“They will scarcely attempt to come on shore here, I should think,” observed Devereux. “They will more probably pull along close in with the shore, and, if they can, get away from the island altogether.”
The attempt of the pirates to escape was immediately seen from the frigate, which, thereon, opened her fire to prevent them, while at the same time her boats were lowered to cut them off. The frigate’s shot had knocked one of the schooner’s boats to pieces. Most of her crew crowded into the other two, which shoved off, leaving some on board, who loudly entreated
them to return. But, overloaded as they were, they could not have done so had they wished, and it was with difficulty they reached the shore, swearing vengeance on the heads of their victors.
“It’s time for us, at all events, to be off, if we would save our throats from being cut, or our heads from being broken,” cried O’Grady, as he saw them about to land.
The rest of the party agreed with him, and signed to Charcoal to accompany them. But the old black seemed bewildered, and shook his head, to signify that he could not move as fast as they could, and that they must hurry on without him. In vain they urged him and showed him that they would help him on.
“Come, old fellow, just you get up on my back, and I will carry you,” exclaimed Reuben Cole, who was by far the strongest of the party.
Still the black refused—the whole party were in despair. It was high time, indeed, to move away from the spot, not only to escape the pirates, but to avoid the shot from the Cerberus, some of which, passing over the schooner, had struck the ground very close to them. One of the shot at length settled the dispute by flying along and striking the poor old man on the shoulder, and very nearly taking off Reuben’s head at the same time. His moments were evidently numbered, and to move him while seemingly in the agonies of death, would have been cruelty. Devereux, therefore, reluctantly ordered his followers to run for their lives, before they were discovered and pursued by the pirates. It was doubtful, indeed, whether they had not already been seen. Paul, as they came along, had observed a patch of rocky ground to the south near the shore, with low shrubs growing about it. He pointed it out to Devereux.
“Right, Gerrard, the very place for us; we’ll steer towards it,” he answered.
By running on at full speed, they had just time to conceal themselves among the rocks as the pirates reached the shore. Devereux had ordered them all to lie down, so that they were unable to observe the direction the outlaws took. O’Grady and Paul were crouching down close to each other. Both felt a strong inclination to look out from their hiding-place.