The Three Lieutenants Part 36

"The centre one of those three vessels in the north-east, sir," answered Needham promptly. "No doubt about that; I know her by the whiteness of her canvas. She must have had a pretty tidy breeze to get out so far while we lay becalmed."

"You are right," said Jack. "That is the one I take to be the _Venus_."

"So do I," observed Bevan. "Hurrah! here comes a breeze. We shall soon have the pleasure of making her better acquaintance, I hope!"

The boats were hoisted up, and every st.i.tch of sail the brig could carry was packed on her. The breeze freshened, and away she flew over the blue ocean, leaving the white walls of the Moro far astern.

The question was whether the slaver would run for the Gulf of Florida, or attempt to make her way through the Bahama Channel.

"We must try, at all events, to get hold of her before nightfall,"

observed Jack, "or she will be playing us another trick, and give us the go-bye in the dark."

"We'll try and do that same, sir," said Needham; "if the wind holds with us as it does now, it won't be a difficult job. She doesn't seem to have much of it out there, and we are getting up fast with her."

The _Supplejack_, indeed, was gaining rapidly on the schooner, but the treacherous wind soon gave indications of not being inclined to favour the British brig. Dark clouds gathering in the sky came sweeping rapidly over it.

"All hands, shorten sail," shouted Jack, with startling energy; "be smart about it, lads."

Every one saw that not a moment was to be lost. Royals and topgallant-sails were handed, two reefs taken in the topsails, the courses were clewed up, not an instant too soon, either--for over heeled the brig till the sills of her lee ports dipped into the water. One of those tornados, so frequent in the West Indies, had struck her, though on coming up to the wind she faced it bravely. Down came the rain, a real tropical torrent, the drops as they fell being of the size of marbles, leaping up again with a loud rattle, like that of hail, and literally deluging the deck.

In vain the sharpest eyes of those on the lookout endeavoured to pierce the watery veil. The rain completely hid the slaver and all the surrounding vessels. It was feared that she, taking advantage of the chance offered her, would do her best to escape. The question was, in what direction would she fly? She would have a clear pa.s.sage through the Gulf of Florida, but then she well knew that she would be followed by the nimble _Supplejack_. Rogers, therefore, came to the conclusion that she would steer for the Bahama Channel, where, if she could not escape herself, she might hope to lead her pursuer to destruction.

Needham was firmly of opinion that she would take that direction. Night was coming on, and she would have a long start, but Jack determined to chance it, and persevere.

"With the chart to help us, a bright look out, and the lead going, we may disappoint her ladyship," he observed, laughing.

"It's an ugly place, I'll allow, sir," said Needham; "but we must not be afraid of ugly places, or we shall not do much in catching these slaving gentry. It can't be much worse than we have seen in the China Seas, and off the coast of Africa."

The tornado having pa.s.sed over, the brig's head was again put to the south-west, and a bright lookout being of course kept, all hoped to fall in once more with the _Venus_. The night was an anxious one; the watch below turned in ready to spring on deck at a moment's notice.

Neither Jack, Bevan, nor Needham lay down, the former constantly sweeping the horizon with their night-gla.s.ses, in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the schooner. As the first streaks of dawn tinged the eastern sky, all hands were roused up to make sail, and just as the orb of day, like a mountain of fire appeared above the horizon, the sails of the schooner were discerned on the port bow, standing, as was conjectured, for one of the numerous intricate pa.s.sages among the dangerous Bahama shoals. Every st.i.tch of canvas the brig could carry was immediately packed on her.

"Keep her away a couple of points," cried Rogers; "that will do. We must get hold of Madam Venus before the day is many hours older.

Fortunately there is still a good s.p.a.ce of clear water before she can get in among the shoals, and once up with the lady, it won't be long before she is ours."

The wind held steady, and the _Supplejack_, as Tom declared, skipped along more nimbly than she had ever yet moved. Long Tom was got ready for action, although the schooner was not likely to show much fight; still he might be useful in bringing down her spars, and so prevent her from getting in among the shoals before she could be captured.

Though a fresh breeze was blowing, the sea was tolerably smooth, but on the north and eastward a line of white breakers, and here and there an interval of blue water which marked the channels between them could be seen. Farther to the eastward were two suspicious-looking schooners, evidently bent on making their way through one or other of the before-named channels.

"We must have the big one first, and then get hold of the other two,"

said Jack to Bevan, who stood by his side.

The lead was kept going, and showed that the water was rapidly shoaling.

"Try her with Long Tom, Needham," cried out Jack; "he may chance to reach her."

"It's as much as Long Tom will do, sir, but we'll see," answered Needham, bringing the gun to bear on the chase.

Away sped the shot, but, though well aimed, it fell short of its mark.

"We must have her at all cost," cried Jack eagerly, "or in less than five minutes she will be among the breakers; and we shall be on sh.o.r.e.

Give Long Tom a larger charge of powder, and see what that will do."

Needham did as he was ordered, though it occurred to him that the dose he rammed down might chance to be too much for Long Tom's strength; if so it would have the effect of blowing him and not a few of his shipmates out of the world; still, as he had faith in the gun's power of endurance, he risked it without remark, and taking good aim once more fired. Never had he made a better shot. The missile swept the deck of the schooner, carrying off the heads of three of her crew, and killing and wounding others--though this was unknown at the time. The instant effect was to make her skipper haul down his colours and put the schooner about with her head off the bank, and in a short time she was hove-to near the brig-of-war, which had also gone about. Jack, jumping into a boat, which was instantly lowered with a well-armed crew, pulled on board.

The Spanish captain, whom he recognised as Don Lopez, a polished-looking gentleman he had met soon after his arrival at Havannah, at the house of Don Matteo, made a polite bow, and asked with an injured air why the English man-of-war had chased and fired at him.

"I shall be able to give you an answer by and by, my friend," answered Jack. "In the meantime, Don Lopez, I am anxious to get hold of those two schooners before they make their way through the channels to the north-east; and as I do not wish to run the risk of casting away my brig, I must trouble you to stand where you are and take me up alongside them."

As Jack spoke he presented a double-barrelled pistol at the Don's head, as a sign that he was not to trifled with.

"You will not shoot me, surely!" exclaimed the Don.

"Not if you obey me," answered Jack; "but you will understand that I am in earnest. Now, order the helmsman to keep the vessel away; your men will do what you tell them, I am very certain."

The Don saw that there was no help for it, and directed his motley and somewhat ruffian-like crew to do as Jack told them.

"We will have the nearest first; and understand, if she escapes us, I intend to blow out your brains. I shall regret it, but necessity has no law."

The breeze was freshening. Away dashed the _Venus_, sending the water bubbling up around her bows, while the brig stood rather more to the southward, keeping in deeper water to be ready to cut off either of the schooners which might attempt to escape in that direction. At first they probably fancied that the _Venus_ had by some lucky chance got away from the brig-of-war; but they were very soon mistaken, when the British ensign which Tom, who had accompanied Jack, found on board flew out at her peak.

Jack ordered a gun to be run through the bow port, and one well directed shot from it made the first schooner haul down her colours. The second, on seeing what had happened, having no stomach for a fight, followed her example, and in half an hour Jack had his three prizes standing out from the dangerous vicinity of the shoals. He then ordered them all to heave to, that he might examine them at leisure.

Don Lopez showed some anxiety to go into his cabin.

"No, no, my friend," said Jack quietly, "you will allow me to accompany you. I am sorry to be so uncourteous, but I must have an examination of your papers."

He had ordered Bevan and Norris, who had gone on board the other vessels, not to allow anything to be thrown overboard or destroyed.

Don Lopez pulled his moustaches and accompanied his captor into the cabin, where he most unwillingly produced his writing-case. In it were found several doc.u.ments, one of them from no less a person than Don Matteo Laguna, directing him how to proceed on his arrival on the coast of Africa. There were several other papers very clearly implicating two or three persons of wealth in Havannah. It was pretty clearly shown how these gentlemen obtained the fortunes which enabled them to hold so distinguished a place among the rank and fashion of that far-famed city.

On board, also, was found a large a.s.sortment of swords, muskets, and slave-irons, while a slave-deck had been fitted up, ready to receive the expected cargo of human beings.

Jack took possession of the papers. "Ah, my friend, here is another,"

he observed, as Don Lopez was endeavouring to shuffle back a doc.u.ment which had at first been overlooked. Jack examined it.

"Ah! I see that fine large black brig, which lay in sh.o.r.e near us, was to join you shortly with the dollars, and provisions you would require.

What is her name? I should like to know all about her."

"The _Caterina_," answered Don Lopez. "She is to sail under American colours, and will have American papers; a regular charter-party, the ship's roll, and instructions from her reputed owners. Ten of her crew are American seamen, the other twenty-five, who are Spaniards, will be called pa.s.sengers. She has obtained all her papers from the American vice-consul, and I very much doubt that any of you men-of-war would have ventured to interfere with her, unless," and Don Lopez smiled, "it had been for the information I so freely give you. I hope you will take this into consideration in your further dealings with me."

"I shall see about that," answered Jack, despising the Don, who had been so ready to betray his a.s.sociates in the nefarious traffic. "At present you will please to accompany me on board my brig, as we are bound for Jamaica."

The Don, with a grimace, stepped into the brig-of-war's boat followed by his officers. Jack afterwards conveyed also the greater part of the crew to the brig, where they were less likely to play tricks than if left on board their own vessel; he sent also for the greater portion of the crews and all the officers of the other schooners.

The difficulty now, however, was how to man his prizes. He gave the command of the _Venus_ to Bevan, with Tom as his mate, and six hands.

Norris, and another midshipman, had charge of one of the other schooners, with five hands; and Jos Green, with Desmond to a.s.sist him, had charge of the third, with the same number of men.

He could ill spare so many hands, but he hoped by vigilance to keep the Spaniards in awe, and to navigate the _Supplejack_.