Hair-Breadth Escapes: The Adventures of Three Boys in South Africa, Page 2

  CHAPTER TWO.

  THE CAPE VERDES--DIONYSIUS'S EAR--UNWELCOME NEWS--FRENCH LEAVE--THESKIPPER'S WRATH--A SCRAPE.

  Three or four days had passed, the weather appearing each day moredelicious than the last. The _Hooghly_ sped smoothly and rapidly beforethe wind, and at daybreak on the fifth morning notice was given that theCape Verde Islands were in sight. The sky, however, grew thick andmisty as they neared land; and it was late in the forenoon before theyhad approached near enough to obtain a clear view of it.

  "I wonder why they call these islands _Verdes_?" observed Gilbert, asthe vessel ran along the coast of one of the largest of the group, whichwas low and sandy and apparently barren; "there doesn't seem to be much_green_ about them, that I can see."

  "No, certainly," said Warley; "a green patch here and there is all thereis to be seen, so far as the sea-coast is concerned But the interiorseems a mass of mountains. There may be plenty of verdure among them,for all we know."

  "No," said Mr Lavie, who was standing near them. "Their name hasnothing to do with forests or grass-fields. There is a mass of weed onthe other side of the group, extending for a long distance over the sea,which is something like a green meadow to look at--that's the meaning ofthe name. There are very few woods on any of the islands, and this onein particular produces hardly anything but salt."

  "They belong to the Portuguese, don't they?" asked Frank.

  "Yes; the Portuguese discovered them three centuries and a half ago, andhave had possession of them ever since. Portuguese is the only languagespoken there, but there are very few whites there, nevertheless."

  "Why, there must be a lot of inhabitants," remarked Ernest, his eyeresting on the villages with which the shores were studded.

  "Yes, from forty to fifty thousand, I believe. But they are almost allof them half-breeds between the negroes and the Portuguese."

  "Well, I suppose there's some fun to be had there, isn't there?"inquired Frank.

  "And something to be seen?" added Warley.

  "And first-chop grub?" wound up Gilbert. "There's plenty to see atPorto Prayo," returned Mr Lavie. "The town, Ribeira Grande they callit, is curious, and there are some fine mountain passes and grand viewsin the interior. As for grub, Master Nick" (for this sobriquet hadalready become young Gilbert's usual appellative), "there are prettywell all the fruits that took your fancy so much at Madeira--figs,guavas, bananas, oranges, melons, grapes, pine-apples, and mangos--andthere's plenty of turtle too, though I'm not sure you'll find it madeinto soup. But as to fun, Frank, it depends on what you call fun, Iexpect--"

  "Let us go ashore," interrupted Nick, "and we shall be safe to find outlots of fun for ourselves. It would be jolly fun, in itself, to bewalking on hard ground again, instead of these everlasting planks. Isuppose, as these islands belong to the Portuguese, and we've no quarrelwith them, the skipper will go ashore, and allow the passengers to do sotoo?"

  "He'll go ashore, no doubt," said a voice close at hand; "but he won'tlet you go, I'll answer for that."

  The boys turned quickly round, and were not particularly pleased to seethe first lieutenant, Mr Grey, who had come aft, to give some orders,and had overheard the last part of their conversation. Mr Grey was nofavourite of theirs. He was not downright uncivil to the boys, but hewas fond of snubbing them whenever an occasion offered itself. It wasgenerally believed also that a good deal of the captain's harshness wasdue to the first lieutenant's suggestions.

  "You'd better leave the captain to answer for himself," remarked Frank,his cheek flushing with anger. "I don't see how you can know what hemeans to do."

  "Perhaps you mayn't see it, and yet I may," returned Mr Grey calmly.

  "Why shouldn't he let us go ashore, as he did at Madeira?" asked Warley."Nothing went wrong there."

  "I beg your pardon," replied the lieutenant; "things did go wrong there,and he was very much displeased."

  "Displeased," repeated Warley, "displeased with us? What do you mean,Mr Grey?"

  "I mean that you are not to go ashore," returned the other curtly, andwalking forward as he spoke.

  Ernest's cheek grew almost as crimson as Frank's had done. The apparentinsinuation that he had misconducted himself while on his parole of goodbehaviour, was one of the things he could least endure. Mr Lavie laidhis hand on the boy's arm.

  "Hush, Ernest!" he said, checking an angry exclamation to which he wasabout to give vent. "Most likely Mr Grey is not serious. Anyway, ifthe captain does forbid your going ashore, you may be assured he hasgood reasons--"

  "What reasons can he have?" interposed Gilbert; "we are no more likelyto get into trouble here than at Madeira, and who has a right to say wedid anything wrong there?"

  "The first lieutenant _didn't_ say so," observed the surgeon. "I thinkthere is some mistake. I'll make inquiries about the matter before weenter the harbour."

  He moved away, and the boys resolved to retreat to their den, where theymight hold an indignation meeting without molestation. This den, towhich its occupants had given the classical name of "Dionysius's ear,"or more briefly, "Dionysius," was an empty space on the lower deck,about six foot square, where various stores had been stowed away. Bysome oversight of the men a dozen chests or so had been left ashore, anda vacant place in a corner was reserved for them. When, however, theywere brought aboard, they could not conveniently be lowered, and weresecured on deck. Master Nick, in the course of his restless wandering,had lighted on this void space, and it occurred to him that it wouldmake a snug place of retreat, when he wished to be alone, as he notunfrequently did, in order to escape the consequences of some piece ofmischief. When his friendship with his companions had been sufficientlycemented, he had communicated the secret to them, and Frank at onceappreciated its value. Advantage had been already taken of it on one ortwo occasions, to evade an unwelcome summons from the skipper, or smokea pipe at interdicted hours.

  To be sure it was not a very desirable retiring room, and most personswould have considered a Russian or Neapolitan dungeon greatly preferableto it. As the reader has heard, it was about six foot square. It waslighted by a dead light in the deck above, which had fortunately beeninserted just in that spot. Whatever air there was, came through thebarrels, or along the ship's sides. But it is needless to say it was atall times suffocatingly close, and nothing but a boy or a salamandercould have long continued to breathe such an atmosphere. Entrance wasobtained by pulling aside a small keg; the removal of which allowed justenough room for any one to work his way in, like an earthworm, on hisstomach. Then the keg was drawn by the rope attached to it into itsplace again, and firmly secured to a staple in the ship's side.Whatever might be its other defects, it was certainly almost impossibleof detection.

  Arrived here, our three heroes lay down at their leisure on some sackswith which they had garnished their domicile, and proceeded to discussthe matter in hand, lowering their voices as much as possible, as theyhad discovered that conversation might be heard through the barrels byany one on the other side, which fact, indeed, was the explanation ofthe name bestowed on their retreat. They were not at first agreed as tothe steps to be adopted. Nick was for going ashore under anycircumstances--the difficulty of accomplishing his purpose, and the factof his having been forbidden to essay it, being, in his eyes, onlyadditional incentives. Frank was not disposed to make the attempt, ifhis uncle really had interdicted it; but he professed himself certainthat no such order had been given by anybody but the first lieutenant,and he was not, he said, going to be under his orders. Warley for oncewas inclined to go beyond Frank, and declared that though he would obeythe captain's order if any reasonable ground for it was assigned, hewould not be debarred from what he considered his right as a passenger,by any man's mere caprice. He added, however, that he thought it wouldbe better to hear what Lavie had found out, before coming to anyresolution.

  "Well, it is time we should see the doctor, if we mean to do so,"remarked Frank, after an hour or so had passed in conver
sation. "Wemust be entering Porto Prayo by this time, or be near it at all events;and he must have had lots of time to find out everything."

  "Very good; one of us had better see Mr Lavie at once," said Ernest."I'll go, if you like, and come back to `Dionysius' here, as soon as Ihave anything to tell."

  He departed accordingly, and returned in about half an hour, lookingvery cool, but very much annoyed.

  "Hallo, Ernest, what's up now?" exclaimed Nick, as he caught sight ofhis face. "What does the doctor say?"

  "I haven't seen the doctor," answered Warley. "One of the crew has beentaken dangerously ill, and the doctor has been with him ever since heleft us."

  "What have you learned, then?" asked Frank. "Are we in the harbour?"

  "We're in the harbour, and the skipper's gone ashore. I saw his boathalf-way to the beach. Captain Renton, Mr May, and Mr De Koech havegone with him. They are the only passengers who wanted to go."

  "Well, but I suppose there are some shore boats that would takepassengers to and fro."

  "The captain has given orders that no shore boat is to be allowedalongside. He won't even allow the fresh provisions, or the water, tobe brought aboard by any but the ship's boats. I saw the largest cutterwith the empty water-casks in her, lying ready to go ashore presently."

  "Who told you this?" inquired Wilmore, half incredulous.

  "Old Jennings, the quartermaster. He has charge of the boat. He saidthe captain's resolved we shan't leave the ship."

  "It's an infamous shame," said Frank. "I declare I've half a mind toswim ashore. It can't be very far."

  "No," said Nick, "but it wouldn't be pleasant to land soaking wet, tosay nothing of the chance of ground sharks. Even Lion had better nottry that dodge. But I'll tell you what--if the boat is lying off theship's side, with a lot of ankers in her, why shouldn't we creep inamong them, and go ashore unbeknown to the first lieutenant?"

  "We should be seen getting aboard," said Frank.

  "No, we shouldn't. The men are at dinner just now, and we can slip inwhen the backs of the fellows on deck are turned."

  "I forgot that," said Frank; "but we should be certain to be seen whenwe landed."

  "Ay, no doubt. But that will be too late, won't it? Once ashore, Iguess they must be pretty nimble to catch us; and besides, old Jenningsis too good-natured to do anything against us, which he isn't obliged todo."

  "Well, that's true, certainly," returned Wilmore. "What do you say,Warley? Are you game to make the trial?"

  "Yes, I am," returned Ernest. "I think it is regular tyranny to obligeus to stay in the ship, when there is no reason for it, except thecaptain's caprice. But if we mean to try this, we must make haste."

  The three lads hurried on deck; and a glance showed them they were justin time. There were only two or three men to be seen, and they were atthe other end of the ship. They skimmed nimbly down the ladder, andfound no difficulty in concealing themselves at the bow end of the boat,which was completely hidden from sight by the empty casks. They had notbeen in their hiding-place very long, before the old quartermaster andhis men were heard coming down the side. The shore was soon reached,and the keel had no sooner grated on the sand, than the boys sprang outand ran up the beach, saluting old Jennings with a parting cheer as theywent.

  "Well, I never," muttered the old man. "The cap'en 'ull be in a nicetaking when he hears of this! And there ain't no chance but what he_will_ hear of it. We've Andy Duncan in the boat, and he carrieseverything to the first lieutenant, as sure as it happens. Well, Iain't bound to peach, anyhow--that's one comfort!"

  Meanwhile the captain had gone on shore, his temper not improved by thereport of the doctor which had been brought to him as he was leaving thevessel, that another of his best hands was rendered useless--for severalweeks to come at all events--by a bad attack of fever, which might verypossibly spread through the ship. He returned on board after nightfall,still more provoked and vexed. He had met with the greatest difficultyin his attempts to fill the places of his missing men. There were, asthe reader has been told, very few whites on the island, and none ofthem were sailors. The blacks were very unwilling to engage, exceptupon exorbitant terms, and hardly one of those with whom he spokeappeared good for anything. He had at one time all but given up thematter in despair. But late in the afternoon he was accosted by adark-complexioned man, lean and sinewy as a bloodhound, who informed himthat the vessel in which he traded between the South African ports andthe West Indian Islands, had been driven on the Cape Verdes and totallywrecked. But the crew had escaped, he said, and were willing to engagewith Captain Wilmore for the voyage to Calcutta.

  The captain hesitated. He had little doubt that the lost vessel hadbeen a slaver, and he had an instinctive abhorrence of all engaged inthat horrible traffic. Still there seemed no other hope of successfullyprosecuting the voyage, and after all it would be a companionship ofonly a few months. He resolved to make one effort more to obtain lessquestionable help, and if that should fail, to accept the offer.Desiring the stranger to bring his men to the quay in an hour's time, heonce more entered the town, and made inquiries at all the houses towhich sailors were likely to resort. His success was no better than ithad been before, and he was obliged to close with the proposal of theforeign captain. He liked the looks of the crew even less than those oftheir captain. There were eighteen of them, however, and all strongserviceable fellows, if they chose to work. He must hope for the best;but even the best did not appear very promising; and if the Yankeecaptain, who had been the prime cause of the mischief, had beendelivered into his hands at that moment, it is to be feared he wouldhave met with small mercy.

  In this frame of mind he regained the _Hooghly_, and shortly after hisarrival was informed by the first lieutenant of the escapade of thethree boys, with the gratuitous addition that he had himself deliveredthem the captain's message--that no one was to be permitted to leave theship, except those who had gone ashore with the captain.

  The skipper's wrath fairly boiled over. He vowed he would straightwaygive his nephew a smart taste of the cat-o'-nine-tails, and put theother two into irons, to teach them obedience. The boatswainaccordingly was summoned, and the delinquents ordered into custody, butafter a delay of half an hour, during which the captain's wrath seemedto be every moment growing hotter, it was announced that the boys couldnot be found, and the boat's crew sent ashore with the water-caskspositively declared that they did not return with them. As no otherboats but theirs and the captain's had held any communication with theland, it appeared certain that the young gentlemen were still on shore,intending probably to return by a shore boat later in the evening.

  "Do they?" exclaimed Captain Wilmore fiercely, when this likelihood wassuggested to him by Mr Grey. "They'll find themselves mistaken, then.Up with the anchor, Crossman, and hoist the mainsail. Before their boathas left the quay, we shall be twenty miles from land. Not a word, MrLavie. A month or two's stay in these islands will be a lesson they'llkeep by them all their lives."

  No one ventured to remonstrate. The anchor was lifted, the great sailswere set, and in half an hour they were moving southward at a pace whichsoon left the lights of Porto Prayo a mere speck in the distance.

  But the boys had not been left behind, though no one but themselves andold Jennings was aware of the fact. He had kept the boat from puttingoff on her return to the ship, on one pretext or another, as long as hecould venture to do so, in the hope that the lads would make theirappearance. But he was aware that Andy Duncan's eye was upon him, andcould not venture to delay longer. It happened, however, that soonafter his return, Mr Lavie had found it necessary to send on shore tothe hospital for some ice, of which they had none on board, and oldJennings had volunteered to go. He took the smallest boat and no onewith him but his nephew, Joe Cobbes, who was completely under hisorders. He landed at a different place from that at which the boat hadbeen moored in the morning, and sent his nephew with the message to thehospital. He then m
ade search after the boys, whom he soon discoveredat the regular landing-place, waiting anxiously for some means ofregaining the _Hooghly_.

  "Hallo, Jennings," exclaimed Frank, as he caught sight of the old man'sfigure through the fast gathering darkness; "that's all right, then. Iwas afraid we were going to stay ashore all night?"

  "I hope it is all right, sir," answered Jennings, "but if the captainfinds out that you've been breaking his orders--"

  "I don't believe he has given any order--" interrupted Frank. "And itwould be monstrous if he had," exclaimed Ernest in the same breath.

  "I don't know what you believe, Mr Frank, but it's sartain he hasordered that no one shall leave the ship; and I don't know as it's sounreasonable, Mr Warley, after the desertion of the hands at Madeira."

  "We never heard of their deserting," cried Warley.

  "I dare say not, sir. It was kep' snug. But that's why the cap'enwould allow no boats to go ashore, except what couldn't be helped. Yousee, sir, if more of the men were to make off, there mightn't be enoughleft to work the ship, and if there came a gale--"

  "Yes, yes; I understand that," again broke in Frank, "but we didn't knowanything about their deserting."

  "Well, sir, it was giv' out this morning as that was the reason, andevery one, I thought, knew it. But anyways, sir, you'd best come andget aboard my boat, and keep out of the skipper's way. He'll be sure tofind out about your doings. Andy 'ull tell the first lieutenant, andhe'll tell the skipper--"

  "I am sure I don't care if he does," exclaimed Warley.

  "Ah, you don't know him, sir. He's not a man as it's wise to defy.Wait a bit; let him cool down and he's as pleasant a man as any one.But when he's put up, old Nick himself can't match him. I don't mind agale of wind off the Cape, or boarding a Frenchman, or a tussle with apirate, but I durstn't face the cap'en, when he's in one of his takings.Come along, and get into the boat."

  The lads obeyed, somewhat subdued by Jennings' representations, whichwere evidently given in good faith. They allowed the old man to coverthem with a tarpaulin, which he had brought for the purpose, and inaccordance with his directions lay perfectly still.

  Presently Cobbes returned with the ice, and the boat was rowed back tothe ship. It was pitch dark before she came alongside, and her approachwas hardly noticed. Jennings made for the gangway, and havingascertained that Captain Wilmore was still on shore, sent his nephewwith the ice to the doctor's cabin. He then suffered the boat to floatnoiselessly to the stern, where he had purposely left one of the cabinwindows open; through this the boys contrived, with his help, toscramble.

  "You'd better hide somewhere in the hold, Mr Frank," he whispered, asyoung Wilmore, who was the last, prepared to follow his companions.

  "No, on the lower deck, Jennings; we've a hiding-place there, no onewill find out. When you think it's safe for us to show ourselves, comedown, and whistle a bar or two of one of your tunes, and I'll creep outto you. But I hope we shan't be kept very long, or we shall run a riskof being starved, though we have got some grub in our pockets. Goodnight, Jennings, and thank you. You're a good fellow, any way, whateverthe captain may be."

  "Good night, Mr Frank; mind you keep close till I come to let you out.I won't keep you waiting no longer than I can help, you may be sure ofthat."

  Wilmore followed his friends; and the three boys, creeping cautiouslyalong in the darkness, gained the lower deck unperceived, and were soonsafely ensconced in "Dionysius." Tired out with their day's work, theyall three fell sound asleep.