The Two Supercargoes | Page 5

the arrival of the vessel, as I
was engaged in Mr Trunnion's private room in taking down letters at
his dictation, the mate of the "Arrow" was announced. As Mr Crank
was out, Mr Trunnion desired him to come in and give an account of
his voyage. As I was not desired to quit the room, I continued
transcribing the notes which I had taken down, but I glanced round at

the mate as he entered. His appearance showed that he had suffered
from the fever which had carried off so many of his shipmates. His
cheek was pale and hollow, his eye dull, and his figure emaciated; even
his voice sounded weak and hollow.
"Sit down," said Mr Trunnion in a kind voice, showing that he was
struck by the sickly look of the poor mate. "I should like to hear full
particulars of your voyage. It has been a successful one judging by the
manifest, which I have been looking over, although fatal to so many
long in our employment. You have managed well, too, in bringing
home the `Arrow.' We are well satisfied--I can tell you that at once."
The mate then began an account of the transactions connected with the
vessel from the time of her arrival on the Coast of Africa, the number
of places visited, and the trade transactions at each. They were very
interesting to me I know at the time, but I did not note them. Mr Magor
then described how one after the other the captain and crew died, until
he and three others were alone left. "I doubted indeed whether I should
have been able to bring the vessel home," he continued. "We had a
narrow escape of being captured by a picarooning craft which swept
alongside us during a calm. A number of the crew, headed by their
captain, had actually made their way on board, and having bound me
and three of my men, were proceeding to get off the hatches to take the
cargo out of the hold, when a man-of-war, bringing up a strong breeze
from the south, hove in sight. The pirates on discovering her hurried on
board their own craft, carrying away two of my Kroomen, and casting
off the grapplings with which they had made her fast alongside, got out
their long sweeps and pulled away for their lives. As soon as the
remaining Kroomen had set me and the other white men free, we ran
out our guns and began firing at her. She returned our shot; and as she
had more guns and heavier metal than ours, we judged it prudent not to
follow her. When the breeze came, which it did soon afterwards, she
stood away under all sail before the wind. She showed that she was a
fast craft, for she had almost got out of sight before the man-of-war
came up with us. The latter pursued her, but whether she was overtaken
or not I cannot say, as we continued our voyage towards England, and I
saw no more of either of them. The pirates who had boarded us were of

all nations, Spaniards, Portuguese, and French, and there were several
Englishmen among them. That their leader was one I could swear, for I
heard him speaking English to several of the villains; and what is more,
as he gave me a good opportunity of marking his features while I was
bound to the mainmast, I should remember him were I ever to meet him
again."
"I hope that you may never fall in with him again under similar
circumstances," remarked Mr Trunnion. "Should you do so, he will
probably make you walk the plank before he begins discharging your
cargo into his own craft."
While the mate was narrating his adventures I heard a strange race
speaking in an authoritative tone in the outer office. Suddenly the door
was burst open, and a tall powerful man, dressed in riding-boots, his
clothes bespattered with mud, yet having in other respects a nautical cut
about him, entered the room. Mr Trunnion gazed on him without
speaking.
"What, Tom! don't you know me?" exclaimed the new-comer
advancing and putting out his hand. "My beard has grown, and I have
become somewhat sunburnt since we parted."
"Bless my heart! is it you, Roderick?" exclaimed Mr Trunnion. "I own
that I did not recognise you, and was surprised at the intrusion of a
stranger."
Roderick Trunnion, giving a laugh, threw himself into a chair opposite
his brother, who reassumed his usual cold and dignified demeanour as
he took his seat. From my desk I could observe what was going
forward. I saw the mate start and narrowly scan the countenance of the
new-comer with a look of extreme astonishment, while the latter, who
did