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Even Colonel Gauntlett could not help expressing his satisfaction at the propitious commencement of their voyage, as he stopped in his short and otherwise silent walk on the poop to address a few words to the master.
Colonel Gauntlett, for the speaker was the uncle of Ada Garden, said this in a grave, cold tone, sufficient to freeze the heart of any ordinary lover; and, pressing his niece's arm as if to prevent her from escaping, he dragged her through the crowd towards a seat which he found vacant. "Ada," said the colonel, as he walked on, "I will not have you intimate with any of those sea officers.
"I am delighted to see you looking so well, my dear sir," said Colonel Gauntlett, as, before getting close in with the land, they sat at table with some refreshment before them, of which, by the by, the captain took but little, though his guest did ample justice to it.
Doubtless, the reader will be anxious to hear by what wonderful event Colonel Gauntlett and his man, Mitchell, had escaped from the death they were supposed to have suffered, and whether poor Bowse, and any of the survivors of his crew, had been equally fortunate; but, as I have matter of still more importance to communicate in this chapter, I must entreat him to have patience till I can return to that part of my history.
He explained his intentions to his officers and Colonel Gauntlett, who fully agreed with him, and, acting on the first plan he proposed trying, he immediately ordered a reef to be shaken out of the topsails. The men flew aloft obedient to the order the reefs were quickly shaken out, and the yards again hoisted up. Bowse watched with anxiety to see how the brig bore the additional canvas.
Among the wounded was Colonel Gauntlett. His grief on hearing that his niece had been carried off by the pirate was very great. "It is a sad thing for that poor child; and though I have had much sorrow in my time, never has anything pained me more," he said, as the captain told him what had occurred. "And for you, Fleetwood, I feel most deeply.
"Yes, Colonel Gauntlett, I am certain that yonder object is either a brig or a ship, under her tops'ils, standing to the eastward, and that the other, you see, to the north of her, is a felucca or speronara.
There was no doubt of their being lovers, by the confiding way in which she rested on his arm, and glanced up into his face as he spoke; and the look of proud happiness with which he regarded her, and seemed to defy the world to venture on the experiment of tearing her from him. Everybody observed it but Colonel Gauntlett, and he remained obstinately blind to what had taken place.
"Why, they have either set fire to one of their vessels, or have blown up some fort or other. That may account for the boats' not returning." "I don't think that is likely," observed Colonel Gauntlett. "Captain Fleetwood would scarcely delay to attack the pirates with a lady in one of the boats. Would you, Mr Saltwell?" "No, sir, I would not," returned Saltwell.
Colonel Gauntlett, who, of course, was not less anxious on his niece's account, was also constantly by his side; but the hours of night wore on, and no boats appeared.
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