"They call me Pedro aboard here; but I got many names, according to the
people I live among," he answered with a laugh. "The English sailors
call me Black Jack; and when I once lived with the Moors, my name was
Selim; and in my own country, Quasho Tumbo Popo."
"And what is the name of the big black man who helped me up the side?"
I asked.
"Him called Antonio here," answered Pedro, glancing round to ascertain
that the person we were speaking of was not near. "Take care of him,
massa; him no good. Once got flogging aboard man-of-war, and no love
English officers, depend on that. He pretend to be great friend to you,
but you see what he do."
I thanked Pedro for his caution, feeling certain from the tone in which
he spoke that he was sincere.
The captain seemed really grateful for the service we had rendered him
by preventing him from running on the reef. He invited us down to his
cabin, and asked us if we would like to turn in and rest while our
clothes were drying.
"Will you tell him that we are dying of thirst," exclaimed Halliday,
"and that we should not object to have something to eat first?"
I explained that we had had no food except oysters since the previous
evening, and that we should be grateful if he would order us some
supper--for the Spanish dinner-hour had long passed.
"Of course," he observed; "I forgot that,"--and he immediately ordered
some water and light wine to be placed on the table. He seemed amused
at the quantity we drank; having, I suspect, had very little experience
of the way men feel who have been exposed to hunger and thirst, as we
had been, for so many hours. Some light food was then brought in, to
which we did ample justice.
On my mentioning Ben to him, he observed,--"He will be taken good care
of by the black Antonio; he understands your language."
The captain appeared to be a quiet, gentlemanly man; but it struck me at
once that he was not the sort of person to keep a disorderly crew and a
number of troops and passengers in order. He again expressed himself
deeply obliged to us for the service we had rendered him; and taking a
small telescope in a case from the side-cabin, begged I would accept it
as a mark of his gratitude. "There are some aboard here who pretend to
understand better than I do how the ship should be managed; and it was
by their advice that I was steering the course I was doing when I fell
in with you," he observed.