Part 35 (1/2)
”Ain't looked,” said a faint voice fros ”They chucked me over, and I'ht down upon hi,” cried Mark, joyously ”Look here, orously as they could, rowing back toward the schooner, but slowly, for the tide was running sharply still, and the fight was hard
”What yer going to do, sir?” said Tom Fillot, in a low tone
”Do?” cried Mark, excitedly, for his blood was regularly up; ”why, have another try, of course”
”Well done us!” said dick Bannock, thickly ”I'rowled Tom Fillot, in a low, deep voice ”We ain't beat, but we can't do it, sir, for want o' strength”
”What?” cried Mark, as determined upon his mad project--mad now in the face of so many difficulties ”There isn't a man here ill not follow me, and I'm sure you won't turn tail, Tom Fillot”
”Not oes I follows It's hard lines to let go of a prize like that Lay her close alongside, sir?”
”Yes, of course,” cried Mark, standing up as they began to near the schooner oncethethe blacks Here, pull, ot loose, and are fighting for their liberty; pull!”
The ot their pains and weakness oncearose from the deck of the schooner Then shots were fired, and as the boat approached, now unobserved, they could see that the creere driving back quite a little crowd of naked blacks, who seemed helpless before the attack of the arave way slowly, uttering fierce cries of rage and despair
It was all plain in the bright ht which flooded the scene, and Mark could see the slaver captaina rush here and a rush there, and at each effort he struck down soeon he wielded with terrible force
Then, as the boat glided in close under the stern, all this was shut out, but the noise increased
”Now, my lads!” whispered Mark, ”we shall take 'em between two fires
As soon as the blacks see us coht like fury, and we shall win Do you see, Toht We'll have 'eo But don't give the word till I'ht now”
The preparations took al, and then, freshly nerved by the exciting scene on deck, Mark Vandean and his men climbed on board to collect for a rush, just as the blacks werea desperate stand There in the front were two of the stoutest armed with capstan bars, and as the crew of the boat were about to dash forward, these two blacks yelled together and charged at the schooner's ely that two of their adversaries went down, and the next they attacked shrank back
”Stand aside!” roared the slaver skipper, raising a pistol, but it was not fired, for as the two blacks whirled their bars about and fought on, Mark gave a cheer, histhe schooner's crew in the rear, they were scattered at the first charge
What folloas a series of furious, short hand-to-hand conflicts,the blacks, who came on noith excitement
They seized their eneles, hurled them overboard to swim for the shore, till only the skipper was left, and he was being hunted froe, till he est of the blacks, one of the two armed with capstan bars, rushed down after him, followed by his brave coe, evidently from the cabin
Mark and Toether, and looked over
”Have they killed him?” said thelike a seal--the waret us together, sir? The niggers may have a turn at us now P'r'aps they don't knoe're friends”
”Oh yes they do, Toht for the whistle, and his men clustered about hi aft in a body
”It ht, sir,” whispered Too as we're friends?”
”Yes, friends; all friends,” cried a harsh voice, as the great, perfectly nude, black sprang up out of the hatchway, and thren his heavy wooden bar, an example followed by the other, while, as the moon now shone full upon their convulsed and excited faces, Tohter, rushed forward, and slapped first one and then the other on the bare shoulder, yelling out,--
”Here's a gaed ht you was both on you drowned What's beco-a-ree_?”