Jack Jimmy shook his head violently again, and cried, “Yes, yes, Garamighty, massa, massa!” he continued, “big, big English ship, take massa.”
“And where is the ship?”
“In St. Thomas’, massa,” answered Jack Jimmy.
“Make sail,” was Lorenzo’s immediate command; “keep her way.”
The schooner immediately sheered off to the wind, and in an instant was bounding over the waves for St. Thomas’.
When she neared the island, Lorenzo prudently cast her in the wind, and remained lying too until it was dark, at which time he drew nearer the harbour, and making use of a boat, recognoitred the “big English ship,” as Jack Jimmy had described it.
After the officer had properly examined the large ship-of-war which held his chief captive, and had managed to elicit further and more explicit information from Jack Jimmy, whose excitement of nerves had now a little subsided, he began to think of the measures which he ought to take to effect the liberation of his friend and superior. His first impulse was to fife to arms, to attack the huge fabric, whose very sides seemed to frown destruction on the light schooner. Prudence, on reflection, however, forbad such a step. There was too great disproportion between the large ship and the small craft of the pirates, and between the armament and complement of the one and of the other; and even if, by a fierce and sudden assault, the pirates should carry the man-of-war, what chance was there of rescuing the chief? Probably he was secured in some deep recess below decks, whither, perhaps, even the roar of the ship’s guns could scarcely echo; and if even the comparatively few men that composed the crew of the schooner, could gain any advantage over the four-times more numerous complement of the ship, it could only amount to a mere temporary possession of the upper deck. Besides, the whole harbour, on the event of a combat, would be alarmed, and it was probable that the pirates, even if victors, would be entirely unable to contend against the multitudes which would be dispatched against them from the shore. “No, I must try other means,” thought the officer. After much deliberation, he at last resolved on the plan of watching the ship-of-war, and of discovering, by every possible means, in what part of the vessel Appadocca was confined, so that he might attempt a surreptitious entry on board, and carry away the prisoner.
For that purpose he sent three men ashore in disguise, that they might procure as much information as possible. These were not long at a loss in devising means for doing so.
The pirate schooner was manned by individuals who had been of a superior class in society, before they exiled themselves from it. Chiefly men of education, they were doubly dangerous in their illicit pursuits, inasmuch as they could bring to bear upon their purposes, the assistance of art, and the power of inventing.