Page:Demon ship, or, The pirate of the Mediterranean.pdf/20

20 it, and, as his hold on Margaret slackened, I contrived to pass towards his hand a portion of the old flag-cloth, so as to impress him with the belief that it was the original object of his grasp. He dragged it forward, and let it go. But he had disturbed the compact adjustment of the sacks; and as the vessel was now rolling violently in a tempestuous sea, a terrible lurch laid prostrate our treacherous wall of defence, and we stood full exposed, without a barrier between ourselves and the ruffian commander of thcthe [sic] Demon. He had gone to the light to pass his casket through the trap-door. The sun was rising, and the crimson hues of dawn meeting no other objcctobject [sic] in the hold save the depraved and hardened countenance of our keeper, threw on its swart complexion such a ruddy glow, as—contrasted with the surrounding darkness—gave him the appearance of some foul demon emerging from the abodes of the condemned, and bearing on his unhallowed countenance the reflection of the infernal fires he had quitted. That glow was, however, our salvation. The captain turned with an oath to replaccreplace [sic] the fallen sacks, and we fcltfelt [sic] half-doubtful, as he pushed them with violence against the beams where we stood, whether he had not actually discovered our persons, and taken this method of at once destroying them by bruises and suffocation. His work was, however, only accompanied by an imprccatoryimprecatory [sic] running comment on Girod's careless manner of stowage. We were now again buried in our concealment; but another danger awaited us. Jacqueminot descended to the cabin. An involuntary though half-stifled shriek cscapedescaped [sic] him when he saw the trap-door open. He sprang into the hold, and when he beheld the captain, his ghastly smile of enquiry, for he spoke not, demanded if his ruin were sealed. 'I have been seeing all your pretty work here, Monsieur,' said the gruff captain, pointing to the deranged sacks, behind which we were conccaledconcealed [sic]. I caught a glimpse through them of Girod's despairing conntenancecountenance [sic]. It was a fearful moment, for it secmedseemed [sic] as if we were about to be involuntarily betrayed by our ally, at the very instant when we had escaped our enemy. Girod's teeth literally chattered, and hche [sic] murmered something about French gallantry and honour; and the countess being a lady, and the Captain Francillon an old acquaintance. 'And so because you cut the throats of a couple of solan geese, you think he must not even see to the righting of his own stern-hold?' said the captain, with a gruff and abortive effort at pleasantry, for he felt Girod's importance in amusing and keeping in good-humour his motley crew. Jacqueminot's answer shewed that he was now au fait; and thus we had a fourth rescue from the very jaws of death.