cended the gangway ladder not a soul was to be seen; our lads
therefore quickly clapped on the hatches, beginning with the fore-
scuttle, and the brig was ours. Then, having made sure that the half-
dozen or so of prisoners down in the forecastle could not get loose
again, I went up and hauled down the French flag, hoisting it again to
the gaff-end beneath an English ensign which I found in the flag-locker.
I thought that the sight of the brig, with the two ensigns thus
arranged, would be an agreeable sight and afford a pleasant surprise to
our people when they returned from capturing the cauffle.
It had just gone five bells in the afternoon watch when the skipper's
party hove in sight at the spot where the bush path led down to the
creek, and where their boats were moored. The brig, of course, at once
attracted their attention, and, looking through the ship's telescope at
them, I made out Captain Perry standing alone on a little projecting
point, staring hard at her, as though he scarcely knew what to make of
her; I therefore ordered four hands into the gig, and, rowing across to
where he stood, explained matters. My story took quite a quarter of an
hour to tell, for he continually interrupted me to ask questions; but
when I had finished he was good enough to express his most unqualified
approval of what I had done, winding up by saying--
"I may as well tell you now, Mr Fortescue--what indeed I had quite made
up my mind to before the performance of this exceedingly meritorious
piece of work--that it is my intention to give you an acting order as
third lieutenant, Mr Purchase and Mr Hoskins moving up a step, as well
as myself, in consequence of the lamented death of Captain Harrison."
Of course I thanked him, as in duty bound; and then he informed me that
the ambuscade had been completely successful, the entire cauffle having
been captured with the exchange of less than a score of shots; and that
although three of the slave-traders had been killed and five wounded,
not one of our own men had been hurt. But he added that the unhappy
blacks were so completely worn out with their long march down to the
coast that it would only be rank cruelty to release them at once, and
that he had therefore decided to house them in the barracoons and give
them a week's complete rest before starting them back on their long
homeward march.
"And now, Mr Fortescue," he concluded, "since that English ensign
aboard the prize has don
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