(Continuing from Part 03)
After the pirates captured our ship, they took us to the port of Salé, on the coast of North Africa.
I had lost everything. My trading goods were gone, my hopes of becoming wealthy had disappeared, and I was no longer a free man.
The other English sailors were taken to the ruler’s court, but the pirate captain kept me as his personal slave.
I was frightened and miserable.
I had never imagined that my desire for adventure would bring me into such a terrible situation.
My new master ordered me to work in his house and garden. I had to obey his commands and perform whatever duties he gave me.
Sometimes I was sent to do small jobs near the harbor.
I had no freedom to leave, and I did not know whether I would ever see England again.
At first, I hoped that my master would take me aboard his ship when he went to sea.
Perhaps another English vessel would capture his ship, and I would be rescued.
But he never allowed me to accompany him on his longer voyages.
Instead, he left me behind to look after his house and property.
I soon understood that waiting for someone to rescue me was useless.
If I wanted freedom, I would have to find a way to escape.
For two long years, I remained a prisoner.
During that time, I thought constantly about escaping, but every plan seemed impossible.
I had no boat of my own, no money, and no friends who could help me.
Even if I managed to leave the town, I would have to cross unfamiliar country where I might be captured again.
Then something happened that gave me hope.
My master owned a small fishing boat.
Before my capture, he had sometimes used it for pleasure trips with friends. On one occasion, he had prepared the boat for a journey with several important guests.
He ordered me to help get everything ready.
We placed food, water, and other supplies aboard.
There was also a small cabin where passengers could rest.
But on the morning of the planned trip, the guests did not come.
My master was disappointed.
He ordered us to take the boat out and catch some fish instead.
The fishing trip was successful, and afterward my master began using the boat more often.
He allowed me to accompany a man named Ismael, whom the others called Muly, and a young boy named Xury.
We went fishing together several times.
I learned how the boat handled the wind and waves, and I became familiar with the coastline.
One day, my master announced that he would go fishing with some friends the following morning.
He ordered us to prepare the boat carefully.
We filled containers with fresh water and placed food aboard.
I noticed that the boat already carried several useful supplies.
My master also had guns and ammunition for shooting birds.
As I worked, a new idea entered my mind.
Perhaps this was the opportunity I had been waiting for.
I began thinking about how I might use the boat to escape.
I knew that if I failed, I would be punished severely.
But I also knew that I could not bear to remain a slave forever.
I decided to take the risk.
The next morning, my master’s plans changed again.
He sent a message saying that he could not come fishing.
Instead, he ordered Muly, Xury, and me to go out and catch fish for his dinner.
This was exactly the opportunity I needed.
I tried to behave normally so that nobody would suspect my intentions.
Before leaving, I told Muly that we should take more food with us.
“Our master will not want us to eat his supplies,” I said. “We should bring our own.”
Muly agreed.
We placed bread and other food aboard.
Then I suggested that we take a larger container of fresh water.
“If we stay at sea for several hours, we may become thirsty,” I explained.
Again, he agreed.
I also arranged to take some wine, tools, and other useful items.
Finally, I suggested bringing guns and ammunition.
“We might see some birds along the coast,” I said. “Perhaps we can shoot a few for our master’s table.”
Muly thought this was reasonable.
He did not realize that I was preparing for a much longer journey.
When everything was ready, the three of us entered the boat and sailed away from Salé.
At first, I steered in the usual direction.
I did not want Muly to suspect anything.
We traveled a short distance from the harbor and began pretending to fish.
But I was not interested in catching fish.
I was watching the wind, the coastline, and the distance between our boat and the shore.
After some time, I told Muly that the fish were not biting.
“We should go farther out,” I suggested. “Perhaps we will find better fishing there.”
He agreed.
We raised the sail and moved farther from land.
When we were about a mile from the shore, I decided to act.
I handed the steering rope to Xury and moved toward Muly.
Then, suddenly, I grabbed him and threw him over the side of the boat.
He fell into the sea.
Muly was a strong swimmer, and he quickly rose to the surface.
He shouted for me to take him back aboard.
He promised that he would go wherever I wished and would not tell anyone about my escape.
But I could not trust him.
I took one of the guns and pointed it toward him.
“I do not want to hurt you,” I shouted. “But you must swim back to shore. If you try to follow us, I will shoot.”
Muly understood that I was serious.
He turned and began swimming toward the coast.
I believed he could reach land safely because he was an excellent swimmer and the shore was not far away.
Then I turned to Xury.
The boy looked frightened.
“Xury,” I said, “if you remain faithful to me, I will treat you well. But if you betray me, I may have to throw you into the sea too.”
Xury looked at me and promised that he would never betray me.
I believed him.
He was young, but he seemed honest and loyal.
I told him that we were going to escape together.
Then I took control of the boat, raised the sail, and turned south along the African coast.
For the first time in two years, I was free.
But our troubles were far from over.
We had only a small boat, limited supplies, and no safe destination.
Ahead of us lay hundreds of miles of unfamiliar coastline.
I did not know what dangers we would meet.
Still, I felt something I had almost forgotten during my years of captivity.
I felt hope.