IGUMA RELIEVES ME AT THE PADDLE--WE REJOIN OUR COMPANION!--CHARLEY HAS
THE "WATCH BELOW"--WRECK OF KENDO'S CANOE--I RECOGNISE HERMAN JANSEN
AMONG OUR PARTY--NECESSITY OF TAKING REST--A NARROW ESCAPE FROM SURPRISE
BY A PARTY OF NATIVES--TEMPTATION TO KILL RESISTED--A DANGEROUS ENEMY--
HIPPOPOTAMI--OUR OTHER CANOE DESTROYED--FATE OF THE MURDERER OF CAPTAIN
RODERICK--WE DETERMINE TO DIVIDE OUR PARTY, AND, FOLLOWING THE COURSE OF
THE RIVER, MARCH TOWARDS THE SEABOARD, TAKING IT TURN AND TURN ABOUT IN
THE CANOE--A FEARFUL STORM--OUR ONLY CANOE CRUSHED--CONTINUATION OF THE
JOURNEY ON FOOT--THE "SPARKLING OCEAN" ONCE MORE IN SIGHT--WAITING FOR A
SAIL--THE SIGNAL ANSWERED--CAPTAIN MAGOR--ON BOARD THE "ARROW"--
CONCLUSION.
Believing that our friends were ahead, we paddled on with all our might.
It was of the greatest importance that we should join them before we
were again attacked, for, united, we might set at defiance any number of
our pursuers likely to assail us. As may be supposed, our arms ached,
and though we paddled on mechanically, I felt very sleepy, and
occasionally my eyelids closed. As the sun got up the heat became
excessive, but we did not dare to stop even for a few seconds under the
trees which shaded the banks, lest any of our enemies might be lurking
near, and might pounce down upon us. At last Iguma, who had been
sitting watching us, offered to take my paddle. At first I felt ashamed
to let her have it. "Give it up to her," said Charley. "I daresay she
understands how to handle it as well as you do, and we shall make better
way."
I at length consented. When she had the paddle in her hand I lay down
in her place at the bottom of the canoe, and I soon saw that she was
working away with far more energy than I had lately shown. I watched
her for a few minutes admiring the grace and dexterity with which she
plied the paddle, and then my eyelids closed, and in another instant I
was fast asleep. I do not think I ever enjoyed a more sound slumber,
lulled by the ripple of the water on the side of the canoe as we glided
rapidly along. Charley, being older and more inured to labour, was able
to keep up better than I was, and I knew that he would not give in while
there was any necessity for his exerting himself. I had pulled the
matting over my head to preserve myself from the heat of the sun, which
struck down with great force on the calm water.
"There they are, there they are!" I heard Charley shouting out.
His words awoke me, and starting up I could distinguish two dots on the
water right ahead.
"Are they our friends, though?" I asked Charley, after I had gazed at
them a few seconds.
"I hope so," he answered. "I felt sure that they were ahead of us, for,
thinking that we were before them, they have been paddling on, expecting
all the while to overtake us."
"What does Iguma think?" I said, and tried to make her understand that
we wanted to know whether the canoes we saw were those of our friends.
To my great satisfaction she appeared to have no doubt about the matter.
I then begged that she would let me have the paddle again, but she
smiled and replied that her arms did not ache, and advised me to take my
brother's paddle.
"I don't mind if you do for ten minutes or so, I will then resume it and
try if we cannot come up with the other canoes," said Charley.
"How long have I been asleep?" I asked him, as I took his place.
"Three or four hours, I suspect," he answered, "though I have not had
time to look at my watch."
As I thought would very likely be the case, no sooner did Charley lie
down than he dropped off into a sound sleep. As after my long rest I
felt very capable of work, I determined not to arouse him, treating him
as he had treated me.
Iguma and I made the canoe glide rapidly over the water. A light breeze
had sprung up, somewhat cooling the air and enabling us to increase our
exertions. I eagerly watched the canoes ahead, and felt sure that we
were gaining on them. I wondered, however, that no one on board saw us,
and could only suppose that those who were not paddling were asleep,
while, of course, the paddlers had their backs towards us, and believing
that we were ahead did not trouble themselves to look astern.
At length I thought that they were near enough to make them hear me. At
first I thought of firing my rifle, but the sound would, to a certainty,
show our whereabouts to our enemies should they still be pursuing us,
whereas my voice could be heard to any distance along the water alone.
Acting on the impulse of the moment, I shouted out at the top of my
voice. Charley started up, thinking that something was the matter. On
seeing the canoes he joined his voice to mine.
At length they ceased paddling; as they did so I cried out:
"I fear, after all, they are enemies. See, those are black fellows
standing up in the canoe nearest us."
"If they are we must fight our way past them," observed Charley; "they
have no firearms, and we can knock over several of them before they get
up alongside, and should they do that we must fight them hand to hand;
Iguma has shown that she is well able to defend herself; at all events,
a few minutes will settle the matter."
We again took to our paddles, and I, making a sign to Iguma to sit down
again in the canoe, took her place. We had not gone far before Charley
shouted out, "Hurrah! it's all right, I see Harry's and Tom's
broad-brimmed hats, and I make out two white men in the other canoe."
We were soon up to our friends, who greeted us warmly, they all along
having fancied that we were ahead, and under that belief having paddled
on, incited to exertions by occasionally hearing the voices of their
pursuers as they cut off the bends of the river. They were of opinion,
however, that we were now well ahead of them,--still we agreed that,
during the remainder of daylight, it would be safer to continue our
course.
The river now narrowed considerably, and the current became much more
rapid than it had been hitherto. Kendo and his henchman, with Harry and
Tom, led the way.
We were gliding quickly on, when suddenly Kendo's canoe spun round, and
filling was driven against some rocks whose black heads rose above the
foaming water. We narrowly avoided the danger, and as we shot by had
just time to help Harry, who held on tight to his gun, on board, while
Kendo, striking out, got up alongside us, and with the aid of Iguma also
scrambled in.
"Never mind me," cried out Tom, who was standing on the half sunken
canoe, "I'll get into the other. Steer over this way, mates," he
shouted out to the men in the other canoe.
We had no time to render him assistance, and had to exert our skill to
prevent our canoe running against some more rocks which appeared ahead.
In less time than it has taken to describe the occurrence we were again
in tranquil water, when looking round we were thankful to see Tom and
Kendo's henchman safely seated in Caspar's canoe. The wrecked canoe was
in the meantime dashed to pieces, so as to be rendered perfectly
useless. We were somewhat crowded, but that could not be helped, and we
hoped that we should not meet with more rapids in our course; although
we might manage to swim on shore, should any accident occur, we should
probably lose our rifles and knapsacks, and at all events damage our
ammunition. We waited until Tom's canoe came up with us. I now
recognised the stranger who had got on board just as they were shoving
off as Herman Jansen, the murderer of Captain Roderick. His countenance
wore the same gloomy expression as before. By his manner, however, he
appeared not to be conscious that we were witnesses of the fearful deed
he had committed, and under the circumstances we were placed, Harry and
Charley agreed with me that it would not be wise in any way to allude to
it. He had brought a rifle with him, how procured we could not tell.
That would, of course, be of assistance should we be again attacked.
From what we could learn from Kendo, we had too much reason to fear that
we should meet with numerous enemies on our way down the river, who
would only be restrained from attacking us by seeing our means of
defence.
He advised that we should keep our weapons ready for instant use.
Another night was approaching. It was absolutely necessary that we
should seek some place of shelter where we could rest for a few hours,
as it would otherwise be impossible to paddle on during another day. We
had fortunately a sufficient supply of cooked food, so that we had no
need to go on shore and light a fire. Seeing a wooded point on the
south bank of the river, where the trees overhung the water, we agreed
to paddle in and secure the canoes. After supper it was arranged that
some of us should lie down while the rest sat up and kept watch, so that
we might be ready to defend ourselves against either human foes or any
savage creatures which might be on the look-out for prey.
We had remained at rest a couple of hours, when as Harry and I were
sitting up while the remainder of the party were sleeping, we heard
voices approaching, and looking out we saw a number of black forms
gliding through the forest. From the way they approached, however, the
savages could not have expected to surprise us, we therefore concluded
that they were entirely ignorant of our whereabouts. Presently they
came to a halt about a couple of hundred yards from where our canoes
lay. We saw a light struck and they soon had a fire kindled, around
which they seated themselves. In a short time other blacks arrived, and
they all began to cook the provisions they had brought with them. It
was very evident they had not forgotten a supply of palm-wine, which
they must have quaffed pretty freely, as ere long several of them got up
and began dancing away furiously. Others joined them, until the greater
number were dancing round and round the fire, snapping their fingers,
kicking out their legs, and giving vent to the most hideous yells and
shrieks of laughter, the sounds echoing through the forest being
answered by the jabberings of monkeys and the cries of night birds.
Whether these were our pursuers or some other tribe indulging in a night
orgy we could not tell. Kendo touched Charley's rifle as a sign for him
to fire. My brother shook his head and answered--
"We none of us wish to injure any of the poor fellows unless compelled
to do so in self-defence. The sooner we get away from this the better.
We shall not be discovered while all this uproar is going on, and may be
far down the river before the blacks recover their senses."
Kendo rather unwillingly took his paddle, and Charley setting the
example, we cautiously cast off from the branch to which we were moored
and got up to the other canoe. Telling Tom that we were going to
continue our course down the river, we paddled on.
"Let us have a shot at the niggers," I heard Jansen say to his
companions; "we might knock over a dozen before they could get near us."
"Pull on, mate," said Tom; "what would be the use of injuring the
people? they can do us no harm."
Aboh seeing us going ahead, took his paddle, Tom doing the same,
compelled the others to do so likewise. As I looked round I saw them
following us. We continued our way during the greater part of the
night, Kendo being sure that we were keeping the right course. We were
thankful, however, once more to bring up, when we believed that we had
put sufficient distance between ourselves and our pursuers, and that
there was now no longer any fear of our being overtaken by them. We had
another enemy, however, to contend with. As we lay moored to the bank
we heard grunting sounds, and a splashing which proceeded, we well knew,
from hippopotami, and from the frequency and loudness of the noises we
had good reason to believe that a number of the creatures were either
sporting about or feeding near us. However, they seldom attack canoes
so as to injure them intentionally and are generally greatly afraid of
human beings either when on shore or in the water.
Huge and awkward as they are, they can run, and manage to make good
progress over the ground, which they do when in search of grass, the
food they live on. The bodies of those we saw were fully as large as
elephants, although, having short legs, they were of a very different
height, indeed, their bellies almost sweep the ground as they walk.
Their feet are constructed in a very curious manner, to enable them to
walk among the reeds and over the mud, as also to swim with ease. The
hoof is divided into four short unconnected toes, which they can spread
out like the feet of the camel when moving over the soft mud, or when
swimming. The skin, which is almost entirely hairless, except in a few
spots, is of a yellowish colour, the lower part assuming almost a
pinkish hue. The head is hideous in the extreme, and armed with huge
crooked tusks, the object of which is not so much for defence, as to dig
up grass from the bottom of the river. These tusks afford the whitest
ivory to be procured. There must have been thirty or forty of these
creatures gambolling about around us. In spite of their noise, "those
who had the watch below," as Charley called it, slept as soundly as
tops.
As soon as the sun rose the next morning, we went on shore for the first
time since we had embarked, but no enemies were in sight, and we
ventured to breakfast comfortably on the bank; Harry and I having shot
several birds which contributed to the repast. As soon as breakfast was
over, we continued our course, as we were anxious to get into a district
where people were accustomed to white men, and were likely to assist us.
Our canoe was leading, Tom being a little astern. We were just rounding
a point where the water was somewhat shallow, when I heard a cry from
the canoe astern. Upon looking round, I saw it lifted high in the air,
and turned bottom upwards, while beneath it appeared a huge
hippopotamus, which was making after one of the men; another man was on
the point of being pitched on the creature's back, the two blacks, with
their legs in the air, were falling into the water, and one of the men,
who seemed to have sprung on shore, was scrambling up the bank. I saw
all this at a glance, the next instant a fearful shriek escaped the
swimmer, the huge hippopotamus had pierced him with its tusks, and
seemed bent on venting its rage upon him.
For an instant I feared that the victim was our friend Tom, but his
voice reassured me, and I saw the good boatswain making for the bank,
which his other companion had gained. The two blacks quickly followed.
Just then catching sight of the countenance of the man attacked by the
hippopotamus, I recognised Jansen, the murderer of Captain Roderick.
Before either of us could raise our rifles to fire at the beast the
miserable man had been dragged down beneath the water by the infuriated
monster. We were on the point of returning to try and secure the canoe,
when the hippopotamus again rose, and seizing the side in his huge
mouth, crushed it to pieces, and we were thankful to paddle off to save
our canoe from a like fate. We had now to consider what was to be done.
We could not possibly take all the party into our canoe, nor could we
leave any of them behind us. The blacks would to a certainty have been
seized and carried off into slavery, unless protected by us. We were
still, we calculated, a hundred miles or more from the coast; our only
mode of proceeding, therefore, was for one party to continue along the
shore, while the other paddled the canoe, and to relieve each other at
intervals. We continued on in this fashion the greater part of the day,
not meeting with another canoe or any habitations.
As evening approached, having reached an open spot, we agreed to encamp
there that we might shoot some game, as our stock of provisions was
reduced to a very low ebb.
Tom and Caspar, who had been walking the greater part of the day along
the bank, were glad to take charge of the camp, while Charley, Harry,
and I, with Kendo, went out in search of game. We were fortunate in
killing two deer, several birds, and a couple of monkeys, and on our
return we found that Iguma had not been idle, and had collected a supply
of fruits and nuts, which, with the remainder of the plantain, gave us
an abundant meal. There was still some time before dark, which we
occupied in building a hut for the young lady, while we put up shelters
for ourselves, and collected a large supply of sticks, so that we could
have a blazing fire during the night. This was very necessary, as we
had seen traces of wild beasts, and we might have otherwise very likely
been visited by some of them. All of us required as much sleep as we
could get. As soon as supper was over, we set the watch and lay down
under our lean-to's, which were, should have said, at a sufficient
distance from the water to avoid the risk of any of us being carried off
by a hungry crocodile. I had been some hours asleep, forgetting
entirely where we were, when I was awakened by a tremendous crash of
thunder. Starting up, I heard crash succeeding crash, while vivid
flashes of lightning darted from the sky, and went playing round us like
fiery serpents. The wind at the same time began to blow with a fury we
had not encountered since we landed on the shores of Africa, but as it
was off the land we were partly sheltered by the forest, and it did not
send the waves up the bank. Our lean-to's were speedily blown down. In
a short time the rain came down in torrents, and had we not just before
made up the fire it would at once have been put out. Fortunately
Iguma's hut stood, and she invited us all in to take shelter beneath its
roof, which, being composed of several layers of large leaves, fastened
down by vines, sheltered us from the pitiless storm. There we all sat
for the remainder of the night, all huddled up like so many mummies, and
a curious picture we must have presented.
Towards morning the hurricane abated, Tom and Aboh rushing out managed
to scrape together the ashes of the fire which was not wholly
extinguished, and again made it up. Shortly afterwards dawn broke.
Uncomfortable as I was, I was actually dozing when I heard Tom cry out--
"The canoe, the canoe, where is she?"
We all of us jumped up and hurried to the beach, when what was our
dismay to find that the tree to which the canoe had been made fast had,
riven by the storm, fallen and crushed it to pieces. On examining it we
saw at once that to repair it would be hopeless, and we had now only to
make up our minds once more to continue our journey overland.
Fortunately we had still enough ammunition remaining to kill game for
our support, but it was necessary carefully to husband it, Charley at
once called a council of war.
"One thing is certain. We must not delay," he observed, "for even when
we do reach the coast, we don't know how long we may be detained, and
unless we fall in with friendly savages we may find it difficult to
procure food; or, perhaps, indeed have to fight our way. We are bound
also to protect the blacks who are trusting to us, for depend upon it,
every attempt will be made by the slave-trading rascals on the coast to
detain them."
Every one agreed with Charley, and without loss of time we commenced our
march. I have already described travelling in Africa, so that I need
not enter into the details of the journey we performed. We passed
through the neighbourhood of several villages, from the inhabitants of
which, with the remainder of the beads and the trinkets we possessed, we
purchased food so that we were able to husband our powder and shot. Two
attempts were made to carry off our black friends, but by showing a bold
front and by pushing on, we prevented them from being made prisoners.
The health of all the party was wonderfully preserved, indeed the
climate, though so close under the line--from the nature of the soil--is
superior to that further north. At length to our great joy we caught
sight from a rising ground of the blue ocean sparkling in the distance.
We had been two weeks performing the journey. We found that we had hit
the shore some way to the south of the river, at a spot where a fine
sheltered bay afforded a tempting harbour to any ships cruising off the
coast, and the clear sparkling stream, which flowed down from the hill
side at which vessels could obtain water, made it still more a likely
spot to be touched at.
We accordingly determined to pitch our camp there, near a wood from
which we could obtain materials for building huts, and an ample supply
of fuel for our fires as well as game for our food. It seemed
surprising that no blacks should have taken up their abode in what
appeared to us so fine a situation. We lost no time in erecting our
huts, and making ourselves, as Tom called it, "at home."
Of course we could not tell how long we might be detained there. Day
after day passed by, no ship appeared in sight. At length Charley
proposed proceeding to the northward, but Harry and I urged him to wait
patiently a little longer.
That same evening my brother and I had strolled out from our camp to
enjoy the freshness of the breeze along the sea shore. A light wind
played over the water, the stars shone forth with wonderful brilliancy.
We were tempted to sit down on the rocks, where we remained talking over
our prospects for some time, when Charley exclaimed--
"Look there, Dick, look there! a vessel, as I'm alive, she's standing
into the bay. She's no stranger to it, or she would not come here
during the dark. We must make a signal and try to attract her
attention, though it is pretty certain that she will send a boat on
shore early in the morning, yet it will be trying to have to wait until
then to know what she is."
There was abundance of drift wood on the beach which we quickly
collected, and Charley having fortunately a tinder-box in his pocket, we
had no difficulty in kindling a blaze. As soon as we got a brand
burning I took it up, and swinging it round my head threw it high into
the air. A second and a third time I did the same, when as I threw up a
fourth brand, the signal was answered by a rocket which rose from the
vessel.
Before many minutes were over we heard the splash of oars, and could
distinguish a boat. We both shouted, our hail was answered by an
English voice. In another five minutes the stem of the boat touched the
beach, and a person sprang on shore.
"Who are you? where do you come from?" exclaimed a voice which I well
knew. It was that of Captain Magor. The next instant we were all
warmly shaking hands.
Harry and Tom hearing our shouts had hurried down to the beach. Our
surprise and satisfaction were mutual. We very quickly told him our
adventures, and he then informed us that he had played the same trick on
the pirates which they had played on Lieutenant Hallton, and that having
recaptured the "Arrow" he had carried her safely back to England, and
that he had now just arrived on the coast, the only misfortune which had
happened to him being the death of a young man who had come out as
supercargo.
"You may therefore still be of the greatest assistance to me," he said,
"and having now learned something of the language, and being
acclimatised, you will be able to transact business with the natives far
better than you could otherwise have done."
We then told him of our black followers, who would, we believed, be of
still greater assistance in procuring the articles we required, and
disposing of the goods we had brought.
Iguma and Kendo were somewhat alarmed at first at the thought of going
on board a ship, but we soon overcame their fears, and the next morning
we all went on board, bidding farewell to our encampment, and once more
trod the deck of the "Arrow."
Harry and I resumed our berths on board, as did Tom Tubbs, for the
boatswain who had come out had already fallen sick and was unable to do
duty.
Caspar entered as one of the ship's company, as did Aboh, Captain Magor
arranged to carry Kendo and Iguma with their followers to England, if
they preferred going there to being landed at one of the English
settlements on the coast.
I must now bring my tale rapidly to a conclusion. Kendo and his wife--
wisely, I think--determined not to go to England.
A week afterwards we fell in with the "Rover," when Charley rejoined his
ship, taking the blacks with him, the captain kindly promising to land
them at Cape Coast Castle, where they would be properly treated and
looked after. With the information we had gained, we were so well able
to conduct our transactions, that our voyage was the most successful
ever made by the "Arrow," and we had the satisfaction of meeting with
the approval of our employers, and receiving substantial
acknowledgments.
Of course our disappearance had caused very great anxiety to our
friends, though they had been buoyed up by the hope that we would surely
return.
Harry and I having married the young ladies to whom we had so long been
attached, entered the firm, and on the death of that kind and excellent
man Mr Swab, we found that he had divided his fortune between us.