There was a fine breeze, and the stranger came boldly on with all sails
set. We, being close under the shore, and our hull being hidden by a
spit of land, could see her without being ourselves discovered. There
were two harbours where we lay, an outer and an inner one; and we were
in hopes that she would come into the inner one and be entrapped. To
our great satisfaction, an Arrapara pilot went out to meet her; and we
knew he would conduct her into the inner harbour. It was a beautiful
sight watching her as she skimmed along the surface, looking larger and
larger as she approached.
"What do you think of her now? She must be the _Emu_!" I exclaimed.
"She may be," said Van Graoul; "but stop till we get her within range of
our guns."
She came quite close. With our glasses we could even distinguish the
people on board. Some of our crew declared that she was the very brig
which had so strangely escaped from us among the Pater Nosters. On she
came under full sail. We were in hopes that she would come directly
into the harbour, when just as she approached it her helm was put down,
her yards braced up, her foresail backed to the mast; and while she lay
to, a boat, which was lowered and manned, was seen to pull towards the
shore.
"Ah, she does not like to come where she may meet honest people,"
observed Van Graoul. "That looks suspicious."
The boat was a large gig, pulled by six oars. She came in, we thought,
to reconnoitre.
"Now, what do you think of seizing the boat, and holding the people as
hostages till they deliver up the ladies?" exclaimed Fairburn. "If she
is honest, we shall run the risk of being accused of committing an act
of piracy; but if she is the _Emu_, our object may thus easily be
obtained."
"By all means; let us seize her. I would run every risk," I answered.
"Yes; we will catch her, if we can," answered Van Graoul.
Our boats were accordingly lowered and commanded. Fairburn commanded
one, and Barlow another, and I took a third, with the intention of
endeavouring to cut her off, and capture her without bloodshed. We lay
in wait, eager for the word to shove off and go in chase. If we found
that we were mistaken, there would be no harm done. The people in the
boat would be a little astonished, and angry perhaps at being taken for
pirates; but the importance of the object was worth the risk, and must
serve as our excuse. We got a spring also on our cable, and every
preparation was made to get under weigh in an instant, and to make sail
in chase, should the brig appear to have taken the alarm. Van Graoul
remained on board in command; and a hand was stationed aloft to watch
the progress of the boat. Our intention was, not to seize her till the
last moment before her people landed, or while half were in the boat and
the others actually stepping on shore. On she came--those in her
evidently either confident in their innocence, or unconscious of an
enemy being near them. The hull of the schooner lay concealed from any
one in the outer part of the harbour. Even were she seen, appearing to
be quietly at anchor, with no one on her decks, she might, we hoped,
fail to excite suspicion. As the boat advanced, we slipped round on the
opposite side of the schooner to conceal ourselves from her sight. Her
crew bent manfully to their oars. In a short time longer we hoped she
would be in our power. The plan arranged was, that Fairburn and Barlow
were to pull directly for her, while I was to proceed down towards the
mouth of the harbour to intercept her, should she attempt to pull back
before they reached her. At first, we hoped that her people would not
suspect that we had any intention of interfering with them. She now had
got so far up, that Van Graoul could see her from the deck; and he, with
his glass in his hand, was the only person that appeared.
"She comes on bravely," he exclaimed. "Pull away, my lads. Ah, you
pull well! We shall soon know what you are made of." He was silent for
a moment. "Ah! she has ceased pulling!" he cried. "They are suspicious
of something. Ah, they are pulling round! It is the _Emu's_ boat. Off
they go again to the vessel. After her; and you may give way, my lads,
in earnest."
There was no necessity for another order; we shoved off in a moment, and
the men bending to their oars, away we all three went in chase. At
first, the stranger's boat was pulling leisurely enough; but when we
were discovered, her crew gave way with all their strength, as if their
lives depended on it. This alone would have convinced us that the brig
was the _Emu_; they probably suspecting the schooner to belong to the
Dutch navy. As we dashed out, we now saw to our chagrin, that the
pirate's boat, for so I will call her, was ahead of us; that is, she was
nearer towards the mouth of the harbour by the time we got into the
fairway, while the brig, which had tacked, had now stood over to the
opposite side to which we were. This gave her a great advantage. We
cheered on our men, and they indeed gave way with a will. I never had
felt so excited. My great object seemed near of attainment, should Eva
and Mrs Clayton be on board the brig, and should we succeed in
capturing the boat. Every nerve was strained to the utmost. I was
influenced by the most powerful of feelings, and my crew zealously
entered into them. The pirates were working for their liberties and
their lives. The water flew hissing from the bows of the boat, and
leaped in spray from the blades of our oars as they clove the surface.
"Give way, my lads! give way!" was the cry we all uttered. "Give way;
we are gaining on them. Huzza! huzza!"
It was, however, a question whether we were really gaining on them. Our
excitement made us fancy we were. We were armed all this time, it must
be remembered; but we could not venture to fire on the boat, for
although we had no doubt that the brig in the offing was the _Emu_, and
that she belonged to her, we had not the proof the law requires. The
moment Van Graoul saw the pirate's boat turn tail, he slipped his cable,
and, making sail, stood after us. We had thus two chances. If the boat
got on board the brig before we could overtake her, we might still
follow in the schooner with a prospect of success. The boat held her
own. It became a matter of great doubt whether we should overtake her.
An oar might break, or one of her crew might give in. If we could have
fired, we should probably have stopped her, by wounding one or more
people. As it was, we had our speed alone to depend on. "Give way!
give way, my lads!" I heard Fairburn and Barlow shouting. "Huzza! we
are gaining on them! huzza! huzza!"