Lieutenant Lindsay had taken the romantic plunge with all the charming enthusiasm of inexperienced youth, and entertained the firm conviction that, if Senhorina Maraquita did not become his, life would thenceforth be altogether unworthy of consideration; happiness would be a thing of the past, with which he should have nothing more to do, and death at the cannons mouth, or otherwise, would be the only remaining gleam of comfort in his dingy future.
Something distresses you, I fear, began the lieutenant, not a little perplexed to find the young lady in such a peculiar mood.
Maraquita started, glanced at him a moment, and then, with flashing eyes and heightened colour, pointed at the three figures on the road.
Yes, Senhor, she said; I am distresseddeeply so. Look! do you see yonder two men, and the girl walking behind them?
I do.
Quick! fly after them and bring them hitherthe Arab and the girl I meannot the other man. Oh, be quick, else they will be out of sight and then she will be lost; quick, if youifif you really mean what you have so often told me.
Poor Lindsay! It was rather a sudden and severe test of fidelity to be sent forth to lay violent hands on a man and woman and bring them forcibly to the Governors house, without any better reason than that a self-willed girl ordered him so to do; at the same time, he perceived that, if he did not act promptly, the retreating figures would soon turn into the town, and be hopelessly beyond his power of recognition.
Butbut he stammered, if they wont come?
They must come. Threaten my fathers high displeasure.Quick, Senhor, cried the young lady in a commanding tone.
Lindsay flung open the casement and leapt through it as being the shortest way out of the house, rushed with undignified speed along the road, and overtook the Arab and his friend as they were about to turn into one of the narrow lanes of the town.
Pardon me, said the lieutenant laying his hand on Yoosoofs shoulder in his anxiety to make sure of him, will you be so good as to return with me to the Governors residence?
By whose orders? demanded Yoosoof with a look of surprise.
The orders of the Senhorina Maraquita.
The Arab hesitated, looked somewhat perplexed, and said something in Portuguese to Marizano, who pointed to the slave-girl, and spoke with considerable vehemence.
Lindsay did not understand what was said, but, conjecturing that the half-caste was proposing that Azinté should remain with him, he said: The girl must return with youif you would not incur the Governors displeasure.
Marizano, on having this explained to him, looked with much ferocity at the lieutenant and spoke to Yoosoof in wrathful tones, but the latter shook his head, and the former, who disliked Marizanos appearance excessively, took not the least notice of him.
I do go, said Yoosoof, turning back. Motioning to Azinté to follow, he retraced his steps with the lieutenant and the slavewhile Marizano strode into the town in a towering rage.
We need scarcely say that Maraquita, having got possession of Azinté, did not find it impossible to persuade her father to purchase her, and that Yoosoof, although sorry to disappoint Marizano, who was an important ally and assistant in the slave-trade, did not see his way to thwart the wishes of the Governor, whose power to interfere with his trade was very great indeed, and to whom he was under the necessity of paying head-money for every slave that was exported by him from that part of the coast.
Soon after Azinté had been thus happily rescued from the clutches of two of the greatest villains on the East African coastwhere villains of the deepest dye are by no means uncommonLindsay met Captain Romer of the Firefly on the beach, with his first lieutenant Mr Small, who, by the way, happened to be one of the largest men in his ship. The three officers had been invited to dine that day with the Governor, and as there seemed no particular occasion for their putting to sea that night, and a fresh supply of water had to be taken on board, the invitation had been accepted, all the more readily, too, that Captain Romer thought it afforded an opportunity for obtaining further information as to the movements of certain notorious slavers who were said to be thereabouts at that time. Lieutenant Lindsay had been sent ashore at an earlier part of the day, accompanied by one of the sailors who understood Portuguese, and who, being a remarkably intelligent man, might, it was thought, acquire some useful information from some of the people of the town.
Well, Mr Lindsay, has Jackson been of any use to you? inquired the captain.
Not yet, replied the lieutenant; at least I know not what he may have done, not having met him since we parted on landing; but I have myself been so fortunate as to rescue a slave-girl under somewhat peculiar circumstances.
Truly, a most romantic and gallant affair, said the captain, laughing, when Lindsay had related the incident, and worthy of being mentioned in despatches; but I suspect, considering the part that the Senhorina Maraquita played in it and the fact that you only rescued the girl from one slaveholder in order to hand her over to another, the less that is said about the subject the better!But here comes Jackson. Perhaps he may have learned something about the scoundrels we are in search of.
The seaman referred to approached and touched his cap.
What news? demanded the captain, who knew by the twinkle in Jacks eye that he had something interesting to report.
Ive diskivered all about it sir, replied the man, with an ill-suppressed chuckle.
Indeed! come this way. Now, lets hear what you have to tell, said the captain, when at a sufficient distance from his boat to render the conversation quite private.
Well, sir, began Jackson, wen I got up into the town, arter leavin Mr Lindsay, who should I meet but a man as had bin a messmate o mine aboard of that there Portuguese ship were I picked up a smatterin o the lingo? Of course we hailed each other and hove-to for a spell, and then we made sail for a grog-shop, where we spliced the main-brace. After a deal o tackin and beatin about, which enabled me to find out that hed left the sea an taken to business on his own account, which in them parts seems to mean loafin about doin little or nothin, I went slap into the subject that was uppermost in my mind, and says I to him, says I, they does a deal o slavin on this here coast, it appearsBlack Ivory is a profitable trade, aint it? Wy, sir, you should have seen the way he grinned and winked, and opened out on em.Black Ivory! says he, wy, Jackson, theres more slaves exported from these here parts annooally than would fill a good-sized city. I could tell youbut, says he, pullin up sudden, you wont split on me, messmate? Honour bright, says I, if ye dont call tellin my captain splittin. Oh no, says he, with a laugh, its little I care what he knows, or does to the piratesfor thats their true name, and murderers to bootbut dont let it come to the Governors ears, else Im a ruined man. I says I wouldnt and then he goes on to tell me all sorts of hanecdots about their doinsthat they does it with the full consent of the Governor, who gets head-money for every slave exported; that nearly all the Governors on the coast are birds of the same feather, and that the Governor-General himself, (See Consul McLeods Travels in Eastern Africa, volume one page 306.) at Mozambique, winks at it and makes the subordinate Governors pay him tribute. Then he goes on to tell me more about the Governor of this here town, an says that, though a kind-hearted man in the main, and very good to his domestic slaves, he encourages the export trade, because it brings him in a splendid revenue, which he has much need of, poor man, for like most, if not all, of the Governors on the coast, he do receive nothin like a respectible salary from the Portuguese Government at home, and has to make it up by slave-tradin. (See McLeods Travels, volume one page 293.)