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Updated: May 18, 2025
This occurred while we were at breakfast; and when we went on deck at the conclusion of the meal, my enemy the boatswain drew Mendouca's attention to the upper spars and sails of a ship just rising slowly above the horizon on our starboard bow.
The silence was not of long duration, however; for I had scarcely been in my cabin ten minutes when I heard a low murmur of voices overhead, and the next instant Mendouca's voice pealed outs loud and clear, in English "Ho, the boats ahoy! Who are you, and what do you want?"
Meanwhile, during the progress of the muffling process in which I had not offered to participate I kept a keen watch upon the distant brig, taking an occasional squint at her through the night-glass when I thought it possible to do so without attracting Mendouca's attention.
"Bueno, senor," answered the man, as he turned away to do Mendouca's bidding; and in a few minutes the sweeps were laid in and stowed away, and the brigantine's head gently turned more to the southward, in order that she might drift in that direction as long as she retained her way.
I continued to industriously scrutinise the brig through the night-glass, and, by so doing, contrived to keep Mendouca's attention also pretty closely centred upon her; but I could see that he was fully on the alert.
It was of course easy enough to arrange this scheme in my own mind, but even a very slight deviation on Mendouca's part from the programme which I expected him to adopt might suffice to nullify it; nevertheless, it appeared probable that my surmise as to Mendouca's intentions would prove correct, for if he did not mean to lay the stranger aboard and carry her with a rush, I could scarcely understand the boldness with which he was approaching her in broad daylight, with his strongly-manned sweeps proclaiming to the most unsuspicious eye the dubious character of the brigantine.
It was Mendouca's habit to have the gratings put on the hatchways and secured every night when the weather would permit of the use of them instead of the solid hatches in order to prevent anything in the shape of a rising on the part of the negroes; and all night long a thin, pungent vapour had been rising through them, telling an eloquent tale of the frightful closeness and heat of the atmosphere down there, while at frequent intervals could be heard the sound of a restless stirring on the part of the living cargo, accompanied by a long-drawn, gasping sigh, as if for breath.
Moreover, it appeared to me that by rendering the trifling service demanded of me, I should find myself in a position to very greatly ameliorate in many ways the condition of the unhappy blacks down in the dark, noisome hold. The end of it all was, therefore, that at the expiration of the half-hour I had determined perhaps weakly and foolishly to accede to Mendouca's request.
All was now in an instant noise and confusion on deck; the silence that had held the tongues of the crew was now no longer necessary, and the jabber, the oaths, the shouting, the loud, defiant laughs, the rumbling of the gun-carriages, the creaking of tackle-blocks, the thud of rammers and sponges, the calls for cartridges, all combined to create a hubbub that would not have shamed the builders of Babel; and through all and above all rose Mendouca's voice in short, sharp sentences of appeal, encouragement, and direction to his men.
In this manner, with persistent calm recurring day after day, we passed no less than the almost incredible time of over three weeks without moving as many miles from the spot where the wind had deserted us, Mendouca's temper growing steadily worse every day, until at length he became absolutely unbearable, and I spoke to him as little as possible.
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