"Up with the helm!" sung out Waller; and at the same time Jack and another man cutting away at the fore-rigging of the enemy, we sheered clear of him; while he, backing his fore-topsail, dropped under our stern without firing a shot. We therefore hauled our wind, and kept on our course, and soon afterwards he filled his sails, and stood away to the southward. He had enjoyed a sufficient taste of our quality. Not one of us was hurt, while a quarter of his people must have been killed or wounded. Our men gave a loud huzza as they found themselves free. To me it seemed like a wild dream. A few minutes before we were engaged in a desperate struggle for life; and now, uninjured, we were sailing gaily over the calm water, victors in the strife. Had it not been for the dead bodies of our foes remaining on the deck, we could scarcely have believed our senses. This action is considered one of the most gallant that has occurred on the coast. The next day, to our great satisfaction, the _Opossum_ hove in sight. Captain Idle, having taken our prisoners out of us, ordered us to proceed forthwith with the negroes to Sierra Leone for adjudication. CHAPTER TWENTY ONE. BLOWN OFF THE COAST--WALLER'S KINDNESS TO THE NEGROES--RUN SHORT OF PROVISIONS AND WATER--VESSEL LEAKING--AMERICAN HARD-HEARTEDNESS-- WALLER'S NOBLE RESOLVE--BEACH BAHIA--AUDACIOUS TRICK OF BRAZILIAN SLAVE-DEALERS. We had parted from the _Opossum_ about a couple of days, when we observed signs of one of those terrific easterly gales which sometimes blow off the coast of Africa. Waller, from his previous experience, knew them, and remarked them in time, so that we were able to get all snug to meet the wind when it came. On a sudden the hitherto calm leaden water was covered with a foam-drift, like the fine sand swept across the stony desert. The only sail we had set was a close-reefed topsail and storm-jib; the helm was put up, and away she flew before the gale, swift as the albatross on its snowy wing. Away, away we sped, and soon, leaving the African coast far astern, were ploughing the water of the South Atlantic. The _Zerlina_, though a beautiful model, as are most of her class, was flimsily built, and far from a good sea-boat, speed only having been cared for in her construction. As we got away from the land, we met a good deal of sea, in which she laboured much; and Ned Awlhole, one of the carpenter's mates, who was acting carpenter, came one afternoon with a very long face into the cabin, where Waller and I were sitting at dinner, to inform us that she was making far more water than was satisfactory. "Get the pumps rigged, then, and we must try and keep her clear till we can manage to beat back to Sierra Leone," said Waller, as coolly as if it were a matter of slight importance. "It is rather a serious thing this, is it not?" I observed. "I wonder you make so light of it."