I continued to industriously scrutinise the brig through the
night-glass, and, by so doing, contrived to keep Mendouca's attention
also pretty closely centred upon her; but I could see that he was fully
on the alert. He appeared to instinctively scent danger in the air, for
he frequently assumed an anxious, listening attitude, with a growing
irritability that manifested itself in repeated execration of the slaves
for the quite unavoidable splashing sounds that they made in working the
sweeps. He was also intently watching the thin crescent of the setting
moon that was by this time hanging on the very verge of the western
horizon; and I suspected that he was awaiting her disappearance to put
in practice some stratagem--such as, perhaps, a further alteration of
the ship's course--as an additional safeguard. But, whatever may have
been his intentions, they were all altered by an unlucky discovery made
by one of the men on the forecastle, who, at the very moment when the
moon was in the act of sinking behind the horizon, caught sight for a
moment of a large boat full of men strongly outlined against the golden
crescent, and immediately reported the fact, coming aft that he might do
so without raising his voice.
"A boat!" exclaimed Mendouca anxiously, when the man had told what he
had seen. "Are you _quite_ sure?"
"As sure as I am that I am now standing here speaking to you, senor,"
answered the man, in a tone of conviction. "Jose saw it also. We were
both watching the disappearing moon, and when she was about half-way
below the horizon we suddenly saw a large boat, pulling, I should say,
at least twelve oars, glide swiftly across her face, as though steering
to the southward on a line that would cross our course."
"Phew!" ejaculated Mendouca; "that looks serious. For it undoubtedly
means that the brig's people are by no means as fast asleep as you have
imagined them to be, Dugdale. How far off did you judge the boat to be
when you saw her?" he demanded, turning again to the seaman.
"A matter of a mile and a half, or perhaps a trifle more," was the
answer.
"Very well, then, that will do," answered Mendouca. "`Forewarned is
forearmed,' as the English say. As you go forward pass the word along
for the sweeps to be laid in and stowed away, and for the negroes to be
sent below, and the hatch gratings put on and secured. And, do you
hear, everything must be done as noiselessly as possible."
"Bueno, senor," answered the man, as he turned away to do Mendouca's
bidding; and in a few minutes the sweeps were laid in and stowed away,
and the brigantine's head gently turned more to the southward, in order
that she might drift in that direction as long as she retained her way.
Then, the slaves having been driven below and secured, the decks were
rapidly but noiselessly cleared for action, the guns were cast loose and
loaded, a liberal supply of grape and canister was passed on deck, arms
were served out to the men, and the boarding nettings were triced up all
round the ship. The whole of the work was executed so rapidly and
silently as to clearly demonstrate that the crew was a thoroughly
seasoned one, inured to fighting, and by no means averse to it when the
chances were in their favour, as they certainly were in the present
instance; and I was filled with chagrin and disgust at the thought of
how simple an accident had sufficed to mar and defeat what might
otherwise have proved a perfect surprise to Mendouca and his crew.
Still, although I could not conceal from myself the fact that this
apparently trivial accident had placed the attacking party at a woeful
disadvantage, by warning their antagonists of the intended attack, and
thus putting them on the alert, I had seen enough of British pluck to
hope that even yet, despite all, it might still prove successful; and I
awaited the event with no small anxiety, quite determined that if the
slightest chance offered of affording any aid to the assailants, I would
avail myself of it, let the consequences to myself be what they would.
But Mendouca soon proved that he was not the man to overlook any such
peril as this; for presently, when by personal inspection he had
satisfied himself that everything was in readiness, he came up to me and
said, with just the suspicion of a sneer in the tones of his voice--
"Now, Dugdale, I will not pay you so poor a compliment as to suppose you
capable of treacherously making use of your present position on board my
ship, to raise your hand against the man who gave you your life, at the
moment when his whole attention will be needed to protect himself
against outside enemies. Still, your conscience appears to be a very
curious and inscrutable thing, and there is no knowing what it may
prompt you to do under the influence of excitement and misguided
enthusiasm. In order therefore that you may be placed beyond the danger
of temptation to do something that you would probably afterwards have
cause to bitterly regret, I will ask you to go below to your cabin,
where, for your own safety's sake, I will take the liberty of locking
you in, with a companion whose duty it will be to see that you remain
there and do not commit yourself by any rash act."
"Oh, certainly!" I answered, rather bitterly. "Needs must when the
devil drives; so lead on, most courteous senor."
"Look here, Dugdale," said he, apparently rather hurt by my tone, "you
must not feel yourself aggrieved at my action in this matter. What I
propose to do is for your own good and safety, quite as much as by way
of a safeguard of my own. My men are fairly amenable to discipline in
their calmer moments, as you have doubtless discovered by this time; but
I should be sorry to answer for them in the excitement of a
fiercely-contested fight, such as this is likely to be; and since you
have persistently refused to join us out and out, I honestly think it
will be safer for you to be below out of sight until we have driven
those meddlesome boats off."
"Very well," said I; "it must of course be as you please. Only, for
mercy's sake, spare me the humiliation of mounting a guard over me!"