Part 61 (1/2)
”From the mouth of a gun? Well, he deserves it.”
”But surely this is not the ruffian you folks have been talking about-- firing upon the boats, and--Ah, here he is!”
For the well-made cutter now came alongside, the slave crew who rowed it and the c.o.xswain being well-armed, and hooking on quite as a matter of course, the latter showing his white teeth, an example followed by the rest of the crew, while the occupant of the stern sheets rose feebly and painfully, gladly s.n.a.t.c.hing at the hands offered to him, by whose aid he climbed the side with difficulty and stood tottering on the deck.
”The captain?” he said to Mr Anderson. ”No; I saw you ash.o.r.e, sir.
Thanks,” he added, taking the arm the chief officer extended to him. ”I am greatly obliged, sir, for I am very weak.”
”Yes,” said the doctor, stepping forward. ”A deck-chair, there. That's right, Mr Murray; a little more under the awning. Sit down, sir. Mr Roberts, a gla.s.s of water, if you please.”
”You are very good, gentlemen,” said the visitor, recovering a little, for he was evidently on the point of fainting. ”I am better now. Can I speak to the captain?”
”Yes, sir,” said that gentleman, coming forward frowning, and rather taken aback by the aspect of one he looked upon as a surrendered prisoner. ”Now, sir, what have you to say?”
”Only that I wish to express my grief, captain, that the untoward business of the past twenty-four hours or so should have occurred.”
”Very pretty, sir,” said the captain sternly. ”You set me at defiance, fire upon his Majesty's forces, and then presume to come aboard my s.h.i.+p having the insolence to suppose that all you have to do is to offer an apology.”
”No, sir,” said the visitor sadly. ”This has all been none of my doing.
I think your officers will bear me out when I tell you that it was far from my wish that any resistance should be made to one of the King of England's s.h.i.+ps.”
”Indeed! To one of your king's s.h.i.+ps?”
”Yes; I own myself to be one of his Majesty's most unworthy subjects.”
”Indeed!” said the captain sharply. ”Why, Mr Anderson, I understood you to say that this man claimed to be a subject of the United States Government.”
”No--no!” interrupted the planter. ”I can bear this no longer; the end has come. All this trouble, sir, has arisen from my weakness in allowing myself to be subjected to the oppression and led away by the villainy of the man whom I at first engaged to manage my plantation.”
”Look here, my good fellow,” cried the captain sternly, ”I do not want to know anything about your overseer, but I take it that you are a slaver. Answer me that--yes or no.”
”Unwillingly, sir, yes.”
”And you confess to having fired upon his Majesty's forces?”
”No, sir; no.”
”What, sir!” cried the captain. ”Do you deny that your servants--your slaves--have done this thing?”
”Sir,” cried the planter bitterly, ”for long enough my chief servant has made himself my master. I, the slave, have fought hard against what has been carried out in my name.”
”Indeed?” said the captain sharply. ”But _qui facit per alium jacit per se_. Eh, Mr Murray? You can render that for this gentleman if he requires an interpreter.”
”I need no rendering of the old Latin proverb, sir,” said the planter sadly, ”and I know that I am answerable. I am a sick man, sick to death, sir, of the horrible life I have been forced to lead for the past two years, and I come to you ready to render you every a.s.sistance I can give in clearing away this plague spot.”
”Indeed,” said the captain, after exchanging looks with Mr Anderson, ”but this plague spot is, I understand, a very prosperous one, and you seem to lead rather a lordly life with your state barge and retinue of slaves.”
”I beg that you will not mock me, sir,” said the planter. ”I am indeed sincere in what I say, and I offer to do everything possible to enable you and your men to root out this nest of slavery.”
”Exactly,” said the captain; ”now that I have found it out and do not want your help. Yours is rather a late repentance. Upon what terms do you propose this?”