In the Wilds of Africa Part 4

The water, as I said, remained smooth inside of us. We now set to work to launch our rafts. Kydd took charge of the one forward; I of the after one, at the construction of which I had a.s.sisted. Having cut away the bulwarks, we worked them over the side with the capstan bars, and then lowered them as gently as we could with ropes. Mine, I found, was somewhat the largest, and floated higher than the other out of the water. We had now to fit masts and sails to them. Fortunately there was a number of spare oars on board, so that our time was not occupied in making fresh ones. I however thought it well to have one long one to serve as a mast. The important business of provisioning our rafts had next to be attended to. We first got up four water-casks, which we secured in the centre of the raft. Round them we formed a strong railing, with a raised platform, on which a few of the party could sit well out of the water, which I feared, as soon as there was any sea, would wash over the main part.

I saw Kydd hurrying on with his preparations. "Now, Miss Rowley," he said, "I hope you will entrust yourself to my charge. I ought to know better how to manage a raft than those landsmen," and he cast a glance at me; "and I promise to take good care of you and your brothers."

I did not hear what the young lady said, but directly afterwards I saw her being lowered down on to Kydd's raft. Her brothers and the young Irishman followed.

"Come, Handspike; we want you," sung out Kydd, standing up on the raft.

"No, no," answered Handspike. "The landsmen, as you say, will want my help, and I must go aboard the other."

While this was going on, I saw that Timbo had gone aloft. Presently he came gliding down by a backstay on deck. "Quick! quick! Ma.s.sa Andrew,"

he exclaimed. "No time to lose! De n.i.g.g.e.rs coming off in de boat! If we stop and fight, dey take away de rafts. If we sail off, dey come aboard vessel, and stop and steal and get drunk, and we get away."

Kydd overheard him. "Shove off!" he cried out to his companions. They obeyed him; and immediately the raft was clear of the vessel, he began to hoist his sail.

"Stop! stop!" I cried out. "Take more of our party on board! Senhor Silva and his servant will go with you!"

He paid no attention to my shouts, but continued hoisting his sail, though I saw the gentlemen on board were expostulating with him.

"We must all go, then, on the one raft," I said. "I trust it will hold us, although it was treacherous of the mate to go away, leaving the party thus unequally divided."

"I am sorry our friends are under no better charge," said Stanley.

"But, Andrew, we are ready to place ourselves under your and Handspike's guidance. Timbo, too, will be of no slight service; so that we need not complain of what has occurred. We have no time to lose, though."

Jack and Timbo now going on to the raft, a.s.sisted the rest of the party to descend. I was the last to leave the unfortunate brig. As I looked round I did not see Natty. "Where can he be?" I exclaimed. I sprang up the side. My young charge had fallen on the deck, and lay concealed from those on the raft by the bulwarks in the fore part of the vessel.

"Hold on for a moment," I cried out; "I will bring him down to you." I lifted the poor boy up in my arms. A falling block or spar, I conjectured, had struck his head and stunned him. Had I not discovered his absence, how dreadful would have been his fate left alone on board the brig. To my great joy he soon recovered. Jack Handspike received him in his arms as I lowered him down, and I following, without delay we shoved off, and pa.s.sed under the brig's stern. The blacks could not see what was occurring, and would therefore, I hoped, not hurry themselves in coming off, so that we might have a considerable start of them should they pursue us. The raft was, as may be supposed, deeper in the water than I could have wished; at the same time, in that smooth sea, it was well capable of supporting us all. My hope was that we should be picked up by some cruiser or pa.s.sing merchant vessel, and that we might not have long to remain on it. Still, the risk was a fearful one, but it seemed better than venturing to the sh.o.r.e after we had discovered the savage disposition of the natives. If they had murdered the seamen, there was no reason to suppose that we should escape the same treatment.

The mate's raft, being lighter, had already got a considerable distance ahead. Our sail, however, was larger than his; and as we had hands enough to lower it quickly, we could venture to carry it longer in the increasing breeze. We got out the oars also, which contributed to urge the raft through the water. We thus, in a short time, had nearly overtaken the mate and his companions. Few of us spoke much. We were all too anxious for talking. Senhor Silva advised that we should alter our course, as soon as we had got out of sight of the brig, to the southward, hoping that we might be picked up by some vessel bound to Loando, the nearest European settlement on the coast. One thing was certain, that should the wind s.h.i.+ft to the eastward we should have no choice, but should be compelled to run back for the land.

We had placed Kate and Bella on the most secure part of the raft, with the two boys, while we spread a piece of awning, which projected a little way over their heads, thus affording them some shelter from the hot rays of the sun. The water remained smooth, and was bright and clear; and could we have forgotten that it might at any moment be tossed into huge waves, there was little to give us a sense of danger. Jack Handspike was at the helm, and tended the sheets while the rest of us pulled; I kept an eye on the halliards, ready to let go should the breeze increase too much for our sail. We had brought a telescope, through which, every now and then, I took a glance astern to ascertain whether the negroes had reached the brig. We were gradually getting to a distance from her, so that our white sails would have looked almost like specks on the ocean, unless seen through a spy-gla.s.s, and those that remained on board we hoped the savages would not know how to use.

Presently I saw the bright flash of a gun, and, a few seconds after, the sound came booming across the water; then, once more looking through the gla.s.s, I caught sight of several dark objects moving above the bulwarks.

There was no doubt that the blacks must have reached the vessel; but whether or not they had discovered us remained uncertain. All we could do was to use our best exertions in getting away from them, by rowing as hard as we could and keeping our sails spread to the breeze. By this time we had come abreast of the other raft. I hailed her and told what I had seen.

"Never fear," cried out Kydd. "We will drive them back if they do come."

He exhibited several muskets which he had placed on his raft. We also had taken a couple, and a small quant.i.ty of ammunition.

We had got some little way ahead of the other raft, when I proposed hauling down the sail, not to run away from her. I was about to do so, when the wind, which had hitherto been getting somewhat lighter, fell altogether, and we were left on a perfect sea of gla.s.s, the other raft being about a quarter of a mile away from us. The heat was very great; and as we had been rowing all day, we felt scarcely capable of further exertion. We had also, we hoped, got beyond the reach of the negroes, as it was not likely they would follow us so far out to sea. Timbo a.s.serted that they were black fellows from the interior, as he did not think the coast natives would have murdered the crew. As we had brought an ample supply of provisions, we took our meals regularly. Timbo had provided a small charcoal stove, with which we could boil water, and make our tea and coffee--a great luxury under the circ.u.mstances. We had, however, to economise our fuel, of which there was but a small quant.i.ty. Considering all things, our spirits rose wonderfully; and I believe every one of us hoped before long to fall in with a vessel and be taken on board.

"Our friends on the other raft seem to be making themselves merry,"

observed Stanley. "Listen. They are singing!"

So indeed they were. The sound of their voices, though so far off, reached us across the smooth water. We had brought some cloaks, with which we wrapped the young ladies up; and they lay down on the platform I have described, under the awning, to sleep, the remainder of us dividing ourselves into watches. The watch below, as we called it, placed themselves on the other side of the platform, to seek such rest as could be found. I know, when it was my turn to lie down, I slept as soundly as I had ever done in my life. The two boys lay down close together; but during the night I heard poor Natty sobbing. He had awoke, it seemed, and recollected his loss. It was sad to hear him in the still silence of the night out there on the ocean. Poor fellow! he at length sobbed himself to sleep again.

I woke up, feeling a gentle moving of the raft, and, rising to my feet, found that the night wind had again come off the sh.o.r.e, though it seemed rather more to the northward than before. We again hoisted the sail, as we were not far enough out to be in the track of any traders.

The night at length came to an end; and when the dawn once more broke, we found the same mist as on the two previous mornings hanging over the ocean. The young ladies and the boy were still sleeping. We looked round, but could nowhere discover our companions. That was, however, what might be expected, as the mist greatly circ.u.mscribed our view. I was standing by Timbo's side.

"I fear dis calm weader not last much longer," he observed to me. "I hope we soon get aboard s.h.i.+p; for if it come on to blow, den we in bad way."

"We must pray to Heaven to protect us," I said.

"Yes, Ma.s.sa Andrew. If Heaben no protect us, den it be bery, bery bad indeed."

"We must not, however, alarm the young ladies," I observed; "so do not express your fears, but let us pray that a vessel may be sent to relieve us. Now, I think we had better prepare breakfast. It will cheer our spirits."

Soon after this Kate and little Bella appeared from under their awning.

"My father would have had prayers, I think," said Natty to me, in a low voice.

"He would, I am sure; and so will we," I answered; and before going to our meal, we offered up a prayer to Heaven for our protection, and Kate read a chapter from her Bible, which she had not forgotten to bring.

The hours after this sped slowly on. Once more the mist lifted. We looked round for the raft. It was nowhere to be seen.

"I trust no accident has happened to it," said Stanley. "It would be a sad fate for the Rowleys and that pretty girl."

I could not suppose this, and yet I could not account for its disappearance should Kydd have continued steering the course we had agreed on. On sweeping the horizon with my gla.s.s, I made out a small sail in the distance to the southward. It was, however, so far off, that, in consequence of the slight mist which still remained, I could not be certain whether it was the topgallant sail of some s.h.i.+p rising above the water or the bow-sail of the raft. I gave the gla.s.s to Jack Handspike.

"To my mind it is the raft," he said. "The lighter sails of a large vessel would not look so clear as that does."

If Jack was right, there could be no doubt that the mate had purposely altered his course for the sake of getting away from us. I could not help thinking that he was fully capable of such treachery. Soon after this, again sweeping the horizon with the gla.s.s, my eye fell on the topsails of a vessel far away to the north-west. I pointed it out to Jack, and both he and Timbo were of opinion that she was standing toward us on a wind, and that if we continued running as we were doing, she would before long be up with us.

CHAPTER THREE.

ON BOARD THE SCHOONER.

Our spirits, which had naturally been at a low ebb, were greatly cheered by the sight of the strange sail. She had evidently a strong breeze with her, stronger than we should like when it reached us, as it probably would do before long. Already, indeed, it had freshened, and the sea had got up considerably. This made us more than ever anxious to be seen and taken on board. Gradually her topsails rose above the horizon. We watched her anxiously. Although we were not seen, Timbo and Leo could not resist an impulse to stand up and wave towards the stranger. She was standing steadily to the southward, gradually edging in towards the land. Our hopes increased of cutting her off. We made her out to be a large topsail schooner--a rakish-looking craft. Nearer and nearer she drew. Still she came on so fast that we began to fear that we should not get sufficiently to the westward to be seen, for though we could make her out clearly, and could now see her hull, we were so low in the water, that unless those on board were keeping a bright look-out, they might easily pa.s.s us.

"What do you think, Timbo? Shall we get up with her?" asked Stanley.

"Not quite sure, ma.s.sa. If dey look dis way, den dey see us; but if dey not look dis way, den dey pa.s.s to westward one mile or perhaps two mile."

At length Jack Handspike gave a loud shout. The schooner was coming up to the wind. Her foretopsail was thrown aback, and she lay hove-to.

"We are seen! We are seen!" we exclaimed, one after the other.

Presently a boat was lowered; she came gliding over the water towards us. As she approached we saw that she had a crew of dark, swarthy men, evidently not English. They hailed us in a foreign language. Senhor Silva replied, and a short conversation ensued.

"They are my countrymen," he said, for he spoke English well. "The schooner is, I understand, a Portuguese man-of-war, and you will be kindly treated on board."

"We are indeed fortunate," said Stanley.

"Oh! say rather that G.o.d has been very merciful to us," said Kate, looking out towards the beautiful vessel which rose and fell on the fast increasing seas at no great distance from us.

"The officer desires to know whether you would like to be towed on board or would prefer getting into the boat," said Senhor Silva.

I was naturally anxious to preserve the raft, and begged that we might be towed; but Stanley requested that his sisters and the boys, at all events, should be taken into the boat. Senhor Silva joined them. We now proceeded rapidly towards the vessel. I saw Timbo and Jack eyeing her narrowly.

"She seems to be a fine man-of-war schooner," I observed, "and a craft of which the slavers must have no little dread. We thought the _Osprey_ a clipper, but yonder schooner, I suspect, could easily have walked round her."