Moor, with a fez and a striped sash round his waist.

The leader, a sturdy Turk in a dirty white turban, with a huge sabre in
his hand, was listening to the eager words, poured out with many
gesticulations by the Genoese captain, in a language utterly
incomprehensible to the Scot, but which was the lingua Franca of the
Mediterranean ports.

It resulted in four men being placed on guard at the hatchway leading
to the cabin, while all the rest, including Arthur, Hebert, Laurence,
were driven toward the prow, and made to understand by signs that they
must not move on peril of their lives. A Tuck was placed at the helm,
and the tartane's head turned towards the pirate captor; and all the
others, who were not employed otherwise, began to ransack the vessel
and feast on the provisions. Some hams were thrown overboard, with
shouts of evident scorn as belonging to the unclean beast, but the wine
was eagerly drank, and Maitre Hebert uttered a wail of dismay as he saw
five Moors gorging large pieces of his finest pate.



CHAPTER IV--WRECKED



'They had na sailed upon the sea
A day but barely three,
When the lift grew dark and the wind blew cauld
And gurly grew the sea.