“Ah, how I wish we could get a chance to give the swabs the slip!” the latter whispered to me just after our arms had been bound that evening. “It’s when their numbers are reduced like this that we could best give ’em the good-bye, p’raps. However, ’tain’t no use talking. They’re all armed to the teeth; and even now, with their reduced numbers, they are eight to one, to say nothing of them great bloodhounds, which, I notice, the chief has left behind him—just to worrit us, I’ll be bound.”
“As to escaping,” I said, “it’s impossible. Even if we tried to break away when we’re out for exercise, the pirates would shoot us down before we could get clear of the terrace, and—”
I was interrupted by the sentries taking up their position at the doorway; and it was dangerous to converse on such a topic, for fear that some of them knew a smattering of English.
I racked my brains to think of any plan of escape. So did my fellow-prisoners. Nothing seemed feasible. Our prospects were dark indeed, unless help came from over the seas; and even in that eventuality it might be the sounding of our death-knell, for we felt convinced that the pirates, if worked up to a frenzy, would not stick at trifles.
We invented a sort of gibberish language, in which we could converse without fear of being understood; but even this we used with extreme caution, for fear of accidents. The words were formed in a very simple manner, although it required some practice to speak them rapidly; and of course, the quicker the enunciation, the less chance of the gibberish being intelligible to others.
One morning, when we were feeling particularly despondent, and had hardly been able to get through our not very appetising breakfast, we felt a sudden and very alarming oscillation of the ground on which we were seated, and this was followed by a deep rumble like the sound of thunder or distant artillery.
“An earthquake, surely!” exclaimed Mr. Triggs in a tone which sounded almost terror-stricken.
“Or is it the guns of a fleet?” I cried wildly; “friends come at last to release us.”
“Don’t be alarmed or put about,” said Ned, who had remained perfectly calm; “’tis only an earthquake, and a slight one at that. I’ve felt heaps of ’em off the coast of Chili, and don’t care a snap of the fingers for ’em. They are as common in them regions as wet days are in England.”
Mr. Triggs looked relieved.