There was very great delight manifested fore and aft when I was able to
announce that it was a British man-o'-war that was bearing down upon us;
for all hands felt, like myself, that we had only to state our recent
experiences to secure her protection at least until our arrival in safer
waters. There was one exception to this, however, in the person of
Simpson, who no sooner learned the true character of the strange sail,
than he came aft and told me his story; which, in brief, was to the
effect that he had originally belonged to our navy, but had deserted,
out of affection for Mendouca--who had shown him great kindness--when
that individual chose to shake off his allegiance and abjure his
country. And now, of course, he dreaded nothing so much as recognition
and seizure, for not only was he a deserter, but he had also been guilty
of taking an active part in more than one deed of piracy perpetrated by
his chief; he therefore implored me to let him keep below out of sight
during the presence of the man-o'-war--which clearly meant to speak us--
and also to omit all mention of or reference to him in the narrative of
my own personal adventures. This I readily promised to do; for although
I was fully conscious that, in making such a promise, I was screening an
individual who had most seriously transgressed the laws of his country,
I could not help feeling that he had also contributed in a very
important degree toward the saving of the _Bangalore_, and all on board
her; and I considered that this to a very great extent made amends for
his past misdeeds, although it was quite probable that if he were
arraigned for it, his judges might not take quite as lenient a view of
the case. There it was, however; but for him I might never have
succeeded in effecting my escape from the _Francesca_, and in that case
the _Bangalore_ and all on board her would have gone to the bottom. I
therefore felt fully justified in promising to afford him all the
protection that lay in my power.
When the brig was within a mile of us she hoisted British colours, and
fired a gun for us to heave-to, which we of course at once did,
displaying our ensign at the mizen-peak at the same time. The ladies
and gentlemen in the cuddy, learning from the stewards what was
happening, at once turned out to do honour to the occasion, so that
when, a few minutes later, the _Barracouta_, with all her studding-sails
collapsing and coming in together, rounded-to within biscuit-toss of our
weather quarter, our poop must have presented quite an animated
appearance.
As the beautiful craft swept gracefully yet with a rush up into the
wind, a figure that I recognised with delight as that of Young, our
beloved first luff, sprang on to the hammock-rail with a
speaking-trumpet in his hand. The next moment he had raised it to his
lips, and was hailing--
"Ho, the ship ahoy! What ship is that?"
"The _Bangalore_, eighty-two days out from Calcutta, bound to London;
and plundered two days ago by a pirate. I hope you are none the worse
for your boat adventure, Mr Young, in the attack upon that same pirate
last week? I have news and to spare for you, so shall I lower a boat,
or will you? If you can conveniently do so it will perhaps be better,
for I am rather short-handed," I replied.
I saw Young staring at me with all his eyes; evidently he had not as yet
recognised me in the longshore rig with which I had been fitted by the
kindness of one of the cuddy passengers.