THE POLACCA-BRIG AGAIN--THE "ZEBRA" IN CHASE--REFLECTIONS ON AFRICA AND
THE SLAVE-TRADE.
It was now time for the officers of the "Zebra" to return on board their
ship. Another night and day passed away much in the same manner as its
predecessors. All this time we were edging over to the African coast.
Miss Mizen was rapidly recovering her strength, indeed she could no
longer be declared an invalid, and it was very evident that a sea-life
perfectly agreed with her.
Though I missed Bubble's fun and anecdotes, and his merry laugh and
good-natured visage, I must confess that I much enjoyed the society of
the two ladies. Mrs Mizen was a kind-hearted, right-minded,
good-natured, sensible, motherly woman, without a particle of
affectation or nonsense of any sort. She had seen a good deal of the
world, and of the people in it, and could talk well of what she had
seen. Under present circumstances, indeed, I preferred her, as a
companion, to her daughter. Barring the difference of age, they were
very like each other. Miss Mizen also treated me with the utmost
frankness and kindness as the friend of her intended husband, and I
often enjoyed a pleasant conversation with her, though, of course, it
more frequently fell to my share to entertain her mother.
While the fine weather lasted, the life we led was excessively pleasant;
but as winter was now rapidly approaching, we knew that we must look out
for squalls and heavy seas. We had, as I before remarked, been making
our way to the westward along the African coast, now making the land,
and then standing off again at night-time.
One morning when daylight broke, we found ourselves rather in-shore of
the brig. As I came on deck to relieve Porpoise, I saw her signalising.
We got the signal-book.
"What is Rullock talking about?" asked my brother-officer, as I was
looking over the leaves of Harriot's well-known work.
"A suspicious sail to the north-west. Stay where you are. I shall
chase, but be back by nightfall," said I; on which Porpoise ordered the
answering signal to be hoisted.
The brig now crowded all sail, but as she kept away I saw that the
bunting was again at work.
"If we do not appear by noon to-morrow, return to Malta," said I,
interpreting the flags. "And so our pleasant cruise will be up: but all
things pleasant must come to an end. I wish it could have lasted
longer."
"Well, Porpoise, what do you make of the stranger he is after?"
"By--that she is no other than our friend the Greek polacca-brig," he
exclaimed, almost letting his glass fall from aloft, where he had gone
to get a look of the vessel the brig was chasing. "I have a great mind
to rouse Hearty up, and get him to disobey orders, and go in chase of
her also. I don't like the thoughts of the pirate being captured
without our being present."
"Remember that we have ladies on board, and I don't think Hearty will be
inclined to run the risk of carrying away our spars or mast for any such
gratification," I remarked. "He'll be for obedience in this case,
depend on it."
"That's the worst of having ladies on board," answered Porpoise with a
sigh. "But, I say, they have been rather more alive on board the brig
than I should have given them credit for. How could they have suspected
that the polacca out there was our friend?"
"You forget that Will Bubble is on board, and probably he was on deck,
and aloft, indeed, at sunrise, and made out the Greek," I answered, not
that I considered that there was any want of strict discipline or
sufficient alertness kept on board the brig, though the crew were any
thing but first-rate specimens of men-of-war's men.
By the by, that reminds me that I should like to say a few words about
manning the navy. But I won't, though, simply because the subject is
just here somewhat out of place. We are off the northern coast of
Africa in a yacht with some ladies on board, and they might be bored,
and we have to watch the proceedings of the brig-of-war and the vessel
of which she is in chase. Only I would strongly urge any members of
parliament, or other law-makers, or persons of influence, whose eyes may
glance over these pages to think, and talk, and _do_ very seriously
about the matter. It will not bear letting alone or sleeping over.
Something must be done, and at once. I've known ships-of-war go to sea
with not a quarter of the men seamen--because seamen were not to be got.
How would it fare with us had we to engage in a downright earnest naval
war? Our men, it will be answered, will fight like Britons; so they
will, I doubt not, but is it just to oppose landsmen to the well-trained
seamen of other nations? Is it just to the able seamen to make them do
the work which should be shared by others? But now we will again look
after the brig-of-war and the chase.
The polacca, as soon as she saw that the British man-of-war was in
pursuit of her, made all sail to the northward and westward. Old
Rullock was evidently determined that she should not escape from any
neglect on his part of carrying enough sail. Royals and studding-sails
were quickly set, and under a wide spread of snow-white canvas away
stood the "Zebra," leaving us jogging slowly on, with the purpose of
returning to the spot whence we started. Hearty's surprise, as may be
supposed, was very considerable, and so was that of his lady guests,
when they found that the brig had run away from us.
"However, Mrs Mizen, I suppose we must obey orders, must we not?" said
he, with a shrug of his shoulders. "If you do not blame Captain Rullock
for his treachery, I am sure that I do not, since he has left with me
hostages of so much value for his safe return."
Mrs Mizen and her daughter seemed to think the affair a very good joke,
only they could not understand why the cutter should not go in chase of
the polacca as well as the brig-of-war.
"Perhaps the captain wishes to have all the honour of capturing the
pirate by himself without our assistance," observed Porpoise; "I suppose
the fellow will show fight should he come up with him."
"No fear of that," I remarked. "The truth is, I suspect, that Captain
Rullock feared, that had he allowed the yacht to proceed in chase of the
pirate, we might have come up with her before he could, and had to bear
the brunt of the action. He probably would not have cared very much
about that, had there been only four yachting gentlemen on board to be
shot at, but the case was very different when his sister and niece might
be placed in danger."
"He did very right. There can be no dispute about it," said Hearty.
"We must bear our disappointment like men, and during breakfast we will
consider what amusement we can afford our guests, to recompense them for
the absence of the brig in the landscape--or rather seascape we ought to
call it--for little enough of the land have we had this cruise."
We had a great deal of amusing conversation during breakfast. It is a
pleasant meal everywhere, if people are well and in spirits, and nowhere
is it more pleasant than at sea under the same provisions.
"What do you say to a look at the African coast, Mrs Mizen?" exclaimed
Hearty. "We could get there very soon--could we not, Porpoise?"
"We should be well in with the land, so as to have a good view of it
before the evening, and if the wind holds, we might be back here before
the brig-of-war returns to look for us," was the answer.
"Capital; then let us stand in there at once," said Hearty. "It is a
fine, mountainous, bold coast, very picturesque. You will have your
sketching things ready, I hope," he added, looking at Miss Mizen. He
had not learnt to call her Laura when any one else was present.
Miss Mizen said she would get her drawing-board and colour-box ready,
and Porpoise went on deck to put the cutter's head to the southward. A
steady breeze from the south-west enabled us to stand in for the land
close-hauled. As we rapidly approached it, the mountains, with their
lofty peaks and wooded sides, seemed to rise out of the water like the
scene at a theatre, till the lower lands at their base--rocky,
undulating heights, and even the seashore--became clearly visible.
"How very different is this scenery from the common notion of Africa!"
said Miss Mizen, as, with Hearty's help, she was arranging her
sketching-board, to make a view of the coast. "I have hitherto always
pictured it to myself as a country of arid sands and dense jungle."
"You'd find jungle enough and sand enough in many parts, Miss Mizen,
where I have been," observed Porpoise. "But both in the north and south
there are districts which will vie in fertility with most in the world.
Just think of Egypt; what an abundance of corn does that produce! All
along this north coast are many fertile districts: so there are on the
west coast, only it is rather too hot there to be pleasant; and then at
the Cape and Natal are to be found spots rich in various productions."
"You draw a glowing picture of the country, Mr Porpoise," observed Mrs
Mizen.
"I do, ma'am, because the country deserves it," he answered. "The world
owes a great deal to Africa, and I should like to see every possible
attempt made to repay it by continued and strenuous efforts for the
civilisation of her people. The work is a very great one, there is no
doubt about that, and a few feeble and isolated efforts will not
accomplish it. The merchant princes of England must take the matter up,
and send out several expeditions at the same time. The officers should
be experienced, energetic men, the vessels well supplied with
merchandise, and well-armed to protect it. But what can we hope for
while the abominable slave-trade still flourishes? England is doing her
best to put it down, but she is but ill supported by other nations.
America, with all her boasting about freedom, protects and encourages
those engaged in it; while France, professing to be the most civilised
and liberal of countries, does the same. Spain and Portugal only
occasionally pretend to interfere with a very bad grace, and secretly
aid and abet the wretches carrying it on under their flag. I say, at
any cost and at every cost, England must put it down. No matter if she
goes to war with all the world to do so. It will be a glorious war for
the most holy cause, and honest men will be able to pray with sincerity
and faith, that heaven will protect her in it."
"I am very glad to hear you speak so, Mr Porpoise," said Mrs Mizen; "I
will answer for it, that no war would be so popular among the women of
England as a war against slavery and the slave-trade. No one worthy of
the name of an Englishwoman would refuse to sell her jewels and every
thing of value to support it."
"That's the spirit that will put it down, ma'am," exclaimed Porpoise,
enthusiastically. "When we sailors know that we have the prayers and
good wishes of the ladies of England with us, we should very soon sweep
all our enemies from the seas."
The rest of the party responded in most respects to these sentiments.
Hearty suggested that much might be hoped for from a wise and firm
diplomacy, and by calmly waiting the course of events.
"No, no," answered Porpoise. "That's what the people in parliament say,
when they want to shelve a question. Do nothing, and let affairs take
their own course. It's a very easy way of doing nothing, but that is
not like you, Mr Hearty. You would manage the matter in a very
different way, I'm sure, if it was left to you."
"I should be very much puzzled if the question were left for me to
decide it," said Hearty. "What do you think I should do?"
"Oh, I will soon tell you what you would do," replied Porpoise. "Why,
you would look out for all the energetic, dashing officers you could
find, and send them to the coast in command of as many fast steamers,
and other small craft, with orders to overhaul every suspicious sail
they could find on the coast. Then you would have a whacking big fleet
in the Channel, and several others in different parts of the world. You
would not forget to keep your coast defences in good order, and to have
a compact well-disciplined army on shore, and a numerous trained
militia, ready to call out at a moment's notice. That's what you and
every other sensible man would do, Mr Hearty, and then I think we need
have no fear that any one would causelessly attempt to molest us, or
that we should be unable to make other nations keep their treaties with
us."
"Bravo, Porpoise, bravo!" cried Hearty. "I wish that you were Prime
Minister, or First Lord of the Admiralty, or Dictator, or something of
that sort for a short time. I doubt not but that you would get things
in prime order in a very short time."
While this conversation was going on, we were rapidly drawing in with
the coast. Miss Mizen made two or three very masterly sketches, though
the blue sea and water filled up the larger portion of the paper. The
less there is in a subject the more does it exhibit a master's talent if
the picture is interesting.
A fresh breeze had been blowing all day, but towards evening the wind
fell, and the cutter lay floating idly on the water. We were assembled
after dinner as usual on deck, laughing, talking, yarn-spinning, and
occasionally reading aloud, enjoying the moments to the full, and little
dreaming of what a few short hours were to bring forth.
Evening was about to throw its dusky veil over the African shore. The
idle flap of the mainsail showed us that there was a stark calm. A fish
would occasionally leap out of the water, or the fin of some monster of
the deep might be seen as it swam by in pursuit of prey, or a sea-bird
would come swooping past to ascertain what strange craft had ventured
into its haunts, ere it winged its way back to its roosting-place for
the night, amid the crags of the neighbouring headland.
I was taking a turn on deck, when, as I looked over the side and
measured our distance from the land, it appeared to me that, although
the calm was so complete, we had considerably decreased our distance
from it. Walking forward, I asked Snow if he had remarked any thing
particular.
"Why, yes, sir; I was just going to speak to you or Mr Porpoise, about
the matter," he answered. "I've been watching the land for an hour or
more past, and it strikes me that there is a strong current, which sets
in-shore to the westward hereabouts; it's just the sort of thing, which,
if we hadn't found out in time, might have carried us much too close in
on a dark night to be pleasant; as it is, if a breeze doesn't spring up,
and we continue to drift in, we must just get the boats out and tow her
head off shore, so there'll be no great harm come of that."
"You are right," said I; "there's little doubt about it; I'll mention
the matter to Mr Porpoise, and he'll approve of what you propose. But
I do not think there's any use in letting the ladies know, or they'll be
fancying all sorts of dreadful things--that they are going to be cast on
shore, or eaten up by lions, or murdered by savages. I should not like
to give them any uneasiness which can be helped."
I watched the old man's countenance while I was speaking, to ascertain
what he really thought about the matter. The truth was that I was not
quite satisfied myself with our position. I had been along that coast
some years before, looking into several of the ports; and I remembered
that the Moors inhabiting the villages just above there, bore anything
but a good character. I began to blame myself, when too late, for not
having thought of this before. When the brig-of-war was with us, it
mattered little; for no pirates would have ventured to come out to
attack her: they would have known that she would have proved a dear
bargain, even if they could ultimately have taken her, and very little
value to them if taken, but with a yacht the case was different. We
could not fail to appear a tempting prize, and easily won. Had we,
however, been without ladies on board, we should, I expect, all have
enjoyed the fun of showing the rascals that they had caught a Tartar,
and am fully certain that we should have been able to render a good
account of them.
I remember that these ideas crossed my mind as I walked the deck,
waiting for an opportunity of speaking to Porpoise, who was still
engaged in conversation with Mrs Mizen; then I burst into a fit of
laughter at the thought of the ideal enemy I had so busily conjured up
to fight with. Porpoise, who just then joined me, inquired the cause of
my merriment.
"It suddenly occurred to me that we were off a somewhat ill-famed part
of the coast, and I could not help fancying I saw half-a-dozen or more
piratical row-boats come stealing out from under the cliffs there, with
the intention of cutting our throats and rifling the vessel," I
answered; "but of course it is a mere fancy. I never heard of an
English yacht being attacked by pirates hereabouts, and it would be
folly to make ourselves anxious about such a bugbear."
Now even while I was saying this I was not altogether satisfied in my
own mind about the matter. If, as I before said, we had had only men on
board, we might have fought to the last, and could only then have been
killed; but should we be overpowered, the fate of the women committed to
our charge would be too horrible to contemplate.
"I'm glad that you think there is no cause for apprehension," said I to
Porpoise. "Still it might be as well to keep a sharp look-out during
the night, and should a breeze spring up, to give the coast a more
respectful offing."
"I'll do that same," he answered. "I feel no inclination to turn in
myself, so that should any of the natives of whom you are suspicious be
inclined to visit us, they may not find us altogether unprepared."
The ladies soon after this retired to their cabin; we only then had an
opportunity of mentioning the subject to Hearty. He rather laughed at
the notion, but begged that he might be called when the fighting began.
After taking a few turns on deck, he also turned in, and Porpoise was
left in charge of the deck. I, after a little time, went to my cabin;
it seemed too ridiculous to lose my night's rest for the sake of an
idea. I had slept about a couple of hours, when I awoke by hearing the
sound of Porpoise's voice. He was standing directly over my skylight,
which, on account of the heat of the weather, was kept off.
"Can you make any thing out, Snow?" he asked.
"I think I can now, sir. It seems to me that there are four or five
dark spots on the water, just clear of the shadow of that headland in
there," was the answer. "I can't just make out what they are for
certain."
I was on deck in a few seconds, with my night-glass at my eye pointed in
the direction indicated.
"What think you of their being row-boats?" said I. "They look
wonderfully like them."
"I can't say that they are not," answered the old man. "They may be
rocks just showing their heads above water. But what, if they are
boats, can they be doing out there at this time of night?"
"Coming to pay us a visit, perhaps," I remarked. "We really should be
prepared in case of accidents, Porpoise. By timely preparations we
averted danger once before, when otherwise, in all probability, we
should have had our throats cut. Do not let us be less wise on this
occasion."
"Certainly not," said Porpoise; "and as discretion is the better part of
valour, we will try and tow the cutter offshore. It will prolong the
time till our visitors can overtake us, and will give us a better chance
of having a breeze spring up. If we get that, we shall be able to laugh
at any number of such fellows. They are only formidable when they can
find a vessel becalmed. After all, I don't say that those are pirates,
and if it were not for the ladies on board, we would very quickly learn
the truth of the case."
The thorough John Bull spoke out in these remarks. Porpoise did not at
all like the idea of flying from an enemy under any circumstances, and
as he had to do it, he wished to find every possible reason for so
doing.
"Turn the hands up and get the boats out, Snow; we'll see what towing
will do," he continued. "You see that this current is setting us far
too much in-shore, and, at all events, it is necessary to get a better
offing before daybreak, lest no breeze should spring up in the morning
to carry us back to the spot where Rullock was to find us."
Three boats were got into the water and manned forthwith; Porpoise,
Hearty, Snow, and I, being the only people remaining on board. The
crews gave way with a will, and the cutter soon began to slip through
the water. She went along, probably, faster than the current was
carrying her in an opposite direction. These arrangements being made, I
took another scrutiny of the suspicious objects under the land. I had
no longer any doubt in my mind that they were boats, and that they were
pulling out to sea towards us. It was now time to call up Hearty. We
had seen no necessity before this of making him unnecessarily anxious,
and the noise of lowering the boats had not roused him; indeed, he would
have slept through a hurricane, or while a dozen broadsides were being
fired, I verily believe, if not called. He was brisk enough, however,
when once roused up. As I expected, he was very anxious at the state of
affairs.
"We were thoughtless and unwise to stand in so close to this shore," he
remarked. "Brine, my friend, we must sink the cutter or blow her up
rather than yield to those villains!"
He spoke with much emotion, and I could sincerely enter into his
feelings. He did not utter a word of complaint against Porpoise or me,
though I think he might have had some reason in blaming us for allowing
the cutter to get into her present condition. He paced the deck with
hurried steps, looking every now and then anxiously through the glass
towards the objects we had observed, and then he would hail the boats.
"Give way, my lads--give way!" he shouted; "if any one knocks up, I'll
take his place."
Again he looked through his glass.
"Can they be rocks?" he exclaimed. "I seen no alteration in their
appearance."
"I do, though, I am sorry to say," I answered. "They have got
considerably more out of the shade of the land since I first saw them."
This became very evident after some time; nor could Hearty any longer
doubt the fact. I counted five of them, largish boats (I suspected),
each pulling some twenty oars or more, probably double-banked. Very
likely each boat carried not much fewer than sixty men--fearful odds for
the "Frolic" to contend with. The "Zebra" would not have found them
altogether contemptible antagonists, if, as I said, my suspicions were
correct as to their size. Still, I hoped that I might be mistaken; we
could not be certain as to their object. They might be mere
fishing-boats magnified by the obscurity, or coasters which had pulled
out in the expectation of getting a breeze in the morning to carry them
alongshore, or to get into some current which might set in the direction
in which they wished to go. All these ideas I suggested to Hearty;
still my original notion outweighed all others in my mind. Indeed I
have always found it wisest to take the point of view which requires the
most caution; precautions can, at the worst, only give a little trouble;
the neglect of them may bring ruin and misery. On this principle I was
most anxious to get as far as possible from the shore. No one was idle.
Happily the ladies slept on, so that we had not the additional pain at
feeling that they were left in a state of anxiety. Porpoise took the
helm; Snow went forward to direct the boats how to pull; while Hearty
and I busied ourselves in getting out the arms, arranging the
ammunition, loading the guns, and muskets, and pistols; indeed, in
making every preparation for a desperate struggle. The boats came on
very warily. I suspected that we had been seen in the afternoon from
the shore, and that as we appeared a tempting prize, the expedition had
been planned to capture us.
"A very short time longer will settle the question," said I to Hearty.
"We must endeavour to keep them at a respectful distance as long as we
can; should they once get alongside they would overpower us with their
numbers. Happily these sort of gentry are as great cowards as they are
scoundrels, and a firm front is certain to make them consider whether
the profit is likely to be worth the risk of a battle."
I have gone through a good many anxious moments in the course of my
life, but never did I feel more apprehension for the result of an
adventure than I did for that in which we were at present engaged. A
waning moon had now risen, and showed us very clearly the number and
character of the strangers--whether friends or foes was hereafter to be
decided. Another look at them through my night-glass showed me that
they were large boats, as I had suspected, and full of men.
"There is little use in making any farther efforts to escape," said I to
Hearty; "I would hoist in the boats and serve out some grog to the men.
They want something after their exertions, though they do not require
Dutch courage to defend the ship."
Porpoise agreed to my suggestions; they were immediately put into
execution. The men threw off their grog as coolly as if they had been
about to sail a match at a regatta, instead being about to engage in
deadly fight.
"Here's to your health, Mr Hearty, and gentlemen all, and may we just
give those scoundrels out there a thorough good drubbing if they attempt
to attack us," quoth Snow, in the name of his shipmates.
"Thank you--thank you, my men," answered Hearty; "you'll act like
true-hearted Englishmen, and what men can do you'll do, I know, to
protect the helpless women we have on board. I won't make you a long
speech, you don't want that to rouse your courage, but I do ask you not
to yield while one man of us remains alive on deck."
"That's just what we are resolved to do, Mr Hearty; no fear, sir,"
answered all hands, and they would have cheered lustily, had I not
restrained them for two reasons: I was unwilling to awaken the ladies
sooner than was necessary, and also should the pirates have expected to
surprise us, it would be a great advantage if we, on the contrary,
should be able to surprise them. I mentioned this latter idea to my
companions, and they immediately entered into it. The Moors had been
too far off to allow them to perceive us hoisting in the boats, so they
could not tell but that we were all fast asleep on board. Accordingly,
the guns were loaded up to the muzzle with langrage and musket-balls;
pistols and cutlasses were served out to the men, and it was encouraging
to see their pleased manner as they stuck the one into their belts, and
buckled the other round their waists. Some had, in addition, muskets,
and a reserve of small-arms was placed amidships to be resorted to in
case of necessity. The men then went and lay down so as to be
effectually concealed under the bulwarks: Porpoise and I only walked the
deck, as if we were the ordinary watch, and we agreed to pretend to be
looking seaward when the boats drew near, as if unconscious of their
approach. Meantime Hearty went below to perform the painful task of
informing the ladies of our dangerous position. He did it with his
usual tact.
"Mrs Mizen," I heard him say, "I must beg you and Miss Mizen to dress,
but not to come on deck. We have got too close in-shore, and some
Moorish boats appear to be coming off to us; they may not mean to do us
any mischief, but it is as well to be prepared, and we do not intend to
allow them to come too near to us."
There was a short pause. I heard no exclamations of surprise or
terror--no cries, or lamentations, or forebodings of evil, but Mrs
Mizen simply answered in a firm voice:--
"We trust, then, Mr Hearty, to you and your companions to defend us,
and may a merciful God give you strength to fight and beat off our
assailants!"
"That's a speech worthy of a true heroine," exclaimed Porpoise, who had
likewise overheard it. "Just the thing to strengthen our nerves, and to
put true courage into us. I trust, Mrs Mizen, we shall not be long in
beating off the pirates," he added, looking down the skylight; "do you,
in the mean time, keep snug below, and don't mind the uproar."
"Now, my lads, be ready; we mustn't let the blackguards get on board to
frighten the ladies, mind that. When I give the word, be up and at
them."
Porpoise having thus delivered himself, in accordance with our plan,
pretended to be intently looking over the taffrail. The row-boats were
all the time drawing disagreeably near, and I had no longer in my mind
any doubt as to their character and intention. We, also, were anxiously
looking out for a breeze which might enable us to meet them at greater
advantage. I took a glance at the compass; as I did so I felt a light
breeze fan my cheek; it came from the westward. The cutter's head was
at that time tending in-shore, for as soon as the boats had been hoisted
in she had again lost all steerage-way, and had gradually gone round.
Again the puff of air came stronger, and she gathered sufficient
steerage-way to enable us to wear round just before the boats reached
us. The pirates must have thought that we were very blind not to
perceive them. Silently they pulled towards us in two columns: we let
them approach within a quarter of a cable's length. Just as a tiger
springs on his prey, they pulled on rapidly towards us, evidently
expecting to catch us unprepared.
"Now, my lads, up and at them?" sung out Porpoise, in imitation of the
speech of a somewhat better-known hero.
Our jolly yachtsmen did not require a second summons. Up they sprang to
their allotted duties.
"Steady!" added Porpoise, "take aim before you fire. Those forward aim
at the headmost boats; let the after guns give account of those coming
up next astern. Now give it them."
The orders were comprehended, and executed promptly and well. Cries and
groans and shouts from the row-boats followed the simultaneous discharge
from our great-guns and small-arms. The pirates ceased rowing, and a
second intervened before they fired in return, but their shot generally
flew wide of us, our unexpected commencement of the action having
evidently thrown them into not a little confusion. For an instant it
occurred to me that we might have been too precipitate, and that perhaps
after all they might not have been pirates, but for some reason or other
had come off to us at that unseasonable hour. It was therefore, in one
respect, a positive relief to me when they began to fire, and I
discovered their real character. Still undaunted, on they came.
Before, however, they could get alongside, our people had time to load
again and fire; this time not a shot but took effect. The Moors did not
relish the dose; some attempted to spring on board, but were driven back
by pike and cutlass into the sea, Hearty setting the example of activity
and courage by rushing here and there, cutting and thrusting and
slashing away, so that he did the work of half a dozen men. Indeed I
may say the same without vanity of all on board, or we could not have
contended for a minute against the fearful odds opposed to us. The low
deck of a yacht, it must be remembered, does not present the
difficulties to assailants which even a brig-of-war or an ordinary
high-sided merchantman is capable of doing. Ours was literally a
hand-to-hand fight without the slightest protection, our slight bulwarks
alone separating us from our enemies when they once got alongside.
Happily the breeze increased, and giving us way through the water, the
Moorish boats having failed to hook on to us, we once more slipped
through them. Some of the men in the bows continued firing at us, but a
little delay occurred before the rest could get out their oars to follow
the cutter. The chiefs of each boat appeared to be holding a
consultation, and I only hoped that they would come to the decision that
the grapes were sour, or rather that the game was not worth the candle
to play it by, as the Frenchmen say, and give up the pursuit. But they
were not so reasonable; they probably thought that if we fought so
desperately we had something on board worth fighting for; not
considering that our lives and liberties were of very much consequence,
and so they showed a resolution once more to attempt to overhaul us.
This hesitation was much to our advantage, as it enabled us once more to
load our guns up to the muzzle, and to take a steady aim as they came
up. In all my fighting experience I have come to the conclusion that
there is no system equal to that of waiting for a good opportunity,
mustering all resources, and then, once having begun the attack, to
continue at the work without relaxing a moment till the day is won. The
Moorish pirates did not follow this course. At last came the tug of
war. Their fury and thirst for vengeance was now added to their greed
for plunder, and the boats ranged up on either side of the little
"Frolic" with seemingly a full determination on the part of their crews
to overpower us at once.
"Steady, my good lads, steady!" shouted Porpoise. "Remember, fire as
before, and then load again as fast as you can."
Off went our guns with good effect; while Hearty and I, and three or
four others, armed with muskets, blazed away with them, taking up one
after the other as fast as the steward could load them. The report of
the guns must have been heard on shore, and far out to sea over that
calm water, while the bright flashes lighted up the midnight air.
Musket-balls and round-shot don't often fly about without doing some
damage; and while ours were telling pretty well among the thickly
crowded boats of the Moors, we were not altogether free from harm. Two
of our people had been wounded. One of them fell to the deck, and, from
the way the poor fellow groaned, I was much afraid that he was mortally
hurt. I drew him close to the companion-hatch, that he might, in a
slight degree, be protected from further injury; but we were too hard
pressed to spare any one for a moment from the deck to take him below.
Hearty was passing close to me, when, by the flash of the guns, I saw
him a give a sudden, convulsive movement with his left arm. I felt sure
he was hit. I asked him.
"Oh, nothing, nothing," he answered. "Don't say a word about it. I can
fight away just as well as ever, and that is all I care about just now."
One of our chief efforts was to prevent the Moorish boats from hooking
on to us. This they frequently attempted to do, and each time the
lashings they tried to secure were cut adrift. I was indeed surprised
to find them so pertinacious in their attack, for a resolute resistance
at the commencement will generally compel those sort of gentry to give
up an enterprise, unless they are certain a great deal is to be gained
by it.
The breeze was now increasing, and old Snow stood at the helm, with his
left hand on the tiller, and his right hand wielding a cutlass, with
which, aided by another man, he kept at bay any of the Moors who
attempted to climb on board over the stern. Still, so overmatched were
we by numbers, that I felt even then, in spite of our determined
resistance, that the result was very doubtful. I almost sickened at the
thought; but I was very certain that, before such a sad consummation
should occur, not a man of us would be left alive on the deck.
"And then, should the day be evidently going against us, should no help
remain--not a shadow of hope--would it be right to blow up the vessel,
and preserve those innocent ones below from an ignominious slavery--from
a worse than death?"
"Impious man," responded a voice within me, "think not to rule the
providences of thy Creator. Do not evil that good may come of it. Who
can tell what means he has in store, even at the very last moment, to
preserve those whom, in his infinite wisdom, he has resolved to
preserve?"
I felt the frailty of human thoughts and human intentions, and banished
the terrible idea from my mind. Still I could not feel but that our
case, to outward appearance, was very desperate. Porpoise himself was
wounded, I found, though the pain he suffered did not allow him for a
moment to relax in his defence of the vessel. His voice was heard
everywhere as loud and cheering as before, encouraging our crew to
persevere.
Once more the pirates drew off.
"Huzza, huzza!" shouted all hands; "they have had enough of it."
But no.
"Load your guns, load your guns?" shouted Porpoise. "Don't trust to
them."
It was fortunate this was done. With terrific cries and yells they for
a third time gave way towards us, completely hemming us in, so that some
boats going ahead almost stopped the vessel's way through the water.
Keeping up their hideous yells, firing their pistols, and flourishing
their scymitars, they flung themselves headlong on board. Many were
driven back, but their places were speedily filled by others. The
physical power of the cutter's crew, exerted so long to the utmost
stretch, was almost failing, when, far in the offing, to the northward,
the bright flash of a gun was seen, followed shortly afterwards by
another and another. I pointed them out to Hearty.
"There's help coming, my lads!" he shouted. "Never fear; but let's have
all the glory of the fight to ourselves, and drive these scoundrels off
before it arrives. Huzza, huzza! Back with them! No quarter! Cut
them down! Drive them into the sea?"
All this time he was most completely suiting the action to his words.
At last some of the pirates saw the flashes.
The morning light was just breaking in the east, for the action had
endured far longer than it has taken to describe it. They must have
suspected that they foreboded no good to them, and that the sooner they
were off the better. Orders were shouted out by the chiefs. Those who
could obeyed them, and, leaping back, the boats in a body shoved off
from us; but some unfortunate wretches were still clinging to our
bulwarks. They fought as they clung with all the fanaticism of
Mohammedans; but our seamen made quick work of them, and in less than
two minutes not one was left alive. The grey light of dawn showed us
the dark boats pulling in-shore, and as the sun arose its early beams
lighted up the canvas of a man-of-war brig, close-hauled, laying up
towards us. Our people shouted lustily when they saw her; and Hearty,
forgetting his wound and his begrimed and war-stained appearance,
hurried below to assure his charges of their safety. We quickly
recognised the "Zebra," and were not long in getting within hail of her,
when Rullock, accompanied by Bubble, came on board of us, to inquire
into the particulars of our adventure.
Old Rullock at first was somewhat inclined to be angry with us for
getting so close in-shore, and Will almost pulled his hair off in his
vexation that he had not been with us to share in the honours of the
fight and defence.
Our loss had been serious; the poor fellow who had been the first
wounded had died just before sunrise, and the surgeon of the brig
pronounced the other cases to be somewhat bad. Porpoise's was a
flesh-wound--the advantage, as he observed, of being a fat man; but he
forgot that if he had not been fat he might not have been wounded at
all. Hearty, though he made light of his hurt, was very much injured;
and the surgeon, with a somewhat significant look, advised him to get on
shore as fast as he could, and to get carefully nursed for a time.
"You'll have no great difficulty to get some one to nurse you," he
remarked.
I really believe that he did not think so badly of the case as he
pretended. Be that as it may, we made the best of our way to Malta
Harbour, where we all took up our abode on shore, while the cutter was
undergoing some necessary repairs. The brig also requiring repairs,
Rullock took lodgings, and in the most considerate way had Hearty
conveyed to them, and invited his sister and niece to stay with him--a
very indelicate proceeding, I dare say; but the jolly old sailor
observed, "Who was so fit to look after a wounded man as the girl he was
going to marry, and in whose defence he was wounded? A fig for all such
rigmarole prudisms, say I." As the parties concerned did not disagree
with him, so the matter was arranged to the satisfaction of everybody.