by G. A. Henty
CHAPTER IX
RESCUED
As soon as the excitement subsided a little, Mr. Beveridge assembledthe heads of the families in the village church. "You must prepare toleave at once," he said. "Our landing will be shortly known, and itwill be guessed that we intend to take you off in our ship. Theconsequence is, in addition to the enemies now round you others willgather, and it will be no longer possible to cut our way through. Whatwe propose to do is to make a rush out, the women and childrenfollowing us. As soon as we have gained that wood and driven theMussulmans out the women and children will hurry up the path, whileall the fighting men will hold the wood and keep the Turks at adistance. There are some more of my men at the top of the hill there;these will keep off any parties of the enemy who try to scale thehillside at other points. As soon as the women are fairly at the topthe men will fall back gradually. The sailors will cover the retreat.We shall hold the top of the hill till we know that the women have gotnearly down to the sea-shore, and then fall back. We are risking ourlives here to save you, and we shall expect all the men to fightvaliantly and to obey our orders. It is only by working well togetherthat we can hope to beat off the Turks as we retreat, and to getsafely on board ship. You must not load yourselves with baggage; ofcourse each man can take anything he can carry wrapped in his sash,and the women can take bundles such as they can carry on their heads,but they must beware not to take too great weights. Anyone who lagsbehind will have her bundle taken off and thrown away."
"Would it not be better to wait till night?" one of the elders of thevillage asked.
"No. The captain of the ship says that in the dark we should not beable to keep off the enemy nor to travel fast. We may lose rather morein the first rush in daylight, but after that the light will be all inour favour. How many men have you armed with muskets?"
"There are a hundred and forty-six men, and all have guns."
"How many women?"
"There are about two hundred women and girls, and a hundred and eightychildren of all ages."
"Very well, I leave it to you to make preparations. You must tell thewomen that they are to keep together, and to follow about a hundredyards behind the men as they advance. As soon as the wood is takenthey are to hurry through it, mount the hill by the path, and thenwithout stopping a minute go on at the top of their speed to thesea-shore. It is just possible that some Turkish ships-of-war may havedriven our vessel away, but if that is so she will be back again thisevening. If they find she has gone they must sit down under shelter ofthe rocks near the shore, and we will keep the Turks at bay till theship arrives. Make your preparations and get your valuables together,for in an hour from the present time we shall sally out."
While this was going on Martyn had formed up the villagers, for thefiring had now ceased. The besiegers had before shrunk from attackingthe wall, relying upon famine to compel the defenders to surrender,and the addition, small as it was, to the garrison rendered any ideaof assault more formidable than before. Horace acted as Martyn'sinterpreter.
"Now," he said, "I expect we shall have no difficulty in carrying thewood, for the enemy can have no idea that we intend to escape in thatdirection, or that we mean to sally out at all; therefore it is notlikely that they will have more than fifty or sixty men at that point.In the first place I want forty determined men who can be trusted toobey orders."
One of the leaders of the defence chose out that number of men. Martyndivided them into two parties and told off five sailors to each.
"Horace, you will take command of one of these bands, and you, Jones,"he said to the coxswain of his gig, "will take command of the other.Your bands will fall in behind the main body, which I shall lead. Weshall go straight at the wood. You will follow us till you arehalf-way across the open, and will then take post, one to the rightand the other to the left, fifty yards from the line we take. Yourwork will be to check any of the Turks who may come running down fromthe ends of the valley, and to cover the passage of the women. Assoon as they have all passed along you will both run in and join us inthe wood. Now, lads, I want the wall undermined for a width of tenyards or so, so that when we push it it will all fall together andleave a wide front for us to pour out. It is not above three hundredand fifty yards or so to the wood, and we shall be half-way acrossbefore the Turks can pull themselves together, and they won't havetime for much more than a shot each before we are upon them."
In an hour the whole of the villagers were gathered. There were fiveor six wounded men unable to walk. These were laid on doors, and fourGreeks were told off to each. The children were told off, one to eachwoman. Twenty of the Greeks were to form a special escort for thewomen, and Martyn's order to their leader was, "See that each womantakes along the child told off to her. If she doesn't help it along,take off her bundle and throw it away; force her to look after thechild. Not a single child shall be lost if we can help it. Life first,property next."
Martyn was well pleased with the bearing of the Greeks. The men lookedready and eager for the fight; the women, stern and determined. All ofthem had knives or daggers in their sashes. Some, in addition, hadtheir husbands' or fathers' pistols. Their bundles were poised ontheir heads, and each, with the exception of a few of the old women,had an infant in her arms or held a child by the hand. The twentyEnglish sailors formed the first line; behind these came the main bodyof the Greeks. Horace's and Jones' parties were drawn up three or fourpaces in their rear, and behind these were gathered the women.
"Now," Martyn said to the Greek fighting men, "on one point my ordersare distinct. Not a shot is to be fired until we reach the trees.Firing would be no good whatever; it would be a loss of time, and yourguns would be empty just when you want them; besides, you would be aslikely to shoot those in front of you as the enemy. All you have gotto do is to follow me closely until you get into the olive grove,then scatter and clear it of the Turks; but don't go a foot beyondthem in pursuit. Directly it is clear let each man take up his stationbehind a tree at its edge, and defend himself there until the order isgiven to fall back."
Zaimes translated the order, then the sailors advanced to the wall,from which the lower stones had been removed as far as was safe. "Nowput your shoulders to it, my hearties, and heave all together. One,two, three; now!"
The walls shook as the sailors flung themselves against it. "It isgoing. Now another try." There was a shout as the wall toppled over.Then with a cheer the sailors sprang forward, led by Martyn, dashedover the fragments of the wall and down the steep rock, the Greekspouring after them in a confused mass, and then the whole dashedacross the flat cultivated ground towards the olive grove. As Martynhad foretold, not a shot was fired until they were nearly half-wayacross, though loud shouts of alarm were heard, then a straggling firewas opened; but the enemy were evidently too flurried and alarmed totake aim. Without a check the sailors ran on, cutlass in hand, but theTurks did not await the attack. Outnumbered and surprised they had nosooner fired than they dashed away among the trees to join theircompanions right and left, and the olive grove was deserted when thesailors entered.
"That will do, lads!" Martyn shouted. "Leave the Greeks to hold thewood. Sheath your cutlasses and unsling your rifles. Come back with meto help the others; keep back the enemy in the open."
There was, however, no occasion for assistance. The women, instead ofwaiting, had followed close behind the flanking parties, and werealready coming into the wood. By the time Martyn joined the flankingparties the women had all passed, while Horace and Jones were justbeginning to fall back with their commands. By this time the valleyrang with shouts and cries, and guns were being aimlessly discharged,but the sailors were back in the olive grove before the Turks hadmustered strongly enough to think of advancing. The sailors lay downin the intervals between the trees, and as soon as the enemy began toadvance a heavy fire was opened upon them, the twelve rifles tellingwith deadly effect. The Turks on the opposite side of the valleyinstead of advancing at once to the assistance of their comrades, madea rush
at the village as soon as they perceived that it was no longerdefended, thinking for the moment much more of plunder than ofattacking the retiring Greeks, while the parties who had begun toadvance towards the wood rapidly retired again before the heavy fireopened upon them.
"Go round and stop those Greeks firing, Horace; the fools are simplywasting their ammunition," Martyn said savagely as the Greekscontinued to blaze away when the enemy were already out of range oftheir guns. Horace hurried off one way and Zaimes the other, and in aminute or two the firing ceased. As it did so the report of guns couldbe heard on the hill above them.
"That is Tarleton's party at work," Martyn said to Mr. Beveridge. "Ofcourse the Turks have seen the women mounting the hill, and I supposesome of them were beginning to climb up to cut them off. Tarleton'sfire will stagger them a bit." From the shouts in the valley it wasevident that the enemy were gathering for a serious attack. Horace hadreturned to Martyn's side.
"Now, Horace, do you take ten of the men and ascend the path half-wayup the hill. Post five of them on each side of it to act as flankingparties. Zaimes, do you tell your countrymen it is time for us to beoff. We must get well up the hillside before these fellows make theirrush. Mr. Beveridge, will you make your way up the path at once. TheseGreeks are as active as goats, and I should recommend you to bepushing on to get a start of them."
In a couple of minutes the entire party had left the wood and weremounting the path, Martyn and his sailors forming the rear-guard. TheGreeks sprang up the path with such speed that the sailors, active asthey were, had hard work to keep near them. Mr. Beveridge was speedilyovertaken.
"Jones, you take Mr. Beveridge's rifle; and do you, Hawkins andBaldock, help him along. Make haste, lads! we shall have a storm ofbullets coming up after us in no time;" for as soon as the fugitivesappeared on the path above the level of the tree-tops a loud shout hadbroken from the enemy, and it was certain they would soon be uponthem. So rapidly, however, was the ascent made that Martyn and thesailors reached the spot where Horace with his party had taken up hisposition before a shot rang out from below. There was a slightshoulder on the hillside at this point, and lying down here the menwere sheltered from the fire below.
"Wait here, my lads, until you get your wind. Their guns will hardlycarry this height, and there is no fear of their showing themselvesabove the trees, at any rate for the present."
Mr. Beveridge threw himself down on the grass, and even the sailorswere glad of a pause, for in the five minutes that had elapsed sincethey left the wood they had climbed half-way up the hill and werefully three hundred feet above the olive grove. A roar of musketrybroke out from below, and some of the Mussulmans dashed out from thetrees, waving their guns and calling upon the others to follow them;but as soon as they showed themselves the sailors under Horace openedfire. Some of the others would have joined them, but Martyn forbadethem.
"It is no use trying to take aim, lads, just after such a run as that.You must wait until your breath comes quietly, and your hands getsteady again. You would be only throwing away powder and ball, and weshall probably want all we have got before we are on board theschooner again."
The firing above still continued, and looking along the hillside mencould be seen straggling up in considerable numbers on either side.
"Forward, lads! we must move on again. Horace, you may as well bringyour men straight up. There is no fear of their venturing on an attackup this path. Bring your father on with you. There is no occasion forhaste; we will push straight up now. Forward! Don't run, but go at asteady pace that you can keep up till we reach the top."
Horace followed with the rear-guard at a leisurely walk wherever theinequalities of the ground sheltered the path from the bullets thatstill came singing out from below, and stepping out briskly wheneverthey were exposed to fire. The coxswain was waiting with orders whenthey reached the top.
"The captain's orders are, Mr. Beveridge," he said to Horace, "thatyour party is to remain here for the present with these twenty Greeks.You are to spread along the edge here for a bit and keep up a fire, ifthe Turks try to climb the hill hereabouts. The captain is with aparty away there on that high ground back on the left, and Mr.Tarleton with the rest back there on the right, so as to prevent thevarmint working round in front of us. You are to let them know if yousee any large bodies of men climbing the hill, either right or left ofyou."
Horace divided his party in two, telling Jones with five sailors andten Greeks to take post a hundred yards to the left of the path, whilehe with the others went the same distance to the right.
"Don't let them waste their ammunition, Jones. My father and Zaimeswill go with you, and as you three have rifles you may do something tocheck those fellows from climbing up away to the left. It is no usethe others firing, their guns won't carry half the distance. Of courseif the Turks try to come straight up from the wood your party will allopen fire upon them."
As soon as he got to his station Horace lay down, and with one of thesailors with him who had a rifle, opened fire upon the stream of menascending the hillside near the head of the valley. After firing threeor four rounds he told the sailor to desist.
"We are only wasting our ammunition, Frost," he said. "They are sevenor eight hundred yards away, and the rifles are of no real use at morethan half that distance."
Ten minutes later he sent off sailors to Martyn and Tarleton, to tellthem that the Turks continued to climb the hill in large numbers, andthat he should think that at least two hundred men must have gone upon each flank, that flames had broken out in the village, and numbersof men were pouring out from there, and would probably join in theattack. A few minutes later a message came from Martyn:
"The captain says, sir, that now the women have got half an hour'sstart we shall fall back. Your party are to retire by the path. He andMr. Tarleton will work down the hill on your flanks. You are to keepyour eye on them, and regulate your pace by theirs, keeping about ahundred yards in their rear, unless you are pressed, when you candouble on till you are in line with them. He has sent orders to Mr.Tarleton, sir."
Horace was expecting the order. A sharp fire had broken out on eitherside, and he knew that the Turks were trying to work round to cut themoff.
"Run on," he said to the sailor, "and tell the other party over thereto join me in the path."
In three minutes the united body was marching to the rear. The crackleof musketry was now incessant, and Horace soon caught sight of the twoflanking parties making their way down the hill at a distance of ahundred yards or so on either side of the path. They were in scatteredorder, loading as they retired, crouching behind rocks to take asteady aim, and then retiring again; going at a run when the groundpermitted it, hanging to the rocks and bushes when they affordedshelter. On the higher ground, to the left of Martyn's party, were anumber of Mussulmans. They were pursuing similar tactics to those oftheir opponents--at times crouching behind rocks, and then boundingforward with loud yells.
"Get ready to fire, lads," Horace said. "The next time those fellowsmake a rush give them a volley. They are not thinking of us yet, andwe shall take them by surprise. Take steady aim; don't hurry. Halt;drop on one knee. They will be crossing that open space in a minute."He repeated the order to the Greeks. "There they come," he said amoment later. "Get ready! Now fire!"
Thirty guns rang out; several of the Turks fell, and the rest, with ashout of surprise, bounded back into the bushes.
"Now retire briskly for a bit, and load as you go."
After a hundred yards' running they again fell into a walk. Horacekept his eye upon Tarleton's party. They did not seem so severelypressed, and had the advantage that their foes were on somewhat lowerground than they were. Presently a sailor came in from the left.
"Captain Martyn's orders are that the two flanking parties are to fallback quickly to the path, then to double down the hill to thatshoulder a mile below. You are to act as rearguard, and to followclose behind them."
In two or three minutes the two flanking
parties, taking advantage ofcover which concealed them from the enemy, made a rush to the path.The body under Tarleton gained it first, and at once started down atthe top of their speed. Martyn's party were but a minute later. Hehimself paused till Horace came up at a run.
"We can go faster down this path," he said, "than they can follow overthe rough ground, and there are such a lot of them that they willjostle each other on the path, and won't get along as fast as weshall. How are you feeling, Mr. Beveridge?"
"I am all right now we are going downhill, Martyn. It is only theclimbing I can't stand. This is really very exciting work, though Idon't like running away."
"We will make another stand presently, but I wanted to be getting on.They will get stronger every minute, and we shall have to fight hardpresently. Do you see that the schooner has gone?"
An exclamation broke both from Mr. Beveridge and Horace. In theexcitement of the fight neither of them had thought of the schooner.
"There she is, five-and-twenty miles away to the northwest, with twoTurkish frigates lumbering after her."
The firing had ceased; the yells of the Turks rose loudly in the air,but they were fully two or three hundred yards in the rear.
"We are in plenty of time," Martyn said. "We will line the other sideof that flat step when we reach it. We can keep them back there forsome time."
There was no attempt at keeping in order, the path was too steep andbroken; but they went down running and leaping, each as he best could.Down the path, in front, was a long straggling line of Greeks, withthe sailors, keeping in two distinct bodies, among them. As soon asthe head of the line came down on to the flat step in the hill theyspread out right and left, and in less than ten minutes from the issueof the order to retreat the hundred and eighty men were lying downalong the lower edge of the level ground, which was some forty yardsacross, the centre of the position being left vacant for the lastparty that arrived. The instant the rear-guard threw themselves downthey opened a heavy fire upon the Turks, who were crowding down thepath. Horace was lying next to his father.
"Do keep your head lower, father," he said, as the Turks left the pathand bounded in among the rocks and shrubs and opened fire.
"But I can't take aim if I don't see, Horace."
"No, father, that is right enough; but you might move a foot or twoback, so as to be in shelter while you are loading. Then, if you pushyour rifle up before you, you would only have to raise your head tolook along the barrel and fire. Some of these mountain fellows aregood shots."
The firing in front of them increased every moment as the Turks poureddown and took up their positions, until puffs of smoke seemed to dartout from every bush and rock. Martyn now went along the line postingthe men. Horace's party were left lying thickly opposite the path, incase the Turks should attempt a rush. The rest were disposed two yardsapart, the sailors being placed at regular intervals among the Greeks.Fortunately the ground fell sharp away from the flat, so that evenfrom the higher ground those lying behind it were completelysheltered, except when raising their heads to fire. This, by Martyn'sorders, they did but seldom.
"Let them blaze away as much as they like," he said, "they do us noharm. The great thing is to have every musket loaded in case they makeup their minds to try a rush, and I don't think they will do that. Themore smoke they make the better, for it prevents them taking aim. Wecan stop them here for hours, as long as they don't work round ourflanks."
Satisfied that all was going on well, Martyn returned to Mr.Beveridge.
"We have stopped them for the time effectually, sir."
"Yes, this is a capital position, Martyn."
"Capital as far as it goes, sir. Of course if these fellows weresoldiers they would either gather and make a rush, or march away andwork round our flanks; but being only peasants, there is no one tocommand, and every man fights for himself. Macfarlane is at work withthe wounded."
"Did you lose many men in your retreat, Martyn?"
"No; three of the Greeks were killed and half a dozen of them werewounded, fortunately not severely. Two of our own fellows were hit,but neither of them badly. I have sent them and the Greeks on ahead tojoin the women on the shore. Tarleton lost two Greeks, killed, and hadabout as many wounded as I had. One poor fellow was so badly hit thathe could not keep up with the others on the retreat. Two of our mentried to carry him; but it hurt him so much that he begged them to puthim down; and as soon as they did he drew his pistol and shot himself.So, altogether, we have lost six, which is little enough, consideringwe are more than half-way down to the shore."
"If they do try to outflank us, I suppose we must fall back again?"
"Yes, if they succeed we must do so. Of course we shall try to preventit. Directly I see any signs of their trying it on, I shall make astrong effort to drive them back; but I don't think they will try itat present, the sole object of each man seems to be to fire away hisammunition as quickly as he can. I have just been giving orders to theGreeks and our fellows to shove their caps up in front of them on theends of their ramrods, so as to encourage the Turks to keep on firing,and to push a musket up and fire occasionally, without raising theirheads to take aim. The smoke hanging about along the line will hidethe trick of the caps, and the shots will keep the Turks blazingaway."
For two hours the firing continued; but towards the end of that timeit slackened considerably.
"I expect a good many of them are running short of ammunition," Martynsaid. "Now they have done firing they will have time to talk a bit,and may arrange to march off somewhere, and come down between us andthe shore; so I think it is time for us to be making a move. I will goalong and tell every third man to fall back at once. I think, Mr.Beveridge, it would be as well that you should go with them. I shallsend Tarleton in command, and tell him to pick out a spot, from ahundred to three hundred yards from the shore, and place the men inposition there. Five minutes later you shall pick out every secondman, Horace, and go down and join them. We will keep up a more rapidfire now, so that they sha'n't have any idea we are falling back. Ofcourse, when you join Tarleton, you will take up your position withhim. I shall be down five minutes after you. When we are all there wecan form a semicircle, with the ends resting on the sea, and therewill be an end of this constant fear of being outflanked."
Five minutes later Tarleton, with a third of the men, went off at thedouble down the path. Those left behind renewed their fire, taking aimamong the rocks and bushes, and this at once provoked a fresh outburstof firing on the part of the Turks. In a short time Martyn told Horaceto get his men together and be off, and in twenty minutes he joinedTarleton, who had taken up his post at a little more than a hundredyards from the shore. The men were slashing down bushes with theircutlasses, and piling them and stones so as to make a low breastwork.The party Horace had brought at once joined in the work.
"It is a screen we want more than a defence," Tarleton said. "You seewe are commanded everywhere from the hill, but these bushes will hideus, and they will only be able to fire into them at random; besides,we want them cut down in front of us to be able to use our guns."
They were soon joined by the rear-guard.
"The Turks must be some distance behind," Martyn said. "We could hearthem blazing away when we were nearly half a mile on the road. That isa good work, Mr. Tarleton; we shall get it finished by the time theycome."
So strong a party made quick work of it, and in another quarter of anhour the screen of bushes was completed down to the shore on eitherside, the sweep being some three hundred yards in length, and thebreastwork in most places three feet high.
"It won't keep out bullets," Martyn said; "but from the distance theywon't see how thin it is. At any rate it is a good screen."
The whole of the Greeks and twenty of the sailors were placed atintervals of about six feet apart behind the screen, and each man wastold to dig up the soil with a knife or cutlass in front of him, andwith that and a few rocks to make a protection for himself againststray bullets. The other twen
ty sailors Martyn retained under his owncommand to carry to the assistance of the defenders at any pointagainst which a serious attack might be made. Mr. Beveridge had gonedown at once to the women and children who were sitting under shelterof the bank by the sea-shore, and cheered them by assurances that theschooner would be sure to return some time during the night. It wasnot until a quarter of an hour after the screen had been completedthat parties of Turks could be seen descending the side of the hill.They did not seem to be hurrying.
"They think they have got us in a trap, Horace," Tarleton said, "andthat they have only to wait a bit to starve us out. Perhaps it is justas well the schooner made off, for it would have been hot work allgetting on board under their fire, whereas now we shall be able toslip off in the dark almost without their knowing it."
When the Turks approached to within a distance of three or fourhundred yards of the breastwork, the party with the rifles opened fireupon them, and they at once fell back some little distance. For halfan hour nothing was done, and then a party of fifty or sixty men wereseen reascending the hill.
"They are going to make a siege of it," Martyn said. "They don't likethe look of this breastwork."
"But what are they sending the men away for, Martyn?" Horace asked.
"Because it is just as necessary for them to eat and drink, Horace, asit is for us. We have got our water-bottles and biscuits, and theGreeks have all brought something with them; they were warned to do sobefore they started. But those gentlemen all came off in a hurry. Idon't expect any of them had breakfast, and in the excitement not onein twenty is likely to have caught up as much as a gourd of water, soI have no doubt those men you see going up the hill are on their wayto their villages for a supply of food and water, and perhaps to getsome more ammunition if they can find any. I will warrant half thosefellows in front of us have fired away their last shot. You will seethey won't disturb us any more to-day."
THE CAPTAIN IS WOUNDED]
A few shots only were fired from either side during the course of theday, this apparently being done on the part of the Turks from purebravado, as they generally showed themselves conspicuously, brandishedtheir long guns over their heads, and shouted defiantly before firing.One of them, however, having been shot by a sailor armed with a rifle,the amusement ceased, and during the afternoon all was quiet. Ananxious look-out was kept seaward all day. At five in the afternoonone of the sailors sang out, "Sail, ho!"
"Where away, Baldock?"
"About west-north-west I should say, sir, though I ain't sure of mybearings here."
Martyn went up to where the man was standing on a rock that projectedeight or ten feet above the surrounding ground, a position which wouldhave been dangerous had not the Turks been almost out of range.
"There, sir, do you see just under that streak of white cloud? it is alittle black patch."
"I see it, Baldock."
"I believe it is the schooner's gaff top-sail, sir; it is too narrowfor a square sail."
"I think you are right, Baldock. It might be the peak of one of thenative lateen sails, but I think it is too far away for that. It isabout the direction we might expect the schooner to come from. She wasmore to the north-west when we saw her last, but to get round theTurks she would have to bear either one way or the other, and if sheran to the south that is just about where she would be on her wayback. Hullo! that was a near shave; we had better get off this,Baldock."
"Are you hit, sir?"
"Yes, but I don't think it is of any consequence; it is in the arm,but as I can move it all right, it is only through the flesh."
Half a dozen guns had flashed out in reply to the shot, which had beenfired from a distance of less than a hundred yards, the man havingcrept through the bushes unseen. Martyn's coat was taken off and hisarm bandaged at once.
"It is rather foolish to expose yourself like that, Captain Martyn,"Mr. Beveridge said as he came up. "Your life is too valuable to us allto be risked in that way."
"It was rather foolish," Martyn laughed; "but I thought the fellowswere out of range, and did not give them credit for enterprise. Anyhowthere is no great harm done. I think we have made out the schooner,sir, and it is worth getting a ball through one's arm to know that sheis on her way back."
"Do you feel sure it is her?"
"Well, I can say that it is not a square top-sail; that is certain,and it must either be her gaff top-sail or the peak of a lateen sailof one of these native craft; but I think it is the schooner. If itis, we sha'n't be long before we can make out her fore-topgallant-sail. No native craft carries a lateen and anything like asquare sail."
"If it is the schooner, how far is she off, do you think?"
"Five-and-twenty miles, I should say. There is not much breeze, butthat is all the better, for she will be slipping along now at leasttwo knots to the Turks' one, while in a strong breeze she would not gomore than five to their four. It is five o'clock now, and though wecan't feel any wind here, I expect she is making five or six knots anhour. Anyhow she ought to be here between ten and twelve."
A quarter of an hour later Baldock said: "May I take another squintfrom the look-out, sir?"
"Yes, but don't stand there long, Baldock. I expect that fellow hasmoved off again if he was not hit by any of our shots. Still it is aswell not to give him another chance."
Baldock stood on the rock shading his eyes from the light of thewestern sun, which was now getting near the horizon. For a minute ortwo he stood uncertain, and then said:
"It is the schooner, sir, sure enough. I can just make out a blackline below the sail; that must be her fore-top gallant-sail justshowing."
A cheer broke from the sailors lying along the shelter of the screenof bushes.
"That is good news, Baldock," Martyn said. "Come down now; anotherhalf-hour will settle it anyhow, and there will be light enough tillthen."
The next observation settled the question. It was certainly a squaresail underneath the sharp peak of a gaff top-sail. The joy of theGreeks was extreme when they heard that the vessel that was to carrythem away was in sight.
"The schooner will be in a nice mess," Martyn grumbled to Tarleton."With what there are on board now, and all these, there will besomething like six hundred of them; a nice cargo that."
"There is one thing," Horace laughed, "I expect she has carried asmany before."
"Yes, I daresay she has taken six hundred slaves, but we can't packthese Greeks as they pack slaves. There will be no moving on board,and as to fighting the guns if we fall in with a Turk, it will bewell-nigh impossible. Why, she will be as deep in the water as she waswhen we sailed out of Plymouth. What is the weight of them all,Horace, do you suppose?"
"Not very great, Captain Martyn. I don't suppose there are a dozen ofthe men weigh over ten stone. I suppose the women average seven, andthe children, counting babies, say four. As there are as many childrenas there are men, that would make the average seven stone all round,but even if you said eight stone, which is a hundredweight, and theyare certainly not that, or anything near it, that would make thirtytons, and it won't be over that if you throw in all the bundles. Youcalculated that you got fifty tons out of her hold."
"Oh, well, that is not so bad. If it comes on to blow we will makeshifting ballast of them, and pack them all up to windward on bothdecks; that ought to make her as stiff as a church. It will be a bigjob getting them all on board tonight. There is one thing, I don'tsuppose the Turks have made her out. Of course they don't know that weare expecting a vessel, or anything about her rig. We must make afire down on the shore as soon as it gets dark, and keep a sharplook-out for her, putting the fire out as soon as she is near enoughfor the light to begin to show on her sails. Then we will open fireall along the line as if we thought we heard them creeping up towardsus, and that will cover the rattling of the anchor chain. I will hailMiller to muffle the oars, and in that way we may manage to get mostof them on board at any rate before the Turks have an idea of what isgoing on. By firing an occasional shot
we shall keep their attentionfixed, and gradually withdraw from the line as we did from that placewe held up there."