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"Hough," was all the old pirate would answer. "When do you expect him back, friend?" inquired the interpreter. To this Vlacco would not deign a "Hough;" but looked as if he was very much inclined to shove his interlocutor over the cliff.
A small, but more desperate, band, under old Vlacco, not active enough to run, and too brave to yield, had entrenched themselves among the ruins, on the point directly above the harbour; and while some of them were firing away on the Ypsilante, and thus defending to the last the entrance to their port, the rest had slewed round some of the smaller guns towards the interior of the fort, prepared to fire the moment they could distinguish their enemies from their friends.
"Why, that must be Salamonsi's cottage," remarked Zappa, turning to Vlacco. "Send down forthwith, and let the boy and Signor Paolo be brought up here; and mark you, if the English captain has recovered the use of his tongue, let him be conveyed here also he shall answer for himself."
Once he drew himself back, lifting the old man with him; but again Vlacco forced him forward, pressed as he was by others behind, who did not see their nearness to the dreadful precipice, and he felt that the despairing pirate was dragging him, with himself, to instant destruction; his feet lost their hold of the ground, and he was falling forward, when he, at length, sung out for help though scarcely expecting it; but at that instant he felt himself dragged back by a powerful hand, and a sword descending, severed, with a blow, the arm of the old pirate, who, with a cry of rage, disappeared into the dark obscurity of the abyss below; and Bowse, turning round to thank his preserver, found that he was his old shipmate, Tommy Small.
On his arrival at the fort, he found old Vlacco busily engaged in pointing the guns to bear down on the British boats; and on his sounding his well-known bugle, a large number of his followers collected with their fire-arms, to assist in the defence of the post.
"Grant heaven it may be so," ejaculated Nina. "And now, Vlacco, you must obey me in this. Collect all the men you can, and hasten along the shore, to where that vessel will be wrecked. Remember, the life of your chief was preserved in a similar manner, and it were impious to allow any to perish whom we can save. Bring such as escape safe to my tower; and beware that no one robs or injures them."
Keep your own counsel as before; and no one will suspect you." Mila nodded, took up the keys, and slipped noiselessly back to the house tenanted by her grandfather. Fleetwood tried to follow the example of his friends, but it was not till daylight broke that he closed his eyes in a deep slumber. "Humph," muttered old Vlacco, as he came into the room in the morning rubbing his eyes.
"Vlacco, there are, I think, some chambers beneath this tower, and formerly used as dungeons, which may again serve the purpose when cleared out of rubbish. They will not be able easily to escape from thence; and, meantime, place a strong guard upon them in the basement story, and see that they hold communication with no one."
"I want not to hear his suspicions I will examine him where is he, I say?" "Under the walls of the tower, chief, waiting your return," replied the man. "Send him hither instantly," said Zappa. "Then go in search of Vlacco, and tell him I would speak with him I may have need of his counsel."
But a truce with this folly I am weary of it," he cried, starting up; "I have many directions to give about my brave barque, which I must not forget even for your sake, and I must see old Vlacco, and consult with him about improving the fortifications of our island for, with enemies on all sides, these are not times when we can trust to our remote position as before, and to such old defences as nature has provided.
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