IN WHICH PHIL LAYS DOWN THE LAW, AND IS AFTERWARDS MUCH ALARMED.
"Now, my lads, we are in ship-shape and working order," said Captain
York, after all the arrangements had been completed. "We have the bark;
but what shall we do with her?"
"That's the question," replied Baxter. "I suppose we must lose our time
and go on shore as poor as we came on board. But I would rather land in
New York with only a shirt on my back than go a slaving."
"I say so too; but it is rather a hard case," added the new mate. "We
have got our advance, and I suppose that's all we shall make out of
this cruise."
"Perhaps not," I interposed.
"No matter whether it is so or not; I am satisfied," said Sanderson. "I
wouldn't help take a cargo of niggers over to Cuba for all the money
there is in New York. Their howls would haunt me to my dying day."
"It's always the safest way to do one's duty, without regard to
consequences," I continued.
"I suppose it is," said the captain; "but it's a hard case for the men."
"Perhaps not; we will look at that matter by and by," I answered,
holding up one of the books I had brought on deck. "Where shall we go?
That's the first question."
"If we stand towards the coast, we may be able to find a man-of-war;
perhaps the steamer that chased us yesterday," added Captain York. "I
have no doubt she intends to cut off the bark somewhere on the coast."
"What do you say, Phil?" asked Sanderson.
"I say, return to New York."
"Why so?"
"We can get out of the scrape sooner and better in that way than in any
other," I replied. "If we fall in with a man-of-war, the bark will be
her prize; she is ours now."
"But we have too many prisoners on board to make a run of three or
four weeks, perhaps five or six," suggested the captain.
"I think we can take care of the prisoners well enough. We have all the
arms, and we can do everything in our own way."
"But why not hand them over to a man-of-war, if we can find one?"
continued Captain York.
"Because the bark would be her prize then; now she is ours. I will read
you the law, if you like."
"What law?"
"The law relating to vessels fitted out for the slave trade."
"Read on, Phil."
All hands gathered around me, deeply interested in the subject, and I
read from "The Shipmaster's Assistant," in order that they might know
how they stood, as follows:--
"Citizens of the United States, voluntarily serving on board of a
foreign or American vessel engaged in the slave trade, were formerly
subject to a fine and imprisonment; but now they are regarded as
pirates, and suffer death."
"That's the idea!" exclaimed Baxter. "That's what's the matter; if we
had voluntarily gone down to the coast of Africa and taken in a cargo
of slaves--suffer death."
"And we must either resist or go voluntarily," added Sanderson.
"But some of us are not citizens of the United States," said Welsh.
"There are a great many other laws; and I don't think it makes any
difference what country you belong to, if you are caught in the
business. Some of you think it is a hard case to lose your wages. I
will read you from another law, which goes on to say, that no person or
persons shall build, fit, equip, load, or otherwise prepare a vessel
to be engaged in the slave trade. Now hear. 'And if any ship or vessel
shall be so built, fitted out, equipped, laden, or otherwise prepared
for the purpose aforesaid, every said ship or vessel, her tackle,
apparel, furniture, and lading shall be forfeited, one moiety to the
use of the United States, and the other to the use of the person or
persons who shall sue for said forfeiture, and prosecute the same to
effect,' &c."
"What's the English of that, Phil?" asked Walker, scratching his head,
and then hitching up his trousers.
"It means that the vessel and all that she contains shall be
forfeited," I replied.
"What's that _maw_--"
"Moiety? It means one half."
"Do you mean to say that half the value of the bark will go into our
pockets?"
"I am no lawyer, but that's what I think it means. In my opinion,
shipmates, you will make more money by taking the vessel back to New
York than you would by accepting the thousand dollars the mate offered
you for the cruise."
"That's good news, but it's only a fair thing," said Baxter.
"The men who fit out a slaver are liable to a fine of from one to five
thousand dollars besides, and half of that goes to the informers. We
shall be the informers in this case."
"I don't care anything about that," added Sanderson. "I don't like that
word. I believe in minding my own business; but it's a different thing
when men are carried off as we were, and called mutineers, when we
object to go slaving."
The men agreed with the new mate, and the reading of the law
transformed them all into a very cheerful crew. As the result of the
conference, the course of the bark was changed to the north-west, and
the joyful cry of homeward bound rang through the vessel. For my own
part, while I had strongly advised this plan, it caused me much regret
to abandon my mission in Europe for the present. We had the north-east
trades, and the wind was fresh and fair; but we could not expect to
reach New York in less than three weeks.
We were over four weeks from port, and by this time the Bayard, with
the Gracewoods on board, was on her way home. But I might hope to
meet them in New York or in St. Louis, and this was a sufficient
consolation. I should be obliged to ascertain in Chicago where my
mother was, and do all I had done over again. I should be able to visit
Europe during the summer, if my mother and her brother did not decide
to come home before that time.
At noon I took the observations, and carefully calculated the position
of the bark. I pricked the chart to indicate the place of the vessel,
which was about a hundred and ten miles south-west of the Cape Verd
Islands. I examined the nature of the currents, after I had made out
the course with the parallel ruler. Being a new hand, I went over my
figures and allowances three times before I gave out the course to
the helmsman; but when I had done so, I was satisfied it was correct.
I spent all my time, when off watch, in studying the "Navigator,"
the chart, and the currents. I found that the hard work I had done
over algebra and geometry, on the Upper Missouri and in Chicago, had
prepared me for the duty I was now called upon to perform. I needed
more experience in practical seamanship; but I felt competent, so far
as the navigation was concerned, to sail a ship all over the world.
"Mr. Waterford says he wants to see me," said Captain York to me in the
afternoon. "Would you see him?"
"I should; we ought to listen to what he has to say."
"Come with me, Mr. Farringford."
I followed him into the steerage. Waterford was the picture of despair.
"York, are you in command?" groaned the sufferer.
"I am, for the want of a better master."
"Will you order one of your hands to shoot me?"
"No, I will not."
"I would rather die than be kept here. If you mean to murder me, do it
at once, and don't kill me by inches."
"What can we do for you?"
"I am in pain and misery. Shoot me!"
"What can we do with him, Mr. Farringford?" said the captain, turning
to me.
"Tell him to shoot me, Phil."
"No, I shall not. You are wanted in St. Louis to answer to the charge
of forgery; but I am in favor of doing what I can to make you more
comfortable."
"Loose me, then."
"I am afraid we might have to shoot you, then. Mr. Waterford, we are
going to take the bark back to New York, and we intend to land you
there. We have no desire to make you suffer, but we mean to keep you
safely."
"I will give you my word that I will be perfectly quiet, if you will
give me liberty to walk about the vessel."
"Give him an hour on deck, Captain York, if you please, with a hand to
watch him; I don't believe in running any risks."
"I am willing," replied the new master.
I untied Waterford's feet, and released him from the stanchion. As a
change of position for his arms, I tied his wrists in front of him,
and then led him on deck. He could hardly walk at first, but he soon
recovered the use of his limbs, and I led him up and down the deck for
an hour. He felt better then, and became sullen and silent. I conducted
him back to the steerage. Baxter and Sanderson then led the two Spanish
passengers up for their exercise, and Palmer and myself put Waterford
into one of their berths.
"Do you feel better, Waterford?" I asked.
"Yes; but you haven't seen the end of this thing yet," he growled, so
naturally that I was sure his condition was very much improved.
"I think I shall be more willing to see the end of it than you will," I
replied. "We wish to make you as comfortable as the circumstances will
admit."
He was disposed to talk with me, after the ebullition of ill-nature had
subsided; but I left him to assist in giving others of the prisoners
the air and exercise which they so much needed, and which it was
inhuman to deny them. The seamen among them begged for mercy, and
promised to serve their new masters faithfully if they were set at
liberty. We decided to let Pedro and Sylvio, the least vicious of them,
return to their duty, for we were rather short-handed, and were likely
to have heavy weather as we made more northing. We were obliged to keep
a sentinel in the steerage all the time, which made one less for duty
on deck.
We went along very well for a week, having the steady trade-wind fair
all the time. Then we had calms and blows by turns. One gale lasted two
days; and when the men were somewhat worn down,--for we were obliged
to keep all hands on deck,--we released the rest of the seamen in
the steerage on their promise to be obedient. The situation of the
prisoners was far from agreeable, while the vessel pitched and rolled
in the heavy sea, and the Spanish and Portuguese sailors were glad to
escape on any terms.
I kept a revolver in my belt all the time, and the other officers did
the same; but the pirates behaved well, and gave us no trouble. When
the gale subsided, we allowed the seamen to remain upon duty, they did
so well; but we soon had occasion to repent this indulgence. On the
eighth day of our homeward voyage I took the deck at eight bells, in
charge of the starboard watch, as usual.
At six bells, Baxter, who had just been released at the wheel, came aft
and told me that nearly every man in the watch was drunk. The weather
looked squally, and I was alarmed at this discovery. I went below and
called the captain. When he came on deck, he ordered the light sails to
be taken in, and I called all hands. To my astonishment I found that
more than half of the port watch were also so drunk that they could
hardly stand, and were not in condition to go aloft. Things looked
serious on board just then.