"Grand, Mr Anderson," said the captain, after a time. But his first
words had come pouring out like a storm of blame, which gave the first
lieutenant no opportunity to report what he had done. "Yes: could not
be better sir. There, we are going to capture a slaver at last!"
"Yes, sir, if we have luck; and to stamp out one of the strongholds of
the accursed trade."
Then the captain became silent, and stood thoughtfully looking over the
side at the indiarubber planter's lugger.
"Humph!" he ejaculated, at last. "Rather a serious risk to run, to
trust to this stranger and make him our guide."
"So it struck me, sir, as I told you," said the lieutenant.
"Let me see, Mr Anderson, did you tell me that?"
"Yes, sir, if you will recall it."
"Humph! Yes, I suppose you did. But I was thinking. Suppose he plays
us false."
"Why should he, sir?"
"To be sure, why should he, Mr Anderson? All the same, we must be
careful."
Meanwhile, Murray was being cross-examined by his brother midshipman,
who looked out of temper, and expressed himself sourly upon coming
aboard.
"You have all the luck," he said. "You drop into all the spirited
adventures, while I am packed off with prosy old Munday."
"Oh, nonsense! It is all chance. But didn't you see anything, old
chap?"
"Yes--muddy water; dingy mangroves; the tail of a croc as the filthy
reptile slid off the tree roots into the water. That was all, while
there I was cooking in the heat, and listening to old Munday prose,
prose, prose, till I dropped off to sleep, when the disagreeable beggar
woke me up, to bully me about neglecting my duty, and told me that I
should never _get to_ be a smart officer if I took so little interest in
my profession that I could not keep awake when out on duty."
"Well, it did seem hard, Dick, when he sent you off to sleep. I
couldn't have kept awake, I know."
"I'm sure you couldn't. But there: bother! You couldn't help getting
all the luck."
"No; and you are going to share it now."
"Not so sure, Frank. As like as not the skipper will send me away in a
boat to watch some hole where the slaver might slip out. So this Yankee
is going to act as pilot and lead us up the river to where the schooner
is hiding?"
"Yes, and to show us the chief's town, and the place where he collects
the poor unfortunate blacks ready for being shipped away to the Spanish
plantations."
"My word, it's fine!" cried Roberts excitedly. "And hooroar, as Tom May
has it. Why, the lads will be half mad with delight."
"And enough to make them," said Murray. "But I say, how does it strike
you?"
"As being glorious. Franky, old fellow, if it wasn't for the look of
the thing I could chuck up my cap and break out into a hornpipe. Dance
it without music."
"To the delight of the men, and make Anderson or Munday say that it was
not like the conduct of an officer and a gentleman."
"Yes, that's the worst of it. But though of course we're men now--"
"Midshipmen," said Murray drily.
"Don't sneer, old chap! And don't interrupt when I'm talking."
"Say on, O sage," said the lad.
"I was going to say that of course, though we are men now, one does feel
a bit of the boy sometimes, and as if it was pleasant now and then to
have a good lark." As the young fellow spoke he passed his hand
thoughtfully over his cheeks and chin. "What are you grinning at?" he
continued.
"Not grinning, old fellow; it was only a smile."
"Now, none of your gammon. You were laughing at me."
"Oh! Nothing!" said Murray, with the smile deepening at the corners of
his mouth.
"There you go again!" cried Roberts. "Who's to keep friends with you,
Frank Murray, when you are always trying to pick a quarrel with a
fellow?"
"What, by smiling?"
"No, by laughing at a fellow and then pretending you were not. Now
then, what was it?"
"Oh, all right; I only smiled at you about your shaving so carefully
this morning."
"How did you know I shaved this morning?" cried the midshipman,
flushing.
"You told me so."
"That I'll swear I didn't."
"Not with your lips, Dicky--_Dick_--but with your fingers."
"Oh! Bother! I never did see such a fellow as you are to spy out
things," cried Roberts petulantly.
"Not spy, old chap. I only try to put that and that together, and I
want you to do the same. So you think this is all glorious about yonder
planter chap piloting us to the slaver's place?"
"Of course! Don't you?"
"Well, I don't know, Dick," said Murray, filling his forehead with
wrinkles.
"Oh, I never did see such a fellow for pouring a souse of cold water
down a fellow's back," cried Roberts passionately. "You don't mean to
say that you think he's a fraud?"
"Can't help thinking something of the kind, old man."
"Oh!" ejaculated Roberts. "I say, here, tell us what makes you think
so."
"He's too easy and ready, Dick," said Murray, throwing off his ordinary
merry ways and speaking seriously and with his face full of thought.
"But what does Anderson say to it?"
"He seemed to be suspicious once, but it all passed off, and then the
skipper when he heard everything too talked as if he had his doubts.
But now he treats it as if it is all right, and we are to follow this
American chap wherever he leads us."
"Yes, to-morrow morning, isn't it?"
"No, Dick; to-night."
"To-night--in the dark?"
"I suppose so."
"Oh!" said Roberts thoughtfully, and he began to shave himself with his
finger once more, but without provoking the faintest smile from his
companion. "I say, Franky, I don't like that."
"No; neither do I, Dick."
"It does seem like putting ourselves into his hands," continued Roberts
thoughtfully. "Oh, but I don't know," he continued, as if snatching at
anything that told for the success of the expedition; "you know what
Anderson often tells us."
"I know what he says sometimes about our being thoughtless boys."
"Yes, that's what I mean, old fellow; and it isn't true, for I think a
deal about my duties, and as for you--you're a beggar to think, just
like the monkey who wouldn't speak for fear he should be set to work."
"Thanks for the compliment," said Murray drily.
"Oh, you know what I mean. But I suppose we can't think so well now as
we shall by and by. I mean, older fellows can think better, and I
suppose that the skipper and old Anderson really do know better than we
do. It will be all right, old fellow. They wouldn't let themselves be
led into any trap; and besides, look at the Yankee--I mean, look at his
position; he must be sharp enough."
"Oh yes, he's sharp enough," said Murray. "Hear him talk, and you'd
think he was brought up on pap made of boiled-down razor-strops."
"Well, then, he must know well enough that if he did the slightest thing
in the way of playing fast and loose with us, he'd get a bullet through
his head."
"Yes--if he wasn't too sharp for us."
"Oh, it will be all right," cried Roberts. "Don't be too cautious,
Franky. Put your faith in your superior officers; that's the way to
succeed."
"Then you think I am too cautious here, Dick?"
"Of course I do," cried Roberts, patting his brother middy on the
shoulder. "It will be all right, so don't be dumpy. I feel as if we
are going to have a fine time of it."
"Think we shall have any fighting?"
"Afraid not; but you do as I do. I mean to get hold of a cutlass and
pistols. I'm not going to risk my valuable life with nothing to
preserve it but a ridiculous dirk. Don't you be downhearted and think
that the expedition is coming to grief."
"Not I," said Murray cheerily. "I suppose it's all right; but I
couldn't help thinking what I have told you. I wish I didn't think such
things; but it's a way I have."
"Yes," said his companion, "and any one wouldn't expect it of you,
Franky, seeing what a light-hearted chap you are. It's a fault in your
nature, a thing you ought to correct. If you don't get over it you'll
never make a dashing officer."
"Be too cautious, eh?" said Murray good-humouredly.
"That's it, old chap. Oh, I say, though, I wish it was nearly night,
and that we were going off at once. But I say, where's the Yankee?"
"What!" cried Murray, starting. "Isn't he alongside in his boat?"
"No; didn't you see? He came aboard half-an-hour ago. Old Bosun
Dempsey fetched him out of his lugger; and look yonder, you croaking old
cock raven. We always have one jolly as sentry at the gangway, don't
we?"
"Of course."
"Very well, look now; there are two loaded and primed ready for any
pranks the lugger men might play; and there are the two cutters ready
for lowering down at a moment's notice, and it wouldn't take long for
Dempsey to fizzle out his tune on his pipe and send the crews into
them."
"Bah! Pish! Pooh! and the rest of it. What do you mean by that?
Look, the lugger is a fast sailer."
"Well, I dare say she is, but one of our little brass guns can send
balls that sail through the air much faster. So drop all those dismal
prophecies and damping thoughts about danger. Our officers know their
way about and have got their eyes open. The skipper knows about
everything, and what he doesn't know bully Anderson tells him. It's all
right, Franky. Just look at the lads! Why, there's Tom May smiling as
if he'd filled his pockets full of prize money."
"Yes," assented Murray, "and the other lads have shaped their phizzes to
match. But let's get closer to the lugger."
"What for?" said Roberts sharply.
"To have a good look at her Indiarubber-cultivating crew."
"Not I!" cried Roberts. "If we go there you'll begin to see something
wrong again, and begin to croak."
"No, no; honour bright! If I do think anything, I won't say a word."
"I'd better keep you here out of temptation," said Roberts dubiously.
"Nonsense! It's all right, I tell you. There, come along."