by G. A. Henty
CHAPTER VIII
A BESIEGED VILLAGE
As soon as they gained the deck of the _Misericordia_ Miller reportedthe advice the skipper of the English brig had given as to theirtaking their station near the southern coast, to pick up vesselshugging the shore on their way to Alexandria and the west.
"I have no doubt he is right," Will Martyn said; "that accounts forour not having seen a single craft flying the Turkish flag. Well, Mr.Beveridge, I think we can't do better than take his advice."
"There is something else though," Horace broke in; and he then toldthem what the captain had said about the fighting among the villagerson Mount Olympus.
"Don't you think, father, we might go there first? With this wind weshould not be much more than twenty-four hours getting there, and wemight pick up a lot of fugitives in hiding and possibly bring off thepeople from that village. It would not be a great loss of timeanyhow."
"I think we might, Horace; hearing of it in the way you did, it seemsalmost like a call to help them. What do you say, Captain Martyn?"
"Just as you like, sir. As Horace says, it is no great loss of timeanyhow, and we certainly may do some good."
The order was given and the schooner was headed for Cyprus with abrisk wind on her beam that heeled her well over and sent her throughthe water at nine and a half knots an hour. The news was soon knownthrough the vessel that there were massacres going on in Cyprus, andthat there might be some work to be done, so there was an air ofincreased activity and animation among the crew. The wind heldsteadily, and next morning the mountains of Cyprus could be seen lyinglike a cloud in the distance, and by eleven o'clock thenorth-westerly point of the island was but five or six miles away.Rounding the point they entered the great indentation known as MorphouBay. Martyn now ordered the topsails to be lowered.
"We will run along about a mile off shore," he said; "they can makeout the flag then. We will go along as far as the other end of the bayand then come back again. If there are any people in hiding in thewoods they will keep an eye on us, and as we come back will come offin boats if they have got them, or will come down to the shore andsignal. We can send our boats in for them."
As they were still going through the water faster than they wished theforesail was also lowered, and they then went quietly along the coast,keeping a sharp look-out with their glasses on the shore. They passedseveral villages and could see that their appearance created muchexcitement, and that the population at once deserted their houses andmade off.
"They are evidently all Mussulman villages," Mr. Beveridge said.
"They are Mussulman villages at present, Mr. Beveridge," Martynagreed, "but the chances are they were Christian a short time ago. Yousee they have all got fishing boats either riding at anchor or hauledup, and I fancy that most of the fishing is done by the Greekinhabitants. I expect the Turks have cleared them out. What do yousay, Mr. Beveridge, to our firing a shot or two at each of thevillages as we pass? That will act as a warning to the Turks to keepout of range. If there are any Christians left they may take theopportunity of seizing the boats and coming off. We might lie-to forhalf an hour opposite each village to give them a chance of doing so."
"That would be a very good plan, I think, Captain Martyn."
As they were passing a village at the moment the _Misericordia_ was atonce brought round. Two of the broadside guns were loaded, and twoshots were sent over the village. Then the craft was hove-to, andwaited for half an hour. As there were no signs of life, she againproceeded on her way. Three more villages were fired at with the sameresult. Half a mile beyond the furthest Tarleton exclaimed: "There issomeone swimming off, Captain Martyn; he has just put off from thatpoint! There, do you see that black spot a little way off the point?"
Martyn turned his glass in that direction. "I see him," he said."Lower the small gig, Mr. Tarleton; take four hands, row off, and pickhim up. You had better go too, Horace. The chances are he won't speakanything but Greek."
In a couple of minutes the boat left the side of the schooner androwed in the direction of the swimmer, the vessel being again thrownup into the wind. Horace stood up while Tarleton took the tillerlines.
"Can you see him, Horace?" he asked.
"No, not yet. There is too much ripple on; but if you keep her head asit is now I shall make him out before long." Three or four minuteslater he exclaimed: "I see him, he is dead ahead!"
Five minutes later the swimmer was alongside. He was a lad of aboutHorace's age.
"Are you Greek?" he asked in surprise and in some alarm, as he lookedat the uniforms of the crew as Horace helped him on board.
"We are fighting for Greece," Horace said, "although we are allEnglish. We heard that there was some trouble here, and came to see ifwe could save any fugitives."
"I saw the flag," the lad said, "and heard you fire twice at thevillage. My mother and sisters, and twenty or thirty others, arehidden in the wood there. The Mussulmans came down from the mountainvillages three days ago and killed all they could find; but we wereexpecting it, for they had gone to the next village first, and a manfrom there brought the news just before they arrived. We lived on theoutskirts and had time to get away, but I think my father and brothershave been killed. Do go on shore and take them off."
"We must go back to the ship first," Horace said. "This boat is toosmall to be of any use; besides, we must send a stronger crew. Nodoubt the Turks are watching us, and will come down if they see uslanding."
The schooner had filled again and was following the boat, so that intwo or three minutes they were on board. Horace lent the young Greeksome of his clothes, and the schooner stood in towards the point, witha man in the chains sounding as they went.
"Ask him whereabouts they are, Horace."
"Just on the other side of the point; but they will see us coming."
"I see no signs of them yet," Tarleton said when, having got withinthree hundred yards of shore, the anchor was let go.
"It is likely enough," said Martyn, "that some of the Turks may havebeen coming down through the wood, and if the poor beggars heard themthey would not dare show themselves. Now, Mr. Miller, you take chargeof the long-boat with ten men. We will cover your landing."
The four broadside guns were loaded with grape, and their crewsmustered to quarters, while the rest, armed with muskets, lined theside.
"Take the boy with you, Mr. Miller, he can lead you to where hisfriends are hiding. Don't stop to fire as you make for shore. We willdispose of any Turks there may be about."
The boat had not rowed more than fifty yards before five or six musketshots were fired from the bushes near the edge of the water.
"Give them a round with the aftermost gun," Captain Martyn said; andin a moment the water near the bushes was torn up with a shower ofgrape. "Give the next gun more elevation, boatswain. Send the shotwell into the wood. That's it. The same with the other two guns. Thatwill clear them all out."
There was no further firing at the boat. As soon as it touched theshore Miller jumped ashore with eight of the men, while the othertwo pushed the boat off a few yards. Led by the Greek boy, the partyran along the shore and were lost to view round the point. Two morerounds were fired into the wood, but everything was quiet there, andin five minutes Miller's party made their appearance round the pointwith a number of fugitives. No time was lost in getting them into theboat, which at once rowed off to the schooner. There were but threemen among them, the rest were women and children. Most of them werecompletely exhausted.
"GIVE THEM A ROUND," SAID CAPTAIN MARTYN]
Horace, after asking them a question or two, said to Zaimes: "You hadbetter prepare some soup, Zaimes, as quickly as you can. They have hadnothing to eat for three days."
While this was being done, a sip of wine and a mouthful of bread weregiven to each. In the meantime some sailors were rigging up apartition with sail-cloth across the main deck, and here hammocks wereslung for the use of the women and children. As soon as the poorcreatures had taken a ba
sin of hot soup they revived a good deal andpoured out expressions of profuse gratitude to their rescuers. Theyhad passed a terrible three days crouching among the bushes, andexpecting every moment to be discovered. A few of the women hadsnatched up their jewels before taking to flight, but most of themwere absolutely destitute. Mr. Beveridge and the two Greeks persuadedthem to go below and take the sleep they so much needed. As soon asthe deck was clear the anchor was got up, and the schooner proceededon her way. She reached the farthest headland of the bay just as nightbegan to fall, and Martyn decided to anchor there till morning. Fromthe Greek lad who had first swum off, they learned that the villageamong the mountains still resisted.
"They say there are two or three hundred there who have taken refugefrom the villages round. There are some rich men among them, and thatis the reason why the Mussulmans are so anxious to take the place."
"How many men are besieging it?"
"That I don't know," the boy replied. "I should think four or fivehundred."
"But you have heard nothing for the last three days? The place mayhave fallen since then."
"No, I went last night to the village in hopes of finding bread insome of the houses, but there were too many Turks about. I was nearenough to hear them talking. Some of them were going up to-day to joinin the siege."
"How far is the place from the sea?"
"It is ten miles from this north shore, but it is not more than fouror five from the western coast."
"Is there any road?"
"Not from that side. The roads from the mountain villages all leaddown to the bay."
"Is it too steep to climb from the other side?"
"Not too steep to climb on foot. Donkeys and mules could get upthere."
The matter was talked over in the cabin that evening, and it wasagreed that if a guide could be obtained an attempt should be made tocarry off the occupants of the village. During the night a boat withtwelve fugitives came off from the shore and as the _Misericordia_sailed slowly along the coast on the following day several parties offrom three to ten people came out from the trees and waved whitehandkerchiefs and scarfs. All these were brought off, and four or fiveboats full of people were picked up during the day. Their occupantshad seen the schooner passing on the previous day, and had at night,when the Mussulmans in the village were asleep, stolen down to thebeach, launched boats, and put out to sea in the hope that theschooner would return next day. All were overwhelmed with joy atfinding themselves under the Greek flag, although the greater portionof them had lost everything they possessed. The women and childrenwere, like the first batch, provided for below, while the men and boyswere told they must sleep on deck, which was no hardship in that balmyclimate.
Among those in the last boat picked up near the west point of the baywas a young man who was a native of a village lying a short distancefrom the one that was besieged. He happened to be down in the coastvillage when the Turks commenced hostilities there, and hearing thatthe village to which he belonged had been destroyed, he had remainedin hiding near the coast. Marco and his brother, who mingled with thefugitives, had learned this, and at once took the news to the cabin."He says he has been a goat-herd, and knows all the paths among themountains."
"Then he is the very fellow we want to get hold of," Will Martyn said."We had better have him in here and question him."
The young Greek was brought in. He knew of several paths from thevillage down to the western shore.
"Now what sort of place is this village?" Captain Martyn asked.
"It stands at the top of rocky ground that slopes away all round it.There are vineyards and gardens among the rocks. Since the trouble inGreece began, the people have been frightened, and have built a wallfive or six feet high round the village, and the Christians in all thevillages round decided that if there was trouble from the Mussulmansthey would go there to help defend it."
"Is there high ground round the village?"
"Yes, the hills rise very high on three sides, but they are too faraway for guns to do much harm; besides, the houses stand thicklytogether. My people will fight till the last, but I don't know howlong the provisions will last. I know they all made up their mindsthat if they were besieged and saw no hope of succour, they would atlast kill all the women and children to prevent their being madeslaves by the Turks, and then they would march out to fight until thelast man was slain."
"How long would it take us to get up from the shore to the village?"
"One can come down in an hour, but it takes three hours' hard work toget up."
"Could you after dark take us close to the point where one of thesepaths comes down to the shore?"
"Oh, yes, I could do that easily."
"Very well, that will do for the present. Now, Mr. Beveridge, it isfor you to decide," Martyn said. "Of course the affair is a risky one;but it seems to me that forty well-armed English sailors ought to beable to make their way into the village without very much difficulty,for of course the Turks will be scattered about all round it. Thedifficulty is not in getting in, but in getting out. We should have tobring perhaps two or three hundred women and children, and cover theirretreat down to the water. Of course the men would help us, but stillit would be a stiff job in the face of four or five hundred of theenemy. These Turks may know nothing of soldiering, but they aremountaineers and are used to arms, and for irregular fighting likethis, would be quite as formidable as the best troops. If we knewanything about the ground we should be able to give a more decidedopinion. What of course we should want, if possible, would be somepost, either a defile or a steep eminence that we could hold for halfan hour and keep the Turks back until the women and children are wellon their way down the mountain. After that we could make a bolt forit, and might get down without much loss; but if there is no placewhere we could make a stand anywhere along the road, we should be inan awkward fix, especially if the path is a bad one, as I expect itis. You see the whole party would have to go in single file, and ifthere are four or five hundred of them, it would be next to impossibleto guard the flanks and keep the Turks off if they made a rush, whileevery shot they fired would tell on such a long line. You understand,Mr. Beveridge, I am putting the matter to you in the worst light sothat we should all understand the sort of business it is likely tobe."
"I see that it is a very serious affair, Martyn; but at the same time,when we know that there are so many lives at stake, I think that wemust run the risk, however great."
"Very well, then, that is settled, Mr. Beveridge, and I am sure we areall glad that you have decided so. The next question is, who shall go,and who shall remain behind."
"I shall certainly go," Mr. Beveridge said. "I am not going to allowothers to take risks that I do not share myself."
"We ought to be as strong a party as possible," Martyn said. "At thesame time we must leave enough to sail the schooner, if not to fighther. It is probable that yesterday morning, as soon as our flag wasseen, messengers were sent off at once to Limasol and Larnaca to tellthem that a Greek vessel was in the bay; and if there are any Turkishvessels of war in either of these harbours, we shall be having themcoming round."
"That is likely enough," Miller said. "We must certainly be ready toget up our anchor and be off at a minute's notice."
"Well, Miller, then you must remain on board with ten men. We willload all the guns before we go. Ten men are enough to get up sail andto fight the pivot-gun. You had better not waste any time in gettingup the anchor, but buoy and then slip the cable. We can recover it, ifwe like, afterwards. If you should be driven off the coast while weare away, lower a sail under her fore-foot so as to deaden her way andencourage the Turks with the hope that they are going to catch you.Lead them a dance for seven or eight hours, then cut the drag adrift,set every stitch of sail, and run back again. You will be here inplenty of time to get us all on board before they can come up again.Of course if we see that you are gone we shall choose some positionwhere we can make a stout defence, and shall hold it until you comeback to
the anchorage."
"All right, sir. I will obey orders. Of course I would rather havegone with the expedition ashore; but someone must stay on board, andif you are going I must take the command in your absence. Ten men willbe quite enough for me. We can leave the main and foresail standingwhen we anchor, so that will be plenty of strength."
"Well, as that is all settled, we will bout ship and cruise eastagain. It will be dark in an hour, and it is well they should think onshore that we are off again to the east. I daresay they can make usout from points on the mountains not far from the village. If they seeus sailing away, it will never enter their heads that we have anyintention of interfering in their little game up there."
Accordingly the schooner was again put about, and retraced her coursealong the shore until it became quite dark; then she stood out to seauntil well out of sight of land, when she was headed west again. Thenews had already got about through the ship that there was to be alanding party to rescue a number of Christians besieged by the Turksamong the mountains, and the sailors were in the highest spirits,cutlasses were ground, pistols and muskets served out to those whowere to land, and the disappointment of those who were to remainbehind was mitigated by Horace mentioning to them that not improbablythey might have a brush with the Turks on their own account.
Cartridges, muskets, and pistols were served out, and the armscarefully examined. Each man was ordered to take with him awater-bottle filled with weak grog, and two pounds of bread in hishaversack, and a hearty supper was served out. Once round the point ofthe bay the schooner was kept close in shore. The Greek kept a sharplook-out on the hills looming high above them, and about nine o'clockannounced that they were now near the place where a track from themountain came down to the shore. The anchor was at once dropped andthe headsails lowered. Then the sailors took their places in threeboats, two of the men who were to stop behind going in each to bringthem back to the schooner when the landing had been effected. Zaimeswas to accompany the party, while Marco remained with Mr. Miller onboard.
Ten of the fugitives, active young men, had begged to be allowed toaccompany the expedition, but the offer had been declined, and theywere told that they might be more useful helping to work the guns ofthe schooner should a Turkish ship-of-war come round. When the armshad been purchased a dozen good rifles had been among them, and afterMr. Beveridge, Zaimes, and the three officers had each armedthemselves with one of these, the rest were divided among the bestshots of the party. Tom Burdett, much to his disappointment, was lefton board to assist the first lieutenant.
As soon as the boats reached the shore the men were formed up.Tarleton was to lead the advance party of ten men, having with him theguide. Close behind these were the main body, twenty strong, led byMartyn; behind them Mr. Beveridge, with Zaimes and the surgeon, whowas also accompanying the party, had their place. Horace commanded therear-guard of ten men. Although this nominal division was made, thewhole party kept closely together, as the night was so dark that theymight otherwise have missed each other. None of the fire-arms wereloaded, lest an accident should occur by a gun being discharged by afall, by striking against a rock, or by the trigger catching in abush.
After a few hundred yards' walk along the shore the Greek struck uponthe track and led the way up, the rest following in single file. Theclimb seemed interminable to Horace. At times it was so steep it wasdifficult to scramble up, and in the darkness there were many falls.There were frequent stops, to enable the men to get their breath; butafter three hours' climbing they at last reached comparatively levelground, and the guide told them they were within half a mile of theridge from which they could look down upon the village.
"Well, we will move slowly forward until we come either to some bushesor a bit of a hollow where we can get some shelter, for it is quitesharp up here, and as soon as the men begin to cool down a bit theywill feel it. I wish we had brought blankets now, but it never struckme that it would be cold. Mr. Tarleton, let your ten men scatter.Don't let them wander too far, but let them search about for someplace where we can get shelter. We will remain here; and if any ofthe men find a place, send one back to bring us up. We have gotanother four hours to wait before daylight."
In ten minutes one of the men came back with news that they had founda patch of bush large enough for them to take shelter in. In a shorttime they all arrived at the spot. The bushes were sweet smelling andfree from thorns, and the men soon crushed their way into them and laydown.
"You will remain in charge, Mr. Tarleton. I shall go on and take alook down at the village. I don't suppose we shall see much, but wemay be able to make out whether they are still holding out. Will yougo on with me, Mr. Beveridge, or stay here?"
"I will go on with you. I find it bitterly cold here; for not beingaccustomed to hard work, as your men are, I found that climb almosttoo much for me; and hot as I have been, I should not like to stopstill in this keen air, even with the shelter of the bushes."
"Well, we will take it easy this last bit, Mr. Beveridge. Come along,Horace."
Again preceded by the guide, and followed by Zaimes, they ascended theshoulder of the hill. It was a steep pull, but in a quarter of an hourthey reached the crest. Just as they did so they heard the report of agun, followed at once by several others. An exclamation ofsatisfaction broke from them. Their climb had not been in vain; thevillage was still holding out. Fifty yards farther the ground fellaway suddenly in front of them, and they stood at the edge of a deepdescent. Extending round the foot of the hills that formed theamphitheatre in the centre of which the village lay, was a line offires; some blazing brightly, others dim red spots. Another chain offires, much closer together, extended across the mouth of the valley.The village, lying in the black shadow of the hills, was invisible tothem, and not even a single light indicated its position.
"That is where it is," the guide said, pointing down to the centre ofthe hollow.
As he spoke a flash of flame, followed a second or so later by areport, shot out from the spot towards which he was pointing.
"They are keeping a sharp look-out," Martyn said; "they are not to becaught napping. Now the point is, which is our best side for goingdown on the village without being seen?"
"The best point," the guide said, "would be from the head of thevalley. Orchards extend from the village to the foot of the hill, anda ravine runs some distance up there. If we could get into that, wemight get some distance through the orchards before we are noticed."
"Could you lead us along the side of the hill to this ravine in thedark?"
"I think so. I am sure I could lead you. The danger would be fromsetting stones in motion and so calling the attention of the enemy.The hillside is very steep, and a stone set rolling would go rightdown to their fires."
"We must risk that," Martyn said. "It would be a great thing to beable to take them by surprise. Don't you think so, Mr. Beveridge?"
"I should say it was well worth trying. But it is the getting out, notthe getting in, that seems to me the difficult part of the business."
"There is no doubt about that," Martyn agreed. "Will you ask him ifthis part we are standing on goes straight down to the village? Theslope looks to me almost too steep."
Mr. Beveridge put the question to the guide.
"He says the road zigzags. Olive-trees grow up for somedistance--about a third of the distance, he says."
"That is good," Martyn said, "because if we get the people with asudden rush across the open we can defend the lower edge of thesetrees, and the women and children will be hidden from below till theyget up above the trees, where they would be pretty well out of dangerexcept from a chance shot. I think, Mr. Beveridge, it would be a goodthing to leave Tarleton with fifteen men here. If we can take them bysurprise five-and-twenty of us ought to be quite enough to make ourway in. Even if there are six hundred of them they must be scatteredpretty thinly round this circle, and are probably thickest down at themouth of the valley. The rear-guard here will of course be concealeduntil we sally
out. Then if the Turks from the other side and the endof the valley try to climb the hill on either side of the path so asto cut us off, our fellows here could open fire and prevent them doingso, and as the enemy would not be able to see how many men there are,it would stop them a bit."
"I think that would be a very good plan, Captain Martyn."
"Very well, then. Horace, do you go back to the bushes, bring Mr.Tarleton and the men up. Tell them to move as quietly as they can whenthey get near this point."
The men got up willingly when Tarleton gave the word, for although thebushes afforded some shelter, they were already feeling very chilled,and were pleased to be in motion again. They met Martyn a shortdistance from the spot where Horace had left him. The men were halted.
"Now, Mr. Tarleton, you are to take the fourteen men who came ashorewith you in the gig. For the present you had best return with them tothe bushes and wait there till daylight. Then you will come back tothis point. Post the men where they cannot be seen from below. Be surethat not a head is shown. Take your own post at a point whence you cansee down into the valley without being seen yourself. You will remainin hiding while we fight our way into the village. As soon as you seethe sortie begun get your men ready for action, and let them lie downwithout showing themselves more than they can help at the edge of thebrow from which they can fire down into the valley. Your duty is toprevent any parties of the enemy working along the side of the hill totake the fugitives and us in flank as we come up the path. As thewomen and children arrive tell them to push on along the path as fastas they can, without stopping or paying attention to any fire thatmay be opened upon them. They will be told before they start that theschooner is in readiness to take them off. Still, you may as wellhurry them along. You will remain here until the last and form therear-guard. But we shall all make a stand here as long as we can so asto give the women and children plenty of a start. Do you quiteunderstand?"
"Yes, sir."
"Shall I go with you or wait here?" Macfarlane asked.
"I think you might as well stay here, doctor. There won't be any timefor you to be dressing wounds till we are back here again."
Tarleton called out the men who had landed with him, and marched offwith them.
"Now, my lads," Martyn said to the others, "we are going to work alongthe side of the hill so as to come down behind them. But I fancy itwill be very steep in places. Sling your muskets behind you so as tohave both hands to hold on by. If you once begin to roll you go rightdown to the bottom, and then there is an end to our chance ofsurprising them. Be careful, above all things, how you walk, for ifyou set a stone rolling it will put them on their guard. We have to goas quietly as mice. Now follow me in single file, and keep as close asyou can to each other, yet so far off that if you stumble you won'ttouch the man in front of you."
The men fell in, and Horace took his place at the rear. A few stepsand they halted. The guide then went on in front of Martyn, and Mr.Beveridge and Zaimes fell in behind him. The hill rose so abruptly onthe right that it was necessary to keep along on its slope, and verycautiously the men made their way along the hillside. Each step had tobe felt before they put their weight down. Sometimes it was slipperygrass, and so steep that they were obliged to crawl on all-fours tomake their way along it. Sometimes they passed patches of bare rockand sometimes slides of loose stones. They had gone but a shortdistance when Martyn passed the word along in a whisper for them tosit down, pull off their shoes, and fasten them round their necks.Indeed, had it not been for this precaution, there were places acrosswhich it would have been impossible to pass. As it was, it took them afull hour to traverse the half-mile between the point from which theyhad started and the head of the valley. At last a sharp fall told themthat they were at the edge of the ravine. As soon as they descendedinto it there was a short halt to allow Mr. Beveridge to rest.
"I am sorry I came," he said as he sat down faint and exhausted. "Idid not reckon on this sort of thing, Captain Martyn. If I had done soI would have remained with Tarleton."
"It is all right now, Mr. Beveridge. We have done our climbing, and itis a marvel that we have done it without alarming those fellows below,for some small stones rolled down once or twice. But if they noticedthem, no doubt they thought that it was some sheep or goats on thehillside. Now, my lads, before you go any further, you had better takea drink from your bottles. You will have to be careful in going downthe ravine, for there are sure to be loose stones lying about."
After a halt of five minutes they proceeded cautiously down, and atlast, to their great satisfaction, stood on level ground, and soonentered a grove of fruit-trees, where they halted and lay down. Therewas a short consultation whether their guide should try and make hisway into the village to inform the besieged of the help that was nearin order that they might assist by opening a fire upon the besiegersas soon as the sailors made their attack. The idea was, however,abandoned, because, were he seen by the Turks, it would put them onthe alert; and because, in the second place, he might be shot by thebesieged as he approached the village. It did not seem to Martyn thatthere could be any difficulty in their getting in. It was not likelythat more than fifty of the enemy at the outside could interposebetween them and the village, and these, taken by surprise, andignorant of the number of their assailants, could offer no effectualresistance, and they would be up under shelter of the guns of thedefenders of the village before the Turks could rally from their firstsurprise.
Another two hours and daylight began to appear. Martyn waited until itwas light enough to make their way through the trees withoutdifficulty. Then the men, most of whom had fallen asleep as soon asthey lay down, were roused.
"Now, my lads, you are to keep together. Keep your muskets slung, anduse cutlass and pistol. I don't expect there will be any seriousresistance, but, at any rate, don't straggle. Of course we don't wantany prisoners. Shoot or cut down any one who opposes you, and followme straight on. Now, load your pistols."
As soon as this was done they proceeded through the wood. The guide,as before, led the way. His instructions were that directly they werethrough the Turks he was to run on at the top of his speed, shoutingto the villagers not to fire, as those approaching were friends.Martyn, Mr. Beveridge, Horace, and Zaimes, followed close behind theguide, the line of seamen extending behind them. They were nearlythrough the orchard when a shout was given and they saw a dozenfigures leap up from the ground.
"Come along, lads!" Martyn shouted.
The sailors gave a cheer, and at a run the party rushed forward. TheTurks, astounded at the appearance of this body of sailors, snatchedup their muskets, one or two fired at random, and then the whole fledwhen their assailants were still thirty yards away. A few pistols wereemptied at the fugitives, and then, paying no further attention tothem, the party kept straight on. When they emerged from the trees thevillage was but some three hundred yards away. The Greek, waving hisred sash and shouting "Friends, friends, do not fire!" dashed forwardat full speed across the gardens that intervened between the orchardand the rocky knoll upon which the village stood. A row of headsappeared above the wall and a line of musket-barrels pointed outward.As the Greek approached shouts of welcome and triumph broke from thebesieged, which swelled more and more loudly as the party of sailorswere seen running in a compact body towards the wall.
A few straggling shots were fired by the Turks, but these passedharmlessly overhead, and the party reached the wall without a singlecasualty, and were soon helped over. The delight of the Greeks wasonly equalled by their astonishment at the approach of this body offoreign sailors. All hope of either escape or rescue had left them,and they had thought only of fighting to the last. As soon as theyunderstood from the guide, Zaimes, Horace, and Mr. Beveridge thatthere was a ship in readiness to take them off, and that there was achance of fighting their way through the besiegers, the village wasthe scene of the wildest delight. The men shouted, screamed, danced,laughed, and wept by turns. The women seized the sailors' hands andkissed them, to t
he confusion of the tars, threw themselves on theirknees, and poured out passionate ejaculations of thanksgiving that ahope of rescue should be afforded them, and it was some time beforeanything like order was restored. By this time the alarm had spreadround the circle of the besiegers, and their anger was exhibited byshots being fired into the place, many of them pressing forward sothreateningly that the defenders manned the walls, and opening fireupon the Turks drove them back out of range of their guns.