Flash For Freedom!

But Anderson, bless his honest fat face, was on his feet. 'This is quite improper, sir! I demand that the witness be instructed to ignore the question. We are not here concerned with what the British master of a Mexican ship was doing many thousands of miles from our shore. Such a case, if any there were, would be for a British or Mexican court, or a mixed commission of the type to which the United States does not subscribe. I demand — nay, insist — that no irrelevant observations, such as might prejudice my client's position, be permitted. We are here to determine the status of the Balliol College at the time of her seizure —' and he went bounding on to cite a great string of precedents — Bright Des patch, Rosalinda, Ladies' Delight, heaven knows what.

It sounded a near thing to me; I stood there with my palms sweating, and if that adjudicator had been an honest man I'd have been sunk. But someone had been to work, I've no doubt, for he shook his head, and snapped:

'I take the point of defendant's counsel. We are not concerned with the Captain's past history —'

'Or his ship's?' bawls Clitheroe. 'What about Mendon, Uncas, any number I could name, sir — why, slavers have been condemned before ever they had taken a black on board, simply on a question of intent! This —'

'May I make a point, sir?' says Anderson. 'I respectfully suggest that it would ill become an American court to deny to a British master the very rights which we insist upon for our own captains where British justice is concerned. We demand that our captains be not interfered with unless they expressly break British law; it cannot be argued that what Captain Spring was doing thousands of miles away, in a Mexican ship, is any concern of ours.'

'Humbug —' Clitheroe was beginning, but Anderson added quickly:

'The court would hardly wish to set a precedent of which foreign governments, particularly the British, might take note.'

That clinched it. The adjudicator glanced at me: 'You will ignore that question, sir. Mr Clitheroe, I must ask you to confine yourself to the matter in hand. Proceed, sir.'

'I protest again, most emphatically,' says Clitheroe. 'Very well, then — Mr Comber, were these negroes who were carried from Roatan for Havana — were they chained, sir?'

'Most of the time, not,' says I, which was true.

'But chains were placed upon them when the American brig challenged the Balliol College?'

'Yes.' I tried not to catch Spring's eye.

'Why were they chained, sir?'

'To prevent their possible escape, I imagine. I was below decks at the time.'

He gave me an odd look. 'Was there not another reason? Was it not so that a length of anchor chain could be rove through their shackles, so that they could be brutally hurled into the deep and drowned?' He looked at his papers. 'I quote from your own statement to the Navy Department.'

Up came Anderson. 'May I point out that this … statement, supposedly made by the witness, is not in itself evidence. We are concerned with what he says now, not what he said then.'

I could feel the sweat starting out on my brow. How to balance the tightrope? Talk for your life, Flash, thinks I, so I looked perplexed, and said, addressing the adjudicator:

'Sir, I have reflected much on this matter in the past few months. That the slaves were shackled, and the anchor chain passed between those shackles, is true — I myself released them later. But in strict justice I must add that the shackling was performed by the late Mr Sullivan, mate of the Balliol College, and it was followed by a most violent altercation between Sullivan and Captain Spring.'

Clitheroe's eyes narrowed, and I saw Bailey, who was behind him, sit up suddenly.

'Are you saying,' says Clitheroe, 'that Spring was objecting to this shackling?'

'I can't say, sir.' God, I was treading warily. 'What was the cause of their altercation, I do not know.' I took a deep breath. 'But I do know that Mr Sullivan had served aboard slave ships in the past — and I don't believe he was quite right in the head, sir.'

Clitheroe was staring at me in frank disbelief. 'But this is totally out of accord with your earlier statement, sir. What? —' he scrabbled over a page '— here we have you referring to Spring as 'an unhuman beast', a 'callous murderer', a —'

'This is infamous!' roars Anderson. 'I have protested already — sir!' He swung on Clitheroe. 'Is that statement, that rubbish you hold in your hand, and read out to vilify my client — is it signed, sir!'

'It is not signed, sir, but —'

'Then take it away, sir! Remove it! It is a scandal, a disgrace! I appeal to the adjudicator!'

'We will hear the witness,' says the adjudicator. 'Not what you say he once said, Mr Clitheroe. You must not lead the witness, sir — as you should know.' Someone had greased his palm, right enough.

Clitheroe was in a quandary; Bailey, I could tell from his face, was in a fury. Clitheroe turned back to me, and his face was ugly.

'Very well,' says he. 'I now put the matter to you in different terms. Can you say, from your own knowledge, that there were slaves being carried on board the Balliol College in contravention of American law — that is to say, non-American slaves, and that an attempt was made to dispose of them by casting them overside — whoever gave the order.'

I was ready enough for that. 'Two hours ago, sir, I would have been able positively to answer your question as to the slaves. However, you must see, in the light of what we have heard from the last two witnesses, that I cannot in conscience answer positively now. The distinction about American-born slaves is new to me, sir; I cannot say whether the others were also American or not.'

He gave a snort of impatience. 'Was there not, on the Balliol College, an African woman — brought from Africa, sir, and carried to Baltimore with the others by Captain Fairbrother. A woman named —' he looked at his paper '— Lady Caroline Lamb, who spoke no English, and had been carried from Dahomey as a slave? Who could not possibly have been American, whatever the others were.'

'I remember the woman perfectly,' says I. 'As to her status, I confess I am reluctant — now — to be too definite, since she was certainly not among those shackled by Mr Sullivan.' (That was true, too; how had he overlooked her? She must have been in my cabin. Ah well, it's an ill wind.)

'Reluctant?' Clitheroe threw down his papers in disgust. Behind him I could see Bailey muttering with rage. 'Reluctant? On my word, Mr Comber — I find this most extraordinary. Are you here, sir, to testify against that man —' and he flung out a hand at Spring '— or are you not? Damme, sir — I beg the adjudicator's pardon — what does this mean? Your whole tone, your attitude, the burden of your evidence, is so far from what you led us to believe it would be, that I could almost wonder —' His glance flickered to Anderson, but he thought better of it. Before he could go on, I plucked up my courage and got in first.

'I have answered your questions to the best of my ability, sir,' says I. 'If I am scrupulous, I must say I find it hard that I should be blamed for that.'

He looked as though he would burst. 'Scrupulous, by all that's holy! I don't ask you to be scrupulous — I ask for the truth! What did you sail aboard this damned slaver for, if not to bring him to justice, eh? Answer me that, sir?'

When in difficulty, bluster; it was the only weapon I had left, and I seized it, now that his loss of composure had given me the chance.

'I sailed in the performance of my duty to my chiefs, sir, as you well know. That duty I have done — or will do, as soon as I am permitted. If you look in my statement, sir, you will see that I was reluctant from the first to appear in this case, and that I appeared only because your Navy Department assured me it was necessary. I had assumed, wrongly, I fear —' and I took my whole courage in my hands, and tried to sound furious '— that such a simple case would be easily concluded without my intervention being called for.'

He went white, and then red, and his breath came out in a great shudder. He looked at me with pure hate, and when he spoke, it was with great care.

'Indeed, sir? Very high-minded, and high-handed, are we not? Very well, Mr Comber, let us examine this, if you please. Your duty, sir, you have told us, is to your chiefs — you are an agent against the slave trade-although one would hardly suspect it from your conduct today. As such, I understand you obtained possession, during this voyage, of papers belonging to the master of the Balliol College —' out of the tail of my