I now accompanied him to the "Triton," carrying with us the surviving
officers of the slaver. They were treated with scant ceremony, but
without any undue harshness, on board, and berthed together in a cabin
run up on the lower deck. I was, however, able to speak a good word for
the officer who had treated me kindly, and been the means of saving my
life, and I was pleased to hear the captain thank him, and afterwards
the officers, to show their sense of his conduct, invited him to mess
with them. He declined doing so, however. He afterwards told my cousin
Jack that in consequence of the scenes he had witnessed he had resolved
to have nothing more to do with the slave trade.
"It was a great temptation," he said. "I expected to make my fortune in
a short time, and that induced me to engage in the accursed traffic."
The corvette now took the schooner in tow. As soon as the sea was calm
enough hands were sent on board her to rig jury-masts, and a course was
steered for Sierra Leone. The slaver, as may be supposed, was
condemned, the slaves liberated, and the whole of them settled in the
colony. Paul entered on board the "Triton," and I was placed as a
midshipman on her quarter-deck.
We cruised for a short time longer on the coast, and captured another
slaver, and then, as the corvette had been her due time on the station,
she was ordered home.
Jack, from having been at sea, had not heard of the misfortunes of my
family.
As soon as the ship was paid off he insisted on accompanying me and Paul
back to Liverpool. We reached the house where I had left my sisters
under Mammy's care. Flowers bloomed before the windows, and there was
an air of neatness and comfort about the little abode which looked very
pleasing.
I begged Jack and Paul to remain outside while I went in to prepare the
inmates for their arrival. Mammy opened the door. She seized me in her
arms the moment she saw me, and I did not at all mind the kisses she
bestowed on my cheeks, though her lips were thick and her black face
shrivelled.
"Your sisters up stairs, Massa Harry. They so glad you come back," she
exclaimed, and dragged me along. She opened the door where they were
seated at work.
"I have brought some strangers to see you," I said, after our greetings
were over. "You remember our cousin Jack Haultaught; he insisted on
coming, he is a first-rate capital fellow, and a true friend of mine."
"We shall be very glad to see him and to thank him," said Mary and Jane
together.
"And I shall be delighted," cried Emily. "I recalled his giving me all
sorts of curious things when he came back from his first voyage. I'll
run down and ask him in."
"Mammy," I said, feeling very doubtful how I could best prepare her for
meeting her son. "You remember the commission you gave me, I did my
best to execute it. I asked all the people I met if they knew Cheebo."
"Ah, you no hear of him," said Mammy, with a sigh.
"I did not say that," I answered. "Mammy, you believe that God hears
your prayers."
"Yes, Massa Harry, I am sure He does," she said, and then it seemed to
flash across her that I had something of interest to communicate about
her son.
"You hear of Cheebo, he become Christian, oh say dat, Massa Harry, say
dat."
"Yes, Mammy," I answered, taking her hand, "I not only heard of him, but
I have seen him; and, Mammy, do you think the joy would not be too much
for you if I were to tell you that I hope you will see him too?"
"Oh, he is come! he is come!" exclaimed Mammy.
I made a sign to my sisters to remain with our old nurse, whispering to
Mary that I was going to bring up her long lost son. I hurried down
stairs, and found that Emily had already invited Jack and his companion
into the house. I led Paul to the door, and my sisters slipping out; we
left the old woman and her son together.
And now it is time that I should bring my yarn to a conclusion. Jack
seemed to find Liverpool a very delightful place; and perhaps it may
account for his so doing, when I say that before he went away he asked
my sister Mary to marry him. She did not refuse. Soon afterwards he
got his promotion, which he well deserved for his activity and zeal
during his long service on the African coast.
Through the interest of the captain of the "Triton" I got appointed to a
man-of-war brig on that station, where, being pretty well up to the
tricks of the slavers, I was instrumental in capturing a number of
vessels, and assisting to put down the abominable slave trade. As a
good deal of prize money came into my pocket, I had the gratification of
sending home considerable sums to my sisters. Mammy's joy, when she
found that not only had her son become a Christian, but that her husband
had accepted the truth, was full. She willingly parted with Paul when
she heard of his wish to become a missionary of the gospel. He returned
to Sierra Leone, and after remaining a short time there, went on to
Abeokuta, to labour with others in spreading the glad tidings of
salvation among the dark-skinned sons of Africa.