CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.
A REGULAR SET-TO, IN WHICH THE PARTIES BEATEN ARE NOT KNOCKED DOWN, BUTRISE HIGHER AND HIGHER AT EACH DISCOMFITURE--NOTHING BUT THE TROOPSCOULD HAVE PREVENTED THEM FROM GOING UP TO HEAVEN.
Don Rebiera and his two sons quitted the room, Gascoigne entered intoconversation with the senora, while Easy took this opportunity ofaddressing Agnes. He had been too much occupied with the consultationto pay her much attention before. He had spoken, with his eyes fixedupon her, and had been surprised at the improvement which had takenplace in less than a year. He now went to her, and asked her, in a lowvoice, "whether she had received his letter?"
"Oh, yes!" replied she, colouring.
"And were you angry with what I said, Agnes?" in a low tone.
"No," replied she, casting her eyes down on the floor.
"I repeat now what I said, Agnes--I have never forgotten you."
"But--"
"But what?"
"Father Thomaso."
"What of him?"
"He never will--"
"Will what?"
"You are a heretic," he says.
"Tell him to mind his own business."
"He has great influence with my father and mother."
"Your brothers are on our side."
"I know that, but there will be great difficulty. Our religion is notthe same. He must talk to you--he will convert you."
"We'll argue that point, Agnes. I will convert him if he has commonsense; if not, it's no use arguing with him. Where is he?"
"He will soon be at home."
"Tell me, Agnes, if you had your own will, would you marry me?"
"I don't know; I have never seen any one I liked so well."
"Is that all?"
"Is it not enough for a maiden to say?" replied Agnes, raising her eyes,and looking reproachfully. "Signor, let me go, here comes my father."
Notwithstanding, Jack cast his eyes to the window where Gascoigne andthe senora were in converse, and perceiving that the old lady's back wasturned, he pressed Agnes to his bosom before he released her. Thegentlemen then returned with all the fire-arms and destructive weaponsthey could collect.
"We have enough," observed Don Philip, "to arm all the people we havewith us."
"And we are all well armed," replied Jack, who had left Agnes standingalone. "What now are your plans?"
"Those we must now consult about. It appears"--but at this moment theconversation was interrupted by the sudden entrance of Pedro, who hadbeen despatched to the town with the load of wine. He rushed in,flurried and heated, with his red cap in his hand.
"How now, Pedro, back so early!"
"O signor!" exclaimed the man--"they have taken the cart and the wine,and have drawn it away up to the mountains."
"Who?" inquired Don Rebiera.
"The galley-slaves who have been let loose--and by the body of ourblessed saint, they have done pretty mischief--they have broken into thehouses, robbed everything--murdered many--clothed themselves with thebest--collected all the arms, provisions, and wine they could lay theirhands on, and have marched away into the mountains. This took placelast night. As I was coming down within a mile of the town, they met mewith my loaded cart, and they turned the bullocks round and drove themaway along with the rest. By the blessed Virgin! but they are stainedwith blood, but not altogether of men, for they have cut up some of theoxen. I heard this from one of the herdsmen, but he too fled and couldnot tell me more. But, signor, I heard them mention your name."
"I have no doubt of it," replied Don Rebiera. "As for the wine, I onlyhope they will drink too much of it to-night. But, Pedro, they will behere, and we must defend ourselves--so call the men together; I mustspeak to them."
"We shall never see the bullocks again," observed Pedro mournfully.
"No; but we shall never see one another again, if we do not take care.I have information they come here to-night."
"Holy Saint Francis! and they say there are a thousand of them."
"Not quite so many, to my knowledge," observed Jack.
"They told me that a great many were killed in their attack upon thetown, before they mastered it."
"So much the better. Go now, Pedro, drink a cup of wine, and then callthe other men."
The house was barricaded as well as circumstances would permit; thefirst story was also made a fortress by loading the landing-place witharmoires and chests of drawers. The upper story, or attic, if it mightbe so called, was defended in the same way, that they might retreat fromone to the other if the doors were forced.
It was eight o'clock in the evening before all was ready, and they werestill occupied with the last defence, under the superintendence ofMesty, who showed himself an able engineer, when they heard the sound ofan approaching multitude. They looked out of one of the windows andperceived the house surrounded by the galley-slaves, in number,apparently, about a hundred. They were all dressed in a most fantasticmanner with whatever they could pick up: some had fire-arms, but themost of them were supplied with only swords or knives. With them camealso their cortege of plunder: carts of various descriptions, loadedwith provisions of all sorts, and wine; women lashed down with ropes,sails from the vessels and boats to supply them with covering in themountains, hay and straw and mattresses. Their plunder appeared to bewell chosen for their exigencies. To the carts were tied a variety ofcattle, intended to accompany them to their retreat. They all appearedto be under a leader, who was issuing directions--that leader was soonrecognised by those in the house to be Don Silvio.
"Massa Easy, you show me dat man?" said Mesty, when he heard theconversation between Easy and the Rebieras; "only let me know him."
"Do you see him there, Mesty, walking down in front of those men? he hasa musket in his hand, a jacket with silver buttons, and white trousers."
"Yes, Massa Easy, me see him well--let me look little more--dat enough."
The galley slaves appeared to be very anxious to surround the house thatno one should escape, and Don Silvio was arranging the men.
"Ned," said Jack, "let us show him that we are here. He said that hewould acquaint Don Rebiera with our arrival--let us prove to him that heis too late."
"It would not be a bad plan," replied Gascoigne; "if it were possiblethat these fellows had any gratitude among them, some of them mightrelent at the idea of attacking those who saved them."
"Not a bit; but it will prove to them that there are more in the housethan they think for; and we can frighten some of them by telling themthat the soldiers are near at hand."
Jack immediately threw up the casement, and called out in a loud voice,"Don Silvio! galley-slave! Don Silvio!"
The party hailed turned round, and beheld Jack, Gascoigne, and Mesty,standing at the window of the upper floor.
"We have saved you the trouble of announcing us," called out Gascoigne."We are here to receive you."
"And in three hours the troops will be here, so you must be quick, DonSilvio," continued Jack.
"_A reveder la_," continued Gascoigne, letting fly his pistol at DonSilvio.
The window was then immediately closed. The appearance of our heroes,and their communication of the speedy arrival of the troops, was notwithout effect. The criminals trembled at the idea; Don Silvio was madwith rage--he pointed out to the men the necessity of immediate attack--the improbability of the troops arriving so soon, and the wealth whichhe expected was locked up by Don Rebiera in his mansion. This ralliedthem, and they advanced to the doors, which they attempted to forcewithout success, losing several men by the occasional fire from thosewithin the house. Finding their efforts, after half an hour's repeatedattempts, to be useless, they retreated, and then bringing up a longpiece of timber, which required sixty men to carry it, they ran with itagainst the door, and the weight and impetus of the timber drove it offits hinges, and an entrance was obtained. By this time it was dark, thelower story had been abandoned, but the barricade at the head of thestairs opposed the
ir progress. Convenient loop-holes had been preparedby the defenders, who now opened a smart fire upon the assailants, thelatter having no means of returning it effectually, had they hadammunition for their muskets, which fortunately they had not been ableto procure. The combat now became fierce, and the galley-slaves wereseveral times repulsed with great loss during a contest of two hours;but, encouraged by Don Silvio, and refreshed by repeated draughts ofwine, they continued by degrees removing the barriers opposed to them.
"We shall have to retreat!" exclaimed Don Rebiera; "very soon they willhave torn down all. What do you think, Signor Easy?"
"Hold this as long as we can. How are we off for ammunition?"
"Plenty as yet--plenty to last for six hours, I think."
"What do you say, Mesty?"
"By holy St. Patrig--I say hold out here--they got no fire-arms--and weab um at arm-length."
This decision was the occasion of the first defence being held for twohours more, an occasional relief being afforded by the retreat of theconvicts to the covered carts.
At last, it was evident that the barricade was no longer tenable, forthe heavy pieces of furniture they had heaped up to oppose entrance werecompletely hammered to fragments by poles brought up by the assailants,and used as battering-rams. The retreat was sounded; they all hastenedto the other story, where the ladies were already placed, and thegalley-slaves were soon in possession of the first floor--exasperated bythe defence, mad with wine and victory, but finding nothing.
Again was the attack made upon the second landing, but, as the stairswere now narrower, and their defences stronger in proportion, they for along while gained no advantage. On the contrary, many of their men werewounded and taken down below.
The darkness of the night prevented both parties from seeing distinctly,which was rather in favour of the assailants. Many climbed over thefortress of piled-up furniture, and were killed as soon as they appearedon the other side, and, at last, the only ammunition used was againstthose who made this rash attempt. For four long hours did this assaultand defence continue, until daylight came, and then the plan of assaultwas altered: they again brought up the poles, hammered the pieces offurniture into fragments, and gained ground. The defenders were wornout with fatigue, but flinched not; they knew that their lives, and thelives of those dearest to them, were at stake, and they never relaxedtheir exertions; still the criminals, with Silvio at their head,progressed, the distance between the parties gradually decreased, andthere was but one massive chest of drawers now defending thelanding-place, and over which there was a constant succession of blowsfrom long poles and cutlasses, returned with the bullets from theirpistols.
"We must now fight for our lives," exclaimed Gascoigne to Easy, "forwhat else can we do?"
"Do?--get on the roof and fight there, then," replied Jack.
"By-the-bye, that's well thought of, Jack," said Gascoigne. "Mesty, upand see if there is any place we can retreat to in case of need."
Mesty hastened to obey, and soon returned with a report that there was atrap-door leading into the loft under the roof, and that they could drawthe ladder up after them.
"Then we may laugh at them," cried Jack. "Mesty, stay here while I andGascoigne assist the ladies up," explaining to the Rebieras and to theirdomestics why they went.
Easy and Gascoigne hastened to the signora and Agnes, conducted them upthe ladder into the loft, and requested them to have no fear; they thenreturned to the defences on the stairs, and joined their companions.They found them hard pressed, and that there was little chance ofholding out much longer; but the stairs were narrow, and the assailantscould not bring their force against them. But now, as the defences werenearly destroyed, although the convicts could not reach them with theirknives, they brought up a large supply of heavy stones, which they threwwith great force and execution. Two of Don Rebiera's men and Don Martinwere struck down, and this new weapon proved most fatal.
"We must retreat, Jack," said Gascoigne, "the stones can do no harmwhere we are going to. What think you, Don Philip?"
"I agree with you; let those who are wounded be first carried up, andthen we will follow."
This was effected, and as soon as the wounded men were carried up theladder, and the arms taken up to prevent their falling into the hands oftheir assailants, for they were now of little use to them, theammunition being exhausted, the whole body went into the large roomwhich contained the trap-door of the loft, and, as soon as they were up,they drew the ladder after them. They had hardly effected this, whenthey were followed with the yells and shoutings of the galley-slaves,who had passed the last barriers, and thought themselves sure of theirprey: but they were disappointed--they found them more secure than ever.
Nothing could exceed the rage of Don Silvio at the protracted resistanceof the party, and the security of their retreat. To get at them wasimpossible, so he determined to set fire to the room, and suffocatethem, if he could do no otherwise. He gave his directions to his men,who rushed down for straw, but in so doing he carelessly passed underthe trap-door, and Mesty, who had carried up with him two or three ofthe stones, dashed one down on the head of Don Silvio, who fellimmediately. He was carried away, but his orders were put in execution;the room was filled with straw and fodder, and lighted. The effectswere soon felt. The trap-door had been shut, but the heat and smokeburst through; after a time, the planks and rafters took fire, and theirsituation was terrible. A small trap-window in the roof on the side ofthe house was knocked open, and gave them a temporary relief; but nowthe rafters burned and crackled, and the smoke burst on them in thickcolumns. They could not see and with difficulty could breathe.Fortunately the room below that which had been fired was but one out offour on the attics, and, as the loft they were in spread over the wholeof the roof they were able to remove far from it. The house was slatedwith massive slate of some hundredweight each, and it was not foundpossible to remove them so as to give air, although frequent attemptswere made. Donna Rebiera sank exhausted in the arms of her husband, andAgnes fell into those of our hero, who, enveloped in the smoke, kissedher again and again; and she, poor girl, thinking that they must allinevitably perish, made no scruple, in what she supposed her lastmoment, of returning these proofs of her ardent attachment.
"Massa Easy, help me here--Massa Gascoigne, come here. Now heab wid allyour might: when we get one off we get plenty."
Summoned by Mesty, Jack and Gascoigne put their shoulders to one of thelower slates; it yielded--was disengaged, and slid down with a loudrattling below. The ladies were brought to it, and their heads putoutside; they soon recovered; and now that they had removed one, theyfound no difficulty in removing others. In a few minutes they were allwith their heads in the open air, but still the house was on fire below,and they had no chance of escape. It was while they were debating uponthis point, and consulting as to their chance of safety, that a breezeof wind wafted the smoke that issued from the roof away from them, andthey beheld the detachment of troops making up to the house; a loudcheer was given, and attracted the notice of the soldiers. Theyperceived Easy and his companions; the house was surrounded and enteredin an instant.
The galley-slaves, who were in the house searching for the treasurereported by Don Silvio to be concealed, were captured or killed, and infive minutes the troops had possession. But how to assist those abovewas the difficulty. The room below was in flames, and burning fiercely.There were no ladders that could reach so high, and there were no meansof getting to them. The commandant made signs from below, as if to askwhat he was to do.
"I see no chance," observed Don Philip mournfully. "Easy, my dearfellow, and you, Gascoigne, I am sorry that the feuds of our familyshould have brought you to such a dreadful death; but what can be done?"
"I don't know," replied Jack, "unless we could get ropes."
"You quite sure, Massa Easy, that all galley-rascals below gone?" askedMesty.
"Yes," replied Easy, "you may see that; look at some of them bou
ndthere, under charge of the soldiers."
"Den, sar, I tink it high time we go too."
"So do I, Mesty; but how?"
"How? stop a little."
"Come, help me, Massa Easy; dis board (for the loft was floored) isloose, come help, all of you."
They all went, and with united strength pulled up the board.
"Now strike like ---!--and drive down de plaster," said Mesty,commencing the operation.
In a few minutes they had beaten an opening into one of the rooms belownot on fire, pulled up another board, and Mesty having fetched theladder, they all descended in safety, and, to the astonishment of thecommandant of the troops, walked out of the door of the house, those whohad been stunned with the stones having so far recovered as to requirelittle assistance.
The soldiers shouted as they saw them appear, supporting the females.The commanding officer, who was an intimate friend of Don Philip, flewto his arms. The prisoners were carefully examined by Mesty, and DonSilvio was not among them. He might however, be among the dead who wereleft in the house, which now began to burn furiously. The galley-slaveswho were captured amounted in number to forty-seven. Their dead theycould not count. The major part of the plunder and the carts were stillwhere they had been drawn up.
As soon as the culprits had been secured, the attention of the troopswas directed to putting out the flames, but their attempts wereineffectual; the mansion was burned to the bare walls, and but little ofthe furniture saved; indeed, the major part of it had been destroyed inthe attack made by Don Silvio and his adherents.
Leaving directions with Pedro and his people, that the propertycollected by the miscreants should be restored to the owners, DonRebiera ordered the horses, and with the whole party put himself underthe protection of the troops, who, as soon as they had been refreshed,and taken some repose, bent their way back to Palermo with thegalley-slaves, bound and linked together in a long double row.
They halted when they had gone half-way, and remained for the night.The next day, at noon, Don Rebiera and his family were once more intheir palazzo, and our two midshipmen and Mesty took their leave, andrepaired on board to make themselves a little less likechimney-sweepers.
Captain Wilson was not out of the ship. Jack made his report, and thenwent down below, very much pleased at what had passed, especially as hewould have another long yarn for the Governor on his return to Malta.