A Middy of the Slave Squadron | Page 3

think
that it is some inward-bound craft, becalmed like ourselves. We caught
the sound of some order spoken on board her when we first became
aware of her presence, and Mr Fortescue here was of opinion that the
words used were Spanish, although the distance was too great to enable
us to distinguish just what was said."
"Ay," responded the skipper; "two out of every three slavers doing
business on this coast are either Spaniards or Portuguese. Now, the
question is, What are we to do with regard to our unknown friend out
yonder? Either she is, or is not, the craft that we are on the look-out for.
If she is, we must take her, by hook or by crook, before the sea-breeze
sets in and gives her the chance to run away from us; and that means a

jaunt in the boats. On the other hand, if she is not the craft that we are
after, she is still in all probability a slaver, and in any case will
doubtless pay for an overhaul, which again means a boat trip. Therefore,
Mr Perry, be good enough to have the hands called, and the boats got
into the water as silently as possible. If the men are quick we may be
able to get away, and perhaps alongside her, before the dawn breaks. I
will take charge of this little pleasure-party myself, and you can stay
here and keep house during my absence."
"Ay, ay, sir," answered Perry, in tones which clearly betrayed his
disappointment at the arrangement come to by the skipper. "I will put
matters in hand."
"Yes, do," returned the skipper; "and meanwhile I will go and dress. It
shall be your turn next time, Perry," he chuckled, as he turned away to
go below again.
"Ay," grumbled the lieutenant to himself, but audibly enough for me to
hear. "Same old yarn--`your turn next time, Perry.' This will make the
third time running that I have been left behind to `keep house,' but
there's not going to be a fourth, I'll see to that; it is time that this child
stood up for his rights. Now, Mr Fortescue, have the goodness, if you
please, to pass the word for all hands to arm and man boats; and to be
quiet about it, too, and show no lights."
"Ay, ay, sir," I briskly responded, as I turned to hurry away; "I'll see
that our lambs don't bleat too loudly. And--I suppose--that I may take it
for granted that--"
"That you will make one of the `pleasure-party'?" interrupted the
lieutenant, with a laugh, as he put his disappointment and ill-humour
away from him. "Oh, yes, I suppose so. At all events there will be no
harm in making your preparations; the captain is pretty certain to take
you."
Still on my bare feet, I hurried forward and found the boatswain.
"That you, Mr Futtock?" I inquired, as I made out his burly form.

"Ay, ay, Mr Fortescue, it's me, right enough," was the answer. "I
presoom, sir, it's another boat job, eh? You heard that bell?"
"We did, Mr Futtock; yes, we heard it distinctly, seeing that we don't
`caulk' in our watch on deck," I retorted. "Yes, it's another boat affair;
so be good enough to have all hands called at once, if you please. And
kindly make it your personal business to see that nobody raises his
voice, lets anything fall, or otherwise creates row enough to wake the
dead. This is going to be a little surprise visit, you understand."
"Ay, ay, Mr Fortescue, I understands," answered Futtock, as he moved
toward the open hatchway; "I'll see that the swabs don't make no noise.
The man that raises his voice above a whisper won't go. That's all."
"Just one word more, Mr Futtock," I hastily interposed, as the
boatswain stepped over the coaming to descend the hatchway. "You
may do me a favour, if you will. Kindly ask the armourer to pick me
out a nice sharp cutlass, if you please. You can bring it on deck with
you when you come up."
To this request the boatswain readily enough assented; and matters
being thus far satisfactorily arranged I descended to the
cockroach-haunted den wherein we mids. ate and slept, to find that
little Tom Copplestone--who shared my watch, and who was a special
favourite of mine because of his gentle, genial disposition, and also
perhaps because he hailed from the same county as myself--having
overheard the conversation between Mr Perry and myself, had already
come below and roused the occupants of the place, who, by the smoky
rays of a flaring oil lamp that did its best to make the atmosphere quite
unendurable, were hastily arraying themselves.
"Murder!" I ejaculated, as I entered the pokey little