The balls from the pirates' muskets not a little increased the rapidity
of our movements. Two or three men in the other boats were hit, and one
was killed. When Captain Helfrich discovered what had occurred, he
carefully closed the old pirate's eyes, and placed the body on the seat
by his side. His men, however, evinced very little sorrow at his death.
Who he was, and what he had done during his life, I was never able
clearly to learn. He was a man of education, and a first-rate seaman,
as I had had an opportunity of observing; and I should think that he
would have succeeded in any line of life he might have chosen to adopt.
He selected, unhappily, a very bad one, for I believe that his whole
career had been lawless; but that, rather from the peculiarity of his
temper than from any fear of committing evil, he had usually abstained,
when he had the power in his own hands, from shedding blood.
The grey dawn broke as we were pulling down the creek, and just as the
headmost boat touched the side of a schooner which lay at its mouth, the
sun rose in a blaze of glory out of the smooth dark blue ocean. Peter,
looking over his shoulder, recognised her as our little sugar vessel.
We were soon alongside. Friends to our lawless companions were on
board. The cable was hove short, the mainsail was set, and all was
ready to weigh in a moment. As many boats as the schooner could stow on
deck: were hoisted on board; the rest went ahead to tow her out. The
plan of escape had been well arranged by Captain Ralph and his
followers. When they found that their long-trusted leader was dead,
their dismay was great. No time, however, was to be lost. A man who
had gone to the mast-head, whence he could look over the mangrove-bushes
into the lagoon, reported that some of the vessels there were making
sail in pursuit. We, however, had a good start of them. Still, without
a leader, there was some confusion, and the energies of the people were
not applied to their full advantage.
Suddenly there arose a cry among them that a captain must be chosen.
"The English captain! the English captain!--Captain Helfrich is our
man!" was shouted by all the pirates; and it was very evident that,
whether he would or not, they would compel him to take the post.
"My men, I am obliged to you for your good opinion of me," said Captain
Helfrich, standing up among them; "still I cannot be your captain. I
will be your pilot to take you out of this harbour, and to enable you to
gain a place of safety, on one condition, that you disperse at the time
I point out to you. I make this agreement for your own advantage. If
you keep together, you are certain before long to get into trouble.
Will you trust me?"
"We agree! we agree!" was replied on all sides. "We trust you, sir, for
we know you mean us well."
"Then heave up the anchor, sheet home the headsails, up with the helm,
and let her cast to starboard," cried the captain, almost in the same
breath.
A man was stationed at the bowsprit-end, and another at the mast-head,
to give notice of any rocks beneath the water which might lie in our
course; but Captain Helfrich seemed scarcely to require such
information. The little schooner threaded the narrow and intricate
passage with unerring accuracy, every instant the rapidity of her
progress being increased by the freshening wind. It was well, indeed,
for our safety that we had a steady breeze, for while we were still
within the labyrinth of reefs, several vessels were seen emerging from
among the mangrove-bushes. As they advanced, they fired their guns at
us; but we were still far beyond their range. Had it not been, indeed,
for the many turns in the passage, we should have been so far away that
they could not have hoped to reach us. We had only our heels to depend
on, for, with so overpowering a force, the Spaniards must easily have
overcome us. Our great danger consisted in the possibility of striking
on a rock before we could get clear of the reefs. On this probability
our enemies calculated when they came in pursuit.
We had several reaches to pass through, which in no way increased our
distance from them through the air, and at last several of their shot
came whistling over our mast-heads. One went through our mainsail. We
could only stand still and look at our enemies, while our little vessel
made the best of her way from them.
"Hurrah, my lads! we are in the last reach," shouted our captain; "in
five minutes we shall be in clear water!"
The men shouted in return. Stronger blew the breeze, making the blue
sea sparkle and leap outside. On either hand it broke in masses of
foam, which leaped high into the air. On we flew! A narrow channel of
smooth water was before us. We glided through it. "Hurrah--hurrah! we
are free--we are free!"
I remember how fresh and pure I thought the sea air smelt. With what
freedom I breathed, after being shut up so long in a hot loft! The
breeze was easterly--a wind which would carry us on a bowline to
Jamaica. Every sail the little schooner could carry was set on her.
Our pursuers were not, however, yet willing to give up the chase. Once
clear, with the open sea before us, we distanced them fast, and the
sailing qualities of the little schooner being very fair, we had little
fear of being overtaken.
From what I saw of our present companions, I certainly should not have
liked to have associated much with them. While danger threatened, they
were quiet enough; but as the prospect of being overtaken decreased,
they grew more reckless and overbearing in their manner, and showed with
how little provocation they would be ready to break into a quarrel with
us, or among themselves. Thanks to Mr Gale's and Peter's example, we
were not likely to give them cause for that. As they had been prepared
for flight, they had not only put on a considerable quantity of
additional clothing, but each man carried round his waist a belt filled
with gold and silver coins, while his pockets were filled with jewels
and such silver ornaments and other articles of value which he could
manage to stow away in them. This much impeded their activity, though,
of course, it was but natural that they should wish to carry away with
them as much as they could of those spoils, to gain which they had
hazarded the loss both of life and soul!
"It will be as well, for their own sakes, that none of those fellows
fall overboard," observed Peter to me when none of them were near to
listen; "they'll go down like a shot, and then what will be the use to
them of all the dollars and the gold they have collected? What's the
use of it to them now? just to spend in the grossest folly and
debauchery; and for the sake of collecting it, they have been living a
life of murder and rapine! All I can say is that I don't want to change
places with them, though their pockets are full and mine are empty!" I
agreed with Peter that neither would I, and we had good reason before
long to think the same.
We were still not clear of danger from our pursuers. The breeze
freshened so much that it was with difficulty we could stagger along
under the press of canvas we carried; and as the Spaniards' vessels were
much larger, had we been compelled to shorten sail, they might easily
have come up with us. If they did, we well knew that we could expect no
mercy from them. Still the chase was very exciting. However, I would
rather be the pursuer than the pursued; and I suppose that a hare, or a
fox, or a stag would, if it could express its opinion, agree with me in
the latter remark. Fortunately for us the breeze kept very steady; and
as, after a time, the Spaniards found that they lost ground rather than
gained on us, they tacked and stood back towards the Cuban coast. This
event was noticed with loud cheers by all our people, nor was I slack in
joining them.
Our passage, till we sighted the coast of Jamaica, was very rapid.
Captain Helfrich had made some arrangement with the pirates as to their
future course. I do not know what it was. Some were to go away in
their boats in different directions; some wished to land, and others to
be put on board homeward-bound vessels. They wanted to take the
schooner, but, of course, he could not willingly let them have her, as
she was not his property. I suspect that they had formed a plan to take
her; but their designs, if such existed, were defeated.
Among the cargo were some small casks of rum. A knowledge of this fact
the captain wished to keep concealed from everybody on board.
Unhappily, however, the pirates discovered them, and, in spite of
Captain Helfrich's remonstrances and warnings, they very soon had them
up and broached on deck. Every minute they became more and more riotous
and inclined to quarrel among themselves. Again the captain warned them
that they would betray themselves; but laughingly they answered that
they knew him well, and that he would take care that they got into no
mischief.
The wind heading us, we had to stand in-shore, so as to beat up towards
Kingston. There was a little sea on, but not enough to prevent our
observing objects some way below the surface. Peter and I were looking
over the side--one of the other men being at the helm--when we noticed a
dark pointed object floating alongside; another came up near it.
Looking down, we with a shudder discovered the long tapering bodies of
two sharks swimming just on our quarter. Nothing is so hateful to a
sailor, even when he has a sound plank under his feet, as a sight of
those tigers of the deep. Happening shortly after to go over to the
other side, and glancing my eye over the bulwarks, with almost a thrill
of horror I saw two others precisely in the same relative position. At
first I thought they must be the same, but going back to the other side,
there were those first seen just as they had been before.
"I don't like the look of those brutes," said Peter. "I am not
superstitious, but I never have seen sharks swimming along as those are
but what some mischief or other has happened--a man has fallen
overboard, or something of that sort!"
I, as may be supposed, shared fully in Peter's feelings, and set to work
wondering what the harm would be.
I had not long to wait. The schooner had tacked, and was laying pretty
well along-shore, with her head off it, and about a mile distant. One
of the pirates, with drunken gravity, had insisted that he was not going
to be idle, and that he would tend the fore-sheet. The state of things
on board had made the captain doubly anxious to get in before night, and
we were, therefore, carrying on perhaps even more sail than the little
craft could well bear. We were taking the water in well over our bows;
but that seemed in no way to inconvenience the hardy pirates, as they
sat on the deck at their levels. I will not attempt to paint the
picture presented by the pirates. The horrid oaths and blasphemy, the
obscene songs, the shouts of maniac laughter, may be better imagined
than described.
Peter and I and the other men had gone aft, where was also the captain,
while Mr Gale stood at the helm. The sun was perhaps an hour above the
horizon. Frequently the captain had turned his eyes in the direction of
Kingston Harbour. A sail was seen standing out of the harbour, steering
towards us, for the purpose, evidently, of getting a good offing before
nightfall. As her topsails appeared above the horizon, we could make
out very clearly that she was a brig.
"Hand me up my glass, Jack," said the captain with animation. He took a
long, steady look at her, and then handed the glass to Mr Gale, whose
place Peter took at the helm.
While they were all looking eagerly at the approaching brig, I felt the
schooner heel over even more than she had been doing. The captain
likewise became sensible of the movement. He looked round--
"Let go the fore-sheet!" he shouted loudly. Mr Gale at the same moment
sprang forward to execute the order; but the pirate who was tending it
held it on tight with drunken stupidity. Mr Gale tried to drag him
away from it; but the man, instead of letting go, gave a turn, and
jammed the sheet. Down came the squall on us with redoubled strength.
The little vessel heeled over till her gunwale was buried in the sea.
The water rose higher and higher up her deck. It was too late to cut
the sheet. No skill could save her.
Down, down went the vessel! Shrieks and cries arose, but they were no
longer the sounds of revelry. They were those of horror and hopeless
dismay, uttered by the pirates as they found the vessel sinking under
their feet and they were thrown struggling into the water. So suddenly
did she go over, and so rapidly did she fill, that even the most sober
had no time to consider how they could save themselves, much less had
those wretched drunken men. Overloaded as they were with clothes and
booty, they could neither swim nor struggle towards the spars, and
planks, and oars, and boats, which were floating about on every side.
When Mr Gale found that it was too late to save the schooner, he sprung
back towards one of the boats which had been stowed right aft on the
weather-side; the captain, Peter, and I, with our men, had been cutting
the lashings which had secured it with our knives; and giving it a shove
as the deck of the vessel touched the water, we were able to get clear
just as she went down. The mate had not quite reached the boat, but
Peter, leaning forward, hauled him in before he was drawn into the
vortex made by the schooner as she sunk. To clear her, we had of
necessity to shove astern, and this drove us still further from the spot
where the rest of the people were still struggling in the waves. Some
of the soberest had managed to disencumber themselves of their clothing,
and to clutch hold of spars to support themselves; but they had another
danger, from the seaman's remorseless enemy, to contend with. We now
guessed why the sharks had been accompanying us; or could they have
scented the dead body of the pirate chief, which we had still on board?
Why the captain had not buried him I do not know.
Scarcely had we leaped into the boat, when the terrific shrieks of the
struggling pirates reminded us of what we had seen. In an instant the
monsters were at them, and one after the other, with fearful rapidity,
they were dragged from the supports to which they clung, their bodies
mangled, and limbs torn asunder. We got out our oars as quickly as
possible, and pulled back, endeavouring to save some; but before we
could reach the nearest man a shark had seized him, and we could see his
arms helplessly stretched out, as he was dragged down through the clear
waters. On we pulled towards another, but he likewise was carried off
after he had already seized the boatswain's oar, and thought himself
safe. A third cried out to us piteously to come and save him. We
pulled towards him with all our might; but fast as we flew through the
water, two huge sharks went faster, and before we could reach him he was
their prey, literally torn in sunder between them. He was the last who
yet floated; the others had gone down at once, or had been torn to
pieces with all their wealth about them. While we were looking round,
an object rose to the surface.
"What means that?" exclaimed our captain with an expression of horror
and alarm such as I did not believe his countenance capable of wearing.
It was the body of the old pirate: his face was turned towards us, and
one of his arms moved as if beckoning us to follow him!
"No, no--you do not want me! I have visited you once at your summons!
I'll no longer obey you!" shouted our captain with a hoarse voice,
staring wildly; then he sank down into the stern-sheets overcome with
his emotions.
For a minute, fancying that the old pirate was alive, we pulled towards
him; then we remembered that he had been placed in a rough coffin of
thick light wood, the lid of which had not been secured. Some nails,
probably, had caught the clothes and kept the body in. When the vessel
sunk the coffin had floated through the hatchway, the lid being knocked
off; and thus the old man was once more presented to our view.
The monsters who had so speedily disposed of his wretched followers now
darted forward to attack the coffin. Round and round they turned it;
one arm was seized, then another, and we saw the body dragged down with
a dozen sharks surrounding it, tearing it limb from limb!
Our captain very quickly recovered himself, and passing his hand over
his brow, as if to shut out some dreadful vision, ordered us in a calm
tone to pull towards the approaching brig. As we pulled from the spot,
the water appeared here and there tinged with a crimson tint; but
scarcely a vestige of the unfortunate little schooner remained. The
brig approached.
"She is the _Rainbow_, sir; there can be no doubt of it!" exclaimed
Peter, who had been eyeing her narrowly over his right shoulder.
He was right. On her people seeing a boat she was hove-to, and we were
very quickly on board. I need not describe the surprise of Mr Jones,
the first mate, who had now command of her as captain, or of the officer
who had been shipped instead of Mr Gale. Of course, we had all long
been given over as lost.
Mr Jones very willingly gave up his command to Captain Helfrich, and
re-occupied his post as first mate; but the new officer who had been
shipped, in a most foolish way nourished a peculiar dislike not only for
Mr Gale for superseding him, but towards all of us, and took every
opportunity of showing it. The vessel had got a full cargo in, and was
on her way back to Dublin. At first, however, he pretended that he
wished to be very kind to me, in consequence of the hardships I had gone
through, and the narrow escape I had of death from the Maroons. Of
course, there was no reason for keeping that part of our adventures
secret, so I gave him a full account of all that had occurred; but then
he led me on to describe the hurricane, and our capture by the pirates;
and from the interest he took in the questions he asked me, I felt that
he had some sinister motive for his inquiries. This made me hold my
tongue for the time; and when I told Peter all the mate had asked me, he
told me that I was perfectly right not to give him any further
information, as he was sure that he would make a bad use of it. We
neither of us liked the expression of the man's countenance, or his
manner to his superiors, or us his inferiors. Time was to show us that
we were right in our conjectures.
When the extra mate found that he could get nothing out of Peter or me
he attacked the other men; and from what they confessed to us they had
told him, we feared that he had obtained from them all the information
he required. He left the brig directly we entered port, and immediately
returned to Jamaica.
Captain Helfrich was received in Dublin as one who had returned from the
dead; for the account of his supposed death had preceded us, and his
wife had actually assumed widow's mourning for him. His sudden
appearance very nearly cost her her life.
We took the usual time to refit the brig, and then sailed once more for
the same destination. We had the usual number of passengers, and all
went well till we reached Kingston.
After we had lain a little time there, we saw from the captain's manner
that all was not going well with him; and Peter told me that from what
he heard on shore, that he was accused of having been leagued with
pirates; and that all sorts of things were said about him. This, to a
man of the captain's temperament, was very trying. Those who knew him
best, must have been perfectly convinced that, for many years past, he
could not possibly have been guilty of any act of piracy; although I
could have little doubt that, in his early days, he must, in some way or
other, have been connected with the person whom I knew alone by the name
of Captain Ralph. It was a practical evidence of the truth of that
saying of Holy Writ, that the sins of his youth rise up in judgment
against a man in his old age.
We had little difficulty in tracing the reports to the malignity of the
man who had acted as mate during the last passage home. In consequence
of these reports, Captain Helfrich had considerable difficulty in
obtaining a cargo for the brig; and so disgusted was he with all the
annoyance he had received, that he resolved not to return again to the
West Indies.
At last, however, we were ready to sail. The evening before we were to
go to sea, a boat came alongside, pulled by black men, with one man only
in the stern-sheets. He asked to see Captain Helfrich. I looked over
the side, and recognised him as Michael, the tall negro who had been the
means of rescuing us from the Maroons. Mr Gale sent me to let the
captain know that a person wanted to see him, and of course I told him
who he was. The captain accordingly directed me to invite him below at
once. I did so, and remained in the cabin.
"I've come, captain," said he, "to ask a favour of you."
"Anything you ask I am bound to grant," answered the captain.
"All I have to beg is a passage to England," replied the negro. "I go
to seek in your country that liberty which I can find nowhere else. For
years have I been striving to instil into my unhappy countrymen a
knowledge of their true position; but they are too ignorant, too
gross-minded to understand me. I have had no wish to set them against
their masters. In most instances, both parties have been born to the
position they occupy, and cannot help themselves. All I want is, that
the masters should do them justice, and should treat them as men--as
human beings with souls, with like passions, with like thoughts as
themselves--that they should do their best to improve their minds, to
educate them, to prepare them for that liberty they must sooner or later
obtain. The question is, how will it be obtained? By fair and gentle
means, granted--not taken by force as a right, or by violence and
bloodshed. I have tried all means. I have leagued with all classes of
men to commence, in some way or other, the work. Thus, for a time, I
associated with Captain Ralph; but he grossly deceived me, as he did
everybody else. I joined the Maroon bands, in the idea that force might
avail; but in that respect I found that I was totally wrong in my
calculations. I have tried to influence the planters, to show them
their true interests: that with a well-instructed peasantry they would
get far more work done, and at a smaller cost, than they do now with
their gangs of ignorant slaves; but they laugh my notions to scorn.
They fancy, because they find the negro ignorant, brutal, and stupid,
that he can never be anything else. They forget that they made him so
when they made him or his ancestors slaves; and that it must take more
than one generation of gentle, watchful, judicious education to raise
him out of the wretched state in which he now grovels. No
philanthropist would wish them to emancipate their slaves now without
long previous training, to fit them for liberty. If they ever free them
without that training, they will ruin their properties. I find fault
with them for not commencing that training at once, for not teaching
them the religion they themselves profess, for not in any way attempting
to enlighten their ignorance. Perhaps I may induce people in England to
advocate the negro's cause; but yet if Christian men here, on the scene
of their sufferings, do not care for them, how can I expect people at a
distance to listen to their cries, to labour that they may obtain
justice?"
Michael said much more on the same subject. Our captain listened, but
did not clearly understand him; nor did I at the time. He, however,
willingly granted him a passage, and treated him with the attention he
deserved at our hands during it.
Michael was a man far beyond his time. Not many blacks are like him;
but I have met some with comprehensive minds equal to those of any white
men. The vicious system to which the generality are subject, stunts or
destroys all mental development; but had they the advantages of the
whites, I believe as many buds in the one case as in the other would
bear rich fruit. Michael left us in Dublin, and it was not till long
afterwards that I heard his subsequent fate.
We had a prosperous passage to Dublin, and nothing occurred during it
worthy of being mentioned. The captain very slowly recovered his usual
spirits, but was completely himself again before we reached home.
The _Rainbow_ remained longer in dock than usual, and during the time I
had charge of her, Peter took the opportunity of visiting his friends,
who lived some miles from Liverpool.
My life was almost like that of a hermit's though surrounded by
multitudes. I scarcely spoke to anyone. I amused myself, however, in
my own way. I cut out all sorts of things in wood and bone, and
practised every variety of knot-and-splice. At last it occurred to me
that I would try to make a model of the brig. I bought at a timber-yard
a soft piece of white American pine, without a knot in it; and as I had
charge of the carpenter's tools, I got some of the chisels and gouges
sharpened up, and set to work. With rule and compass I drew two lines
for her keel on one side, and then pencilled out the shape of her deck
on the other. I first, by-the-by, made a scale of so many parts of an
inch to a foot, and measured every part of the brig I could reach.
Having got the shape of her deck exact, and her depth, I used to go
ahead and astern and look at her shape, and then come aboard again, and
chisel away at my model. I shaved off very little of the wood at a
time, and my eye being correct, I made one side exactly equal to the
other. Then fixing the wood in a vice, I scooped out the whole of the
interior with an even thickness on every side. At length the hull was
completed very much to my satisfaction. Then I got a piece of thin
plank for her deck, and built on her bulwarks, with the windlass, the
binnacle, caboose, and combings of her hatchway complete. Next I
commenced rigging her. I formed all the blocks, and expended many a
penny in purchasing whipcord and twine of different thickness, as well
as linen for her sails. Having often carefully watched the sailmakers
at work, and helped them when they would allow me, I was able not only
to cut out the sails properly, but to fasten on the bolt-ropes, and to
mark exactly the divisions of the cloths. I had also to bring the
painter's art into play; and to fashion with a file various stancheons,
and belaying-pins, and such like things, out of bits of iron and copper;
indeed, I am vain to say that I made a very complete model. When she
was perfectly completed, I walked round and round her with no little
satisfaction, surveying her from every quarter, and placing her in every
possible position--indeed, I was never tired of trimming sails. I had
had a purpose in building her, for I wanted to present her to my kind
captain for one of his little boys, whom I had seen occasionally on
board.
Old Pat Hagan, though too advanced in years to be intrusted entirely
with the charge of the ship, occasionally came down to enable me to take
a run on shore. The first day, therefore, that he made his appearance,
I started with my model on my head to the captain's residence.
"Who has sent you here, Jack, with that pretty little craft?" asked
Captain Helfrich, as I was shown into his parlour, where he with his
wife and children were sitting.
"Why, sir, as I hoped that you would not think me taking too much on
myself in offering it to Master James, I made bold to bring it myself,"
I replied, looking down and feeling somewhat bashful at the praise my
model was receiving.
"I cannot refuse your pretty gift, Jack, which, I am sure is given with
a good heart. But where did you pick her up my man?" answered the
captain. "But just let me look at her nearer. Why, she is the very
model of the _Rainbow_!"
When I told him that I had built her myself, he still further praised
me, as did his lady; and Master James was delighted with his present,
and jumped about round her, and thanked me over and over again.
"I am very much pleased, my lad, with this little craft, and from the
way you have built her, and, still more, from your general conduct, I
tell you that you would be fitted to become an officer if you had but
the necessary education. You must try and obtain that, and I will have
my eye on you. The next time you come home, you shall go to school; and
see if you cannot pick up some knowledge of reading during the voyage."
I constantly think of the saying, "Man proposes, but Heaven disposes."
So I found it in this instance. My kind captain would have done all he
intended, but his plans for my benefit were frustrated by circumstances
then unforeseen by either of us.
A few days after this, we sailed for the Mediterranean. We had shipped
a couple more guns, and four additional hands. In those days it was
necessary for merchantmen frequenting that sea to be strongly armed, for
it was sadly infested by pirates. There were Moorish pirates, Salee
rovers, and others, who went to sea in large vessels as well as in
boats, and robbed indiscriminately all vessels they could overpower;
then there were Algerine pirates, who had still larger vessels, and were
superior to them in numbers; and, lastly, there were Greek pirates,
every island and rock in the Aegean Sea harbouring some of them. Long
years of Turkish misrule and tyranny had thoroughly enslaved and debased
the great mass of the people; and the more daring and adventurous
spirits, finding all lawful exercise of their energies denied them on
shore, sought instead for such excitement and profit as piracy could
afford them afloat. Some of them darted out in small boats from the
sheltered coves and bays when any unarmed merchantman was becalmed near
them; while others, in well-formed and well-manned vessels of large
size, cruised about in all directions in search of prizes. Sometimes
their strongholds, when discovered by the Turks, were attacked and
destroyed, but generally they carried on their system of rapine with
perfect impunity; and though the people of other governments complained,
they had no legal power to punish the subjects of a friendly nation. So
the Greeks, rejoicing in impunity, grew more and more audacious, till
they levied contributions on all the civilised nations of Europe whose
traders ventured into the Levant. Such was the state of things when the
_Rainbow_ sailed on her first voyage to Smyrna. Captain Helfrich had
been there before, and he knew the character of the people he had to
deal with.
We met with bad weather soon after leaving the Channel, and had already
been driven some way to the westward, when, as we were in about the
latitude of Lisbon, it came on to blow harder than ever from the
eastward. Had we been close in with the land, this would not have
signified; but before we could beat up again, a continuance of northerly
and easterly gales drove us to the southward of the Gut of Gibraltar.
When there, they left us in a dead calm, with our sails idly flapping
against the masts, and rolling bulwarks under in the heavy swell they
had caused on Old Ocean's bosom.
The sun arose over the distant Morocco coast--not then in sight,
however--and sent his rays down on our decks with an ardour which made
the pitch bubble and hiss up out of the seams. Not a ripple disturbed
the rounded smoothness of the heaving swells, while even the bubbles
thrown off from our sides refused to float to any distance from us. We
were not the only occupants of our own horizon. Some eight miles off,
or so, there was another brig rolling away much in the same fashion that
we were. All hands were anxious for a breeze, as we in no way liked the
heat after the cold of a northern clime, though it mattered nothing to
us whether we made a quick or a slow passage. We whistled, as sailors
always whistle when they want a breeze; but the breeze did not come the
faster for all our whistling. I never knew it do so, with all my
experience. What folly, indeed, in man to suppose that He who rules the
winds and waves should alter his laws in consequence of their puny
efforts to make a wind with their mouths! In those days, of course, I
did not think about the matter. I whistled because others whistled; but
if any of us had been asked on what ground we founded our hope that the
wind would come in consequence, I suspect that we should have been very
much puzzled to return a satisfactory answer.
"What countryman do you make that craft out there to be, Mr Gale?" said
the captain, handing the mate the glass through which he had been
looking.
"Not an Englishman, certainly," was the reply, after the usual steady
glance. "I should say, from the whiteness of her canvas, and her light
upper-rigging, that she belongs to some of those turban-wearing people
along the African coast in there, or up the Straits. They are seldom
pleasant customers for an unarmed craft to come across."
"I had formed the same idea of her," observed Captain Helfrich. "We
know pretty well, however, how to deal with such gentry: and if she come
across us, she'll find that she has caught a Tartar."
I told Peter what I had heard; and he, I found, after looking through
the telescope, formed much the same opinion of the stranger.
The day wore on, and still the calm continued, so that we in no way
decreased our distance from her. Night also overtook us, while we lay
rolling away helplessly as before. The swell, however, was going down
gradually; as it did so, the brig became more steady in the water.
It was about the first hour of the morning-watch, which Peter and I were
keeping, when he asked me suddenly if I did not hear oars. I listened:
there could be no doubt about it. There was more than one boat, and the
oars were pulled pretty rapidly too. The night was not dark, though
there was no moon; but a mist floated on the surface of the water, and
served to veil it from our sight, though right overhead the stars could
still be seen glimmering faintly in the sky.
Peter instantly went and reported what he had heard to Mr Gale, who was
officer of the watch. After listening for some time he could hear no
sound, and seemed to doubt the correctness of our assertion. The boats
had probably ceased pulling, for a purpose at which we could only then
conjecture. At last the sound of the oars reached Mr Gale's ears also.
"There's something in this," he exclaimed. "Jack, go and call the
captain."
Captain Helfrich was on deck in an instant.
"The crew of some vessel which has foundered, and taken to their boats,"
suggested the mate.
"From what quarter does the sound come?" asked the captain, listening
attentively. "Visitors from the brig we saw last night," he cried out.
"Depend on it, they come to us with no good intention."
His experience in the West Indies and elsewhere had taught him to be
prepared for any such emergency as the present. He was not above being
prepared, and he knew that the greatest folly is to despise an enemy.
"Turn the hands up, Mr Gale. Get the arm-chest open, and the guns
loaded and run out. We must be ready. No noise, though: if anyone
intends to surprise us, it is as well that we should surprise them
instead."
The watch below were instantly on deck, and in a few minutes every
preparation was made for the reception of an enemy. Still we could not
see any boats, but the louder sound of oars in the rowlocks convinced us
that they were approaching. Again the sound ceased.
"They are not quite certain of our position," observed Mr Gale. "If
they were people escaping from a wreck, and not aware that a vessel is
near, they would have pulled steadily on."
"You are right," said the captain. "Have a torch ready to heave in
among them, that I may make certain who they are before I give the word
to fire. It won't do to run the risk of hurting friends; but when once
you hear the word, my men, blaze away with all your might. If they are
enemies, they will not be such as will give us quarter, however loudly
we may cry for it."
A murmur ran round among the people, to signify that we would obey the
captain's orders. The atrocities committed of late years by the
Algerines, and the subjects of the Emperor of Morocco, had made those
people the dread of all sea-going people, and gained them a
proportionate amount of hatred.
Once more the sound of oars was heard, and in a short time even their
splash in the water could be distinguished. There are few things more
trying to a man's nerves than to know that an enemy is approaching, and
not to be able to discover his strength or form, or the quarter from
whence he is coming. Our cutlasses were buckled on, our muskets were
ready to be seized, and the slow matches were in our hands, but
concealed, so that the enemy might not perceive them. Mr Gale stood
with a torch ready to light at a moment's notice. Slowly the boats
approached. Apparently they seemed to think some caution necessary, or
perhaps they could not see how we lay, and wished to attack us according
to some preconcerted plan. There was a pause. I know that my heart
beat pretty quick to learn what would follow. Then there was a dash
towards us, and we could hear the sound even from the rowers' chests as
they strained at their oars. Dark forms were seen gliding out of the
darkness. Suddenly the bright light of a torch burst forth on our deck.
Mr Gale waved it above his head, and threw it towards the boats, its
glare showing us swarthy features, and turbaned heads, and coloured
vests, and jewelled arms. There could be no doubt as to the character
of our midnight visitors.
"Fire!" shouted the captain; "fire! and aim low."
Our guns, loaded with langrage, sent forth a deadly shower among the
pirate crew. Shrieks and groans arose in return. We followed it up
with a discharge of musketry. The enemy were completely taken by
surprise. Many, abandoning their oars, ceased pulling towards us. This
gave us time to reload our guns and small-arms. Their leaders, it
seemed, were attempting to rally them. Once more we could distinguish
their dark forms amid the gloom of night.
"Fire!" again shouted our captain.
The shrieks and groans were redoubled, and the boats again disappeared
in the darkness. We remained at our quarters expecting their return.
They did not come. A light breeze from the southward and westward at
length sprung up, and we were able to shape our course towards the Rock
of Gibraltar, and when the morning broke no sail was in sight.