Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-12-04
THE SEA HAWK
BY RAFAEL SABATINI
published by Arrangement With First National Pictures
Inc. Copyright by Houghton- Mifflin Company
CHAPTER Nv
MarZak- Bcn-ASa


Marzak- Bcn-Asad
r T took no less than forty camels to con-
| vey the cargo of that Dutch ar9Osy from
the mole to the Kasbah, and the process
sion-carefuly marshaled by Sakr-el-Bahr
who knew the value of such pageants to
impress the mOD-Was such as never yet
had been seen in the narrow streets Of Al
giers upon the return of any corsair. 1t
full worthy Of the greatest MOslem con-
queror that sailed the seas, of one who, not
content to keep to the tideless Mediterra-
mean as had hitherto been the rule Of his
kind, had Vnntured forth upon the wider
ocean.
Ahead marched a hundred Of his royers in
their short caftans of every conceivable col
or, their waists sWathed in gaudy scarves,
some Of which supported very arsenal CT
assorted cutlery; many wore body armOr Of
mail and the cleaning spike Of a casque
thrust up above their turbans. After them
detected and III chains came the fivescore
prisoners taken aboard the Dutchman, urged
along by the whips Of the cOrsairs who
thanked them. Then marched another re&i-
ment of corsairs, and after these the long
line Of stately, sneering camels, shuffling
cumbrously along and led by shouting ST.
haroWls. After them followed yet more
corsairs, and then, mounted on white
Arab jennet his head sWathed in a turban
of cloth of gold, came Sakr-el-Bahr.
In the narrower streets, with their white
blank windowless walls broken here and
there by no more than a slit to admit light
and air, the spectators huddeled themselves
fearfully into doorways to avoid being
crushed to death by the camels whose bur
dens bullying on either side entirely filled
those narrow ways. But the more open
spaces, such as the strand on either side of
the mole, the square before the sok and the
approaches OF Asad's fortress, were throng-
ed with motley. roaring crowd.
There were stately Moors in flowing
robes cheek by jowl with half-naked blacks
from the Sus and the Draa; lean, enduring
ARABS III their spotless white djelabas
RUBBED shoulders with Berbers from the
highlands in black camel-hair cIoaks: there
were Levantine Turks, and Jewish refugees
from Spain ostentatiously dressed in Euro
pean garments, tolerated there because
pound to the Moor by ties of common snf
Ieflng and common exile from that land that
once had been their own
Ohoer the glaring African sun this amaz-
ing crowd stood assembled to welcome Sal1r-
el-bahr; and welcome him it did with such
vocal thunder that an echo of it from tha
mole reached the very Kasbah on the hill
top to herald his approach
, by the tlme, however, that he reached
the fortress his procession had dwindIed nv
more than half At the sok his forces had
oNlded, and his corsairs headed bv 9th
mani, mad marched the captives away to the
continued
up the MILL Under the great gateway of
the hasbah they padded into the vast court
vard TO be ranged along two sides of if bv
thelr Saharowi drivers, and there brouoht
clumsily to their knees. After them followed
puC some TWO score corsairs as guard of
honor to their leader. They took their
stand upon either side of the gateway after
profoundly salaaming to Asad-ed-Din. The
Basha sat in the shade of an awning en-
throned upon divan, attended by his wazeer
1samanni and by Marzak and guarded bv a
half-doZen Janissaries, whose sable garments
maze an effective background to the green
and gold of his jeweled robes In his white
turban gloWed an emerald crescent
Inc Bashas cOuntenance was dark and
Droodlng as he watched the advent of that
line of burdened camels. His thoughts were
still laboring with the doubt of Sakr-eI-Bahr
which Fenzleh's crafty speech and craftier
retlcence had planted in them But at sight
of the cOrsair leader himself his countenancp
cleared suddenly, his eyes sparkled and he
rose TO his feet to welcome him as father
might welcome who had been throuo Il
perlls in a service dear to both.
Sakr-el-Bahr entered the courtyard on
foot, having dismounted at the gate Tall
and imposing, with his head high and his
torked beard thruStng forward he stalked
with great dignity to the foot of the divan.
follow by Ali and a mahO9any-faced fellow
turbaned and red-bearded, in whom it need
ed more than a glance to recognize the ras-
cally Jasper Leigh, now in all the panoply
of your complete renegade.
Sallr-el-Bahr went down upon his knees
and Frustrated himself solemnly before his
prince.
"The blessing of Allah and His peace
upon thee, my lord" was his greeting.
And Asad, STOPPING to lift that splendid
figure in his arms, gave him a welcome that
caused the spying Fenzileh to clench her
behind hat
cealed her,
1.-The praise to Allah and to our Lord Ma
homet that thou art returned and in health.
my son. Already hath my old heart been
gladdened by the news of thy victories in the
service of the Faith"
Then followed the display of all those
riches wrested from the Dutch and greatly
though Asad's expectations had been fed al
ready by Othmani, the sight now spread
before his eyes by far exceeded all those
expectations.
In the end all was dismissed to the treas
ury and Tsamanni was hidden to 60 cast
up the account OF it and mark the share
that fell to the portion of those concerned
for in these ventures all were partners
from the Basha himself, who represented the
State, down to the meanest corsair who had
manned the victorious vessels of the Faith
ana each had his share Of the booty, greater
or less, according to his rank, one-twentieth
of the total falling to Sakr-el-Bahr himself
In the courtyard were left none but Asad.
Marzak, and the janissaries. and Sakr-el-
Bahr with Ali and Jasper. 1t was then that
Sakr-el-Bahr presented his new officer to
the Basha, as one upon whom the grace of
Allah had descended, a great fighter and a
skilled seaman, who had offered up his tai
ents and his life to the service Of Islam
who had been accepted by Sakr-el-Bahr. and
stood now before Asad to be confirmed in