A Set of Rogues

  CHAPTER XXXIX.

  _Of our bargaining with a Moorish seaman; and of an English slave._

  We lost no time, be sure, in going back to Alger, blessing God on theway for our escape, and vowing most heartily that we would be led intono future folly, no matter how simple and innocent the temptation mightseem.

  And now began again a tedious season of watching on the mole of Alger;but not to make this business as wearisome to others, I will pass thatover and come at once to that joyful, happy morning, when, with butscant hope, looking down upon the deck of a galley entering the port, toour infinite delight and amazement we perceived Richard Godwin wavinghis hand to us in sign of recognition. Then sure, mad with joy, we wouldhave cast ourselves in the sea had we thereby been able to get to himmore quickly. Nor was he much less moved with affection to meet us, andspringing on the quai he took us both in his open arms and embraced us.But his first word was of Moll. "My beloved wife?" says he, and couldquestion us no further.

  We told him she was safe, whereat he thanks God most fervently, and howwe had spoken with her; and then he tells us of his adventures--how ongetting Don Sanchez's letter he had started forth at once with such helpas Sir Peter Lely generously placed at his disposition, and how comingto Elche, he found Mrs. Godwin there in great anxiety because we had notreturned, and how Don Sanchez, guessing at our case, had procured moneyfrom Toledo to pay Moll's ransom, and did further charter a neutralgalley to bring him to Alger--which was truly as handsome a thing as anyman could do, be he thief or no thief. All these matters we discussed onour way to the Cassanabah, where Mr. Godwin furnished himself as we hadwith a trader's permit for twenty-eight days.

  "ONLY IN THE MIDST OF OUR JOY I PERCEIVED THAT MOHAND OUMOHAND HAD ENTERED THE ROOM."]

  This done, we set out with a team of good mules, and reaching Thadviirabout an hour before sundown, we repaired at once to Ali Oukadi's, whoreceived us with much civility, although 'twas clear to see he was yetloath to give up Moll; but the sight of the gold Mr. Godwin laid beforehim did smooth the creases from his brow (for these Moors love moneybefore anything on earth), and having told it carefully he writes anacknowledgment and fills up a formal sheet of parchment bearing theDey's seal, which attested that Moll was henceforth a free subject andentitled to safe-conduct within the confines of the Dey'sadministration. And having delivered these precious documents into Mr.Godwin's hands, he leaves us for a little space and then returns leadingdear Moll by the hand. And she, not yet apprised of her circumstances,seeing her husband with us, gives a shrill cry, and like to faint withhappiness totters forward and falls in his ready arms.

  I will not attempt to tell further of this meeting and our passionate,fond embraces, for 'twas past all description; only in the midst of ourjoy I perceived that Mohand ou Mohand had entered the room and stoodthere, a silent spectator of Moll's tender yielding to her husband'scaresses, his nostrils pinched, and his jaundiced face overcast with awicked look of mortification and envy. And Moll seeing him, paled alittle, drawing closer to her husband; for, as I learnt later on, and'twas no more than I had guessed, he had paid her most assiduousattentions from the first moment he saw her, and had gone so far as toswear by Mahomet that death alone should end his burning passion topossess her. And I observed that when we parted, and Moll in commoncivility offered him her hand, he muttered some oath as he raised it tohis lips.

  Declining as civilly as we might Ali Oukadi's tender of hospitality, werested that night at the large inn or caravansary, and I do think thatthe joy of Moll and her husband lying once more within each other's armswas scarcely less than we felt, Dawson and I, at this happy ending ofour long tribulations; but one thing it is safe to say, we slept assound as they.

  And how gay were we when we set forth the next morning for Alger--Moll'seyes twinkling like stars for happiness, and her cheeks all pink withblushes like any new bride, her husband with not less pride than passionin his noble countenance, and Dawson and I as blithe and jolly asschoolboys on a holiday. For now had Moll by this act of heroism anddevotion redeemed not only herself, but us also, and there was nofurther reason for concealment or deceit, but all might be themselvesand fear no man.

  Thus did joy beguile us into a false sense of security.

  Coming to Alger about midday, we were greatly surprised to find that thesail chartered by Don Sanchez was no longer in the port, and the reasonof this we presently learnt was that the Dey, having information of adescent being about to be made upon the town by the British fleet atTangier, he had commanded, the night before, all alien ships to be gonefrom the port by daybreak. This put us to a quake, for in view of thisdescent not one single Algerine would venture to put to sea for all themoney Mr. Godwin could offer or promise. So here we were forced to stayin trepidation and doubt as to how we, being English, might fare if thetown should be bombarded as we expected, and never did we wish our owncountrymen further. Only our Moll and her husband did seem careless intheir happiness; for so they might die in each other's arms, I do thinkthey would have faced death with a smile upon their faces.

  However, a week passing, and no sign of any English flag upon the seas,the public apprehension subsided; and now we began very seriously tocompass our return to Elche, our trader's passes (that is, Dawson's andmine) being run out within a week, and we knowing full well that weshould not get them renewed after this late menace of an English attackupon the town. So, one after the other, we tried every captain in theport, but all to no purpose. And one of these did openly tell me the Deyhad forbidden any stranger to be carried out of the town, on pain ofhaving his vessel confiscated and being bastinadoed to his lastendurance.

  "And so," says he, lifting his voice, "if you offered me all the gold inthe world, I would not carry you a furlong hence." But at the same time,turning his back on a janizary who stood hard by, he gave me a mostsignificant wink and a little beck, as if I were to follow himpresently.

  And this I did as soon as the janizary was gone, following him at adistance through the town and out into the suburbs, at an idle,sauntering gait. When we had got out beyond the houses, to the side ofthe river I have mentioned, he sits him down on the bank, and I, comingup, sit down beside him as if for a passing chat. Then he, havingglanced to the right and left, to make sure we were not observed, asksme what we would give to be taken to Elche; and I answered that we wouldgive him his price so we could be conveyed shortly.

  "When would you go?" asks he.

  "Why," says I, "our passes expire at sundown after the day of Ramadah,so we must get hence, by hook or by crook, before that."

  "That falls as pat as I would have it," returns he (but not in thesewords), "for all the world will be up at the Cassanabah on that day, tothe feast the Dey gives to honour his son's coming of age. Moreover, themoon by then will not rise before two in the morning. So all being inour favour, I'm minded to venture on this business. But you mustunderstand that I dare not take you aboard in the port, where I mustmake a pretence of going out a-fishing with my three sons, and give thejanizaries good assurance that no one else is aboard, that I may notfall into trouble on my return."

  "That's reasonable enough," says I, "but where will you take us aboard?"

  "I'll show you," returns he, "if you will stroll down this bank with me,for my sons and I have discussed this matter ever since we heard youwere seeking a ship for this project, and we have it all cut and driedproperly."

  So up we get and saunter along the bank leisurely, till we reached apart where the river spreads out very broad and shallow.

  "You see that rock," says he, nodding at a huge boulder lapped by theincoming sea. "There shall you be at midnight. We shall lie about a halfa mile out to sea, and two of my sons will pull to the shore and takeyou up; so may all go well and nought be known, if you are commonlysecret, for never a soul is seen here after sundown." I told him I wouldconsult with my friends and give him our decision the next day, meetinghim at this spot.

  "Good," says he, "and ere you decide, you may cast an
eye at my ship,which you shall know by a white moon painted on her beam; 'tis as fast aship as any that sails from Alger, though she carry but one mast, and sobe we agree to this venture, you shall find the cabin fitted for yourlady and everything for your comfort."

  On this we separated presently, and I, joining my friends at our inn,laid the matter before them. There being still some light, we then wentforth on the mole, and there we quickly spied the White Moon, which,though a small craft, looked very clean, and with a fair cabin house,built up in the Moorish fashion upon the stern. And here, sitting down,we all agreed to accept this offer, Mr. Godwin being not less eager forthe venture than we, who had so much more to dread by letting it slip,though his pass had yet a fortnight to run.

  So the next day I repaired to the rock, and meeting Haroun (as he wascalled), I closed with him, and put a couple of ducats in his hand forearnest money.

  "'Tis well," says he, pocketing the money, after kissing it and lookingup to heaven with a "Dill an," which means "It is from God." "We willnot meet again till the day of Ramadah at midnight, lest we fall undersuspicion. Farewell."

  We parted as we did before, he going his way, and I mine; but, lookingback by accident before I had gone a couple of hundred yards, Iperceived a fellow stealing forth from a thicket of canes that stood inthe marshy ground near the spot where I had lately stood with Haroun,and turning again presently, I perceived this man following in my steps.Then, fairly alarmed, I gradually hastened my pace (but not so quickneither as to seem to fly), making for the town, where I hoped to escapepursuit in the labyrinth of little, crooked, winding alleys. As Irounded a corner, I perceived him out of the tail of my eye, stillfollowing, but now within fifty yards of me, he having run to thusoverreach me; and ere I had turned up a couple of alleys he was on myheels and twitching me by the sleeve.

  "Lord love you, Master," says he, in very good English, but gasping forbreath. "Hold hard a moment, for I've a thing or two to say to you as isworth your hearing."

  So I, mightily surprised by these words, stop; and he seeing the alleyquite empty and deserted, sits down on a doorstep, and I do likewise,both of us being spent with our exertions.

  "Was that man you were talking with a little while back named Haroun?"asks he, when he could fetch his breath. I nodded.

  "Did he offer to take you and three others to Elche, aboard a craftcalled the White Moon?"

  I nodded again, astonished at his information, for we had not discussedour design to-day, Haroun and I.

  "Did he offer to carry you off in a boat to his craft from the rock onthe mouth?"

  Once more I nodded.

  "Can you guess what will happen if you agree to this?"

  Now I shook my head.

  "The villain," says he, "will run you on a shoal, and there will he beoverhauled by the janizaries, and you be carried prisoners back toAlger. Your freedom will be forfeited, and you will be sold for slaves.And that's not all," adds he; "the lass you have with you will be takenfrom you and given to Mohand ou Mohand, who has laid this trap for yourdestruction and the gratification of his lust."

  I fell a-shaking only to think of this crowning calamity, and could onlyutter broken, unintelligible sounds to express my gratitude for thiswarning.

  "Listen, Master, if you cannot speak," said he; "for I must quit you ina few minutes, or get my soles thrashed when I return home. What I havetold you is true, as there is a God in heaven; 'twas overheard by mycomrade, who is a slave in Mohand's household. If you escape this trap,you will fall in another, for there is no bounds to Mohand's devilishcunning. I say, if you stay here you are doomed to share our miserablelot, by one device or another. But I will show you how you may turn thetables on this villain, and get to a Christian country ere you are aweek older, if you have but one spark of courage amongst you."