"Don"t say but, sir. You make up your mind to take that vessel; give your orders; and we"ll do it."
Mark shook his head.
"Oh, Mr Vandean, sir, look at her. She"s another schooner about the same cut as this, and though she can see us, she isn"t showing us her heels, for she don"t know there"s a man-o"-war"s crew aboard, headed by the smartest young midshipman in the ryle navy."
"That"ll do, Tom Fillot. No gammon, please."
"It ain"t gammon, sir," cried Tom, st.u.r.dily, "but the solid truth.
Think I"d come and ask you to do this if I didn"t feel what a plucky young orficer you are? Why, the lads"ll follow you anywheres. They like Mr Howlett, too, but do you think they"d follow him like they do you? Not they, sir."
"It"s very tempting," said Mark, hesitating.
"Tempting, sir? Why, Captain Maitland and Mr Staples"d both go wild with delight if they got such a chance as has come right to you."
"And she isn"t running away, Tom?"
"No, sir, but just quietly going on her course, and if you do the same it will bring you both close together, and like enough she"ll try to speak you."
"Yes, Tom, it is very tempting, and if I could feel sure of taking her, I"d try."
"Don"t you think anything about it, sir. You make up your mind to take her, and send me aboard, or go yourself, and she"s yourn."
"If she"s a slaver, Tom."
"Well, sir, what else can she be?"
"Trading vessel."
"Likely, sir!" cried Tom, with a laugh. "Trading schooner with masts and booms like that! She"s made to sail, sir, and her cargo"s contraband."
"I can"t help feeling tempted, Tom."
"That"s right, sir."
"I"ll go below and see if Mr Russell can understand me this morning. I should like his advice at a time like this."
"Course you would, sir; and if he could give it, he"d say go in and win."
Mark went below, to find his officer lying perfectly still, with his eyes closed, and breathing easily, but there was no response to his words, and, hesitating still, and excited, he went back on deck, to find the schooner still gliding on her course, and the stranger well out now from the point.
"What did Mr Russell say, sir?" asked Tom.
Mark shook his head, and raising his gla.s.s, carefully inspected the distant vessel.
"Yes," he said at last; "she looks too smart fer a trader."
"She do, sir."
"And I don"t like to run any risks, Tom Fillot."
"Oh Mr Vandean, sir!"
"But we"re out here to deal a deathblow at the slavery traffic."
"To be sure we are, sir," cried Tom Fillot, excitedly.
"And it would be cowardly to give up such a chance."
"Cowardly--begging your pardon, sir--ain"t half bad enough word for it, Mr Vandean? sir."
"One moment I feel that I ought not to risk it, and the next I feel that I ought, Tom," said Mark, slowly. "Safe and sure is the motto to go upon, but--Oh, I can"t, as I am officer in command, stand still here and see that vessel go away, perhaps loaded with slaves, Tom Fillot. Wrong or right, I must do it."
"Three cheers for you, sir!" cried Tom, excitedly; "and there ain"t no wrong in it, for if you made a mess of it you would still be doing right. Then now, sir, shall I have a little more canvas shook out, and alter her course, sir?"
"No," cried Mark, firmly.
"You won"t try and take her, sir?" said the sailor, despondently.
"Indeed, but I will, Tom Fillot," cried Mark; "but if we begin to chase her, she"ll be off, and sail perhaps as quickly as we do. We must trap her, Tom, by pretending to take no notice, and then be ready to go aboard."
"Why, of course, sir. My, what a dunder-headed beetle of a fellow I am.
Cunning"s the word."
"Yes," said Mark, decisively now. "Now, my lads, quick. Off with those duck frocks, all of you, and make yourselves untidy-looking. Tom Fillot, get that American flag ready to hoist if she signals us, and send the blacks below, all but our two and their gang. Let them lie down on the deck."
The blacks looked surprised at being sent down into the stifling hold, but Soup seemed to have some inkling of what was intended, and he spoke eagerly to his companion before talking very earnestly, and with a good deal of gesticulation, to the men whom he had selected for his followers. These appeared to understand what was on the way, looking earnestly at the distant vessel, and then taking the positions a.s.signed to them when all was ready, and Tom Fillot burst into a hearty laugh.
"They"ll walk into the trap beautiful, sir, see if they don"t," he said.
"Lor", sir, if you only could make yourself look like the Yankee skipper, we should be lovely."
Mark said nothing, but quietly went on with his preparations. He made the man at the wheel look as much as possible like an ordinary sailor, and transformed another in the same way. Then, counter-ordering his instructions about the men"s duck frocks, he partly lowered down the boat with an armed crew, including Tom Fillot, with instructions to keep out of sight, and ready for him to drop and board the stranger later on.
Then, going below, he made a few alterations in his own dress, so as to conceal the fact that he was in uniform; threw his belt, dirk, jacket, and cap into the stern-sheets of the boat, and clapped a Panama hat, which he found in the cabin, upon his head. Then he walked about the deck in shirt and trousers, and with the Yankee skipper"s big spy-gla.s.s under his arm.
The last thing he did was to plant two of the men forward, where they readily played their parts of standing looking over the bulwarks, and watching the coming vessel.
For she had altered her course and came steadily toward them, after hoisting her colours--the Stars and Stripes--the same flag being sent aloft by d.i.c.k Bannock at a word from Mark.
"Now, my lads," he said, "whatever you do in the boat, keep out of sight. If they catch a glimpse of you they"ll be off, and we may never get alongside."
"Ay, ay, sir," came eagerly from the boat in which the two black sailors had also been stowed, each looking eager and excited about the work to come.
The wind was light, and a couple of hours pa.s.sed, with Mark"s steersman gradually edging the schooner nearer to the stranger, which, having the advantage of the wind, glided down to them, evidently meaning to speak them, and ask for news.
"It couldn"t be better, sir," said Tom Fillot; "only if you would get one of the skipper"s big cigars and smoke it as you walk about, they"re sure to be using a spy-gla.s.s now and then."
"But I can"t smoke, Tom."