The four guns of theFoulahs were trained at his
chest but he paid no attention to them. Him no like me bring up Gallego ship,
continued Jaumee. The tide luckily enoughdrifted her sidewise upstream.
Nevertheless, the tension of that last hour was
extreme. Instead of lowering away there, an argument ensued and the foresailwas
reefed and set again. He took in the situation at a glance and bellowedsomething
down the hatch to the captain. A few heads were even risked abovethe level of the
deck. It was paddled bytwo Kru boys stark except for breech-clouts. By some miracle
the reefed foresail held. It was sufficient to convince evenhim
utterly.
Nothing else couldbe compared to it for
interest.
The whole mad group precipitated itself toward the
sternlike an avalanche. It looked as ifthrough the whole crisis the captain had been
coolly giving himorders.
Theboy lay with his hands behind his
head.
A canoe appeared at a turn ahead, waved a paddle,
and turned backupstream. Forward someone could be heardscreaming dismally. Him no
like me bring up Gallego ship, continued Jaumee. The four Foulahs had fired straight
into the focsle door.
The yachtishness of theAriostatica emerged from
years of grime.
There wereonly two slave factories on the Rio
Pongo, Mongo Toms andGallegos. For an instant Anthony was overcome by rage. He had
heard Ali Bongo and the pilottalking, it seemed, and had put two and two
together.
He had the two whaleboats slung in the schooners
waist lowered andtowed up to the bow.
Helet the cook take some food down to
them.
Various thatched houses attached to the
establishmentextended up a low, steep hill just behind.
It waswhere the Rio Pongo, slipping silently out of
the enormous forest,slid into the sea.
The shipmoved upstream more and more sluggishly.
Amidships there was alake where the cook and a large pot floated about with ashes
andfirewood. Well, you willcertainly get a warm welcome THERE!
Thegalley smoked as peacefully as its imperturbable
occupant.
The damp heat vibrated above the stream
withthousands of midges and living motes of things.
Anthony pretended to be driving a
bargain.
Anthony was glad now that Sóller and the captain
had freedPolyphème.
Anthony was forced to turn Sóller over to Brother
Françoiswho tended him in the cabin below.
A happier idea was supplied by Ali Bongo,however.