Part 32 (2/2)
”We o back and ly contrived advice could not have affected Mark more powerfully His heart beat rapidly, and, carried away now by the contagious enthusiasht; then ill take her”
A low hu buzz went up at this, and Mark went on,--
”We shall wait till everything is quite still on board, and then let the boat drift alongside Dance will hold on with the hook; we shall board her and take them by surprise as they did us, unless their watch is sharper than ours”
”You trust us, sir We'll have her,” whispered Tom Fillot ”We must”
”Then, now--silence We ive the word, Toive a few dips with oars, and I shall steer her alongside; then Dance will hook on You will all follow me--”
”And the schooner's ours once more”
”If it is the schooner,” said Mark, dubiously
”If she ain't, she's a slaver, sir,” replied Toh for we”
They waited in the silence and darkness, listening intently for every sound, but very little was heard from the vessel Once there were footsteps, and later on they htly to be the reflection from the cabin hich of course was farthest froto the rippling of the swiftly-running water, and the peculiarly weird cries and other sounds which ca beasts seeking their nightly food
Ittoward two bells when Mark, who had been bending over Mr Russell, to try and make out by touch hoas, started up in horror, for, from the direction of the moored vessel, there ca tortured in a terrible way
”What's that?” cried Mark, in an excited whisper
”What I wanted to hear, sir,” replied Toht ha' been as that warn't a slaver, after all; but that there noise settles it”
”Then you think it was the poor wretches crying out?”
”Sure on it, sir; as sure as I a to shout at 'em to be quiet, or he'll come and chuck some of 'em overboard”
Even as the man spoke, footsteps were heard, and then there was a sharp sound like the banging of the top of the hatch with a capstan bar, followed by a fierce shout delivered in a threatening way
Then ca of children, and oncedown to give it to some of you Stop that! Do yer hear?”
These words cah over the water in the silence of the tropic night, and once , as if so back to the cabin-hatch, where he stood for a few minutes, and then went below
”Tom,” said Mark, ”that's the slaver skipper”
”Yes, sir, so I s'pose nobody else wouldn't bully like that”
”I mean the skipper of the schooner we took”