made us hurry him along the faster down the companion-ladder, and out at
the port into the boat. We handed him along into the stern-sheets, and
then, Mr Vernon giving the order to shove off, we backed out of the
creek, and got the boat's head round, to pull out to sea. We were only
just in tune, for the lad's cry had attracted the notice of his friends;
and we could hear people shouting, as they ran down to the beach, to
learn who it was that had cried out. Unfortunately the splash of our
oars attracted their notice, and they began firing away at us, as fast
as they could load their matchlocks. "Give way, my lads, give way!"
cried Mr Vernon, more from habit than that the men required any
inciting to pull fast, as the shot came splattering about us. The young
Moor made one or two attempts to rise, evidently with the intention of
springing into the water, and swimming on shore again; but we held him
down; and, as we got further off, he either saw that the attempt would
be useless, or, from something he learned from the shouts of his
countrymen, he thought it wiser to remain quiet. We were congratulating
ourselves on none of the shot reaching us, and fancied that we were
getting out of danger, when we saw a dark object glide out from a creek
or harbour to the westward, followed by another, and then another, which
we at once made out to be row-boats, pulling probably some twenty oars
or so, and famed for their speed. We had the start of them, however, by
half a mile or more; and, as our two gigs were far from slow coaches, we
did not altogether despair of escaping. Still the odds were fearfully
against us; and, even if we were not killed outright, potato-digging and
water-drawing for the rest of our days was not a pleasant prospect for
contemplation, independent of failing in the object we had in view.
This made all hands bend to their oars with redoubled vigour. Happily
the row-boats had no guns in their bows, or if they had, the people had
forgotten their powder or shot, as the few bullets which reached us now
and then were the only missiles we had to dread. Well, away we pulled,
with the Reefian row-boats after us, our great hopes being that we
should decoy them within range of the _Harold's_ guns, and then, if we
could bag a boat-load, we might hope to treat advantageously for any
prisoners they might have taken. We made the dark, smooth water hiss
and bubble under our bows, as we clove our rapid way through it,