“No, thank you, sir,” replied the stout-hearted master, “you have set me to rights, and given me food and water, and I will touch at Saint Helena or Ascension for more, if necessary, and hope, with God’s providence, to find my way safe up the Mersey. I have been in a worse plight than this, and provided the leak doesn’t break out again, or my men fall sick, and we don’t run short of provisions and water, we shall get home in time. You will come below, sir, before you leave, and let my wife thank you. She is grateful for all you have done for us. It is the only return we can make, under present circumstances.”
Tom accepted the invitation, and found the master’s wife seated on sofa, and a very ladylike person she seemed to be, though she looked dreadfully ill.
“I shall be better soon, I trust, now that I have some wholesome food; but we are in God’s hands. He knows best what is good for us, and we must not repine. You and your men, sir, have saved our lives, for we could not have held out many hours longer; and accept our gratitude. Our prayers will be offered for your safety wherever you go.”
Tom could remain but a couple of minutes. His men having performed their tasks, had returned to the ship, and his boat was the only one alongside. He jumped into her, feeling very doubtful whether the Argo would ever reach home in safety.
“Go ahead!” cried the captain, as Tom’s boat was hoisted up, and the Bellona soon left the unfortunate Argo astern. In a few hours, however, they met a strong breeze, which they hoped would fill her sails and waft her on her way.
In consequence of the expenditure of so much coal, the Bellona had to touch at the Cape. Jack and Tom made every possible inquiry for Lord Saint Maur, but they could gain no tidings of the Dutch ship.
“He must, then, have gone on to Batavia. I was in hopes that he might have put in here,” observed Tom.
Jack was surprised that the Empress had not got in, as he thought that she could have done so before him, in consequence of his delay in assisting the Argo. Some time was occupied in taking in coal and fresh water and provisions, to make up for the stores supplied to the merchant vessel. He waited until the last moment he felt justified in doing, but still the Empress did not appear, and he then had to continue his course up the Mozambique Channel, with which he and Green were so well acquainted, and onwards to Aden.
Here he found numerous ships of war, and several transports and store ships. The troops were to proceed up the Red Sea to Massowah, a port belonging to the Egyptians, at which the Foreign Office had obtained permission for the disembarkation of the forces destined to march to the rescue of the British prisoners held captive by Theodore, the tyrant King of Abyssinia. Colliers also were arriving with coal to supply motive power, both for the transit of troops and also for the purpose of condensing from the sea fresh water for the use of men and animals.
The Bellona, in company with numerous other ships, now proceeded up the Red Sea. On their arrival in the neighbourhood of their destined port, they found that a convenient landing-place had been selected at Zulla, on the shore of Annesley Bay.