Three of the _Archer's_ boats were manned, and under the command of
Lieutenant Hemming, Murray having charge of one and Adair of the other,
were about to shove off and proceed up the river to search for their
missing shipmates, when a sail was seen from the mast-head standing down
toward them. She was quickly made out to be a large ship, and in a
short time little doubt remained that she was an English frigate.
Captain Grant, therefore, ordered the boats to delay their departure
that a more powerful expedition might be forthwith despatched to compete
with any enemies with whom they might fall in. "Hurrah! she's our own
ship the _Ranger_," exclaimed Adair, who had gone aloft to have a look
at the stranger, and now came below to make his report to Hemming;
"Captain Lascelles is just the man to back up Captain Grant; if he knows
of any barracoons or slavers' strongholds of any description, he will be
for going in and blowing them all up without a moment's delay."
To prove that Adair was right, the _Ranger_ soon after made her number,
and at the same time another sail appeared to the northward. She turned
out to be a brig-of-war, the _Wasp_. Captain Grant immediately went on
board the frigate. Captain Lascelles entered fully into his plan, and
instead of three, as soon as the _Wasp_ came up, fortunately ten boats
started on the expedition. Hemming was much gratified when Captain
Lascelles declined to supersede him, assuring him that no one was better
qualified to be entrusted with the command. There is always something
very exciting in an expedition, no matter what the object, but when
there is some uncertainty and danger, and a prospect of fighting,
everybody gets into the highest possible spirits. Murray and Adair
would have been in high spirits also had they not been anxious about
Jack. Not that they were very unhappy. They had all so often missed
each other, and been in difficulties and dangers, that they thought he
would turn up somewhere before long. The boats dashed over the bar, and
pulled up the south branch. As it was flood-tide they made rapid
progress. They had gone some way up when they saw some one on the bank
of the river beckoning to them. "A mere naked nigger," said Adair,
looking through his glass, "not worth waiting for him I should think."
Hemming seemed to be of the same opinion, for the boats continued their
progress. Seeing this the negro set off running as fast as he could go,
and was soon lost to sight in the jungle. Not long after they came to
the end of a reach, and then it appeared that the river doubled back as
it were on itself.
"Hillo, there is something in the water ahead of us," sang out Adair to
Murray.
"It is a negro swimming off to us. Do you see him, sir?" said Murray to
Hemming, whose boat was near his.
The negro lifted up his hand, as if trying to make a signal to them, and
wishing to be taken into one of the boats. Hemming told Murray to pull
towards the negro, and ascertain what he wanted. In a few minutes
Murray had hauled a young negro lad into his boat. "What is it you
want, my lad?" asked Alick, in his usual kind way. The poor negro
evidently wanted to speak, but could not find English words enough to
express himself, though he was very voluble when employing his own
language. No sooner, however, had Murray returned to the line of boats
and retaken his place near Hemming, than the black lad's countenance
brightened up. "Ah, Massa Hemming, Massa Hemming," he exclaimed, trying
to spring into the lieutenant's boat. He would in his eagerness have
jumped overboard, had not some of the seamen held him back.
"He seems to know you, sir," said Murray.
"Is, is--me know Massa Hemming; is, is, kind massa," exclaimed the young
negro, eagerly catching at the words.
"Let him come into my boat, and I'll hear what he has got to say," said
Hemming, greatly to the delight of the negro, who clearly understood
him. No sooner was the black lad on board Hemming's boat, than he
seized his hand and kissed it, and showed every mark of affection. Then
with evident eagerness and haste he made all sorts of signs, aiding them
by such few words as he knew. "Man come--bad, no, no," he said,
pointing up the river. Hemming understood that some one would come and
try and mislead them, and that they were not to trust to him. Then
Hemming tried to ascertain the fate of the missing boat's crew. His
heart sank when the negro explained by signs that he could not mistake
that they had all been murdered.
"No one escaped?" he asked.
The negro shook his head, no, not one survived, it appeared. Murray and
Adair were soon made acquainted with the information, and then indeed
they began to fear that Jack Rogers, their gallant jovial companion, was
lost to them for ever. Grief and indignation, and a desire to punish
the perpetrators of the deed, took possession of their hearts. That was
but natural. It is difficult to distinguish between revenge, which is
wrong, and a desire to punish evil-doers, when we ourselves are affected
by their misdeeds.
The young negro, after talking away and making signs to Hemming for some
time longer, desired to be put on shore. Murray was ordered to convey
him there.
"Good man--good man, Massa Hemming," he kept saying all the time. "Take
care, bad man come off shore."
As soon as he landed, off he darted again through the mangrove bushes,
and was lost to sight.
"He seems to be an old friend of yours, sir," observed Murray when he
got back.
"Yes, I find that he is a lad I once, when he was a young boy, jumped
overboard to save in the West Indies after he had been taken out of a
slaver," answered Hemming carelessly. "He made me out when we were in
the river before taking the Spanish schooner, and has ever since been
watching for an opportunity to speak to me. I cannot make out exactly
what he wishes to guard us against--some treachery, I conclude. I could
not fancy that he would have recollected me so long. It shows that
blacks have grateful hearts."
Hemming sympathised much with Murray and Adair, for he knew of their
attachment to Jack, and he fully believed that he had been lost with the
rest. Bitter and sad were their feelings. "Oh, Jack, Jack!" muttered
Adair in a tone of grief, "are you really gone?" The flotilla of boats
proceeded some way farther, when a large canoe was seen paddling out
towards them from the shore. A burly negro sat in the stern and made a
profound salaam with his palm-leaf hat as he approached.
"Me first pilot in dis river," he shouted with a stentorian voice, "take
me board--me come show way."
Hemming ordered his crew to cease rowing, and took him into his boat to
hear what he had got to say for himself. He had, however, exhausted
nearly all his vocabulary in his first address, and there was some
difficulty in understanding him. In vain Hemming tried to gain some
information about the missing boat and her crew. The negro either knew
nothing or was resolved not to tell. At last he produced a book of
certificates, and when Hemming had glanced over them he burst into a fit
of laughter, and handed them back. The big negro looked exceedingly
indignant, and, striking his breast, repeated vehemently--
"Me good man--me show way."
Many of the certificates had been far from complimentary to the negro,
but still Hemming thought that he might be useful as a pilot, till he
recollected the warning he had just before received.
"This is undoubtedly the very fellow I was to expect," he said to
himself. "No, no, you go on shore; we can do without you," he
exclaimed, addressing the negro.
The burly savage blustered and protested, but he was made to step into
his canoe, which had been paddling alongside, and Hemming signified to
him clearly that he must take himself off. They observed him watching
them for some way; then he hauled up his canoe, and taking a path
inland, they saw no more of him. They had pulled on for half an hour or
more when Murray caught sight of a board floating in the water. He
could scarcely account for the impulse which made him steer towards it
and pick it up. His eye brightened as he looked at it.
"Hurrah!" he shouted joyfully; "hurrah! Jack Rogers is alive; here is a
note from him. There is no doubt about it. It is short though--he
says, `A prisoner. Up south branch. Jack R.'" The shout was taken up
by his own crew and the crews of all the other boats, and the banks of
the stream rang with their loud hurrahs. This brief notice instigated
all hands to make still greater exertions to try and recover Jack,
wherever he might be. On they went; reach after reach of the winding
river was passed, and they had got a long way up, higher than any of
them had been before, when a shot, seeming as if it came out of the
bank, flew over their heads. Another and another followed.
"We are just in front of the pirates' battery," exclaimed Hemming; "on,
lads, on! we'll storm it without delay." The seamen required no further
encouragement. A shower of rockets was first fired into the enemy's
fort, and then on they dashed, in spite of the heavy fire of musketry,
as well as of grape-shot and langrage, which was opened on them in
return. To their rage and disappointment, the boats stuck on the
mudbank just outside the stockades, which they only then discovered.
Many of the seamen leaped out of the boats and attempted to wade
onwards, but they either at once sank into the mud or fell forward into
the deep ditch, where several were shot down before they could be
rescued by their comrades, while others were drowned or smothered in the
mud. It was horrible work. An enemy whom they despised was close to
them, and yet could not be got at. Hemming, his heart burning with
anger and grief at the loss of so many poor fellows and the almost
hopelessness of success, ordered the boats to shove off, with the
intention of making an attack on some other part of the fort. The
blacks continued firing away under cover without much fear of being hit
in return. It was melancholy to have to retire, and to see the bank,
from off which the water had begun to recede, strewed with the bodies of
those who a few minutes before were as full of life and energy as
themselves. Before getting to any great distance, Murray thought he saw
a channel to the right, which must run near the fort. He pointed it out
to Hemming, who told him to lead the way. He was right; the negroes had
neglected to fortify it, and in a few seconds the boats were close up to
the stockades. Not a moment was lost in storming them and hauling them
down. In rushed the gallant bluejackets, led on by Hemming, Murray,
Adair, and other officers, and at length they got their black enemy face
to face.
"There's Rogers, there's Rogers!" shouted Murray and Adair, for they
both saw him at the same time. They were certain of it, though his
features were considerably begrimed with powder, smoke, and dirt. This
was incentive enough to make them push on with still greater haste, had
they not been eager to punish the abominable slave-dealers and their
crew of ruffians. The brave fellows little knew the terrible trap
prepared for them. Murray and Adair had sprung on ahead, and believed
that in another minute they would have rescued Jack from the grasp of
his captors, when they felt themselves suddenly pulled back by Hemming
and Will Needham.
"Back, back, lads, back!" sang out the lieutenant. At that moment up
ascended right before them a mass of earth and stones and wood, with a
dense cloud of smoke and dust, accompanied by a terrific roar, and they
felt themselves lifted off their feet and sent heels over head, while
down upon them came showering all the more solid portions of the
above-mentioned materials about their ears, as they lay half stunned and
stifled and vainly endeavouring to rise. Another foot in advance, and
they would have been blown to destruction. Hemming had seen the old
Spaniard fire his pistol into the tub, and guessed what was coming.
Murray and Adair felt themselves very much hurt, so indeed were Hemming
and Needham; while several poor fellows were maimed or killed outright.
The two schoolfellows, after lying stupefied for a few seconds, lifted
up their heads and began to crawl out from the mass of ruins which
surrounded them.
"Where's Jack?" exclaimed Murray.
"Where's Jack?" cried Adair, getting upon his legs and helping Murray,
who was hurt more than he was.
These were the first words they uttered. He had not been out of their
thoughts, in spite of the dreadful commotion. As the smoke cleared away
they caught sight of the group of fugitives, among whom they supposed he
was, ascending the hill which rose beyond the fort. They were eager to
pursue, but when they looked round and saw so many of their companions
disabled, and Lieutenant Hemming himself on the ground, they could not
help fearing that pursuit would be hopeless. Still they were moving on,
when Hemming, recovering himself, called them back.
"It is of no use, lads," he cried. "The scoundrels have escaped us this
time. See, see, too, we have work here," As he spoke, flames burst
forth out of the barracoon, part of which had been blown up by the mine.
The seamen who could stand, wounded or not, rushed forward, led by
their officers, to help the miserable slaves. They hacked away
desperately to get them free of their manacles, trying to cut through
the solid iron or the beams to which the chains were secured. Meantime
the hot flames were raging around them, and almost prevented them from
performing their work of mercy. Still, in spite of the fire, the heat,
and the smoke, and the possibility of being again blown up, the
undaunted fellows laboured on. Numbers of the poor slaves had been
liberated, and several children had been carried off who would otherwise
have been left with their mothers to perish; but at last the terrific
element gained the upper hand. The seamen's clothes were literally
scorched off their backs before they would quit the work of humanity on
which they were engaged, but even they were at last obliged to retreat,
leaving the miserable captives to their fate. Again and again, however,
now one, now another, would make a dash in among the flames, and try to
haul out some poor burning creature whose imploring cries their tender
heart could not withstand. One gallant fellow was killed by the falling
of a burning beam before they would desist altogether from their brave
efforts.
By this time the retreating slave-dealers had got completely out of
sight, and when Lieutenant Hemming looked round and saw the number of
men he had lost, and the disabled state of some of his boats, and of so
many of his followers, he felt that he could in no way be justified in
attempting to continue the pursuit. An officer often shows his bravery
and fitness for command as much by his discretion and by holding back as
by pushing forward.
Hemming was just one of these men. If he thought a thing ought to be
done, he did not stop to consider what others would say about it, he did
it. He now ordered his party to collect, and having conveyed some of
the lighter guns to the boats, and spiked and turned the others over
into the mud, and set fire to what would burn in the fort, he ordered
all hands to make preparations for embarking with the rescued slaves, as
well as with four Spaniards, three of whom were wounded, and several
negroes who had been captured. He had formed a plan which he hoped to
carry out. Some time, however, was occupied in repairing two of the
boats; one was so completely destroyed that he could not carry her off.
Before all these arrangements were concluded and the party were prepared
to embark, it was late in the day. Hemming wanted, by a show of
retreating, to throw the slave-dealers and negroes off their guard; and
then to make a sudden dash up the stream and to come upon them unawares,
having previously sent down the river to the ships some of the boats
with the captured slaves. The rest of the officers agreed to the plan
as soon as he propounded it to them, and Murray and Adair were consoled
at the thought of soon being able to return and attempt Jack's rescue.
The state, however, of his wounded men, and the difficulty of navigating
the river in the dark, compelled Hemming to bring up sooner than he had
intended. A spot of high ground near the river which he thought might
be easily defended induced him to land. Some bamboos and young trees
were cut down to form a stockade, fires were lighted, sails were spread
to form tents, and every preparation was made for passing the night.
"I only wish that Jack was here; he would enjoy this," observed Paddy to
Alick. "I say, by hook or by crook, we must get him out of the hands of
those ruffians. I've been turning the matter over in my mind, and I am
resolved, if Mr Hemming does not think fit to go back and try and
rescue Jack, that I will make the attempt myself. I could very soon
black myself all over, and a nigger's costume will not take long to
extemporise. I would soon frizzle up my hair, and with an old palm-leaf
hat on the top of it, and my shirt with the tails hanging down, and tied
round the waist by a piece of rope-yarn, I should look every inch of me
a blackamoor."
"Capital," observed Murray; "I'll accompany you if we find better
measures fail; but still I fear that we should run a great risk of being
discovered by the blacks."
"Not a bit of it," answered Adair; "the very daring of the thing would
throw them off their guard. They would never expect that two white
people could so speedily turn themselves into niggers. Of course we
must pretend to be dumb: though we can talk first-rate nigger gibberish
in the berth, it won't pass current, I fear, among the natives of these
parts."
"Not very likely. However, your idea of pretending to be dumb is good.
I think I had better pretend to be an idiot," answered Murray. "But the
question is, who will they take us for? where do you fancy they will
think we have come from? My idea is that we should rather try and find
where Jack is, without falling foul of any of the natives. I want to
set off directly it is dark, clamber up the hill where we saw him last,
and cut him out. It is to be done, I am certain, and Jack is well worth
all the risk we should have to run."
"That he is," exclaimed Adair warmly. "There's nothing I wouldn't do
for him, and I'm sure he would do anything for us."
The subject was fully discussed, and then the midshipmen went to
Hemming, and asked leave to put their plan into execution. Hemming
might on another occasion have been inclined to laugh at the proposal,
but he was too anxious to get Jack out of the slavers' power, for he
felt his hands tied somewhat with the fear of what the blacks might do
to the midshipman should he attack their town. He was, therefore, ready
to try any plan, however desperate, to recover Rogers. Having obtained
the leave they wanted to put their plan into execution, Murray and Adair
set to work to devise the details. As they could only hope to carry out
their scheme at night, they agreed that they need not be very particular
as to the correctness of their masquerade. There was no time to get any
dye, but burnt cork well rubbed in with oil they agreed would answer the
purpose. It was too late, however, to take any active steps that night.
It was settled that the next morning the flotilla, with some parade,
should proceed down the river, while they, with Dick Needham and a
picked crew, should lie hid in the smallest boat till dusk the next
evening; then they were to land and try and find out where Jack was.
Once discovering the locality of his prison, they fully believed that
they could, as they called it, "cut him out as easily as many a rich
Spanish galleon has in days of yore been cut out from an enemy's fort,
even though protected by the guns of the fort."
The night passed away quietly. The party had expected an attack from
the slave-dealers, but these gentry had received a sufficient notice of
the warm reception they were likely to encounter, not to make the
attempt. In the naming, however, Murray, who had the lookout while the
rest were preparing to strike their tents, observed a party approaching
with a white flag. He reported what he had seen to Lieutenant Hemming.
"The impudent scoundrels," he exclaimed; "no flag of truce ought to
shelter them. However, while poor Rogers is in their power we must
treat with them as we best can."
The party soon arrived at the temporary encampment. The most prominent
person was the burly negro who had introduced himself down the river as
a pilot, and there was a Spaniard and several blacks. The big negro was
spokesman, as he professed to know more English than any of the rest.
Hemming received them in a very haughty way.
"What is it you want? Have you come to excuse yourselves for firing on
my boats and killing my people?" he asked in a stern voice.
It was difficult to understand exactly what the negro said in return,
but Hemming made out that he knew nothing about firing on the boats, as
he had not been at the fort, but that he had been sent by the king of
the country to demand back some prisoners who had been taken while
defending the territories of the said king against an unlawful attack
made on them by the English boats. Also, there were some Spanish
cavaliers, his honoured allies, who must be likewise restored to
liberty: there were some slaves too, who must be given up, or the king
would visit the English with his intense displeasure.
The long rigmarole speech, of which this was the substance, would have
made Hemming laugh on any other occasion. However, now he merely
replied, "Listen. Tell the king, or whatever he calls himself, that the
English are here to punish evil-doers, to set slaves at liberty, to put
a stop to the slave-trade, to encourage commerce, and to prevent wars.
If the people we have caught are found to be pirates, as such they will
be hung. We keep no terms with people who, like him, support piracy and
the slave-trade."
Hemming said something more to the same effect. The negro had, however,
a last card to play, which he fancied would win the game.
"Ah, then, if you kill our people, the king says he will kill a little
officer we have of yours. His life may not be worth much, but he shall
die." The negro grinned horribly as he said this.
"If he does," exclaimed Hemming furiously, "tell the king that we will
never rest till we have pulled him off his throne and his town about his
ears, and burnt up all his country. Now you have got my answer. Go."
Hemming wisely would not condescend to say another word after this. He
knew pretty well how to treat such barbarians. The sable ambassador and
his motley suite, finding that nothing more was to be got out of the
English officer, took his departure. Scarcely had he gone, when a
figure was seen to creep out from among some bushes in the
neighbourhood. It proved to be the negro lad who had warned them of the
black pilot's intended treachery. He ran forward and threw himself at
Hemming's feet, showing every sign of delight at finding him again.
Hemming at once thought of asking him about Jack. The very thing it
proved he had come about. He had heard of him, had gone and discovered
where he was shut up, and understood that his captors talked of killing
him should any harm befall their people who had been taken prisoners.--
Hemming felt sure that he might be fully trusted, so did Murray and
Adair. They therefore explained their plan to him, and asked him to
assist them. This he at once joyfully undertook to do. Very little
change in their plan was necessary. He agreed to act as their guide.
They were to assume the character of slave boys belonging to a distant
tribe whom he was conducting to his uncle, a chief of some influence in
the country, and who was secretly favourable to the English. Wasser,
the negro lad, assured them that he was very glad they had not ventured
to make the attempt by themselves, as their detection would have been
almost certain. Hemming delayed as long as he could before embarking,
and he promised to wait for Murray and Adair some way down the river
while they went on their expedition. Their boat, with Dick Needham,
their new friend Wasser, and three other picked men, all well-armed,
shoved off with the other boats, and soon darting in towards a sheltered
nook, which they had before observed, lay as they believed perfectly
concealed from all passers-by. Wasser, however, advised them to cut
down boughs, and to fasten them in front of the boat. This they did,
and, as Paddy observed, they could not desire to pass the day in a
pleasanter way than in a shady bower with nothing to do and plenty to
eat.