The Pirate Slaver | Page 8

he has not only given the captain
valuable information, but has actually consented to pilot the ship to the
spot which is to serve as our base of operations, although, as he says,
should the slavers get to know of his having done such a thing, they
would cut his throat without hesitation."
"Yes," said I, "I heard him make that remark to Mr Young just before
shoving off. And pray, Mr Bates--if the question be not indiscreet--
what is the nature of the expedition upon which we are to engage this
afternoon?"
"Well, I don't know why I shouldn't tell you," answered Bates, a little
doubtfully. "Our movements are of course to be conducted with all
possible secrecy, but if I tell you I don't suppose you'll go ashore and
hire the town-crier to make public our intentions; and all hands will
have to know--more or less--what we're after, very soon, so I suppose I
shall not be infringing any of the Articles of War if I tell you now; but
you needn't go and publish the news throughout the ship, d'ye see? Let
the skipper do that when he thinks fit."
"Certainly," I assented. "You may rely implicitly upon my discretion."
"Oh yes, of course," retorted the master ironically. "A midshipman is a
perfect marvel in the way of prudence and discretion; everybody knows
that! However," he continued, in a much more genial tone, "I will do
you the justice to say that you seem to have your ballast pretty well
stowed, and that you stand up to your canvas as steadily as any
youngster that I've ever fallen in with; so I don't suppose there'll be
very much harm in trusting you. You must know, then, that there's a bit
of a creek, called Chango Creek, some fourteen or fifteen miles up the
river from here; and in that creek there is at this moment lying snugly at
anchor, quite unconscious of our proximity, and leisurely filling up her
complement of blacks, a large Spanish brig called the Mercedes hailing
from Havana. She is a notorious slaver, and is strongly suspected of
having played the part of pirate more than once, when circumstances
were favourable. Moreover, from what our Portuguese friend Lobo says,

she was in the river when the Sapphire's two boats with their crews
disappeared; and according to the dates he gives, she must also have
been the craft that the plucky little Wasp was in chase of when last seen.
There is very little doubt, therefore, that the Mercedes is the craft--or, at
all events, one of them--which it is our especial mission to capture at
any cost; and we are therefore going to weigh this afternoon for the
purpose of beating up her quarters. Lobo has undertaken to pilot us as
far as the mouth of the creek; and as he tells us that the brig is fully a
hundred tons bigger than ourselves, is armed to the teeth, and is
manned by a big crowd of desperadoes, every man of whom has bound
himself by a fearful oath never to lay down his arms while the breath
remains in his body, I shouldn't wonder if we find out before all is done
that we have undertaken a pretty tough job."
"It would seem like it, if Senor Lobo's information is to be relied upon,"
said I, an involuntary shudder and qualm thrilling me as my vivid
imagination instantly conjured up a vision of the impending conflict.
"But I suppose every precaution will be taken to catch the rascals
unawares?"
"You may be sure of that," answered the master, peering curiously into
my face as he spoke. "Captain Stopford is not the man to court a
reverse, or a heavy loss of life, by unduly advertising his intentions.
But you look pale, boy! You are surely not beginning to funk, are
you?"
"No," said I, a little dubiously, "I think not. But this will be my first
experience of fighting, you know--I have never been face to face with
an enemy thus far--and I must confess that the idea of a hand-to-hand
fight--for I suppose it will come to that--a life-and-death struggle,
wherein one has not only to incur the awful responsibility of hurling
one's fellow-creatures into eternity, but also to take the fearful risk of
being hurled thither one's self, perhaps without a moment of time in
which to breathe a prayer for mercy, is something that I, for one, can
hardly contemplate with absolute equanimity."
"Certainly not," assented Bates kindly, linking his arm in mine as he
spoke; "certainly not; you would be something more or less--less, I

should be inclined to say--than human if you could. But, as to the
responsibility of hurling those villains into eternity, do not let that
trouble