The canoe held her silent course down the dark and mirror-like stream
towards the sea. Not a breath of wind moved the leaves of the lofty
palm-trees which towered above their heads, casting their tall shadows
on the calm waters below, while here and there a star was seen piercing
as it were through the thick canopy of branches; the air was hot and
oppressive, and a noxious exhalation rose from the muddy banks, whence
the tide had run off. Now and then a lazy alligator would run his long
snout above the surface of the stream, like some water demon, and again
glide noiselessly back into his slimy couch.
"Tell your people to take to their paddles and ply them well," said the
guide, in a louder tone than had hitherto been used.
Staunton was now certain that it was Juanetta's voice--that of the lady
who had preserved his life.
"We are still some distance from the sea, in reaching which is our only
chance of safety; for if we are overtaken--and the moment our flight is
discovered, we shall be pursued--our death is certain."
The instant Bob and Jack had leave to use their paddles they plied them
most vigorously, and the canoe, which had hitherto glided, now sprang,
as it were, through the water, throwing up sparkling bubbles on either
side of her sharp bows.
"Pull on, my brave men," she exclaimed to herself, more than to the
seamen, "every thing depends on our speed. The tide is still making
out, and if we can clear the mouth of the river before the flood sets in
all will be well."
She spoke in Spanish, a language Staunton understood well. Her eye was
meantime turning in every direction as her hand skilfully guided the
boat.
"There are scouts about who might attempt to stop us if they suspected
we were fugitives. I have, however, the pass-word, and can without
difficulty mislead them if we encounter any. Your own people, too, may
be in the river looking out for the schooner."
"I think not," answered Staunton. "We had lost one of our boats, and as
I am believed dead, my successor (poor fellow, how he will be
disappointed!) will, if he acts wisely, not attempt to capture the
`Espanto' except with the `Sylph' herself."
"The greater necessity, then, for our getting out to sea. It is already
dawn. Observe the red glare bursting through the mist in the eastern
sky, just through the vista of palm-trees up that long reach. We shall
soon have no longer the friendly darkness to conceal us."
As she was speaking a large canoe was seen gliding calmly up the stream,
close in with the bank. The people in her hailed in the negro language,
and the man who was first in the canoe promptly answered in the same.
"Ask them if they have seen the English man-of-war," said Juanetta.
The negroes answered that she was still riding at anchor off the mouth
of the river.
"We shall thus be safe if we can reach the open sea," she observed; "but
we have still some miles to row before we can get clear of the
treacherous woods which surround us; and perhaps when our flight is
discovered, our pursuers may take one of the other channels, and we may
find our egress stopped at the very mouth of the stream. This suspense
is dreadful."
"We may yet strike a blow for you, and for our own liberty, senora,"
answered Staunton. "It was fortunate the obscurity prevented the people
in the canoe from discovering us."
"That matters little. No one would venture to stop me but that man,
that demon rather in human disguise, Daggerfeldt, as you call him," she
replied, bitterly, pronouncing the name as one to which she was
unaccustomed. "Ah, senor; love--ardent, blind, mad love--can be turned
to the most deadly hatred. Criminal, lost as I have been, I feel that
there is a step further into iniquity, and that step I have refused to
take. The scales have fallen from my eyes, and I have seen the enormity
of my wickedness, and have discovered the foulness of my wrongs. From
his own lips the dreadful information came. In the same breath he
acknowledged that he had murdered my father and deceived me. As he
slept he told the dreadful tale; the sight of you conjured up the past
to his memory; other murders he talked of, and treachery of all sorts
attempted. He mocked, too, at me, and at my credulity. I learned also
that he still contemplated your destruction as well as mine. I who had
preserved his life, who had sacrificed my happiness here and hereafter
for his sake, was to be cast off for another lady fairer and younger, so
it seemed to me, but I could not understand all his words, for sometimes
he spoke in his native language, sometimes in Spanish. Enough was heard
to decide me. I had long contemplated quitting him. I knew that it was
wrong remaining, but had not strength before to tear asunder my bonds,
till the feeling that I might rescue you, and make some slight
reparation to heaven for my wickedness, gave me strength to undertake
the enterprise. There, senor, you know the reason of your liberation;
my trusty Mauro, who has ever been faithful, provided the means."
She spoke in a hurried tone, and her sentences were broken, as if she
hesitated to speak of her disgrace and misery, but yet was urged on by
an irresistible impulse. Even while she was speaking her eye was on the
alert, and her hand continued skilfully to guide the canoe. The stars
had gradually disappeared, sinking as it were into a bed of thick
leaden-coloured mist, which overspread the narrow arch overhead, while
in the east a red glow appeared which melted away as the pale daylight
slowly filled the air. It was day, but there was no joyousness in
animated nature, or elasticity in the atmosphere, as at that time in
other regions. A sombre hue tinted the trees, the water, and the sky;
even the chattering of innumerable parrots, and the cries of those
caricatures of men, many thousands of obscene monkeys, appeared rather
to mock at than to welcome the return of the world to life.
The canoe flew rapidly on. Suddenly Juanetta lifted her paddle from the
water; her ears were keenly employed.
"Hark!" she said, "cease rowing; there is the sound of oars in the
water. Ah! it is as I thought. There is a boat endeavouring to cut us
off by taking another channel; she is still astern of us though, but we
must not slack our exertions."
Captain Staunton redoubled his efforts, as did his men on his telling
them they were pursued. After the story he had heard, he was now doubly
anxious to rescue the unfortunate girl from the power of the miscreant
Daggerfeldt. They now entered a broader reach of the river below the
fork, where the channel which Juanetta supposed their pursuers had taken
united with the one they were following. They had got some way down it
when Staunton observed a large boat emerging from behind the woody
screen. Juanetta judged from his eye that he had caught sight of the
boat.
"Is it as I thought?" she asked, calmly.
Staunton told her that he could distinguish a boat, evidently pursuing
them, but whether she belonged to his ship or to the slaver, he could
not judge.
"We must not stay to examine; if we were mistaken we should be lost,"
she observed; "but we have the means of defending ourselves--see, I had
fire-arms placed in the bottom of the canoe, and here are powder-horns
under the seat. Mauro has carefully loaded them, and if they attempt to
stop us we must use them."
On they pulled, straining every nerve to the utmost, but the canoe was
heavily laden, and the boat gained on them. Staunton trusted that their
pursuers might be his own people, but his hope vanished when one of them
rose; there was a wreath of smoke, a sharp report, and a bullet flew
over their heads and splintered the branch of a tree which grew at the
end of a point they were just then doubling.
"Aim lower next time, my bo', if you wish to wing us," shouted Jack
Hopkins, who saw no use in longer keeping silence.
"Ah!" exclaimed Juanetta, "the blue sea--we may yet escape."
As she spoke, another shot better aimed took effect on the quarter of
the canoe, but did no further injury. It showed, however, that there
were good marksmen in the boat intent on mischief, and that they were
perilously near already. For some time they were again shut out from
their pursuers, but as the latter doubled the last point, they had, too
evidently, gained on them.
"If any one again rises to fire, you must take also to your arms,
senor," said Juanetta, a shudder passing through her frame; "and if it
is he, kill him--kill him without remorse. He has shown none. That
rifle at your feet was his--it was always true to its aim."
She had scarcely ceased speaking, when a figure stood up in the boat.
It seemed to have the likeness of Daggerfeldt. Staunton seized the
rifle to fire--he was too late. Ere he had drawn the trigger, a flash
was seen, and Juanetta, with a wild shriek, fell forward into the canoe.
Staunton fired; the man who had sent the fatal shot stood unharmed, but
the oar of one fell from his grasp, and got entangled with those of the
others. This would have enabled the canoe to recover her lost ground,
had not Mauro, on seeing his beloved mistress fall, thrown up his
paddle, exclaiming that he wished to die with her.
"She may yet be saved if you exert yourself," cried Staunton, in
Spanish; "row--for your life row; I will attend to your mistress."
Urged by the officer's commanding tone, the negro again resumed his
paddle. Staunton, still guiding the canoe, raised Juanetta, and placed
her back in the stern-sheets--she scarcely breathed. The ball had
apparently entered her neck, though no blood was to be seen. He
suspected the worst, but dared not utter his fears lest Mauro should
again give way to his grief. Several other shots were fired at them
from the boat, which was rapidly gaining on them. They were close on
the bar, in another moment they would be in clear water.
The slaver crew shouted fiercely; again a volley was fired, the balls
from which went through and through the sides of the slight canoe,
without wounding any one, but making holes for the water to rush in.
One more volley would sink them, when a loud cheerful shout rung in
their ears, and two boats with the British ensign trailing from the
stern were seen pulling rapidly towards them.
Jack Hopkins and Bob Short answered the hail; the pirates, too, saw the
boats, they ceased rowing, and then pulling round, retraced their course
up the river. The canoe, with the rapid current, flew over the bar, and
had barely time to get alongside the barge of the "Sylph," when she was
full up to the thwarts. We need not say that his crew welcomed Captain
Staunton's return in safety with shouts of joy, after they had believed
him dead.
With the strong current then setting out of the river it was found
hopeless to follow the slaver's boat. They were soon alongside the
brig.
Poor Juanetta was carried carefully to the captain's cabin, watched
earnestly by Mauro. The surgeon examined her wound.
"Her hours are numbered," he said. "No art of mine can save her."