In less than half an hour we were back again aboard, and as the trader clambered over the side, he was greeted by his daughter. He was evidently surprised, for he threw his head back until his beard, sticking upward from his throat beneath his collar, stood out straight in a most aggressive manner. It evidently had its effect on the young lady’s spirits.

“You don’t seem overpleased to have me here again,” she said before he had spoken.

Yankee Dan gave a loud grunt of protest.

“Are you going clear to the coast, and be aboard when we take ’em on, hey?” said he, with a show of sarcasm in his harsh voice.

“I’m going with you, and you may put me ashore with Aunt Mary at St. Helena, or on board some vessel bound for New York, so I can get to Uncle Henry’s. I’m not going to stay ashore here,” she answered.

219Then the father turned away; the interview ended as Hawkson came up.

Fearing trouble for the vessel in her dismasted condition when she arrived, her treasure had been removed ashore, so that in case some prying man-of-war should happen to take charge on suspicion, it would be safe. This alone saved the enterprise from failure that morning, but, when the story of the brig’s rascally skipper had been related to the trader, he instantly started ashore with Mr. Gull and a couple of men, to get the gold at once from Mr. Curtis, in order that there might be no delay in getting to sea and overhauling the brig, if only to give him a lesson in trading etiquette. At this time slave-traders were not overscrupulous in their dealing, and among themselves were little better than pirates, for they would seldom hesitate to overhaul or rob each other, knowing that the slaver robbed could get no redress without admitting guilt of similar transactions.

By the time he returned, the barque was hove short, and her sails ready to sheet home, and the young lady, who had already gone below to her cabin, was not given much thought by either her father or the old skipper. As the boat drew up alongside, I noticed Mr. Curtis aboard, but he took no thought of me as he came on deck. In an instant we had hooked the boat on and whisked her 220on deck, and in less than five minutes we were starting out to sea before a light westerly breeze that sent us along about five knots.

I cleared the guns and loaded them all, and then a man was sent aloft to keep a lookout for a sail, which we all hoped might be the Yankee brig. We were on our course for the African coast, but might alter it if occasion offered.

The old barque sailed well with her new topmasts, and, if anything, she showed a bit faster, as her main was now a foot higher and her new-cut topsail a little deeper. Much of her fine gear was gone, but what we had purchased in Funchal was of the best quality, and we had lines enough to rig another ship. Altogether she made a good showing, and even Mr. Gull’s crew, who had eaten much goat meat, and in consequence were in prime condition, were not sorry to get back aboard her.

All day we held to the southward over an almost glassy ocean, ruffled here and there by the falling breeze, and by sunset we were rewarded by Big Jones’s yell from the foretop: “Sail dead ahead, sir.”

We were going too slow to tell just what the vessel might be before dark. Her royals were showing white on the clear blue line, and the sun went down before even her topsails rose above the horizon. The white of her cloth, however, gave us 221some hope, for Americans used white canvas, and the brig could not be very far ahead of us, and undoubtedly bound on the same course.

It was calm all night, but somehow the barque slid along, and by daylight the fellow ahead could be made out plainly not over three miles distant. It was the brig, and the long skipper was evidently not much disturbed at our approach, for he took in his after stunsails and wallowed along slowly over the smooth swell.

We were through breakfast before we knew anything of Howard’s plans, although there had been much speculation among the men forward, some, who had suffered in the fracas the evening before, being especially anxious to try conclusions with the men who had inadvertently dropped the ............