From whence we are not told, but he must have
been somewhere in the neighbourhood, as he and his men marched along the
shore; while, keeping pace with them, came a fleet of eighteen galleys and
three barques laden with stores.
But before proceeding to the assistance of the Algerines Uruj had a
personal matter to which to attend, and he wished to combine pleasure with
serious business. One of his old companions had seceded from his command
and had established himself at Shershell, where he lived the life of an
independent corsair within easy striking distance of the Balearic Islands
and the coast of Spain, his following composed of a horde of those broken
men of whom mention has been made. Shershell was an unfortified town, and
surrendered unconditionally upon the arrival of Uruj and his army.
Kara-Hassan, for such was the name of this independent corsair, came out to
greet his old-time chief; he was met with violent reproaches, and the
altercation ended by Uruj having him beheaded on the spot. It was ill to
quarrel with the Barbarossas.
Freed from this rival, the Mitylene corsair had now uncontested supremacy
on the coast, a supremacy none was likely to contest in the future, as he
brooked no opposition, and had come to consider that independent piracy in
the Mediterranean was in some sort an infringement of the rights of himself
and his brother. One of the most salient peculiarities of the corsairs at
this time was the apparent recklessness with which they assailed others who
were participants in their nefarious business.
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