The Pirate of the Mediterranean Part 24

"I have served on board on the _L--_ as a midshipman, and have since, on several occasions, acted as pilot and interpreter. You see in me, Captain Fleetwood, one who is solicitous to be of use to you; and, as you appear to be anxious to meet this Signor Zappa, I will now show you where you are most likely to fall in with him."

The evident frankness and cordiality of these expressions at once dissipated all Fleetwood's previous misgivings, and in a few words, while he was partaking of the refreshment placed before him, he detailed what had occurred, and his belief that the pirate had made prisoner of an English lady, even if he had not murdered the rest of those on board.

While he was speaking, the Greek brought down a chart of the Archipelago, and pointed out the island of Lissa, a minute description of which he gave.

"But, Captain Fleetwood," he observed, "with your brig, or indeed with the whole British navy at command, you can scarcely capture that island, especially while the pirate holds hostages so dear to you in his hands.

Take my advice, attempt nothing by force; your only chance of success is by stratagem. By following a plan I will venture to suggest to you, if you will undergo the danger, which I will not deny is very great, I think there is a prospect of your being able to rescue your friends.

Once, however, arouse the suspicions of the pirate and his followers, they will put the place in so strong a state of defence, and will keep so vigilant a watch over their prisoners, that an attack on the island will be useless. Remember, when I tell you this, I am well acquainted with the place and the people, and I feel a.s.sured of the soundness of my advice."

Captain Fleetwood thanked him very much, and a.s.sured him that he was eager to hear the plan he would advise him to follow.

On this, Captain Teodoro Va.s.silato, for such was the name of his new Greek friend, explained it to him, and promised him his a.s.sistance in carrying it out. What it was it is not necessary here to detail, as it will be fully developed in a future part of this story.

Linton sat in the boat keeping way with the Greek brig, which still glided slowly ahead, till he began to lose his patience, and at last he grew alarmed at the non-arrival of his commander. Could any treachery have been practised? he thought, and had Fleetwood's generous boldness led to his destruction? He longed to penetrate the intention of that dark ma.s.s ahead of him, which lay rolling uneasily, as the gla.s.sy swell at long intervals heaved noiselessly under her keel, as it glided onwards. He remembered, too, all the suspicions which had been entertained of the craft, and he longed to pull alongside, and to demand what had become of his captain. But he had been directed to remain where he was till his return, and he was too good a disciplinarian not to obey orders. The gig, he believed, was still alongside, with the people in her, but it was so dark, it was difficult to make that out.

He had almost resolved to send Tompion in the second gig to ascertain this, when he heard the splash of oars in the water, and his doubts were soon after relieved by the return of Captain Fleetwood.

"I have kept you some time, gentlemen," said the captain. "But I have gained some important information to guide our proceedings. Now give way and follow me."

The boats were soon on board, and hoisted in, and during the night a breeze from the northward springing up, the _Ione_ continued her voyage to Cephalonia, which it was expected she would make during the course of the day. The forenoon watch had just been set, and the officers were going to breakfast, when the look-out at the mast-head, who had just gone aloft, hailed the deck to say that there was an object on the lee bow, floating deep in the water, but he could not distinguish what it was.

"What does it look like, though?" asked the first lieutenant.

"It's more like a boat bottom up, or a thick piece of timber, than anything else," was the answer; "but I think it's a boat, sir."

"It's not worth while going out of our course to ascertain," observed Linton.

"I am not so certain of that," exclaimed Saltwell. "It may be part of the wreck of the _Zodiac_. At all events, I shall inform the captain."

He accordingly went into the cabin, and on his return the ship was kept away, and Captain Fleetwood came on deck.

"Aloft there, can you see it now?" hailed Mr Saltwell.

"Yes, sir, we're steering right for it, and I make no doubt it's a boat."

The brig was making good way through the water, and soon approached the object, which proved to be a boat with her keel up. She was then hove-to, a boat was lowered to tow the swamped boat alongside. When this was done, a rope was pa.s.sed under her stern, she was lifted till the tackle fall could be hooked on to the ring-bolt in it, when she was easily turned over, and as she was hoisted up the water was baled out.

Every one was eager to learn what boat she was.

It was soon perceived that she had been much shattered and damaged, for the gunnel on one side had been almost knocked away, and the bows had been stove in; but the injury had been repaired by one or more coats of tarred canvas, nailed over her bow and bottom, in a very rough way. The captain at once p.r.o.nounced her to be an English-built boat, but she had no name by which it could be discovered to what vessel she belonged.

"Some poor fellows have been cast away on the rocks, and tried to make their escape in her," remarked Linton. "They must have encountered another squall in that ricketty craft, and she must have capsized and drowned them all."

"It looks too like it," said Saltwell. "But if they had got on any rocks they would have taken a longer time to put her to rights. What think you of her being launched from the deck of a sinking vessel?"

"The same idea struck me," observed Mr Norton, the master. "I suspect, if we had the means of ascertaining, that she will be found to be one of the boats of the lost _Zodiac_."

"I fear it; and if so, all must have perished," said Saltwell. "It would be cruel to suggest it to the captain."

"He already has thought of that," observed the master.

"What shall we do with the boat, sir?" inquired the first lieutenant of the captain. "Shall we cast her adrift?"

"No--get her in on deck, and overhaul her more thoroughly," was the answer.

This was done; and while the carpenter was examining her, and making remarks on the curious way she had been patched up, he found, in the stern sheets, a silk handkerchief, which had been thrust into a hole, over which, evidently, there had not been time to nail any canvas. It had thus been fixed in so tightly, that the water had not been able to wash it out.

The carpenter drew it forth, and opened it.

"Ah, here is a name in a corner, which will go far to prove to whom the boat belonged," he exclaimed. "If I know how to read, these letters on it spell--'J. Bowse.' What do you say, Brown?"

"There's no doubt about it," answered the boatswain, shaking his head.

"And by the same token, it belonged to the master of the _Zodiac_, for he used to be very proud of having his handkerchief marked in that way, as it was Mistress Bowse's own handy work; and, t'other day, when he was aboard of us, he, poor fellow, showed me that very handkerchief, and said his missis had worked him another set just afore he came away."

The discovery was reported to the captain; but he made no remark on it.

He, apparently, had before come to the conclusion, that the boat had belonged to the unfortunate _Zodiac_.

"Land ahead," was cried out from aloft, and resounded through the ship; and before the middle of the afternoon-watch, the lofty mountains of Cephalonia rose in view, with the lower lands of Zante to the southward.

The wind freshened, and backing round more to the westward, the _Ione_ stood boldly in for the entrance of the magnificent harbour of Argostoli, and, before nightfall, anch.o.r.ed within a mile of the town.

Captain Fleetwood immediately hurried on sh.o.r.e. With a heart beating with anxiety, he made inquiries about the _Zodiac_; but nothing had been heard of her, or her pa.s.sengers and crew. He did not yet despair, and taking an interpreter with him, who was strongly recommended, he returned on board, the anchor was got up, and the _Ione_ stood out of the harbour of Argostoli.

There was little chance of the gra.s.s growing under her keel.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

On reaching the ruins, the Lady Nina and her companion saw old Vlacco seated on a rock, at a short distance, whence he could command an extensive view of the sea. He had a spygla.s.s in his hand, which he every now and then lifted to his eye, to observe the approaching sail, and then he would let it fall again into his lap, as if he were considering what she was.

"Let us go and ask my grandfather what he thinks is the vessel in sight," said Mila, and, with some difficulty, they worked their way over the rocks and ruins towards him.

He turned round rather gruffly at hearing the voice of his grandchild, as she asked him what he thought was the sail nearing the island; for, as he himself had not yet made up his mind on the subject, he was unable to give her a positive answer; and was very unwilling to confess his ignorance, especially in the presence of the Lady Nina.

"She is a brig, child; and I should have thought your own sharp eyes would have told you that," he answered.

"So they have, grandfather," she replied. "I have seen that she is a brig long ago; but I want to know whether she is the _Sea Hawk_, or a stranger."

"A stranger would scarcely be running directly for the port, as that vessel is; and it is about the time we may expect our chief's return,"

answered old Vlacco; "so, if one was unable to distinguish that brig below there from any other, we might conclude that she was the _Sea Hawk_."

The young Italian stood by, anxiously listening to these observations, for her heart beat eagerly for the return of him who commanded the vessel of which they spoke, and dark were the forebodings of disaster which oppressed her at his long absence.

"Then you think she is the _Sea Hawk_?" exclaimed Mila. "I pray she may be, for the sweet lady's sake."

"If she is not, they have cleverly imitated her to deceive an old seaman's eyes," returned the old Greek. "You may tell the lady, that, to the best of my belief, yonder vessel is our chief's; but it is necessary to be cautious, when our strength is so much diminished by the absence of many of our best men, and when the cursed Turks are sweeping off the inhabitants from many of the neighbouring islands; and even the British have taken upon themselves to interfere with some of the domestic concerns of our friends."

Nina clasped her hands with an expression of thankfulness, as Mila explained to her what her grandfather had said, her eyes all the time watching the vessel.

"Ah!" she exclaimed. "Surely there is a flag flying from the mast-head.