“Now, then, young man, hurry up and get your kit ready as fast as you please. You are to come with me in the Francesca.”
“No!” exclaimed the youth with incredulous delight. “You don’t really mean it, do you, Grenvile? You’re only having me on.”
“Indeed I am not,” answered I. “The skipper has just told me that I may have you. He thinks that a little real hard work in a small vessel will do you a lot of good, and there I fully agree with him,” I added grimly.
“Oh, hard work be hanged!” exclaimed the lad joyously. “I’m not afraid of hard work, as you very well know, Dick. And it will be simply glorious to get away from the taut discipline of the Shark for a little while, to say nothing of the possibility of another such adventure as your last. But a pirate won’t have it all his own way this time if he attempts to meddle with us, I can tell you, for the schooner mounts eight long nines, and carries a long eighteen on her forecastle. I say, Grenvile, can’t we manage to have a little cruise on our own account? The skipper would forgive us, I’m sure, if we were lucky enough to take in a prize or two.”
“Not to be thought of, my friend,” answered I severely. “We are to make the best of our way to Sierra Leone—the best of our way, do you understand? Besides, the brig and we are to sail in company; and Fawcett won’t stand any nonsense, even if I were disposed to listen to your suggestion.”
At this moment San Domingo came along. “You want me, Mr Grenvile?” he asked.
“Yes, San Domingo,” said I. “Get the kits of Mr Keene and myself ready, and also your own, as quickly as possible. We are all to go aboard the schooner.”
“Yes, massa, sartinly. I hab um ready in nex’ to no time,” answered the negro, with an expansive smile of joy irradiating his face. “P’rhaps we hab anoder adventure! Who can say?” he muttered to himself.
It was getting well on toward noon when, both prizes having been thoroughly overhauled, and such deficiencies as were discovered made good from the stores of the Shark, Mr Fawcett and I formally took over our own respective commands, and the three craft weighed and made sail in company.
I confess that I felt in exceedingly buoyant spirits, and the pain of my wounds was completely forgotten as, with young Keene beside me, I stumped fore and aft on the short quarter-deck of the schooner and keenly compared her behaviour with that of her bigger companions. The sea breeze was piping up strong, and there was enough sea running to render the advantage all in favour of the two brigs; yet, notwithstanding this, we were able to spare the Shark our topgallant-sail and still keep pace with her. But, good as was the schooner, the Doña Inez was better; so much better, indeed, that, in order to avoid running away from us, Fawcett was obliged not only to furl both topgallant-sails, but also to take a single reef in both topsails, while, even then, the brig persisted in creeping ahead, and had to be constantly checked by keeping the weather leaches of her topsails a-shiver. She was undoubtedly a wonderful craft, and doubtless Fawcett was extremely proud of her. I fear that poor Captain Bentinck felt somewhat disgusted at the indifferent figure that the Shark was cutting, compared with the other two craft, for he quite unexpectedly made the signal to part company, fired a gun, and went in stays preparatory to bearing away on a southerly course. A few minutes later San Domingo emerged from the companion with the news that luncheon was ready.