The Adventures of Captain Mago

During the time we were getting across, Hannibal had just put all his men under arms, as it occasioned us much surprise that while there was this commotion amongst ourselves the Egyptians had made no sign nor sound; their lights were out, and their cruisers no longer to be seen. The Cabiros rejoined us, and reported that she had seen nothing; nor even after we had descended the river a couple of stadia was a single Egyptian vessel visible, and it was not until we were within hearing of the roar of the waves at the river's mouth that we almost ran against some black mass that loomed through the darkness.

"Back to your moorings, Phœnicians! no leaving the river at night!" shouted a voice, in Egyptian.

"We don't want, I can tell you," I replied, "to be running away like a set of thieves. We have been cut adrift, and one of our ships has disappeared."

"Then get fresh moorings," was the answer: "you must wait till morning. By Pharaoh's orders, you cannot leave to-night."

There was no help for it but to obey; and sending some men on shore in the small boat with torches, we succeeded in finding an anchorage. But scarcely had we settled in our places, when our attention was arrested by a voice from the middle of the river gasping out in Phœnician, "Help! help!"

We put off a boat in the direction of the sound; the cry was repeated still closer to us, and in a few minutes the boat returned alongside, and one of my sailors, dripping with water, was hoisted on to the deck of the Ashtoreth. He was in a pitiable condition, his face all bleeding, and his head gashed open in several places.

"Treason, treason! we are betrayed by Bodmilcar!" was all he could utter, as he staggered and fell senseless on the deck. I ordered him to be laid upon a piece of carpet, whilst Abigail chafed his face with ointment, and Himilco put some wine to his lips. I had ascertained quite enough to put me on my guard, and consequently had our lights extinguished, permitting only one lamp and one torch to each ship: and I gave directions to the watch to keep a keen look-out.

Meanwhile the poor fellow had recovered his consciousness, and Hanno, Hannibal, Himilco, Chamai, and myself, pressed round him to gather what he had to say. One of our sailors supported his head to facilitate his power of speech, and Abigail and the Ionian knelt beside him, with the wine and ointment.

"I went this evening," began the man, "to visit a friend of mine on board the Melkarth. You know the crew are nearly all Tyrians. Bodmilcar has tampered with them all. He has had an interview with Pharaoh's general, and told him that you are spies in league with the insurgents at Pelusium; he said, too, that you had a slave on board your ship, whom he was bringing to Pharaoh, but who had escaped. His people urged me to join the conspiracy, and when I refused they all threatened to kill me. I jumped overboard. An Egyptian boat pursued me. I was twice struck on the head by an oar. I dived beneath the water. I suppose they thought I had sunk; as they gave up the pursuit. Orders have been given to seize us all to-morrow. We are to be attacked in the morning, and carried off to Pharaoh. I can tell no more."

The exertion of telling all this had been too much for the brave fellow, and he fainted away again. My first impulse was to rush to my cabin for the King's letters, but to my amazement they had all disappeared; they had evidently been stolen during my absence at Jerusalem. We were overwhelmed with consternation. Hanno was the first to speak:

"All is plain enough," he said; "Bodmilcar is the thief. Hazael, you know, has the King's signet ring; and the rascals have opened the papers, altered their purport, and closed them again with the royal seal. Bodmilcar has carried them and presented them; he represents himself as leader of the expedition, and denounces you as a traitor. He gets believed: and what is the result? why, sure as fate, we shall be made prisoners, and only too likely we shall be put to death. Abigail, of course, will be sent to Pharaoh."

"Not while I have a sword to defend her," said Chamai, stamping with rage.

"Yes," continued Hanno, coolly; "no doubt Abigail will be handed over to Pharaoh, and the fair Chryseis will be awarded to Bodmilcar as a recompense for his service."

Hanno groaned aloud, and Hannibal furiously twirled his moustache.

"I have no doubt, Hanno," I said, "that all your conjectures are right. But it's rather soon to despair. Perhaps you haven't been with us old mariners long enough to learn our seamen's song about the Egyptians?"

I began to whistle an air, and Himilco, with a merry laugh, broke out with the gay refrain:

"The bull-head tribe, with all their skill,
Must catch the man they fain would kill."

The effect was instantaneous. My whole party almost smothered me in their delight. Hanno threw himself at my knees and grasped one of my hands; Abigail seized the other, and covered it with kisses; Hannibal caught hold of my cuirass on one side; Chamai lugged at me on the other. Altogether, I was in a fair way of being strangled. The Ionian, who partially comprehended my meaning, could only express her gratitude by the bright glance of her soft eyes.

As soon as I had extricated myself from the embraces of the enthusiastic group, I pointed out to them a confused mass of Egyptian boats, now just visible in the dawn.

"If there were only half-a-dozen of those fresh-water tortoise-shells," said I, "our three ships could soon show them the way to the bottom of the Nile; but there is such a lot of them! Besides, they have forces on land, and the river isn't wide enough for us to get out of their reach. Bodmilcar, too, will lend them a helping hand, and he is an old stager; his ship, it is true, is not much in fighting trim, but it is manned with Tyrians. However, we mustn't give up! Patience! Trust yourselves to me!"

"Yours we are to the death!" cried Hanno; while Hannibal, with his teeth set, growled out, that if any one disobeyed my orders it should be the worse for him. Chamai, almost beside himself with excitement, clasped Abigail in his arms, and vowed he would bring her the head and spoils of the first foe he should meet, even if it were Pharaoh himself.

Hamilcar and Hasdrubal, with his pilot Gisgo, now came on board for my orders.

"I never trusted that Tyrian," said Hamilcar; "and I am glad to have the chance of fighting it out with him; and my men are as delighted as myself."

"Ha, ha! Himilco," laughed Gisgo the earless, "we shall have some sport now."

"Yes, old Celt," replied Himilco, "we will teach the rascals to swim."

I shook hands heartily with all three men, and they returned to their ships. It was now broad daylight, and casting my eye towards the river, I reconnoitred the enemy's position. Below-stream the Egyptian galleys were under way; opposite to us, on the left bank, were about forty small boats, each manned with four rowers and five soldiers, and a troop of nearly a hundred bowmen were assembling hastily on the right-hand shore. Looking up-stream, I could count as many as six galleys about two stadia away; two large heavy ships, with hanging decks, were sailing down the left bank; and mid-channel I recognised the towering sides and rounded prow of the Melkarth, her oars shipped, and her sails furled, being towed by a low, open rowing-boat. The camp, of which we had noticed the fires in the darkness, was much too far off to be visible by daylight. The shore on either side was perfectly flat and treeless, but covered with fields of clover and of corn that was nearly ripe, as the harvest-time was drawing nigh. On the left bank, about two bowshots from the water, a steep dyke, surmounted by a causeway, had been thrown up as a protection during the annual inundation. Far away to the south, the white buildings of a city could be distinguished; and in the north could be seen the yellowish-whitey waters of the river bar, with the broad green surface of the sea beyond.

We were hardly six stadia from the mouth of the river; the strong east wind and the current were both in our favour, and once out at sea we should have little to fear. I determined, therefore, to make an attack upon the Egyptians before the Melkarth could get ahead of us, for I knew that once in front of us, her very bulk would be a formidable obstacle to our retreat, and that she could overwhelm us with a storm of missiles; while the superior height of her deck would not only prevent our men from boarding her, but, on the contrary, would give her men every facility for boarding us.

My first manœuvre was to slip my moorings, and to take up my position in the middle of the channel, so as to be out of reach of the archers on the shore. The Dagon had shifted her prow to the north, and lay half a bowshot below me; the Cabiros was to my left, her prow southward. The sails were all furled, the rowers were ordered to backwater very gently so as to just keep the vessels in their places, and each pilot took his stand by the side of the helmsman. Hannibal posted his archers fore and aft, and grouped his soldiers round the mast. Hanno and I mounted the prow, and my trumpeter followed. The gigantic Jonah remained with Hannibal; he could not be persuaded either to put on a cuirass or to take a lance, but stood, clarion in hand, watching all our preparations with a curious eye.

The scorpions had already been supplied with missiles, and each vessel was provided with a number of earthenware pots filled with sulphur and pitch. We improvised, also, a quantity of fire-ships, formed of small planks, into which spikes were driven, to which were fastened well-greased goat-skins charged with combustibles.

We had not long to wait. Very soon were heard the shrill notes of the small Egyptian trumpets, and the decks of the ships were seen manned with troops. I could discern the smooth brown faces of the soldiers, and make out that they were armed with battle-axes and large triangular shields; and I could see that the archers, with their legs bare, and poignards in their girdles, were ranged along the sides of the ships. The rowers, more than half-naked (clothed merely by a strip around their loins), plied their paddles, according to their custom, standing. On board the Melkarth, Bodmilcar was easily distinguished; he was in a state of great excitement and activity, and apparently giving some explanation to an Egyptian officer, a man dressed in green and wearing a large wig, with his face and arms painted with cinnabar, in accordance with the common fashion of their men of rank.

The soldiers that manned the small boats were nearly as slightly clad as the rowers; they carried poignards in their girdles, and were armed with axes and staves pointed at both ends, in the use of which the Egyptians are notoriously skilful. Although all appeared in considerable commotion, not one of the vessels made any attempt to advance, and there seemed a general state of expectation.

The solution of all this was soon apparent. A large boat was seen to detach itself from the general mass, and make its way down-stream towards us. Eight rowers stood paddling on the raised bow and stern; twelve soldiers, with square plates of bronze strapped on their breasts, and armed with lances, daggers, and short scimitars, were in the middle; and amongst them was an Egyptian officer of high rank. He was arrayed in two tunics of striped gauze, crossed one over the other upon his breast; a girdle ornamented with enamel plates was round his waist, and a large gold and enamelled bird with outstretched wings was suspended by a gold chain from his neck. His head was covered with a tall cap, bearing an enamel plate inscribed with the name of Pharaoh in hieroglyphics; his beard was enclosed in a casing of red cloth; and in his hand was a gilt battle-axe, elaborately inlaid with figures of animals and other symbols. On one side of this sumptuous personage was a closely-shorn priest or scribe, habited entirely in white, and holding an inkhorn and some papyrus in his hand; on the other, in full Syrian armour, was our old friend Hazael. I could not resist a smile as I caught sight of a pile of chains and manacles lying in the boat.

On the Egyptian officer shouting that he wanted to come on board and speak to me, I gave permission for his boat to come alongside the Ashtoreth, and, followed by his scribe and five of the soldiers, with the greatest arrogance he stepped on deck. Hazael had the discretion to remain behind, where he was. I received the magnate with all courtesy, and saluted him after the fashion of his own country, but instead of acknowledging it in any way, he began with the most overbearing insolence to exclaim:

"Down, down, you Phœnician thieves, and sue for Pharaoh's mercy!"

Finding that such was the tone he took, I answered sternly:

"No thieves are we, nor have we injured Pharaoh; so far from imploring Pharaoh's mercy, we have a right to demand Pharaoh's protection."

"Out upon your falsehoods!" retorted the enraged Egyptian; "have you not this very night been attempting your escape?"

"No," I said emphatically; "we were cut adrift. The real thieves are amongst you. That rascal Bodmilcar and that vile eunuch stole the royal letters that they brought to you."

"Silence!" shouted the Egyptian in impetuous fury; "too well we understand your frauds. Out with your hands! the handcuffs are ready here, and you and the slave that you have stolen must come along to Pharaoh. Never fear but ample justice shall be done!"

The scribe was opening his inkhorn for the purpose of taking down our names, when I burst out into a roar of laughter.

"Do you take us for fools?" I said; "why on earth should we leave our ships to go and hear a slanderous catalogue of lies alleged against us? No, no, sire, we remain where we are."

The Egyptian literally stamped with rage. "Villains! pirates! thieves!" he cried; "every one of you shall die a death of torment."

Throughout this interview I had taken care never for a moment to lose sight of the fleet above-stream; and seeing that the ships were now in motion, without paying the least regard to the continued ravings of the grand official, I ordered my trumpeter to sound an alarm. The Egyptian, followed closely by his scribe, hurried towards his boat; his soldiers, to cover his retreat, rapidly crossed their lances. Chamai, Hannibal, and Hanno, mistaking the movement, and supposing they were making an attack on me, fell upon them with drawn swords; and the huge Jonah, throwing down his trumpet, rushed into the fray, and wresting a lance from one of the soldiers' hands, took him by the shoulders and dashed his head twice or thrice against the side of the ship. It is a popular belief that the Egyptians are a hard-headed race, but I avow that this fellow's skull cracked like a ripe water-melon.

Meanwhile, Hannibal had cut the throat of another of the soldiers, and Chamai had plunged his sword into the body of a third. I was struggling to wrench the lance from the grasp of a fourth, when taking alarm at the number of my men, he turned about, and following the example of his sole remaining comrade, sprang overboard and swam like a frog. But they were not to escape so easily; Bichri, who was standing near the wale of the vessel, hit one of them with an arrow, and the rowers stunned the other by blows with their oars. Thus the whole five were entirely disposed of; but the real conflict was yet to come.

As soon as the Egyptians were aware of the fray, one of their galleys from the right bank drew rapidly towards us, and the whole bevy of small boats that had gathered round kept up a continuous flight of arrows, every one of which, however, either stuck in the ship's side or went whistling over our heads.

A single glance was sufficient to reveal to me the enemy's tactics. Just as I had anticipated, the Melkarth was being towed down the stream towards the right, obviously with the design to pass us and get below, so as to cut off our retreat. Their immediate design was to divert our attention from this manœuvre, and for this purpose two large ships were ordered to bear down upon us, and a flotilla of small boats was sent to keep up a storm of arrows. Hannibal immediately, by my directions, set his catapults to work, and a volley of stones and pots full of pitch and sulphur was discharged, right over the Cabiros, on to the approaching vessels. I then ordered the Cabiros and the Dagon to move simultaneously, right and left of me, but in opposite directions: the Cabiros northwards towards the galleys that were obstructing our way, the Dagon straight down upon the boat that was towing the Melkarth. I could see Bodmilcar upon the prow of the great gaoul, wildly endeavouring to make the Egyptians understand their danger, and urging the rowers to get their oars into the water; but he was too late. Our movements had taken them completely by surprise. The Dagon, cutting her way full speed through the crowd of small boats, crushed or capsized all that came in her course; the Ashtoreth, liberated by the departure of the Cabiros, effectually kept in check the ships that were trying to pass down the stream; and the Cabiros, that had gone northward, by sending out a number of fire-floats that drifted on in advance, completely discomfited the two galleys that were guarding the mouth of the river.

Our tactics were a perfect success. One of the Egyptian ships was run into by the Ashtoreth with such violence that it was cut asunder, and sank immediately; and the other, harassed by the pots of combustibles, and alarmed at the eddy caused by the foundering of its consort, purposely ran aground. The Dagon, after staving in the towing-boat like a piece of rotten wood, had returned to me; and as we had the satisfaction of seeing Bodmilcar's crew cut their tow-rope, we both turned our attention to the galley which was retiring from the attack and falling back upon the Melkarth. Simultaneously passing it quite close, one on each side, we swept off both its tiers of oars, and hurling down upon it a final shower of arrows, we filed off to join the Cabiros, which was still engaged in discharging its missiles and fire-floats at the other two galleys.

The contest had been sharp but short. In less than an hour we had rendered the Melkarth incapable of action; had sunk two Egyptian vessels; had sent a third aground; and had crushed or capsized at least fifteen small boats.

The surface of the water was covered with the débris, and not a few men could be seen drifting along in the current. Thrown into utter confusion by our unlooked-for attack, the rest of the Egyptian vessels floundered about in each others' way, and totally prevented the Melkarth from obtaining another tug-boat. Finding, therefore, that those need give me no concern, I gave my attention to the galleys in front, and sent adrift a dozen or more fire-floats, which the crew of the Cabiros sent down-stream with their boathooks. The galleys gave way; and, feeling that there was no immediate impediment, I proceeded towards them calmly to the north, leaving our assailants confounded by their disaster, and Bodmilcar raving furiously on the poop of his helpless ship. Bichri lamented that he could not let fly an arrow at him, but it was utterly useless, as we were already too far away.