“I have been thinking,” said Harry, “that we ought to have a leader who should decide what we should do. It will save a good deal of trouble and discussion.”
“You are right, Mr Bracewell,” said Tom, “that’s what I’ve been thinking too; and I propose that we at once elect Mr Westerton, Mr Harry’s brother. Although I’m older than any of you, he’s a naval officer, and I for one shall be ready to obey him.”
Of course Harry and I agreed to this, and Aboh, who understood almost everything we said, nodded his head, just to show that he also consented to the proposal.
“I will do my best, my friends,” said Charley, “although, had you chosen Mr Tubbs, I should have been willing to follow him, for I feel convinced that he is a man of courage and judgment.”
“Thank you, sir, for your good opinion,” said Tom. “You have been more accustomed to command than I have, although I shall be happy to give you any advice whenever you ask it, to the best of my power.”
“Well, then,” said Charley, “the first use I will make of my authority is to select a northerly route. I have been trying to recall the map of the country, which I frequently studied on board the ‘Rover,’ and I think we shall, by proceeding as I propose, fall in with the Gaboon River, at the mouth of which there is a French settlement. I remember that three days before the frigate captured the pirate we sighted Cape Lopez, some way to the south of which I calculate we now are, in what I think is called the Pongo country.”
“I believe you are right, sir,” said Tom. “We shall have to make a pretty long march though, I suspect; but if we can manage to keep near the coast, we may sight a ship, and by making signals, get her to send a boat on shore to take us off; always provided there happens to be no great amount of surf.”
“Well then, friends, if you are all rested, we will commence our march,” said Charley. “We will first, however, try to overtake the blacks, who, as Mr Tubbs observes, have been led by their instinct, or rather their knowledge of the country, in the direction where water is to be found; and I daresay you all feel as I do—very thirsty.”
“That I do, sir,” said Tom. “I feel for all the world as if my mouth was a dust-hole, and that a bucketful of hot cinders had been thrown into it.”
We confessed that our sensations were very similar to those Tom described. We accordingly all got up and shouldered our packs, for neither Harry nor I would allow Aboh to carry our any longer; not that we thought he would attempt to run away with them. We told him, however, when we camped in the evening, that we would divide them, so as to give him a separate package, and thus we should all have an equal load to carry. Aboh pointed out the direction in which, from the appearance of the trees, he believed we should find water, and eagerly led the way.