We were steering straight out to sea. The surface of the water was less disturbed than it had been, owing to the cessation of the earthquakes, and light draughts of air seemed to be working their way up from the offing. It was probable that a sea-breeze would soon set in, and this might be of great benefit to us, as there was a mast and sail in the boat.
“We’re awfully grateful to you Johnnies,” observed the gunner, as he threw his empty cocoa-nut shell overboard. “If it hadn’t been for you, we should probably have had our throats cut by those villains ashore. Now I want to know if this boat belongs to you, and whether you will stick to us and do your best to land us in the island of Cuba. The day we get back to our ship the Rattler you shall have your fifty pounds—that I can promise you on the word of an Englishman.”
The negro who had been handing up the nuts grinned, and scratched his head. He evidently did not half understand Mr. Triggs’s long speech. However, after a good deal of trouble and numerous misunderstandings, we managed to extract the following information from them. As we had supposed, they were the slaves of the pirates, and were employed by them to raise garden produce, and to assist in unloading vessels which had been captured and brought into the creek. Being skilful fishermen, they were allowed to make use of a boat; and as finny spoils were to be more plentifully obtained in the waters on the west side of the island, they usually kept their craft upon the beach above high-water mark—the creek being on the eastern seaboard. On this eventful morning, they had started very early on a fishing excursion, and were actually afloat when the terrible seismic disturbances commenced. Frightened out of their wits, and almost swamped by the tidal waves which swept the sea, they pulled about in various directions, hardly knowing where to go for safety. At length they determined to land, as they were much afraid of being upset and drowned. No sooner had they drawn their boat up on the beach than the volcanic outburst commenced, and added infinitely to their terror. It was the last straw, and they determined to quit the island for ever, fully believing that it had been taken possession of by evil spirits; but it was a long time before they could muster up enough courage to launch their boat afresh and start on their perilous journey. It must have been just after they had done so that we appeared upon the scene. Having in their early days lived in some of the British West India islands, they felt disposed to be friendly towards Englishmen in distress; and as they were much afraid that the pirates would force them to return to the island whether they liked it or not, it was hurriedly decided to assist us if possible in our evident determination to escape, and then sail away to other climes. The reward of fifty pounds they ignored—so we understood them to say. That is the gist of what the darkies told us.
We now held a brief council of war, as it was necessary to decide upon some plan of action, and that quickly.
We were unanimously of opinion that we should pull straight out to sea and trust to meeting a favourable breeze, or, better still, a friendly vessel.
My shipmates tried to insist on my taking a complete rest, and allowing them and the negroes to pull; but I could not consent to this plan, tempting as it was, for I was feeling much stronger, and knew full well that we should have to strain every nerve to escape, as the pirates were hardly likely to sit down quietly and twirl their thumbs while they had one or perhaps two vessels in the roadstead on the other side of the island.
That we should be chased was a dead certainty, especially as it was evident that the volcanic outbursts were now diminishing in violence. The pirates would naturally be anxious for the safety of any property they might have upon the island; but still our escape was of much more serious import to them, for, of course, they knew only too well that we should denounce them to the authorities and betray the whereabouts of their island.
We pulled vigorously, therefore, often casting anxious glances towards the jutting capes which marked the extremities of the pirates’ lair. A thick curtain of smoke hung over the centre of the island and obscured the view.
“Ha!” cried Ned, “yonder comes the brig, or one of their blooming craft.”