Part 46 (1/2)
”Heave to!” cried the commander; ”and if you attempt to escape I'll sink you, reme to Rayner
”Oui, oui; je comprende,” answered one of the fehite men on board-- probably theput down, she came up head to wind, with her foretopsail to the mast
The corvette, which had by this time shot a little way ahead, also hove-to, and the coo on board the prize and take possession
The way, ready to receive him
He was bound, he said, for Martinique, in ballast, to obtain a cargo and other stores for Leogane, the principal settlement of the French in the island The crew consisted of a Creolehimself the boatswain
”Then you'll dotheto the boat
Theto obey, but the crew soon tumbled him, with the mate and boatswain, into the boat, which returned to the corvette, while Rayner remained with two hands on board
He now ordered the crew to haul round the fore yard, and, keeping the hel distance of the _Lily_
”I intend to send you in to land the people picked up on the raft, with a flag of truce, and as soon as you put them on shore, come back and join me,” said the commander
”Ay, ay, sir,” answered Rayner, very well pleased to have a separate coht only last a few hours He was stillOliver Crofton, the four Frenchmen, and Jack and Tom, to form part of his crew The blacks and thethe schooner
The mulatto said he was the steward, and one of the blacks, with a lo, introduced hilish,dat buckra officer like to order,” he said, with a grih
”By-the-bye, before we part company with the corvette, we ot to cook,” said Oliver
It was fortunate that he had this forethought, for, except a supply of salt-fish, some yams and bananas, and a small cask of flour, with a half-empty case of claret, no other provisions were discovered for officers or ly returned, and obtained some beef and biscuit, and a few articles fro five or six dollars with you, in case ant to purchase any fish or vegetables,” said Rayner, as he was shoving off
No ti as necessary, when Oliver returned to the _Mouche_, for such was the na sail, she and the schooner ran on in company until they came off the French part of the coast The co him, should any people be seen on shore, to hoist a white flag, and land the four Frenchmen
Scarcely, however, had they parted company for a couple of hours, when a dead calm came on, and Rayner and Oliver believed that there was no chance of being able to land the Frenchht
”I am very sorry for it,” remarked Oliver; ”for from the experience I have had of theet the assistance of the black crew, they will try and play us some scurvy trick I have not hitherto pointed out the felloho tried to takehimself; but I suspect his disposition has not altered for the better You'll fancythat should he win over the blacks, they will try and take the schooner froh job with you and me and our four men to oppose the, I'll keep an eye on the gentlemen, and I'll tell Jack Peek to letsuspicious in their behaviour He understands French almost as well as I do, and he'll soon find out what they are about”
”I do not like to think ill of other people, even though they are foreigners; but I cannot forget what a villain one of those men is,”
remarked Oliver
”Forewarned, forearmed,” said Rayner ”We need not, after all, be anxious about the matter; but it will be wise to keep our pistols in our belts and our swords by our sides, and not to let the Frenchether more than is necessary” The steward now caon of French and Spanish, interlarded with a feords of English, of which he was evidently proud, requested to knohat the officers would like for supper
”We shall not find fault, provided that the cook supplies us with the best he can,” answered Rayner ”One of our ive him the materials, unless he happens to have some ducks or fowls, or a fine fish, for which ill pay hi that the only fish he had on board were salted; but, notwithstanding, the cook would exercise his skill upon them, and would produce a dish which even an epicure would not disdain