Hunting in the jungle with gun and guide after large game; adapted from "Les animaux sauvages," by Warren F. Kellogg ...
Louis Jacolliot, Warren Franklin Kellogg · Estes and Lauriat eBooks · 1888
was an order obeyed as soon as given.The long thirty-two pounder bellowed forth, and the flash lit up for a moment the excited faces grouped around.' but her white sails still gleamed in the moonlight, and she pursued her course regardless of the mandate.This perseverance in attempting to escape gave good assurance that we were in pursuit of a slave-ship.Many of the crew began already in imagination to spend their prize-money ; the Kroomen especially were chuckling w4th delight, for the very day before, at their earnest request, the figure-head of the ' Pantaloon ' had had his spectacles repainted ' to make him see better.' " The proverbial ' slip 'twixt the cup and the lip ' had, however, yet to be illustrated.The guns had been reloaded, this time with shot, and the gunner was stand- ing lanyard in hand awaiting the order to fire, when the captain's attention was attracted by the flapping of the sailshitherto drawing fullagainst the masts.The land-w^ind had suddenly subsided, and a hot stifling calm succeeded.On looking round we discovered in one quarter of the horizon the small cloud, literally ' like a man's hand,' which to experienced eyes betokens the quick approach of a tornado.If one of these awful tropical storms should strike the ship while all sail was set, nothing but the loss of her masts could save her." No time now to think of anything but the safety of the ship.'Hands shorten sail!Quick, men! quick, for your lives !'• Two hours passed thus, and the fury of the gale began to abate, when with a simultaneous crash of thunder the lightning struck our foremast.On reaching the deck, the electric fluid was first attracted by the chain cable, along which it ran hissing, until reaching the quarter- deck it leaped with a loud report to the nearest gun, flashing from gun to gun until it plunged into the sea astern,the old helmsman, as it passed, ducking his head as he would to an enemy's shot.Happily no one was seriously hurt, although some men standing around the mast were partially stunned.The thunder now ceased, and the wind fell.Quitting my station on the forecastle I joined the officers on the quarter-deck, where we congratulated ourselves that the elements had done their worst, and speculated on the chances of the morning light gladdening our eyes with a view of the lost slaver.In all probability, however, she had either been capsized or driven far beyond our reach." In these southern latitudes no soft dawn intervenes between the blackest night and glaring, broiling day.No sooner did day break than all eyes were anxiously engaged sweeping the horizon in hopes of encountering the lost slaver.Fifty voices quickly exclaimed, ' There she is !' and there, indeed, not two miles off, lay the luckless vessel that even the tornado had failed to save.The sea was calm ; not a ripple disturbed its glassy smoothness as it heaved gently in the long, low ground-swell.It was evi- dent to the crew of the slave-ship that no chance of escape crew of the slaver, twenty-four all told, were transferred to the ' Pantaloon,' and a lieutenant and prize crew were detailed to convey the schooner to Sierra Leone.Before parting company, however, an exciting scene of plunder was enacted, officers and sailors keenly searching after comestibles whichalthough articles of daily food on THE LOW LINK OP THE AFRICAN SHORE.shorewere luxuries to men shut up for months in an African cruiser." Tins of preserved meats, sardines, potted salmon, and lobster ; boxes .ofsugar, raisins, butter, wine, and ale re- warded the laughing plunderers, and were passed into the ship under the very eyes of the slave-captain.Soon, however, his face cleared up and he puffed his paper cheroot with calmness, consoled, doubtless, by the recoh 20 HUNTING IN THE JUNGLE.lection of former snccessful trips ; for slave-traders con- fess that if one vessel out of four escapes they are amply repaid." And now, all arrangements being complete, the ' Aven- tureiro,' with England's flag at the peak, bore away to the westward, while the ' Pantaloon ' once more turned toward her cruising ground."With tales like this my friend the Captain beguiled the voyage, so that I was almost sorry late one bright after- noon to see the low line of the African shore, and later to cast anchor in the harbor of Sierra Leone. CHAPTER II.I MEET THURSDAY.HAD a letter of credit on a trader in the town, and at onr first interview told him of m}^in- tention of passing five or six months in the interior to complete my natural history collections.He promised to get me a guide on whose faithfulness I might rely.And sure enough, a few days later he sent me a strapping great fellow as black as the ace of spades.He bore the euphonious name of N'Otooue, and agreed, for the modest sum of ten cents per day, to guide me through forest, jungle, and swamp as far, if I liked, as the Mozambique coast line !Life was too short to make use of a name like his ; and bearing in mind Robin- son Crusoe's admirable example and the day on which N'Otooue was presented to me, I nicknamed him Thurs- day,a