The Ruined Cities of Zululand Part 30

"But what had become of the other?" asked Hughes.

"The pirate had carried her, taken all that she wanted, and scuttled her, making the hull serve as a coffin for her crew."

"And this you think is the fate the wretches in yonder craft reserve for us?"

"No, I think that they are quite aware of the value of my cargo, which consists of ivory, gold dust, and ostrich feathers. If they can get the brig, they will doubtless fit her out as a sister scourge of the ocean, selling her cargo."

"And the crew?" asked Hughes.

"Will walk the plank one and all. For the lady, such a fate would be too great a mercy."

The captain's weather-beaten countenance looked pale and anxious; Hughes covered his face with his hands, and his strong frame shook as he thought of Isabel at that very moment quietly sleeping below. The missionary was explaining the situation to the Portuguese.

"And now, gentlemen, your advice. But this I must premise. Yonder piratical curs shall never have the brig. I have, several kegs of powder aboard for trading purposes, and so sure as my name is Andrew Weber, I blow her to pieces rather than she turns pirate."

The soldier dropped the hands which had shaded his face. He gazed long and earnestly at the white sails of the wicked-looking craft, which was now fast creeping up with them. His look was one of high determination and courage.

"There can be but one way, Captain Weber. Haul your brig up to her proper course, arm your crew, load your guns, and let us meet yonder pirate. We cannot fly. Your powder will be a last resource."

"And you, gentlemen," inquired the captain, "are of the same advice?"

"There can be no other course," was the reply.

"Mr Lowe, send the crew aft, one and all."

"Ay, ay, sir," said the mate, cheerily.

The captain paced his quarter-deck moodily and in silence. Dom Maxara went below, while Hughes and the missionary looked gloomily over the ocean.

"My lads," said the captain, "yonder schooner is a pirate. For months her people have plundered and ma.s.sacred inoffensive s.h.i.+ps and their crews. They are the same Malays we met in Saint Augustine's Bay, and we purged the old barky's deck of the rapscallions. We have lost five of ours, but their death was avenged. Yonder blackguard comes with murder and piracy in his hold. He has a full cargo of both, but so long as Andrew Weber lives, this brig shall never be his. We will fight to the last man, and that last man, mark me my lads well, that last man, or boy, no matter which, fires the powder in the magazine!"

A loud cheer burst from the crew.

"And now, my lads, to your arms! Mr Lowe, in with the studding-sails, take a pull at the lee sheets and braces, starboard you may, bring her head west-south-west!"

The wind at last was freshening, the sea was calm, and the "Halcyon" was making some four knots an hour; but the very smoothness of the ocean was against her, for her breadth of beam, rounded sides, and greater tonnage would have told in her favour hod the waves been rough; the schooner naturally labouring more in such a case.

As it was, everything favoured the latter, save that over the land hung a heavy cloud, which had been growing denser and denser. Its edges were ragged, and the captain often looked towards that quarter, conscious that in it lay his only hope.

The two vessels were now rapidly approaching each other, the black hull of the schooner becoming every moment more and more distinctly visible.

"Show our colours," said the captain, and the Union Jack streamed out from the peak halyards.

"She makes no reply," remarked the mate. "The b.l.o.o.d.y-minded villains have no flag to fight under."

"Look here, Mr Lowe," said the captain, "that craft is in no hurry; she is handing her fore-topsail again, and there goes her flag!"

"Fiery red, by George!--nothing less than blood will satisfy them."

Half an hour would bring the two vessels within hailing distance, and Captain Weber made all his dispositions. The arm-chest which had been sent below had been again hoisted up on deck, and placed under the charge of Captain Hughes.

The two nine-pounders were heavily loaded, and the men had breakfasted.

"Mr Lowe, I intend, if yonder villain will allow me, to pa.s.s under his stern, giving him the contents of our two guns, and then luff right up into the wind, and away on the other tack."

"Ay, ay, sir," replied the mate; "a stern chase is a long one."

"If we had the good fortune to cripple him, we should be safe; but have the men ready to run the two guns over, and fire as I go about. Send Adams to the wheel, and let the men stand by the sheets and braces."

Mr Lowe was a steady, cool, courageous officer, and his dispositions were soon made. All was quiet on board the brig as she slipped through the water; while the schooner, her decks literally covered with men, came up rapidly, evidently intending to board.

Captain Weber stood on the weather quarter, as the wicked little craft came sweeping up, her enormous mainsail well filled, and her sharp bows cutting the water like a knife. She had a flush deck fore and aft, and forward was built like a wedge. There appeared to be no ports.

"Schooner, ahoy!" shouted he, as the two craft neared each other.

A musket-shot was the reply, which missed. The captain raised his hand, and the roar of the two nine-pounders was heard. Down came the schooner's foresail, as she flew up into the wind, and a yell of vengeance, mingled with cries of pain, rose from her crowded decks.

"Run the guns over!" shouted the captain. "Man the starboard head-braces! Tend the boom-sheet! Haul on the weather-braces and jib-sheet! Hard a-port, Adams, hard a-port!"

Shooting up into the wind, the brig payed round on her heel, the two guns being again fired into the schooner's bows, as the sails filled, and the "Halcyon" stood on the other tack.

"Hurrah, my lads!" shouted the delighted captain. "We've given her a taste of our metal."

A spattering fire ran along the schooner's decks, the b.a.l.l.s striking the brig's bulwarks, but without doing any damage.

All seemed confusion on board the smaller vessel, the halyards of whose foresail having been shot away, and nothing save the jib counteracting forward the overpowering pressure of the enormous mainsail aft, she had flown up into the wind, with her sails flapping and s.h.i.+vering. The crew were shouting, gesticulating, and running here and there.

The "Halcyon," on the contrary, stood steadily on her course, from time to time firing the nine-pounder from her quarter-deck, but, from want of practice of her crew, without doing any apparent damage.

The shot soon began to fall short, and the "Halcyon," tacking once more, lay her course with a gentle wind from the eastward, and a smooth sea.

Three miles of salt-water were between her and her antagonist, before the schooner's foresail was again set, when the vessel once more made sail on a wind and with her gaff topsails, fore and mainsail, fore-topmast staysail, and jib, seeming to fly through the water, making three feet for the "Halcyon's" one, going well to windward. The gla.s.s, however, still showed a vast amount of bustle and disorder on her decks; and Captain Weber, rubbing his hands, dived down below into the cabin to breakfast.

"Call me at once if there is any change on deck, Mr Lowe; but I think that fellow's had enough of us," said the jubilant master.

"Ay, ay, sir," said the mate, taking charge of the deck.

"Keep a bright look out on yonder jagged cloud; it will take in our flying kites for us before sunset," were the captain's last words as he disappeared down the hatchway.

Below, the table had been laid for breakfast by the steward, who, with all a sailor's carelessness, had proceeded with his ordinary duty, just as though nothing out of the common way had happened. In the cabin the pa.s.sengers were gathered, if such they may be termed, for the scenes of peril through which they had pa.s.sed had so identified them with the brig, that they seemed to look upon her as their home, while the captain, quite unused to carry pa.s.sengers, and having seen the men of the party fighting as if under his orders, and Isabel wounded on his decks, had got quite to consider them as part and parcel of his crew.

Captain Hughes appeared thoughtful and preoccupied; but the rest, the master included, revelled in the idea of danger past.

"We lie our course, and shall soon have plenty of wind," he remarked, drawing towards himself a ma.s.sive English ham, which he proceeded to carve. "I only wish I had a few more guns, and I would not let that blackguard off so easily."

"You think we shall have a storm?" asked Wyzinski.

"It is just the season for it in these seas," replied the captain, "and yonder cloud over the land will make itself felt before long. The mercury is falling in the barometer rapidly."