The first cutter had the wind in her favour and glided northward mile
after mile along a shore thickly covered with the peculiar growth of the
mangrove, those dense bird-affecting, reptile-haunted coverts, whose
sole use seems to be that of keeping the muddy soil of the West Afric
shores from being washed away.
The heat was terrible, and the men were congratulating themselves on the
fact that the wind held out and saved them from the painful task of
rowing hard in the blistering sunshine.
Murray's duty was to handle the tiller lines as he sat in the stern
sheets beside the first lieutenant, and after being out close upon three
hours he began to feel that he could keep awake no longer--for his
companion sat silent and stern, his gaze bent upon the dark green shore,
searching vainly for the hidden opening--and in a half torpid state the
midshipman was about to turn to his silent companion and ask to be
relieved of the lines, when he uttered a gasp of thankfulness, and,
forgetting discipline, gripped the officer by the knee.
"What the something, Mr Murray, do you mean by that?" cried the
lieutenant angrily.
"Look!" was the reply, accompanied by a hand stretched out with pointing
index finger.
"Stand by, my lads, ready to pull for all you know," cried the
lieutenant. "The wind may drop at any moment. You, Tom May, take a
pull at that sheet; Mr Murray, tighten that port line. That's better;
we must cut that lugger off. Did you see where she came out?"
"Not quite, sir," said Murray, as he altered the boat's course a trifle,
"but it must have been close hereabouts. What are you going to do,
sir?"
"Do, my lad? Why, take her and make the master or whatever he is, act
as guide."
"I see, sir. Then you think he must have come out of the river where
the schooner has taken refuge?"
"That's what I think," said the lieutenant grimly; "and if I am right I
fancy the captain will not be quite so hard upon us as he has been of
late."
"It will be a glorious triumph for us--I mean for you, sir," said Murray
hurriedly.
"Quite right, Mr Murray," said his companion, smiling. "I can well
afford to share the honours with you, for I shall have owed it to your
sharp eyes. But there, don't let's talk. We must act and strain every
nerve, for I'm doubtful about that lugger; she sails well and may escape
us after all."
Murray set his teeth as he steered so as to get every foot of speed
possible out of the cutter, while, sheet in hand, Tom May sat eagerly
watching the steersman, ready to obey the slightest sign as the boat's
crew sat fast with the oars in the rowlocks ready to dip together and
pull for all they were worth, should the wind fail.
"That's good, my lads," said the lieutenant--"most seamanlike. It's a
pleasure to command such a crew."
There was a low hissing sound as of men drawing their breath hard, and
the old officer went on.
"We're not losing ground, Mr Murray," he said.
"No, sir; gaining upon her, I think."
"So do I--think, Mr Murray," said the lieutenant shortly, "but I'm not
sure. Ah, she's changing her course," he added excitedly, "and we shall
lose her. Oh, these luggers, these luggers! How they can skim over the
waves! Here, marines," he said sharply, as he turned to a couple of the
rifle-armed men who sat in the stern sheets, "be ready to send a shot
through the lugger's foresail if I give the order; the skipper may
understand what I mean." And the speaker, sat frowning heavily at the
lightly-built lugger they were following. "I don't see what more I can
do, Mr Murray."
"No, sir," said the midshipman hoarsely. "Oh, give the order, sir--pray
do! We mustn't lose that boat."
"Fire!" said the lieutenant sharply; and one marine's rifle cracked,
while as the smoke rose lightly in the air Murray uttered a low cry of
exultation.
"Right through the foresail, sir, and the skipper knows what we mean."
"Yes, capital! Good shot, marine."
The man's face shone with pleasure as he thrust in a fresh cartridge
before ramming it down, and the crew looked as if they were panting to
give out a loud cheer at the success of the lieutenant's manoeuvre, for
the little lugger, which was just beginning to creep away from them
after a change in her course, now obeyed a touch of her helm and bore
round into the wind till the big lug sails shivered and she gradually
settled down to rock softly upon the long heaving swell that swept in
landward.
As the cutter neared, Murray noted that the strange boat was manned by a
little crew of keen-looking blacks, not the heavy, protuberant-lipped,
flat-nosed, West Coast "niggers," but men of the fierce-looking tribes
who seem to have come from the east in the course of ages and have
preserved somewhat of the Arabic type and its keen, sharp intelligence
of expression.
But the midshipman had not much time for observation of the little crew,
his attention being taken up directly by the dramatic-looking entrance
upon the scene of one who was apparently the skipper or owner of the
lugger, and who had evidently been having a nap in the shade cast by the
aft lugsail, and been awakened by the shot to give the order which had
thrown the lugger up into the wind.
He surprised both the lieutenant and Murray as he popped into sight to
seize the side of his swift little vessel and lean over towards the
approaching cutter, as, snatching off his wide white Panama hat, he
passed one duck-covered white arm across his yellowish-looking hairless
face and shouted fiercely and in a peculiar twang--
"Here, I say, you, whoever you are, do you know you have sent a bullet
through my fores'l?"
"Yes, sir. Heave to," said the lieutenant angrily.
"Wal, I have hev to, hevn't I, sirr? But just you look here; I don't
know what you thought you was shooting at, but I suppose you are a
Britisher, and I'm sure your laws don't give you leave to shoot peaceful
traders to fill your bags."
"That will do," said the lieutenant sternly. "What boat's that?"
"I guess it's mine, for I had it built to my order, and paid for it.
Perhaps you wouldn't mind telling me what your boat is and what you was
shooting at?"
"This is the first cutter of Her Majesty's sloop of war _Seafowl_," said
the lieutenant sternly, "and--"
But the American cut what was about to be said in two by crying in his
sharp nasal twang--
"Then just you look here, stranger; yew've got hold of a boat as is just
about as wrong as it can be for these waters. I've studied it and
ciphered it out, and I tell yew that if yew don't look out yew'll be
took by one of the waves we have off this here coast, and down yew'll
go. I don't want to offend yew, mister, for I can see that yew're an
officer, but I tell yew that yew ought to be ashamed of yewrself to
bring your men along here in such a hen cock-shell as that boat of
yourn."
"Why, it's as seaworthy as yours, sir," said the lieutenant
good-humouredly.
"Not it, mister; and besides, I never go far from home in mine."
"From home!" said the lieutenant keenly. "Where do you call home?"
"Yonder," said the American, with a jerk of his head. "You ain't got no
home here, and it's a mercy that you haven't been swamped before now.
Where have you come from?--the Cape?"
"No," said the lieutenant; "but look here, sir, what are you, and what
are you doing out here?"
"Sailing now," said the American.
"But when you are ashore?"
"Rubber," said the man.
"What, trading in indiarubber?"
"Shall be bimeby. Growing it now--plantation."
"Oh," said the lieutenant, looking at the speaker dubiously. "Where is
your plantation?"
"Up the creek yonder," replied the American, with another nod of his
head towards the coast.
"Oh," said the lieutenant quietly; "you have a plantation, have you, for
the production of rubber, and you work that with slaves?"
"Ha, ha, ha, ha!" laughed the American, showing a set of very yellow
teeth. "That's what you're after, then? I see through you now,
cyaptain. You're after slave-traders."
"Perhaps so; and you confess yourself to be one," said the lieutenant.
"Me?" said the American, laughing boisterously again. "Hev another try,
cyaptain. Yew're out this time. Ketch me trying to work a plantation
with West Coast niggers! See those boys o' mine?"
"Yes; I see your men," replied the lieutenant.
"Them's the stuff I work with. Pay 'em well and they work well. No
work, no pay. Why, one of those fellows'd do more work for me in a day
than one of the blacks they come here to buy up could do in a week."
"Then slave-traders come here to buy, eh?"
"Yes, they do," replied the man, "but 'tain't none of my business. They
don't interfere with me, and I don't interfere with them. Plenty of
room here for both. Yew're after them, then?"
"Yes," said the lieutenant frankly.
"Phew!" whistled the man, giving his knees a slap. "Why, you'll be
after the schooner that came into this river this morning?"
"Possibly," said the lieutenant, while Murray felt his blood thrill in
his veins with the excitement of the position. "What schooner was it?"
"Smart sailing craft, with long rakish masts?"
"Yes, yes," said the lieutenant; "I know all about that. A slaver, eh?"
The American half shut his eyes as he peered out of their corners at the
British officer, and a queer smile puckered up his countenance.
"Slaving ain't lawful, is it, mister?" he said.
"You answer my question," said the lieutenant testily.
"Means confiscation, don't it?"
"And that is not an answer," cried the lieutenant angrily.
"Yew making a prize of that theer smart schooner from her top-masts down
to her keel, eh?"
"Will you reply to what I say?" cried the lieutenant. "Is she a
slaver?"
"Lookye here, mister," said the American, grinning. "S'pose I say
_yes_, you'll jest confiscate that there schooner when her skipper and
her crew slips over the side into the boats and pulls ashore."
"Perhaps I may," said the lieutenant shortly.
"Exackly so, mister. Then you sails away with her for a prize, eh?"
"Possibly," said the lieutenant coldly.
"And what about me?"
"Well, what about you?"
"I can't pull back to my rubber plantations and sail them away, can I?"
"I do not understand you, sir," said the lieutenant sharply.
"No, and you don't care to understand me, mister. `No,' says you, `it's
no business of mine about his pesky injyrubby fields.'"
"Why should it be, sir?" said the lieutenant shortly.
"Exackly so, mister; but it means a deal to me. How shall I look after
you're gone when the slaver's skipper--"
"Ah!" cried Murray excitedly. "Then she is a slaver!"
The American's eyes twinkled as he turned upon the young man.
"Yew're a sharp 'un, yew are," he said, showing his yellow teeth. "Did
I say she was a slaver?"
"Yes, you did," cried Murray.
"Slipped out then because your boss began saying slaver, I suppose.
That was your word and I give it to yew back again. I want to live
peaceable like on my plantation and make my dollahs out of that there
elastic and far-stretching projuice of the injyrubbery trees. That's my
business, misters, and I'm not going to take away any man's crackter."
"You have given me the clue I want, sir," said the lieutenant, "and it
is of no use for you to shirk any longer from telling me the plain truth
about what is going on up this river or creek."
"Oh, isn't it, mister officer? Perhaps I know my business better than
you can tell me. I dessay yew're a very smart officer, but I could give
you fits over growing rubber, and I'm not going to interfere with my
neighbours who may carry on a elastic trade of their own in black rubber
or they may not. 'Tain't my business. As I said afore, or was going to
say afore when this here young shaver as hain't begun to shave yet put
his oar in and stopped me, how should I look when yew'd gone and that
half-breed black and yaller Portygee schooner skipper comes back with
three or four boat-loads of his cut-throats and says to me in his bad
language that ain't nayther English, 'Murrican, nor nothing else but
hashed swearing, `Look here,' he says, `won't injyrubber burn like fire,
eh?' `Yes,' I says, civil and smooth, `it is rayther rum-combustible.'
`So I thought,' he says. `Well, you've been letting that tongue of
yours go running along and showing those cusses of Britishers where I
anchor my boat and load up with plantation stuff for the West Injies; so
jes' look here,' he sez, `I've lost thousands o' dollars threw yew, and
so I'm just going to make yew pay for it by burning up your plantations
and putting a stop to your trade, same as yew've put a stop to mine. I
shan't hurt yew, because I'm a kind-hearted gentle sorter man, but I
can't answer for my crew. I can't pay them, because yew've took my ship
and my marchandise, so I shall tell them they must take it outer yew.
And they will, stranger. I don't say as they'll use their knives over
the job, and I don't say as they won't, but what I do say is that I
shouldn't like to be yew.' There, Mister Officer, that's about what's
the matter with me, and now yew understand why I don't keer about
meddling with my neighbours' business."
"Yes, I understand perfectly," said the lieutenant, "but I want you to
see that it is your duty to help to put a stop to this horrible traffic
in human beings. Have you no pity for the poor blacks who are made
prisoners, and are dragged away from their homes to be taken across the
sea and sold like so many cattle?"
"Me? Pity! Mister, I'm full of it. I'm sorry as sorrow for the poor
niggers, and whenever I know that yon schooner is loading up with black
stuff I shuts my eyes and looks t'other way."
"Indeed!" cried Murray. "And pray how do you manage to do that?"
"Why, ain't I telling on you, youngster? I shuts my eyes so as I can't
see."
"Then how can you look another way?"
The American displayed every tooth in his head and winked at the
lieutenant.
"Yew've got a sharp 'un here, mister. I should keep him covered up, or
shut him up somehow, 'fore he cuts anybody or himself. But yew
understand what I mean, mister, and I dessay you can see now why I feel
it my business to be very sorry for the black niggers, but more sorry
for myself and my people. I don't want to be knifed by a set o' hangdog
rubbish from all parts o' the world. I'm a peaceable man, mister, but
you're a cap'en of a man-o'-war, I suppose?"
"Chief officer," said the lieutenant.
"And what's him?" said the American, jerking his thumb over his shoulder
in the direction of the midshipman. "Young chief officer?"
"Junior officer."
"Oh, his he? Well, I tell you what: yew both go and act like
men-o'-war. Sail up close to that schooner, fire your big guns, and
send her to the bottom of the river."
"And what about the poor slaves?" said Murray excitedly.
"Eh, the black stuff?" said the American, scratching his chin with his
forefinger. "Oh, I forgot all about them. Rather bad for them, eh,
mister?"
"Of course," said the lieutenant. "No, sir, that will not do. I want
to take the schooner, and make her captain and crew prisoners."
"Yew'll have to look slippery then, mister. But what about the
niggers?"
"I shall take them with the vessel to Lagos or some other port where a
prize court is held, and the judge will no doubt order the best to be
done with them."
"Which means put an end to the lot, eh?" said the American.
"Bah! Nonsense!" cried Murray indignantly.
"Is it, young mister? Well, I didn't know. It ain't my business. Yew
go on and do what's right. It's your business. I don't keer so long as
I'm not mixed up with it. I've on'y got one life, and I want to take
keer on it. Now we understand one another?"
"Not quite," said the lieutenant.
"Why, what is there as yew can't take in?"
"Nothing," said the lieutenant. "I quite see your position, and that
you do not wish to run any risks with the slaver captain and his men."
"Not a cent's worth if I can help it."
"And quite right, sir," said the lieutenant; "but I take it that you
know this slaver skipper by sight?"
"Oh, yes, I know him, mister--quite as much as I want to."
"And you know where he trades to?"
"West Injies."
"No, no; I mean his place here."
"Oh, you mean his barracks and sheds where the chief stores up all the
black stuff for him to come and fetch away?"
"Yes, that's it," cried Murray excitedly.
"Have the goodness to let me conclude this important business, Mr
Murray," said the lieutenant coldly.
"I beg your pardon, sir," said Murray, turning scarlet; "I was so
excited."
"That's one for you, mister young chief officer," said the American,
grinning at the midshipman, and then turning to the lieutenant. "These
young uns want sitting upon a bit sometimes, eh, mister?"
"Look here, sir," said the lieutenant, ignoring the remark; "just listen
to me. I want you to guide me and my men to the foul nest of this
slave-trader and the town of the black chief."
The American shook his head.
"You need not shrink, for you will be under the protection of the
English Government."
"That's a long way off, mister."
"But very far-reaching, sir," continued the lieutenant, "and I promise
you full protection for all that you do. Why, surely, man, you will be
able to cultivate your plantation far more peacefully and with greater
satisfaction with the river cleared of this abominable traffic."
"Well, if you put it in that way, mister, I should," said the man, "and
that's a fine range of rich land where the black chief has his people
and their huts. I could do wonders with that bit if I could hold it
safely. The rubber I'd plant there would be enough to--"
"Rub out all the black marks that the slave-trade has made."
"Very good, Mr Murray," said the lieutenant, smiling pleasantly, "but
this is no time to try and be smart."
"Eh?" said the American. "Was that what he was aiming at? I didn't
understand; but I tell yew that there is about a mile of rich syle there
which if I had I could make it projuice a fortune."
"Look here, sir," said the lieutenant, "I have no doubt about the
possibility of your being helped by the British Government to take
possession of such a tract after we have done with it."
"Why, you don't mean, Mister Chief Officer, that you will let your
British Lion put his paw upon it and stick to it till you've done with
it, as you say?"
"No, no, no," said the lieutenant, smiling. "I mean that the British
Lion will put its paw upon the horrible settlement in this way and will
root out the traffic, and we shall only be too glad to encourage the
rise of a peaceful honest culture such as you are carrying on."
"You mean then that you'll root out the slaves and burn the chief's
town?"
"Most certainly," said the lieutenant. "And help me to get hold of that
there land?"
"I believe I may promise that."
"And take care that the Portygee slaver cock has his comb cut so as he
dursen't meddle with me?"
"I feel sure that all this will follow if you help us to capture the
slaver, and point out where the abominable traffic is carried on."
"Shake on it," said the American, thrusting out a thin yellow hand with
unpleasantly long nails.
"Shake hands upon the compact?" said the lieutenant good-humouredly.
"Very good;" and he gave the yellow hand a good manly grip.
"Then I'm on!" cried the man effusively. "But look here, yew're in this
too;" and he stretched out his hand to Murray. "Yew're a witness to all
your chief said."
"Oh, all right," said Murray, and he let the long, thin, unpleasantly
cold and dank fingers close round his hand, but not without a feeling of
disgust which was expressed by the making of a grimace as soon as the
American turned to the lieutenant again.
"That's settled, then," said the latter, "so go on at once and lead
while we follow."
"What!" said the American, with a look of wonder.
"I say, go on and guide us to the slaver's nest."
"What, just alone like this here?"
"Yes, of course. You see we are well-armed and ready to board and take
the schooner at once. Fire will destroy the chief's town."
"Well, you do 'maze me," said the American, showing his teeth.
"What do you mean?" said the lieutenant sternly. "Are you going to draw
back?"
"Not me, mister. That's a bargain," said the man, grinning. "I mean
that you 'maze me, you Englishers do, by your cheek. I don't doubt you
a bit. You mean it, and yew'll dew it. Why, I dessay if yew yewrself
wasn't here this here young shaver of an officer would have a try at it
hisself. You would, wouldn't you, youngster?"
"Why, of course I would," said Murray proudly; and then, feeling afraid
that his assertion might be looked upon as braggadocio, he hastened to
add, "I--I--er--meant to say that I would try, and our brave fellows
would take the prisoners."
"Nay, nay, yew would," said the American. "There ain't nothing to be
ashamed on in being brave, is there, mister?"
"Of course not," said the lieutenant.
"Of course not," said the American; "but look here, sirree, it's no good
to lose brave men by trying to do things that's a bit too strong and
starky for you."
"What, do you mean that the schooner's crew would be too strong for us?"
"Nay, not me, mister. Yew'd chaw them up safe. But there's the black
king; he's got close upon a hundred fighting men, chaps with spears.
He'd fight too, for though they ain't got much brains, these niggers,
he'd know you'd be going to do away with his bread and cheese, as you
may say. No, sirree, I ain't a fighting man; rubber's my line, but I
want to _get_ hold of that bit of syle--make sewer of it, as you may
say; and if I'd got that job to do I should get another boatful of men
if you could. Don't know of a British ship handy, do you?"
"Of course. My captain is off the coast not far away. You did not
suppose that we came alone?"
"Oh, I didn't know, mister. Could you bring your captain then?"
"Yes."
"And another boat?"
"Of course."
"Then if I was you I should tell him to sail up the river."
"What, is there water enough--deep water?" asked the lieutenant.
"Whatcher talking about?" said the man contemptuously. "Why, didn't you
see me sail out?"
The lieutenant shook his head.
"Think o' that!" said the American. "Way in's bit narrer, but as soon
as you get threw the trees you're in a big mighty river you can sail up
for months if yew like. I have heerd that there's some falls somewhere,
but I've never seem 'em. Water enough? My snakes! There's water
enough to make a flood, if you want one, as soon as you get by the
winding bits."
"The river winds?" said the lieutenant.
"Winds? I should think she does! Why, look yonder, mister," continued
the man, pointing. "It's all trees like that for miles. You've got to
get through them."
"Deep water?" asked the lieutenant.
"Orful! On'y it's 'bout as muddy as rivers can be made."
"And you assure me that you could pilot us in and right up to the
slaver's stronghold?"
"Pilot yew? Yew don't want no piloting; all yew've got to do is to sail
up in and out through the big wilderness of trees. Yew wouldn't want no
piloting, but if you undertake to see that I have that chief's land, and
clear him and his black crews away, I'll lay _yew_ off his front door
where you can blow his palm-tree palace all to smithers without losing a
man."
"And what about the slaver?" asked Murray.
"What about her? She'll be lying anchored there, of course."
"With any colleagues?" asked the lieutenant.
"Whatche'r mean--t'others?"
"Yes."
"Not now, mister. There's as many as four or five sometimes, but I only
see her go up the river this time. Yew should have come later on if you
wanted more."
"The slaver is up the river now, then?" said the lieutenant, looking at
the man searchingly.
"Yes, of course," was the reply, as the American involuntarily gave a
look round, and then, as if taking himself to task for an act of folly,
he added laughingly. "If she wasn't up there she'd be out here, and you
can see for yourselves that she ain't."
"You could show us the way in?" said Murray.
"Why, didn't I say I could?" replied the man sharply.
"Yes; but I should like to have a glimpse of her first," said Murray.
"What for, youngster? To let her know that you're coming? You take my
advice, mister, and come upon her sudden like."
The lieutenant gazed intently upon the man.
"Yes; I should like to reconnoitre a bit first. With your assistance we
ought to be able to run our boats close up under the shelter of the
trees and see what she is like."
"See what she's like, mister? Why, like any other schooner. You take
my advice; you'll slip off and fetch your ship, and I'll wait here till
you come back."
Murray looked at the man searchingly, for somehow a sense of doubt began
to trouble him as to the man's trustworthiness, and the lad began to
turn over the position in his mind. For though the man's story seemed
to be reasonable enough, an element of suspicion began to creep in and
he began to long to ask the lieutenant as to what he thought about the
matter.
But he did not speak, for the keen-looking American's eyes were upon
him, and when they shifted it was only for them to be turned upon the
lieutenant.
"Wal," he said at last, "whatcher thinking about, mister?"
"About your running me up to where you could point out the schooner."
"But I don't want to," said the man frankly.
"Why?" asked the lieutenant sharply.
"'Cause I don't want to lose the chance of getting that there mile of
plantation."
"There ought to be no risk, sir, if we were careful."
"I dunno so much about that there, mister. Them slaver chaps always
sleep with one eye open, and there's no knowing what might happen."
"What might happen! What could happen?"
"Nothing; but the skipper might hyste sail and run his craft right up
towards the falls. As I said, I never see them, but there must be falls
to keep this river so full."
"But we could follow him."
"Part of the way p'raps, mister, but he could go in his light craft much
further than you could in a man-o'-war."
"True," said the lieutenant; "you are right."
"Somewhere about," said the man, showing his teeth. "There, you slip
off and fetch your ship, and I'll cruise up and down off the mouth of
the river here so as to make sure that the schooner don't slip off.
She's just as like as not to hyste sail now that the fog's all gone.
She'd have been off before if it hadn't come on as thick as soup. Say,
'bout how far off is your ship?"
"Half-a-dozen miles away," said the lieutenant.
"That ain't far. Why not be off at once?"
"Why not come with us?" asked Murray.
"Ain't I telled yer, youngster? Think I want to come back and find the
schooner gone?"
The lieutenant gazed from the American to the midshipman and back again,
with his doubts here and there, veering like a weather vane, for the
thought would keep attacking him--suppose all this about the slave
schooner was Yankee bunkum, and as soon as he had got rid of them, the
lugger would sail away and be seen no more?
"You won't trust him, will you?" said Murray, taking advantage of a puff
of wind which separated the two boats for a few minutes.
"I can't," said the lieutenant, in a whisper. "I was nearly placing
confidence in him, but your doubt has steered me in the other direction.
Hah!" he added quickly. "That will prove him." And just then the
lugger glided alongside again, and the opportunity for further communing
between the two officers was gone.
"That's what yew have to be on the lookout for, mister, when yew get
sailing out here. Sharp cat's-paws o' wind hot as fire sometimes.
Well, ain't you going to fetch your ship?"
"And what about you?" said the lieutenant.
"Me?" said the man wonderingly, and looking as innocent as a child.
"Yes; where am I to pick you up again?"
"Oh! I'll show you. I'll be hanging just inside one of the mouths of
the river, and then lead yew in when yew get back with yewr ship."
Murray softly pressed his foot against his officer's without seeming to
move, and felt the pressure returned, as if to say--All right; I'm not
going to trust him--and the lieutenant then said aloud--
"But why shouldn't you sail with us as far as our sloop?"
"Ah, why shouldn't I, after all?" said the man. "You might show me your
skipper, and we could talk to him about what we're going to do. All
right; sail away if you like to chance it."
The lieutenant nodded, and a few minutes later the two boats were
gliding about half a mile abreast of the dense mangrove-covered shore in
the direction of the _Seafowl_, and only about fifty yards apart.
"You'll be keeping a sharp lookout for treachery in any shape, sir?"
said Murray, in a low tone.
"The fellow's willingness to fall in with my proposal has disarmed me,
Mr Murray," said the lieutenant quietly, "but all the same I felt bound
to be cautious. I have given the marines orders to be ready to fire at
the slightest sign of an attempt to get away."
"You have, sir? Bravo!" said Murray, in the same low tone, and without
seeming to be talking to his chief if they were observed. "But I did
not hear you speak to the jollies."
"No, Mr Murray; I did not mean you to, and I did not shout. But this
caution is, after all, unnecessary, for there comes the sloop to look
after us. Look; she is rounding that tree-covered headland."
"Better and better, sir!" cried Murray excitedly. "I was beginning to
fidget about the lugger."
"What about her, Mr Murray?"
"Beginning to feel afraid of her slipping away as soon as we were out of
sight."
"You think, then, that the lugger's people might be on the watch?"
"Yes, sir."
"Quite possible," said the lieutenant. "Well, we have her safe now."
"Yes, sir; but won't you heave to and wait?"
"To be sure, yes, Mr Murray; a good idea; and let the sloop sail up to
us?"
"Won't it make the captain storm a bit, sir, and ask sharply why we
didn't make haste and join?"
"Most likely, Mr Murray," said the lieutenant quietly; "but if he does
we have two answers."
"The lugger, sir."
"Yes, Mr Murray, and the discovery of the schooner."
"Waiting to be boarded, sir," said the midshipman.
"Exactly, Mr Murray. Any one make out the second cutter?"
"Ay, ay, sir!" cried Tom May. "There she is, sir--miles astarn of the
_Seafowl_, sir."
"I wish we could signal to her to lay off and on where she is."
"What for, sir?"
"There may be one of the narrow entrances to the great river
thereabouts, and the wider the space we can cover, the greater chance we
shall have of preventing the slaver from stealing away."