Drawing his automatic pistol he clapped the muzzle to the pilot's temple. The touch of cold steel did what words had failed to do. Abject terror was banished by the stern menace of that small yet powerful weapon.
"No shoot, senhor capitan!" howled the wretched man. "Me take you ober: no shoot."
Captain Restronguet replaced his pistol, the pilot, still shaking, stood in front of the helmsman in the fore-conning-tower and directed him by movements of his hand. Four minutes sufficed to bring the "Aphrodite," rolling like a barrel, through the agitated water on the bar, and thus after nearly a month of inaction the avenging submarine floated in the turgid waters of the broad Zambezi.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
IN THE BALLAST TANK.
At Marromea Captain Restronguet paid the pilot, who was taken ashore in a native boat. The Portuguese, as soon as he received his money and found that he had not been harmed, became quite enthusiastic over the generous "Ingles," and vowed that, whatever other work he had in hand, he would await the "Aphrodite" on her return. "If the senhors ever come back," he added darkly, for he knew the effect of the pestilential climate upon unseasoned Europeans.
Marromea, where the Portuguese once had a fairly prosperous trading station, had fallen into decay. Fever had decimated the inhabitants, the railway, intended to fellow the course of the river and effect a junction with the Cape to Cairo line at Victoria Falls, had been abandoned. Long grass and tropical foliage had already hidden the melancholy remains from view.
There were scarcely thirty Portuguese in the place; the others were natives who, being partly civilized, were infinitely greater scoundrels than their unenlightened brethren. Of the thirty Portuguese, two-thirds of the number were Government officials, and with the idea of displaying their powers, threw every obstacle in Captain Restronguet's way. Dues were demanded and paid, then a peremptory request to be shown the ship's papers--documents that the "Aphrodite" did not possess.
Fortunately Hythe had a sheet of printed matter that he had brought off at Gibraltar with his purchases, and this was duly presented. After a lengthy scrutiny the officials returned it, saying the papers were quite in order but forty milreis must be paid to visé them.
"I'll see you to Jericho, first!" exclaimed Captain Restronguet wrathfully, and ordering his men to arm themselves he paraded them on deck as a gentle hint to the mercenary representatives of the Portuguese Republic.