The Privateer's-Man, One hundred Years Ago

by Frederick Marryat

  CHAPTER VII.

  I attend the King on a hunting Expedition--Chase of wild Animals--Whyna and I in great danger from a Tiger--Barbarity of the King to my young Mistress--I try to soothe her--I and my Companions are ransomed--Sad parting with Whyna--After an Encounter with a hostile People, we reach Senegal--Return to England.

  I had been about three months in captivity, when the old king with hisfour wives and a large party of Negroes, left the town, and went intothe woods to hunt. My companions were left in the town, but I wasordered to attend my mistress, and I went with the hopes of being ableby some means to make my escape, for my fear of the old monarch wasmuch greater than my regard for my mistress. As I had not become aproficient with the bows and arrows, or in hurling the javelin, I wasequipped with a strong spear. My mistress was skilful to admirationwith the arrow and javelin; she never missed her aim that I knew, andshe certainly never appeared to such advantage as she did at thishunting-party. Her activity, her symmetry of limb, and her courage,her skill with her weapons, all won the heart of the old king; and Ibelieve that his strong attachment to her arose more from herpossession of the above qualities than from any other cause. Certainit is, that the old savage doted on her--she was the only being whocould bend his stubborn will. As his age prevented him from joining inthe chase, he always appeared to part with her with regret, and tocaution her not to run into useless danger; and when we returned atnight, the old man's eyes sparkled with the rapture of dotage as hewelcomed her return.

  The method of our chase was to beat the country, with a number of men,in a vast circle, until we had gathered all the game into one thicket;then the strongest warriors with their large spears went in and droveout the game, which was killed by the hunters who hovered about withinthe circle.

  The animals which we had to encounter were large fierce black pigs,leopards, jackals, tigers, mountain cats, and others which I have noname for--and in spite of the ferocity of many of these animals whenthey bounded out, they were met with such a shower of javelins, ortransfixed by the strong stabbing-spears of the warriors, that fewescaped, and they rarely did any mischief. One day, however, thebeaters having just entered a thicket, Whyna, who was eager for thesport, and plied within the circle with the other hunters, hearing arustling in the jungle, went to the verge of it, to be the first tostrike the animal which came out. As usual, I was close to her, when alarge tiger burst out, and she pierced him with her javelin, but notsufficient to wound the animal so severely as to disable him. Thetiger turned, and I drove my spear into his throat. This checked him,as it remained in, but in a spring which he gave the handle brokeshort off, and although the iron went further in, our danger wasimminent. Whyna ran, and so did I, to escape from the beast's fury;for, although after I had wounded it with my spear, we had bothretreated, we were not so far, but that in two or three bounds hewould have been upon us. My mistress was as fleet as the wind, andsoon passed me, but as she passed me she caught me by the hand, anddragged me along at a pace that with difficulty I could keep my legs.The surrounding hunters alarmed at her danger, and knowing what theyhad to expect from the mercy of the old king if she was destroyed bythe animal, closed in between us and the tiger, and after a fiercecombat, in which some were killed and many wounded, they despatchedhim with their spears. The head of the animal, which was of unusualsize, was cut off and carried home to the old king in triumph; andwhen he heard of the danger that Whyna had been in, he caressed herwith tears, and I could not help saying that the old wretch had someheart after all. Whyna told the king that if I had not pierced theanimal with my spear, and prevented his taking his first spring, sheshould have lost her life, and the monster grinned a ghastly smile atme, which I presume he meant for either approbation or gratitude.

  At other times the chase would be that of the multitude of birds whichwere to be found in the woods. The bow and arrow only were used, andall I had to do now was to pick up all my mistress had killed, andreturn her arrows--she would constantly kill on the wing with herarrow, which not many could do besides her. By degrees I imbibed astrong passion for the sport, attended as it was with considerabledanger, and was never so happy as when engaged in it. We remainedabout two months in the woods, when the king was tired, and wereturned to the town, where I continued for some time to pass the samekind of life as I had done before.

  I should have been quite happy in my slavery from my affection to mymistress, had not a fresh instance of the unbounded cruelty of the oldmonarch occurred a few days after our return from the chase, whichfilled us all with consternation and horror, for we discovered thatnot even my mistress, Whyna, could always prevail with the savagemonster.

  One morning I perceived that one of the king's guards, who had alwaystreated me with great kindness, and with whom I was very intimate, wastied up to the executioner's post before the hut. Aware of the fatewhich awaited him, I ran to the hut of Whyna, and so great was mydistress that I could not speak; all I could do was to clasp her kneesand repeat the man's name, pointing to the post to which he was tied.She understood me, and eager to save the man, or to oblige me, she ranto the large hut, and attempted to intercede with the old barbarianfor the man's life; but he was in an agony of rage and passion; herefused her, lifting up his sabre to despatch the man; Whyna was rashenough to seize the king's arm, and prevent the blow, at this his rageredoubled, his eyes glowed like live coals, and turning to her withthe look of a demon, he caught her by the hair, and dragging heracross his feet, lifted up his scimitar in the act to strike off herhead. I sickened with horror at the danger she was in, but I thoughthe would not strike. I had no weapon, but if he had done so, I wouldhave revenged her death, even if I had lost my life. At last the oldmonster let go her hair, spurning her away with his foot, so that sherolled over on the sand, and then turning to the unhappy man, with anupward slanting blow of his sabre, he ripped him up from the flank tothe chest, so that his bowels fell down at his feet; he then lookedround at us all with an aspect which froze our blood, and turned awaysulkily to his hut, leaving us to recover our spirits how we might.

  Poor Whyna, terrified and enraged at the same time, as soon as I hadled her to her hut, and we were by ourselves, gave way to the storm ofpassion which swelled her bosom, execrating her husband with theutmost loathing and abhorrence, and lamenting in the most passionatemanner her having ever been connected with him. Trembling alike at thedanger to which I had exposed her, and moved by her condition, I couldnot help mingling my tears with hers, and endeavoured by caresses andcondoling with her to reduce her excitement. Had the old king seen me,I know what both our fates would have been, but at that time I carednot. I was very young, very impetuous, and I was resolved that I wouldnot permit either her or myself to die unavenged. At last she sobbedherself to sleep, and I took my usual station outside of the hut. Itwas well that I did so, for not five minutes afterwards the oldwretch, having got over his temper, came out of his tent and bent hissteps towards the hut, that he might make friends with her, for shewas too necessary to his happiness. He soon treated her with hisaccustomed kindness, but I perceived that after the scene I havedescribed, her aversion for him was doubled.

  There were some scores of women in the various huts within thepalisade, all of whom I understood were wives to the old monarch, butnone but the four we found with him when we were first brought intohis presence were ever to be seen in his company. I had, by means ofmy kind mistress, the opportunity of constantly supplying mycompanions with fowls and venison, which was left from the king'stable, and through her care, they always met with kind and gentleusage.

  For another two months did I thus remain happy in the company ofWhyna, and miserable when in the presence of the king, whose eye itwas impossible to meet without quailing; when one morning we were allordered out, and were surrounded by a large party armed with spears,javelins, and bird-arrows--I say bird-arrows, as those that they usein war are much larger. We soon discovered that we were to be sent tosome other place, but where or why, we could n
ot find out. Shortlyafterwards the crowd opened, and Whyna made her appearance. She tookthe feather circle off my head, and the manacles off my wrist and leg,and went and laid them at the king's feet. She then returned, and toldme that I was free as well as my companions, but that I only, if Ichose, had permission to remain with her.

  I did not at first reply. She then, in the most earnest manner, beggedme to remain with her as her slave; and as she did not dare to saywhat she felt, or use caresses to prevail upon me, she stamped herlittle feet with eagerness and impatience. The struggle in my ownheart was excessive. I presumed that we were about to be made apresent to some other king, and I felt that I never could expect soeasy and so pleasant a servitude as I then enjoyed. I was sincerelyattached, and indeed latterly, I was more than attached, to Whyna; Ifelt that it was dangerous. Had the old king been dead, I would havebeen content to pass my life with her; and I was still hesitating,notwithstanding the remonstrances of my companions, when the crowdopened a little, and I beheld the old king looking at me, and I feltconvinced that his jealousy was at last aroused, and that if Iconsented to remain, my life would not be worth a day's purchase.

  Whyna also turned, and met the look of the old king. Whether she readin his countenance what I did, I know not; but this is certain, shemade no more attempts to persuade me, but waving her hand for us toset off on our journey, she slowly retired, and when arrived at thehut turned round towards us. We all prostrated ourselves before her,and then set off on our journey. She retired to the door of her ownhut, and two or three times waved her hand to us, at which our guardsmade us every time again prostrate ourselves. She then walked out tothe little hill where she always went up to pray, and for the lasttime waved her hand, and then I perceived her sink down on the ground,and turn her head in the direction which she always did when sheprayed.

  We now proceeded on our journey in a north-west direction, our guardstreating us with the greatest kindness. We rested every day from tentill four o'clock in the afternoon, and then walked till late atnight. Corn was supplied us from the scattered hamlets as we passedalong, and our escort procured us flesh and fowl with their bows andarrows; but we were in a state of great anxiety to know where we weregoing, and nobody appeared able or willing to tell us. I often thoughtof Whyna, and at times repented that I had not remained with her, as Ifeared falling into a worse slavery, but the recollection of the oldking's diabolical parting look was sufficient to make me think that itwas best as it was. Now that I had left my mistress, I thought of herkindness and amiable qualities, and her affection for me; and althoughit may appear strange that I should feel myself in love with a blackwoman, I will not deny but that I was so. I could not help being so,and that is all the excuse I can offer.

  Our guards now informed us that we were about to pass for a few milesthrough the territory of another king, and that they were not surewhat our reception might be; but this was soon made evident, for weobserved a party behind us, which moved as we moved, although they didnot attack us; and soon afterwards a larger body in front wereblocking up our passage, and we found that we were beset. Thecommander of our party, therefore, gave orders for battle, and he putinto our hands strong spears, they being the only weapons we coulduse, and entreated us to fight. Our party was greatly outnumbered bythe enemy, but ours were chosen warriors. As for us white men, we kepttogether, agreeing among ourselves, that we would defend ourselves ifattacked, but would not offend either party by taking an unnecessarypart in the fray, as it was immaterial to us to whom we belonged.

  The battle, or rather skirmish, soon began. They dispersed, and shottheir arrows from behind the trees, and this warfare continued sometime without damage to either party, till at last they attacked usclosely; then, our commander killing that of the enemy, they gave wayjust as another party was coming forward to attack us white men; butfinding us resolute in our defence, and our own warriors coming to ourassistance, the rout was general. They could not, however, preventsome prisoners from being taken; most of them wounded with thebird-arrows, which, having their barbs twisted in the form of an S,gave great pain in their extraction. I observed that a particular herbchewed, and bound up with the bleeding wound, was their only remedy,and that when the bone was injured, they considered the wound mortal.

  We now turned to the eastward to get back into our own territory; weleft the prisoners and wounded at a village, and receiving areinforcement, we took a circuit to avoid this hostile people, andcontinued our route. On the eighth morning, just as we were stoppingto repose, one of the warriors, who had mounted a hill before us,shouted and waved his hand. We ran up to him, and as soon as we gainedthe summit, were transported with the sight of the British flag flyingon Senegal fort, on the other side of the river. We now understoodthat by some means or another we had been ransomed, and so it provedto be; for the governor hearing that we were prisoners up the country,had sent messengers offering the old king a handsome present for ourliberation. I afterwards found out that the price paid in goodsamounted to about fifty-six shillings a-head. The governor received uskindly, clothed us, and sent us down to the ship, which was with afull cargo in the road, and intending to sail the next day, and wewere received and welcomed by our messmates as men risen from thedead.

  We sailed two days afterwards, and had a fortunate voyage home toLiverpool.