Twice Lost | Page 6

a whisk of its tail, and darted away from

Blackie.
We immediately dashed on, in spite of the bullets. The black was close
alongside, when I saw the monster's huge form gliding like lightning
beneath the surface; his head rising just as, with a violent jerk, we drew
the poor fellow into the boat. The disappointed brute made a grab at
one of the oars in revenge, though he got nothing but a broken tooth for
his pains.
Without stopping to ask questions, Mudge put the boat round, and
pulled away for the ship, fortunately not one of us being hit, while the
enemy in the bush quickly vanished. As soon as we were out of the line
of fire, one of the ship's guns, loaded with grape, was let fly at the spot
from which the shots had come, and greatly contributed to the rapid
retreat of Blackie's pursuers, whoever they were--at all events, of those
of them who escaped being hit; but whether any were so, we could not
tell. As soon as the boat got alongside, the black sprang on board with
considerable activity, showing that he was none the worse for his run
and subsequent swim. There he stood, naked as he was born; when an
old quartermaster, a wag in his way, brought him a pair of duck
trousers, evidently considering that he was not fit, as he then stood, to
appear on the quarter-deck of a British man-of-war. Blackie put them
on with a grin, shook the water out of his woolly pate, and then, with an
air of perfect self-possession, walked aft to where the commander and
several of the other officers were standing.
"Me Dicky Popo, please, sar," he said, giving a haul at his hair; "me
loyal British subject--once serve His Majesty--but de nigger
slave-catchers find me ashore, carry me off, and sell me to still bigger
rascals. Dey ship me aboard wid oder slaves; and den a bigger rascal
still take de whole of us on board de Sea-Hawk dere. I seed dat
somefing was wrong when dey run up de river, and den I find out dat
an English ship chase dem, and come to an anchor inside de bar; den I
tink if I run away and get aboard English ship, I know I safe under dat
flag."
As he spoke he pointed to the ensign blowing out from the flagstaff
astern. Finding that Dicky Popo, as the black called himself,

understood English pretty well, the commander questioned him further,
and learned many more particulars about the ship we had just chased.
She was the Sea-Hawk, belonging to Havana, fully as large as the
Heroine, with as numerous a crew, and carrying two more guns than
we did; so that, if well fought, she would prove a formidable antagonist.
She had already captured a vessel which had, Dicky Popo said, about a
hundred and fifty slaves on board, and was waylaying another, when
we somewhat put out her arrangements, and obliged her to run up the
very river in which the schooner she had intended to capture was lying.
The pirate, not telling the captain of the schooner of his intentions, had
persuaded him to assist in defending his vessel in case they should be
attacked. For this purpose they had both landed some of their men and
guns; and he had also sent on shore the strongest among the slaves, to
assist in throwing up fortifications. Dicky Popo, hearing that the
corvette had entered the river, took the opportunity, while so engaged,
of slipping off, in the hope of getting on board; resolved, should he
regain his liberty, to give us information of the preparations made for
our reception.
I liked the expression of Dick's countenance, and was certain from the
first that he was an honest fellow. He had been kindly treated on board
a man-of-war in which he had served--having been rescued from
slavery by her; and he was truly grateful to the English, and anxious
practically to show his gratitude. I do not believe the person who talks
of his grateful heart, when he takes no pains to exhibit it.
The captain was in no way inclined to change his purpose on hearing of
the preparations made by the slavers for their defence. "I know that I
can trust to our stout fellows, who will bravely do their duty; while our
rascally enemies are fighting with halters round their necks," he
observed to Mr Worthy.
"No doubt about that, sir," was the answer; "and I hope that it will not
take us long to capture the pirate, in spite of the battery on shore, and
the assistance the slave-schooner may give her."
Soon after Dicky Popo had made his appearance on deck, night came
on. Notwithstanding