On this curious embarkation, drifting about amid the remains of the
wrecked ship, there were only the two human figures,--the negro and the
little girl. It is superfluous to say that they were also a portion of
the wreck itself,--other castaways who had, so far, succeeded in saving
themselves from the fearful doom that had overtaken, no doubt, every one
of the wretched beings composing the _cargo_ of the slaver.
The negro upon the raft, though black as the blackest of his unfortunate
countrymen, was not among the number of those who had been carried as
_freight_. On the contrary, he was one of the crew,--the lord of the
caboose, and known upon the slave-bark by the satirical _soubriquet_ of
"Snowball."
Although originally a slave from Africa, and by race a Coromantee,
Snowball had long been in the enjoyment of his liberty; and, as cook or
steward, had seen service in scores of ships, and circumnavigated the
globe in almost every latitude where circumnavigation was possible.
Though not naturally of a wicked disposition, he was by no means
particular as to the company he kept, or the sort of ship he sailed
in,--so long as the wages were good and the store-room well supplied;
and as these conditions are usually found on board of a slaver, it was
not Snowball's first voyage in a vessel of the kind. It is true that he
had never sailed in company with a more ribald crew than that of the
_Pandora_; but it is only justice to say, that, long before the fatal
interruption of that voyage, even he had become tired of their
companionship, and had been almost as eager to get away from the ship as
Ben Brace or little William.
He, too, had been deterred from attempting to escape while upon the
African coast, by the knowledge that such an attempt would have been
worse than idle. In all likelihood it would have ended in his being
captured by his own countrymen,--or, at all events, by people of his own
colour,--and sold once more into that very slavery from which he had
formerly succeeded in emancipating himself.
Though Snowball's morality was far from being immaculate, there was one
virtue which he was not wanting,--gratitude. But for the possession of
this, he might have been alone upon the raft, and, perhaps, less caring
in what direction the winds and waves might carry him. As it was, his
sole thought and anxiety was about his little companion, whose safety
was as dear to him as his own.
It will be asked why Snowball felt this unselfish solicitude. The child
could not be his own? Complexion, features, everything forbade the
supposition that there could be anything of kinship between her and her
sable protector.
Nor was there the slightest. On the contrary, the little girl was the
daughter of one who had once been Snowball's greatest enemy,--the man
who had sold him into slavery; but who had afterwards won the negro's
gratitude by restoring to him his freedom. This person had formerly
owned a trading fort on the coast of Africa, but of late years had been
a resident of Rio in Brazil. His daughter, born in the former country,
previous to his leaving it, was crossing the great ocean to rejoin him
in his new home in the western world. Hence her presence on board the
_Pandora_, where she had been a passenger under the protection of
Snowball.
And well had the negro performed his duty as protector. When all the
others had forsaken the ship, and the flames were fast spreading over
her decks, the faithful negro had gone below, and, rousing the girl from
her sleep,--for she had been slumbering unconscious of the danger,--had
borne her amidst flames and smoke, at the imminent risk of his own life,
and passing through the cabin windows with his burden in his arms, he
had dropped down into the sea under the stern of the burning bark.
Being an excellent swimmer, he had kept afloat for some minutes,
sustaining both himself and his burden by his own strength; but after a
while he succeeded in clutching on to the davit-tackle by which the gig
had been let down into the water, and having passed his foot through a
loop in the end of it, he remained half suspended, half afloat on the
water. Soon after came the explosion, caused by the ignition of the
gunpowder; and as the vessel was blown to pieces, the sea around became
strewed with fragments of shattered timber, cabin furniture, sea-chests,
and the like. Laying hold on those pieces that were nearest, he
succeeded in forming a rude sort of raft, upon which he and his
_protege_ were enabled to pass the remainder of the night.
When morning dawned, Snowball and the little Lalee--such was the name of
the child--were the only beings who appeared to have survived the
catastrophe,--the wretched creatures who at the last moment had escaped
from the "'tween-decks" were no longer in existence.
Having been brought from the interior of the African continent,--and
from a district where there are no great lakes or rivers,--but few of
them could swim; and those few had become the prey of the sharks, that
in scores were swimming around the frail craft. As the sun rose over
the ocean, and lit up the scene of that terrible tragedy, Snowball saw
not a living creature save his own _protege_, the sharks, and their
satellites.
The negro knew, however, that the _Pandora's_ own people had escaped.
He had witnessed the clandestine departure of the gig, containing the
skipper and his confederates.
This he had seen, while gazing through the windows of the cabin,
previous to launching himself upon that last desperate leap. He had
also been a witness to the departure of the great raft carrying the
crew.
It may appear strange that he did not swim towards it, and share the
fortunes of his former associates. Why he did not do so is easily
explained. By an accident, arising from his own negligence, the ship
had been set on fire. He was aware of this; and he knew also that both
captain and crew were equally cognisant of the fact. The former, just
after the discovery, assisted by the brutal mate, had administered to
him (Snowball) such a chastisement as he would not soon forget; while
the crew, on becoming acquainted with the circumstance, were upon the
point of tossing him into the sea; and would no doubt have carried their
design into execution, but for the presence of the appalling danger
impelling them to look to their own safety. The negro knew, therefore,
that, were he to seek safety on the great raft, it would only be to
throw himself into merciless hands, certain to spurn him back with
vengeful indignation, or fling him into the jaws of the hideous monsters
already swimming around the ship, and quartering the sea in every
direction.
For this reason had Snowball chosen to trust to his own strength,--to
chance,--to anything rather than the mercy of his old associates, with
whom, for a long period past, he had been far from a favourite.
Perhaps it had turned out for the best. Had he succeeded in reaching
the great raft, and been permitted to share with its occupants their
chances of safety, it is more than probable that the little Lalee might
have become the victim of that horrid attempt from which the little
William had so narrowly escaped!