OLD BIGG'S NARRATIVE--MY PLAN TO RESCUE ALFRED--FALL IN WITH AN ARAB
DHOW IN A SINKING STATE--CATCH SIGHT OF THE PIRATE--SHE TRIES TO
ESCAPE--THE CHASE--SHE BLOWS UP--THE FATE OF SILLS.
There is an old saying, that "it's an ill wind that blows no one any
good." I found it a very true saying, for I have scarcely ever known a
misfortune, or what might be called an ill-happening in the world
without, before long, having actually seen some good derived from it, by
which somebody or other has benefited. I do not mean for one moment
that evil may be done that good may come of it. Very, very far from
that. There is no more hateful morality in the sight of God. But what
I mean is, that God often causes events to happen, which we in our
blindness may think ills or misfortunes, but which, in reality, tend to
our ultimate happiness. If we could only bring ourselves firmly to
believe this, it would enable us to bear with far greater patience than
we do the sickness and losses, the sufferings and annoyances which meet
us constantly in our course through life.
The day after we had rescued Tommy Bigg's father from the rock, as I was
walking the deck, he came up to me.
"Sir," said he, touching his hat, "my boy tells me that you have been
his best friend from the time you first set eyes on him, and I am
grateful, sir, indeed I am. I'd do anything to serve you, and from what
Tommy tells me I think I might serve you. I hear from him that you came
away from home to look for a brother, and that you believe he was aboard
the _Dragon_, Now, sir, I belonged to that unfortunate craft, and it was
a bad day for me that I ever set foot on her deck, so I have had reason
to think. I didn't know what her calling was, or I would never have
stepped up her side, that I know.
"Well, sir, when we last sailed from Aden, a young gentleman came on
board for a passage down to Natal. I soon found out that he was a
seaman, though he took no part in the navigation of the brig, but when
he discovered, as I had done, her character, kept himself aloof from the
captain and officers, and, indeed, everybody on board. He did well;
for, to my mind, it would be hard to find a greater villain in existence
than Captain Redman. I would have liked to have spoken to him, to tell
him that he might trust me if the worst came to the worst and he
required my services; but it wouldn't have done for me to have been seen
addressing him.
"We called in at Mozambique, and then some of the government officers,
and merchants, and great people of the place, came on board, and were
hand and glove with Captain Redman. Thinks I to myself, I wonder now if
you knew what sort of a rogue he is whether you would be so friendly?
But I soon found out that it would have made no difference with them,
for they were one and all interested in the slave trade, and were
friendly with him because he paid them hard cash for the slaves they got
for him. I believe that they had arranged for a cargo for him, when a
new governor of the place came unexpectedly out from home, and gave
notice that he would not allow anything of the sort. Whether he was in
earnest about preventing the traffic, or whether he only wished to show
that a new broom sweeps clean, I don't know. Certain it was that we had
to get out of the place as fast as we could, and made sail to the
southward.
"I ought to have told you, sir, that I didn't know the name of the young
gentleman who was aboard us, but from what Tommy tells me I have little
doubt that he was your brother. I believe that he would have left the
brig at Mozambique, but Captain Redman persuaded him that he was going
on direct to Natal, so he remained on board.
"Now the captain had, I found, engaged to supply a cargo of slaves, and
he was determined to get them by fair means or foul. Before many days
had passed, I found that the vessel was headed in towards the coast. In
a short time we dropped anchor in a snug harbour with a narrow entrance,
where we lay completely concealed from any vessel in the offing. In a
short time a chief came off in a canoe, and the captain had some palaver
with him, and he returned on shore. The captain then said that a number
of blacks had agreed to come on board to take their passage to some
place or other, to work as labourers, but that after having signed their
papers they had refused to come, `so you see, my young men, we shall
have to use force to make them do their duty,' he observed.
"We had a strong crew for the size of the brig--some thirty hands or
more--and twenty or more, without a word, agreed to the captain's
proposal. All the boats were lowered, and away they went, as soon as it
was dark, to the shore. I did not know at the time why they took so
much precaution, but I afterwards learned that there were two parties in
the place--one headed by the chief who had come aboard, and who lived on
the coast, in favour of the slave-trade; the other, who owned the
country further inland, who had determined to put a stop to it, from
having discovered that it was doing them every possible harm. They had
also won over a good many of the coast natives to see things in the
light they did.
"I and about eight other men remained on board, so did our young
gentleman passenger. We waited for some two hours or more, wondering
why the captain and the rest were so long in returning, when at last the
boats appeared loaded to the gunnel with thirty blacks or more in them.
The poor wretches were chained two and two. They were quickly passed
below, and secured between decks, which had been fitted up for them.
Everything was done in a great hurry. I guessed that something was
wrong. `Now, my lads, we must be off again; no time to be lost,' sang
out the captain.
"Away they went, and three more of our people, so that there were still
fewer left on board. We waited and waited for their return, but still
they did not come. At last we heard some shots fired on shore, and we
began to think that something had happened. Still longer we waited, and
we grew very anxious, and one proposed one thing and one another. There
was only the second mate left on board of all the officers, and he did
not know what to do. We had given up all hopes of seeing them when the
splash of oars was heard, and we saw, as we thought, three or four boats
approaching. It was just before break of day, and it was very dark. It
was all right, we thought, and we were expecting to see our shipmates
come up the side, when, all of a sudden, I don't know how it was, there
were some fifty black fellows screeching and howling away on the deck.
Some of them attacked us; and while we were struggling with them, others
rushed below and liberated the slaves, and in less than a minute up they
all came pouring on deck, shouting and shrieking, and threatening
vengeance on us. Two or three of our fellows were killed. Still we
fought on, for we knew that we had no mercy to expect from them.
"When daylight broke, the young passenger and I, and two others, were
the only ones on their legs, and the two last were wounded and bleeding.
Seeing this, the blacks made a rush at us, I thought all was over, and
expected to be knocked on the head and thrown overboard. I fought as
long as I could, but my foot slipped, and some of the blacks throwing
themselves on me, I lost my senses, and when I recovered I found myself
bound hand and foot. The young passenger was in the same condition; so
was another man. The rest, I feared, had lost their lives. The blacks
now swarmed round the brig in their canoes and rafts, and commenced
taking everything out of her, and stripping her of her rigging and
sails. They were all as busy as ants, and this, I believe, prevented
them from paying much attention to us. Perhaps our lives might
otherwise have been sacrificed, but the occupation gave time for their
anger to cool, and the wealth of various sorts they found on board put
them in the highest good humour.
"In the course of the day we three prisoners were carried on shore. We
could hear nothing of our shipmates, and had too much reason to fear
that they all had been murdered. I do not mean to say that they did not
deserve their fate. They were concerned in a plot to reduce those very
people who had killed them to a condition, in many instances, worse than
death, and thus they brought their fate upon themselves. When we were
landed a little farinha was given us, and we were ordered to march
forward, followed by a dozen guards or more. We travelled on all day,
and at night slept in a native hut, with three or four negroes guarding
us.
"The country was generally very fine, with grassy plains, and forests,
and hills, and valleys, and numerous streams. We had only a little more
farinha given us, and dirty water; indeed, it was very evident that the
blacks were treating us as we should have treated them if they had been
made slaves of.
"I will not further describe our journey except to say that it was most
miserable. If we did not go fast enough the blacks pricked us on with
their spears or beat us with sticks, and all the time gave us only just
enough food to support life. At last we arrived at a village where we
were handed over to three of the principal people of the place; and
signs were made to us that we were now slaves, and must work to support
ourselves, as well as to obey our masters. I set to work to learn the
language of the people, and soon was able to talk to them. I resolved
to make myself as happy as I could, and never grumbled or looked angry.
My master, however, was a great tyrant, and used often to beat me and to
threaten my life, so I resolved to try and run away.
"I have not told you more about the young gentleman, our passenger. I
have no doubt he was your brother, and I will call him so. He seemed
pretty content with his lot, for though he had to work hard his master
was pretty kind. I told him what I thought of doing; and he agreed to
accompany me if he could, but advised me to run away without him if I
had the chance, and that he would try and follow by himself. The other
poor fellow about this time caught the fever and died. The blacks were
not a bad or a cruel set of people after all; and when they saw that we
appeared contented and happy, they were much kinder to us. We learned
their language and all their ways; and then we showed them how to do all
sorts of things which they did not know anything about. When my clothes
were worn out I took to dressing like the blacks. There wasn't much
difficulty in doing that. Then I began to hunt about to try and see if
I couldn't make my skin like theirs. At last I found some berries which
I thought would do it. After trying a number of things, to my great
pleasure I found that I could make my skin as black as that of any of
the negroes in the country. To make a long story short, I collected
plenty of the dye, and one evening I covered myself all over with it.
When it was done I crept out of the hut where I lived to try and see
your brother, to get him to run off with me, intending to colour his
skin as I had done mine. I found, however, that he had been sent off up
the country by his master. If I waited I might be discovered; so, doing
up my old seaman's clothes in a bundle, with as much food as I could
scrape together, I set off towards the coast. I knew that I must meet
with unnumbered difficulties. I travelled by night chiefly, when the
natives were not likely to be about; and as I had to go round about to
avoid villages and huts, it took me a week to reach the coast. When I
got there, however, I was no longer afraid of showing myself. I felt
pretty sure that I should be taken for a native of the interior. I
therefore walked into the first hut I came to on the shore, belonging to
a fisherman, and told him that I had been sent by one of the chiefs to
learn what was going forward along the coast, and what the slave-dealers
were about. I did not let him know whether I was for or against them.
"He, I found, was in favour of slave-dealing; and from him I learned
that a few miles to the north there was an Arab dhow taking in a cargo,
supplied by one of the Portuguese dealers. Off I set as fast as my legs
could carry me. I had a little oil in a calabash, with which I knew I
could soon make myself white, so I had no fear of being shipped on board
as a slave. It was the evening before I came in sight of the dhow. She
lay in a little bay about a quarter of a mile from the shore. There
were no boats to be seen, and no means of communicating with her. I
judged that she had got her cargo on board, and was about to sail; but
it was perfectly calm, and she was waiting for a wind to get under way.
I was eager to be on board her: I wanted, at all events, to be away from
the blacks. I sat down and rubbed my skin over with the oil till I was
almost white. I did not think of sharks, or of the distance I had to
swim; but, hunting about, I found some pieces of light wood. These I
fastened on each side of me, and secured another piece under my breast;
and then in I plunged and struck out for the dhow. It was a long way to
swim, and I couldn't help fearing that before I reached her a breeze
would spring up. Now and then I saw the water ripple before me, and my
courage almost failed me. I can but die once, I thought to myself; but
still it seemed very hard to have to die just then.
"I had got almost up to the vessel when I saw another thing which might
well have made my heart sink: it was the black three-cornered fin of a
shark appearing just above the surface. I knew that it was now high
time to kick about, and sing out, and call to the people on board the
dhow to help me. They came, on hearing my cries, to the side of the
vessel, and they saw me and also my most unwelcome companion. They at
once did what was best: while some shouted and got sweeps out to stir up
the water, others lowered a boat. Anxiously I watched their
proceedings, kicking about, and shouting as loud as I could, while I
swam on as before. Still, there was the shark's fin not five fathoms
from me. I dreaded every instant to see it approach nearer. The Arab
boat got close up to me, the men seized me by the arms, and at the very
instant that the shark, thinking that he was about to lose his prey,
made a grab at my legs, I drew them up, and, as it was, I felt his mouth
touch my foot.
"The Arabs were very kind to me when I had put on my clothes, and told
them that I was an Englishman. At first they thought that I was a black
man, for I had forgotten to rub the black off my face, and afterwards
had more difficulty in getting that white than any other part of me. I
could very easily talk with them, as I had learned to speak the lingo in
very common use along the coast in those parts.
"The dhow was, as I expected, a slaver. She had seventy or eighty poor
wretches stowed closely together in her hold, and was going to take them
to an island in the north of Madagascar, where they were to be shipped
on board a French vessel bound for some French island or other. Soon
after I got on board a breeze sprang up, and the dhow made sail. We had
been at sea four or five days when a large schooner hove in sight. The
Arabs took her for an English man-of-war, and made all sail to escape.
As I looked at her, however, I felt pretty sure that she was no other
than a villainous piratical craft which had been cruising about in these
waters for some time--shipping a cargo of slaves when she could do so
easily, robbing other vessels of them when they came in her way, and
committing acts of piracy on every opportunity. In either case the
Arabs had every prospect of losing their cargo. If she should prove to
be a man-of-war our lives would be safe; but if the pirate, as I
suspected, her crew would very likely murder us all, and sink the dhow,
on the principle that dead men tell no tales.
"As soon as I hinted my suspicions to the Arabs they made all sail, and
stood to the northward in the hopes of escaping. The weather had before
been threatening. A heavy gale sprung up, which increased every moment
in fury. Still the Arabs held on. The schooner came after us at a
great rate. Night was coming on: we hoped to escape in the darkness.
On we drove. Where we were going no one seemed to know. The little
vessel plunged and tore through the fast rising seas, every timber in
her creaking and groaning. The wind howled, the waters roared, and the
poor wretches below cried out and shrieked in concert.
"After some hours of this terrible work I felt a tremendous shock: I was
thrown down flat on my face. Another sea came up and washed every soul
off the deck. The dhow was on the rocks. Scarcely a minute had passed
before she began to break up under my feet, I cannot describe the
terrible cries of the poor slaves as the sea rushed down upon them. I
had seized a spar, and a sea rolling on lifted me up and carried me
forward. I knew no more till I found myself clinging to a rock. I
climbed on till I discovered that I was safe on shore. When daylight
broke not a human being could I see--not a vestige of the wreck
remained. There I remained for a long time--till you came and took me
off."
Thus ended old Tom Bigg's yarn. It was much longer, and not perhaps in
the same language exactly in which I have given it. When Captain
Armstrong heard the particulars he promised to go to the spot described
by the seaman, and to form some plan by which Alfred might be rescued
from slavery. Tom was called in to consult.
"I have been thinking about it, gentlemen, ever since I came on board,"
he answered. "Now, Mr Marsden has been very kind to my little boy, and
I want to show him that I am grateful. The only way I can think of to
get your brother, sir, is for me to go back for him. I can easily turn
myself into a black man, and it will be very hard if I can't find an
opportunity of letting him know that he has friends at hand. If the
_Star_ can remain off the coast so as to take us on board, I have no
doubt I shall be able to bring him away."
I thanked Bigg very much for his offer, and said that I would accept it
on condition that I could go with him. I could not allow another person
to run the risk of losing his life for my sake without sharing the
dangers. I proposed that I should stain my body and dress as a black;
and by pretending to be dumb should I fall in with any natives, I
thought that I might possibly pass muster as a real negro. There was no
great novelty in the design; but the natives were not likely to have had
the trick played on them before, and would therefore not be suspicious,
while, from the way in which Bigg imitated the negroes, I had great
confidence in his being able to deceive them if necessary. Of course,
it would be more hazardous going back to the very place from which he
had made his escape; but as he had told me that none of the natives knew
that he had assumed the appearance of a black, they very probably might
not recognise him. Although Captain Armstrong did not altogether
approve of our plan, he could not suggest any other: and he therefore
promised to assist me in carrying it out, with any improvements which
might be suggested.
I have not attempted to describe the gales and calms, and many of the
various incidents we encountered on our voyage. We had had one of those
tremendous gales to which the Mozambique Channel is peculiarly liable,
when at early dawn a vessel was made out right ahead, with her masts
gone, and her bulwarks rising but a little way above the water. Had it
been dark we should have run directly over her. We soon caught her up,
and found her to be an Arab dhow, just like the one Bigg had described,
and full of slaves. Poor wretches!--those who had still strength to
make a noise were howling fearfully, expecting every instant to go to
the bottom. Never shall I forget the horrible scene she presented.
More than half the blacks had died from fright, or starvation and fever,
or had been drowned; but the Arab crew had been so occupied in pumping,
and in trying in other ways to keep their vessel afloat, that they had
been unable to spare time even to throw the dead overboard, and there
lay their festering remains--decomposition having already commenced--
still chained to the living. The _Star_ was hove to; and Mr Henley,
who could speak a little Arabic, went in the boats to assist in rescuing
the crew and their wretched cargo. He had to tell the Arabs that we
would not receive one of them on board if they did not work away to the
last to keep the dhow afloat, or they would have deserted their posts,
and allowed the poor blacks to sink. We meantime set to work with
hammers and chisels, and liberated the negroes as rapidly as we could;
but it was with the greatest difficulty that any one of us could stay
below, so terrible was the odour from the dead bodies. To such a state
had they been reduced that many died while we were attempting to
liberate them, and others as they were being carried on board the
_Star_, while several breathed their last as food was being put into
their mouths. Scarcely had we got the slaves out of the vessel than
down she went, carrying most of the Arab crew with her, and several were
drowned before we could rescue them. The reis or Arab captain of the
dhow told Mr Henley that he had engaged to land the negroes on a small
island to the north of Madagascar, whence they would be taken off by a
French vessel, and carried to the French island of Reunion. The plan of
proceeding was this:--On board the French vessel was a government agent,
and also an interpreter who could speak to the blacks. These wretches
went on shore with a strong guard. Then the poor blacks were collected
without a particle of food or shelter, and with every prospect of dying
of starvation. They were asked if they would like to go off to an
island where they would have plenty of food and be well treated, if they
would engage to serve a master for a certain number of years. Of
course, very few refused these terms, and they were carried off as free
labourers to Reunion or to other places. Those who refused were allowed
to perish, as a warning to the rest. The Arab master declared that all
the blacks we found on board had come voluntarily; and though they
themselves told a different tale, Captain Armstrong had no means of
punishing him or his people. They were, therefore, to be landed at
Mozambique; while Captain Armstrong resolved to carry the poor blacks,
if they wished it, back to the part of the coast from whence they had
been taken.
Scarcely had we stowed our unexpected passengers away, and very much
crowded up we were with them, than a sail was reported to the southward.
We stood towards her. For some time she did not alter her course.
Probably we were not perceived. We made her out to be a large topsail
schooner. Suddenly she kept away, and went off before the wind under
all the canvas she could carry. This at once made her character
suspected, and we accordingly made sail after her. The _Star_ sailed
remarkably well. The midshipmen always declared that she ought to have
been called the _Shooting Star_. The schooner evidently also had a fast
pair of heels, but we came up with her. I saw Johnny Spratt looking at
her very attentively, when after three or four hours' chase we had got
near enough to see her hold from the deck.
"Well, Spratt, what do you think of her?" I asked.
"Why, sir, I may be wrong or I may be right, but to my mind that
schooner out there is no other than the craft which that Captain
Hansleig, who was aboard us in the _Orion_, is said to command. I have
fallen in with her two or three times since I have been out in these
seas. He has been bold enough when he has no slaves on board, because
he thinks that then no one can touch him; and so I have no doubt he has
got home now, or he wouldn't be in such a hurry to run away."
On hearing Spratt's remark, I looked at the schooner more attentively
than before through my glass, and had little doubt that she was the very
vessel which had carried off Sills and the seaman Brown from the island.
When Biggs saw her he pronounced her at once to be the piratical craft
from which he had urged the Arabs to try and escape when he was wrecked,
and declared that from his certain knowledge her captain was a most
atrocious villain, and that as the schooner was well armed, and he had a
very strong crew, he was not likely to give in without fighting hard to
get away.
The drum now beat to quarters--the guns were cast loose; shot and powder
were handed up; the men buckled on their cutlasses, and stuck their
pistols in their belts. It was an interesting sight to observe the
ship's company as they stood grouped round their guns, ready to commence
the battle at a signal from their commander. At length we got the
schooner within range of our guns. We fired a shot past her, but she
showed no colours, nor did she heave to. We therefore fired two more at
her; one of the shots glanced against her side, and one of the
midshipmen declared that he could see the white splinters flying off it.
We waited a few minutes that we might get still nearer, so that our
shot might tell with more effect. The schooner did not fire in return.
"Now," cried Captain Armstrong, who was fully convinced of the character
of the stranger, "give it them, but aim high at the _rigging_. Fire!"
We yawed, so that our guns could be brought to bear on the stranger.
Every shot seemed to tell, and several of her spars were seen to come
tumbling down on deck. Then once more we were after her, and again,
when a little nearer, another broadside was fired. This produced almost
as great an effect as the former one, but I suspect that some of the
guns were trained low, for I saw distinctly masses of white splinters
flying off from her quarters. Notwithstanding this, she would not give
in. Perhaps those on board her dared not. They fought with halters
round their necks. Captain Armstrong seemed to hesitate about
continuing to fire on a vessel which did not return it. He was a humane
man, and he probably felt that he might be destroying unnecessarily the
lives of the unfortunate beings on board. Still he could not tell what
trick they might be intending. The guns were again loaded and run out.
We had now got within musket range. We could, however, only see a
couple of men at the helm, and another walking the deck, yet there was
no sign that the pirate ever thought of giving in.
"Shall we give him another broadside, sir? Nothing else will make him
heave to," said the first lieutenant.
"No, do; stay. He will probably lower his sails when we range up
alongside, and ask why we fired at a quiet, harmless trader like him?"
answered the captain.
The words were scarcely out of his mouth, as the _Star_ got almost
abreast of the schooner, when up on her deck rushed a crowd of men with
muskets and pistols, and began peppering away at us, while her ports at
the same time were hauled up, and her guns opened a hot fire on us. She
at the same time put up her helm, and attempted to run us aboard.
"Now, fire away, my lads. Boarders, prepare to repel boarders!" shouted
Captain Armstrong.
Those of the crew not required to work the guns, drawing their
cutlasses, divided into two parties. Some came aft to range themselves
under the captain, while others, led by the second lieutenant, sprang on
to the topgallant forecastle. The schooner was within a dozen fathoms
of us. Her crew seemed considerably to outnumber ours; and I certainly
never saw a more desperate set of villains crowded together. I had no
fear, however, that our honest British crew, though somewhat diminished
in numbers by sickness, would be an ample match for them. Our men
worked away at their guns in silence. The pirates shouted and shrieked,
and kept up a terrific fire at us. Several of our men were hit, and one
poor fellow standing near me fell suddenly on the deck. I tried to lift
him up, but not a groan did he utter. There was a round mark on his
forehead. He had been shot through the brain. In another moment I
thought the pirates would be aboard us. I heard a terrific explosion, a
hundred times louder than the loudest thunder, I thought, and looking up
I saw to my horror the masts, and spars, and sails of the schooner
rising in the air, the hull seemed to rock to and fro, and directly
afterwards down there came on our heads fragments of spars, and burning
sails, and blocks, and planks, and ropes, and the mangled bodies of men,
all mingled together in horrible confusion, while the sea around us was
a mass of wreck. Many of our crew were hit by the spars and blocks, and
several were struck down and killed. Every one, however, who was
uninjured began instantly to heave overboard the burning fragments, but
it was not without difficulty that the brig was saved from catching
fire. The instant her safety was secured, the captain ordered the boats
to be lowered to try and save some of the unfortunate wretches who might
have escaped destruction by the explosion. I jumped into one of them,
followed by Solon, and off we shoved. Before, however, we could reach
the hull of the blazing schooner, she gave one roll, and down she went
stern first, dragging with her into the vortex she made the few
struggling people clinging to the spars or bits of wreck near her.
Still, at a short distance off, I observed a man holding on to a spar.
We pulled towards him. As we approached he lifted up his head and
looked at us. His countenance bore an expression of rage and hatred.
It was that, I felt sure, of Captain Hansleig. Before, however, we
could reach him, shaking his fist at us, and uttering a fearful
imprecation, he let go of the spar, and throwing himself back, sank
beneath the waves. Horrified as I was, there was no time to lose in
thinking of the circumstance, as I had to look round to see if there was
anybody else to whom we could render assistance. I caught sight of
another person struggling in the water. He was trying to get hold of a
plank, but was evidently no swimmer, and I thought he would sink before
we could get up to him. I urged the boat's crew to pull as fast as they
could, as did the officer in command. Just before we got up to the
struggling man he sank, but I thought I saw his head far down below the
surface. So did Solon, who was watching the direction of my eyes, and
leaping in, he dived down, and in an instant brought up to the surface
the person, of whom he had a gripe by the collar of his jacket. When
Solon saw that the seamen had got hold of the person, he scrambled on
board again by the help of the oars.
"Poor fellow! he seems a mere lad," observed the officer in command of
the boat.
The man did not breathe, but he had been so short a time under the
surface that we had hoped he might be recovered. We saw, however, that
his side was injured, apparently by the explosion. Finding that there
was no one else to assist, we pulled back to the ship. For the first
time, as I was helping to haul the rescued man up the side, I looked at
his countenance, and changed as it was, I felt sure that it was that of
Sills. He was at once put under the surgeon's care. He was stripped,
dried, put between warm blankets, and gently rubbed, and in a short time
animation returned; but he was suffering very much from the injury he
had received. I told the surgeon who he was, and asked him if he
thought he would recover. He replied that he had not the slightest
chance of doing so, and that if I wished it, I had better see him
without delay. I went accordingly to his cot in the sick-bay, and told
him who I was. He was very much surprised to see me, and thankful that
I came to speak to him.
"I have had a dreadful life of it since I parted from you, Marsden," he
observed. "I was not allowed to act even as an officer, but was made to
serve before the mast, and was kicked and knocked about by all the men
who chose to vent their spleen on me. I had no idea that the vessel was
what she was, a slaver and a pirate, and every man on board would have
been hung if they could have been proved guilty of the things I often
saw done by them, without sorrow or compunction. I have never known a
moment's happiness since I left the island, and I wish that I had
followed your advice, that I do."
I spoke of the thief on the cross, and tried to point out where true
happiness can alone be found. While he was speaking to me his voice
grew weaker and weaker, and now a rapid change came over him. I sent
for the surgeon, but before he could arrive the poor misguided fellow
was dead.