Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 33: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE CRUISE OF then placed-—athwartships—pieces of scant- ling, and upon these a flooring was laid which made the “slave deck.” It left five feet clear space under the beams. Extra hatches were cut in the main deck, one in the forward house and one under the top-gallant forecastle. Four large wind sails were also made. In short, everything possible was done to afford a good circula- tion of air in the hold. “T once lost three hundred blacks in one night for lack of ventilation,” said De Cas- tro, and Hunt shuddered as he heard it. V. FORTY-FIVE days after she arrived in the river the Madeline was cast off from the palm trees for her voyage to Cuba. She slipped down the Congo River close hauled by the wind like an eel, greased, as her cop- per was, for the run across the ocean. During the last few days Hunt had been very busy looking after the work. The crew were about the vessel, but were feeble. The captain was not well and could not ex- pose himself much, and consequently the supervision of the ignorant negroes who per- formed the labor had all devolved upon Hunt and Sherman. Hunt had been feeling well all the time. He had taken good care of himself, and began te think that he had escaped the fever. But as the vessel reached the mouth of the river on her way to the rendezvous off the coast to receive her cargo, a feeling of Jassitude crept over him, with flushes of heat accompanied by a dull, aching pain in the head. Taking a dose of quinine, he said he would lie down for a while, which he did. He soon became unconscious, and remained so for four days. Meanwhile the schooner had taken aboard from lighters off the coast her cargo of men, women and _ children— ‘the finest lot of blacks that ever left the Congo River,” said De Castro, who super- intended the embarkation. De Castro also picked up on the shore, “ in the bush,”’ the captain and six sailors of a Spanish schooner that had been captured by a British man-of-war, and two Swedes who THE MADELINE. 823 had come from a New Bedford whale ship which also had been taken by a man-of- war, The crews of captured slavers were al- ways put ashore, “ to eat or be eaten,” as De Castro explained, and were only too glad to get away in any vessel that was leaving the coast. The reénforcement was very welcome to the feeble crew of the Madeline. When all were aboard,. the schooner filled her sails and started her sheets for the long run to westward, to make in fact, the historical Middle Passage —standing well offshore out of the track of the cruisers. On the morning of the fifth day out Hunt came to his senses. He found him- self lying in his berth with scarcely strength enough to turn over. The sea breeze was blowing in his window and fan- ning his feverish face—and it felt good. As he rallied a little he became conscious that the vessel was at sea, by her motion, and he could see that Sherman was sitting in the cabin with his head lying on the table, as if he too were ill. He heard De Castro come in from the deck and ask Sher- man what the matter was, then mix and give him something from a tumbler. a With an effort Hunt called ‘“ Hello there,” and De Castro immediately sprang to the side of his berth. Feeling his pulse, the Portuguese told him to show his tongue, and then exclaimed: “Ah! Caramba! That is good! you want now is some food.” Sherman then came to his side and grasped his hand, saying: “Good! Good! Glad to see you again in your senses, Mr. Hunt. We have had hell aboard since you’ve been sick. But here comes some grub for you that De Cas- tro has ordered. You must eat.” A strange man brought in a bowl and set it on the table. “Who is that man, Sherman?” inquired Hunt. ‘“‘Our new cook. No more talk, old fel- low, but get up and eat. [I'll tell you all by and by.” And Sherman assisted Hunt out of his berth and to the cabin table. Hunt ate the chicken soup that, had been ordered by De Castro, who came into All - COMICDOOkKsS CO)