Part 20 (1/2)
When the sailors appeared to have loaded several ain quiet on deck, and no sound seeroans of so audible to those only ith them
For sohtnear the hatchway enabled hiuish sounds in the open air Several sailors hurriedly ran to and fro on the deck, and Hans could hear that nearly if not quite all the creere on deck
Suddenly the captain of the slaver called out in a loud voice, as though he were hailing some one at a distance, and Hans distinctly heard frolish call out, ”What shi+p is that?”
There was some hesitation on the part of the captain of the slaver, for no ansas at first returned; but when a second demand, ”What shi+p is that?” was uttered, one of the creho had before spoken to Hans in English, answered, ”Portugee shi+p, Pedro: what you want?”
”I must come on board,” was the reply from the sea; for Hans could not tell in what sort of vessel the inquirer was, though he hoped a rescue was at hand He strained every muscle to try and free his arms from the irons that held him, but without effect; for he feared that perhaps the inquirer, whoever it ht not venture beyond inquiries, and thus would avoid seeing all that he must see should he come on board
The inquirer, however, was not satisfied, as his remark indicated, and the sound of oars was audible arating of a boat on the vessel's side was heard; then the fall of a heavy substance, the crashi+ng of planks, and a heavy splash in the water, followed by the shouts ofin the sea, were able to call for aid, and thus announced their distress A loud cheer given by English lungs responded to their calls, and three other boats, which had before kept back in the darkness, now dashed at the slaver
The captain of the slaver was a desperate man, and his all was risked in the vessel he now co either suspected that the shi+p which had chased hi heard an incautious speaker or the iements for defence Supported from the mainyard arm, he had suspended three or four solid iron bars, each of which exceeded a hundred pounds in weight A man with a sharp knife was placed close to this, with orders to cut the rope by which the iron was held immediately a boat came beneath him The ained great velocity by the distance it had fallen, stove in the boat, killing two men in its descent Four boats had been sent from the shi+p in order to capture the slaver, and the three that ree their first check The crew of the disabled boat were struggling in the water as their comrades came near, and, as is too often the case, the sailors could not swi drowned The boats, therefore, were checked in their advance, in consequence of stopping to take up their comrades
Whilst thus delayed, their position could be distinctly seen from the slaver, because of the phosphorescence of the water, which gave a line of brilliant light following the boat like a comet's tail in the skies
The captain of the slaver saw his opportunity, and directing hisboth barrels of his fowling-piece at the leading boat; and then waiting a short time, followed this by a shot from each of the double barrels of his pistol
Histhat their lives would be sacrificed if they were captured, and believing in their present superiority of numbers, fired with a deadly aim at the boats, and immediately afterwards dropped behind the bulwarks, where they were coe delivered frolish sailors did not, however, retreat, though fully half their nu aided their coet into the boats, they pulled on to the slaver, and were preparing to board her, when the slaver crew, having reloaded, poured another shower of bullets on to their assailants with almost as fatal an effect as before To attempt a further assault would have beenaway of life, and this the co, he ordered an ieneral discharge of fire-arms from the crew of the slaver
Hans' heart beat rapidly as this turoans and savage yells The hold of the vessel seemed more like a den of infuriated beasts than a prison filled with hus
The slaves all see their vessel were their friends, and that they had been defeated; and their groans and yells were therefore redoubled when the boats pulled away from them The noise they st them hips and canes, which they used freely in all directions, thus quelling in a measure the disturbance
After the din and tumult of the combat the silence on the deck of the slaver was a most painful contrast to Hans, who believed it improbable that another atte day, because the distance of the shi+p to which the boats belonged was so great that they could not reach her and bring a stronger force before daybreak, at which time there was usually a fresh breeze on the coast; so that Hans feared his fate as a slave was decided
Before daybreak Hans could feel by theup, and this he noas just the style of wind that would best enable the slaver to creep away from the heavy shi+p in pursuit of her He therefore obeyed unwillingly the order of one of the creho came down below to drive him and half a dozen other slaves on the deck to aid the sailors in pulling on the braces, etc The night was rather foggy, and but few stars were visible; but Hans noticed that the clouds seeh the wind up high blew stronger than down below From this fact he hoped that an increase would take place in the wind soon after sunrise, when therethe slaver
Hans reht appeared, but as the sea-line was not visible on account of the fog, he could not obtain a view of the vessel that was pursuing the slaver As the light very rapidly increased, Hans looked eagerly astern in hopes of seeing the shi+p there He was not aware that the vessel's course had been altered, and that it was no longer astern that he must look for the shi+p He noticed that the sailors were all anxiously looking out in a different direction, over the slaver's quarter in fact, and there all was foggy
Soon, however, the fog rose, and there, to the surprise of the slaver's creas the strange shi+p, distant scarcely more than two miles To Hans it seemed little short of a miracle how she had reached such a position; but the fact was that the breeze which had enabled the slaver to ht it up with her, and she had thus seen thehad hidden her from view
All sail was already spread on the slaver, and nothing ht as she was, and built entirely for running before the wind, she was able to maintain her distance from the shi+p, and for several hours the two did not alter their position To the captain of the shi+p this must have been a sad trial of patience He knew that if he could once coun-shot of the slaver, he could capture or sink her in a few un-shot, andher distance Steam-vessels in those days were not common off the coast of Africa, and slavers or pirates had to be captured by sailing vessels alone
Hans feared that the second chance of release would be lost, and he began to speculate upon what could be done to enable the vessel following theht be possible to cut some of the many ropes which held the sails, and thus cause theuns of the English shi+p; but the knife anting to accoht over every plan, he could see nothing quite practical, or that could be effected without enormous risk
As the day advanced it was evident that the slaver had the best of the race, the light breeze favouring her, and by sunset the English --for such she was--had dropped back to nearly five miles' distance
When darkness had completely set in the captain of the slaver altered his course, and ran in towards the shore He had for two days sailed in the opposite direction to that in which he wished to go, the English brig having stood in his way He noished to let her pass, and thus renew his original intention of running over to the coast of South A steered for about an hour in the direction of the coast, the captain ordered the vessel's head to be kept south-west; and thus he expected to run past the English brig, and avoid her in the darkness It seeuish the vessel even at the distance of half ashortly after sunset Whether it was, however, that they possessed adht was visible on board the slaver, the change of course of the latter had been seen; and scarcely had she altered her course, and had begun to beat up wind in a south-westerly direction, than the crew of the slaver found the towards them All was immediately hurry and confusion on board the slaver Her course was altered, and additional sails were ordered to be placed on her, which, now that she was again put before the wind, she could carry The English brig, however, was deter her course to suit that of the slaver, she also prepared to carry additional sails, but at the sa to stop her quick-sailing enemy The flash of a cannon, followed by the whistle of a shot over the shi+p, which was accompanied by the report, showed that she was in earnest In rapid succession shot after shot flew over the brig and between her masts, yet none struck a un to draw ahead, when a shot fro struck the main-mast of the slaver, and so nearly cut it in two that it could not bear the pressure of the sails upon it, and the next instant it snapped like a reed, and a mass of canvas and rope fell partly on the deck, and was partly supported by the mainyard, and immediately checked the speed of the vessel
The captain shouted his directions to the men to clear the deck, whilst he swore at his luck; for he no that capture was al, but he had noa vessel ar that capture was almost a certainty, he called to the mate next in command, rushed to the side of the vessel, and lowered a boat which hung there; then rushi+ng to the cabin, he brought up a heavy bag, apparently containing gold, and before any of his creere aware of his intention he had left the vessel with the mate alone, and thus hoped to escape to the coast, which was not more than fifty miles distant
The lucky shot which had struck the slaver's side, and several shots having been fired into the rigging, the slaver beca a wreck on the water The brig, having come close to her, hailed to know if she had surrendered; but as no one except Hans seemed to understand as said, no ansas at first returned; so Hans shouted in reply, ”The captain has left the shi+p in a boat Co treachery, the co would not despatch a small force to take the slaver, but sent two boats of ar on deck ordered the slaver's crew to thron their arns as by words, was at once obeyed, and the creere rapidly sent into the two boats, and transferred to the brig Hans was at first taken for one of the crew, but the irons on his legs indicated that he was a slave, and his explanation of himself was considered so satisfactory by the officer sent to take charge of the slaver, that Hans was sent on board the brig to the captain to give all the information he could relative to the slaver
Hans' account of the manner in which he had been captured, and also the ed the captain of the brig, as already irritated at the loss of some of the best men of his crew He therefore determined to run up the coast, and, if possible, discover the head-quarters of these slave-catchers, and destroy it Hans was quite delighted at this proposition, for all that he had suffered was still fresh in his memory, and he considered that if this slave establishht be captured when on their next hunting expedition; so that he was most anxious that it should be destroyed
The captain of the brig at once made his plans, which were that the slaver only should run up the coast after she had got rid of her slaves and the crew Thus the slave-catchers would iht not be alar showed herself The only objection to this plan seemed to be the delay which must occur before the slaver could return, for it would be necessary for her to go at least to Siet rid of her slaves This plan, however, the captain of the brig decided on, and therefore, placing a portion of his creith an officer in charge of the slaver, he sent the prisoners on board her, and secured theular sailors, and gave directions to the officer in charge to make sail for Simon's Bay, and return as soon as possible