Part 32 (2/2)

”Take care!” said the latter, catching him.

”Och!” gasped Ted, sinking down and almost dragging the other after him, ”spake to me av ye love me.”

Amazed by this tender appeal, and suddenly suspecting the personality of the boar, the consul bent down while the rest of the onlookers crowded round,--and said in a low voice--

”Why, Flag--”

”Whist! whist! blood an thunder! it'll rain scimitars an' grape-shot av ye say a word! Mate me in the gardin' dear, _under the palm_.”

This was said in the midst of a writhing and growling which would have done credit to a lunatic boar, if such there were!

”Not hurt, I hope?” said the French consul, coming forward.

”Not at all,” replied Colonel Langley, rising with a smile, ”the fellow is one of my domestics, and has almost over-acted his part. He will be all right in a minute if some one will be kind enough to fetch him a gla.s.s of water--”

”An' brandy, ochone!” exclaimed the boar, with another tremendous growl, that again sent the children into shouts of delight.

The brandy and water was brought, and Ted making a polite bow to the company, pa.s.sed down the room with a slight tremor of the hornpipe in his legs, and a faint trill of the tune on his lips, both of which melted gradually into a boarish grunt and roll as he reached the lobby and pa.s.sed out into the garden.

Hastening to a stately date-palm, of which there happened to be only one specimen in the garden of the French residence, the heated seaman pushed off his head, wiped his brow, drank the brandy and water, and threw away the tumbler, after which he sat down on a root, mechanically pulled out his pipe, and was in the act of filling it when Colonel Langley came hurriedly forwards.

”Why, Flaggan,” he asked, ”what's wrong? for something must be, to induce your strange conduct.”

”Lord Exmouth, sir,” replied Ted, rising up with an air of dignified importance which the elevated snout of the boar tended sadly to impair, ”is in the offing with fifty sail o' the line, more or less, comin' to blow this precious city into the middle of next week.”

”Come, Flaggan, let us have it without jesting,” said the consul gravely.

Thereupon Ted related in as serious a tone as it was possible for him to a.s.sume all that had been told by the Padre Giovanni.

”Our position will indeed be critical if this be true,” muttered the consul, with a look of anxiety. ”Omar is a man who fears nothing, and has unbounded faith in his men and fortifications. Moreover, he is utterly regardless of consequences, and has no mercy when once roused.

My poor defenceless wife and children!--if--”

”You may depend upon _me_, sir,” said Ted, seeing that he hesitated; ”I'll stick to 'em, I will, through--”

”I have no doubt of that, my man,” interrupted the consul, with a sad smile, ”but your aid in this case will be useless. The fact is that the preservation of your life will be a more difficult matter for me to accomplish than my own. If Lord Exmouth really arrives and proceeds to extremities, I and my family will be in the greatest peril from these irate corsairs, but you, my poor fellow, are doomed whatever happens, seeing that you have laid violent hands on the Turkish guard of the gates.”

”Sure, an' small blame to me,” said Ted.

”I do not blame you, but the Turks will, and they will do more,--they will strangle you for a certainty the moment they get hold of you, and no power that I possess can save you, so that your only chance lies in making your escape from the city, either by land or sea.”

”An' that won't be aisy, sur,” said the seaman, with a perplexed look.

”Indeed it will not. You may be sure that the Turks are even now searching for you, and as they know that I am here, and that you belong to my household--”

”By your lave,” said Ted suddenly, ”it sames to me that it's time for Ted Flaggan to look after his owld bones. I'm grateful to 'ee, sur.-- Good-night.”

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