Adventures in Morocco—Search for the Lost Captain.
As the morning sun arose, lighting up Sambro Head in the distance, the clouds of night dispersed from off the sky, and with a fair breeze we ran in under the forts which guard McNab’s Island, at the entrance of the fine harbour of Halifax. The capital of Nova Scotia stands on the side of a hill facing the east, which rises gradually from the water’s edge. Its streets are wide, well laid out, and handsome, mostly crossing each other at right angles, and extending along the shores of the harbour for a distance of two miles, and running inland about half a mile. Fine wharfs, at which ships of any burden can discharge their cargoes, extend along the water’s edge; above them are the warehouses and merchants’ stores; and then come the public buildings; and, lastly, the houses of the more wealthy inhabitants. The harbour is very fine, and would hold as large a fleet as ever put to sea. The naval dockyard is also a handsome establishment, and it is the chief naval station in British North America. As it is completely open to the influence of the sea air, its anchorage is very seldom blocked up by ice. It is altogether an important place, and would become still more important in war-time.
As soon as we had dropped our anchor, Captain Gale, taking me with him to carry his papers and other articles, went on shore to find out the owners of the Dolphin. Davidson and Stenning were their names, the latter being the brother of the master, who was also part owner. He was dreadfully overcome when Captain Gale announced his errand.
“What do you mean, sir? My brave brother Walter dead! murdered by rascally pirates!” he exclaimed. “Oh, impossible!—it’s too horrid! What will his poor wife do?”
“I have my hopes that he may still be numbered among the living,” replied Captain Gale. And he then recounted all that had occurred connected with the Salee rover.
Both the gentlemen complimented the captain on the way he had behaved, and then begged him to wait to see Mrs Walter Stenning, who was residing there. After some time, during which her brother-in-law was preparing her for the captain’s communication, we were called in to see the lady. She begged that I might come too, that she might question me about having seen her husband in the rigging of the rover. She was not very young, but she was handsome, and very modest-looking; and as she was dressed in mourning, she appeared very interesting, and I for one thought that I should be ready to do anything to please her. She listened attentively to all the captain had to say; and after talking to him some time, cross-questioned me very narrowly as to how I knew that he was the man I had seen on board the rover.
“It was him—it was him, I am certain!” she exclaimed. “My good and noble husband cannot be killed. His life has been spared. I feel it—I know it. I’ll go and find him out. I’ll search for him everywhere. I’ll rescue him even if he is in the very heart of Morocco.”
“I fear, madam, that’s more than you or any other woman can accomplish,” answered Captain Gale. “But if any human being is able to rescue your husband, even though the risk may be very great, I for one shall be more than glad to engage in the work. If he’s above the water and above the earth, we’ll find him.”
There spoke the warm-hearted impetuous sailor. He did not stop to consider difficulties, but at once undertook to do what his heart prompted. It was not quite at the spur of the moment either, because he had, from the moment he thought Stenning dead, been feeling a sentiment of pity for his widow; and now he saw her sweet, amiable face, he was still more anxious to relieve her grief.
Mrs Stenning, as may be supposed, could scarcely find words to thank Captain Gale for his offer; and when he repeated it the following day, the owners replied that they would most thankfully accept it, and would put him in charge of the Dolphin, that he might go out in her to commence his search.