"Sayd," answered the Arab immediately, showing that he understood what was said.

Charley was now steering the boat to the northward. In a short time day broke, and as the sun rose, his rays fell on the white canvas of the corvette, which was standing close-hauled to the south-west, her black hull just seen above the horizon.

"Hurrah!" cried Charley, "there's the old 'barky'; I hope we shall soon be on board."

"If she stands on that course she'll pa.s.s us," said Ned.

"No fear of that," answered Charley; "she'll soon be about, and we shall be on board and all to rights."

He was not mistaken; the corvette immediately tacked, her canvas, which had hitherto seemed of snowy whiteness, being thrown into dark shadow.

She now stood towards the south-east, on a course which would bring her so near that the boat would soon be seen from her deck. Before long she again came to the wind.

"She is going about again!" exclaimed Ned.

"No, no, she's heaving to to pick up one of the boats," answered Charley.

He was again right; in a few minutes the sails were once more filled, and she stood on. The wind being light, the midshipmen had to wait for some time before they were certain that the boat was seen. The corvette again appeared as if about to pa.s.s them, but soon put about, and in less than a quarter of an hour she hove to, to enable Charley to steer alongside.

"Hurrah!" he shouted as he approached, "we have them all safe."

A cheer rose from the throats of the crew as they received this announcement. Ned with his companions were a.s.sisted up the side. As he pa.s.sed along the gangway he observed the unusual appearance which the deck presented, covered as it was by an almost countless number of black figures, men, women, and children, most of them squatting down in the att.i.tudes they had been compelled to preserve on board the slave vessels. He had, however, to make his way aft to the commander, who put out his hand and cordially congratulated him on his escape.

Ned having reported what had happened to himself, added, "There's a poor Arab with me, sir, who requires to be looked after by the doctor. He seems grateful to me for having kept him afloat until the canoe picked us up."

"In other words you saved his life, Garth, at the peril of your own, as far as I can understand. The surgeon will attend to him; and I hope the risk he has run of losing his life will induce him to give up slave-trading for the future. Now, my lad, you must turn into your hammock, you look as if you required rest."

Ned confessed that such was the case, but hinted that he and Sayd would first of all be glad of some food. This was soon brought him, and scarcely a minute had pa.s.sed after he had tumbled into his hammock before he was fast asleep.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

Ned was allowed to take as long a rest as he liked, and it was not until hammocks were piped up the next morning that he awoke. Scarcely had he reached the deck when Sayd, who immediately knew him, hurried up, and making a profound salaam, pressed his hand, and in his broken English warmly thanked him for saving his life.

"I am very glad to have done so," said Ned; "and, as the commander says, the best way you can show your grat.i.tude is to give up slave-dealing for the future, and turn honest trader."

The young Arab evidently did not understand the meaning of what Ned had said, possibly had he done so he would have declared that he was merely following an occupation which his people considered perfectly lawful, and that he saw no reason why he should abandon it. Although he could not exchange many words, Ned felt greatly drawn towards his new friend.

There was something very pleasing in the young Arab's manner; indeed, in every sense of the word, he appeared to be a gentleman. Ned, however, had his duties to perform, and could not just then hold much conversation with him. Both officers and crew were occupied from morning till night in attending to the liberated slaves, who had in the first place to be washed from the filth in which they had lived on board the dhows; they had then to be fed, and most of them also had to be clothed, while constant attention was required to keep each gang on the part of the deck allotted to it. Ned, on inquiring for the dhows, found that all those captured had been destroyed, with the exception of one, on board which the Arab crews had been placed, and allowed to go about their business, as it would have been inconvenient to keep them on board until they could be earned to Aden or Zanzibar.

The ship was now steering for the Seych.e.l.les Islands, the nearest place at which negroes could be landed without the risk of again being enslaved. There were upwards of three hundred of these poor creatures on board, of all tints, from yellow and brown to ebon black. Some few, chiefly Gallas, were fine-looking people, with nothing of the negro in their features, and of a dark copper colour; but the greater number, according to European notions, were excessively ugly specimens of the human race. Many were in a deplorable condition, having been long crammed together on the bamboo decks of the dhow, without being even able to sit upright. Several of the women had infants in their arms, the poor little creatures being mere living skeletons; not a few of them, indeed, died as they were being removed from the slavers to the ship. Most of the slaves, both men and women, looked wretched in the extreme, for the only food they had received for many weeks was a handful of rice and half a cocoa-nut full of water. On board two of the captured dhows not more than three bags of grain were found to feed between eighty and a hundred people. At first the poor creatures, when placed on the man-of-war's deck, looked terrified in the extreme, but the kindness they received from the officers and seamen soon rea.s.sured them. The rough "tars" at all hours of the day might be seen nursing the babies or tending the sick, lifting those unable to walk from place to place, or carrying them their food. Not a grumble was heard among the crew, although their patience was severely taxed. The provisions, consisting of grain and rice, having been boiled in the ship's coppers, were served out at stated times in large bowls to the different messes.

As soon as the food was cooked, the seamen told off for the purpose came along the deck with the huge bowls in their hands, one of which was placed in the midst of each tribe, or gang, of blacks, who lost no time in falling to, using their fingers to transfer the hot food to their mouths, often squabbling among each other when any one was supposed to take more than his or her share. Ned was as active as any one in tending the poor Africans, much to the astonishment of Sayd, who could not understand why white men should interest themselves about a set of wretched savages, as he considered them. Ned tried to explain that, as they had souls, it was the duty of Christian men to try and improve their condition, and that no people had a right to enslave their fellow-creatures; but though Sayd was intelligent enough about most matters, he failed to understand Ned's arguments, and evidently retained his own opinion to the last. Notwithstanding this, their friendship continued. Ned took great pains to teach Sayd English, which he appeared especially anxious to learn.

With the a.s.sistance of the Arab, he made inquiries among all the negroes in the hopes of hearing something about Tom Baraka's family, but nothing could he learn which could lead him to suppose that any one on board was acquainted with them. Even Charley was almost as anxious as he was on the subject, though he owned that he had little hope of success.

"You might as well try to find a needle in a bundle of hay," he observed.

Sayd, too, a.s.sured him that so many thousands had been carried off from their families, it would be scarcely possible to identify Baraka's wife and child.

Happily the sea was smooth and the wind moderate, for had bad weather come on, the sufferings of the slaves would have been greatly increased.

At length Mahe, the largest of the Seych.e.l.les group, appeared ahead, and a pilot coming on board, the "Ione" brought up in Port Victoria.

Everywhere on sh.o.r.e the most beautiful tropical vegetation was seen; the hills covered to their summits with trees, cottages and plantations on the more level ground, while here and there bright coloured cliffs peeped out amid the green foliage. Mahe was p.r.o.nounced to be a very pretty island indeed, and although so close under the line, it is considered an extremely healthy one.

The slaves were landed, some of them being hired by the planters, while others set up for themselves on ground allotted to them by the government. Before leaving the Seych.e.l.les, Commander Curtis had the satisfaction of seeing the larger number of emanc.i.p.ated negroes comfortably settled, and several having agreed to keep house together were legally married. In most respects, after all their troubles, they were far better off than they would have been in their own country, as they were free from the attacks of hostile tribes or wild animals, and ran no risk of again being carried off by Arab slave dealers.

Once more the "Ione" was at sea, and steering so as to cross the track of the slavers. Several dhows were seen, but being to leeward, effected their escape. Others which came in sight to the southward were compelled to heave to, and were boarded, but these turned out to be legal traders. Though many had blacks on board, it could not be proved that they were slaves. At length two were caught having full cargoes of slaves, and with these the "Ione" returned to Zanzibar. Sayd had by this time learned so much English, that, as Ned had hoped, the office of interpreter was offered to him by Commander Curtis. Sayd replied that he had friends on sh.o.r.e whom he would consult on the subject. The following day he returned.

"Are you going to remain with us?" asked Ned.

"After some time perhaps, not now," answered Sayd, without giving any further reason for not accepting the situation. He was as friendly as ever, and expressed his grat.i.tude for the kindness he had received; he had, however, made up his mind to remain on sh.o.r.e, and having bade farewell to Ned and his other friends on board, he took his departure.

"I for one am glad to be rid of the fellow," observed Rhymer, as he was seated at the head of the table in the midshipmen's berth. "Like all Arabs, I have no doubt that he is a great rascal, though he is so soft and insinuating in his manners."

"I hope that he is an exception to the rule," answered Ned, not liking to have his friend run down.

"How dare you oppose your opinion to mine, youngster?" exclaimed Rhymer.

"As you claim the credit of saving his life, you think it necessary to praise him; but if any of us fall into his power, he'd show his grat.i.tude by cutting our throats with as little compunction as any other Arab would have."

Charley sided with Ned; but the majority of those present thought Rhymer was not far wrong in the opinion he expressed.

The "Ione" having replenished her stores, again sailed on a cruise to the southward. Week after week, however, went by and not a prize was taken. It was very tantalising. Dhows were frequently seen and chased, but those which were overhauled proved to be legal traders. It was the old story over again. The Arabs were evidently too cunning to be caught; only those who had no cause to dread the British cruisers got in her way, and the rest kept out of it. That thousands of slaves were being embarked and carried northward there could be no doubt, but how to catch the dhows with slaves on board was the question. The commander resolved to try and outwit the Arabs. He had heard at Zanzibar that many of their vessels kept close in-sh.o.r.e, both to avoid the British cruisers and to fill up their cargoes with any negroes they might entrap. He accordingly determined to send the boats in with strong crews well-armed and provisioned to lie in wait among the small islands off the sh.o.r.e, that should any dhows appear in sight, they might pounce down on them and effect their capture before they had time to make their escape. As the commander had no reason for keeping his plans secret they were soon known about the ship, and every one in the midshipmen's berth hoped to be employed in the service. Boat expeditions are always popular among men-of-war's men, notwithstanding the privations they entail, as a change from the regular routine of life on board ship. As yet it was not known who was to go; Ned and Charley thought that they should have but little chance.

"If we ask Mr Hanson he will advise the commander to send us," said Ned.

"There's nothing like trying," replied Charley; "but I am afraid it will be of little use."

"I'll speak to him," said Ned. "It will show our zeal, and we can but be refused. I do not suppose that either you or I are likely to obtain command of a boat, but we may be sent with some one else, and the commander may be willing to give us an opportunity of gaining experience."

Ned carried out his intention.

"I will see about it," answered Mr Hanson. "I suppose you and Meadows wish to go together to keep each other out of mischief."

"Thank you, sir," said Ned, "we'll look after each other at all events; it won't be our fault if we don't take a dhow or two."

"You are always zealous, Garth, and the commander will, I know, be glad to favour your wishes," answered the lieutenant, in a tone which encouraged Ned to hope that he would be sent on the expedition. While the ship was standing towards the African coast orders were received to prepare the three largest boats--the launch, pinnace, and cutter. The second lieutenant was to go in one with the a.s.sistant surgeon, the master in another, and Rhymer was to have charge of the third. The commander, who held him in more estimation than his messmates were wont to do, spoke to him on the quarter-deck.

"I intend to send two of the youngsters with you--Meadows and Garth.

You will look after them, and see that they come to no harm; the experience they may gain will be of advantage to them."

"Of course, sir, I am always glad to be of service to youngsters, and will take good care of them," he answered aloud, muttering to himself, "especially as one of these days I may find them pa.s.sed over my head."

"Very well, then, Rhymer, I will give you the necessary directions for your guidance; but remember you will on no account allow your men to sleep on sh.o.r.e on the mainland, and you must avoid remaining at night up any river into which you may chase a dhow."

Rhymer, of course, undertook to act according to the commander's directions.

Next day the ship came in sight of an island, three or four miles from the mainland, the western side rising some fifty or sixty feet above the summit of the water, and covered with trees. On the north side was a deep bay, into which the ship stood, and came to an anchor. Here she was hid both from the people on sh.o.r.e or from any pa.s.sing dhows. The island formed one of a group, extending along the coast at various distances, most of them, however, were low, and many were mere sand-banks, with a few casuarina bushes growing on the higher portions.

They would all, however, afford sufficient shelter to the boats, and conceal them till they could pounce out and capture any dhows pa.s.sing near. The boats were now lowered, each with a gun in the bows, well stored with provisions and tents for living in on sh.o.r.e, while the crews were well-armed, and were at once despatched to their several destinations. The second lieutenant was directed to go to the northward, and Rhymer was to proceed to the most southern limit, and in case of necessity they were to rendezvous at the spot from whence they started. The ship then sailed on a cruise to the northward, the commander promising to return in the course of a fortnight to replenish their provisions, and take charge of any dhows which might have been captured. Ned and Charley were in high glee at the thoughts of the work they were to be engaged in. Old Rhymer had lately been more pleasant than usual, and they hoped to get along pretty well with him. He was fond of his ease, and in fine weather was likely to entrust the boat to them, while he took a "caulk" in the stern sheets; indeed, when away from his superiors, and in command himself, he was always more amiable than on board ship.

For some time after the boat had shoved off all on board were employed in re-stowing the stores, getting her into trim, and placing the articles most likely to be required uppermost. When everything had been done according to his satisfaction, he addressed the two midshipmen.