Part 7

A sailor, who was followed by the ship's surgeon, brought down on his back, the poor fellow who had been wounded, and laid him on the table. I must here remark that the captain's cabin in small vessels is sometimes used as a cockpit, as it now was.

"Your pardon, captain and gentlemen," said the surgeon, "but I must, I fear, perform an ugly operation on this poor lad, and I think it better that you should go on deck."

I had now an opportunity of seeing what kind of mettle my friends were made of.

"Doctor," said Bangs, pulling off his coat, "I can be of use, I know very well--no skill, but firm nerves."

"And I," cried Wagtail, "can tie a bandage, although I am not a surgeon."

Gelid said nothing, but when it came to the pinch was the most useful of all. The wounded lad Wiggins, a fine young man, was weak and very pale, but bold as a lion. A cannon shot had shivered the bone of his leg just above the knee. Round his thigh was a tourniquet, and in consequence he did not bleed much.

"Captain," said the poor boy, "I shall get over this. I have no great pain, sir; I have not indeed."

All this time the surgeon was cutting his pantaloons from his leg, and now a shocking sight presented itself to our view. The foot and leg were blue and shrivelled, and connected with the thigh by only a small ligament; the knee pan too was shattered. The doctor made the young man swallow a glass of brandy, containing a strong dose of opium, and then began to amputate the limb above the knee. As long as the knife was used, Aaron remained firm, but when the saw grated against the bone, he murmured with a shudder:

"I'm going on deck captain: I can't stand this--I'm sick as a dog."

He was so weak that I released him and took his place, holding Wiggins in my arms. Wagtail, too, was soon obliged to beat a retreat, but Gelid remained firm as a rock. The leg was amputated, the arteries tied, and the surgeon busy in loosening the tourniquet, when suddenly the thread which bound the principal artery, gave way, and a stream of blood gushed forth, as if driven by an engine. The poor fellow had hardly time to cry "Take away that cold hand from my heart!" when his eyes grew dim, his lower jaw fell, and in a minute it was all over with him.

"Dead as Julius Cæsar, captain," said Gelid coolly.

Dead enough, thought I, and left the cabin to go on deck. At the foot of the companion-ladder, I stumbled over something.

"What the deuce is this?" growled I.

"It's me, sir."

"Me--and who's me?"

"Reefpoint, sir."

"Gracious God! what are you doing here youngster? You're not wounded, I hope."

"A little, sir; a scratch from a splinter, sir. The same shot that tripped up poor Wiggins, sent a splinter after me."

"Why don't you go to the doctor, Reefpoint?"

"I was waiting until he had finished with Wiggins, sir, but as it is all over with him now, I'll go and have my wound dressed."

His voice grew weaker and weaker, until I could hardly understand what he said. I took him in my arms, carried him into the cabin, and undressed him. I found that he was wounded in the right side just above the hip. Bangs, who in the meanwhile had got over his weakness by the aid of a glass of water, lent his aid, and the natural goodness of his heart now made itself apparent.

"What, Reefpoint! little reefer," he cried; "you are surely not wounded, my dear friend--such a little fellow; why I should as soon have thought they would have shot at a fly."

"Indeed, I am wounded, Master Bangs; look there."

Bangs examined the wound, holding the poor little midshipman in his arms.

"God bless me!" he cried, with an outbreak of the most heartfelt grief; "you seem more fit to be in your mother's nursery, than to be knocked about in this way."

Reefpoint sank fainting into his arms.

"With the captain's permission you must have my bed," said Aaron to him, whilst he and Wagtail undressed the boy with the greatest care and tenderness, and laid him in the hammock.

"Thank you, sir," sobbed little Reefpoint, "if my mother were here, she would thank you too."

III.

My duty called me on deck, and I heard no more. The night was very dark, and I could see nothing of the stranger, but I steered as near as I could in the direction I believed him to have taken, hoping to catch a glimpse of him at daybreak. After a little while Bangs came on deck.

"Well, captain, now that the little reefer is asleep, what do you think of this business? A pretty large vessel, eh? We nearly had a brush with her. I'm not particularly sorry, though, she has taken herself off, especially as the wind has gone down."

"Ah, but my dear sir," replied I, "I don't think that we have done with her yet. I hope to have a brush with her at daybreak."

"Now, captain, you're jesting; you don't wish that really and truly, do you?"

"Really and truly, my dear fellow, and the only thing which troubles me, is that you and your friends will thereby be exposed to danger."

"Bah! don't bother yourself about that, but reflect before you engage with this slaver, how is it possible to gain any advantage over him? Remember that he has twice as many men as we have, and eighteen guns to our three."

"Time will show," replied I, smiling; "but I must and will fight, if I can only get alongside of him. And now, my dear friend, as the surgeon has left the cabin, I advise you to go down to your hammock--good night. I fear that I must remain on deck."

"Good night, captain. Heaven guard you. I will go down and comfort my friends."

He went below, and I continued my walk on deck, stopping every moment to look through the nightglass, until my eyes ached. The long night was at last over, and the light of day found me leaning against the mast, sleeping soundly. The noise made by the sailors, in holy-stoning the deck, woke me, and I discovered our friend of the previous night, under full sail, about four miles to leeward of us, and evidently striving to reach the coast of Cuba. During the night, however, we had sailed faster than he had expected, and as we were now between him and the island, his purpose was frustrated. When he saw that he was thus cut off from the land, he hoisted his lower sails, fired a gun, and run up the Spanish flag, as if he had been a vessel of war. It was now bright day, and Wagtail, Bangs, and Gelid, were all three on deck, washing themselves. I, myself, was standing forward by the long gun, when Pegtop, Bangs' black servant, came to me, and said:

"Scuse me, massa captin; could ye gibe me some guns?"

"Some guns," replied I; "certainly, a half dozen of them, if you wish it."

"Jist de number massa told me to fotch him; tank'e, massa captin."

Pegtop was very fond of this word, "massa," and could never get accustomed to any other title used by the whites.

"Listen, friend," said I to Pegtop, "now that you have got the guns; is your master really going to fight?"

The negro stood still, rolling his eyes, and expressing in his countenance the greatest astonishment.

"Massa Bangs fight! Golly, massa, you jestin? Massa Bangs fight? Why yer doesn't know him. Ye ought to see de way he fotches down de ducks and snipe, and a man isn't so hard to hit as dem."

"Granted," said I; "but a snipe has not a loaded gun in his claws, like a Spaniard, friend Pegtop."

"Makes no difference, massa," replied Pegtop, decidedly. "Saw massa Aaron, myself, fight robbers, and helped him to kill de debbils, too. Massa Aaron fight? Don't say nothin' more about dat."

"Very well," said I; "and is Master Gelid going to fight."

"B'lieve he will; fust rate friend of massa Bangs--good at shootin' ducks, too--guess he'll fight."

"Ah," said I, "your friends are all heroes, Pegtop. Will Master Wagtail also fight?"

Pegtop came closer to me, and said in a low, mysterious voice:

"Aint so sartin about him, massa; nice little fat man, but tinks too much of his belly. Not 'zactly sartin if he'll fight or not."

With these words, Pegtop and the two other blacks, Chin-Chin and Zampa, Wagtail's and Gelid's servants, took a couple of guns apiece, and providing themselves with the necessary ammunition, went aft, and began carefully cleaning and oiling the weapons. I had expected that the wind would blow fresher at daybreak, but I was mistaken. Well, thought I, we might as well sit down to breakfast, which we accordingly did.

The wind soon died away entirely, and I ordered out the sweeps, but I soon found that we had no chance of overtaking the slaver in that way, and it was just as much out of the question to attack him with our boats. Besides, as we did not know at what moment we might ourselves be attacked, I was unwilling to fatigue my men by compelling them to row under a burning sun, whilst the enemy could man his oars with lusty slaves, and not use a single man of his crew. Accordingly, I ordered the men to desist, and remained all day on deck, watching the brig, which was gradually leaving us. At noon I ordered the boatswain to pipe to dinner. When the men had finished their meal, they came on deck again, and as the calm still continued, and there was no prospect of a wind springing up, we sat down to dinner in the cabin. Very little was spoken by any of us. My friends were brave men, but still they could not help feeling glad that they had escaped an engagement, which would bring them danger without profit. As for myself, my feelings were of a mixed nature, for though I was determined to use every endeavor to bring the enemy to an engagement, yet I confess that my heart would not have been broken had he escaped us. But this was not to be, for we had hardly ordered our meal, when the rush of the water past the vessel caught my ear, and I knew in a moment that we were once more in motion. At this moment Tailtackle appeared at the cabin door, and announced that the wind had sprung up again, and that the strange vessel was bearing down upon us. I immediately rushed on deck, and sure enough, there was the slaver, some two miles from us, his deck crowded with men, and evidently prepared for action. As soon as I saw the state of affairs, I busied myself in putting every thing in order, on board our vessel, for a fight. Wagtail and Gelid had followed me on deck, and were now assisting their servants in putting the muskets in order. Bangs alone remained in the cabin, and when I went down, I found him swallowing the last morsel of his meal. He had on his fork some very respectable pieces of cheese. Before I left the deck, I saw clearly enough that a combat was inevitable, and as the disparity between the two vessels was very great, I confess that I had serious misgivings as to its probable result. That I felt excited and uneasy at the prospect before me, I cannot deny; it was the first time I had commanded a vessel, and on the result of this action rested all my hopes of promotion. God bless me! I was but a boy, not more than one-and-twenty years of age. A strange and indescribable feeling came over me at this moment--an irresistible desire to open my heart to the excellent man I saw before me. I sat down.

"Halloa, captain," cried Bangs, putting down his coffee cup, "what's the matter with you? You look infernally pale, my dear fellow."

"I was up all night," replied I, somewhat embarrassed, "and have been running about all day. I am very tired."

As I pronounced these words, a shudder ran through my frame, and a strong emotion, which I could not account for, kept my tongue tied.

"Master Bangs," said I, at length, "you are the only friend in whom at this moment I can confide. You know my circumstances in life, and I feel that I can with confidence ask you to do the son of my father a favor."

"What is it you wish, my dear fellow--speak out."

"I will speak. In the first place, I am very much worried that I have exposed you and your friends to so much danger, but I could not foresee it; on that score my conscience is easy; the only thing I ask of you all is to remain below and not expose yourselves unnecessarily. If I should fall,"--here I involuntarily grasped Bang's hand--"and I doubt if I shall see another sunset, for we are going to fight against fearful odds."

"Well," interrupted Bangs, "if the enemy is too strong for you, why didn't you leave him to himself, my dear fellow, and take to flight?"

"A thousand things, my worthy friend, prevented me from taking such a step. I am a young man and a young officer, and must win my character in the service; no, it is impossible to fly; an older and more tried seaman than myself might have done so, but I must fight; if a shot finishes me, will you, my dear friend, deliver this portfolio to my poor mother, whose only support I am?"

As I uttered these words, the scalding tears rolled in torrents down my cheeks. I trembled like a leaf, and firmly pressing my friend's hand in mine, I fell on my knees and fervently and silently prayed to that God in whose all-mighty hand my destiny lay, that he would give me strength on this day, to do my duty as became an English sailor. Bangs knelt by my side. Suddenly my tears ceased to flow and I arose.

"I am not ashamed to have shown so much feeling before you, my friend."

"Don't mention it, my dear boy, neither of us will fight any the worse for it."

I looked at him in astonishment.

"Are you going to fight?" I asked.

"Of course I am," replied he; "why not? I have no longer either mother or wife. Fight? Of course I will fight."

IV.

"Another shot, sir," cried Tailtackle, through the open cabin window.

All was now noise and confusion, and I hastened on deck. Our opponent was a large brig of at least three hundred tons burthen, a low vessel painted black. Its sides were as round as an apple, the yards were unusually large, and it was evidently filled with men. I counted nine guns on a side and prayed silently that they might not prove long guns. I was not a little horrified to find, on looking through the glass, that the deck was covered with naked negroes. That the vessel was a slaver, I had not for a moment doubted, and I had also imagined that its crew might number fifty men, but that the captain would resort to such a dangerous expedient--dangerous to himself as well as to us--as to arm the slaves, had never entered my mind, and it startled me not a little to find that he had done so, as it showed that I must expect the most desperate resistance.

Tailtackle had pulled off his jacket, and was standing by my side. His belt was tightly drawn round his waist, and his cutlass hung from it. The rest of the men were armed in the same manner; some of them had also, muskets, and the others stood at their posts, near the guns. The grapnels were loosened, and tubs of wadding, and boxes of cartridge stood ready for use. In short, all was prepared for action.

"Master Tailtackle," said I, "your post is in the magazine. Lay aside your cutlass; it is not your duty to lead the boarders."

"Master Timothy," said Bangs, "could you do without one of these pikes?"

"Certainly, sir," replied Timothy, laughing, "but you do not intend to lead the boarders yourself, do you, sir?"

"How do you know that?" returned Aaron, with a grim smile, "since I have been fool enough to trust myself in this dancing cork of a vessel;" as he spoke he laid aside his coat, unsheathed a cutlass, and bound a red woolen cloth round his head.

The slaver, who was now hardly a cable's length from us, suddenly put up his helm with the evident intention of running under our quarters, but at this moment we poured a broadside into him. I could see the white splinters fly from his side, and again there rang in our ears a sharp piercing cry, followed by that long, melancholy howl already described.

"We have hit some of the poor blacks again," said Tailtackle, who was still on deck.

But we had no further time for observation, for the Spaniard returned our broadside with the same cold-blooded precision as before.

"Down with the helm and let her swing round," cried I--"cross his quarters--forward there--out with the sweeps, and hold her steady--that's right--now run over a gun and let him have it--steady boys--aim well--fire!"

We now lay directly across the stern of the slaver, hardly thirty feet from him, and although he defended himself with great determination and courage, pouring upon us a perfect shower of musket balls from his rigging and cabin windows, yet I saw very clearly that in consequence of the skill with which our helm was managed, enabling us to retain a raking position, that our fire was making terrible havoc on board of him.

"Hurrah! his foremast's down. Well done, boys; pepper him well, whilst he is in confusion. There goes his gaff and flag, but don't stop firing on that account; it did not come down with his consent. I told you so--he has run it up again. Good, my lads; you have shot the main yard away now, and he can't escape us."

Nimbly as monkeys, two sailors clambered up the rigging to repair the injury done. Had they succeeded in their object, the slaver would again have got under way and escaped from our fire. All this time, Bangs and Gelid had been firing at the enemy with the most murderous precision. They lay behind the bulwarks, and their black servants were in the cabin busily engaged in loading their muskets for them. Wagtail, who was not much of a shot, sat on deck and passed the weapons up and down.

"For heaven's sake, Master Bangs," cried I, "pick off those two men in the rigging. Down with them."

"What! those two chaps at the end of the long pole?" asked Bangs, turning to me with the greatest coolness imaginable.

"Yes, yes--down with them."

He raised his musket as deliberately as if he were shooting at a target.

"I say, Gelid, my boy, take the one this way, will you?"

"Certainly," replied Paul.

They fired, and the seamen fell, and after struggling in the water for a moment like wounded birds, sank to the bottom, leaving on the surface of the sea, pools of blood to mark their graves.

"Now," cried I, to the man at the wheel, "run her alongside of the Spaniard. Out with the grapnels, men; that's right. Hurrah! she's ours."

"Follow me, ye boarders!" I exclaimed as soon as I had collected my people, and in the excitement of the moment I sprang on the slaver's deck, followed by eight-and-twenty men. But the enemy was ready for us, and we were received by a shower of musket balls that sent four of our tars into the next world, and wounded three more. Spite of this warm reception, however, we reached the quarter-deck, where the Spanish captain with about forty men, armed with swords and pistols, presented a formidable front. We attacked them; Tailtackle, who as soon as he heard the cry of "boarders," had rushed out of the magazine and followed us, split the captain's skull with his cutlass. The lieutenant was my bird, and I had nearly finished him, when he suddenly drew a pistol from his belt and shot me through the shoulder. I felt no pain except a sharp twinge, and then a sensation of cold, as if some one had poured water over my neck.

Our fellows fought with the accustomed bravery of British sailors, but for some time the chances of the combat were doubtful. At last our opponents began to waver, and finally gave way; but at this moment some fifty blacks, armed with muskets, sprang suddenly upon deck, and rushed to the aid of the Spaniards. I now gave up all as lost. My men, disheartened at this accession to the number of their foes, began to give way, whilst the Spanish crew fought with renewed courage. Moreover, we found that we were now fighting not for glory, but for life itself; for, on looking round, we saw to our horror that the grapnels had been loosened, and thus all retreat cut off. Our vessel was no longer lying alongside of the brig, but across its bows, so that the bowsprit of the latter crossed its deck. We could not, therefore, reach it, since the Spaniards had possession of the forecastle of their own vessel. At this critical moment we received unexpected aid in the shape of a shower of grape shot from our schooner, which swept away many of the negroes, besides wounding a large number of them, whilst at the same time a new party of combatants sprang on deck to our rescue.

V.

When we boarded the slaver, we left on board our vessel the helmsman Peter Mangrave, the black quarter-master Pearl, five negroes who were on board as passengers, little Reefpoint, who was wounded, and Bangs, Gelid, and Wagtail. At the moment when I had given up all as lost, honest Pearl sprang on deck, his cutlass in his hand, accompanied by the five blacks and Peter Mangrave, whilst behind him came no less a person than Aaron Bangs, with the three negro servants, whom he had armed with pikes.

"Now Pearl, my beauty," cried Bangs, waving his cutlass, "give them a touch of their own lingo."

Immediately the black quarter-master called out:

"Coramantee Sheik Cowloo kokemoni pepulorum fir."

Which I afterwards found out meant, "See the Sultan Cowloo, the great ostrich, with a feather on his back as big as a palm leaf; fight for him, you dogs."

Immediately the blacks joined Bangs' party, and commenced so fierce an attack on their former masters, that they soon drove them down the hatchway, leaving half their number on the bloody deck, dead or dangerously wounded. But, driven to desperation, they still resisted, firing up the hatchway, and paying no attention to my repeated demands to them to surrender.

"God in Heaven!" cried Jigmaree, "that is the sound of hammers; they are freeing the blacks."

"If you unchain the negroes," cried I, in the Spanish language, "by the Heaven above us, I will blow you into the air, if I have to go with you. Stop, Spanairds! think madmen, what you are doing."

"Cover the hatches," cried Tailtackle.

But the covers must have been lost overboard, for they were nowhere to be found. The firing from the hold still continued.

"Loosen the gun, and load it with grape," cried I. "Forward with it, and fire down the hatchway."

The shot struck among the closely packed slaves, and a fearful, heart-rending cry rent the air. Oh God! I shall never forget it. Yet still the madmen continued their fire.

"Load, and fire again."

My men were now mad with rage, and fought more like devils than human beings.

"Once more, my lads," cried I; but this time they pushed the gun so madly forward, that both it and the carriage were precipitated with a fearful crash into the hold. At the same moment a cloud of smoke burst forth from the hold.

"They have fired the brig," cried Jigmaree. "Back to the schooner, or we shall be blown into the air like onion peels."

But the schooner had got loose, and was fast leaving us. Gelid, Wagtail, and Reefpoint, were on board; the latter, though badly wounded, had crept out of his hammock, and on deck. They made us understand, by signs, that they could not hoist the sails, and that, moreover, the rudder was shot away, and the vessel unmanageable in consequence.

"Up with the foresail, men," cried I; "hoist the foresail, and get the brig under way, or we are lost."

My men obeyed my orders with the calmness of desperation. I took hold of the wheel myself, and in a few moments we lay alongside of our vessel once more. It was high time, for already some hundred and fifty unfettered slaves had rushed on deck, and we had hardly time to spring on board, to escape the furious charge they made on us from the hinder part of the vessel. The murderous fire of grape shot they had endured, had made them perfectly mad with rage, and had they been able to get at us we should undoubtedly have been torn to pieces.