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my fate is a hard one when it condemns me to be rescued by a dog of a Jew."
"It might have been harder, Sidi Hassan, if it had condemned you to be slain by the hand of a Christian," replied the Jew, with an air of humility that scarcely harmonised with his towering height and his breadth of shoulder.
Hassan uttered a short laugh, and was about to reply when a shout from his men caused him to run to the forward part of the vessel, where Francisco, Lucien, and the warlike negro already referred to were still fighting desperately, surrounded by pirates, many of whom were badly wounded. It was well for the three heroes that their foes had discharged all their pistols at the first rush. Some of them, now rendered furious by the unexpectedly successful opposition made by the dauntless three, as well as by the smarting of their wounds, were hastily re-loading their weapons, when their captain came forward. It was obvious that mercy or forbearance had been driven from their breasts, and that a few seconds more would put a bloody end to the unequal contest.
"Spare them, Sidi Hassan," said the Jew in a deeply earnest tone.
"Why should I spare them?" returned the captain quietly; "they deserve to die, and such men would prove to be but troublesome slaves."
The Jew bent towards Hassan's ear and whispered.
"Ha! sayest thou so?" exclaimed the pirate, with a piercing glance at his companion. "May I trust thee, Jew?"
"You may trust me," replied the Jew, apparently quite unmoved by the insolent tones of the other.
"Stand back, men!" cried Hassan, springing between the combatants; "death by sword or pistol is too good for these Christian dogs; we shall reserve them for something better." Then, turning to Francisco, "Lay down your arms."
"We will lay down our arms," answered the bluff merchant, who was not at all sorry to obtain this brief period of breathing-time, "when we have laid you and a few more of your ruffians on the deck."
Hassan turned to his men and