THREE DHOWS CHASED--ONE IS CAPTURED AND LEFT IN CHARGE OF DESMOND AND
ARCHIE--FRIGHTFUL CONDITION OF SLAVES ON BOARD--HORRIBLE CRUELTIES
PRACTISED BY ARABS--JERRY BIRD SETS THE SLAVES DANCING TO KEEP UP THEIR
SPIRITS--DESMOND'S WATCH--HE AND ARCHIE THROWN OVERBOARD.
As the breeze continued light and favourable, the boat ran on all night
under easy sail. A bright look-out was kept, however, in the
possibility of meeting a dhow creeping along-shore. Just as morning
dawned, and they arrived abreast of a deep bay which Adair intended to
explore, three dhows were seen standing out from under the land, with
their wide spread of canvas wooing the light breeze.
It was pretty evident that the boat had been discovered. Adair
therefore ordered the crew to lower the sails, and to take to their
oars, which they did with right goodwill, hoping to catch two, at least,
of the strangers in sight.
The smallest and leading vessel showed Arab colours. A shot across her
fore-foot quickly made her haul them down. The other two exhibited no
bunting. From the efforts they were making to escape, it was pretty
evident they were full slavers. As soon as Adair reached the first
dhow, he leaped on board; but a glance told him that she was a legal
trader, with not a slave in her, as far as he could judge; although
there were several black men, whom the negoda affirmed belonged to the
vessel.
"We'll give you the advantage of believing you," said Adair, jumping
back into his boat, which pulled away to the nearest of the other
vessels. Just then she lowered her sail.
"Hurrah!" cried Desmond; "she has given in."
"Not a bit of it," answered Adair; "see, she is going to set a wider
spread of canvas than before."
He was right. Presently a long tapering yard rose to the head of the
stern, the sail swelling out like the balloon jib of a racing yacht, and
shining brightly in the rising sun.
"Should the breeze increase, she will walk away from us like greased
lightning, as the Yankees say," observed Adair.
"We'll hope, then, it will remain calm," said Archie. As it was, though
the men strained at their oars, it taxed their utmost strength to gain
on her. Still, they were gaining. Desmond and Archie stepped forward
to assist Jerry in getting the gun ready to fire a shot as soon as they
got near enough to make her heave-to. Light as was the breeze, the dhow
continued to slip rapidly through the water. It was evident, however,
that the boat was gaining on her, and the men redoubled their efforts.
"Shall we fire, sir?" asked Archie. "We might manage to bring down her
sail."
"Fire over her," answered Adair; "a shot might chance to hurt some of
the poor slaves, instead of the rascally Arabs."
Jerry elevated the gun, and pulled the trigger. Away flew the shot
right through the dhow's huge sail; but her crew, looking to windward,
fancied that the breeze was about to freshen. The gun was quickly
sponged and again loaded.
"Try another shot," cried Adair; "if you can hit the yard or mast, it
will save us a long pull."
Jerry willingly obeyed; but again the shot, though well aimed, only went
through the sail.
"Very good practice," said Adair, "but just let it be a little better."
Jerry Bird, though watching the chase, could not help now and then
taking a look at the countenance of the old chief,--Mustapha Longchops,
the sailors called him,--but whether he wished the dhow to escape or
not, it was difficult to say. Jerry had again got the gun ready, and,
putting it on the breech, he exhorted it this time to do its duty.
Again he pulled the trigger, when the next instant down came the long
yard by the run on deck. The midshipmen uttered a hearty cheer, taken
up by Adair and the crew, and in a few minutes they were alongside the
vessel.
The Arabs, however, seeing only a single boat, and unsupported, had made
up their minds, it seems, not to yield without a struggle. Some twenty
savage-looking fellows, some armed with two-handed swords, others with
muskets and assegais, stood ready to defend their vessel. As the
pinnace ranged up alongside, several shots were fired and assegais
hurled at them, one of which, whizzing close to Adair's ear, stuck
quivering in the sternsheets as he was springing up the side. The
dauntless seamen, however, were not to be stopped by their show of
weapons and threatening gestures. In spite of the Arabs, who cut and
slashed right and left with their two-handed swords, several of the
bluejackets were about to spring up the vessel's side, when one of the
former, aiming a blow at the head of the boat-hook, with which Jerry
Bird was holding on, cut it right through; and at the same instant some
of the Arab crew, who had in the meantime been bending on fresh
halyards, hoisted away on the sail, the dhow forging ahead.
"Fire at those fellows!" cried Adair to the small-armed men; who,
letting fly with their muskets, bowled over three at once. The oars
were meantime again got out, and the sail having come down on deck, the
boat once more dashed up, this time making for the starboard bow. Jerry
took the precaution of making fast with a stout rope; and, led by Adair,
all hands were quickly on board, two more of the Arabs being shot down.
The others, however, still bravely attempted to defend their vessel,
wielding their weapons with the same vigour as before; but, desperate as
they were, they could not withstand the British cutlasses, and were
driven aft for refuge in the cabin, crying out for mercy. All this time
shrieks and groans arose from the hold, while the vilest of odours, a
mixture of everything abominable, pervaded the vessel, leaving not a
doubt, even had the crew not attempted to defend her, that she was a
full slaver, and a legal capture.
"Hand over your arms," cried Adair, "and we'll spare your lives." It is
possible some one among the Arabs might have understood English; at all
events, the whole of the crew soon hurried up and handed over their
swords and other weapons to the victors.
"Tumble their arms into the pinnace," said Adair; "we must have that
other dhow. Gordon and Desmond, I'll leave you with five men to manage
these fellows, while I go in chase of her. If I take her, keep close to
me. Signalise should they show any inclination to be mutinous, and I'll
bear down and help you. I'll leave you the canoe; we shall make better
way without her." Saying this, Adair shoved off and pulled away in
chase of the third dhow.
The first care of the midshipmen was to complete the task in performing
which the three Arabs had been killed, and to hoist up the sail, aided
by several of the crew, whom they compelled at the point of their swords
to lend a hand; while, one of the seamen being sent to the helm, the
dhow steered after the pinnace in hot chase of the still uncaptured
slaver, the canoe, which had hitherto been alongside, being stowed
astern.
The deck of the dhow, on board which the midshipmen found themselves,
presented a horrible appearance. The three men who had first been shot
lay stiff and stark, weltering in their blood at the foot of the mast.
Farther off sat the negoda, with a shot through his leg and another in
his body, glaring fiercely at them; while another man lay not far off,
writhing in agony, with life ebbing fast. The rest of the crew, greasy,
dirty ruffians, with close-fitting turbans and caps on their heads,
baggy trousers, and vests covering their bodies, stood about with sulky,
hang-dog looks, regarding the victors.
"We must keep an eye on these fellows," said Jerry Bird to Archie;
"they'll not mind cutting our throats if they have the chance."
"Little doot aboot that," said Archie; "but hallo! here's our old friend
Mustapha Longchops. How did he get on board?"
It was very evident that the old chief must have scrambled up after the
seamen boarded, and stowed himself away till the fight was over. What
was his object in so doing was difficult to ascertain.
"It wasn't with any good intention, I've a notion," said Desmond;
"however, we'll be up to him."
"I think, sir," said Jerry Bird, "we may as well see if they've got any
more arms stowed away. If they have, the sooner they're hove overboard
the better; for if they get hold of them, the Arabs would prove somewhat
ugly customers on a dark night."
Jerry's advice was followed. While two of the hands kept an eye on the
crew on deck, Jerry and Desmond, with the rest, searched the
after-cabin, and discovered no less than a dozen muskets, several
pistols and swords, and some formidable-looking knives or daggers, which
would have proved deadly weapons in the hands of the Arabs. They were
all quickly hove overboard, greatly to the disgust of their former
owners. They were, however, not the only articles discovered.
"Hallo! what's this?" cried Jerry, drawing out a box from the locker;
"it seems pretty heavy for its size. Shouldn't be surprised to find it
full of gold."
Desmond, who was superintending the search, laughed. "We can scarcely
expect such good luck as that," he answered.
"We'll try, sir," said Jerry, prising open the top with one of the
daggers which he had retained. "Hurrah! I was right, sir," he sang
out; "golden pieces every one of them, four or five hundred, at least!"
"No doubt about it," observed Desmond, examining the box; "it is not
ours, however, after all. We must hand it over to the commander as part
of the cargo found in the prize, as well as every other article of
value; though we shall get our share in due time."
"To be sure, sir, to be sure," answered Jerry, with a sigh. "At first I
thought you and Mr Gordon, and the rest of us, might pocket it; but
it's all right--we must share and share alike."
Desmond ordered the box to be stowed away in the forepart of the cabin,
which he and Archie intended to occupy. The Arab captain cast a longing
glance at his treasure as it was carried away, possibly regarding the
present possessors with no friendly feeling. The discovery induced the
seamen to make a further search, and jewellery, pieces of cloth and
silk, and numerous rich Arab garments were brought to light, sufficient
altogether to fill a considerable portion of the cabin.
"Now let's look after the slaves below," said Archie; "the poor fellows
must have been in a fearful quandary while the fighting was going
forward."
Whatever feeling of pity the condition of the wounded Arabs might have
excited in the breasts of the English was removed when they came to
examine the hold. Indeed, the horrible state of the unhappy beings
surpasses all description. Upwards of two hundred human beings were
found stowed away in the hold of the craft, which could not have
measured more than a hundred tons. On a bamboo deck, scarcely raised
high enough above the keel to be free of the abominably-smelling
bilge-water which occupied her lowest depths, lay some eighty or ninety
men, doubled up, and packed so closely together that it was utterly
impossible for them to stretch their legs; while there was not room
enough for them to raise their heads without touching the deck above.
They were stowed away, indeed, literally, as Jerry Bird observed, "like
herrings in a cask." Above them were an equal number of women huddled
together, doubled up in the same fashion, the space being insufficient
for them to sit or recline. On the highest deck were penned away a
still larger number of children of various ages, ranging from six years
old to twelve or thirteen, girls and boys, with even less space allowed
them, in proportion to their size, than their elders. The miserable
wretches were evidently suffering fearfully from starvation and
dysentery. Many were too weak to move, and several on the point of
breathing their last. Five or six of the women had infants in their
arms but a few weeks old. As one of the mothers was brought on deck,
she exhibited her child with its head crushed in, which she intimated
had been done, just after the boat had been discovered in pursuit, by
one of the Arabs, because the child had been crying somewhat lustily.
"Let's see the fellow who did it," exclaimed Desmond, "and we'll pay him
off for his barbarity."
The woman understood him, and looked about among the crew till her eye
fell on the wounded Arab, who still lay writhing on the deck.
"Is that he?" asked Desmond. "Well, he has got his due, and little pity
any of us can feel for him."
The midshipmen, with their cargo of slaves and villainous prisoners,
found themselves in a very trying position, requiring the full exercise
of all their wits and energies. Probably, had Adair had time to
consider, he would not have left them with so small a force on board;
but his eagerness to overtake the other dhow prevented him from
reflecting on the difficulties and dangers they would have to encounter.
Their first care was to try and ameliorate the condition of the slaves.
Search was made for such food and water as the dhow contained, and the
Arabs were ordered to prepare a hearty meal for them--a task they set
about with no very good grace. The only provisions they discovered were
rice and millet seed, with scarcely drinkable water, and of these in
most limited portions, on which the slaves would have had to subsist
till the termination of their voyage. No wonder that many had died, and
that nearly all looked more like living skeletons than human beings.
"If we'd had Dick Needham on board, he'd have told us how they managed
with slavers captured on the West Coast," observed Archie.
"I'll tell you," said Jerry Bird; "I've seen many a one taken. The best
way is to get up forty or fifty at a time on deck and set them dancing.
It seems to put new life into them, bad as they may be."
The midshipmen followed Jerry's advice at once, and released fifty of
the men, who crawled up and squatted down on either side of the deck. A
mess of rice, with a little water, was then served out to each of them.
They eagerly swallowed the food, cramming it into their mouths like
monkeys, but with less intelligence or animation in their countenances
than those creatures exhibit.
"They don't look as if they had much dancing in them," observed Gerald.
"Stay a bit," said Jerry; "we'll soon see," whereon he began skipping
about, snapping his fingers and singing. Then he took hold first of one
and then of another, and in a few seconds more than half of them were
dancing like magic on their feet, imitating his movements; many more of
them seeming willing to join in the sport, had they possessed the
requisite strength. They sang and laughed and jabbered away as if they
had not a care in the world.
"Faith, they look more like dancing skeletons than anything else," said
Gerald, watching the poor fellows. The voices of many of them were also
so faint as scarcely to be audible, in spite of their efforts to sing
out; indeed, it seemed a wonder that they could utter any notes except
those of wailing and despair.
Of course, an anxious eye had been kept on the pinnace and the vessel
she was chasing. "She's up to her," cried Desmond, who was looking
through his glass; "she struck without a blow, and there go our fellows
tumbling on board. Little doubt, however, about her being a slaver,
though, as they must have seen the way in which we got hold of this
craft, they thought it as well to save their bacon, and make the best of
a bad job."
It was evident that Adair had got easy possession of the third dhow, as
the sail, which had at first been lowered, was quickly hoisted again,
while the pinnace was dropped astern. He appeared to consider that all
was going well on board the first capture, as he did not shorten sail to
allow her to come up. Perhaps he was too busy with the Arab captain and
the slaves to think about the matter.
The first gang of blacks, having enjoyed themselves for some time in
their own fashion, were ordered below. The women were next got up.
Poor creatures! there was very little dancing power in them; many of
them being mothers who had lost their children, and others with dying
infants in their arms, many of them in the last stage of sickness.
Still, some of them, on being set to work, began skipping about,
clapping their hands, laughing and singing, at no little risk of
breaking in the frail deck; for, in general, being fatter, they were
heavier than the men. The Arabs looked on with evident disgust, not
comprehending the object of the English in expending so much food, and
allowing the negroes to move about, thereby increasing their appetites.
The poor children were the last to appear on the stage, and they were
all turned out together, looking more like apes than human beings.
Having been on the highest deck, with some ventilation from above, they
were less in want of air than the grown-up people, though they seemed to
enjoy the exercise allowed them even more than the rest; but not a
particle of the animation of childhood was discernible among any of
them. From the way they moved about, they seemed to fancy that their
dance was but a prelude to their being put to death to fill the
cooking-pots of the white men, which their Arab captors had told them
would be their lot.
All hands had been so busy that no one had thought of eating themselves.
It was then discovered that a bag of biscuit alone had been brought on
board and a bottle of rum, which one of the men in the pinnace had
handed up to Jerry just as she was shoving off. This was, however,
better than nothing, and they hoped before long to be up with the other
prize, and to obtain more substantial fare. The day was now drawing to
a close. The wind continued light as before, and the two dhows retained
their relative positions; the last taken being about half a mile on the
port-bow of the other. The four dead bodies were hove overboard (for
the badly-wounded wretch had followed his companions to the other
world).
Archie and Gerald had done their best to bind up the hurts of the
negoda, who had been placed in the cabin with such care taken of him as
circumstances would admit. They tried to make him understand that, as
soon as they could fall in with a surgeon, his wounds would be better
dressed. The Arab crew, being tired, coiled themselves away in
different parts of the vessel, while Mustapha Longchops had seated
himself at his ease near the skipper. Thus the management of the dhow
was left entirely to her captors.
Archie and Desmond consulted together as to whether they ought to clap
the crew in irons, or, rather, to lash their arms and legs together,
thus putting it out of their power to commit mischief. They settled,
however, as Adair had said nothing about it, to allow them to remain at
liberty. Archie, of course, took one watch and Desmond the other, with
the crew divided between them. As the night advanced, the wind
increased, and the dhow made rapid way through the water, steering after
Adair's prize. No moon was shining, clouds gathered in the sky, and the
night became darker than usual in those latitudes. Desmond was to keep
the first watch, with one man at the helm and another on the look-out;
while Archie lay down just inside the door of the cabin, with Jerry near
him, the other two men going forward.
"I'll sleep with one eye open, sir," said Jerry, "and will be up in a
moment if I'm wanted."
The Arab crew were sleeping about in groups on the deck, where they had
lain for some time, none of them having offered to lend a hand to do
anything. Desmond had been awake for the greater part of the previous
night, and, having undergone a good deal of excitement during the day,
it was no wonder that he found it difficult to keep his eyes open;
still, he did his best to watch a light which Adair had hung over the
stern of his prize, and, after looking for some time, he felt convinced
that they were slowly gaining on her. Every now and then he turned to
the man at the helm with some remark, and then shouted to the other
forward to keep a bright look-out. At length, however, the light ahead
began to flicker and dance, and now to grow larger, now to decrease,
till it was scarcely visible. He was holding fast on to the side of the
dhow, and found some support necessary. He looked up at the huge sail,
which, bulging out, seemed to grow larger and larger till it towered up
into the sky. Desmond was a very promising officer, but even the most
promising are made of flesh and blood, and require sleep to restore
exhausted nature. The most vigilant would not have found him nodding,
for he would have promptly answered with perfect correctness had he been
spoken to. Notwithstanding that, Gerald Desmond was certainly not broad
awake--or rather, he was as fast asleep as a midshipman standing on his
legs, with his eyes wide open, could be. His thoughts, too, were
wandering, now to Ballymacree, now to Commander Murray's home in the
Highlands, and now away to the West Indies, where he might still be for
all he knew.
Just then, suddenly he felt a cloth thrown over his eyes, and before he
could put up his hands to draw it away, he found his arms pinioned
behind him. The same instant he heard Archie and Jerry Bird sing out,
and the man at the helm struggling desperately with a number of the
Arabs, while from every part of the dhow arose shouts and cries. Then
there came a splash, then another and another; the next instant he was
hurled headforemost overboard, happily his arms getting free as he
struggled impulsively to save himself from his impending fate.