The Three Midshipmen Part 30

"Quacko--Quacko--Quacko," cried Queerface, and scud up the rigging out of harm's way.

The Spaniards could not make it out. The delay, however, was an advantage to the English, as it enabled them to cast their eyes around and see the state of affairs. The greater number of their enemies were forward, so Jack and most of his party sprang on in that direction, hoping to dispose of them first. The fellows stood their ground, firing their pistols and flourishing their swords, and two of the English were shot, and Jack got an ugly cut across his shoulder. Still he pressed on, and compelled at length the Spaniards to take refuge in their cabin under the topgallant forecastle. Meantime Terence was keeping the slaver's captain and officers in check, but he had lost a man, who was struck to the deck, and Needham too was wounded. Matters were going very hard with Jack and his followers. Still ten British seamen might well have hoped to conquer the whole of a slaver's crew. The fight had now become desperate. The Spanish captain had probably all his fortune embarked in the venture, Jack and his party had to struggle for life and liberty. Again and again they made desperate rushes at the afterpart of the vessel, and at length they pushed the Spaniards so hard that they almost drove them overboard, when two sails were seen emerging from out of the fog and gliding up alongside. In another instant, not Queerface, but the veritable Don Diogo himself was seen to spring on board, followed by a dozen or more villainous-looking ruffians.

"What's all this? what's all this?" his harsh croaking voice was heard shouting in Spanish. "Down with the English pirates, down with them!"

Hearing the cry, the Spaniards, who had taken refuge forward, rushed out again, and though Jack called to Terence to fight to the last, and that they would sell their lives dearly, they found themselves literally borne down by numbers, and their cutla.s.ses whirled out of their hands.

"We have done our best, Paddy, we can do no more," exclaimed Jack, as he and Terence found themselves standing side by side, with their hands secured and lashed to the mainmast. Needham and the rest of the people who were able to move were treated in the same way.

"Why, my friend, you were very nearly captured by these picaroons," they heard Don Diogo remark to the other Spanish captain. "But where is a lantern?--let me see whom we have caught."

The lantern was brought, and the Don came round and held it up to their faces.

"Ha! ha!" he exclaimed, with a most sardonic grin. "Your obedient humble servant, gentlemen. I told you we should meet again, and we have met. What do you expect after all the tricks you have played me?"

Neither Jack nor Terence deigned a reply.

"Ah, speak, pirates," he exclaimed, stamping furiously on the deck; "the yard-arm, a sharp knife, or a walk on the plank? Whichever you like. I grant you your choice."

Still neither of the midshipmen would reply. What was the use of so doing?

"We must kill every one of them," exclaimed the Don, speaking in Spanish, turning to the other captain. "I have a long account to settle with these English generally, and these lads especially. They have been the cause of nearly all my losses. They cannot repay me, but I can take my revenge, and that is something."

"Certainly, certainly, my friend," answered the other: "you can hang, or drown, or shoot them, as you think fit. It is a matter of perfect indifference to me."

These were the last words poor Jack heard as the two worthies entered the cabin.

"We are in a bad case, Jack, I am afraid," said Adair, "though I could not exactly make out what the fellows said."

"It was not pleasant," answered Jack, briefly. "Terence, have you ever thought of dying?"

"Yes, I have; that is to say, I have known that I was running many a chance of being knocked on the head or finished in some way or other,"

answered Adair, with some little hesitation.

"Then, Terence, my dear fellow, let us look at it as an awful reality, which is about speedily to overtake us," said Jack solemnly. "These fellows threaten to at once take our lives; depend on it, they will put their threats into execution."

"It is hard to bear, Jack dear," replied Adair; "I am so sorry for you and for all your brothers and sisters at home. I don't think mine care much for me; that's one comfort. But I say, I wish that the blackguards would let us have our arms free, that we might still have a fight for our lives."

"Don't speak thus, Terence," said Jack, who was almost overcome by Adair's allusion to his family. "Don't let us think of the past, but keep our thoughts fixed on the future world we are about to enter, and think how very unfit we are of ourselves for the glorious place we would wish to go to."

Terence listened, and responded in the same tone to his messmate. Much more they said to the same effect, nor did they forget to offer up their prayers for preservation from the terrible danger which threatened them.

Then, with the calmness of Christians and brave men, they awaited the doom they believed prepared for them. Such consolation as they could give also they offered to the survivors of their crew. Two poor fellows had been killed outright; another was bleeding to death on the deck, nor would the brutal Spaniards offer him the slightest a.s.sistance, while they prevented his shipmates from giving it him. Jack himself was suffering also much pain from his wound, while he felt so faint from loss of blood that he could scarcely support himself. He had told Needham that the Spaniards threatened to kill them all.

"Well, sir, they may do it if they dare, but they will be sure to be caught some day or other," answered Needham. "I wouldn't change places with them. We shall die having done our duty; they will be hung up like dogs. If I knew their lingo I would tell them so."

The English were not long left in quiet. So many of the Spaniards had been wounded that some time was spent by them in bandaging up their hurts, and as soon as this was done they came on deck eager to wreak their vengeance on their captive foes. They now came about them with their long knives, flourishing them before their eyes, and pretending to stab at them. Some indeed, more brutal than the rest, actually stuck their knives into their flesh, but though blood was drawn, the seamen generally disdained even to utter a word, though one or two said, "I'll tell you what, you villains, if I can get my fists at liberty, I'll give it you." At length Don Diogo and the captain of the schooner came out from the cabin. They had apparently made up their minds what to do.

The latter gave orders to reeve ropes to each yard-arm, while planks were got up and placed over the sides, secured on board by lanyards. On these being cut, of course the end of the plank overboard would instantly sink down and let the person standing on it into the water.

Don Diogo had, it seemed, taken upon himself the direction of the executions. Jack and Adair had supposed that the Spaniards would wait till the morning to kill them, but the little Don evidently had no wish to delay his vengeance.

"Cast the prisoners loose, and bring them aft," he cried out. "Now, you scoundrel heretics, what have you got to say for yourselves? Nothing?

I thought so. Well, I will be merciful. You shall choose the mode of your death. What shall it be--will you be hung or walk the plank?

There are plenty of sharks alongside who will be happy to entomb you either way."

No one replied to this address.

"Speak, you heretics," he cried, stamping with rage.

The two midshipmen cast their eyes about them to a.s.sure themselves that what was taking place was a reality; the whole scene appeared so like some horrid dream that they could scarcely believe it true. As they looked up they discovered that a strong breeze had sprung up, and that the vessel was moving rapidly through the water. The deck was crowded with seamen, many of whom held lanterns, so that the whole ship was lighted.

"It is time to begin," cried the Don. "Come, as you will not choose for yourselves, I must choose for you. Here, seize that lad and run him up to the mainyard-arm."

He pointed at Adair. Several of the ruffian crew rushed forward and seized poor Terence, and dragged him up to the rope which hung from the yard-arm. They were about to take hold of it to adjust it round Adair's neck, when down by it came gliding an apparition which, in the uncertain light cast by the lanterns aloft, looked so like old Don Diogo himself, that the superst.i.tious Spaniards, believing that it was his wraith or ghost, let go the rope and sprang back to the other side of the vessel.

The old Don was not less astonished than the rest, but not exactly recognising himself, it occurred to him that some spirit of evil had come on board to watch his proceedings. Queerface, meantime, for the apparition was no other than him, seeing the confusion he had created, shinned up the rope again, and on reaching the yard-arm, finding it slack, hauled it up after him, and there he sat chattering away and wondering what the strangers were going to do to his master. The wicked old Don, though astonished at first, was not altogether overcome, and soon recovering himself, began to get an idea of the true state of the case. Once more he ordered the crew to go on with their cruel work, but no one would venture aloft to overhaul the whip, and Queerface showed no disposition to help them. The Don began to swear and stamp with rage, calling them all by certain uncomplimentary epithets, in which the Spanish language is so rich. The crew swore and abused him in return.

In the midst of the confusion a voice hailed them through a speaking-trumpet.

"What schooner is that? Heave-to, or I will fire into you."

"We are in the hands of a set of b.l.o.o.d.y pirates. I'm Jack Rogers," sang out Jack, at the top of his voice. Never had he sung out louder.

"Take that for speaking," exclaimed the little Don, levelling a pistol at his head. He pulled the trigger. It missed fire, and before he could again c.o.c.k the lock, Needham, who had been working his hands free, sprang aft, and with a blow of his fist levelled him with the deck. It was the signal for the Spaniards to set upon them, and they would all have been cut down, but the next instant a loud crash was heard, and the dark hull of a man-of-war brig, with her taunt masts and wide spread of canvas, was seen ranging up alongside. The next instant twenty or more stout English seamen, led by Alick Murray, came pouring down on the slaver's deck. The brig which had thus providentially fallen in with them was the _Archer_. She was on her pa.s.sage to the northward with despatches for Captain Lascelles, recalling him and his frigate homewards. The news was received by all hands with unmitigated joy.

The tables on board the schooner were quickly turned. The Spaniards were all handcuffed, and a strict guard set over them. The midshipmen and their followers went on board the brig, where they were cordially welcomed, and their wounds looked to. The felucca escaped, but as she was never again heard of, it was supposed that she was lost in a fierce gale which occurred two days afterwards. The schooner was found to be full of slaves, and proved a rich prize. Don Diogo escaped hanging, but was reduced to abject beggary, for he had not even the means of leaving Sierra Leone, and very soon afterwards was found dead on the beach.

This was the last adventure either of the three midshipmen met with on the coast of Africa. They were all three pretty well tired of it, and delighted indeed were they when they once more found themselves in sight of Old England. The frigate and brig were paid off about the same time, and Alick and Terence accompanied Jack to that often-talked-of and well-loved home of his in Northamptonshire. It must not be forgotten that they had in their train the most sensible of travelled apes.

Master Queerface, who, by his amusing antics and performances, and extraordinary monkeyish sagacity, gained the admiration of the whole surrounding neighbourhood. There they remained for some weeks, when, after Alick and Terence had paid a short visit to their own friends, they were all once more summoned afloat.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

BOUND FOR CHINA.

Her Majesty's frigate _Dugong_ was fitting with all despatch for sea at Portsmouth; so was her Majesty's brig-of-war _Blenny_, just commissioned by Commander Hemming, well-known, as the papers stated, for his gallantry on the coast of Africa, and on every occasion when he had an opportunity of displaying it. The papers spoke truly, and well had our old friend won his present rank. Both the frigate and the brig were destined, it was supposed, for the China seas; but this was not known to a certainty. The _Dugong_ had been commissioned by Captain Grant, Alick Murray's old commander in the _Archer_, who had some short time before received his post rank. Captain Lascelles, with whom the three midshipmen first went to sea, commanded at this time a line-of-battle ship on the Indian station.

Who has not heard of the _Blue Posts_ at Portsmouth, to be found not far from the landing-place known as the Point, now sadly encroached on by new batteries and a broad wooden pier?

One afternoon, at the time of which I am speaking, a cab stopped at the door of that well-known inn, with a portmanteau outside, and a c.o.c.ked-hat case, a sword, a gun-case, and several other articles, including a young naval officer inside. He nodded smilingly to the waiter and boots, who came to get out his things, as to old acquaintances, and then, having paid the cabman, entered the inn. No sooner had he put his head into the coffee-room, than another young officer, in the uniform of a mate or pa.s.sed midshipman, jumped up, and, seizing him by the hand, exclaimed--

"I am delighted to see you, my dear Jack. You've come to join the _Dugong_, I hope."

"If you belong to her, Adair, I wish I was," answered Jack Rogers, for he was the new-comer. "But I am not. The fact is, Hemming has got command of the _Blenny_, and I applied and got appointed to her. It can't be helped now. Any news of Murray? He wrote me word, some little time ago, that he expected to get appointed to a ship. I wish that I could have had him with me; but we three have been on the same station, and mostly together all our lives, and we can scarcely expect the same good fortune to continue."

"We tried to keep together, and we succeeded," answered Adair. "There's nothing like trying, in my opinion."

"You are right there, old fellow; there isn't a doubt of it," exclaimed Jack Rogers, who had been a little out of spirits, and inclined to take a somewhat gloomy view of affairs in general.

No wonder, for he had just left as happy a home as any to be found in Old England. It was a cold March day too, and he was chilled with his journey. He took off his great coat, which, with his other things, Boots carried to his room, and then the two old messmates sat down before the fire. They had been talking on for some time while their dinner was getting ready, when Adair observed a young man sitting at a table a little way off, narrowly observing them. Terence looked at him in return.

"Do you know, Jack, I do verily believe that there sits no other than Bully Pigeon," he whispered. "What can he be doing down here?"