The Knight of Malta Part 51

Their ten pieces of artillery struck the boats which tried to approach them. Then the galley, by vigorous use of oars, rapidly gained the outlet of the port, and prepared to double the point of Verte Island.

Pog was standing in the stem of the Red Galleon; he was pale, his hair and his clothes were full of blood; he threw a look of sullen triumph on the flames which continued to rise in the centre of the city.

Suddenly a cannon-shot resounded; a ball whistled above his head, and carried off a part of his galley's stem. He turned around quickly.

A second ball killed four of the galley-slaves and tore away the first seat of the rowers.

By a little cloud of whitish smoke which crowned the embattled terrace of Maison-Forte, that could be seen in the distance by moonlight, the pirate recognised the spot whence these projectiles were sent.

From his acquaintance with the habits of war, he perceived, from the great distance at which these missiles were fired, that they must have been shot by a culverin of large calibre, and consequently he could not return the fire, as the artillery of the _Red Galleon_ was unable to carry to such a distance.

These first shots were followed by several others, not less happy, which caused considerable damage either on board the _Red Galleon_ or the _Sybarite_.

"h.e.l.l and d.a.m.nation!" cried Pog. "So long as we do not double the point of the bay, we will be under the fire of that hovel! Ply your oars faster, dogs," cried he, addressing the crew. "Ply your oars faster, I tell you, or when I reach Tripoli, I will have your arms cut off to the shoulder!"

The crew had no need of that encouragement to redouble their efforts; the dead bodies of slaves killed by the cannon-b.a.l.l.s, and still chained to the benches where their companions were rowing, proved to them the danger of remaining under the fire of that murderous culverin.

That piece, however, continued to aim with such marvellous accuracy, that it sent several b.a.l.l.s on board the two galleys.

"Death and fury!" cried Pog, "once out of this channel I will go and anchor at the foot of the rocks within half-range of the musket, and there shall not remain one stone on another of the house where that culverin is in battery."

"Impossible, Captain Pog," said a Frenchman, a renegade Provencal, who served as pilot. "The Black Rocks extend between wind and water more than half a league from the coast, and you would be sure to lose your galley, if you tried to come nearer to Maison-Forte."

The pirate made a gesture of rage, and promenaded the deck in great agitation.

Finally the two galleys got out of the dangerous pa.s.s where they had been caught.

The artillery of Maison-Forte had disabled many men, and had damaged them to such a degree that they would be compelled to anchor promptly in some harbour on the coast, before they would be able to set sail for Tripoli.

The _Sybarite_ had received several shots below her water-line, and the _Red Galleon_ had her tree cut in two.

When they had doubled the promontory of Cape l'Aigle, the master carpenter of the galley, a renegade Calabrian, a good sailor and a man of great courage, came forward with a solemn air to Pog-Reis, and said: "Captain, I have daubed as much as I possibly can the damages in the peel, but they are too large, and a thorough refitting is absolutely necessary, for if we have stormy weather, we will not stand the sea two hours with such injuries."

Pog made no reply, but continued walking the deck with agitation; then he called the pilot and said to him: "Can we not anchor a day or two in the islands of Ste. Marguerite or St Honorat? They say these islands are not armed. You left the coast a year ago; is it true?"

"It is true," answered the pilot "There ought to be good anchorage in the isles of Pieres and St. Feriol, on the windward of St.

Honorat?" asked Pog, who was acquainted with these islands.

"Yes, captain, the coast is so high, and the harbour so protected by the rocks which form these islands, that the galleys will be hidden better there than at Port-Cros."

"There are not, I believe, fifty inhabitants on the island?" asked Pog.

"Not more, captain, and twenty men at the outside; there is besides a very convenient sh.o.r.e for careening the s.h.i.+p."

"Then steer for those islands; we ought to be about twenty-five leagues distant."

"Thirty leagues, captain."

"That is a great deal for the damage we have sustained, but it is, however, our surest place to put in. We will be there in a day if the wind is favourable."

The galley of Trimalcyon, as well as the chebec, followed the manoeuvres of the _Red Galleon_, and the three vessels crowded sail toward the island of St Honorat, situated on the coast of Provence, a short distance from Cannes.

These orders given, Pog estimated the losses sustained by his crew; they were quite numerous. Sixteen soldiers had been killed in La Ciotat, and there were a great many wounded men on board.

Besides, the culverin of Maison-Forte had, as we have seen, killed four of the galley-slaves.

They unchained the bodies and threw them into the sea, and replaced them with five soldiers.

The wounded were more or less cared for by a Moor, who performed the functions of surgeon.

Pog had two wounds; one in the head, the other in the arm.

The baron's spear had given this last wound, which was very deep, but the one in his head was comparatively insignificant.

The Moor who discharged the duties of surgeon had just completed the first dressing of these wounds, when the chebec of Erebus, under full sail, approached the galley of Pog, and ranged herself within reach of his voice.

CHAPTER x.x.xII. THE CHEBEC

We will now retrace our steps in order to inform the reader what were the manoeuvres of this chebec, during the attack on La Ciotat, in which it took no part. We will also tell how Reine des Anbiez fell into the power of Erebus.

The Bohemian, after having put the watchman to sleep by means of a narcotic, descended to the sh.o.r.e, and reached the point of land behind which the galleys and the chebec of the pirates awaited his arrival, conformable to the instructions he had sent to Pog-Reis by a second pigeon.

Hadji, in spite of the cold, bravely plunged into the water and soon reached the _Red Galleon_, which was resting on her oars a little distance from the coast.

After a long conversation with Pog-Reis, to whom he gave the necessary information to a.s.sure the success of his descent upon La Ciotat, the Bohemian, following the orders of Pog, returned on board the chebec commanded by Erebus.

This vessel was to take no part in the action, but was to approach Maison-Forte in order to a.s.sist in the abduction of Reine des Anbiez.

As soon as the young girl was in the power of Erebus, the chebec had the order, to give the signal, upon which the galleys of the pirates would begin their attack upon the city.

During the combat the chebec was to serve as light-s.h.i.+p and cruiser at large, so as to give the alarm to the pirates if by chance the royal galleys of the Duke de Breze appeared in the west.

These plans agreed upon, the chebec, separating herself from the galleys, and doubling the promontory, under the guidance of the Bohemian, who was well acquainted with the localities, advanced toward the belt of rocks which extended at the foot of Maison-Forte.

As a consequence of his conversation with Pog the day before, Erebus had taken a fit of the most profound sadness.

In one of those frequent and bitter moments of introspection, he had seen his conduct in its true light; he was moved to pity as he thought of the misfortunes soon to befall this defenceless city, and when the posts of action were being distributed, he had formally declared to Pog that he would take no part in this new deed of robbery.

Pog, who always urged him to evil, did not oppose this resolution, but even encouraged it, and advised Erebus to take advantage of this opportunity to abduct Mile, des Anbiez.

As a necessary sequence he left him all liberty of manoeuvre to execute this project.

Erebus accepted; he had his designs.

Since his first singular meeting with Reine, since, especially, the report of Hadji had made him believe that he was loved, his pa.s.sion for the young girl had increased with each day of his life.