The Pirate City, page 149 by Robert Michael Ballantyne
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t without consulting my master," said Baba, bowing respectfully, "for my master is before me!"
"In sooth thou art a very impudent knave," returned Omar, smiling in spite of himself; "and were I the vile plotter thou imaginest, I should be afraid of having such a changeable friend in the palace."
"Am I changeable for preferring the kind master who was slain to him who slew him?" said Baba simply.
"That is true, Hadji Baba," returned Omar, suddenly changing his tone.--"Sidi Hassan, fortune is favourable to us. We will trust these men. They dare not play us false even though they would, because their own lives would be forfeited.--Hadji Baba, it may be well for thee to know that, while we avail ourselves of thine aid and that of thy friends, we are quite independent of it, because it happens that the train is already laid, and nothing that thou couldst do, not even the instant alarm of the palace guards, could prevent it from being fired, I believe thee faithful, but this information may help to increase thy fidelity. Go, and, hark 'ee, be very careful to have the guards well placed and looked after to-night at the hour of nine."
CHAPTER NINETEEN.
DESCRIBES AN IMPORTANT EVENT IN THE PIRATE CITY.
"Madman!" exclaimed the elder chaouse, after Omar and Hassan had left, "you have put the bow-string round our necks as well as your own."
"True," answered Baba, with a bland smile, "and if we would not have it drawn tight, we must e'en obey the commands of Omar the Dey."
"I suppose we must," returned the chaouse gloomily; "but it is hard enough to be compelled to spend our days in strangling, thrashing, burning, beheading, flaying, and tormenting other men, without the addition of having our own necks put in jeopardy."
The injustice attaching to themselves and their office seemed to weigh heavily for some time on the minds of both the executioners, notwithstanding the sallies and