The Story of the Captive Continued.
The fleet for which he was a galley slave returned victorious to Algiers, and his work was changed. Upon the death of his master, the captive became the property of the most bloodthirsty Dey of Algiers, a renegade named Hussan Aga. He was placed in a special prison house, called a bagnio, reserved for Christians whose rich connections will soon provide a ransom, although he had no claim to this distinction other than having the title of captain. Overlooking the bagnio's courtyard were the windows of a high-ranking Moor, whose beautiful daughter, secretly a Christian, made clandestine communication with him. She sent the captive money enclosed in a note that told him of her desire to escape to a Christian land if he would arrange to free himself and take her to Spain. The letter was written in Arabic, and the captain engaged a renegade to translate it. Many other messages were exchanged between Zoraida and the captive until enough money was collected to furnish a ship and ransom other bagnio captives besides himself.
