I slept soundly that night; but the sun was not clear of the forest
when I hobbled on deck in my shackles, and was searching the seaward
horizon for my beloved Castilian. Presently the breeze began to
freshen, and the tall, raking masts of a schooner were seen gliding
above the tops of the mangroves that masked the Rio Pongo's mouth.
Very soon the light wind and tide drifted her clear of the bends, and
an anchor was let go within musket shot of my prison, while springs
were run out to the bushes to give range to her broadside. I saw at
once, from her manoeuvres, that Ormond had communicated with the
craft during the night.
Brulot felt that his day was over. The Spaniard's decks were crowded
with an alert, armed crew; four charming little bull-dogs showed their
muzzles from port holes; while a large brass swivel, amidships, gave
token of its readiness to fight or salute. For a minute or two the
foiled Frenchman surveyed the scene through his glass; then, throwing
it over his shoulder, ordered the mate to strike off my "darbies." As
the officer obeyed, a voice was heard from the Spaniard, commanding a
boat to be sent aboard, under penalty of a shot if not instantly
obeyed. The boat was lowered; but who would man her? The chief officer
refused; the second declined; the French sailors objected; the
Creoles and mulattoes from St. Thomas went below; so that no one was
left to fulfil the slaver's order but Brulot or myself.
"_Bien!_" said my crest-fallen cock, "it's your turn to crow, Don
Teodore. Fortune seems on your side, and you are again free. Go to the
devil, if you please, _mon camarade_, and send your imps for the
slaves as soon as you want them!"
By this time the Spaniard had lighted his matches, levelled his guns,
and, under the aim of his musketry, repeated the order for a boat.
Seeing the danger of our party, I leaped to the bulwarks, and hailing
my deliverer in Spanish, bade him desist. The request was obeyed as I
threw myself into the yawl, cut the rope, and, alone, sculled the
skiff to the slaver.
A shout went up from the deck of my deliverer as I jumped aboard and
received the cordial grasp of her commander. Ali-Ninpha, too, was
there to greet and defend me with a chosen band of his people. While I
was absorbed in the joy of welcome and liberation, the African stole
with his band to the Frenchman's boat, and was rapidly filling it to
board the foe, when my clerk apprised me of the impending danger. I
was fortunate enough to control the enraged savage, else I know not
what might have been the fate of Brulot and the officers during the
desertion of his mongrel and cowardly crew.
The captain desired his mates to keep an eye on the Gaul while we
retired to the cabin for consultation; and here I learned that I was
on board the "Esperanza," consigned to me from Matanzas. In turn, I
confirmed the account they had already heard of my mishap from the
Mongo's messengers; but hoped the Cuban captain would permit me to
take pacific revenge after my own fashion, inasmuch as my
captor--barring the irons--had behaved with uncommon civility. I had
no trouble, of course, in obtaining the commander's assent to this
request, though he yielded it under the evident displeasure of his
crew, whose Spanish blood was up against the Frenchman, and would
willingly have inflicted a signal punishment on this neutral ground.
After these preliminaries, Captain Escudero and myself returned to
the "La Perouse" with two boat-loads of armed followers, while our
approach was covered by the cannons and small arms of the "Esperanza."
Brulot received us in moody silence on the quarter-deck. His officers
sat sulkily on a gun to leeward, while two or three French seamen
walked to and fro on the forecastle.
My first command was to spike the vessel's guns. Next, I decreed and
superintended the disembarkation of the stolen slaves; and, lastly, I
concluded the morning call with a request that Brulot would _produce
the five hundred doubloons and his "promissory note" for two hundred
slaves_!
The fatal document, duly indorsed, was quickly delivered, but no
persuasion or threat induced the angry Gaul to show his gold, or a
manifest of the cargo.
After ample indulgence, I despatched a man to seek his writing-desk,
and discovered that six hundred doubloons had in reality been shipped
in St. Thomas. Of course, their production was imperiously demanded;
but Brulot swore they had been landed, with his supercargo, in the
neighboring Rio Nunez. I was near crediting the story, when a slight
sneer I perceived flickering over the steward's face, put me on the
_qui vive_ to request an inspection of the log-book, which,
unfortunately for my captor, did not record the disembarkation of the
cash. This demonstrated Brulot's falsehood, and authorized a demand
for his trunk. The knave winced as the steward descended to bring it;
and he leaped with rage as I split it with a hatchet, and counted two
hundred and fifty Mexican doubloons on the deck. _His cargo, however,
proved to be a sham of samples._
Turning innocently to Escudero, I remarked that he must have been put
to considerable trouble in rescuing me from this outlaw, and hoped he
would suffer his men to be recompensed for their extra toil under the
rays of an African sun. I would not venture to judge the value of such
devoted services; but requested him to fix his own price and receive
payment on the spot.
Escudero very naturally supposed that _about_ two hundred and fifty
Mexican ounces would compensate him to a fraction, and, accordingly,
the two hundred and fifty shiners, glistening on the deck, forthwith
returned to their bag and went overboard into his boat.
"_Adieu! mon cher_," said I, as I followed the gold; "_la fortune de
guerre_ has many phases, you see; how do you like this one? The next
game you play on the coast of Africa, my chicken, recollect that
though a _knave_ can take a trick, yet the _knave may be trumped
before the hand is played out_!"