Ned Garth Part 13

By return of post a letter was received from Mr Farrance. He sympathised with the lieutenant and his sister in their anxiety about their nephew; said that he would be glad to defray the expenses should any plan be formed for discovering him, and begged to see Mr Pack in town as soon as possible.

The old lieutenant accordingly at once made preparations for his journey. Fortunately, before he started, he received a letter from Mr Hanson, saying that in the course of three or four days he would come down.

"I shall be in time to stop him," observed the lieutenant, "and to talk the matter over with him before I see Mr Farrance, who will, of course, want all the information I can give him. I'll take Tom with me; he knows his own country, and his woolly pate contains as much good sense as many a white man's skull."

Tom could scarcely restrain the delight he felt on hearing of his master's decision.

"But who take care ob de house, de pigs, and de garden, and de poultry?"

he exclaimed of a sudden, as if the idea had just struck him.

"The ladies and Jane will attend to them, and no one will think of robbing the house during our absence," was the answer.

The lieutenant and his black attendant set off the following morning and reached London in safety, arriving just in time to stop Mr Hanson from going down to Triton Cottage.

He doubted whether the Admiralty would consider themselves justified in sending out any special expedition, and they had already given directions to the vessels on the coast to make all inquiries in their power, but he thought that a private expedition such as his friend suggested might possibly succeed, although he was not very sanguine on the subject. Young Garth might possibly be alive, and until they had received proof positive of his death hope ought not to be abandoned. He was expecting his own promotion, but should he not obtain it, he should be ready to go out in command of a properly organised expedition.

Trustworthy natives might be found, they were not all so black as generally described. A private vessel, which would remain on the coast while the expedition pushed inland, would entail considerable cost.

Where were the funds to come from?

When the old lieutenant related Mr Farrance's offer to defray all expenses, his friend's countenance brightened.

"That alters the case; we will see him without delay, and if he has the means we are right to take advantage of his liberality," said Mr Hanson.

The two officers, therefore, accompanied by Tom Baraka, proceeded to the address of Mr Farrance in one of the fas.h.i.+onable parts of London. The old lieutenant was somewhat taken aback, as he expressed it, on finding himself in a handsome mansion, such as he had never before in his life entered; it appeared to him a perfect palace. He and his companion were at once ushered into a large study, where they found Mr Farrance, who, rising from his seat, welcomed them cordially. He expressed his sincere regret at hearing of the disappearance of his young friend, from whose commander, he said, he had received excellent accounts. "We must find him if he is to be found. What object the Arabs can have for keeping him in captivity, when a reward has been offered for his liberation, it is difficult to say. However, I am very glad to have the means of a.s.sisting to recover him."

Mr Farrance, after putting numerous questions to the two officers and Tom, observed, "We will consider the matter settled. I have two objects in view; besides the recovery of our young friend, I am sure the more the natives are brought into intercourse with white men who show that they come for the purpose of benefiting them, the sooner will the slave trade be put a stop to and the Arabs driven out of the country. Not until then will the negroes be able to enjoy the blessings of peace, and the possibility of advancing in civilisation and embracing the truths of Christianity. As you, Lieutenant Pack, know those seas and are willing to take charge of a vessel, I shall be glad to obtain for you the command of one suited for the purpose; and I conclude, as you would find it inconvenient to travel--indeed you should not make the attempt--you would remain on board while the rest of the party penetrate into the interior. You, I dare say, Mr Hanson, can get some trustworthy men among your late crew to accompany you; but we must rely chiefly on the natives for furnis.h.i.+ng a sufficient force."

Mr Hanson was delighted with the readiness shown by Mr Farrance to forward their object, and he and his brother officer at once promised to under take the arrangement of an expedition.

"No time then must be lost," replied Mr Farrance. "I give you and Lieutenant Pack authority to obtain such a vessel as you consider fit for the purpose, and to engage a crew for her, and companions for your land journey. You will, I conclude, select a small craft which can keep close in with the coast or run up rivers, as every mile you can go by water will save you so much, or probably a still greater distance of land journey."

Further arrangements having been made, the two officers and Tom Baraka took their departure, promising to report progress.

Mr Hanson was not a man to let the gra.s.s grow under his feet, and the old lieutenant was even more eager than his friend to get under weigh.

Within three days they paid another visit to Mr Farrance. They had purchased a schooner of about 150 tons, which had once been a yacht--a fast craft. Hands had been engaged, chiefly from the crew of the "Ione"; three men from Cowes accustomed to fore and aft vessels, one of whom was to act as mate. The fitting out of the schooner would be an easy matter, but the preparations for the land journey required more time and consideration. The only two people who had as yet undertaken to go were Charley Meadows and Tom Baraka. Two stout Africans who had lately arrived in England on board a s.h.i.+p from India, and who stated that when boys they had been captured on the east coast, but had escaped from Madagascar, to which island they had been carried, to an English merchantman, appeared well suited for the undertaking. Mr Hanson was only waiting until he could hear more about them.

Being satisfied with their testimonials he engaged them, and the next day, as he was prosecuting his search in the neighbourhood of the docks, he met with an Arab and three Lascars, of whom, on inquiry of the masters of the s.h.i.+ps who brought them home, he obtained a favourable report. The Lascars were brave and useful fellows, while the Arab spoke English fairly, and he had already penetrated some way into the interior of Africa.

Both officers, a.s.sisted by Charley Meadows, who had been sent for, were engaged from morning until night in superintending the preparations.

The old lieutenant when he quitted home had expected to return, but as the "Hope" was ready for sea, he changed his purpose and wrote to his sister explaining his reasons.

"I don't want to go through another parting, Sally," he said. "You know I love you and Mary with all my heart, but that heart is not so tough as it ought to be perhaps, and I could not bear saying 'good-bye' again, when I have said it already, although I didn't think it was for long.

If Ned is found, and I make no doubt about the matter, we shall have, I pray G.o.d, a happy meeting, and I expect to find Mary grown at least an inch taller, tell her. Don't either of you fret; whatever happens all will be for the best--of that you may be sure. Should it please Him who governs all things to call me away--and I do not shut my eyes to the possibility--you will find my will in my desk. I have provided, as far as I can, for you and Mary."

This letter was received the very morning the "Hope" was to sail. It caused considerable disappointment to Aunt Sally and Mary, but they could not help confessing that after all it was for the best.

"My good brother always acts wisely," said Aunt Sally. "It would have cost us a good deal to say 'good-bye,' when we knew he was going away to that terrible country Africa!"

"Perhaps the 'Hope' will come off here," observed Mary; "we shall then see uncle and Tom Baraka, and perhaps Mr Hanson and Charley, and be able to send messages by them to Ned. As they sailed this morning, they may be off here in a couple of days."

Mary, as may be supposed, kept a constant look-out through the lieutenant's telescope, but time went by and no schooner appeared. Some days afterwards a letter, which had been landed by a pilot vessel, brought information that the "Hope" was already in the chops of the channel and all well. Aunt Sally and Mary at first felt a great blank in their existence. The lieutenant's cheery voice was no longer heard, and his chair stood vacant at their daily meals, while, instead of the master, Miss Sally led the morning and evening prayer to the diminished household. Tom Baraka's merry laugh was also missed, for in spite of his one absorbing thought, he was merry when he gave way to his natural disposition.

Aunt Sally and Mary did not, however, neglect their usual avocations.

They had plenty of work now that Jane had not time to a.s.sist them.

The garden had to be attended to, and they persevered in their visits to the neighbouring poor. Mary very frequently went to see Mr Shank. The old man received her with more apparent grat.i.tude than he used before to exhibit, and willingly listened when she read to him. He was evidently deeply interested in the account she gave him of the expedition in search of Ned, as also when she repeated the information she had received from Charley Meadows about Africa and the slave trade.

"Terrible, terrible," he muttered, "that men should sell each other for gold and produce all this suffering, and yet--" he was silent and seemed lost in thought. Mary did not for some minutes again speak. She then continued--

"It is the duty of all who have the means to try and put a stop to this fearful state of things, and to a.s.sist in sending missionaries of the Gospel and artisans to teach Christianity to the poor blacks, and to instruct them in the useful arts of civilised life."

"The Government should do that," said Mr Shank. "We pay them taxes."

"The Government do their part by sending out s.h.i.+ps-of-war to stop the dhows and the Arabs who steal the slaves, making the trade so difficult and dangerous a one that many will be compelled to give it up--so uncle says--and what more than that can the Government do? Private people must carry on the rest of the work, and a more n.o.ble and glorious one I am sure cannot be found. If I had ever so much money, I should like to spend it in that way."

"But you would get no interest, you would see no result," said the old man.

Mary pointed to the Bible she had brought, and from which she had previously been reading. "There is a verse there which tells us that we are to lay up riches in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal," she answered in an unaffected tone. "I should not expect interest, and I am very sure that I should be satisfied with the result."

The old man again mused, this time far longer than before. "And so you want to make Christians and civilised men of those black Africans of whom you spoke?" he observed.

"Yes; it is the only way to make them become happy here and happy hereafter," she said, energetically. "I am sure of it. If all the money that is h.o.a.rded up or spent uselessly were devoted to such a work, how soon might the condition of the unfortunate negroes be changed for the better."

"Then do you blame those who h.o.a.rd up money?" asked the old man.

"Yes, indeed I do. I think they are wicked, very wicked, and are not making a good use of the talents committed to them. They are just as wicked as those who throw it away or spend it badly."

"You are a severe censor, Miss Mary," said the old man. "But you are right, very right." He placed his hand on his brow.

Mary took her leave, feeling more drawn towards Mr Shank than she had ever before been, he seemed so softened and so sad, and very much weaker than he had before appeared.

Mary told her aunt.

"He suffers from want of food," observed Miss Sally. "You shall go again to-morrow and take him another pudding, and say that I will send one for him, if he wishes it, every day."

Mary reached Mr Shank's door. She heard him feebly approaching to withdraw the bolts; as soon as he had done so, he tottered back, panting, to his seat.

"I am glad you have come, Mary, or I might have been found stiff and cold on my bed. I am very ill, I fear, for I have never felt before as I do now," he said, in so low and trembling a voice that Mary had to draw closer to hear him.

She begged him to eat the food she had brought, hoping that it might restore his strength. He followed her advice, lifting the spoon slowly to his mouth.

After he had finished the food he appeared somewhat stronger.

"Thank you, Mary," he said. "I owe you a great deal more than I can now tell you, for I have something else to say. I want you to bring me a lawyer, an honest man, if such is to be found, and his clerk must come to witness my signature. I'll try to keep alive until he arrives, for, Mary, do you know I think that I am dying."

"O no, I hope not, Mr Shank. You are only weak from want of food,"

exclaimed Mary, who, however, was much alarmed. "I will go on to where Mr Thorpe lives, I know the way perfectly, and have heard uncle say that he is a good and honest man, and is trusted by all the people round."