O'er Many Lands, on Many Seas Part 6

"I can easily imagine it, because I've often seen the like myself," I replied.

"It was late that night when we got to Chaksee. The s.h.i.+p was in behind the rocks so snug that we thought at first she wasn't there.

"All on board were glad to see us, including Nie himself."

"How old would I be then, Roberts?"

"About five. The _Niobe_, it seems, was ordered down to the Cape to refit; all her crew were to return to England, but, as you know, I preferred to stop in the old s.h.i.+p with the new crew. I'm like the cats, I don't like to move.

"The captain and I had a long talk. He treated me just as if I'd been a commissioned officer. He told me he had found a whole nest of pirates, that he had given one fits a day or two before, and meant to pepper the others soon if he had a chance. They were over there, he said, pointing to the African coast, and he would have them.

"The commander of the _Niobe_, indeed, was in high glee. He had been ordered home, he said, but he would wait for those piratical scoundrels and old Zareppa if it were a month. Then, surely, if he destroyed him and his s.h.i.+ps his country would, in some way or other, requite his good services, and either promote him or give him a better command.

"We lay snug behind the rocks at Chaksee for two whole days. Our top-gallant masts were down, and no one in pa.s.sing the island could have told there was a vessel there at all.

"On a hill, not far off, two men were kept always on the outlook.

"On the morning of the third day the signalmen left their posts and hurried towards the s.h.i.+p.

"Three large piratical dhows, carrying the blood-red flag of the Arab nation, were bearing down towards the island. They turned out to be the very same we'd seen two nights before, in company with another and much larger one.

"We determined not to frighten them off by coming out too soon. We didn't know then that these fellows rather courted fight than otherwise.

"All sails were loosened and at last we got clear, took up the boats that had been heading us, lifted sails, and stood out to meet them.

"Every man was at his post. The marines lying down on deck under arms, the bluejackets, stripped to the trousers, standing by the guns on both decks. There was a glorious breeze blowing. Oh! Nie, lad, it was just the morning for a fight. My old blood dances in my veins yet at the very thoughts of it.

"I must say that those Arabs managed their little craft beautifully.

The largest one was the first to advance, and the first to receive and return our fire. She had even the daring and pluck to fire at us."

"Did she succeed?"

"She did, alas! and she poured a broadside into us that made our upper deck like shambles. Meanwhile the other two dhows were at us, _on_ us almost, for we were sometimes fighting gun to gun, and we had to fight on both sides of our vessel at once.

"The commander of the _Niobe_ wanted all his wits about him, for it was a trying time.

"We had one advantage over the pirates, namely, our marines.

"The pirates had muskets, it is true, but either they were very bad ones, or they couldn't use them properly, one or the other.

"We stationed our marines in the tops and rigging, and every shot told home, every bullet got its billet.

"There were times during the fight when all the combatants seemed to pause. It was as if the s.h.i.+ps were taking breath, but in reality we stopped to allow the smoke of battle to clear away, for our s.h.i.+p was surrounded, so to speak, and all our gear was hanging anyhow.

"The impetuosity of the attack of Arabs fighting at sea is very similar to the way in which they charge on _terra firma_; it is furious while it lasts.

"It lasts as long as hope promises brightly, when it goes it goes at once, and, except in the case of fanatics in a religious war, there is a wild stampede. Victory for a time hung in the balance, then it seemed to sway to the side of the enemy, because the _Niobe_ became for a time unmanageable.

"It was a trying time to the nerves of the bravest of us. There would be small mercy accorded to those among our poor fellows who happened to fall into Zareppa's bands.

"The commander held a hurried consultation with his first lieutenant, at which I was present. It was over in two minutes; in ten minutes more, during which time the battle raged with unabated fury, we had all the sails set which the few hands that could be spared were able to clap on her, and were clearing sheer away from the scene of action, steering as close to the wind as possible. And the _Niobe_ could luff too, I can tell you.

"Shots tore through our rigging as we fled, or seemed to fly, and derisive jeers and cheers, worse by far than bullets, were fired after us, till we were out of earshot, out of reach. We replied not either by shot or shout. We drew the big dhow after us--and that was all we wanted--as near as she could come. We even let her gain on us, and her shots began to tell again. Then all sail was clapped on, and next--

"'Ready about,' was the cry.

"Ah! Nie, my boy, it was a beautiful sight, and a supreme moment.

"We thundered down on that devoted pirate. She never even divined our intention. We might overwhelm her perhaps, she thought. She prepared to out-manoeuvre us. Then all seemed to become confusion on board her.

Mind, she was over-manned to begin with, her rigging too was badly damaged, and her decks hampered with her dead and dying.

"In a minute more we had hurtled into her. We actually cut her in two; she sank before our eyes, almost before we could sheer off."

At this part of his yarn, poor old Captain Roberts stopped. I feel sure he was thinking of that dreadful scene; that, long ago though it was, he saw again that blood-stained s.h.i.+p sinking beneath the waves, with its living freight, many of them innocent slaves.

He filled his pipe before he resumed.

"Ah, well! poor misguided wretches, to do them justice they died bravely, and cheered wildly as they sank beneath the billows."

"And so," I said; "Zareppa escaped even yet."

"Yes, it was a plucky thing. He swum out from the wreck ere she sank, and one of the dhows ran up even under our guns, and picked him out of the water.

"Then both got clear away."

CHAPTER FIVE.

"Like mountain cat that guards its young.

Full at Fitz-James's throat he sprung."

Scott.

"He watched me like a lion's whelp, That gnaws and yet may break its chain."

Byron.

"Ben Roberts, dear old friend," I said, as soon as the captain had finished. "I remember that sea-fight which you have just so graphically described."

"And pray," said he, "what and how much of it could you remember, seeing you were down below, and were so well used to guns thundering over your baby head, that you often went to sleep during general quarters? Now, just you tell me."

"Well," I replied, "I suppose it must have been the collision at the conclusion, for I was knocked all of a heap off the chair, and the Ay-ay and I threw ourselves into each other's arms and wept."

"Yes, lad, and I found you, when I went down to my cabin, in each other's arms, and both fast asleep."

I myself, dear reader, must now resume the thread of my narrative, from the place where Captain Roberts gives it up.

When the crew of the _Niobe_ returned to their native land from the Cape, and the new crew joined, I remained with my foster-father--my dear old sea-dad.