Not a sign remained
on its broad surface of the wrath of the day before. It was wonderfully
calm. Lying here and there on the veranda, rolled up in their clothes,
were the servants of the factory, sleeping soundly on the hard planks.
Presently, as the sun rose in the heavens and warmed the air, the place
began to show signs of life, and one of the watch that I had set on the
beach came running across the yard to tell me that the bodies had come
ashore.
Immediately upon hearing this I called the hammock-bearers together,
and going down to the beach, I went a considerable way along it toward
a dark spot, which I knew to be a group of natives. On coming up to the
group, I found at least fifty negroes collected round the drowned man
and woman, all chattering and squabbling among themselves, and probably
over the plunder, for I saw that the bodies had been stripped to
their underclothing. Rushing into the crowd, with the aid of a stick
I dispersed it, so far as to make the wretches stand back. The man, of
course, was Bransome, there was no doubt as to that, although he had
received a terrible blow on the left temple, most likely from the
pointed stem of the boat as it had toppled over upon him, and his face
was distorted and twisted to one side.
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