Poor Jack Rogers! His lot was indeed a hard one. We left him clinging
to the keel of the schooner, while she was carried on by the rapid
current over the bar, amidst the raging waters and blinding foam. Every
moment he expected to be torn from his hold; but life was dear to him,
and he exerted every particle of strength he possessed to hold on. Now
a sea would come and wash over the vessel, almost drowning him, and
completely preventing him from seeing; then he felt that he was whirled
round and round, till he looked up--but it was only to see another huge
breaker rolling up ready to overwhelm him. He felt the terrific dash of
the wave, its roar sounded in his ears--he was almost stunned. He
prayed that he might be preserved from the terrible danger to which he
was exposed. The roller passed on, leaving him still firmly clutching
the wreck. Again he looked up. The blue sea danced cheerfully before
his eyes; the sun shone brightly; the wreck had drifted clear of the
influence of the breakers. Most grateful he felt at having been thus
far preserved. Still he knew that he was not out of danger. The
schooner might any moment go down, and he might be left, without a plank
to rest on, to the mercy of the ravenous sharks which swarmed around.
His first impulse was to look out for the brig. She was in the offing,
standing away to the westward. He had no hope from any help she could
render him. Then he looked back over the bar, in the expectation of
seeing the other boat coming out; but nowhere was she to be discovered.
He saw, meantime, that the wreck was drifting to the southward down the
coast, and at no great distance from it. He calculated the distance,
and thought to himself that he could swim on shore. If he delayed, the
vessel might drift farther out to sea, and the feat might be impossible.
"The sooner it is done, the better," he thought to himself. "I have
swum as far in a worse sea before now." Before slipping off into the
water, he commended himself with a hearty prayer to the care of a
Merciful Providence. He was on the very point of letting go his hold,
when, as he looked into the water, his eye fell on a dark triangular
object, just rising out of it, slowly moving past. He looked again with
a shudder, for he recognised the fin of a shark. Another and another
passed by. Truly thankful did he feel that he had not trusted himself
voluntarily within the power of their voracious jaws. If the vessel
sank though, where would he be? He could not help thinking of that. He
got up and gazed around. He was beginning to feel very hungry, and to
his other dangers the risk of starvation was now added. Still, he did
not allow himself to despair. He hoped that his old schoolfellows and
Hemming would soon recross the bar, and, seeing the wreck, come and find
him. After a little time, as he was casting his eye to the southward,
he thought he saw a dark object moving along close in-shore, just
outside the surf. He soon made out that it was a canoe, and then that
she was manned by blacks. As they drew near, it was evident that they
saw him on the wreck, for they at once pulled towards him. He scarcely
knew whether to hail them as friends or foes. They were very
ill-looking fellows he thought. There were also two white men in the
stern-sheets of the canoe. He did not like their looks at all either.
They were soon alongside, and when they saw his uniform, they looked up
at him with no very friendly eye. Having held a short parley among
themselves, they hailed him, but what they said he could not make out.
Dangerous as his present position was, he felt no inclination to entrust
himself to their care. However, they made signs to him to come down
into the canoe, and after a little reflection, and thinking it better
not to show any fear or mistrust of them, he complied with their
demands, and as he slid down over the side of the vessel, they caught
him, and hauled him in. He saw them minutely examining the vessel, and
then they asked him a number of questions in Spanish, or a sort of
mongrel Spanish, which he could not clearly comprehend, and he thought
it more prudent not to show that he understood them at all. He made
out, however, that the strangers were inquiring how the vessel was
capsized, and how he came to be on board her. He guessed also that they
knew that she was a slaver, and had been captured by the party to which
he had belonged. When they found that he did not reply to their
questions, they let him sit down at the bottom of the canoe, while the
two whites and one of the black men talked together among themselves.
They every now and then cast glances ominous of evil intentions towards
him. Poor Jack did not at all like their looks, still less the tenor of
the few words whose meaning he caught. "Knock him on the head at once,"
said one. "Throw him overboard, and let the sharks have him," proposed
another. "Shoot him with pistol," quoth the big negro,--grinning
horribly. These words were uttered with the most cold-blooded
indifference, as if the act proposed by the speakers was one of everyday
occurrence with them. Jack, as he listened, longed to make an effort to
save his life; anything was better than to sit there quietly and be
murdered. Far rather would he die struggling bravely for existence.
Still, as the pirates did not make any further demonstration, he thought
it would be wiser to appear unconscious of their threats, and remained
where he was without moving. Jack, however, every now and then, looked
over the gunwale of the canoe, to ascertain where they were going. They
quickly arrived off the bar, but the slave-dealers or pirates, or
whatever they were, seemed to think that there was too much surf to
allow them to cross it. They therefore pulled back a little way to the
south. Jack observed a patch of sandy beach, with a clear channel up to
it, between two rocks. They waited for a short time, and then the
canoe, mounting on the top of a roller, was carried rapidly forward, the
foam hissing and bubbling round her, till she grounded on the beach. In
a moment the crew, jumping out of her, ran her up out of the reach of
the succeeding roller, which roared angrily, as if disappointed of its
prey. Jack was going to walk on, but he felt a hand laid heavily on his
shoulder, and his arms, being seized by two of the black fellows, were
bound behind him, and he found himself a prisoner on the coast of
Africa, without the slightest prospect, as far as he could see, of
making his escape from his ruffian captors.
Poor Jack was dragged along by his savage companions, the muzzle of a
pistol or the point of a long knife every now and then being shown him,
as a hint that he must keep up his spirits and move on. This was no
easy matter without stumbling, for the ground was strewed with decayed
timber, while creepers and parasitical plants of numerous species formed
traps to catch his feet. He saw, too, the grass frequently moving, as a
hideous snake or some other reptile crept away among it. Overhead were
birds of every variety, and of the richest plumage; parrots, trumpet
birds, pigeons, whydahs, green paroquets, and numberless others, which
he was in no humour just then to admire, while monkeys of all sorts
skipped about among the boughs of the lofty palms, and chattered away,
as if to inquire where the stranger had come from. In one or two
openings between the giant palms, bananas, and other lofty trees, Jack
caught sight of some blue ranges of mountains in the far distance, and
towards them, as they pushed their way through the dense underwood, his
captors seemed to be proceeding. The dreadful thought occurred to him,
that he was being carried off into the interior to be turned into a
slave, and perhaps that he should never be able to make his escape. The
jungle grew thicker and thicker, and the forest more gloomy as they
proceeded, till he could scarcely work his way along, and even the
Spaniards and blacks, with their arms at liberty, had no little
difficulty in making progress through it. At last they came to a
standstill, and a talk among themselves. Poor Jack caught the very
ominous words, "_mata el chico_," which he knew too well meant "kill the
little chap."
"He is not worth the trouble he costs us," added the ferocious Spaniard
who had spoken. "This knife of mine will settle him with a blow."
"It is a pity we did not do it in the canoe, and save ourselves
trouble," growled out his companion, drawing his long knife from his
belt.
Jack felt that his last moments had come. He, however, eyed his captors
boldly, and tried to nerve himself for the expected stroke. A short
time before, some villains of the same character as those into whose
power he had fallen had murdered a young midshipman, whom they had found
on board a prize they had retaken, and he knew that they would have no
scruple about killing him. The blacks stood by, enjoying, apparently,
his agony; for, brave as he was, it was a bitter thing thus, without
cause, to be cruelly murdered in cold blood. No one spoke. Jack tried
to offer up a prayer to Heaven, but, at such a moment, even to pray was
difficult. His heart, though, was praying, and One who knows what is in
the heart heard him. Suddenly there was a rustling of leaves, a
crashing of boughs. A loud shriek was uttered, and a huge animal leaped
through the brushwood, and, seizing one of the negroes, again bounded
off into the thicket. The unfortunate wretch cried out piteously for
help. The Spaniards and the negroes turned to pursue the wild beast.
From the glimpse Jack had of it, he believed it to be a tiger. The
negro who had been seized was the smallest of the party, and of light
weight; and the savage brute was more accustomed to make his way through
the tangled underwood than were his pursuers. On he went, bounding
through the thicket, his miserable victim in vain crying for assistance.
The rest pursued as fast as they could, apparently forgetting Jack
altogether. They were soon hid from his sight by the trees. He had no
wish to follow them, even had he possessed the power of so doing. His
arms were bound, and before he could do anything he must contrive to get
them loose. He tugged and tugged away frantically. He was afraid his
captors would be back before he could get free, and execute their
murderous threats. By what means he was to escape, he could not just
then tell. The first thing was to obtain the use of his limbs. He
worked away for life and death.
At last he twisted the rope round so that he could reach one of the
knots with his teeth. He pulled away lustily. He found that he was
slackening it. He listened for the shouts and cries of the pirates. He
thought that their voices sounded louder and nearer again. He was every
moment getting the ropes looser. One more tug, and his hands were at
liberty. He struck out on either side to assure himself that he had the
free use of them. He looked round; no one was in sight. His first
impulse was to set off and run back to the coast, but then he
recollected that he might be easily pursued, that it must be seven or
eight miles off at least, as three or four hours had passed since he and
his captors had left it. After a moment's reflection he determined to
find his way as soon as possible to the banks of the river. He was
certain that the boats would be sent in to look for his party, and, by
watching for them, he hoped to be able to make some signal to call their
attention to himself. He still heard the voices of the pirates. A tall
palm-tree was near. He thought that the safest plan would be to get to
the top of it. He could easily hide himself among the wide-spreading
leaves, and the Spaniards, believing that his arms were bound, would
never think of looking there for him. He would also have the advantage
of watching all that was going on below. He had seen blacks climb a
tree with a band partly round their stem and partly round their waists.
The rope he had just got clear of his arms would help him up in the same
way. He rapidly fitted it, and, with knees and hands working away, up
he went the smooth stem. He had got nearly to the top, when he heard a
chattering, and looking up, he saw a very ugly face grinning down upon
him. An ape had previous possession of his proposed stronghold. He was
not to be daunted, however, but, swinging himself up on the bough,
prepared to do battle for its possession. He had still a pistol in his
belt, though it was not loaded. The pirates had forgotten to deprive
him of it. He held it by the muzzle, and Master Quacko, who seemed to
be a very sensible monkey, thought that it would be foolish to pick a
quarrel with so well-armed a stranger. As Jack advanced, he retreated,
till Jack reached the centre of the tree, where he could coil himself
away without the possibility of any one below discovering him. He
looked round before sitting down. Below him was a dense mass of
foliage, with only here and there an opening. To the west, in the far
distance, was the sea, looking bright and blue; to the east were ranges
of mountains, the most remote evidently of considerable elevation; while
to the north he caught a glimpse of the river, to his great
satisfaction, not very far off. He could still hear the voices of the
pirates, but he could not discover whether they had succeeded in
rescuing the wretched negro from the fangs of the tiger. Meantime the
monkey sat on the farther end of a branch watching him.
"I hope you have formed a favourable opinion of me, Master Quacko," he
said, looking at the ape, for even in the dangerous predicament in which
he was placed he could not resist a joke.
"Quacko, quacko, quacko," went the monkey, in a tone which Jack thought
was friendly.
He felt about in his pockets, and found a piece of biscuit. He nibbled
a bit, and then held it out to his companion. The ape drew near, at
first, hesitatingly; Jack nibbled a little more of the biscuit. Quacko
thought that it would all be gone if he did not make haste, so he made
one or two more hops up towards Jack. Jack nibbled away, then once more
held out the biscuit. The monkey made one spring, and nearly caught it,
but Jack drew it back, that the animal might feel that it was given him.
Then he held it out, and the ape took it quite gently, but ran off to
the end of a bough, that he might examine this new sort of food, and eat
it at his leisure.
The pirates had now found their way back to where they had left Jack.
He could plainly hear them asking one another what could have become of
him. They were under the tree in which he lay so snugly ensconced.
"He must have hid himself in the brushwood; he cannot be far off," said
one.
"If he had had his hands at liberty, I should say he would have got up
one of these trees," observed another. "Those English sailors can climb
anything. I have seen them go up the side of a slippery rock without a
hole in which to stick their nails."
"He cannot be up this tree," remarked the first. "See! there is a
monkey quietly eating a nut on one of the branches. There is no other
tree near in which he could hide."
After this the men hunted about on every side, and Jack hoped that they
would then go away.
"He must still be near," exclaimed one of them. "Sancho, do you climb
that tree and look about you. You will soon find out where he is by the
shaking of the bushes as he moves along. Up! man, up!"
Jack knew, by the voice which replied, that one of the negroes was
climbing up. The monkey had finished his biscuit, and, liking it very
much, came back for some more, not observing what was occurring below.
Jack had now won his confidence; and by giving him a very little bit at
a time kept the animal close to him. Up climbed the black. Jack knew
that he could knock him down again with the butt end of his pistol, but
if he did he would only hasten his own destruction, as the others would
quickly find means to get hold of him. He felt that the black was close
under him. He caught sight of his woolly pate working its way through,
the leaves. "Now or never," thought Jack. He seized the unsuspecting
ape, and threw him down directly on the negro's head. The monkey, as
much astonished as anybody, laid hold of the woolly crop with his claws,
and scratched and bit, chattering away with all his might.
"Fetish! fetish! fetish!" screamed out the negro, sliding down the tree
a great deal faster than he had come up, coming down the latter part by
the run, and reaching the ground more dead than alive; while the monkey
clambered up again, and, not daring to approach Jack, took his seat at
the end of a bough, chattering away in the greatest state of agitation.
Jack lay snug. He had hopes that none of the other blacks would attempt
to climb the tree after the reception their companion had met with; and
from what he heard them say he had great hopes that they really believed
they had seen a fetish. The Spaniards too, though pretending to laugh
at the superstition of the negroes, having no real religion of their own
to supply its place, were very strongly impressed with the black man's
superstition, and would on no account have attempted to climb up the
tree. Jack therefore began to hope that he should escape from his
intending murderers, and he did not despair of ultimately getting back
to his ship.
In a short time the Spaniards and negroes, uttering loud oaths at their
ill luck in having lost one of their companions as well as their
captive, set off once more; and Jack watched them as they worked their
way through the brushwood to the eastward. He felt truly glad when they
were no longer to be seen. He was now also in a hurry to be off.
"Good-bye, Mr Quacko," said he, turning to the monkey, and making him a
profound bow, for Jack was the pink of politeness. "I am much obliged
to you for the accommodation your tree has afforded me, and for the
assistance you have rendered me, and if you will ever venture afloat I
shall be very happy to see you on board our ship. Good-bye, old fellow,
give us a paw." He felt in a curiously excited state, and ready to talk
any nonsense. Quacko, who thought he was to have some more biscuit,
came near, but when he saw that there was none he hopped off again and
chattered away louder than ever.
Jack now descended in the same way that he had got up. His first care
was to cut a thick stick to serve as a weapon of defence, for he thought
to himself, "If the tigers about here are so bold as to carry off a
black man, they are just as likely to attack me." He accordingly kept
his eyes about him, and, steering as well as he could by the sun, he
pushed away towards the north. He could not help expecting to see a
tiger spring out towards him, and every now and then he was startled by
a snake crawling across his path; while the cawing of parrots and
parrakeets, and the chattering of monkeys, made him feel like one of
those knights in fairy stories, who have to traverse a forest haunted by
evil spirits, who do their utmost to turn him from his gallant purpose
of rescuing a lovely princess from the enchanted castle in which she has
been shut up. Jack, however, was not to be turned from his intention of
getting down to the banks of the river. He forgot that he would have to
cross through a mangrove swamp, unless he could hit upon one of the few
paths used by the negroes for the purpose of crossing it. Night was now
rapidly approaching. He saw that unless he would run a very great risk
of serving as the supper of some hungry wild beast, he must get up into
a tree and pass it there. He was getting very hungry also, and he had
but a few scraps of the biscuit he had shared with the monkey. Still,
as long as there was daylight, he was anxious to push on, for he was
sure that the boats would be sent in to look for him the first thing in
the morning, and he wanted to be near the river to signalise to them.
So he pushed on, beating down the bushes with his thick stick. Many a
snake, lizard, and other creeping or crawling thing hissed or croaked at
him as he passed. At last he saw before him an open space. "Ah! now,
at all events, I shall be able to push on rapidly," he thought to
himself. So he did, and he went on some way, when on a sudden he found
himself in front of a pailing with some grotesque-looking figures carved
in wood grinning above it, and within it a bamboo-leaf-covered hut,
before which stood a remarkably big ugly-looking blackamoor. Jack
looked at him, and he looked at Jack, and uttered some words which
clearly were meant to express, "Hillo, youngster, where are you hurrying
to?" Jack followed a very natural impulse, which was to run as fast as
he could. Under other circumstances this might have been a wise
proceeding, for he certainly could run faster than the black man, who
was not only big but fat. He had scarcely begun to run when a piece of
painted wood came whizzing through the air after him, which would
certainly have knocked him down had it hit him. He dodged it, however;
but the next moment he heard the gruff voice of the black hounding on a
dog, and when he turned his head he saw a huge Spanish bloodhound
leaping over the pailing, followed by the negro. To attempt to escape
was now hopeless, so he ran forward, flourishing his stick in the hope
of keeping the dog at bay. When the negro saw he was coming back he
called the hound off him.
"For why you run so?" exclaimed the negro, who saw that he was an
Englishman.
"For the same reason that a pig does, because I was in a hurry,"
answered Jack, who saw that his best course was to put a good face on
the matter.
"Ah, you funny young ossifer, you laugh moch," observed the negro.
"Yes, it runs in the family, we are addicted to laughing," replied Jack
with perfect coolness. "And now, old gentleman, I'm very sharp set, and
as I doubt not that you have, plenty of provender in your house, I shall
be much obliged to you for some supper."
The negro evidently could not make out what Jack was about, and seemed
to have an idea that he had run away from his ship. Jack was not sorry
to encourage this. The black was evidently balancing in his mind
whether he should make most by giving him up and claiming a reward, or
helping him to hide, and then getting possession of any wealth he might
have about him. He, in the most friendly way, led Jack into his house.
It was very neatly built of bamboo, of considerable size, oblong in
shape, and divided into four or five rooms. In one was a table, with
some chairs; and the negro, having given some orders in a loud voice to
several ebon-hued damsels, who appeared at the door, in a short time
several dishes of meat and grain were placed on it. "Come you eat,"
said the host. Jack stuck his fork into the meat. It was not a hare,
or a rabbit, or a pig, or a kid. He could not help thinking of his
friend Quacko, as he turned it over and over. However, he was very
hungry, and he thought he would taste a bit. It was very tender and
nice, so he resolved that he would not ask questions, but go on eating
till his appetite was satisfied. There was a sort of porringer of
farina, and some cakes of the same substance. He ate away, and felt
much more satisfied than at first with the state of affairs. His host
informed him that he was a grand pilot of the river, and showed him a
variety of certificates which he had received to prove the fact, from
the masters of English, American, Spanish, Portuguese, and French
traders. Some praised him, but others remarked that he was one of the
greatest rascals unhung, and that he would cheat and rob whenever he had
the opportunity, and tell any falsehood to suit his purpose. "A nice
sort of gentleman," thought Jack, but he did not express his opinions,
and tried to make himself as comfortable as he could. The negro placed
wine and spirits before him, but he partook sparingly of them.
"You say I good man," observed his host. "Go off to fight ship. Tell
moch. Ah, ah!" And he winked and nodded and turned his eyes about in a
curious way.
Jack concluded that he proposed going off to the ship, and would give
some information about the slavers, and that he wanted him to vouch for
his character.
"All right," answered Jack; "you come on board; we shall be very happy
to see you, and bring your book of certificates--remember that."
Considering the small vocabulary possessed by the negro, he managed to
carry on a good deal of conversation with his guest. At last he made a
sign that it was time to go to bed, and, pointing to a bundle of mats,
he told him to lie down, and that no harm would come to him. Jack did
as he was bid, and, having a good conscience and a good digestion, was
very soon asleep.
The household was astir by an early hour. When Jack opened his eyes, he
saw that two or three strangers were in the room. They looked at him
askance, with no friendly glance. His host soon after entered, and it
was very evident that a change had come over the man's feelings towards
him. Jack, however, got up, and, shaking himself, tried to look as
unconcerned as possible. The bloodhound also, which had been very good
friends with him the previous evening, walked in and stalked, snuffing,
and growling round and round him. Jack did not like the look of
affairs. Some food at last was brought in for breakfast--baked yams,
fried fish, farina, and other delicacies, of which his host invited him
to partake, but was evidently inclined to treat him with very little
ceremony. When the meal was over. Jack intimated that he should like
to begin his journey to get on board his ship. The negro laughed and
said something to the other men. "You no go dere now, you go wid dees."
Jack's countenance fell. The other blackamoors grinned, and without
ceremony took him by the shoulder to lead him off. The midshipman's
impulse was to resist, and he began to lay about him with his stick,
which he snatched up from a corner, but the blacks threw themselves upon
him, while the horrid bloodhound sprang at his legs, and in an instant
he was overpowered, and his hands once more bound behind him. Jack
thought that before he was carried off, he would try and induce the big
negro to help him, so he exclaimed, "I say, friend pilot, perhaps you
can't help this; so just let them know on board ship where I am, and you
will be well rewarded." He saw the negro grin, but before he could get
an answer, he was hurried off by his new masters. They conducted him
along over ground very similar to that which he had passed the previous
day. Now and then he saw fields of Indian corn, and small patches
cultivated with other grains, but otherwise the country was covered
mostly with a dense jungle, very narrow paths only being cut through it.
After travelling five or six miles, they reached the river, and having
dragged a canoe from among the bushes on the banks, all the party got
into it, and paddled away up the stream. The cords were by this time
really hurting Jack's arms, and he made all the signs he could think of
to induce the negroes to remove them. To his great satisfaction, after
talking together, one of them got up and slackened the knots, so that he
could throw the rope off. He expressed his thanks to the negro, and
placed it gently by his side. Scarcely had he done so, when his eye
fell on a piece of board floating by. He stretched out his hand and got
hold of it. That instant the idea flashed into his mind, that this
board might enable him to communicate with his shipmates. It very soon
dried, and then, as if to amuse himself, he took out his knife and began
cutting away at it. If he could carve but a few words, they might be
sufficient to signify where he had gone. He carved, in no very regular
characters, "A prisoner, up south branch.--Jack R." As soon as he had
done this, pretending to be tired of the amusement, he threw the board
into the stream and watched it floating down towards the sea. "It is a
hundred to one whether it is picked up," he said to himself with a sigh,
"I'll double the chances though." So he looked out for another board or
piece of stick; and having before long got one, carved that in the same
way. The blacks did not seem to suspect his object, and allowed him to
continue the operation. After paddling about an hour, they ran up a
small creek with black mudbanks; and when they had drawn the canoe on
shore, Jack found himself standing before a strong stockade or fort with
a deep ditch round it. There was no gate on the side turned towards the
river, but going round some way, they arrived at an entrance over a
rough drawbridge. The negroes talked a few minutes together, and then
led Jack in. The object for which the fort was used was very clear. In
the centre stood a large barracoon full of slaves. This barracoon was a
shed built of heavy piles driven down into the earth, lashed together
with bamboos, and thatched with palm-leaves. Jack, as he passed, looked
in. Sad was the spectacle which met his sight. The negroes who had
charge of Jack did not appear to have found the person of whom they were
in search; for after waiting some time they led him again out of the
fort and took the road up a hill away from the river. After walking
some way they reached a village or town. It was surrounded by a bamboo
fence. They entered by a narrow gateway at the end of a street. The
houses, or rather huts, were all joined together, forming one long shed
of uniform height on each side of the road. Each habitation had a small
low door, which alone showed the number of separate dwellings in a row.
The sides were composed of broad strips of bark, and bamboo leaves
served for the thatch. Here and there were larger houses built of
bamboo, with raised floors, marking the residences of chief men. At
last they reached a house nearly a hundred feet in length, and, having
ascended some steps, Jack found himself ushered into the presence of a
burly negro, who was sitting in oriental style on a pile of mats smoking
a pipe. He had on a cocked-hat and a green uniform coat covered with
gold-lace, wide seamen's trousers and yellow slippers, a striped shirt,
and a red sash round his waist. From his air he evidently considered
himself a very important personage, and Jack did not doubt that he was
in the presence of some Indian potentate. Round the room were several
mirrors in gilt frames, and on a table stood a large silver bowl, while
there were a couple of chairs and a sofa covered with damask or silk.
The king, for so he called himself, looked at Jack sternly and said,
"For what you come to my country, eh?"
Jack answered that he had been brought there against his will, and that
he had no intention of coming. But his Majesty seemed to doubt him, and
asked him a number of questions to elicit the truth. At length,
however, he seemed satisfied. Jack was in hopes that he had made a
favourable impression, and as he was getting hungry, he intimated that
he should like some dinner. The king seemed pleased at the request, and
ordered it to be brought into the room. It was a very good repast, and
Jack was getting very happy, and hoping that there would be no great
difficulty in making his escape, when the aspect of affairs was once
more changed by the appearance of the two Spaniards who had picked him
off the wreck of the slaver. They looked very fierce, and made
threatening gestures at him, and abused him to the king for running away
from them, and he discovered that they knew all about the expedition of
the _Archer's_ boats up the river, and the capture of the schooner. He,
however, went on eating his dinner, and tried to look unconcerned about
the matter. This enraged them still more. What they might have done he
could not tell; but suddenly a man rushed into the room, and gave some
piece of information which seemed to put them all into a state of great
agitation. They seized upon Jack and dragged him off, and they and a
number of other people, headed by the king, rushed down the bill towards
the fort. From the few words dropped which Jack could comprehend, he
understood that they expected an attack to be made on it for the purpose
of rescuing the slaves, and that they were resolved to defend it to the
last. He found himself dragged along till he was carried into the fort
with the crowd; he was then shown a gun, and it was intimated to him
that if he did not do his best to fight, he should forthwith have his
brains blown out--a dreadful alternative, but from which he could
discover not the slightest prospect of escaping.