“‘She is a slaver, you will allow?’ I said, turning to the midshipman.
“‘A slaver!’ he said, ‘worse than that. She is a regular pirate; as such we captured her.’
“Notwithstanding what he said, I was convinced that she was simply a slaver, though the Spaniards are generally in no hurry to take such vessels. We returned on deck, and I kept my eye on my friend and his men.
“The brig’s crew had all been removed, he told me.
“‘We shall see them, then, hanging at your yardarm tomorrow morning,’ I observed.
“‘Oh no! we do not treat our prisoners in so summary a manner,’ he answered.
“We paced the deck for some time together, while I turned a somewhat anxious eye towards the schooner, hoping soon to see Norris return.
“Norris, as I afterwards learnt, as he got near the Spanish schooner observed her guns pointed down at his boat, ready to sink her in a moment. Undaunted, however, he pulled alongside. No opposition was offered to his coming on board. When he got on deck he found the fighting-lanterns ranged along it, sixty marines drawn up with muskets in their hands and swords by their sides, and fully two hundred men at their quarters. At the gangway stood the captain, a thin, short, wizen-faced man, with an immense moustache, who, as Norris appeared, began stamping with his feet, and swearing roundly in Spanish—
“‘Who are you? How dared you go on board yonder brig?’ he asked.
“‘I am an officer of her Britannic Majesty’s frigate Plantagenet,’ answered Norris, having a good notion of the proper way to meet such a fellow. ‘I obey the orders of my captain. He supposes her to be a slaver, and if she is not, all I can say is, she is very much like one.’