Part 37 (1/2)
These arrangements being completed, he made sail for Port Royal. Should the weather continue fine, the task might be an easy one; but should it come on to blow, shorthanded as he was, he would have no little difficulty in working the brig and looking after his numerous prisoners, many of whom were desperate ruffians, and might possibly try to capture the brig, and cut the throats of every one on board. His only alternative, therefore, to avoid the risk of this would be to treat them as they intended to treat the slaves--clap them in irons, and shut them down under hatches, or to place a sentry with orders to shoot the first who might attempt to regain his liberty.
Needham highly approved of this plan. ”It would serve them right, sir, if we were to do it at once, it would save us a great deal of trouble in looking after the beggars,” he observed.
”But Don Lopez considers himself a perfect gentleman, and will complain that he was barbarously treated if we were to do so without sufficient cause,” remarked Jack.
”I'd let him complain then, sir,” answered Needham. ”He may consider himself fortunate that we don't heave him and his villainous crew overboard.”
Jack only hoped that the necessity would not arise, and as neither the officers nor men had arms of any sort--for the knives even of the latter had been taken from them--he had no fears about the matter.
He resolved to keep a bright look out for the _Caterina_, which he thought would probably slip out of the harbour soon after him, her captain not suspecting the fate of her consorts. The wind was however, light and contrary, and he was much longer in making Cape Saint Antonio than he had hoped. The necessity for treating the prisoners as Needham had suggested came, however, sooner than Jack expected. He had allowed Don Lopez and his companions to enjoy as much fresh air and exercise as they wished for every day, though he took the precaution to have a sentry on the quarterdeck, who had received instructions to keep a watchful eye on the prisoners. Evening was coming on, a fresh breeze was blowing, and the little squadron, under easy sail, was standing to the westward. Just at that time a sail was sighted on the weather-bow; she was soon made out to be a large brig standing towards the little fleet. Jack observed that the prisoners were talking eagerly together, and were evidently much interested in the appearance of the stranger.
On she came, and though she was near enough for her colours to be seen she showed none.
”What do you make her out to be?” asked Jack of Needham.
”I should have taken her to be a Spanish man-of-war; but if she is she ought to have showed her bunting by this time,” he answered. ”You'll pardon me, sir,” he continued, ”but I don't like the looks of the Dons, and I shouldn't be surprised if that craft is the _Caterina_ herself; if so, she will be trying to take some of our prizes; and may be have a slap at us, and I think it will be best to get these gentlemen out of the way, as quickly as possible.”
Jack agreed with Needham, and going up to Don Lopez he observed--
”I am sorry to inconvenience you, but I have to request that you and your companions will go below, and not return on deck till you receive my permission.”
The Don and his friends looked somewhat angry at hearing this, and seemed inclined to disobey, but a dozen stout seamen coming aft showed them that Jack was in earnest, and they, uttering maledictions on his head, were hurried below.
The sun had now reached the horizon, when the stranger came within gunshot, still without showing her colours. Jack had ordered the three schooners to keep close together under his stern. He now fired a gun ahead of the stranger of which she took no notice, but continued her course, intending apparently to get to windward, so as to be able to bear down at any time she might think fit on the captured slavers.
”She has guessed what has happened, sir,” observed Needham, ”and hopes during the night to have a chance of cutting off one of the prizes or all of them; but she can't quite make up her mind to attempt it in daylight.”
”We must keep a bright lookout and prevent her doing that same,”
answered Jack. ”Give her another shot from Long Tom, and we will see if that has a better effect than the first.”
The stranger took no notice further than ”hauling her wind,” so as to increase her distance from the brig-of-war. Jack guessed that her intention was to draw him away, if possible, from his prizes, so that she might have a better chance of taking off one of them during the night; he had no fears of the result of a fight should she venture to attack him; at the same time, under the circ.u.mstances, he doubted whether it would be wise for him to become the a.s.sailant.
As the sun went down the stranger was still seen holding her former position on the weatherbow of the _Supplejack_. It was very provoking to be thus bearded, and he earnestly wished for daylight that he might have a better chance of success in attacking the daring craft, for he had at length made up his mind to bring her to action, and of course to capture her. His greatest difficulty, however, would be, should he succeed, in manning her, as she would require as many hands as the _Supplejack_, and he could ill spare any of his own crew; he thought the matter over, and called Needham aft to consult with him.
”Well, sir, I was thinking that it would be a good plan to send the _Venus_ on to Jamaica, to get the a.s.sistance of the corvette. She wouldn't be long in joining us, and we might keep the stranger in play till then, or if any accident was to happen to us she might come up in time to take her; not that I doubt, for a moment, that if we can get her within range of our guns, we should soon make her our prize. It's rather a tough job I'll allow, as the chase has forty hands or more on board, and six or eight guns, though it's not likely they are very heavy metal.”
”I like your plan,” said Jack; ”I was considering that it might otherwise be necessary to sink one or two of our prizes rather than run the risk of losing the _Caterina_, for I make sure that that brig out there is her.”
Jack gave the matter a few more minutes' consideration, and, signalling to the three schooners to heave to, he sent the purser on board the _Venus_, with directions to Bevan at once to clap on all sail for Port Royal, and to beg on his arrival there that the corvette, or some other man-of-war, might be immediately despatched to his a.s.sistance. As the night was dark he hoped that the stranger would not discover that the _Venus_ had parted company till daylight, when she would have very little chance of overtaking her.
To prevent the risk of her doing so he hauled up close to the wind, believing that he should thus soon again get sight of the stranger. He was not mistaken, for in little more than half an hour he sighted her, standing the same course as before, but rather more abeam. Keeping away again, he shortened sail, but she held the same course as before. Thus the night pa.s.sed, the stranger could be seen to the southward, while the coast of Cuba lay broad on the lee-beam, though undistinguishable in the darkness of night. At length, however, the stranger disappeared, but Jack felt satisfied that she had not gone in chase of the _Venus_, and he still hoped to see her again at daylight.
He and the two schooners kept on their course, under easy sail. The officers in command of the latter were as eager as Jack to bring the strange brig to action, hoping to take part in the light. Each vessel had a couple of six-pounders on board, which though not very heavy guns, might do good service, could they get near enough to the enemy to use them.
Thus the night pa.s.sed slowly away. Dawn at length returned and as the first rays of the rising sun glanced across the ocean they fell on the sails of the stranger, about three miles off, broad on the beam of the _Supplejack_, whose commander at once resolved to bring her to action, while she on her part showed no disinclination for the fight.
”She must have plenty of hands on board, and pretty heavy metal, or she would long ago have been off,” observed Needham; ”however, we will see what Long Tom can do.”
”We will give him every opportunity of showing his qualities,” said Jack, ”and not let the slaver get too near us till we have knocked away some of his spars.”
The stranger now kept edging down towards the ”brig-of-war,” which stood on under her topsails, mainsail, and headsails.