Part 36 (1/2)

”The centre one of those three vessels in the north-east, sir,” answered Needham promptly. ”No doubt about that; I know her by the whiteness of her canvas. She must have had a pretty tidy breeze to get out so far while we lay becalmed.”

”You are right,” said Jack. ”That is the one I take to be the _Venus_.”

”So do I,” observed Bevan. ”Hurrah! here comes a breeze. We shall soon have the pleasure of making her better acquaintance, I hope!”

The boats were hoisted up, and every st.i.tch of sail the brig could carry was packed on her. The breeze freshened, and away she flew over the blue ocean, leaving the white walls of the Moro far astern.

The question was whether the slaver would run for the Gulf of Florida, or attempt to make her way through the Bahama Channel.

”We must try, at all events, to get hold of her before nightfall,”

observed Jack, ”or she will be playing us another trick, and give us the go-bye in the dark.”

”We'll try and do that same, sir,” said Needham; ”if the wind holds with us as it does now, it won't be a difficult job. She doesn't seem to have much of it out there, and we are getting up fast with her.”

The _Supplejack_, indeed, was gaining rapidly on the schooner, but the treacherous wind soon gave indications of not being inclined to favour the British brig. Dark clouds gathering in the sky came sweeping rapidly over it.

”All hands, shorten sail,” shouted Jack, with startling energy; ”be smart about it, lads.”

Every one saw that not a moment was to be lost. Royals and topgallant-sails were handed, two reefs taken in the topsails, the courses were clewed up, not an instant too soon, either--for over heeled the brig till the sills of her lee ports dipped into the water. One of those tornados, so frequent in the West Indies, had struck her, though on coming up to the wind she faced it bravely. Down came the rain, a real tropical torrent, the drops as they fell being of the size of marbles, leaping up again with a loud rattle, like that of hail, and literally deluging the deck.

In vain the sharpest eyes of those on the lookout endeavoured to pierce the watery veil. The rain completely hid the slaver and all the surrounding vessels. It was feared that she, taking advantage of the chance offered her, would do her best to escape. The question was, in what direction would she fly? She would have a clear pa.s.sage through the Gulf of Florida, but then she well knew that she would be followed by the nimble _Supplejack_. Rogers, therefore, came to the conclusion that she would steer for the Bahama Channel, where, if she could not escape herself, she might hope to lead her pursuer to destruction.

Needham was firmly of opinion that she would take that direction. Night was coming on, and she would have a long start, but Jack determined to chance it, and persevere.

”With the chart to help us, a bright look out, and the lead going, we may disappoint her ladys.h.i.+p,” he observed, laughing.

”It's an ugly place, I'll allow, sir,” said Needham; ”but we must not be afraid of ugly places, or we shall not do much in catching these slaving gentry. It can't be much worse than we have seen in the China Seas, and off the coast of Africa.”

The tornado having pa.s.sed over, the brig's head was again put to the south-west, and a bright lookout being of course kept, all hoped to fall in once more with the _Venus_. The night was an anxious one; the watch below turned in ready to spring on deck at a moment's notice.

Neither Jack, Bevan, nor Needham lay down, the former constantly sweeping the horizon with their night-gla.s.ses, in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the schooner. As the first streaks of dawn tinged the eastern sky, all hands were roused up to make sail, and just as the orb of day, like a mountain of fire appeared above the horizon, the sails of the schooner were discerned on the port bow, standing, as was conjectured, for one of the numerous intricate pa.s.sages among the dangerous Bahama shoals. Every st.i.tch of canvas the brig could carry was immediately packed on her.

”Keep her away a couple of points,” cried Rogers; ”that will do. We must get hold of Madam Venus before the day is many hours older.

Fortunately there is still a good s.p.a.ce of clear water before she can get in among the shoals, and once up with the lady, it won't be long before she is ours.”

The wind held steady, and the _Supplejack_, as Tom declared, skipped along more nimbly than she had ever yet moved. Long Tom was got ready for action, although the schooner was not likely to show much fight; still he might be useful in bringing down her spars, and so prevent her from getting in among the shoals before she could be captured.

Though a fresh breeze was blowing, the sea was tolerably smooth, but on the north and eastward a line of white breakers, and here and there an interval of blue water which marked the channels between them could be seen. Farther to the eastward were two suspicious-looking schooners, evidently bent on making their way through one or other of the before-named channels.

”We must have the big one first, and then get hold of the other two,”

said Jack to Bevan, who stood by his side.

The lead was kept going, and showed that the water was rapidly shoaling.

”Try her with Long Tom, Needham,” cried out Jack; ”he may chance to reach her.”

”It's as much as Long Tom will do, sir, but we'll see,” answered Needham, bringing the gun to bear on the chase.

Away sped the shot, but, though well aimed, it fell short of its mark.

”We must have her at all cost,” cried Jack eagerly, ”or in less than five minutes she will be among the breakers; and we shall be on sh.o.r.e.