The Congo Rovers: A Story of the Slave Squadron - Harry Collingwood

From Banana Creek the two brigs proceeded in company to Sierra Leone, where the Black Venus was soon afterwards adjudicated upon and condemned as a pirate, my evidence and that of the other six survivors from the Daphne being accepted as conclusive of the fact that she had been guilty of at least one act of piracy; namely, in the case of the Highland Chieftain. Her crew were committed to prison upon heavy sentences, meted out in proportion to the comparative guilt of the parties; but additional evidence shortly afterwards cropping up—that of poor Richards of the Juliet amongst it—additional charges were preferred against them; and Madera, who proved to be the half-brother of the fictitious Monsieur Le Breton, late of the Virginia, with his officers and several of his men, suffered the penalty of death by hanging.

Smellie’s wound proving unexpectedly troublesome, he was ordered home that he might have the benefit of a more temperate climate to assist his recovery, and he accordingly took passage for London in a tidy little barque, the Lilian, Don Manuel and his daughter, with old Dolores, all of whom had gone on to Sierra Leone with us, also engaging berths in the same vessel. The survivors from the Daphne being also ordered home to stand their trial for the loss of that vessel, I thought I could not do better than secure one of the remaining berths in the Lilian’s cabin—the men being accommodated in the steerage. Thus we had the mutual pleasure of each other’s society all the way home.

The passage was a long but uneventful one, and by the time that we arrived in the Chops of the Channel Smellie’s wound had taken so favourable a turn that he was almost as well as ever, save and except for a little lingering weakness and shakiness in his lower spars, which, somehow, obstinately continued to need the assistance and support of Doña Antonia’s fair arm whenever the two promenaded the deck together. My gallant superior was extremely anxious to be married immediately on the ship’s arrival, and after the usual protestations and pleadings for delay with which engaged maidens delight to torment their lovers, Doña Antonia so far yielded as to consent to the wedding taking place on the earliest possible day after my trial, so that I might be present at the ceremony.

And this arrangement was duly carried out; the trial by court-martial being, of course, a mere form, from which I and my fellow-survivors emerged with a full acquittal, accompanied, in my case, by a few very gracious and complimentary remarks from the president on the manner in which I had conducted myself during my short period of service.

As for Smellie, he found himself fully confirmed in his rank of commander, with the gracious intimation that, in appreciation of his valued services, an appointment would be at his disposal whenever he felt himself sufficiently recovered to ask for it, which he did after a six months’ sojourn at home with his young wife. I sailed with him in the capacity of midshipman, and in the West Indies and elsewhere we passed through several stirring adventures together, the record of which may possibly be given in the future.

The End.