An officer was sent to take our wishes, while the other sailors, with
their captain and lieutenants, proceeded to pursue and exterminate the
pirates. The fresh boats' crews being so eager in the chase that they
knew nothing more about us than that some prisoners had been found. The
captain, therefore, politely sent an officer to attend to us, with a
message to say he was too busy to do so himself. We learnt from this
officer that our captain's conjecture was quite true about the pirate
vessel having been chased; and they knew well enough that, once seeing
them, Capt. Bute would scour the sea in search of them.
They made for "YR YNYS UNYG" as a last chance, knowing that few but
themselves were aware that the great Anaconda was dead, and they trusted
that the fear of it would prevent any one from landing on the island.
Their intentions were all frustrated by finding us all perched upon the
rock, and it became a matter of policy to get rid of us somehow. They
were unwilling to harm us at first, wishing to reap a golden harvest by
claiming the rewards for our recovery; but our obstinacy in refusing to
come down drove the pirate captain much beyond his own wishes. Had Capt.
Bute's boats been half an hour later there would have been but little of
our sad remains left. To his eagerness and skill in following the pirate
vessel, and anchoring the Turtle side of the island under cover of the
night, we, humanly speaking, owed our lives. May God be praised for all
his mercies.
Madame and Smart were first to be considered. It was agreed they must
both be taken on board the man-of-war for medical advice. I was to go
with them, and Felix was to accompany me to attend on Smart. The rest
were to be employed in making preparations for our final departure,
besides getting La Luna ready for our once more taking possession of
her.
But we had never been separated before for more than a few hours, and
the leave taking was quite a business. So I promised to return in the
evening, after seeing Madame and Smart comfortable and well cared for.
We must talk over our joys as well as sorrows, and, hearing that there
were some ladies and servants on board, I the more readily agreed to
return. Madame was let down from the rock with great difficulty, utterly
unconscious of anything but her own delicious thoughts.
In Turtle harbour, not a mile from our memorable bay, we found the
ship, and it was with indescribable emotion that I climbed on to her
deck. With the tenderness of women the kind sailors lifted up the
invalids, while I was shewn down into the cabin to beseech the good
offices of the ladies in it. There were two of them; one reclining on a
sofa, hearing a little girl read, whose golden hair hung round her fair
face, as the glory surrounds the cherubim; the other and oldest of the
two was sketching from the cabin window. The lovely fair face of the
recumbent one was raised as I entered.
Why did I start? Have I seen that face before, those calm clear blue
eyes, the delicately-formed nose, the beautiful expression? Be calm, my
heart, beat not so wildly. "Poor woman, she is ill, what is the matter
with her?" said the lady at the window. I knew her too, so well, so
perfectly, I wondered she could speak so calmly to me. I forgot my
strange appearance, my island dress, my grizzled hair, and brow burnt by
the ardent sun.
The younger lady gazed at me, but said nothing. "Pray be seated," said
the sweet soft voice of the sketcher, "you look so ill, I will bring you
some water." The other lady still gazed, was still silent, but she half
rose from her sofa. I could not withdraw my eyes from the well-known
face, but I grasped the kind hand that placed the chair for me, while my
breath laboured under the convulsive swellings of my heart. "She must
be one of the pirate women, and some of her people have been killed,"
said the elder lady. "Pray, Meta speak to her, and don't gaze at her so
fixedly."
I tried to speak, it was impossible. I clung to the one sister, and held
out my hand imploringly to the other. She sprang up, and rushed towards
me. She pushed my hair from my forehead; her colour came and went like
the evening clouds. "Oh, June, June, my sister, my beloved one, it must
be you. I cannot be mistaken. I should know that face through every
change. Speak to me, speak but one word, call me by my name, if only to
ease my heart. My long-lost, my own sister, relieve me, relieve my
bursting heart."
Faintly breathing the word "Meta," I remember no more. I sunk upon the
ground, but I felt loved arms round me, and the bliss of heaven seemed
to take possession of my senses. I awoke to the blessed reality my
loving sisters were near me, they soothed me with sweet words, kissed me
with sisters' kisses, asked nothing, said nothing but endearing
sentences, and suffered my overburdened heart to relieve itself to the
full.
The anxieties and cares of the past years, the fear and anguish of the
last few days, rolled away like a dark cloud from my troubled brain,
while peace, happiness, and rest flooded my heart to overflowing. The
transition from utter misery to perfect bliss seemed too much for me at
first; I had not felt until then the forlorn and hopeless state to which
we had been reduced, and how death in its most dreadful form had nearly
severed all I lived for from the earth they were so formed to enjoy and
ornament. But, it is idle thus to write, joy does not often kill, so
having seen our invalids well cared for, and introduced my lovely little
savage boy to his aunts, my beloved sisters accompanied me back to my
companions. We found the whole of the pirate gang secured, and going on
board La Luna, ah! what joy. The surprise, the ecstasy, the happy
welcome, the boundless joy, the innumerable questions. It is impossible
to describe it.
We found we owed the meeting with our beloved relatives to the following
circumstance:--After my brother's leave was up, and his ship's
commission expired, instead of spending his time at home, he, with Sir
Walter Mayton, chartered a vessel and determined between them to spend
all the time his services were not required by his Queen in searching
for us. My two sisters had begged to accompany them, one with her
husband and children, and my eldest sister to be her companion. The
Esperanza, their vessel, was something similar to La Luna, only larger
and carrying six guns. They had been out six months, when, owing to the
Esperanza requiring some little repairs, the party, consisting of my two
sisters, Mr. J., and the children, accepted Capt. Bute's invitation to
take a little cruise with him. He was in command of her Majesty's S.
H., which had superseded my brother's ship on the piratical coast.
Accidentally coming across the pirates' vessel, Capt. Bute had given
chase, and pursued her so sharply, that, under cover of the night, he
had got the H. into safe anchorage on the lea side of the island without
the pirates' knowledge. The rest of the tale has been told.