the open sea while yet there may be time."

"But that were to make certain what is still doubtful," broke in Marzak,
fearful ever. "It were to run to meet the danger."

"Not so!" cried Asad in a loud, confident voice. "The praise to Allah
who sent us this calm night. There is scarce a breath of wind. We can
row ten leagues while they are sailing one."

A murmur of quick approval sped through the ranks of officers and men.

"Let us but win safely from this cove and they will never overtake us,"
announced Biskaine.

"But their guns may," Sakr-el-Bahr quietly reminded them to damp their
confidence. His own alert mind had already foreseen this one chance of
escaping from the trap, but he had hoped that it would not be quite so
obvious to the others.

"That risk we must take," replied Asad. "We must trust to the night. To
linger here is to await certain destruction." He swung briskly about
to issue his orders. "Ali, summon the steersmen. Hasten! Vigitello, set
your whips about the slaves, and rouse them." Then as the shrill whistle
of the boatswain rang out and the whips of his mates went hissing and
cracking about the shoulders of the already half-awakened slaves, to
mingle with all the rest of the stir and bustle aboard the galeasse, the
Basha turned once more to Biskaine. "Up thou to the prow," he commanded,
"and marshal the men. Bid them stand to their arms lest it should come
to boarding. Go!" Biskaine salaamed and sprang down the companion. Above
the rumbling din and scurrying toil of preparation rang Asad's voice.

"Crossbowmen, aloft! Gunners to the carronades! Kindle your linstocks!
Put out all lights!"

An instant later the cressets on the poop-rail were extinguished, as was
the lantern swinging from the rail, and even the lamp in the poop-house
which was invaded by one of the Basha's officers for that purpose. The
lantern hanging from the mast alone was spared against emergencies; but
it was taken down, placed upon the deck, and muffled.

Thus was the galeasse plunged into a darkness that for some moments
was black and impenetrable as velvet. Then slowly, as the eyes became
accustomed to it, this gloom was gradually relieved. Once more men and
objects began to take shape in the faint, steely radiance of the summer
night.

After the excitement of that first stir the corsairs went about their
tasks with amazing calm and silence. None thought now of reproaching the
Basha or Sakr-el-Bahr with having delayed