Part 52 (1/2)
”Indeed, indeed,” Asad agreed, grasping at the fatalist's consolation
”If we are ripe for the gardeners hand, the gardener will pluck us”
Less fatalistic and more practical was the counsel of Biskaine
”It ell to act upon the assumption that we are indeed discovered, and make for the open sea while yet there may be time”
”But that were to make certain what is still doubtful,” broke in Marzak, fearful ever ”It were to run to er”
”Not so!” cried Asad in a loud, confident voice ”The praise to Allah who sent us this calues while they are sailing one”
A h the ranks of officers and men
”Let us but win safely from this cove and they will never overtake us,”
announced Biskaine
”But their guns may,” Sakr-el-Bahr quietly reminded them to damp their confidence His own alertfrom the trap, but he had hoped that it would not be quite so obvious to the others
”That risk we er here is to await certain destruction” He swung briskly about to issue his orders ”Ali, suitello, set your whips about the slaves, and rouse the out and the whips of hisabout the shoulders of the already half-awakened slaves, to aleasse, the Basha turned once more to Biskaine ”Up thou to the prow,” he commanded, ”and marshal the men Bid the Go!” Biskaine salaa din and scurrying toil of preparation rang Asad's voice
”Crossbowmen, aloft! Gunners to the carronades! Kindle your linstocks!
Put out all lights!”
An instant later the cressets on the poop-rail were extinguished, as was the lantern swinging from the rail, and even the lamp in the poop-house which was invaded by one of the Basha's officers for that purpose The lantern hanging froencies; but it was taken down, placed upon the deck, and ed into a darkness that for some moments was black and impenetrable as velvet Then slowly, as the eyes becaradually relieved Once an to take shape in the faint, steely radiance of the suht
After the excitement of that first stir the corsairs went about their tasks with a the Basha or Sakr-el-Bahr with having delayed until the moment of peril to take the course which all of them had dehbourhood of that hostile shi+p In lines three deep they stood ranged along the a platform of the prow; in the foremost line were the archers, behind the lividly in the darkness They crowded to the bulwarks of the waist-deck and swarunners stood to each of the two slow of the ignitedhis sharp brief coainst the timbers of the poop-house with Rosamund at his side, observed that the Basha had studiously avoided entrusting any of this work of preparation to himself
The steers oars creaked as they were swung out Cah the ranks of the slaves, as they threard their weight to bring the oars to the level Thus a moment, then a second word, the preway, and the toan to beat the time The slaves heaved, and with a creak and splash of oars the great galeasse skimmed forward towards the way ran the boatswain's e the slaves to the very ut headland slipped by The mouth of the cove appeared to widen as they approached it Beyond spread the dark steely mirror of the dead-calm sea
Rosamund could scarcely breathe in the intensity of her suspense She set a hand upon the arm of Sakr-el-Bahr
”Shall we elude the whisper
”I pray that we”But this is the handiwork I feared Look!” he added sharply, and pointed
They had shot clear to the headland They were out of the cove, and suddenly they had a view of the dark bulk of the galleon, studded with a score of points of light, riding a cable's length away on their larboard quarter
”Faster!” cried the voice of Asad ”Row for your lives, you infidel swine! Lay s to their oars, and they'll never overtake us now”
Whips sang and thudded below theroan fro every ounce of strength in this cruel effort to elude their own chance of salvation and release Faster beat the to the desperate time, and faster in response to it ca, stertorous breathing of the rowers