The Middy and the Moors: An Algerine Story by R. M. Ballantyne (best books to read in your 20s TXT) đ
- Author: R. M. Ballantyne
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âThereâs no fear of your friends going off without you, I suppose?â
âWell, as they risked their precious lives to rescue me, it ainât likely,â returned the seaman.
âWould it not be well to keep Brown here till Ben-Ahmed returns?â asked Foster, turning to Peter the Great.
The negro knitted his brows and looked vacantly up through the leafy roof of the bower, as if in profound meditation. Some of the brighter stars were beginning to twinkle in the darkening sky by that time, and one of them seemed to wink at him encouragingly, for he suddenly turned to the middy with all the energy of his nature, exclaiming, âIâs got it!â and brought his great palm down on his greater thigh with a resounding slap.
âIf itâs in your breeches pocket you must have squashed it, then!â said Brownâreferring to the slap. âAnyhow, if youâve got it, hold on to it anâ letâs hear what it is.â
âNoânot now. All in good time. Patience, my frind, is a virtoo wuf cultivationââ
âYou neednât go for to tell that to a Bagnio slave like me, Mister Peter. Your greatness might have made you aware oâ that,â returned the sailor quietly.
An eye-shutting grin was Peterâs reply to this, and further converse was stopped by the sound of clattering hoofs.
âMassa!â exclaimed the negro, listening. âDas good. No time lost. Come wid me, you sham nigger, anâ Iâs gib you sometâing to tickle you stummik. You go anâ look arter de hoss, Geoâge.â
While the middy ran to the gate to receive his master, Peter the Great led the sham nigger to the culinary regions, where, in a sequestered corner, he supplied him with a bowl containing a savoury compound of chicken and rice.
âI hope that all has gone well?â Foster ventured to ask as the Moor dismounted.
âAll well. Send Peter to me immediately,â he replied, and, without another word, hurried into the house.
Calling another slave and handing over the smoking horse to him, Foster ran to the kitchen.
âPeter, youâreââ
âWanted âmeeditlyâyes, yesâI knows dat. What a tâing it is to be inâspensible to anybody! I donât know how heâll eber git along widout me.â
Saying which he hurried away, leaving the middy to do the honours of the house to the sailor.
âI sâpose, sir, you havenât a notion what sort oâ plans that nigger has got in his head?â asked the latter.
âNot the least idea. All I know is that he is a very clever fellow and never seems very confident about anything without good reason.â
âWell, whatever heâs a-goinâ to do, I hope heâll look sharp about it, for poor Miss Sommersâs fate and the lives oâ my mates, to say nothinâ of my own, is hanginâ at this moment on a hairâso to speak,â returned the sailor, as he carefully scraped up and consumed the very last grain of the savoury mess, murmuring, as he did so, that it was out oâ sight the wery best blow-out heâd had since he enjoyed his last Christmas dinner in old England.
âWill you have some more?â asked the sympathetic middy.
âNo more, sir, thankee. Iâm loaded fairly down to the water-line. Another grain would bust up the hatches; but if I might venturâ to putt forth a wish now, a glass oââno? well, no matter, a drop oâ waterâll do. Iâm well used to it now, havinâ drunk enough to float a seventy-four since I come to this city oâ pirates.â
âYou will find coffee much more agreeable as well as better for you. I have learned that from experience,â said the middy, pouring out a tiny cupful from an earthen coffee-pot that always stood simmering beside the charcoal fire.
âAnother of that same, sir, if you please,â said the seaman, tossing off the cupful, which, indeed, scarcely sufficed to fill his capacious mouth. âWhy they should take their liquor in these parts out oâ things that ainât much bigger than my old motherâs thimble, passes my comprehension. You wouldnât mind another?âthankee.â
âAs many as you please, Brown,â said the middy, laughing, as he poured out cupful after cupful; âthereâs no fear of your getting half-seas-over on that tipple!â
âI only wish I was half-seas-over, or even a quarter that length. Your health, sir!â returned Brown, with a sigh, as he drained the last cup.
Just then Peter the Great burst into the kitchen in a very elated condition.
âGeoâge,â he cried, âyou be off. Massa wants youââmeeditly. But fust, let me axâyou understanâ de place among de rocks whar Brownâs mates and de boat am hidden?â
âYes, I know the place well.â
âYou knows how to get to it?â
âOf course I do.â
âDas all right; now come alongâcome along, you sham nigger, wid me. Has you got enuff?â
âBustinââall but.â
âDas good now; you follow me; do what youâs tolâ; holâ you tongue, anâ look sharp, if you donâ want your head cut off.â
âHeave ahead, capân; Iâm your man.â
The two left the house together and took the road that led to the hill country in rear of the dwelling.
Meanwhile George Foster went to the chamber of the Moor. He found his master seated, as was his wont, with the hookah before him, but with the mouthpiece lying idly on his knee, and his forehead resting on one hand. So deeply was he absorbed in communing with his own thoughts, that he did not observe the entrance of his slave until he had been twice addressed. Then, looking up as if he had been slightly startled, he bade him sit down.
âGeorge Foster,â he began impressively, at the same time applying a light to his hookah and puffing sedately, âyou will be glad to hear that I have been successful with my suit to the Dey. God has favoured me; but a great deal yet remains to be done, and that must be done by youâelseââ
He stopped here, looked pointedly at the middy, and delivered the remainder of his meaning in pufflets of smoke.
âI suppose you would say, sir, that unless it is done by me it wonât be done at all?â
To this the Moor nodded twice emphatically, and blew a thin cloud towards the ceiling.
âThen you may count upon my doing my utmost, if that which I am to do is in the interest of Hester Sommers or her father, as no doubt it is.â
âYes, it is in their interest,â rejoined Ben-Ahmed. âI have done my part, but dare not go further; for much though I love little Hesterâwho has been to me as a sweet daughterâI must not risk my neck for her unnecessarily. But, if I mistake not, you are not unwilling to risk that?â
âAy, fifty necks would I risk for her sake if I had them,â returned our middy with enthusiasm, for he was in that stage of love which glories in the acknowledgment of thraldom.
Ben-Ahmed looked at him with interest, sighed, and sought solace in the pipe.
After a few meditative puffs, he continuedâ
âAfter all, you run little risk, as you shall see. When I asked the Dey, with whom I am familiar, for the pardon of the slave Sommers, he did not seem pleased, and objected that there had been too many revolts of late; that this manâs case was a bad one, and that it was necessary to make an example or two.
ââVery true, your highness,â I replied, âbut may I beg you to make an example of some other slaves, and forgive Sommers?â
ââWhy do you take so much interest in this man?â demanded the Dey, who seemed to me rather short in his temper at the time.
ââBecause he is the father of one of my female slaves, your highness,â I replied; âand it is the fear that they will be separated for ever that makes the man desperate and the girl miserable. If you will permit me, I should like to reunite them. Your highness has often expressed a wish to do me some kindness for the privilege I once had of saving your highnessâs life. Will you now refuse me this manâs life?â âNay, I will not refuse you, Ben-Ahmed. But I do not see that my granting your request will reunite the father and child, unless, indeed, you are prepared to purchase the man.â
ââI am prepared to do so, your highness,â I said.
ââIn that case you are at liberty to go to the Bagnio and take him out. Here is my ring.â
âNow, Foster,â continued the Moor, drawing the ring in question from his vest-pocket, âtake this. Show it to the captain of the guard at the Bagnio, who will admit you. Tell him that I sent you for one of the slaves. After that your own intelligence must guide you. Go, and God go with you.â
âI will do as you command, Ben-Ahmed,â said Foster; âbut I must tell you frankly that I will notââ
âSilence!â thundered the Moor, with a look of ferocity which the amazed midshipman could not account for. âHave you not understood me?â
âYes, sir, perfectly, butââ
âWhen a slave receives a command,â cried Ben-Ahmed in rising wrath, âit is his duty to obey in silence. Again I sayâgo!â
The middy bowed with feelings of indignation, but on reaching the door paused, and again essayed to speak.
âI give you fair warning, Ben-Ahmed, that I will notââ
âSilence!â again roared the Moor, seizing an ornamental box and hurling it violently at his slave, who, dipping his head, allowed it to go crashing against the wall, while he went out and shut the door.
âWell, old boy, Iâm absolved from any allegiance to you,â he muttered, as he walked smartly down the garden walk towards the gate; âso if I do a good deal more than your bidding you mustnât be surprised. But your sudden burst of anger is incomprehensible. However, thatâs not my business now.â
Had any one been there to observe the Moor after the middy had taken his departure, he would have seen that the passion he had displayed evaporated as rapidly as it had arisen, and that he resumed the amber mouthpiece of his hookah with a peculiar smile and an air of calm contentment. Thereafter he ordered out his horse, mounted it in his usual dignified manner, and quietly rode away into the darkness of the night.
It may be observed here our middy had improved greatly in the matter of costume since his appointment to the rank of limner to Ben-Ahmed. The old canvas jacket, straw hat, etcetera, had given place to a picturesque Moorish costume which, with the middyâs fine figure and natural bearing, led people to suppose him a man of some note, so that his appearance was not unsuited to the mission he had in hand.
We need scarcely say that his spirit was greatly agitated, as he walked towards the town, by uncertainty as to how he ought to act in the present emergency, and his mind was much confused by the varied, and, to some extent, inexplicable incidents of the evening. His thoughts crystallised, however, as he went along, and
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