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As I had said, it did them more good than double rations for the entire voyage. Even Mendouca was fain to acknowledge that the day, instead of being wasted, had been well spent.
However, the matter was cleared up shortly after sunrise next morning, when Mendouca again sent a hand aloft to look round, for the fellow had only got as far as the foretop when he reported two objects that looked like the boats, about five miles to leeward; adding, that if they were the boats, they were capsized.
With regard to supplying me with men, he promised to do the best that he could; and at Young's suggestion he being one of the rather large party that the captain had invited to meet me at breakfast it was arranged that I should have a dozen; and as he fully agreed with me that there was just a chance that the Francesca, might be at no great distance to the northward, still actively pursuing her search for us, it was further arranged that I should crowd sail for Sierra Leone, in the hope of turning the tables upon Mendouca by overtaking him, in which case we were to do our best to detain him until the arrival of the Barracouta upon the scene, it being the captain's plan to follow us at a distance of some fifteen or twenty miles.
Before, however, I could succeed the hurly-burly suddenly ceased, to be almost instantly followed by a yell of exultation from the crowd overhead as the hasty rattle and splash of oars proclaimed that the attacking party had been driven off. "Now, men, to your guns again, quick! Load smartly and give them another broadside before they get out of range!" shouted Mendouca.
"No, sir, I'm not, to tell the truth of it," answered the man. "I know that it's rather a risky thing to say aboard of this here wessel; but the truth is that I ain't satisfied at all, and haven't been for a long while; not since Mr Arrowsmith or Senor Mendouca, as he now calls hisself took up to the piratin' business.
And as these days of calm and stagnation succeeded each other with relentless persistency, I kept up the custom of bathing the negroes and thoroughly cleansing the slave-deck, until at length the poor creatures actually grew fat and merry, so that Mendouca, despite his fast-growing impatience and irritability at the continued calm, was obliged to admit that he had never seen a cargo of "black ivory" in such promising condition before.
"Yes; yes, I vill, gentlemen; I vill tell you all dat I know; but it is not much," answered Lobo, with evident relief. "I only know dat de scoundrel Mendouca managed to trap de two boats in some vay how, I know not and dat he gave dem de choice of being massacred, dere and den, or of surrendering and having dheir lives spared.
There was some reply that I could not catch, the voice evidently coming from a point at some distance from the ship, on the opposite side to that occupied by my cabin. It was probably an inquiry as to name and destination of the brigantine, for Mendouca shouted "The Nubian Queen, of and for Liverpool, from the Brass river, with oil and ivory. Keep off, or I will fire into you!
I knew now from experience that it was quite useless to argue with Mendouca when he got upon the subject of his grievances; I therefore gave the conversation a turn by asking "Where, then, are these wretched people now, if indeed they are still alive?"
Presently, after one of his frequent halts, Mendouca turned and gave orders to shorten sail. "Clew up and haul down fore and aft; stow everything except the main-staysail; and see that you make a snug furl of it, men!" he cried; adding, as he turned to me
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