The Knight of Malta Part 54

"I shall not be understood, perhaps, but I shall be obeyed."

"You will not be obeyed if your orders are contrary to certain instructions given by Pog-Reis to the crew before departing from Port-Cros."

"Instructions? You lie like a dog!"

"Listen, my Lord Erebus," said Hadji, with unalterable coolness; "although I do not wish to enter into the good road, I love you in my fas.h.i.+on, and I would wish to prevent your taking a false step. Pog-Reis, after a certain conversation with you, which he told me, distrusts you.

A little while ago, when on the height of Cape l'Aigle, where I put the old watchman to sleep, I saw our galleys coming, I descended to the sh.o.r.e and went on board the _Red Galleon_, and there I had a secret conversation about you with Pog-Reis." "Traitor! why have you concealed that from me?" "The wise man hides three things for every two he tells. Pog-Reis told me he had informed the crew, and he did inform me that the orders which he had given you were these: carry off the young girl, give a signal that the abduction has been successful, then cruise around La Ciotat while the galleys are attacking that swarm of fat citizens; lastly, watch that our men are not surprised by the galleys of the King of France, coming from the west,--is that true?"

"That is true."

"Ah, well, then, Lord Erebus, I tell you that if the orders you are going to give are contrary to those, they will not listen to you."

"That is a lie!"

"Try it."

"This very instant," said Erebus, and turning to the steersman and sailors who awaited his orders, he commanded them to make a manoeuvre which would bring the chebec nearer to Maison-Forte.

What was his astonishment when, instead of executing his orders, he saw the steersman and sailors, at a sign from Hadji, make a contrary manoeuvre, which brought the chebec nearer the place of action.

"You refuse to obey me!" cried Erebus.

"Ah, well! Lord Erebus, what did I tell you?"

"Not a word from you, scoundrel!"

Erebus tried in vain to shake the fidelity of the sailors; whether from terror, or the habit of pa.s.sive obedience, or from the love of their gross and licentious life, they remained faithful to the orders they had received.

Erebus bowed his head in despair.

"Since you are the commander of this chebec," said he to Hadji, with a bitter smile, "then I address you to have the sails put back, and have the long-boat which is in tow brought to the side of the vessel."

"You are the captain here, Lord Erebus; order, without going contrary to the commands of Pog-Reis,--and I will be the first to haul the rigging or turn the helm."

"A truce to words; then have the long-boat manned with four men."

"Bring the chebec's sails back? Nothing prevents that," said Hadji.

"Watch is kept as well standing still as moving about, and from time to time the sentinel stops. As to manning the long-boat, that will be done when I know your intention."

Erebus stamped his foot impatiently.

"My intention is to conduct these two young girls back to land."

"Throw back the pearl of the gulf on a savage coast!" cried the Bohemian, "when she is in your power, when you are loved, when--"

"Be silent and obey! That, I think, is my personal affair, and Pog-Reis shall not force me to abduct a woman, if I do not wish to do it."

"That abduction is a personal affair to Pog-Reis also, Lord Erebus. I cannot order the long-boat to be manned."

"What do you mean?" cried the young man, almost in fright.

"Pog-Reis is an old stager, Lord Erebus. He knows that, in spite of his strength and courage, the tiger can fall, as well as the stupid buffalo, in the snare that the artful trapper has set for his steps.

Eblis has shaken his wings over La Ciotat; the flames crackle, the cannon thunder, the musketry flashes; our people are glutting themselves with pillage and putting the Christians in chains,--that is well. But suppose Pog-Reis, suppose Trimalcyon-Reis should be surprised and taken prisoners by these dogs of Christians! Suppose our people should be obliged to fly back to their galleys and abandon the prisoners, Pog and Trimalcyon, to be quartered and burned as renegades--"

"Will you finish, say, will you finish?"

"By keeping the pearl of La Ciotat, Reine des Anbiez, as hostage, until the end of the enterprise, she can be of great help to us, and be worth to us, by her exchange, the liberty of Pog-Reis, or of Trimalcyon-Reis. So, then, this young girl and her companion must remain here until Pog-Reis has decided their fate."

Erebus was overwhelmed.

Neither threats nor entreaties could shake the determination of Hadji, or of the crew.

For a moment, in his despair, he was on the point of throwing himself into the sea and swimming to the coast, that he might be killed by the pirates; then he remembered that such a course would leave Reine without a defender. He descended to the cabin in the gloom of despair.

"There is our generous saviour," cried Reine, rising and walking up to him. Erebus shook his head sadly, and said:

"I am now a prisoner like you."

And he related to the two young girls what had just transpired on the bridge. One moment calmed by a deceitful a.s.surance, the distress of Reine now burst forth with renewed violence, and notwithstanding the repentance of Erebus, she accused him, with reason, of being the author of the misery which oppressed her.

Such was the state of affairs on board the chebec, when, now commanded by Hadji, since Erebus had joined Reine and Stephanette, it approached the galleys of Pog and Trimalcyon, which, by dint of oars, were leaving La Ciotat after their fatal expedition.

The Bohemian stood at the stem of the chebec, when Pog-Reis, hailing it from his galley, said to him:

"Ah, well! is that girl on board?"

"Yes, Captain Pog, and more, there is a linnet with the dove."

"And Erebus?"

"Captain Erebus wanted to do what Captain Pog foresaw," said the Bohemian, making an intelligent sign.

"I expected it Watch him. Keep the command of the chebec, sail in my waters, and follow my manoeuvres."

"You will be obeyed, Captain Pog. But before parting from you, let me make you a present There are the papers and playthings of love belonging to a chevalier of Malta. It is, I believe, a story worthy of Ben-Absull.

I got this treasure-trove from the cabin of the watchman. I thought I had found a diamond, and found only a grain of corn. But it may interest you, Captain Pog. There is a Maltese cross on the casket; everything which bears that hated sign returns to you by right."

As he said these words, Hadji threw at the feet of Pog-Reis the carved silver casket that he had stolen from the ebony case belonging to Peyrou. This casket was wrapped in a scarf, designed to protect the broken cover.

Pog-Reis, little appreciative of the Bohemian's attention, made a sign to him to continue his route.

The chebec took her place of headway behind the galley of Pog, and the three vessels soon disappeared in the east, directing their course with all possible speed toward the isles of St Honorat, where they intended to lie in for repairs.

CHAPTER x.x.xIII. DISCOVERY