CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.
A HORRIBLE THOUGHT.
Two days glided by, during which Tom Fillot proved himself to beinvaluable. The merry joker of the ship's company showed that hepossessed plenty of sound common sense, and that he was an excellentseaman. Thrown, too, as he was, along with his young officer, he neverpresumed thereon, but, evidently feeling how great a burden there was onthe lad's shoulders, he did all he could to lighten the load, by settinga capital example to his messmates of quick obedience, and was alwayssuggesting little bits of seamanship, and making them seem to emanatefrom Mark himself. The consequence was that matters went in the mostorderly way on board, and they steadily kept on north, north-west, orsometimes due west, according to the trend of the land.
"Easy enough thing, sir, navigation," Tom said, merrily, "if you've gotnice calm weather, no rocks or shoals, and a fair line of coast to steerby."
"Yes, it's easy enough now, Tom," replied Mark.
"'Tis, sir; only I should like it better if it was right up in thenorth, where the sun don't set. One can't help feeling a bit scaredsometimes when it's very dark. I was nearly coming las' night andasking leave to let go the anchor."
"If I get well out of this, Tom," said Mark, "I mean to study up mynavigation. It's horrible to be so helpless. I'm ashamed, too, beingin charge here, and obliged to trust to seeing the shore for a guide."
"Oh, that'll all come, sir, but it strikes me that as soon as thecaptain finds we don't get into port, he'll be sailing down after us."
"The sooner the better, Tom," said Mark. "But now then, tell me: howare we off for water?"
"Plenty yet, sir, and there's enough prog--beg pardon, sir, wictuals--tolast us for some days; and--look, sir, look. Here's a chance."
"What? Where?" cried Mark, startled by the man's excitement.
"Another slaver coming round the point there. You must take that onetoo, sir, and then you can go into port with flying colours. Doubleflying colours, sir!"
Mark looked eagerly at the long, low vessel just creeping into sight inthe distance, and his follower's words inspired him with an intensedesire to act and make a second seizure. It was very tempting, but--Yes, there was a but, a big but, and a suppose in the way. His men werestill anything but strong; and though the blacks were willing enough, itwould not be wise to trust to them for help in an attack upon a vesselwith possibly a strong crew.
His musings were interrupted by the sailor.
"Shall I alter our course, sir?" he said.
"No, Tom. Better not," replied Mark. "I was thinking."
"What about, sir--our being able to catch her?"
"No; about the dog and the shadow."
"What about him, sir? Was he in the sun?"
"You know the old fable about the dog with the piece of meat in hismouth, seeing his reflection in the stream and thinking it was anotherdog with a piece of meat."
"I did once, sir, but I've forgot," said Tom.
"Well, in his greediness he snapped at his shadow to get the other pieceof meat, and dropped his own. Suppose I try to catch that other vesseland the crew prove too strong for me, and I lose this one?"
"Mr Vandean, sir! You a British orficer, and talk like that? It ain'tgreediness, sir, but you a-trying to do your dooty as the orficer as hassucceeded Mr Russell, I know what you feel, sir--all the'sponsibility."
"Yes, Tom; and that we are not strong enough to try experiments."
"Strong enough, sir? Why, there's that in our chaps now as'll make 'emgo through anything. You say slaver to 'em, and it'll be like saying`rats' to a dog. They'll be vicious to attack; and old Soup andTaters'll be as good as four strong men. You see if they ain't."
"It's very tempting, Tom, but--"
"Don't say but, sir. You make up your mind to take that vessel; giveyour orders; and we'll do it."
Mark shook his head.
"Oh, Mr Vandean, sir, look at her. She's another schooner about thesame cut as this, and though she can see us, she isn't showing us herheels, for she don't know there's a man-o'-war's crew aboard, headed bythe smartest young midshipman in the ryle navy."
"That'll do, Tom Fillot. No gammon, please."
"It ain't gammon, sir," cried Tom, sturdily, "but the solid truth.Think I'd come and ask you to do this if I didn't feel what a pluckyyoung orficer you are? Why, the lads'll follow you anywheres. Theylike Mr Howlett, too, but do you think they'd follow him like they doyou? Not they, sir."
"It's very tempting," said Mark, hesitating.
"Tempting, sir? Why, Captain Maitland and Mr Staples'd both go wildwith delight if they got such a chance as has come right to you."
"And she isn't running away, Tom?"
"No, sir, but just quietly going on her course, and if you do the sameit will bring you both close together, and like enough she'll try tospeak you."
"Yes, Tom, it is very tempting, and if I could feel sure of taking her,I'd try."
"Don't you think anything about it, sir. You make up your mind to takeher, and send me aboard, or go yourself, and she's yourn."
"If she's a slaver, Tom."
"Well, sir, what else can she be?"
"Trading vessel."
"Likely, sir!" cried Tom, with a laugh. "Trading schooner with mastsand booms like that! She's made to sail, sir, and her cargo'scontraband."
"I can't help feeling tempted, Tom."
"That's right, sir."
"I'll go below and see if Mr Russell can understand me this morning. Ishould like his advice at a time like this."
"Course you would, sir; and if he could give it, he'd say go in andwin."
Mark went below, to find his officer lying perfectly still, with hiseyes closed, and breathing easily, but there was no response to hiswords, and, hesitating still, and excited, he went back on deck, to findthe schooner still gliding on her course, and the stranger well out nowfrom the point.
"What did Mr Russell say, sir?" asked Tom.
Mark shook his head, and raising his glass, carefully inspected thedistant vessel.
"Yes," he said at last; "she looks too smart fer a trader."
"She do, sir."
"And I don't like to run any risks, Tom Fillot."
"Oh Mr Vandean, sir!"
"But we're out here to deal a deathblow at the slavery traffic."
"To be sure we are, sir," cried Tom Fillot, excitedly.
"And it would be cowardly to give up such a chance."
"Cowardly--begging your pardon, sir--ain't half bad enough word for it,Mr Vandean? sir."
"One moment I feel that I ought not to risk it, and the next I feel thatI ought, Tom," said Mark, slowly. "Safe and sure is the motto to goupon, but--Oh, I can't, as I am officer in command, stand still here andsee that vessel go away, perhaps loaded with slaves, Tom Fillot. Wrongor right, I must do it."
"Three cheers for you, sir!" cried Tom, excitedly; "and there ain't nowrong in it, for if you made a mess of it you would still be doingright. Then now, sir, shall I have a little more canvas shook out, andalter her course, sir?"
"No," cried Mark, firmly.
"You won't try and take her, sir?" said the sailor, despondently.
"Indeed, but I will, Tom Fillot," cried Mark; "but if we begin to chaseher, she'll be off, and sail perhaps as quickly as we do. We must trapher, Tom, by pretending to take no notice, and then be ready to goaboard."
"Why, of course, sir. My, what a dunder-headed beetle of a fellow I am.Cunning's the word."
"Yes," said Mark, decisively now. "Now, my lads, quick. Off with thoseduck frocks, all of you, and make yourselves untidy-looking. TomFillot, get that American flag ready to hoist if she signals us, andsend the blacks below, all but our two and their gang. Let them liedown on the deck."
The blacks looked surprised at being sent down into the stifling hold,but Soup seemed to have some inkling of what was intended, and he spokeeagerly to his companion before talking very earnestly, and with a gooddeal of gesticulation
, to the men whom he had selected for hisfollowers. These appeared to understand what was on the way, lookingearnestly at the distant vessel, and then taking the positions assignedto them when all was ready, and Tom Fillot burst into a hearty laugh.
"They'll walk into the trap beautiful, sir, see if they don't," he said."Lor', sir, if you only could make yourself look like the Yankeeskipper, we should be lovely."
Mark said nothing, but quietly went on with his preparations. He madethe man at the wheel look as much as possible like an ordinary sailor,and transformed another in the same way. Then, counter-ordering hisinstructions about the men's duck frocks, he partly lowered down theboat with an armed crew, including Tom Fillot, with instructions to keepout of sight, and ready for him to drop and board the stranger later on.
Then, going below, he made a few alterations in his own dress, so as toconceal the fact that he was in uniform; threw his belt, dirk, jacket,and cap into the stern-sheets of the boat, and clapped a Panama hat,which he found in the cabin, upon his head. Then he walked about thedeck in shirt and trousers, and with the Yankee skipper's big spy-glassunder his arm.
The last thing he did was to plant two of the men forward, where theyreadily played their parts of standing looking over the bulwarks, andwatching the coming vessel.
For she had altered her course and came steadily toward them, afterhoisting her colours--the Stars and Stripes--the same flag being sentaloft by Dick Bannock at a word from Mark.
"Now, my lads," he said, "whatever you do in the boat, keep out ofsight. If they catch a glimpse of you they'll be off, and we may neverget alongside."
"Ay, ay, sir," came eagerly from the boat in which the two black sailorshad also been stowed, each looking eager and excited about the work tocome.
The wind was light, and a couple of hours passed, with Mark's steersmangradually edging the schooner nearer to the stranger, which, having theadvantage of the wind, glided down to them, evidently meaning to speakthem, and ask for news.
"It couldn't be better, sir," said Tom Fillot; "only if you would getone of the skipper's big cigars and smoke it as you walk about, they'resure to be using a spy-glass now and then."
"But I can't smoke, Tom."
"Then light it, sir, and only blow at it so as to make the smoke shownow and again. Have a lighted lanthorn under the bulwarks, and shovethe end in now and then. It'll make it all look so quiet and safeaboard that they'll walk right into the trap."
Mark did as he was requested, but with a good deal of discomfort; andthen waited with a throbbing heart, and a strong desire to cough andsneeze from time to time as he marched about the deck, stopping to usehis glass, and making out a tall, thin man similarly armed with a glass,and wearing a Panama hat as well.
But there was no sign of a black on board. Some half-dozenordinary-looking sailors lounged about the deck, and save that it wassuch a smartly-built heavily-rigged craft, there was not a trace of herbeing anything but an ordinary trader.
Matters went exactly as Mark desired, the stranger schooner glidingnearer and nearer, while the midshipman's heart beat faster, and hetrembled lest a glimpse should be caught of the armed boat hanging fromthe davits, with her keel just dipping into the water from time to time.
But by clever steering it was kept out of sight, and when the rightmoment came a turn or two of the wheel sent the schooner a little wayahead, and then another turn, and she swept round a little, her sailsshivered, and she lost way, while the stranger hailed them as she camecloser, and was thrown up head to wind.
By this time the two schooners were not above fifty yards apart, and ahail came in decidedly American tones,--
"I'll send a boat aboard."
There was a little movement, and Mark lay waiting for his time, for thisaction on the part of the stranger was thoroughly playing into hishands.
The American's boat was lowered down on the side farthest from them,with the skipper sitting aft with four men to row; and as her headappeared round the stern, Mark dropped over into his own boat. Thefalls were cast off as she dropped into the water, and bidding the mengive way, she shot off round the schooner's bows, the Panama hat gaveplace to the naval cap, the jacket was hurried on, and away they wentfor the stranger, whose crew on board stared in astonishment over thebulwarks at the man-of-war's men, while a horrible thought struck theyoung officer.
He was going to seize the stranger vessel, but he had left his ownalmost unprotected, and the Yankee skipper was being rowed to her.
"I'm playing dog and the shadow, after all, Tom," he whispered,excitedly.
"What do you mean, sir?"
"Suppose the Yankee seizes our prize while we try to take his schooner."
"Murder!" exclaimed Tom Fillot, leaping up in the stern-sheets. "Inever thought of that."