Part 37 (1/2)
”That seems to have scared them, but if they come back again they'll get the next one in the middle of them,” he said.
”Listen!” said Austin, holding up his hand. ”Can't you hear engines?”
Jefferson swung round sharply, and the scream of a whistle came shrilly across the water from the _c.u.mbria_ just then. It was answered by another of a deeper tone, and a blaze of blue light sprang up, apparently out of the creek. It showed a black shape that wallowed through a ma.s.s of piled up foam.
”A launch!” said Jefferson. ”A fast one!”
”No,” said Austin. ”A pinnace. A gunboat's pinnace. Ah! the canoes are going.”
There was a sudden thudding of paddles, and the canoes melted into the darkness as the moon sailed behind a cloud again; but the whirr and thump of engines drew nearer, and Jefferson reached down for the lantern.
”Well,” he said, ”a good deal depends upon what country she belongs to, and it's quite likely we're going to have trouble. Still, we have got to face it now.”
He waved the lantern, and while the whirr of engines slackened a voice came out of the darkness.
”Launch ahoy! Is that the _c.u.mbria_ yonder?” it said in excellent English.
Austin took the lantern from Jefferson with a soft laugh.
”I'll take charge now--you see, I'm acquainted with my countrymen's little peculiarities,” he said, and raised his voice a trifle. ”It is.
If you don't mind steaming that far, we should consider it a pleasure to do anything we can for you.”
”If you have no great objections, I'll come on board now,” said the other man. ”Starboard a little! Start her slow!”
There was a whirring of engines, a little, very trim pinnace crept up alongside, and a young man in immaculate white uniform stepped on the launch's deck.
”Ah!” he said, ”Mr. Austin! I've had the pleasure of meeting you before.
What has become of the n.i.g.g.e.rs?”
”Which n.i.g.g.e.rs?” asked Jefferson, carelessly.
The young officer looked at him with a little dry smile, and it was evident that his eyes were keen, for he made a sign to Bill, who was about to secrete the giant-powder.
”I am,” he said, ”under the impression that you know a good deal more about them than I do. We have rather good gla.s.ses, and I certainly made out four or five canoes. May I ask what that stuff is yonder?”
”It is what, I believe, is called in America giant-powder,” said Austin.
”We found it useful in blowing the mangroves up.”
”Quite so,” said the officer. ”In fact, we heard the detonation. Still, I daresay there are several things we should like to ask each other about, and you suggested going across to your steamer.”
”I did,” said Austin. ”We should be glad of your company for to-night, at least, though I'm afraid we can't offer you much to eat. This is my partner, Jefferson--Lieutenant Onslow.”
CHAPTER XXVII
AUSTIN'S TOAST
An hour had pa.s.sed since their first meeting, when Austin, Jefferson, and two navy men sat round a little table that had been laid out upon the _c.u.mbria_'s bridge deck. It was slightly cooler there than it was below, besides which the mess-rooms reeked with damp and mildew. A lamp hung from one of the awning spars above them, and its light fell upon the men's faces and the remnants of the very frugal meal. The handful of bluejackets who came up in her had apparently gone to sleep beneath an awning on the flooring of the pinnace, which lay alongside, but a sharp clinking rose from the lighted engine room, where a couple of naval artificers were busy with Tom, the donkey-man. The gunboat's surgeon, who had been round the forecastle, was talking to Austin, while her commander lay opposite Jefferson, immaculately neat, in a canvas chair.