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 Practical Linux System
Administration
A Guide to Installation, Configuration, and
Management

With Early Release ebooks, you get books in their earliest form—
the author’s raw and unedited content as they write—so you can
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release of these titles.

Ken Hess
Practical Linux System Administration
by Ken Hess
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reserved.
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Published by O’Reilly Media, Inc., 1005 Gravenstein Highway North,
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978-1-098-10903-5
Chapter 1. Getting Started
with Linux

A NOTE FOR EARLY RELEASE READERS

With Early Release ebooks, you get books in their earliest form—
the author’s raw and unedited content as they write—so you can
take advantage of these technologies long before the official
release of these titles.
This will be the first chapter of the final book.
If you have comments about how we might improve the content
and/or examples in this book, or if you notice missing material
within this chapter, please reach out to the author at
[email protected].

Linux system administration means different things to different

people. Administration, for this book, means the daily actions that a
Linux system administrator must take to manage and support users,
maintain system health, implement best practices for security, install
software, and perform housekeeping tasks. This chapter covers
Linux installation, initial setup, and system exploration using simple
shell commands.
You’ll spend a significant portion of your time at the command line,
also known as the command line interface (CLI). Linux system
administrators rarely install or use graphic user interfaces (GUIs) on
their supported server systems. This chapter introduces you to the
CLI and some simple commands to navigate the filesystem, to locate
important files, and to familiarize yourself with the Linux CLI.
Installing Linux
One of the first things every Linux system administrator (sysadmin)
learns is how to install Linux. There’s no single correct way to install
Linux but there are a few guidelines and suggestions that will make
your life easier in the future as your user’s needs change.
While this section won’t go into step-by-step detailed instructions on
how to install Linux, the basic steps are outlined here. For the
majority of junior-level sysadmins, system installation generally takes
place via automated means such as Kickstart or other enterprise-
level delivery system.

Preparing Your System for Linux

If this is your first time to install Linux, I suggest that you install it
into a virtual machine (VM) so that you don’t have to dedicate an
entire piece of hardware for a learning system and so that you don’t
potentially render your system inoperable by attempting to install
Linux in parallel to your current system creating a multi-boot
computer. (Setting up multi-booting is a more advanced concept and
out of the scope of this book.)
A good place to start with virtualization, if you don’t already have it
installed, is to download and install the latest version of VirtualBox
(https://www.virtualbox.org/). VirtualBox is an application that
allows your current computer to act as a virtual machine host system
where you may install virtual guests, such as Linux into what
amounts to a separate functioning computer system. Virtualbox runs
on many different host operating systems (OSs) and supports a
variety of guest operating systems including Linux. The host OS and
guest OS can be different from one another. Your computer (host
OS) can be a Windows, Mac, or Linux-based system but have guest
Linux systems installed on it as VirtualBox VMs.
Downloading and Installing Linux
Next, you’ll need to select a Linux distribution (distro) to install so
that you can practice issuing commands, changing configurations,
rebooting, installing software, creating users, and so on. I suggest
that you should select a Linux distro based on the one that your
current employer uses. If your company doesn’t use Linux yet or
you’re not employed in a system administrator role, then select from
one of the popular distributions described below:
Debian
Debian is a top-level distribution from which many other
distributions are derived. Debian is community-supported, open
source, and free.

OpenSUSE
OpenSUSE is a community-supported, top-level distribution that
has many faithful followers worldwide. Its commercial version
SUSE Linux Enterprise has widespread adoption.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Red Hat is a commercially-supported Linux that enjoys worldwide
enterprise adoption and is now owned by IBM.

Ubuntu
Ubuntu is a very popular, Debian-derived community and
commercially-supported distribution. Ubuntu also offers ready-
made VirtualBox (and other) virtual machines to help you get a
quick start.

The downloaded ISO file is a bootable Linux image. You don’t have
to do anything to it if you use it to create a virtual machine. A virtual
machine will boot from the ISO image and begin the installation
process. After you’ve configured your virtual machine in VirtualBox,
select Settings from the Oracle VM VirtualBox Manager, as shown in
Figure 1-1.

Figure 1-1. The Oracle VirtualBox Manager application and a configured virtual
machine.

Then, select Storage, as shown in Figure 1-2.

 Figure 1-2. Virtual machine settings with Storage settings selected.

Select the empty optical disk drive under the IDE Controller in the
Storage Devices pane and then select the optical disk icon in the
Attributes pane to browse for your ISO image file. See Figure 1-3.
 Figure 1-3. Select the ISO image from the list.

Once you’ve selected your ISO image, click OK to proceed. Now,

when you start your VM, it will boot from this ISO image to begin
installation onto your VM’s virtual disk.
When your system boots, you can accept the default settings. If you
have some experience installing Linux, then you can change the
default settings to suit your needs. Create yourself a user account
when prompted to do so. If your distribution prompts you to give the
root account a password, do so. You must remember this password
because without it you’ll have to reinstall your Linux VM or try to
recover it. Installing Linux can take several minutes and a reboot is
required at the end of the installation process.

Getting to Know Your New Linux System

After installation, the first you need to do is to login using the
username and password that you created during installation. Upon
login, you’re placed into your home directory inside a shell or
operating environment. Your home directory is a subdirectory of the
/home directory. The Linux filesystem is a hierarchical filesystem,
similar to Microsoft Windows. At the very top level, there is the root
directory, which is represented by the / symbol. Windows uses a
drive letter, such a C: for the root directory. On Windows, you can
have many drive letters that all have their own root levels, such as
C:, D:, E:, and so on. In Linux, there is only one root directory, /. All
other directories are subdirectories of the root directory. Figure 1-4
is an illustration of the Linux root directory and its subdirectories.
Figure 1-4. The Linux Hierarchical Filesystem showing the root directory (/) and all
of its subdirectories.

Note that there are only directories under the / (root) filesystem and
no individual files. All files are kept in directories. You’ll explore many
of these subdirectories throughout the rest of the book. The
following table gives you a brief overview of the files and information
contained in each directory.
Directory Description

/ The root filesystem only contains other directories but no

individual files.

/bin The binaries directory contains executable files. Points to

/usr/bin.

/dev The device directory contains device files to address

peripherals.

/etc Contains system configuration files for users and services.

/home User’s home directories.

/lib System libraries files. Points to /usr/lib.

/media Directory for mounting media such as USB drives or DVD disks.

/mnt The mount directory for mounting remote filesystems.

/opt Directory in which third-party software is installed.

/proc A virtual filesystem that tracks system processes.

/root The root user’s home directory.

/run Variable and volatile run-time data.

/sbin System binary (executable) files.

/srv Might contain data from system services.

/sys Contains kernel information.

/tmp Temporary file directory for session information and temporary

file storage.

/usr Programs and libraries for users and user-related programs.

/var Variable files such as logs, spools, and queues.

System files are protected from user modification. Only the root
(administrative) user can modify system configuration files and
settings. Users generally only have write access to their own home
directories, the /tmp directory, and shared directories specifically
created and modified by the administrator.
In the next section, you learn how to interact with your new Linux
system at the command line.

Learning the Command Line Interface

The command line interface or CLI is how most system
administrators interact with their Linux systems because server
systems don’t typically have a graphic interface. In Microsoft
Windows terminology, a CLI only system, such as a Linux server,
would be equivalent to a Windows Server Core system where you
only have access to command line utilities.
As the name suggests, you interact with the Linux system using
commands that you enter with a keyboard or standard input (stdin).
The source from standard input can also be file redirection,
programs, and other sources, but in the context for this book, stdin
refers to keyboard input unless otherwise noted. Many commands
are informational and display data about the system or system
activities to the screen or standard output (stdout). Sometimes you’ll
receive an error from the system that’s also known as standard error
or stderr. You’ll see the shorthand and the long versions of these
references used interchangeably throughout this text and in other
Linux-related documentation that you’ll find elsewhere.
You must learn a few commands to successfully interact with the
filesystem. And by learn, I mean know them without looking them
up online. There’s only a handful of commands like this and there
are few options that you should also commit to memory so that your
interaction with the system becomes natural and efficient. And don’t
worry about harming the system with any command that I cover. I’ll
warn you when a command should be used with care or caution.
Discovering Diverse Content Through
Random Scribd Documents
 “Most like some knave who would draw us into a quarrel,” added
Courcelles.
The onlookers, too, began to make menacing remarks, and poor
John realized the hopelessness of his position. He was a foreigner
without a friend, and he suddenly remembered that to be locked up
and found with Curzianvere’s letters upon him would not mend
matters. He could not support a single word of his story with proof.
He was cloakless and his clothing worn and travel-stained. Who
could be expected to believe that he ever owned a purse filled with
gold and a chest of rich raiment? He was quivering with just rage,
but he had sense enough to see that his wisest course lay in retreat.
So without another word he turned his back on the two villains and
walked rapidly out of the town.
A few miles from Mortagne John found the friends to whose kind
offices the letters of Curzianvere recommended him. He met with a
cordial reception and sincere sympathy when he had told his tale,
but these good people were obliged to admit that he had no chance
of recovering his property or causing the punishment of the thieves.
Being thus fully convinced that the matter was beyond remedy, John
determined to put it behind him and seek relief for his feelings in
action. He declined the invitation of Curzianvere’s friends to prolong
his visit but, accepting a small sum of money and a cloak from them,
set out to retrace his steps to the coast, in the hope that he might
secure employment upon a ship of war.
 V.
A DUEL WITH A DASTARD

John reaches Havre after a long dreary tramp in mid-winter—Fails to find a

ship going to the East and turns south along the coast—Falls exhausted
by the roadside and is picked up by a good farmer—Regains his strength
and resumes his journey—Encounters Courcelles, one of the Frenchmen
who had robbed him—They draw swords and fall to—John completely
overcomes his antagonist, punishes him and leaves him repentant—An
unlooked for meeting with an old friend—John is set upon his feet again
—Goes to Marseilles and takes ship for Italy—Is thrown overboard in a
storm by the fanatical passengers—Swims to a desert island.

It must not be supposed that John had abandoned his project of

going to fight the Turks. His was not the temperament to be easily
discouraged or diverted from a purpose. He was not now in a
position to pursue any very definite plan, but he walked coastward in
the hope that some favorable opportunity for going farther might
present itself. If he should find some ship of war or large
merchantman bound for a Mediterranean port he would be willing to
work his way on her in any capacity. Honfleur and Havre being the
most likely places thereabouts in which to find such a vessel as he
sought, he made his way northward and visited each of those ports
in turn without success. It was winter, and peace prevailed in
western Europe for the time being. There was little movement
among the large ships but smaller vessels, in considerable numbers,
were plying between the Continent and England. John might readily
have secured passage to England, and no doubt his wisest course
would have been to return home and procure a fresh supply of
clothing and money. But John could not brook the thought of
appearing at home tattered and torn and confessing to his guardian
that he had been duped and robbed.
The shipping men of Havre advised the anxious inquirer to try St.
Malo, and so he turned back over the ground he had already twice
traversed and faced several more weeks of weary travel with a purse
now nearly empty and clothing almost reduced to rags. Coming up
from Mortagne he had selected the poorest inns for resting places;
now even these were beyond his means, and he had to depend
upon the charity of the country people for a night’s lodging or a
meal. Occasionally his way led past a monastery, when he was
always sure of simple hospitality for, to their credit be it said, the fact
that John was an Englishman and a heretic never caused the good
monks to turn him from their doors.
When at length he arrived in the neighborhood of Pontorson in
Brittany it was in a condition bordering on collapse from the effects
of the exposure and hardship of the preceding weeks. St. Malo was
but a short two days’ journey away, but it did not seem possible that
he could hold out until that port should be reached. He staggered on
for a few more miles but at last his strength utterly gave out and he
sank unconscious to the ground by the roadside. Here John Smith’s
career well nigh wound up in an inglorious end, for had he lain
neglected for a few hours he must have frozen to death. Fate
directed otherwise, however. A kind farmer chancing by in his wagon
picked up the exhausted lad and carried him to his house. There he
was nursed and fed and, some weeks later, when he resumed his
journey it was with a show of his natural vigor.
John left the farmhouse with a wallet sufficiently stocked to stay
his stomach until he should arrive at St. Malo—money he had
refused to accept from the good farmer. The air was mild. It was one
of those sunny days in late winter that give early promise of spring.
Under the influence of the cheery weather our hero’s spirits rose,
and he had a feeling that the tide in his affairs was about to turn.
This presentiment was strengthened by an adventure that
immediately befell him and which will not so greatly surprise us if we
remember that he was once again in the vicinity of Mortagne, having
gone forth and back in his long tramp.
John had been following a short cut through a wood and had just
emerged into the open when he came suddenly face to face with a
traveler who was pursuing the same path in opposite direction. Each
recognized the other immediately, and on the instant their swords
flashed from the scabbard. They flung aside their cloaks and
engaged without a word. Furious anger surged in John’s breast as
he confronted Courcelles, one of the four French robbers to whose
perfidy he owed his present plight and all the misery of the past
months. For a moment he was tempted to rush upon the rascal and
run him through, but that caution and coolness that ever
characterized our hero in the presence of danger, soon took
possession of his reason and prompted him to assume the defensive.
Courcelles was no mean swordsman, and he saw before him a
bareface boy whom he could not suppose to be a master of fence.
Moreover, he was moved by the hatred which mean souls so often
feel for those whom they have wronged. He made a furious attack
upon the stripling intending to end the affair in short order.
John calmly maintained his guard under the onslaught with his
weapon presented constantly at the other’s breast. With a slight
movement of the wrist he turned aside Courcelles’ thrusts and
stepped back nimbly when the Frenchman lunged. The latter,
meeting with no counter-attack, became more confident and pressed
his adversary hard. But the skill with which his assault was met soon
dawned upon Courcelles. He checked the impetuosity that had
already told upon his nerves and muscles and resorted to the many
tricks of fence of which, like most French swordsmen, he was an
adept. He changed the engagement; he feinted and feigned to
fumble his weapon; he shifted his guard suddenly; he pretended to
slip and lose his footing; he endeavored to disengage; but John
could not be tempted from his attitude of alert defence. Courcelles
beat the appel with his foot but John’s eyes remained steadfastly
fixed upon his and the firm blade was ever there lightly but surely
feeling his. Courcelles tapped the other’s sword sharply but John
only smiled with grim satisfaction as he remembered how Signor
Polaloga had schooled him to meet such disconcerting manœuvres
as these.
Courcelles was growing desperate and determined as a last hope
of overcoming his antagonist to try the coup de Marsac. This
consisted in beating up the adversary’s weapon by sheer force and
lunging under his upthrown arm. Gathering himself together for the
effort, the Frenchman struck John’s sword with all the strength he
could command, but the act was anticipated by our hero, whose
rapier yielded but a few inches to the blow. The next instant the
point of it had rapidly described a semi-circle around and under
Courcelles’ blade, throwing it out of the line of his opponent’s body.
It was a last effort. Chill fear seized the Frenchman’s heart as with
the waning of his strength he realized that he was at the mercy of
the youth he had so heartlessly robbed. With difficulty he maintained
a feeble guard whilst he felt a menacing pressure from the other’s
weapon. John advanced leisurely upon the older man, whose eyes
plainly betrayed his growing terror. He was as helpless as a child and
might have been spitted like a fowl without resistance, but although
our hero was made of stern stuff there was nothing cruel in his
composition and he began to pity the cringing wretch who retreated
before him. He had no thought, however, of letting the rascal off
without a reminder that might furnish a lesson to him.
With that thought he pricked Courcelles upon the breast
accompanying the thrust with the remark:
“That for your friend Nelie, if you please!”
Almost immediately he repeated the action, saying:
“And that for your friend Montferrat!”
“For your master, the Lord De Preau, I beg your acceptance of
that,” continued John, running his rapier through the fleshy part of
the other’s shoulder.
 The terrified Frenchman dropped his sword and fell upon his
knees with upraised hands.
“Mercy for the love of heaven!” he cried. “Slay me not unshriven
with my sins upon my head.”
“Maybe we can find a priest to prepare thee for the journey to a
better land,” replied John, not unwilling that the robber should suffer
a little more. “Ho, there!” to a group of rustics who had been
attracted by the sounds of the conflict. “Know’st any holy father
confessor living in these parts?”
The peasants declared that a priest resided within a mile of the
spot and one of them departed in haste to fetch him to the scene.
As we know, John had no intention of killing Courcelles, nor did he
desire to await the return of the shriver, so finding that the
Frenchman had no means of making restitution for the theft of his
goods, he left him. But before doing so, he extorted from the
apparently repentant man a promise to live an honest life in future.
The encounter with Courcelles had a stimulating effect upon John
and he entered St. Malo the following morning, feeling better
pleased with himself than he had for many a day. He at once set
about making enquiries as to the vessels in port and was engaged in
conversation with a sailor on the quay when he became aware of the
scrutiny of a well-dressed young man standing nearby. The face of
the inquisitive stranger seemed to awake a dim memory in John’s
mind but he could not remember to have met him before. The other
soon put an end to his perplexity by coming forward with
outstretched hands.
“Certes, it is my old playmate Jack Smith of Willoughby! Thou hast
not so soon forgot Philip, Jack?”
John instantly recollected the young son of Count Ployer who, as
you will recall, had passed several months at the castle as the guest
of Lady Willoughby. The young men repaired to a neighboring tavern
where, over a grateful draught of wine, John recounted his
adventures. When John spoke of his wanderings in Brittany Philip
listened with a puzzled expression, and when his friend had finished
said:
“But why didst thou shun me and my father’s house? Surely not in
doubt of a welcome? It was known to you that the Count Ployer
possesses the castle and estates of Tonquedec.”
“Truly,” replied John, “but where is Tonquedec?”
Philip lay back in his chair and laughed long and heartily. When his
merriment had somewhat subsided he silently beckoned his new-
found friend to the window. St. Malo lies at the entrance to a long
narrow inlet. Extending a finger Philip pointed across this bay. Upon
the opposite shore John saw the gray walls of a large battlemented
castle.
“Behold Tonquedec!” said Philip with a quizzical smile.
By the Count, John was received at the castle with the most
hearty welcome. That nobleman was, as his son had been, moved to
immoderate amusement at the thought of Jack—as Philip persisted
in calling him—having been in the neighborhood of the castle so
long without knowing it.
“Your friend is doubtless a gallant soldier,” he said to his son, “but
a sorry geographer I fear.”
John spent a pleasant week at Tonquedec Castle but declined to
prolong his stay, being anxious to pursue his journey to Hungary
now that the means of doing so expeditiously lay at his command.
For the Count generously supplied all his immediate needs and lent
him a considerable sum of money on the security of his estate. Thus
equipped our hero set out for Marseilles, whence he purposed taking
ship for Italy. In after years John proved his grateful remembrance
of the kindness of the Count and his son by naming one of the
headlands of Chesapeake Bay, Point Ployer.
John arrived at Marseilles just in time to take passage on a small
vessel filled with pilgrims bound for Rome. They encountered foul
weather from the moment of leaving port and day by day the storm
increased in fury until the danger of going down became hourly
more imminent. At this critical juncture both seamen and passengers
abandoned hope and sank upon their knees loudly calling upon the
saints for succor. John stood for awhile watching this proceeding
which revolted his common sense. At length his patience gave out
and he soundly berated the sailors for their cowardice and imbecility.
Their saints, he declared, would much more readily aid men than
cravens, and if they turned to and helped themselves, God would
surely help them.
This ill-advised interference drew the attention of the mixed crowd
of passengers to the Englishman. Half mad with terror and despair
they turned upon him a shower of abuse couched in the foulest
terms and voiced in a dozen different dialects. They cursed his
country and his Queen. Then some one announced the discovery
that he was the only heretic on board, and the superstitious
peasants at once became convinced that the storm was attributable
to his presence and that the ship could only be saved on condition of
getting rid of him.
Cries of “Overboard with the heretic! Throw the renegado into the
sea!” rose on every side, and many approached him menacingly
flourishing their staves. John set his back against the mast and drew
his sword, determined, if he must, to sell his life dearly. For awhile
the threatening weapon held the crowd at bay, but one crept up
from behind and knocked it from our hero’s hand. Immediately a
rush was made upon him. He was seized by many hands and
dragged to the side of the vessel. With their curses still ringing in his
ears John sank beneath the waves.
All this occupied some time during which the master had, with the
assistance of two of the seamen, contrived to run his vessel under
the lee of a small island. When John, who was a strong swimmer,
came to the surface, he made for the islet which was scarce a mile
distant. A few strokes satisfied him that he must rid himself of his
heavy cloak, which was easily done since it fastened only at the
neck. He next kicked off his shoes and cast away his belt and
scabbard. But it was still doubtful if he could make the goal in the
rough sea. Every ounce of dead weight would count, and at last he
reluctantly took his heavy purse from his pocket and allowed it to
sink. When at length his feet touched bottom and he staggered out
of the water our adventurer was completely exhausted.
John threw himself behind a large rock which gave shelter from
the chill wind, and there he lay for an hour or more before he could
gather sufficient strength to walk. When he arose the night was
falling and a driving rain had set in. A brief survey of the little island
satisfied him that it was uninhabited. With that knowledge he faced
the prospect of a night in the open air under the beating rain. What
might lie beyond that he did not care to surmise.
 VI.
DARKNESS AND DAWN

A lonely night with cold, wet and hunger—John falls over a goat and is
heartened—A friendly ship and rescue—John sails with Captain La Roche
in the Britaine—Learns how to navigate a ship and handle big guns—La
Roche cruises in search of adventure—Falls in with a Venetian argosy—
The Venetian fires a shot and draws blood—A fierce fight in which the
Britaine is finally victorious—John is landed in Piedmont with a fat purse
—He journeys to Gratz and secures an introduction to the leaders in the
Archduke’s army—Gives an exhibition of superb horsemanship and is
appointed ensign in the regiment of Earl Meldritch.

Cold and hungry, wet and weary, John spent what seemed to him
to be an endless night, pacing about to keep his blood in circulation.
He dared not sleep, for that would be to court death, and so he
could find no relief from his gloomy thoughts in the pitchy darkness.
Here he was on an unoccupied island and here he might remain until
starvation—but no, he would not believe that Dame Fortune, who
had so often displayed a kindly disposition towards him, proposed to
desert him in this extremity.
“My faith!” said John, speaking aloud to hearten himself, whilst he
drew his waistband tighter. “If the good dame knows aught of the
craving of my stomach she will surely hasten her ministrations.
Would I had saved my shoes or e’en my swordbelt! Leather, though
not o’er palatable I ween, will, so I have read, keep life in one’s body
for a spell but one can scarce eat fustian.” Here John’s soliloquy was
suddenly interrupted as he tripped over an object lying in his path.
As he lay upon the ground he heard some animal scampering away
in the darkness. “A goat!” said John, when he had recovered from
his surprise. “Where there is one goat, there are two. And where
there are two goats, there is a she-goat. And where there is a she-
goat, there is milk. My lady,” he continued, rising and making a low
bow, “your humble servant will do himself the honor of calling upon
you as soon as decency and light permit.”
This incident cheered our hero as it relieved his mind of the chief
anxiety that beset it. He had no wish to shirk the accidents and
hardships of life; in fact, he rather enjoyed them, but the thought of
death is naturally repugnant to a robust youth and especially to one
full of ambition and love of action. He was always of a philosophic
turn of mind, and as he reflected on the recent incident the
significance of it caused him to smile.
“In the direst straits,” he thought, “the remedy is at our hand if we
will but find it, though it be by falling over it. What babes we be! We
cry though the pitcher but rock and we cry when the milk is spilt.
Many a man dons mail when swaddling clothes would better befit
him.”
With the first streak of dawn, John, now ravenously hungry, began
to look around for the she-goat which he felt confident of finding
with many companions on the islet. He had pursued this quest but a
few minutes when his heart was delighted by the sight of a ship
lying at anchor near this refuge. It had taken shelter behind the
island from the storm of the day before and was now making
preparations for departure, as John could see from where he stood.
He hastened down to the water’s edge and shouted lustily. The wind
was fortunately favorable and at length he attracted the attention of
the people on board. A boat was lowered and our hero, with scarce
strength enough to stand, soon found himself on the deck of a
French merchantman. The master, perceiving his condition, had him
taken below, where he was fed, dressed in dry clothes and left to
sleep.
 HE HASTENED DOWN TO THE WATER’S EDGE
AND SHOUTED LUSTILY

When John awoke, refreshed after a long rest, the vessel was
scudding along under a brisk breeze and the setting sun proclaimed
the close of another day. Our hero went on deck, blithe and eager
for what new adventures the strange whirligig of life might have in
store for him. The captain, after the fashion of seamen, extended a
hearty greeting and invited John to sup with him. Over the meal the
young Englishman told his story. At its conclusion, Captain La Roche,
for such was his name, rose and shook his guest warmly by the
hand.
“Fortune has thrown you in my way,” said the captain, with a
genial smile. “I am from St. Malo and Count Ployer is my dear friend
and patron. For his sake I would do much for you, if your story and
bearing had not drawn me to yourself. You shall be put ashore this
night if that be your wish, but it would please me greatly should you
decide to continue on the voyage with me. I am bound for
Alexandria and thereafter may seek some profitable adventure. In
the space of a few months I shall land you somewhere in Italy—with
a fat purse, and I mistake not. What say you?”
John had always felt a strong desire for the life of the sea, and in
those days the complete soldier was more than half a sailor. The
experience would be profitable and, in any case, the proposition
seemed to hold out a better prospect of eventually reaching Hungary
than by starting penniless to walk across the Continent. Besides, if
the truth be told, John’s recent term of tramping had more than
satisfied him with that mode of travel for awhile. He accepted
Captain La Roche’s offer without hesitation.
La Roche was the owner, as well as the master, of his vessel,
which he called the Britaine, in honor of his native province. It was a
heavily armed ship of two hundred tons burden, carrying a crew of
sixty men. Such a number were not of course needed to manage a
ship of that size. The excuse for their presence was found in the
prevalence of piracy but, as we shall see, their duties were not
entirely of a defensive character. The truth of the matter is that La
Roche, like many another reputable ship-captain of his time, was
himself more than half a pirate. His vessel was a combination of
merchantman and privateer with authority to attack the ships of
nations at war with his country. The condition was very laxly
observed, however, and might, more often than political
considerations, governed in such matters. When the relations of the
powers to one another were constantly changing and a voyage
frequently occupied a year, a captain’s safest course was to treat
every foreign sail as an enemy and either to attack it or to run from
it. With a valuable cargo such as La Roche had on this occasion, the
master of a vessel would generally try to make a peaceful voyage to
the port of destination. If a similar cargo could not be secured for
the return voyage, he would try to compensate himself for the
failure by taking a prize.
The voyage to Alexandria was completed without incident of
importance. John improved the opportunity to learn all that he could
about seamanship and the handling of big guns. Before the vessel
made port Captain La Roche pronounced his pupil a very creditable
mariner and almost capable of sailing the ship himself. Having
discharged his cargo, the captain proceeded to the Ionian Sea for
the purpose, as he said, of learning “what ships were in the road,”
or, in other words, to see if there was anything about upon which he
could prey.
A few days had been spent in this quest, when a large Venetian
argosy was sighted in the straits of Otranto. Now the Venetians,
sinking all other considerations than those of greed and self-interest,
had entered into a treaty with the Turks. In this fact Captain La
Roche might have found sufficient excuse for attacking the richly
laden ship, but a better was forthcoming. It was one of those great
unwieldy craft in which the merchants of Venice sent cargoes of
fabulous worth to all parts of the world. Its size was more than twice
that of the Britaine and its armament at least equal to hers. The
latter, however, had all the advantage in speed and ability to
manœuvre—a highly important quality, as the Spaniards had learnt a
few years previously when their great Armada was destroyed by the
comparatively small English ships.
The Venetian, seeing the Britaine lying in his path and realizing
that he would have little chance in flight, endeavored to frighten the
other off with a shot. As luck would have it, the ball took off the
head of a seaman on the deck of the French vessel. This furnished
La Roche with an ample pretext for attacking the argosy. Running
across her bow, he raked her fore and aft, in passing, with his
starboard guns. Putting about, he returned under her stern, but as
the high poop afforded an effective bulwark, less damage was done
by his fire. The Venetian’s mast and rigging were now too badly
damaged to permit of her sailing and the Frenchman, who had so
far escaped hurt, determined to board. He brought his vessel
alongside the other and made fast with the grappling irons. The
Venetian had a larger crew than her enemy and they repulsed the
attack of the Frenchmen with determination. Twice the boarders
succeeded in gaining the deck of the larger vessel and each time
they were beaten back after a furious hand to hand combat. Captain
La Roche, with John by his side, led the second of these assaults.
They were the first on the deck, and shoulder to shoulder fought
their way towards the poop where the commander of the argosy
stood. They had almost reached the spot, when La Roche glancing
back, saw that they were cut off from his men, who were retreating
to their own vessel. To return was out of the question. The only
hope lay in breaking through the men who stood between them and
the farther side of the ship.
“It is overboard with us lad, if we would not be taken prisoners,”
he cried. “Gare de là! Gare de devant!”
The seamen fell back before the fierce charge of the two men
whose swords whistled through the air in sweeping strokes. In less
time than it takes to tell, they had reached the side and had plunged
into the sea. Swimming round the stern of the Venetian, they came
upon the Britaine, which had cast off and was preparing to sail away
with the idea that the captain had been killed.
As soon as he regained the deck of his vessel, Captain La Roche
ordered the guns to be reshotted. When this had been done he
poured two broadsides into the argosy with such effect that she was
on the verge of sinking. Once more the Frenchman ranged alongside
and sent his boarders to the attack. This time they met with little
resistance, for half the crew of the injured vessel were engaged in
stopping the holes in her side. The fight had lasted for an hour and a
half and when the Venetian surrendered, twenty of her men lay
dead upon the deck and as many more were wounded. On his side
Captain La Roche had lost fifteen of his crew and eight were
incapacitated by sword cuts.
La Roche could not spare a prize crew to man the argosy even
had he been willing to face the enquiry that must have followed
taking her into port. Therefore he first secured his prisoners and
then proceeded to transfer as much as possible of the cargo of the
Venetian to his own ship. This task occupied twenty-four hours, and
when the Britaine had been filled, there remained upon her prize at
least as much as had been taken out of her. With this handsome
remainder the Frenchman abandoned her and her crew to their fate,
which was probably to be rifled by the very next ship that chanced
along. The spoils consisted of silks, velvets, and other rich stuffs,
jewels, works of art, and a considerable quantity of money. John’s
share of the prize amounted to five hundred sequins and a box of
jewels, in all worth about twenty-five hundred dollars—a much larger
sum in those days than in these. Shortly after this affair Captain La
Roche landed our hero in Piedmont, with “a fat purse” as he had
promised.
John had now accomplished one more step in his project of
engaging in the campaign against the Turks and was at last within
easy distance of his goal. Had he been of a mercenary disposition
his experience with Captain La Roche might have induced him to
attach himself permanently to the person of that gallant sailor, but
during all his life John Smith displayed a disregard for money, except
in so far as it was necessary to the attainment of some important
end. Therefore it was with no reluctance that he turned his back on
the sea and set forward for Gratz where the Archduke maintained his
headquarters. On the way he had the opportunity to see many
Italian cities and passed through Rome, but he did not linger
unnecessarily on the road.
At Gratz John had the good fortune to fall in with a countryman
who enjoyed some acquaintance with the leaders in the Christian
army. This gentleman presented the young adventurer to Lord
Ebersberg, Baron Kissel, the Earl of Meldritch and other generals
attached to the Imperial forces. These officers were attracted by the
young man’s soldierly bearing and impressed by the persistent
manner in which he had pursued his project and the pains he had
been at to reach the seat of war. They were, however, very busy
with preparations for the campaign and would likely enough have
forgotten so humble an individual as John Smith but for a fortunate
incident that, although trivial in itself, had an important influence
upon our hero’s future career.
One day as he was passing by a large mansion on the outskirts of
the city, John was attracted to a crowd which had gathered round
two footmen who were with difficulty holding a plunging horse. It
was a magnificent Barbary steed with coal black silky coat, but it
was apparent at a glance that the animal had not been broken in, if,
indeed, it had ever had a saddle upon its back. John had hardly
reached the spot when the Earl of Meldritch and a companion came
out of the house and approached. The Earl displayed annoyance
when he saw the wild creature plunging and lashing out with its hind
feet. He had, it appeared from his remarks, bought the beast
without seeing it and was thoroughly disgusted with his bargain.
“It is a fit charger for Beelzebub, if, indeed, it be not the fiend
incarnate,” he cried. “I would not trust myself upon the back of such
a beast for all the wealth of the Indies.”
Hearing this John stepped up to the nobleman and said with a
respectful salute:
“If it please your lordship, I should like well to try conclusions with
yon animal.”
“You would ride it!” cried the Earl in amazement.
“With your lordship’s consent I would essay to do as much,”
replied John.
Permission having been granted, a saddle was sent for. In the
meantime our hero stroked the horse’s head as well as he could for
its prancing, whilst he spoke to it in a low caressing tone of voice.
The animal seemed to yield somewhat to the influence of this
treatment, for it grew quieter, but the saddle was not put on without
great difficulty. John sprang into the seat, at the same time ordering
the grooms to let go. Immediately the horse began to act as though
possessed. It stood upright upon its hind feet. It tried to stand upon
its head. It leapt here and there. It spun around like a cockchafer on
a pin. It darted forward and suddenly stopped. In short, it tried all
the tricks with which a horse endeavors to throw its rider. But John
had not learnt riding from one of the best horsemen in England for
nothing. He sat his saddle easily through all the animal’s antics and
when its fury began to abate he urged it forward at full speed and
dashed over the neighboring plain and out of sight.
It was an hour later when John rode up to Earl Meldritch’s
residence. The nobleman came out to meet him and was surprised
to see that he managed the now-subdued steed without difficulty.
He rode it back and forth, made it turn this way and that, start and
stop at will, and, in fact, had it under almost perfect control. The
Earl did not attempt to disguise his admiration. On the contrary, he
then and there made our hero a present of the black charger and
gave him an appointment as ensign in his own regiment of cavalry.
John was now attached to the Imperial army in an honorable
capacity, and in the course of his duties he made the better
acquaintance of some of the higher officers. This was the case in
particular with Lord Ebersberg, who found that the young
Englishman had made a study of those branches of tactics in which
he himself was most interested. These two had many discussions
and on one occasion John imparted to the general some ideas of
signalling which he had gathered from the pages of Polybius. This
particular conversation had an important bearing on the issue of a
great battle at a later date.
 VII.
SOME STRATAGEMS

John marches with the army against the Turks—Helps the commander-in-
chief out of a dilemma—The signal message with torches—“At the alarum,
sally you”—John’s dummy battalions of matchlock men deceive the enemy—
Baron Kissel attacks the Turkish army and routs it with great slaughter
—The campaign in Transylvania—Alba Regalis is attacked—John devises a
scheme for entering the city—His “fiery dragons” work havoc within the
walls—The place is taken by assault after a fierce fight—Sixty thousand
Moslems advance to retake it—John is promoted.

John Smith’s brief experiences in Holland had merely served to

whet his appetite for soldiering. He was now in a fair way to see
fighting of the hardest kind. The year 1601 was drawing to a close.
It had been distinguished by constant conflict of the fiercest
description between the Christian and Turkish armies, with the
advantage on the whole on the side of the latter. The Turks had
ravaged Hungary, had recently taken the important stronghold of
Caniza, and were threatening Ober-Limbach. Lord Ebersberg was
despatched to the defence of that place with a small force, whilst
Baron Kissel followed as soon as possible with an additional body of
ten thousand men, including the Earl of Meldritch’s regiment.
The Baron arrived to find that, although Ebersberg had contrived
to enter the town, its investment was now completed by an army of
twenty thousand Turks, which effectually shut out the intended
reinforcement. The situation was extremely critical, for Ober-
Limbach is but a few miles to the north of Caniza, whence a force of
the enemy might issue at any time and attack the Baron in the rear.
Prompt action was absolutely necessary, but how to act was difficult
to decide upon. To retreat would be to abandon the town and its
garrison to certain capture. To openly attack a strongly posted army
of twice his strength appeared too hazardous for consideration by
the commander. However, something had to be done, and that right
quickly, so it was determined to make an assault under cover of
night when the advantage of numbers would be somewhat lessened.
Indeed, if the co-operation of the garrison could be secured under
such circumstances, the chances of success would be considerable.
But how to communicate with Lord Ebersberg was beyond Baron
Kissel’s conception, for it was practically impossible to pass through
the Turkish lines.
These matters were discussed in a council of the principal officers,
and when he returned to his tent the Earl of Meldritch explained the
situation to the young ensign who was upon his staff and of whose
good sense and knowledge he began to entertain a high estimate.
When John understood the dilemma in which the Commander-in-
Chief was placed, he expressed a belief that he could convey a
message to Lord Ebersberg, provided it was short and simple. To the
astonished Earl he related his conversation with the German general
on the subject of signalling which had not yet found a place in the
tactics of European armies. John had no doubt that Lord Ebersberg
would remember the simple code of signals which he had suggested
to him, since he had shown a keen interest in the matter. The Earl
immediately informed the Commander-in-Chief of his young
subordinate’s idea, and the Baron wrote a message which was, if
possible, to be transmitted to the garrison.
As soon as darkness had set in, John, accompanied by the
principal officers of the army, who were of course deeply interested
in the trial, made his way to the top of a hill which overlooked the
town. He was supplied with a number of torches by means of which
he proposed to send to Lord Ebersberg the following despatch:
“Tomorrow at night I will charge on the east; at the alarum sally
you. Kissel.” As a first step, which would answer to the “call up”
signal of modern heliographers, three lighted torches were fixed at
equal distances apart and left exposed, awaiting the answer from
the other end to indicate that the signal was understood and that
the receivers were on the alert to take the message. The minutes
lengthened into a quarter-hour, into a half, and at length a full hour
had slowly dragged by without any sign from the garrison. The
torches burnt low and the disappointed officers turned to leave the
spot. A captain laughed derisively, but was sternly checked by the
Earl of Meldritch.
“The fault is not with the lad,” he said. “He hath done his part but
I fear the essay goes for nought.”
“Nay,” replied John promptly, “Lord Ebersberg hath not seen my
lights, else he would have understood. Yonder sentries be dullards.
The next relief may bring one of sharper wit and the general will
surely make the round of the ramparts before he seeks his couch. I
keep my torches burning though it be through the night.”
With that he set up three fresh lights and folded his arms with an
air of quiet determination.
The young soldier’s confidence infected his colonel and though the
others departed hopeless of the experiment, the Earl remained with
John. They had not long to wait for a reward of their patience.
Hardly had the party of doubters reached the bottom of the hill
when three torches set in a row appeared upon the ramparts of the
besieged town. They were surely in answer to his signal, but in order
to be certain John lowered his lights. The others were immediately
lowered and again set up in response to a similar action on his part.
He now proceeded to send the message in German which was the
native language of the general and the tongue in which he had
conversed with John.
The letters of the alphabet were indicated in a very simple manner
and on the principle that is employed at this day in heliographing or
in signalling with lamps. Two of the standing lights were
extinguished. The letters were made by alternately showing and
hiding a torch a certain number of times to the left or right of the