Adair was sorely tempted to go home by the first opportunity, instead of taking command of the Romp; but two motives prevented him—first, he had been appointed commander; and, secondly, hoped by capturing a number of dhows to be able to pick up some prize-money, which might assist him in setting up house when he got back to England.
“I say, Uncle Terence, am I to follow you on board the brig or to remain here?” asked Desmond, when he heard of Adair’s appointment and promotion.
“If the commander can spare you, I think, Desmond, I will take you with me,” answered Adair, “but it must depend upon him. He may be unwilling to lose the services of so valuable an officer.”
“Arrah now, Uncle Terence, you’re poking fun at me,” exclaimed Desmond; “but I’m after thinking how Archie Gordon will get on without me. We’ve been together ever since he came to sea, and it will seem strange to him and to me if we’re separated.”
“I’ve a notion that each of you will get along very well by yourselves, and neither of you will be able to lead the other into mischief,” said Adair.
“Mischief d’ye mane, Uncle Terence,” cried Desmond; “sure it’s what neither of us are capable of.”
“No, of course you are both of you wonderfully well-conducted young gentlemen,” replied Adair; “and, besides, you are getting rather too old for playing monkey tricks; but still I’d rather keep my eye upon you, and so I intend to ask Commander Murray to lend you to the Romp till she’s ordered home.”
The next day the corvette reached Zanzibar, where the first object which greeted the eyes of those on board was a fast-looking screw-steamer such as had never before appeared in those waters. The first person who stepped on board was Jack Rogers, looking as fresh and jolly as if he had just come from England, instead of having been roasting in the East for the last two years or more. Following him came Tom, who dived down into the midshipmen’s berth to have a talk with his old friends.
Jack expressed himself well pleased with the steamer, though he had never belonged to one before. “The only bother is that I don’t understand the engineer’s reports; and when he tells me that so much steam has been blown off, all I can reply is, ‘Make it so,’” he observed, laughing; “however, I suppose I shall know all about it by and by, as I go down as often as I can into the engine-room and inspect the machinery, with as knowing a look as I can assume. I’ve a notion that the engineer has found me out, but he is a discreet man, and doesn’t take advantage of my ignorance; so I expect to get on very well, and hope that we shall catch no end of dhows, which will be unprepared for our mode of making our way through the water.”
Adair at once went on board the Romp, accompanied by Desmond, who took Tom’s berth. Thus the three young commanders found themselves all together, each captain of his respective ship. Their great object was the suppression of the slave-trade; for this purpose they laid their heads together to concoct a scheme to carry it effectually out. Their plan was to proceed along the coast, each taking up a position a couple of hundred miles or so apart, and to send their respective boats’ crews north and south, thus keeping up the chain of communication, imparting information, and the one aiding the other.