The Strange Adventures of Captain Dangerous, Vol. 3: Who was a sailor, a soldier, a merchant, a spy, a slave; among the moors...Sala, George Augustus
General
The Strange Adventures of Captain Dangerous, Vol. 3: Who was a sailor, a soldier, a merchant, a spy, a slave; among the moors...
Sala, George Augustus
Adventure and adventurers -- Fiction
With a heart that was now elated with the prospect of Deliverance, and
now sunk at the thought that I was still to be separated from my Lilias,
I did as the good Redemptorist bade me, and, casting my accursed
Shackles from me in a heap, limped slowly forth--for the Iron had
wofully galled me. Outside the Dungeon-door stood a couple of Coglolies,
with their Turban-cloths let down over their faces to serve as Masks,
who swiftly unlocked what Doors remained between us and the Sea Rampart.
The Monk pressed my Hand, gave me his Blessing, bidding me hope for
Better Times, and disappeared. Guided by the Coglolies, and, indeed,
half supported by them, I was put into a Boat waiting at the Quayside,
as the Monk had told me, and ten minutes' hard pulling brought us
alongside a large craft, on board which, I being so weak, they were fain
to hoist me with Ropes. By this time I had sunk into a kind of Lethargy,
and, being conveyed below and put into a cot in the Master's Cabin, fell
into a slumber, which lasted for very many hours.
The Captain of this ship was an English Renegado, named Sparkenhoe. He
had served as Midshipman and Master's Mate in a King's ship; but having
been, as he conceived, unjustly Broken for hot words that passed
between him and the Captain,--this took place at Gibraltar,--had
deserted, and hid himself on board a Merchant Brig bound for Tangier. At
last, being fond of a Roving Life (and having the misfortune to kill the
Captain of the Merchant Brig in a dispute concerning some Bullocks they
were shipping), he had turned Mussulman; and after living some time
among the Buccaneers of the Riff, had come to Algiers, and been made
Captain of a Merchantman trading to the Dardanelles, and doing a bit of
Piracy when opportunity served. 'Twas full five-and-twenty years since
he had Run from the King of Great Britain's service; and although his
Blue Eyes and enormous Red Whiskers still gave him somewhat of a Saxon
appearance, he had very nearly forgotten his Mother Tongue, and only
retained English enough to enable him to mingle a few Billingsgate Oaths
with his barbarous Levantine Lingo.
This fellow, whom I heartily despised, for he had kept all the Vices of
his former Religion, and had acquired none of the Virtues of his new
one, was civil enough to me, and informed me that all he could do for
me, in return for the Bribe he had received from his Employers, would be
to deliver me to a Slave Merchant at Constantinople, who would place me
out in Domestic Service where I should not be ill-treated. But he very
strongly advised me to turn Turk or Renegado, as he himself was, saying,
that in such a case he would land me perfectly free at the Porte, where
I should doubtless find some profitable Employment. This I scornfully
refused; whereupon he shrugged his Shoulders, and said that I was a
Fool, but might possibly think Better of it in Time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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