The Three Lieutenants Part 47

Next morning, some time after daylight, they heard a number of people collecting outside. Presently the door opened, and a couple of men appeared with trays containing basins of broth, and some dark-looking loaves of Indian corn. Without speaking the men put the viands on the ground and hurried out of the room, afraid, apparently, the prisoners might set upon them.

"Come, at all events, they don't intend to starve us; though I can't say that this stuff looks very tempting," remarked Higson.

However, as all hands were very hungry, they ate up the food.

Fortunately, several of them having cigars or pipes in their pockets, they sat down to console themselves with a smoke.

An hour or two pa.s.sed away, and they saw through their windows a larger crowd than before a.s.sembled, among whom were a number of armed men, though they were too irregularly dressed to be taken for soldiers.

"We shall get more kicks than ha'pence if we resist should they be come to take us anywhere, so it will be wiser to go quietly," observed Higson. "I don't suppose that they really intend to injure us."

As he spoke the door opened, and the armed men entering, the whole party were dragged out and marched up, each of them between a couple of guards, through the village to a building which appeared to be a sort of courthouse. That it was so was evident on their entering, when they found themselves placed together on one side of a large room, at the end of which sat a burly-looking personage before a table, and two men on either hand, with paper and pens before them. Several persons whom they recognised as the leaders among their captors of the previous evening, now came forward and addressed the judge, or district magistrate, he might have been more properly called the _Juiz da Fora_, violently gesticulating, and occasionally pointing at the prisoners. What they said was put down on paper, the judge nodding and trying to look very wise, and sometimes frowning as he glanced towards the accused. At last their captors came to an end of what they had to say. The judge turned towards the Englishmen to hear what reply they had to make in their defence. Now arose a considerable difficulty. As Higson had not understood a word of the accusation brought against him and his companions, he was excessively bothered how to form a reply.

"Well, Norris, what did the fellows say?" he asked. "I must get you to be our spokesman."

"As to what they said, I have not the slightest conception," answered Norris; "but I will try and make the judge understand who we are, and that is the thing of most importance."

With such Portuguese as he could command, Norris then tried to explain to the judge that they were a party of English officers on a pleasure excursion, that they had no intention of committing any illegal act; and that while he and his companions were quietly sitting on the ground they had been attacked by a number of people, who had carried them up to prison and made off with their boat.

The judge gave Norris to understand, that though he had caught a word here and there, he could not comprehend what had been said, except as to their being English officers, and that their very appearance contradicted such an a.s.sertion.

Norris fortunately understood this remark, and at once said that if their uniform jackets, which were on board the boat, were restored to them they would put them on.

"Very likely you may have the uniforms of British officers, which you may have stolen, perhaps after putting their owners to death," observed the judge, an a.s.sertion which appeared to highly please their captors.

In vain Norris a.s.serted that he spoke the truth. The judge evidently sided with their accusers, and he was about to order that they should be taken back to prison, when a negro from the farther end of the court made his way up to them.

"Me Sangaree Jack, understand all you say, sare; once serve on board English man-of-war. These here fellows say dey hang you up on de trees tomorrow if you no show who you are."

"Well, Sangaree Jack, that is pleasant information," observed Higson, "but how can you help us?"

"Me go down to English man-of-war, and tell all dat you say, and dey den send up armed boats to make dese fellows let you go," answered the negro.

"I shall be very glad to accept your offer," said Higson, "and the sooner you start the better."

"All right, ma.s.sa lieutenant, but me no go for nothing, you sabbe,"

answered Sangaree Jack, with a knowing look.

"Well, then, we will give you ten dollars, that will be handsome, won't it?" said Higson.

Sangaree Jack grinned till his mouth almost pushed back his ears to allow it full expansion, as he answered--

"Ten dollars! oh no! ma.s.sa, dat not enough."

"Then suppose we double it," said Higson.

"Oh no! ma.s.sa, twenty dollars not enough."

At last, after a little more bargaining, Sangaree Jack agreed for thirty dollars to go down and carry information as to what had happened, on board the corvette.

"Well, ma.s.sa lieutenant, where de dollars, though?" asked the black, with a cunning leer.

"The dollars! You will get them when we are set free, my friend," said Higson.

"I neber do anyting of dat sort on trust, sare," answered the negro, grinning.

"But suppose we have not got the dollars, you will lose them, and we shall remain in the prison?" observed Higson.

"Oh, Buccra officers always carry dollars," answered the black. "Just try what the young gentlemens got in dare pockets."

"Possibly we may have some of the money among us," said Higson, not willing to trust the fellow altogether. "Suppose you take fifteen dollars, and then we will pay the remainder when the boats come up-- come, fair play is a jewel."

"Ma.s.sa lieutenant know how to manage tings," grinned blackie. "Come, I take fifteen dollars, and you see I true man. Honour bright among teves, you know; you trust me and I trust you--he! he! he!" and blackie grinned at his own wit.

The dollars were with some difficulty collected among them.

"Don't let de people see what you give me," said blackie, putting his fingers to his thick lips, and looking very wise. "I tell dese rascals that I got a little money to buy some wine, and oder tings. I tell dem too, dat I know you English officers, and dat dey better take care what dey do."

The money was conveyed into Sangaree Jack's large paws, without any remark being made by the people in court. Sangaree Jack then addressed the court, and though Norris could not make out exactly what he said, it had some effect, as the judge bowed to them as they left the court, and they were afterwards treated with more respect. Their new friend then hurried off, a.s.suring them that he would lose no time in getting down the harbour.

The party were now marched back to prison amidst the cries and hooting of the populace.

"At all events they don't intend to lynch us," said Tom. "That's one comfort."

"If each of us had a good s.h.i.+llelah in our hands, we would be after making them sing a different tune," exclaimed Desmond, turning round every now and then, and casting a contemptuous look on the mob. Higson and Archy Gordon walked on, however, in an unconcerned manner, thinking it more dignified to take no notice of the ill-feeling shown by the people.

They were thankful when at last they got back to their prison. Messes somewhat similar to those they had in the morning were again brought to them. Norris asked the man if they could not purchase something better, and offered a dollar if he would bring them some fruit.

"Stop a little, and I will see what can be done," he answered in Portuguese.

An hour or two more pa.s.sed, by which time the people had gone away, when the same man again appeared at the window, and bringing a large basket of oranges and other fruit, he asked for the dollar.

"You shall have it when you have given us its value in fruit, but not until then, my friend," answered Norris, holding it up.

The man, knowing that they could not run away, thought that he might trust them, and threw the oranges, and limes, and grapes, and other fruit through the bars of the window, when they were eagerly caught by the thirsty prisoners.

The fruit was not worth a quarter the sum the man received, so he was well contented, and signified that he would bring some more next day.

For a second night they were shut up; they could only hope that Sangaree Jack would prove faithful, and inform their friends of the treatment they had received.

"But suppose he does not?" said Desmond; "we may be kept here till we starve."

"No great fear of that," said Higson. "Rogers and several others know that we were going up the harbour; and if we don't appear, boats will be sent to look for us before long."

The following morning better provisions were sent to them, and not long afterwards they were again marched up to the court-house. The same farce as on the previous day was gone through, and no interpreter appearing, the judge and his a.s.sistants left the court as wise as they entered it, while the prisoners were unable to make out of what crime they were accused. It was just possible that they might have been sent out and shot, had not the judge entertained some strong suspicions that their account of themselves was true, and that if they were ill-treated, he and the inhabitants of his village would be made seriously to suffer.

However, once more they were sent back to prison, very naturally considerably indignant at the scandalous way in which they were being treated. Some of the party, indeed, began to entertain doubts whether Sangaree Jack would prove faithful. Perhaps being a cunning fellow, he might be contented with the fifteen dollars, and avoid the risk he might run of being punished by the Brazilians, should they discover that he had carried information to the English s.h.i.+ps of what had taken place.

Even Higson began to fear that they had been duped.

"I think that it's high time that we should try and set ourselves free, at all events," he said, after sitting silent for some time. "Though we may be unable to escape either through the window or roof, perhaps we may make our way under the walls, and, if we are once outside, we may get hold of the sentry's arms, and manage to reach our boat."