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They had grazed me twice when Smellie came aft, and he had scarcely opened his lips to speak to me when another shot came whizzing past us close enough to him to prove that the fellows still had it in their power to undo all our work by a single lucky hit. "Why, Hawkesley," he exclaimed, "this will never do; we must put a stop to this somehow.
"You treacherous scoundrel!" ejaculated the skipper hoarsely; "you shall be made to bitterly account for this unprovoked outrage; clap him in irons," turning to the master-at-arms, who happened to be close at hand. "Poor Austin!" he continued. "Your suspicions, Hawkesley, have proved only too correct; the craft is, unquestionably, a slaver or worse.
I watched the proceedings with a great deal of interest, and was beginning to wonder what would happen next, when Smellie turned to me and quietly asked: "Mr Hawkesley, do you ever say your prayers?" "Sir?" I ejaculated in unutterable surprise at so impertinent a question, as it seemed to me. "I asked whether you ever said your prayers: I ought to have said, rather, do you ever pray?
"Mr Armitage," said I, in a low cautious tone of voice, "the brig is adrift, and driving down past us with the tide in the direction of the river." "The brig adrift!" he repeated incredulously. "Nonsense, Mr Hawkesley, you must be dreaming!" "Indeed I am not, sir, I assure you," I replied earnestly.
The skipper seized my left hand with his right, and pressing it earnestly yet gently, said: "I am proud and pleased to hear so gratifying an account of you, Hawkesley. Mr Armitage has already borne witness to your gallantry during the night attack upon the slavers; and it was with deep and sincere sorrow that I received the news of your being, with Mr Smellie, missing.
We were about twelve miles off the land; and at about half-way between us and it, becalmed like ourselves, there lay a brig, which our telescopes informed us was the Vestale. On this fact being decisively ascertained Mr Austin came up to me and said: "There is your bete noire, the Vestale, once more, you see, Hawkesley.
Lord Tomnoddy Mr Richard Hawkesley, just nominated to the Daphne. And I suppose I ought also to introduce myself. I am Lord Montague Fitz-Jones. You have, of course, heard of the Fitz-Jones family the Fitz-J-o-h-n-e-s's, you know?"
And thirdly, my suspicion that the latter is the case receives strong confirmation from the fact that on both occasions when we have been after the one the Black Venus we have encountered the other the Vestale." Mr Austin stared at me in a very peculiar way for a few minutes, and then said: "Well, Hawkesley, your last assertion is undoubtedly true; but what does it prove?
Hadria was surrounded by a small group, among whom were Temperley, Harold Wilkins, and Mr. Hawkesley, the brother who had been introduced to his sisters. "How very handsome Hadria is looking this afternoon," said Mrs. Gordon, "and how becoming that dark green gown is." Mrs. Fullerton smiled. "Yes, she does look her best to-day. I think she has been improving, of late, in her looks."
I long to set foot on her planks again; and, like Hawkesley here, I shall not be sorry to renew my acquaintance with Burnett." So said, so done. We made our way into the boat, leaving the prize crew to secure the prisoners, and a few minutes later stood once more safe, if not altogether sound, on the deck of the dear old Daphne.
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