"Give him an hour on deck, Captain York, if you please, with a hand to watch him; I don't believe in running any risks."
"I am willing," replied the new master.
I untied Waterford's feet, and released him from the stanchion. As a change of position for his arms, I tied his wrists in front of him, and then led him on deck. He could hardly walk at first, but he soon recovered the use of his limbs, and I led him up and down the deck for an hour. He felt better then, and became sullen and silent. I conducted him back to the steerage. Baxter and Sanderson then led the two Spanish passengers up for their exercise, and Palmer and myself put Waterford into one of their berths.
"Do you feel better, Waterford?" I asked.
"Yes; but you haven't seen the end of this thing yet," he growled, so naturally that I was sure his condition was very much improved.
"I think I shall be more willing to see the end of it than you will," I replied. "We wish to make you as comfortable as the circumstances will admit."
He was disposed to talk with me, after the ebullition of ill-nature had subsided; but I left him to assist in giving others of the prisoners the air and exercise which they so much needed, and which it was inhuman to deny them. The seamen among them begged for mercy, and promised to serve their new masters faithfully if they were set at liberty. We decided to let Pedro and Sylvio, the least vicious of them, return to their duty, for we were rather short-handed, and were likely to have heavy weather as we made more northing. We were obliged to keep a sentinel in the steerage all the time, which made one less for duty on deck.
We went along very well for a week, having the steady trade-wind fair all the time. Then we had calms and blows by turns. One gale lasted two days; and when the men were somewhat worn down,—for we were obliged to keep all hands on deck,—we released the rest of the seamen in the steerage on their promise to be obedient. The situation of the prisoners was far from agreeable, while the vessel pitched and rolled in the heavy sea, and the Spanish and Portuguese sailors were glad to escape on any terms.
I kept a revolver in my belt all the time, and the other officers did the same; but the pirates behaved well, and gave us no trouble. When the gale subsided, we allowed the seamen to remain upon duty, they did so well; but we soon had occasion to repent this indulgence. On the eighth day of our homeward voyage I took the deck at eight bells, in charge of the starboard watch, as usual.
At six bells, Baxter, who had just been released at the wheel, came aft and told me that nearly every man in the watch was drunk. The weather looked squally, and I was alarmed at this discovery. I went below and called the captain. When he came on deck, he ordered the light sails to be taken in, and I called all hands. To my astonishment I found that more than half of the port watch were also so drunk that they could hardly stand, and were not in condition to go aloft. Things looked serious on board just then.