tears sprang forth in sympathy, and he uttered assurances and made
signs that he would never cease to pray for their rescue.

'Though,' as he observed, 'they were poor creatures that hadn't the
heart of a midge, when there was such a chance of a fight while the
haythen spalpeens were coming on board.'

Here Lanty was called on to assist Hebert in identifying his lady's
bales of goods, when all those of the unfortunate Genoese were put on
board the corsair's vessel. A sail-cloth partition was extended across
the deck by the care of the Dutchman, 'who'--as Lanty said--'for a
haythen apostate was a very dacent man.' He evidently had a strong
compassion and fellow-feeling for the Christian lady, and assured her
that she might safely take the air and sit on deck as much as she
pleased behind its shelter; and he likewise carefully selected the
seven of his crew whom he sent on board to work the ship, the chief
being a heavy-looking old Turk, with a chocolate-coloured visage
between a huge white beard and eyebrows, and the others mere lads,
except one, who, from an indefinable European air about him, was
evidently a renegade, and could speak a sort of French, so as to hold
communication with the captives, especially Lanty, who was much quicker
than any of the rest in picking up languages, perhaps from having from
his infancy talked French and English (or rather Irish), and likewise
learnt Latin with his foster-brother. This man was the only one
permitted to go astern of the partition, in case of need, to attend to
the helm; but the vessel was taken in tow by the corsair, and needed
little management. The old Turk seemed to regard the Frankish women
like so many basilisks, and avoided turning a glance in their
direction, roaring at his crew if he only saw them approaching the
sail-cloth, and keeping a close watch upon the lithe black-eyed youths,