Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-01-17
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Copyright. 1875, by John Alexander Steuart.l
CHAPTER MI.

/ nor indeed so much as cast a glance after
him, but turning quickly on my heel
/ picked up my crimson sword, wiping 1t
/ roughly on a coil of rope that lay handy.
| Then, making my best salaam to the pirate
! leader and speaking as we'll as blown
| man might, said: You have graciously
| granted my prayer and the satisfaction for
which my soul yearned; in token of sub
mission and gratitude l now sheathe my
| sword in sight of ALL" And suiting the
action TO the word, l shot the weapon into
its steel scabbard with clash that could
| be heard all over the ship. The chief bowed
| grimly in return, but without speaking a
word; then, courtesies being at an end, he
| gave the command and the looting began
Leaning against the companion head,
watched the wild rush and scuffle for a
minute, but being greatly hustled and buff
feted and feeling faint besides, tottered
to a secluded corner, where l sank with q
reeling sensation on the deck. Huddled
! there pretty much like bundle of discard
| ed clothes, / mopped my face and tried to
| discover the sources of the many streams
! of blood that seemed to ooZe and trickle
| all over my body. There was perhaps no
| great effort made to stanch the flow, fer
was far enough gone to be careless. What
did it matter? Might l not quietly pant
out my life there and be done with it? And
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.
suppose l must have been some time in
this state of collapse when the brig grated
harshly on the bottom, careened slightly,
lurched and lay over, fast aground. The
queer grating sensation, as of the pricking
of million small fins, aroused me- and
half e-a IN my Tho irSf
thing l saw was Abram ben Alden being
hauled dripping by two men into boat.
l 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 l could: "Hellol What's
the matter there?"
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
vengeful scowl. Then my wandering wits
began to return, bringing a remem brance
of what had happened.
should have fallen into the sea but for
the support of the bulwark. In a 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.
"God man, are ye much hurt2" asked,
scarcely knowing what l said. We're 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 if
to say he wished he had my heart out, and
slipped into the boat, which hid Kim from
my view.
l was fain 10 sit down again, my back
prOpped against the vessels side, and
breathe myself The connection of spirit
brought fresh gush of blood, which
bathed back and chest in a warm stream
Vet 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, l felt only an all
pervading JOY ut 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 it is to face the great
last reckoning with the blood of a fellow
creature on your head
! hoped that the man whom | had sc
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 vel
come, If 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
CulllSlduCt lLldL utluES WAS DSTllOuSlN near
yielding in any case. l 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 then) and
eNerted all my surgical skill and ingenuity.
They were not much, and they were left
unaided. Lying there in the midst of a
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 a kick,
literal or metaphOrical, is the very best
tonic that can be administered. The rough
behavior of the pirates pricked me to a Wig
orOus self interest that no process of sooth-
ing or doctoring could have induced. The
savage oaths and savager 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 Il
man. So watching my opportunity, for the
COmpaniOuway was mostly blocked with
thieves, went below to finish my dressing
Fortunately my wounds, though making
so CORY slow, were neither deep nor dan
gerous. But t was wonderful in how many
points Abram ben Alden had touched me
more wonderful still that having succeeded
80 far lie had not succeeded farther,
Returning on deck presently, swathed in
handkerchirts andstray pieces of cloth, and
strengthened by - grains of Mr. Watson's
quinine, | discovered we were within
sight of land. A stretch of shallow blue
green water ran away To Il sandy beach that
ended abruptly in iron cliffs. which sug
gested hardness and barrenness beyond.
What is the land" asked one OF the
eorsairs, pointing Shoreward.
Thou shalt know soon enough" he
Enarled, and concluding that perhaps the
fellow was right put no more questions.
Meanwhile the unloading of the brig
went on apace. y score OF small boats lay
round her to receive the pluSder, and some
80 or 10 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 a
less fervid race could mean nothing short
OF an instant intention 10 reEeI IN oIoOu'
but never staying the main operations to
settle personal disputes.
Islam has a 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-
scribed ceremonials inside mosque or
when he has leisure for prayers outside, a
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 discipline more than re-
ligion, for whatever Difference he may pro-
fess for authority Dillape transforms him