+p of Rais Ali.”
The consul left immediately, and next morning Sidi Ha.s.san set out for Bugia with the necessary ransom.
In regard to this we need say nothing more than that he accomplished his purpose, paid the ransom, and received the seven British seamen, accompanied by whom he commenced the return journey, he and his men riding, and driving the sailors on foot before them as though they had been criminals. On the way, however, they were attacked, not far from Algiers, by a body of predatory Arabs from the Jurjura mountains.
These bold villains, at the very first onset, killed more than half of the Turkish escort, and put the rest to flight. Six of the sailors they captured and carried off, but Ted Flaggan, who was an exceedingly active as well as powerful man, proved himself more than a match for them all.
During the melee he managed to throw himself in the way of one of the best-mounted among the Arabs, who instantly charged him, but Ted sprang aside and let him pa.s.s, ducking low to avoid a cut from his curved sword.
Before he could turn, the Irishman ran close to his side, seized him by the burnous, at the same time grasping his bridle, and pulled him out of the saddle with such sudden violence that he fell headlong to the ground, where he lay quite stunned by the fall. Flaggan instantly sprang into the saddle, as if he had been an accomplished cavalier, though in reality he knew no more about horses than an Esquimaux.
However, a man who was accustomed to hold on to a top-sail-yard in a gale was not to be easily shaken off by an Arab charger. He clung to the high saddle-bow with one hand, and with the other grasped his clasp-knife, which he opened with his teeth. Therewith he probed the flanks of his fiery steed to such an extent that he not only distanced all his Arab pursuers, but overtook and pa.s.sed his own escort one by one, until he reached Sidi Ha.s.san himself. He then attempted to pull up, but the clasp-knife had fired the charger's blood in an unusual degree. With a wicked snort and fling that lifted Flaggan high out of the saddle, it rushed madly on, left the pirate captain far behind, and at length dashed through the Bab-Azoun gate of Algiers, despite the frantic efforts of the guard to check or turn it. Right onward it sped through the street Bab-Azoun, scattering Turks, Moors, Jews, negroes, and all the rest of them like chaff; pa.s.sed the Dey's palace, straight along the street Bab el-Oued; out at the water-gate, with similar contempt of the guards; down into the hollow caused by the brook beyond; up the slope on the other side, half-way towards the summit, on the opposite side of Frais Vallon, and was not finally pulled up until it had almost run down the British consul, who chanced to be riding leisurely homeward at the time.
”You seem to have had a pretty sharp run, my man,” said the consul, laughing, as the Irishman thankfully jumped off, and grasped the bridle of the now thoroughly winded horse.
”Faix an' I have, yer honour; an' if I haven't run down an' kilt half the population o' that town, wotever's its name, no thanks to this self-opiniated beast,” replied Flaggan, giving the bridle a savage pull.