CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
ORDERED TO PROCEED TO OU TROU.--ESCAPE FROM OUR BLACK GUARDS.--KINDRECEPTION AT A COUNTRY-HOUSE.--OUR GUARDS RE-APPEAR. MEET DELISLE.--AGAIN WELL ENTERTAINED BY A PLANTER.--ADVENTURES ON THE ROAD.--REACH OUTROU.--PUT UP IN A STABLE.--BAD TREATMENT OF PRISONERS OF WAR.
Hitherto we had been treated with kindness and attention by the officersof the French frigate, but a change in our lot was about to occur. Onthe 20th September we were suddenly ordered to go on shore, and whenthere we found that we were to prepare for an immediate start to a placecalled Ou Trou, thirty miles away in the interior. Having been marchedup to the governor's house, we were told to be ready to commence ourjourney by three o'clock, and were then allowed to go about ourbusiness. We accordingly, feeling the necessity of fortifying the innerman, went to the first inn of which the place could boast, called theDutch Hotel, and ordered the best dinner it could turn out. "Plenty ofwine!" was the general cry, at which Mynheer von Tromp grinnedfuriously. We were just the customers he liked, and promised to fulfilour wishes to the utmost of his power. In the meantime we strolledabout the town. There was very little to attract us in it, and ourfootsteps took us involuntarily to a spot whence we could obtain a goodview of the ocean, which we feared that we were destined for so long atime not again to see. Alas! how many of us were destined never againto behold that ocean we loved so well! As Delisle and I sat togetherand looked out on the bright blue expanse spread before us, and dottedhere and there with white sails glancing in the sunbeams, and observedthe unfrequented shore and the fishermen's boats drawn up on the beach,we agreed how easy it would have been, had we not given our parole, tohave made our escape, and as to danger, we settled that we would haverun it willingly for the sake of escaping from our confinement. Wewould have put off in one of the canoes and pulled away right out to seatill we were picked up by an English cruiser or merchantman. While wewere sitting admiring the scene several negroes passed us, great, big,burly fellows, laughing and singing at the top of their voices. Eachcouple of them carried a burden resting on two poles. We soon suspectedtheir errand. On reaching the beach, close to the water, they threwdown their burdens and began digging away with short spades they carriedat their waists. They did not cease laughing and shouting, and had soondug a shallow hole big enough to contain a dozen people. The burdenswhich they had borne to the spot were quickly tumbled in. Before theoperations were concluded other big, half-naked negroes arrived withmore corpses, which were treated in the same unceremonious manner, andthen all were speedily covered up, and the black monsters went stampingand dancing, singing all the while, carelessly over the huge grave.
"Who can they be?" I asked of Delisle; "I mean the poor fellows who lieburied down there at our feet."
My messmate spoke French, so he called one of the negroes as they passedand made the inquiry of him. The black fellow grinned horribly.
"English seamen. Taken prisoners lately. They have the fever amongthem. Yellow Jack. They are dying like rotten sheep. No matter. Theyare all heretics, so we bury them here. They are not fit forconsecrated ground. Bah!" was the answer, delivered with a broad grin,as if the speaker had uttered a good joke.
Delisle turned away and came back to me.
"Let us return to the inn," said I. "It must be dinner-time; I cannotenjoy this spot any longer."
All our party quickly assembled at the hotel, and we soon forgot theunpleasant scene we had witnessed. Mynheer had not forgotten our orderto have an abundance of liquor ready, though I cannot say much for thedelicacy of the viands he placed before us. I know that the bottlescirculated round the table very rapidly, and that the wine waspronounced very good. It possessed, I remember, the quality of beingvery strong, so that we soon forgot, thanks to its fumes, all themisfortunes which had been oppressing our spirits, and soon hilarity andfun reigned among us. While we held up our sparkling glasses, and thejoke and laugh went round, no one would have supposed that we were aparty of forlorn prisoners about to be marched off to a solitary abodein the midst of a half-barbarous island. Toasts and sentiments wereuttered, and even songs were sung, and, for my own part, I know that Ientirely forgot where I was or what I was about to do. While our revelswere at their height a black officer made his appearance at the door.
"Messieurs, it is time to begin your journey. Your mules are at thedoor. You must mount at once and proceed."
The order was more easily given than obeyed. With regard to the matterof mounting and sticking on, that, in whatever condition a seaman is, hecan generally accomplish; but the guiding a horse, mule, or donkey is avery different affair, and beyond often the power of a sober sailor,much more of a drunken one.
"Oh, bad luck to the blackguards! we are not going to have ourconviviality cut short by them or any like them!" exclaimed O'Driscoll,filling up his glass with Burgundy as some of the party were about torise from their chairs.
"Let's sit down and be merry yet awhile longer--we shall not get suchliquor as this at the town where we are to take up our abode." Helittle knew what a true word he was speaking when he said that. Hisexample was infectious, and, captain and all, we sat down and filled upour glasses. A toast was proposed, succeeded by a tremendous rapping onthe table. Before it had ceased the door was swung open and a niggerofficer marched into the room in a furious rage.
"For what you disobey orders?" he exclaimed, in very tolerablenigger-English; "you come out at once and mount, or I get the whip inamong you and make you fly!"
"Ho, ho, Quasho, you've got an English tongue in your head! where didyou pick that up, you rascal--you run-away slave from Jamacy, I guess--eh, eh?" cried O'Driscoll, turning round and looking at the fellow withan expression of supreme contempt.
I fully expected to see the anger of the negro become ungovernable;instead of that, however, he prepared to back out of the room, and asfar as a negro can turn pale, he did so, and seemed at once to lose allpower of speech.
"You've hit the right nail on the head, O'Driscoll," observed Delisle;"however, there is no use in exciting the anger of the people, we maysuffer for it in the end."
Others were of the latter opinion; and at last we all rose, and payingthe landlord's somewhat extortionate demand with the best grace wecould, considering the hole it made in our pocket, went out to inspectour beasts. They were tolerably strong animals, and two or three lookedas if they had some go in them, at all events.
"I say, Hurry, just keep an eye on those two beasts," said O'Driscoll,pointing at two of the best mules. "No one else seems to know one brutefrom another."
Such was the case, for all hands, except Delisle, were more than threesheets in the wind. Poor Robson, one of the lieutenants, was one of theworst. Two negroes mounted on mules appeared to serve as our escort orguard. They were armed with long, formidable-looking pistols stuck intheir belts, with hangers by their sides. Had we wished to get away, orhad we known of any place to which we could fly, we should have usedwondrous little ceremony in disposing of them.
"Mount, gen'men, mount!" exclaimed the black officer.
"More easily said than done, old codger," hiccoughed Robson, essaying toget across the back of a restive mule. "I should like to see yournigger grand excellency with three bottles of Burgundy under your beltattempting to do that same. However, to men of courage nothing isimpossible--so here goes. Heave ahead, my hearties!" Making a spring,he threw himself on to the top of the saddle, but with an impetus sogreat that he toppled over completely and came down on his nose on theopposite side.
One of our black escort, seeing the catastrophe, hurried up to help thefallen officer. Robson seeing him coming, and not comprehending hisintentions, tackled him at once as if he had been an enemy, and themoment he came within reach began pommelling him away most vehemently.This naturally excited Sambo's anger, and forgetting his habitual dreadof white men, he paid him back much in the same coin. The spectatorsmeantime shouted with laughter, urging on the combatants. Drunk as hewas, Rob
son soon, I saw, got much the best of it, and was punishing thenigger most severely. The latter did not like this treatment, and was,I suspected, growing vicious. Now one rolled in the dust, now theother, but Sambo was generally the sufferer. Fearing that he might makeuse of a long knife I saw stuck in his belt, I made signs to TomRockets, who not having had the means of procuring Burgundy, was happilysober, to go in and put an end to the combat.
Poor Tom had better not have interfered, for Sambo, mistaking him forhis first antagonist, began pommelling away most furiously at his head,while Robson, not comprehending the cause of his interference, attackedhim on the other side.
"Who are you, you son of a sea-cook, who ventures to interfere in thequarrels of two gentlemen, I should like to know?" he hiccoughed out;"let me tell you, I don't allow such proceedings!"
"My eyes, two gentlemen!" exclaimed Tom, fairly nonplussed; "you is anofficer, sir, but a rum sort of gentleman is t'other, I should think."
Tom bore his hammering for some time, when, getting a fair lick atSambo, he sent him spinning away ten yards off with a blow of hisox-like fist. Sambo looked very much astonished, scarcely comprehendingat first whence the blow had come, but it had the effect of teachinghim, I suspect, for the future, to respect the arm of a British tar, andof putting an end to the combat, which, I fain must own, did not redoundmuch to the credit of my brother-officer.
"Come, sir," quoth honest Tom, seizing him by the leg, "just let mehoist you aboard this here animal, you'll be more comfortable-like thankicking away here on the ground."
Robson made no objection, but looked up with a smiling aspect in Tom'sface.
"Yeo-ho! heave-ho!" sang out my follower, and the lieutenant was quicklyseated on the back of the quadruped, though, I suspect, he sat therewith no great amount of comfort, for he held on tightly by the pommelwith both hands, as if he expected soon to be tossed off again. Perhapshe had in his recollection the occurrence of some such accident informer times.
After this there was a general cry of "Heave ahead, my hearties, heaveahead!" And we all mounted as best we could. Our two black guards goton their steeds in no very good-humour with affairs in general, and usin particular, though their mules were the greatest sufferers.
How the authorities could suppose that two niggers, albeit armed withthe longest hangers, and the biggest pistols ever used, could keep inorder a party of half-drunken British officers rendered reckless byvexation, I do not know. It made us fancy that they had very few men tospare for any service but that of actual warfare.
They had our word that we would not run away, but certainly we had givenno pledges that we would not indulge ourselves in any frolic which mightbe suggested to our fertile imaginations.
The word at last was given, and off set our cavalcade from the town ofCape Francois, the negroes shouting and the mules kicking and snortingand making all sorts of wonderful noises. We did not leave the placewith any especial regret, but we should have done so had we known wherewe were going. Robson, whose head was pretty strong, soon recovered hisequilibrium, and he, Delisle, O'Driscoll, and I rode together. I am nogreat hand at describing scenery. I remember it was wild in theextreme--blue ranges of hills and deep valleys, and plains partlycultivated, but mostly left in a state of nature overgrown with giantceybas, between which were seen in rich profusion every species ofparasitical plant twining and twisting and hanging in drooping wreaths,which monkeys converted into swings, while humming-birds at the pendantends built their tiny nests. Then there were mango thickets, which aswe journeyed among them, with their dense foliage, shut out the view onevery side, and tall palm-trees towering up proudly here and there inthe plain. There were rice and sugar plantations also, and their housesof one storey and red-tiled roofs and broad verandahs, and gangs ofnegroes as they trudged, laughing and shouting, to their work at thebaking-house or mills for crushing the canes, and in the wide savannahsthere were cattle grazing and herds of long-eared, fine mules, which putour sorry steeds to shame.
"I say, this is terribly slow work," quoth O'Driscoll, ranging upalongside me; "what do you say to giving our nigger friends the go-by?We can't come to much harm. We've got the bearings of Ou Trou, Ifancy--indeed, I don't think that there is any other town in thatdirection. At all events, we may meet with some adventure, and it willbe pleasanter than jogging along at this rate."
The proposal was one which jumped amazingly with the fancy of all theparty. We had not long to wait before we had an opportunity of puttingour scheme into execution. We four were ahead of the rest of the party.Suddenly we came upon a spot where four roads branched off in differentdirections.
"Away we go, my boys," shouted O'Driscoll, and to the astonishment ofour guard we struck our spurs into the sides of our mules, and off wegalloped, each by a separate road, or rather track, for road, properlyso-called, there was none. We had agreed to reunite after riding on fortwenty minutes or so, but we forgot that such a determination might notbe so easily accomplished as designed. Our black guard pulled up,shouting lustily, and tugging at and scratching his woolly locks,uncertain in which direction to pursue us. In vain he shouted, andshrieked, and swore. The extraordinary mixture of nigger and Frenchoaths in which he gave vent to his fury had no effect on us. He mightas well have tried to stop a fly-away eagle with them. We turned roundand shook our hands and laughed at him. After going on for a littletime I discovered that he did not pursue me, so when my mule began toshow signs of fatigue I pulled up and rode on leisurely. Not longafter. I heard a tramping behind me, and expected to find that it wasthe negro, but on looking back I made out O'Driscoll in chase of me. Ihaving accordingly hove-to, he came up to me, laughing heartily.
"Well, faith, we have clean done the niggers!" he exclaimed. "We maynow ride on leisurely and see what fortune has in store for us. Iintend to throw care to the dogs and to forget that I am a prisoner ofwar. What's the use of moaning and groaning, and sighing and dying?But oh, Molly Malone! Molly Malone, what will ye do when ye hear thatyour own faithful Patrick may chance to be kept so many long years awayfrom you? Ay, there's the rub, Hurry. Now you, you happy fellow, don'tcare for anybody. It's all the same to you where you may be, but shouldMolly, now, think I was never coming back and go and marry some oneelse, it would be a bitter pill to swallow."
Paddy went on conjuring up all sorts of melancholy pictures in whichMiss Molly Malone played a conspicuous part, till his feelings fairlygot the better of him and he began to blubber outright. This was toomuch. I doubt not the Burgundy helped the tears to flow. My ownfeelings and thoughts I kept to myself and did my best to comfort him,and in another three minutes he was roaring at the top of his voice withlaughter.
"Hillo, what's that ahead? A stately mansion, as I am a gentleman!" heexclaimed, as a red-tiled building of a single storey appeared beforeus. "We'll go and request the hospitality of the noble owner. I haveno doubt that he will be enchanted to afford it when he discovers thatwe are officers and gentlemen."
We turned aside through a gateway which led to the mansion. It was alarge, low edifice surrounded by a broad verandah, a flight of stonesteps leading to the principal entrance. As we rode up a thin oldgentleman, with a powdered wig, long-tailed coat, silk breeches anddiamond buckles, appeared at the top of the steps and summoned a troopof negroes, who rushed forward to assist us to dismount and to hold ourmules.
"This is treating us with proper respect," observed O'Driscoll, assumingan air of as much dignity as he could command, and, mounting the steps,he commenced an address, which the old gentleman, in spite of hispoliteness, showed that he could not possibly comprehend. I couldcommand a few sentences in French by this time, so I tried to explainthat we were travelling towards Ou Trou, and that we were uncertain ofour way. He said something about commissionaires. I suspect he took usfor Americans. However, he politely invited us into a large airy roomcovered with mats, and made us sit down on a cool cane-bottomed sofa andhad sweetmeats and cakes and delicious cool wine and wat
er brought in,and then he produced a bundle of unexceptionable cigars, and we werespeedily made very happy and comfortable. We smoked and laughed andtalked away, but I doubt that our host understood anything we said.This was all very pleasant, and we enjoyed it amazingly. At length theladies of our host's family arrived. They had been driving round theestate--it was a large sugar one--in a volante, jogging and jolting, Idoubt not, for the roads, if so they might be called, were execrable--afine thing for the bile, as O'Driscoll observed.
The ladies looked as if their drive had agreed with them, for they werefull of life and animation and courtesy and kindness. A French creoleis really a very handsome creature--I mean those of the softer sex. Themen are generally dried-parchment, shrivelled-up-looking littlemonstrosities. I cannot account for the difference. We made out thatthere was _madame la mere_ and three daughters, and a brace of cousins.They must have had a couple of volantes or more, for the mother wouldhave amply filled the half of one at least, and two of the daughterswould have required a capacious vehicle to convey them, independent ofhoops, with which they had not encumbered themselves.
They speedily threw themselves into chairs and sofas, and coffee wasbrought to them, and then cigars, which they lighted, without ceremony,from small lumps of hot charcoal handed to them by a little blackslave-girl.
In a short time some young men came in. They appeared to be brothersand cousins of the young ladies, or perhaps there was a lover or soamong them. One went to a spinet which stood at the end of the room,and another brought in a violin and began to strike up a dancing air.Then, to show that we were civilised beings, O'Driscoll and I rose toour feet, and each offering a hand to a young lady, we commenced aminuet to the air which was being played. We flattered ourselves thatwe performed our parts to admiration, though our knowledge had beenpicked up during a few evenings spent on shore at New York during ourlast stay there. To the minuet succeeded a regular country-dance. HereO'Driscoll felt that he could show off in right good style, andaccordingly frisked and frolicked and jumped about in the most vehementway imaginable. He soon danced himself into the good graces of all thelady part of the community, who seemed to admire his red hair and ruddycheeks, which formed so great a contrast to their own complexions. Iheard them remarking that he was a _joli garcon_ and a _bon garcon_, andthe more impudent he looked, and the more he frolicked, the more theyadmired him. I came in for some share of their commendations, I flattermyself, though not perhaps to so large a one as he did, but whether ornot from the same cause I will not pretend to say. Evening was drawingon and our contentment and hilarity were at their height--as to beingprisoners, we forgot all about that--when who should pop his head in atthe door but the ugly black rascal who had acted as our guard, thefellow with the long pistols and hanger. We endeavoured to ignore hisacquaintance and laughed heartily in his face, when he said that he hadcome to carry us off.
"Pooh, pooh!" exclaimed O'Driscoll, going up to him, and, shaking him bythe shoulders, turned him about to shove him out of the room; but anharangue he uttered appeared to have a considerable effect on our host.What he said I do not know. Our host's manner at once changed towardsus.
"It appears, gentlemen," said he, coming up to us, "that you are settingat defiance the authorities of the island. I cannot sanction such aproceeding. I took you for very different people to what I now findthat you are. I regret it, but I must give you back into custody."
Such was the import of the old gentleman's address as far as we couldcomprehend it. It made us look very blue and feel very foolish. Theworst of it was, that even our fair friends began to turn up their nosesat us. Suddenly O'Driscoll slapped his leg with vehemence.
"I'll bet a thousand dollars that black scoundrel has been telling aparcel of lies about us, which has so suddenly made our friend, MonsieurShagreen here, so suddenly change his opinion of us. I'll ask him, andassure him that the blackamoor is not to be trusted."
On this O'Driscoll held forth to the old gentleman, who, however, as hecould not make head nor tail of what was said to him, was not muchedified. Had we been able indeed to speak French fluently, I have nodoubt that we should have got the better of the nigger. As it was hegot the better of us, and finally got us again under his guardianship.The only consolation was that we obtained the sympathy of the ladies,who, when they really understood our painful position, at once exhibiteda delicacy and kindness which we had not expected when we were firstintroduced to them. They quickly disappeared, and came back with avariety of articles which they thought might conduce to our comfort.Blessings on the sex, whether black, brown or white, wherever they arefound! The negro fumed and foamed and talked very big, I doubt not,though what he said we could not clearly comprehend. He seemed alsodisposed to prevent us from receiving the gifts which the ladiesoffered. This made them, we saw, very indignant; but they quicklymanaged to get round him, and, either by threats or bribes, induced himto promise that he would treat us with kindness. They stowed all theirgifts, which consisted chiefly of eatables, into some grass bags, whichwere slung across our mules' backs in front of us. The negro showed byhis impatient gestures that he wanted to be off, so, bidding our kindhostesses farewell and expressing our gratitude as best we could, wedescended the steps to mount our beasts. Our host's leave-taking wasfar more formal than his reception of us. He was evidently akind-hearted, generous man, but could not shut out of his sight certainvisions of offended dignitaries angry at the entertainment he hadafforded to the enemies of La Belle France.
We were sorry that we could not more clearly explain to him our sense ofhis hospitality. He waved his hand as we mounted, but declined to takeours, and showed to the bystanders by every means in his power that hewas heartily glad to be rid of us.
"Never mind, we'll not be offended," said O'Driscoll, as we rode on."He is a fine old gentleman, and I dare say, if it were not for his fearof the powers that be, he would have been as polite as ever to us."
We had gone on some miles when the clattering of an animal's hoofsattracted our attention, and to our satisfaction we saw Delisle comingalong a track to our right. He had lost his way and met with all sortsof adventures; but, as he spoke French well, he easily got out of them.He also had been entertained very kindly by a creole family, who tookhim for a French officer, but threatened if any heretical Englishmancame into their power they would do for him. At that time the RomanCatholic inhabitants of the French colonies were bigoted in theextreme--though surpassed probably by the Spaniards and Portuguese, whoeven then would have thought they were doing God service to burn aheretic.
It was now growing dark, or rather the sun was on the verge of thehorizon, and we knew that in another ten minutes day would have changedinto night, so rapid is the transition in those latitudes from light todarkness. We began to wonder what had become of Robson. Half-seas-overas he had been, as we grew more sober and capable of reflection we beganto fear that he had met with some accident. Still, as we should notfind him by stopping still, and our guard would not let us go out of ourroad again--at least, the instant we gave signs of such an intention hebegan tapping away at his hanger or presenting one of his long pistolsas a signal to us to keep in our straight course--on we jogged,therefore, as fast as our mules could trot, for we had yet a longdistance to accomplish before we could reach Ou Trou, and were anxiousto be there. Fortunately, before long the moon rose. Oh! what amagnificent pure orb she looked floating in the clear ether--a pure,chaste globe, one could see its roundness--not like the patch of redputty she generally seems in northern climes stuck on to a black board.The dark outlines of the hills and tall trees stood clearly definedagainst the bright sky, and in the damper and more sheltered spotsfire-flies were darting about and filling the air with their brilliantflashes, while the shrill cries of frogs and night-birds and whirr ofbeetles resounded on every side. We were riding on, listening to thesevaried sounds of animated nature, when we saw some dark objects, whichappeared like human beings, lying on the grass by the road-s
ide.
"What can they be?" exclaimed Delisle. "Dead men, I fear."
We rode on--O'Driscoll was ahead. He dismounted.
"Very noisy dead men, for they snore most confoundedly loud," he criedout. "As I am a gentleman, here's Robson, and he has chosen the fatstomach of a greasy nigger for his pillow! I hope he enjoys theodoriferous, sudoriferous resting-place. His dreams must be curious,one would think. What is to be done with him, I wonder?"
By this time we had all assembled round our fallen shipmate. We in vaintried to rouse him. A few inarticulate grunts were the only answers hecould give to our often-repeated remonstrances. The negro was much inthe same condition; but it was evident that he had had sense enoughbefore falling into repose to allow the ruling passion to have sway, andhe had contrived to pick our friend's pocket of his purse and watch,which he held firmly in his grasp. The negro guard, when he came up,wanted to prevent our recovering Robson's property, and pretended thatit belonged to his compatriot and that we had no right to it.
We guessed, as was the case, that Robson had been hospitably entertainedat some farm, when, having taken on board a further supply of liquor, hehad been completely overcome, and that the negro had been sent to guidehim on his way. Probably our shipmate had been treating him in return,and, when pulling out his purse to pay the reckoning, had excited hiscupidity. Happily for Robson his guide was too far gone by this time torun off with his booty, and so both had come to the ground together, therobber and the robbed levelled by that arch destroyer of the humanintellect--strong drink. Oh, when I now come to think of it, howdisgusting was the scene!--though I did not trouble my head much aboutthe matter myself in those days. Robson was a gentleman, and hadrefined ideas and pleasant, agreeable manners, and yet, when once winethus got the better of him, he would thus sadly demean himself. Aftersome pulling and hauling we got him up, and having caught his mule,which was quietly grazing near, wiser than his rider, we put the bipedon his back. Delisle went ahead and O'Driscoll and I propped him up oneither side--the negro we hauled up on a hank and left to recover andmake the best of his way home. We had difficult work to keep Robsonsteady, for the bumping of the mule brought him sufficiently round tomake him fancy that he could take care of himself, and he every now andthen made an attempt to do something which he was utterly unable toaccomplish. Certainly one of the most trying things to the patience isto conduct a drunken man along a straight road. Our guard also wascontinually urging us to go faster, which we were utterly unable to do.Fortunately, before long we came in sight of a house belongingapparently to a large coffee estate, and standing near the road. Brightlights were gleaming from within, and the sounds of music and revelrycame forth through the open windows. It was a sight tempting indeed topoor forlorn creatures like ourselves, who had little chance of seeingsuch again for many a long day.
"What say you?" cried O'Driscoll. "Perhaps we may kill two birds withone stone. We may get these merry people to take care of Robson and atthe same time to entertain us, if Sambo there don't interfere. We'lltry at all events. Delisle, my boy, come along and interpret for us,will you?"
Delisle, who on most occasions was one of the most quiet and bestbehaved men in existence, albeit a perfect fire-eater on occasion,entered at once into the fun of the thing and followed his countrymanunder the balcony, when the latter began to cry out--
"Oh messieurs! oh mesdames! ici, ici! un pauvre garcon se va mourire!"
Several ladies came into the balcony and looked over, curious toascertain what was the matter. When they saw us bearing Robson in ourarms, some of them cried out that a stranger had come with a dead man.Others said that he was only sick; and then some gentlemen came andlooked out, all dressed in knee-breeches, long silk waistcoats andcoats, and with swords by their sides--a very respectable-lookingassemblage. They all talked away and consulted for some time, and theupshot of the matter was that several of them came down, and calling usround to the front door, assisted us to carry Robson up the steps andinto a quiet room, away from the scene of revelry. There we put him tobed, one of the gentlemen recommending a tumbler of _eau-sucre_ as thebest medicine we could give him. He took a huge draught of it.
"Superb nectar! finest grog I've tasted for a long time?" he exclaimed."Give me more of it."
We gave him another huge jorum. He sucked it down with greatsatisfaction, and it undoubtedly cooled the fever which was raging inhis inside. Our French friends, we flattered ourselves, did not findout his real condition; and when we had made him comfortable theyinvited us all to the room in which they were holding their revels.Sambo, our guard, for some reasons best known to himself, made noobjections to the proceeding. Perhaps he judged that it was the bestway of disposing of us. Perhaps he had some acquaintance--I won't sayof the fair sex--among the sable inmates of the mansion, with whom hehad no objection to pass a short time while we were amusing ourselves inthe society of the masters and mistresses.
We danced, and ate sweetmeats, and drank coffee and claret-and-water andsmoked cigars and cigarettes to our hearts' content, and laughed andtalked to the nut-brown maids who composed the female portion of theparty, for there was not a white face among them. We were quitedisappointed when our black guard put his head into the room and sangout--
"Allons, messieurs, allons?"
"I should like to _allons_ you and your ugly mug?" exclaimed O'Driscoll,eyeing the negro with no friendly look. But there was no help for it.The black fellow was our master; we had passed our word of honour not toattempt to escape, and to behave ourselves orderly, and we felt that wehad already verged on the bounds of propriety in what we had done. Ourpolite hosts promised to take very good care of Robson and to forwardhim on with an escort the next day, should he have recovered hisstrength.
Once more, therefore, we were in the saddle and proceeded throughforests and among mountains and by plantations, guided by the light ofthe moon, till, very sore and very tired, we arrived, past midnight, ata place which our guard informed us was Ou Trou. We said that we wishedto lodge at the best inn, on which he chuckled audibly, and told us thatwe had better take up our abode for the night in a shed hard by amongsome piles of Indian-corn straw. We agreed that we had often beencompelled to sleep on far more uncomfortable couches, and that the nextmorning we would set out to explore the town and choose lodgings. Withthis comfortable reflection, after our guard had disappeared into aneighbouring shed with our weary beasts, we, not less weary, I suspect,fell asleep.
We were awakened at an early hour the next morning by the sound ofEnglish voices, and, getting up from our straw couches, we found severalof the officers lately belonging to the Minerva, who also had been sentto this place, and, hearing of our arrival, had come to look for us.They gave us an account of the way in which their ship had been taken.We were not aware that they had been captured, and together we bemoanedour hard fate in thus being made prisoners at the commencement of a warwhich probably would be a long one. Having stretched ourselves, welooked out at the door of our shed. The prospect was very rural andvery tropical, but, as just then we wanted some of the civilisedcomforts of life, a few substantial houses would have been moregratifying to our sight. However, at that moment a voice was heardindulging in a half-French, half-negro song, and a jolly fat blackamoorappeared, with a white apron on, a bowl under one arm and a towel overthe other.
"Ah, there comes our perruquier. He's a capital fellow. You'll wanthis aid, some of you. Venez ici, Antoine!" sang out one of our friends.
Antoine, nothing loth, turned aside to us, for every new chin added tohis wealth; and he very soon had us shaven and shorn as clean as thefriar the old nursery song tells about, and all the time he was talkingand laughing and singing in the most cheery way imaginable. Our friendsthen brought us some milk and bread for breakfast, and, hungry as wewere, we were right glad to partake of it. This done, we sallied forthto inspect the town, as we had hitherto persisted in calling it. Whatwas our disappointment and disgust to find that it w
as not superior to avillage of very poor pretensions, and that there was scarcely a housefit, in any way, for us to occupy. There were, however, three shops,great rivals, each trying to ascertain what atrociously bad articlesthey could pass off on their customers, and how high the price theymight venture to demand. Thoroughly disappointed, we returned to ourshed to rest during the heat of the day. In the afternoon we againsallied out, and succeeded in securing a tumble-down looking house, withthree rooms in it and several out-houses adjoining.
This miserable place, then, was to be our abode for weeks and months,perhaps for years! We were all of us but scantily supplied withclothes; we had but few books, and but a scarcity of writing materials,and no fowling-pieces, so that we could not even look forward to theprospect of obtaining some sport to enable us to pass the time, and toassist in furnishing our ill-supplied table. Altogether, our prospectwas gloomy and disheartening in the extreme, nor could any of usdiscover a ray of light in the distance to cheer our spirits. Happily,sailors are not apt to moan and groan except when they are morecomfortable than they have ever been before in their lives on shore,surrounded by their families and all the luxuries of civilisation; andthen if they want their promotion, or can manage to dig up a grievance,they grumble with a vengeance. However, when real difficulties anddangers and troubles come, no men look up to them better; and so weresolved to be as happy as we could, but I must say that I never in mylife had as much difficulty in making the best of it as I had on thisdisastrous occasion. Bitter, bitter indeed is the lot of a prisoner ofwar!
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