But the man was so terrified that the words fell on deaf ears. His terror was increased by a sudden commotion over the side as his native crew, hearing the cries of their master, took their paddles and made off for the shore as hard as they could urge their cumbersome craft.
At last Captain Restronguet became out of patience with the craven pilot. At a sign from him Devoran whisked the Portuguese to his feet and led him for’ard. Here he again collapsed, grovelling on the deck. It was now nearly high water, and unless something were done another delay of twelve hours at least--possibly of days--would necessarily ensue.
Drawing his automatic pistol he clapped the muzzle to the pilot’s temple. The touch of cold steel did what words had failed to do. Abject terror was banished by the stern menace of that small yet powerful weapon.
"No shoot, senhor capitan!" howled the wretched man. "Me take you ober: no shoot."
Captain Restronguet replaced his pistol, the pilot, still shaking, stood in front of the helmsman in the fore-conning-tower and directed him by movements of his hand. Four minutes sufficed to bring the "Aphrodite," rolling like a barrel, through the agitated water on the bar, and thus after nearly a month of inaction the avenging submarine floated in the turgid waters of the broad Zambezi.
At Marromea Captain Restronguet paid the pilot, who was taken ashore in a native boat. The Portuguese, as soon as he received his money and found that he had not been harmed, became quite enthusiastic over the generous "Ingles," and vowed that, whatever other work he had in hand, he would await the "Aphrodite" on her return. "If the senhors ever come back," he added darkly, for he knew the effect of the pestilential climate upon unseasoned Europeans.
Marromea, where the Portuguese once had a fairly prosperous trading station, had fallen into decay. Fever had decimated the inhabitants, the railway, intended to fellow the course of the river and effect a junction with the Cape to Cairo line at Victoria Falls, had been abandoned. Long grass and tropical foliage had already hidden the melancholy remains from view.
There were scarcely thirty Portuguese in the place; the others were natives who, being partly civilized, were infinitely greater scoundrels than their unenlightened brethren. Of the thirty Portuguese, two-thirds of the number were Government officials, and with the idea of displaying their powers, threw every obstacle in Captain Restronguet’s way. Dues were demanded and paid, then a peremptory request to be shown the ship’s papers--documents that the "Aphrodite" did not possess.