He avoided
Mitylene and returned to Egypt, wintering at Alexandria. It may here be
remarked that the corsairs, as a rule, regarded the winter as a close
season, as in those early days the mariner did not, if he could avoid it,
risk his ship by sailing her at this period of storm and tempest. In
consequence there was nothing to tempt the pirates to range the seas during
these months, and if they had had a successful summer and autumn, as they
generally did, they could well afford to lay up and await the coming of
spring.
But when storm and rain gave way to the smooth waters and balmy breezes,
the Sea-wolves were certain of their prey, as the whole length and breadth
of the tideless sea was sure to be filled with the ships of the detested
Christians trafficking in every direction. In the ethics of the Moslem all
ships which sailed under the banner of the Cross, no matter to what nation
they belonged, were fair game, even supposing that her insignia were the
Crescent--well, supposing the spot to be sufficiently remote, dead men tell
no tales, and the pirates were to be trusted to see to it that none
escaped.
But, however this might have been, it is quite certain that no qualms of
conscience troubled Uruj concerning those others: Genoese, Neapolitans,
Catalans, Andalusians, French, or the dwellers of the Balearic Islands,
were all fish sent by a bountiful Providence to be enclosed in his net, and
he seized upon them without distinction.
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