The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-01-18
CHAPTER XII.

took no heed whether he sank or swan
nor indeed SO much as cast glance aftei
him, but turning quickly on my hee
picked up my crimson sword, wiping II
roughly on q coil Of rope that lay handy
Then, making my best salaam to the pirat,
leader, and speaking as well as blowr
man might, said. you have graciously
granted my prayer and the satisfaction fol
which my soul yearned; in token Of sub
mission and gratitude now sheathe my
sword in sight Of ALL" And suiting tn,
action TO the word, shot the weapon into
its steel scabbard with a clash that could
be heard all over the ship. The chief bowed
grimly in return, but without speaking 9
word; then, courtesies being at an ond, he
gave the command and the 1ooting began
Leaning against the companion head,
watched the wild rush and scuffle for q
minute, but being greatly hustled and buf
feted and feeling faint besides, tottered
to a secluded corner, where / sank with a
reeling sensation on the deck. Huddled
there pretty much like bundle Of discard
ed clothes, mopped my face and tried tc
discover the sources of the many streams
of blood that seemed to ooze and trickls
all over my body. There was perhaps nc
great effort made to stanch the flow, for
was far enough gone to be careless. What
did 1t mattera Might not quietly pant
out my life there and be done with its And
even while the thought was in my mind
the brightness Of the sun was suddenly
overcast as by the duskiness of death, and
the clamor Of the robbers died away in my
ears.
Isuppose must have been some time in
this state Of collapse when the brig grated
n rel hlxr he hot Al ia a
lurched and lay over, fast aground. The
queer grating sensation, as Of the prickinp
Of million small fms, aroused me- and
staggered half awake to my feet. The first
thing saw was Abram ben Alden beina
hauled dripping by two men into boat.
rubbed my eyes, wondering how he came
to be In need Of help or to have companions
to render it, and finding no answer called
out as Justify as couldi "Helloi What's
the matter there7"
He heard and looked up. At sight Of me
the fire Of hell sprang anew into his black
eyes and his thin features gathered in a
vengeful scowl. Then my wandering wits
began to return. bringing a remembrance
Of what had happened.
should have fallen into the sea but for
the support Of the bulwarlf. In dizzying
turmoil of feelings laid hold, with trem-
bling hands, to keep myself up, my eyes
fast on the distorted face Of Abram ben
Alden.
"Godi man, are ye much hurt" asked,
scarcely knowing what / said. Were a
pair of FOOLS" added, laughing and cry
ing together.
But either he did not hear me or he was
beyond speech, for he only cast look as il
to say he wished he had my heart out, and
slipped into the boat, which hid him from
my view.
/ was fain to sit down again, my back
propped against the vessels side. and
breathe myself. The commotion OF spirit
brought q fresh gush of blood, which
bathed back and chest in warm stream.
Yet what had just seen occupied me more
than my wounds. Indeed, forgetting both
them and the evil storm cloud on Abram
ben Aden's countenance, felt only an all
pervading joy at seeing him alive again.
For now, being past thoughts of vengeance
and much too weak to have heart for
slaughter, / realized in some measure what
a disquieting thing 1t is to face the great
last reckoning with the blood Of a fellow
creature on your head.
/ hoped that the man whom had 30
lately and SO desperately striven to kill
might live, even were it only to finish me.
And sure should have smiled namely,
who knows but may have beamed in well
come, IL he had suddenly appeared, sword
in hand, and intimated that my time was
come. No doubt my mood Of Christian
meekness and charity was due to the cir
cumstance that nature was perilously near
yielding in any case. / suspect the worst
of us are pious when lacking the pith to
be anything else
Reviving little presently, began to
think of my own life (since no one else
seemed to desire it specially just them and
exerted all my surgical skill and ingenuity.
They were not much. and they were left
unaided. Lying there in the midst of q
crowd, no one inquired about my hurts; no
one offered help; no one, in fact, cared
straw whether lived or died. The plum
dering went on with much noise and not
little quarreling. and If the plunderers
came near it was only to curse at me for
being in the way.
Perhaps they could not have adopted
more effective means of dispelling my
lethargy. There are times when kick,
literal or metaphorical, is the very best
tonic that can be administered. The rough
behavior of the pirates pricked me to Wig
orous self interest that no process Of sooth-
ing or doctorlng could have induced. The
savage oaths and sayager looks were to my
spirit what the grindstone is TO the knife
they turned listlessness and dullness to an
activity that had an edge Of anger and
some possibility of retaliation. The first
result of this new found energy was the
thought that to crouch there and bleed to
death was most assuredly not the part of a
man. So watching my opportunity, for the
companionway was mostly blocked with
thieves, went below to finish my dressing
Fortunately my wounds, though making
80 CORY show, were neither deep nor dan
gerous. But II was wond srful in how many
points Abram ben Alden had touched me
more wonderful still that having succeeded
so far he had not succeeded farther.
Returning on deck presently, swathed In
handkerchiefs and stray pieces of cloth, and
strengthened by 20 grains of Mr.. Watson's
quinine, l discovered we were within
sight Of land. A stretch of shallow, blue.
green water ran away to sandy beach that
ended abruptly In iron cliffs. which sug-
gested hardness and barrenness beyond.
"What is the land"I asked one of the
corsairs, pointing shoreward.
.Thou shalt know soon enough" he
snarled, and concluding that perhaps the
iclioW WAS rlRnt pub no more questions.
Meanwhile the unloading OF the brig
went on apace. A score of small boats lay
round her to receive The plunder, and some
80 or 40 men swore on her decks and raw
aged her hold. They quarreled incessant-
ly, shouting, pushing, kicking, brandish-
ing knives and cutlasses and pouring out
curdling maledictions and threats that to
less fervid race could mean nothing short
of an instant intention to revel In blood,
but never staying the main operations to
settle personal disputes.
Islam has Koran which straitly forbids
thieving, yet the Arab is by instinct and
example thief A pattern of piety when
there happens to be no chance of profitable
roguery, sanity in his observances Of pre-
seribed ceremonials inside a mosque or
when he has leisure for prayers outside,
loud talker about the duty of obedience to
God and the prophet, he is the very flower
of brigands and bandits when he can Sc
curely lay hands on another mans goods.
Nor does he heed discinline more than re-