CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.
DIFFICULT PRISONERS.
Never was morning greeted with greater joy than by the crew of the_Nautilus'_ first cutter. For with the darkness half the troubles towhich they were exposed faded away; and though tired out from longwatching, excitement, and loss of sleep, the bright sunshine made thingslook quite hopeful. So when the midshipman had partaken of a goodbreakfast and attended to Mr Russell's wants, he felt ready to believethat his brother officer was a little better, and had understood himwhen he spoke, for there was a look of intensity in his countenancewidely different from the vacant, drowsy aspect which had been so markedever since the hour when he was struck down.
On deck there was so much to see to that weariness was soon forgotten.There were the unfortunate blacks to feed on both vessels, though thishad already grown into a much simpler task, Soup and Taters givingorders to the men they had selected to help them; and these latter, nowthat they had thoroughly grasped the fact that nothing but good wasintended by their fresh captors, eagerly devoting themselves to the taskof distributing the rations amongst their unfortunate fellow-countryfolk, and watching Mark and his men with the greatest intentness as theystrove to comprehend their wishes.
That morning, as soon as the party on board the first schooner wasprovisioned, the boat was manned, and Fillot, accompanied by Soup, wentaboard the second schooner, where all proved to be satisfactory, Tatersgreeting them smilingly, while the emancipated slaves were ready to liedown on the deck.
"To make it soft for us to walk upon," Tom said on his return.
This was eagerly looked for by Mark, who had spent his time watching theschooner astern, and the shore a couple of miles away, in the hope oftheir coming upon a town where he could land his prisoners, theirpresence on board being risky in the extreme.
Tom Fillot's return was looked for so eagerly on account of the actionof the prisoners, who had begun to clamour for the hatch to be opened,and after several orders to be silent had been disregarded, now beatheavily on the hatchway cover, and shouted to be let out.
Mark had deferred taking any action while his right-hand man was absent;but the uproar became at last so obstreperous that he walked to thecable-covered hatchway and struck heavily upon the deck.
"Now," he said, sharply, "what is it?"
"Look here, squaire," came in the skipper's muffled tones, "guess yewdon't want to kill us?"
"Then have off that there hatch. We're being smothered: that's so."
"It's not true," said Mark, firmly. "The ventilator's open."
"Wal, that say gives 'bout air enough for one man to drink in. We wantmore."
"You're getting more now than you considered enough for thoseunfortunate blacks, sir. So be silent, or I'll have you all in irons."
"Don't you try it, mister," cried the skipper. "But look here, squaire,we want our breakfast."
"Your rations shall be served out to you all in good time," repliedMark.
"But we want 'em now, mister; my lads are half famished."
"I tell you that you shall have them soon, so wait patiently."
"Wall, don't be ugly about it, squaire. We're not ugly now. Look here,it's hot and smothering down here. Let us come up on deck and have aconfab about this business. It's of no use for us to quarrel about it,so let's square matters."
"I don't understand you."
"Yew don't? Wall, look here; yew've took the schooner, and I s'poseshe's your prize if yew say yew ain't pirates. 'Scuse me for thinkingyew was, seeing as yew came in a schooner as don't look a bit like aBritannic Majesty's ship o' war."
"I told you that was a prize to her Majesty's ship."
"Ah, so yew did, and now yew've got another, but yew don't want a lot o'Murrican corpses aboard, squaire, so let us out, so as we can breathe.We'll make a truce with yew."
The boat had come back from the second prize, and Tom Fillot walked upto look on, listening and wondering.
"You mean to say that if I let you come on deck--you and your men--youwill not attempt to escape or recapture the schooner?"
"That's so, captain."
Tom made an angry gesticulation, and took a step nearer to his youngofficer.
"Then to show your good faith," cried Mark, "hand up all your pistolsthrough the ventilator."
There was a few moments' silence, and Tom slapped his knee softly.
"Well, do you hear?" cried Mark.
"Wall, captain, I'm willing," said the skipper, "but my lads here sayair yew to be trusted? and what's to become o' them if they come up andyew and yewr men turn nasty, and them without weepons?"
"You heard what I said, sir; hand up your pistols," said Mark, firmly.
"Guess we can't do that, squaire. But look here, captain."
The complimentary title did no good, for Mark turned sharply away.
"See that some biscuit and water are lowered down to these people,Fillot," he cried.
"Ay, ay, sir."
"Biscuit--water?" roared the American skipper, his voice coming upthrough the ventilator with a yell. "Yew don't mean to say--"
He stopped short to listen to Tom Fillot's next words.
"Shall we open the hatch, sir?"
"No; lower all down through the ventilator," cried Mark, from where hehad walked.
Tom Fillot joined him, with a grim smile on his countenance, soon after.
"Hear the skipper, sir?" he said.
"No; what did he say?"
Tom Fillot gave the midshipman a comical look.
"I don't think you'd care to hear what he said, sir. But my word, he isin a snag. Swears he'll be even with you yet, sir, and that we're a setof thieves and pirates, and not British sailors at all."
"I thought you were not going to tell me what he said, Tom."
"I ain't, sir. That was only some of the nice innercent bits. You'llexcuse me, sir, won't you?"
"Excuse what?"
"Just hinting again about the irons, or setting of 'em afloat near theshore."
"I'll excuse you, Tom Fillot, but I shall not do it."
"Very good, sir; you're officer, I'm only man; but I'm afeared of 'em."
"I don't believe it, Tom."
"Well, sir, I don't mean feared in one way, but in the t'other. I meanI'm feared they'll get out, and if they do, and we surwive, they'lleither put us in irons or set us ashore."
"They've got to get out yet, Tom. That cable's heavy enough to keepthem from opening the hatch."
"Yes, sir; it's heavy enough, but I can't feel sure of 'em. TheseYankees are such clever chaps. It's wonderful what dodges and tricksthey can think of. I only wish the _Naughtylass_ would heave in sight,and take charge of both schooners. The blacks are enough to take careon without a gang o' savage chaps like them below."