Voyage of Slaves

Janos leaned forward in her saddle, narrowing both eyes. “Aye, they’re Revenue officers alright, though they’re not coming with any speed. Trying to sneak up and jump us from behind. We’ll keep just ahead of them until we’re ready to run. Watch for my signal. Magda, is that pipe of yours well lit?”

They caught the faint glow as their driver sent a fragrant cloud of Turkish-cut plug their way. “Aye, it’s smoking smoothly, Janos, just give the word.”

Ben caught Ned’s thought. “Give what word, what do we need Magda’s pipe for?”

Ben kept his eyes on the riders, whom he could see clearer now. “I don’t know, mate, let’s wait and see.”

Janos Cabar had been studying the Revenue officers, too. The moment she saw them begin to increase their pace, out came the bullwhip. She gave it one sharp crack. “No noise yet, but ride! Ride!”

Within seconds spray was blossoming up from every wheel as the wagons took off.

Ned licked brine from his lips. “Never dreamed I’d be going to sea like this!”

A warning bugle blast rang out behind them. Magda cackled. “We’re supposed to halt and surrender when they blow that silly thing. Have they put their pretty little flag out yet?”

Katya spotted the pennant on the lead rider’s lance: some sort of black design of a spread-eagled bird on a yellow-and-red background. She called to her mother, “Aye, but it’ll take more than a bugle and a flag to stop the Istrani Wolves. Pass the pipe!” She caught the pipe which Magda tossed to her.

Janos galloped alongside. “Make ready, but wait for my signal. Now we’ll see if they have trained cavalry horses like ours. Give them their head!”

The teams put on extra speed. Spray was flying everywhere as the horses pounded the surf with their racing hooves.

Ben shouted a warning to Janos. “They’re moving faster, too, I think they’re beginning to close on us!”

The smugglers’ leader cracked her whip. “Back to the road, hurry!”

The wagons splashed out of the shallows, going break-neck across the shore, up an incline and back onto the road. The Revenue riders were in hot pursuit, gaining even more ground.

Katya shook her fist at them. “Maybe we can’t go as fast as you with loaded wagons to pull, but all you’ll eat tonight is our dust!” Pulling aside the tarpaulin cover, she lugged a box up onto the tailboard. Puffing on her mother’s pipe to keep it going, she winked at Ben. “Yukk! How does she enjoy this foul thing? Here, Ben, help me to get this box open!”

The boy scrabbled with the cords that bound the box shut. His nimble fingers soon unfastened the knots. Looking up he could plainly see the riders, in black uniforms with brass buttons, each one carrying a sabre and musket. They were getting dangerously close when Janos Cabar gave the cry.

“Howoooooyaaaaah! Give them a good, hot meal!”

Katya removed the pipe from her mouth. “Pass me one of those and stand by with another!”

Ben took one of the packages from the box. It was a cylinder of tree bark and parchment, sealed with candle wax. A wick of some kind protruded from one end. Katya set the wick to the bowl of the pipe. It began to spew forth thick smoke and twinkling sparks. She dropped it over the tailboard onto the road, reaching out her hand to Ben.

“Give me another, and another, quick as you can!”

In swift succession another two cylinders bounced onto the road, just as the pursuers reached the spot where the first one had fallen.

Three almighty explosions followed, catching the front, centre and rear of the Revenue horsemen. Clouds of choking smoke enveloped the scene, horses were screaming and whinnying as they bucked in terror, unseating their riders. Ned passed a shocked thought to his master.

“They’ve blown them to bits, haven’t they?”

Ben grabbed Katya’s arm, shouting in her face, “They were bombs, you’ve killed them!”

The girl slammed the box shut, laughing. “Killed them? Rubbish! Hey, Janos, tell this poor boy about our bombs, he thinks we’ve killed them!”

Janos pulled alongside the tailboard. Looping her horse’s reins over a cleat, she jumped aboard the wagon and punched the boy’s arm playfully. “Hah, they’re not dead. There’s nothing in those bombs but a touch of powder and smoke, no metal of any sort, not even stones. The horses won’t be fit to ride, if they ever catch them. As for the Revenue officers, there may be a broken bone or two from being thrown, and they’ll all be deaf for a couple of days, but they’ll recover alright. Better than being hanged, eh?”

Ben repeated the word incredulously. “Hanged?”

Janos Cabar nodded solemnly. “That’s what I said, boy—hanged. If we’d been caught, a week from now you’d be standing in chains before the high judges at Zagreb. Smugglers and pirates are treated alike by them. Doesn’t matter whether you’re young or old, male or female. It’s the rope in the city square for criminals who cause the nation to lose valuable revenue. No excuses, or pleas for mercy taken!”