322 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



They pursued their occupation in profound silence, 

 except when the discovery of some object of unusual 

 value elicited an exclamation of delight, or a disap- 

 pointment brought a grumbling curse to their lips. 

 They seemed carefully to avoid noise, lest it should 

 draw down upon them the observation of the castle 

 that frowned above their heads, and at the embra- 

 sures and windows of which they cast frequent and 

 frightened glances, although the darkness of the 

 ravine, at the entrance of which they had stationed 

 themselves, and the rapidly deepening t\vilight, ren- 

 dered it almost impossible to discover them. 



"By the beard of the prophet, Hassan!" exclaimed 

 in a suppressed tone a young Turk, who lay bound 

 hand and foot at a short distance from the pirates, 

 " why do these mangy curs keep us lying so long on 

 the wet grass ? Why do they not seek their kennel 

 up yonder ? " 



The person addressed was a little, round, oily-look- 

 ing Turk, a Levant merchant, whose traffic had called 

 him to one of the neighbouring islands, and who had 

 been laid hold of on his passage by the Uzcoques. 

 He was sitting up, being less strictly manacled than 

 his more youthful and energetic-looking .companion ; 

 and his comical countenance wore a most desponding 

 expression, as, in reply to the question put to him, 

 he shook his head slowly from side to side, at the 

 same time gravely stroking his beard. 



" By Allah ! " exclaimed the young man impati- 



