Then the captain would calm down, and something like the following would take place:

"Did I speak rather sharply to you when the boat returned, Mr Anderson?"

"Oh! Well, rather hastily, sir," said the chief officer drily. "But that's nothing, sir. I'm afraid I was not very polite to you. I was horribly disappointed, sir."

"Naturally," the captain cried excitedly. "Here we are, getting well within range of the islands where we know this wretched traffic is carried on, where the plantations are cultivated by the unfortunate blacks, and we seem bound to encounter a slaver, and yet the days pass on and we prove to be hunting a will-o'-the-wisp."

"Yes, sir, it is maddening," replied the lieutenant. "Day after day I have swept the offing, feeling certain that fate would favour us by letting the sloop come up with that Yankee, or with one of his kidney; but disappointment is always the result."

"Yes, Mr Anderson," cried the captain; "always the result. Never mind," he continued, speaking through his closely set teeth; "our turn will come one of these days." And then with his telescope tightly nipped beneath his arm he would tramp up and down the quarter-deck, pausing now and then to focus his glass, take a peep through, close it again with a snap and renew his march.

"Look at him," said Roberts, one bright morning, as the two lads stood together well forward, where they fondly hoped that they were quite out of their chief's way.

"No, thank you, Dick," was the response; "it isn't safe. He's just in one of his fits, ready to pounce upon any one who gives him a chance. Every one is getting afraid of him. I wish to goodness we could overtake something and have a chance of a prize."

"Well, we must find something to do soon, lad. We're right in amongst the islands, and we shall have to land and hunt out some nigger driver's nest."

"But we can't do anything if we do. We daren't interfere with any plantation where the blacks are employed."

"No, I suppose not; but it would be a glorious change if we got orders to land at one of the islands and could pick up some news or another."

"What sort of news?"

"What sort? Why, information that a slaver was expected to land a consignment, and then—"

"Oh yes, and then! Well, we shall see."

"Yes, we shall see; but I don't believe any of the planters will give us a bit of information."

"Don't you? I do," said Murray. "There are good planters as well as bad planters, and I feel full of hope."

"I don't," said Roberts bitterly. "I think we ought to go back to the West Coast and watch the rivers again. We shall do no good here."

But Murray proved the more likely to be right, for after touching at the little port of one island, where the Seafowl was visited by the English gentleman who acted as consul, and who had a long interview with the officers in the cabin, it became bruited through the vessel that something important was on the way, and after boats had been sent ashore and a plentiful supply of fresh water and vegetables taken in, the sloop set sail again, piloted by a fishing boat. Under its guidance the Seafowl lay off the shores of what seemed through the glasses to be an earthly paradise, a perfect scene of verdant beauty, with waving trees and cultivated fields, sheltered by a central mountain the configuration of which suggested that it must at one time have been a volcano, one side of which had been blown away so that a gigantic crater many miles across formed a lake-like harbour. Into this deep water, after careful soundings had been taken, the sloop glided and dropped anchor, the pilot with his two men hoisting sail directly after receiving pay.

"This is something like," said Roberts, rubbing his hands. "I wonder how soon we shall go ashore."

"Almost directly, I expect," replied Murray.

"Why? What do you know?"

"Not much; only what Mr Anderson let drop to me."

"Let drop to you!" cried Roberts pettishly. "He never lets things drop to me."

"Well, what does that matter? I always tell you anything that I hear."

"Never mind that. What did Anderson let drop?"

"That the skipper has learned that there is an English gentleman here who farms a plantation with a number of slaves."

"Well, lots do," said Roberts sharply.

"And on the other side of the island there is a very large sugar plantation belonging to an American who is suspected of having dealings with slaving skippers who trade with the West Coast. What do you say to that?"

"That sounds likely; but what then?"

"Well, according to what Mr Anderson told me, the skipper will, if he waits for a chance, be able to catch one if not more of the slavers who come here to land their cargoes, for this American planter to ship off by degrees to other planters who require slaves."

"Ah, yes, I see," cried Roberts. "This Yankee, then, keeps a sort of slave store?"

"Something of the kind," replied Murray, "and if we are careful I suppose that the skipper will have his chance at last; only he says that he is not going to trust any stranger again."

"Well, never mind that," said Roberts, speaking excitedly now as he scanned the slopes of the old verdure-clad hollow in which the sloop lay as if in a lake. "If we are about to lie up here for a time and go ashore and explore we shall have plenty of fun and adventure, with a bit of fighting now and then."

"Likely enough," said Murray.

"But I should like for us to have hit upon the place where that West Coast Yankee brought his cargoes. There's no possibility of this being the spot?"

"One never knows," said Murray thoughtfully.

"Too much to hope," said his companion.

"Oh, I don't know. We've been horribly unlucky, but the luck is bound to turn some time. One thing we do know for certain: that Yankee skipper brings slaves across to the West Indies."

"Yes, we know that."

"Well, this is one of the West Indian Islands."

"A precious small one, though," said Roberts in a depreciatory tone.

"What of that? We know for certain that there is the owner of a plantation here who trades in slaves, and there is nothing to prevent his having dealings with the man we want."

"M-m-no; but there must be several such men as he. Well, we must get some fun," cried Roberts, "and if we don't find all we want—"

"We may get something," said Murray cheerfully. "Now then, which of us will have the first chance of going ashore?"

"You, of course," replied Roberts bitterly. "Some fellows get all the luck. No, no; I don't mean that, old chap."

"Look at Anderson," cried Murray; "he's taking orders from the skipper. Hooray, Dick! See if it isn't for a boat to be sent ashore. Whose turn is it going to be?"

That question was soon answered, for the captain, who was pacing to and fro searchingly overlooking the preparations for a boat going ashore, suddenly caught sight of the two lads.

"Oh, there you are, Mr Murray!" he exclaimed. "Well, has not Mr Anderson given you your orders to accompany the boat?"

Roberts's face puckered up.

"No, sir," said the lieutenant, taking upon himself to answer. "I intended to take Mr Roberts with me."

Murray felt disappointed, but all the same he could not refrain from laughing at the sudden change which came over his fellow middy's face, to the latter's wonder.

"Oh, I see," said the captain, raising his hat and re-adjusting it in a fidgety way he had when excited, which was followed by a fresh settling of the head-covering. "Quite right; quite right; but here's Mr Murray growing dull and sluggish with doing nothing; you had better take him too. One will help to keep the other out of mischief."

Roberts winced, and turned sharply to glance at Murray angrily, as the latter hurried to take his place in the stern sheets.

"What's the matter, Dick?" Murray whispered, as soon as the pair were in their places.

"Matter? Any one would think I was a child and ought to have some one to take care of me. Now, look here, young fellow, if you grin at me before old Anderson there's going to be a quarrel."

"All right," said Murray coolly; "but keep it till we get back."

Roberts looked round sharply, but he had no opportunity to say more, for the chief officer descended to his place, Murray moved aside to let his comrade take the tiller ropes, the boatswain gave the cutter a vigorous thrust off, the men lowered their oars, and then bending low to their task they made the smooth water of the natural harbour begin to rattle beneath the bows.

The boat was run across beside the heavily forested shores, where, before long, but after many disappointments, an opening was found which seemed to be the entrance to a sluggish river, and as they glided in the overhanging trees soon shut them off from all sight of the sunny bay they had crossed. The bright light gave place to a dim twilight which at times grew almost dark, while the river wound and doubled upon itself like a serpent, and twice over, after a long pull, the lieutenant bade the men lie upon their oars, to rest, while he hesitated as to whether he should go farther.

But all seemed so mysterious and tempting that, in the full expectation of reaching some town or port belonging to the island, the rowing was again and again resumed till hours had passed, and at last the chief officer exclaimed—

"It's like chasing a will-o'-the-wisp, gentlemen, but I cannot help feeling that we are on the highroad to the interior, and, in spite of the utter loneliness of the place, I don't like to give up."

"Of course you don't, sir," said Murray, as the men rested upon their oars, and he scanned the heavily wooded banks. "I wonder whether there are any plantations worked by the slaves: I can see no sign of a house."

"No, I was thinking of that," said Roberts, who was sweeping the distance with a glass; "but there is a bit of an opening yonder which looks as if the river branched there, and—Hallo! I didn't see it at first. There's some sort of a boat lying moored in that nook."

"Where?" cried Murray.

"Yonder among the trees. Take the glass, sir."

Mr Anderson took the telescope.

"To be sure: the river does branch there. Steer for that cove, Mr Roberts, and let us see what the little vessel is like. At all events here is some sign of the place being inhabited. Give way, my lads."

The men pulled hard, and as they progressed, instead of obtaining a better view of the vessel, it seemed only to glide in behind the trees until they were close in and passed up what proved to be the mouth of a little creek, when Murray uttered an ejaculation.

"What is it, Mr Murray?" cried the lieutenant.

"The lugger, sir!"

"Well, I see it is, my lad. I dare say its owner's house is close at hand."

"But don't you see, sir?" cried Murray excitedly.

"Of course I do, but there's no one aboard, apparently."

"Oh, I don't mean that, sir!" cried the lad. "It's the lugger we first came upon off that African river."

"What!" cried the lieutenant. "Impossible! Run close in, Mr Roberts." And the men pulled the cutter close alongside the swift-looking boat with its raking masts and lowered lug sails.

"Humph!" said the lieutenant. "The same build, the same rig, the same coloured canvas. Well, really, Mr Murray, it is a strange resemblance."

"I'm almost sure it is the same boat, sir," cried Murray.

"That's as good as saying that the Yankee who tricked us so has sailed right across the Atlantic with the slaving schooner, and we have had the luck to follow in her track, and caught up to her."

"Yes, sir; I don't think there's any doubt of it," cried Murray.

"Then, if you are right, Mr Murray, the slaving schooner will be somewhere close at hand."

"Yes, sir; I hope so," replied Murray. "I am ready to hope so, my lad, but I say it is impossible. That was a lugger, and this is a lugger, and of course there is a certain amount of resemblance in the rig; but you are jumping at conclusions just because this is similar."

"I think not, sir. I took so much notice of the boat; but look here, sir, Tom May was with me when I went forward to speak to the Yankee, and he would know.—Here, May, isn't that the lugger the American planter was on when we brought her to?"

The sailor stared hard at the vessel hanging by a line fastened to what seemed to be a cocoanut tree.

"Same build, sir; same rig, sir. Might have been built up the same river, but it arn't the one we saw that day, sir—Wish it was!"

"There, Murray, what do you say now?"

"That I didn't think it possible that I could have been so deceived. Would it be possible that it could have been built by the same shipwright, sir?"

"Quite, my lad; and it is quite possible that we may come across a schooner or two built just like the one we saw escape. There is no doubt that many slaving schooners are built in these islands especially for the trade. Look out, my lads, and don't miss anything. There may be one of them moored safely in a snug creek.—What was that?"

"Nigger, sir," said Tom May. "I just ketched sight of him squinting at us among the trees. There he is again, sir."

This time Roberts had caught sight of a black figure wearing the very simple costume of a pair of loose cotton drawers, his round woolly head covered with a broad-brimmed hat formed of extremely thin strips of thin cane.

"Scared at us," said the sailor, for as the cutter was rowed alongside of the lugger, the black darted out of sight, but, evidently curious to know what was going on and the object of the strangers, he peered out again.

"Ahoy there!" shouted one of the sailors.

That was enough. The black disappeared once more, but only for a few moments before he was peeping again.

"You hail him this time, Mr Murray," cried the lieutenant.

"Ahoy there!" cried Murray. "What boat's that?"

The black clung to one of the trees on the bank of the river and watched the speaker eagerly.

"He doesn't understand," said the lieutenant. "I dare say he only speaks bad Spanish. But try him again."

"Can you speak English?" cried Murray.

"Yes, massa!"

"Come, that's better," said the lieutenant. "Try him again, Mr Murray." And the lad shouted—

"Whose lugger is that?"

"Massa's, sah."

"Oh!" cried Murray; and then obeying a sudden thought, "Where is the schooner?"

"Gone sail round um ilum, sah."

"With slaves?" said Murray.

"Gone take big lot black fellow, sah."

"What for?"

"Hoe de cotton, sah; plant de sugar, sah," said the black, showing his white teeth.

"When will the schooner come back, Sambo?" said Murray.

"Name not Sambo, sah," said the black.

"What is it then?"

"Jupe, sah, Jupiter."

"Ask him where his master lives."

"Yes, sir!—Where does your master live?"

The black rested the heavy hoe he carried among the thick growth of the trees which rang alongside of the stream, and pointed away into the dense cover at the back.

"Jupe show massa."

"Is your master away with the schooner?" asked Murray.

"No, sah. Massa never go to sea. Cap' Huggum go in um schooner."

"Oh, that's it, is it?" said Mr Anderson. "Now then, my lad; if we land you will show us the way to your master's place?"

"Yes, sah. Massa Huggum's 'long with massa now."

"Who is Master Huggums?" said the lieutenant.

"Massa, sah. Make um niggah work, sah;" and as he spoke the black showed his teeth, raised his hoe, and brought the handle sharply against the trunk of some kind of palm-tree. "That's de way make um work. Lazy rascal go to sleep. Massa Huggum wake um up."

"Oh, that's it, is it? Does he wake you up like that?"

The black burst into a hoarse laugh.

"Iyah, iyah, iyah!" he cackled out, and evidently thoroughly enjoying the questioning, he threw himself down in the thick cane growth, rolled over and over, and then sprang up again. "No give Jupe de whip, massa. Find Jupe fas' sleep. Ck, ck, ck!"

And he threw out one bare foot as if emulating some one who had heavily kicked a slave who was lying asleep.

The feeling of fear that had made the black dart back into the cover of the trees had now passed away in favour of a display of eager curiosity, and he came close to the boat, where he watched the sailors laying in their oars and the coxswain hook on to one of the trees, while the officers prepared to land.

"Now, then," said the lieutenant, "show us a dry place; it is all muddy here."

"Jupe show landum place, sah," said the man sharply.

"Very well, and then you can lead us up to the house."

"Yes, sah. Take buccra up through plantashum, but Jupe no dare go."

"What do you mean?" said Mr Anderson. "You offered to go just now."

"Yes, sah; but Jupe forget all 'bout Massa Huggum. De overseer go in great big pashum, sah. Call Jupe ugly black nigger, sah."

"What for?"

"Take buccra officer up to plantashum see de niggers, sah."

"Oh, that's how Mr Huggins or Huggum goes on, is it? Well, never mind him," said the lieutenant; "lead us up to your master."

The black showed his teeth again and indulged in his cackling laugh.

"Well, what does that mean, sir?"

"Jupe no dah go, sah. Massa Huggum say cut him libbah out."

"Never mind Mr Huggins, my lad. He'd better! Here, what's your real master's name?"

"Massa Allum, sah."

"Well, take us to him."

The black shook his head.

"Mass' Allum 'fraid Massa Huggum, sah. Massa Huggum call um big name."

"Then this Huggins is the real master; eh, boy?"

"Dat's the trufe, sah. Ebbery boy in plantation 'fraid of Massa Huggum."

"Well, look here, my sable friend, please understand this: nobody here is afraid of your Mr Huggins. Show us the way to the plantation, and if he dares to touch you I'll take him on board, and the boatswain's mate shall tie him up and give him the cat—flog him; do you understand?"

"Mass' say give Mass' Huggum whip?"

"Yes, or any one else, boy. Now then, show us the way."

"Massa say quite sewer?"

"Yes, quite sure. Now then, lead on."

The black grinned at everybody in turn, and tramped along by the edge of the sluggish stream for some hundred yards before stopping short by the trampled bank which was plainly marked, and the commencement of a rough path was seen running in amongst the trees.

The lieutenant gave orders for the men to land, a couple of boat-keepers were left, and the well-armed crew were ready for starting when a black face suddenly presented itself peering round a good-sized tree-trunk and gazing curiously at the newcomers.

Murray was the first to catch sight of the fresh comer and draw the lieutenant's attention to his appearance.

"Is this one of your men, you sir?" cried the chief officer, and he pointed down the winding path.

The black stared for a moment or two before following the direction of the officer's pointing hand. Then catching sight of his fellow black he uttered a yell, raised his hoe in both hands, and sent the heavy iron implement whirling along the path, to be brought up with a crash against a good-sized tree. But before it came in contact with the trunk the black at whom it was aimed sprang in among the bushes and disappeared, while the guide trotted on to where the hoe had fallen and picked it up, shouting in through the thick growth—

"You let me catch you 'way from your work, you ugly, lazy, black rasclum, I crack you cocoanut!" Then striking the haft of the hoe he had picked up against the tree-trunk to tighten the loosened head, he turned again to the approaching boat crew. "Lazy black rasclum," cried the grinning guide, as if for the benefit of all the newcomers. "Jupe gib um toco catch him again. Massa come along now.—Black dog! Let me catch um again!"

The lieutenant frowned and glanced at the two midshipmen, who were exchanging glances which meant a great deal. Then with a shrug of his shoulders he made a sign to the black guide to go on, a sign which was grasped at once, and the fellow stepped out with his heavy hoe shouldered and a grin at the lads.

"Jupe make um run fas'," he said. "Jupe teach um leave um work!"

"Look sharp, sir, and show the way," cried the chief officer angrily.

"Yes, massa; yes, massa," cried the fellow, grinning. "Jupe show massa de way. Jupe de boy teach de black fella do de work. Lazy rasclum. Ketchum 'sleep under tree."

"Here, May," cried the lieutenant angrily, "take this black brute forward a dozen yards and make him show the way and hold his tongue the while."

"Ay, ay, sir!" growled the sailor, with a grim look, as giving his musket a hitch and then turning it in his hands he brought the butt roughly against the guide's chest. "Now then, Ebony," he cried, "for'ard it is, and drop all that there palaver. Lead on and show the way."

"Yes, sah; Jupe show de—"

"D'yer hear, you black swab!" cried the sailor. "Show the way to your master's house, and keep that talking box of yours shut up, or—"

May made an offer at the black as if to bring the butt of the musket he carried down upon his toes, and accompanied it with so meaning a look that the guide's eyes opened widely and he was in the act of making a dash sidewise into the cane brake at the side, but the sailor's free hand came down upon the fellow's shoulder with a loud clap.

"Ah, would you!" he cried. "None of that! Bullets run faster than legs, my lad."

"That will do, May," cried the lieutenant; "but mind he does not slip through your fingers."

"No, sir; right, sir," said the sailor, keeping a firm grip upon the black's shoulder and seeming to steer him in and out along the windings of the rough track, while the boat's crew and officers followed behind.

"The black fellow disgusted me, gentlemen," said the lieutenant, turning a glance at the lads. "Jack in office generally proves to be the worst tyrant."

The distance from the creek proved far greater than the officers expected, and they threaded the forest for hours before they came upon cultivated plantations dotted with black figures hard at work, and evidently superintended by men of the same type as the guide, who moved forward quietly and quite cowed by the stern-looking seaman who had him in custody, and who at last stopped short pointing at a long, low, well-built house half hidden amongst the trees and beautiful enough to raise an exclamation from Murray.

"Yes, the place looks beautiful enough," said the lieutenant, "but I'm afraid its beauty depends upon the supply of poor wretches who are forced to labour beneath the burning sun with the lash as a stimulus whenever they show signs of slackening. Oh, here we are," continued the speaker. "Is this the redoubtable Mr Huggins?"

"No, sir; I should say it would be Mr Allen," replied Murray.

"Yes, you must be right, Mr Murray," said the lieutenant. "He looks more like a sick man than the owner of a slave plantation."

For a quiet, subdued-looking individual in white cotton garments had stepped out of a wide window with green painted open jalousies, to take off his Panama straw hat and stand screening his eyes with his hand.

The next minute the officer had halted his men in front of the place, and May touched his hat.

"Let the prisoner go, sir?"

"Yes: we can find our way back;" and as the sailor slackened his grasp and gave his head a jerk in the direction of the well-tilled fields, the black made a bound and dashed off, turning sharply before reaching the edge of the trees which backed up the house and seemed to shelter a range of buildings, to raise his hoe and shake it threateningly at the sailor.

"That man ought not to behave in this way," said the gentleman who had stepped out. "Has he been insolent to you, sir?"

"More unpleasant than insolent," replied the lieutenant. "I have required him for a guide to find your house, sir."

"Ah!" said the former speaker slowly, as he looked slowly round. "You are an officer from one of the King's ships?"

"Yes, sir; exactly so," replied the gentleman addressed.

"And I presume that your ship is off the island. Can I be of any service to you?"

"Well, yes," said Mr Anderson, "by giving me the information I am seeking."

"I shall be glad to do so, sir, of course. May I ask what you require?"

"Information about the slaving that is carried on here. I see you employ many slaves."

The stranger winced slightly, and then bowed his head.

"Yes," he said; "I have a large tract of cultivated land here in sugar, cotton and a little coffee, but I have a right to employ slave labour after the fashion of many of my fellow-countrymen."

"No doubt, sir," said the lieutenant firmly, while the two midshipmen and the boat's crew stood listening and looking on—"slaves born upon your estate."

The owner of the plantation winced again, and then in a nervous hesitating way continued—

"I have employed slave labour for many years now, sir, and I hope with humanity and quite in accordance with the law."

"I am sorry to say, sir," said the lieutenant, "that my captain has been otherwise informed. He has been given to understand that at this plantation and in connection herewith a regular trade in the unfortunate blacks is systematically carried on."

"Do I understand, sir," said the planter, in the same low hesitating fashion, "that you are connected with one of the King's ships whose object is to suppress the slave-trade?"

"Yes, sir; that is quite right."

"Will you step in, sir?" said the planter. "You are heated with your walk in the hot sun, and your men must need refreshment."

The lieutenant shrugged his shoulders and said gravely, "I am here, sir, to do my duty."

"Yes, of course, sir," said the planter; "and I beg you will not think that I am trying to bribe you in any way. I am not surprised at this visit. I have expected it for years. I am sorry, sir, but I must own it: I am not my own master."

At this moment another figure appeared upon the scene in the shape of a little thin yellow-complexioned man, dressed like the planter in white cotton, and wearing a similar hat of Panama make. He stepped out of the French window where the late speaker had appeared, but with a quick, eager movement, and as he stood glancing sharply round the lieutenant and the midshipmen simultaneously gave a start which seemed to be communicated to the whole of the party, and with a thrill of excitement running through him Murray whispered sharply—

"Our friend the Yankee, Dick!"

"Yes," whispered back that individual, "and we're going to hold him tight."

As for the lieutenant, he took a couple of steps forward, and exclaimed in a sarcastic tone of voice—

"How do, sir! I think we have met before."



CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

THE OVERSEER.

The American turned quickly at the officer's words, and looked at him curiously.

"Met?" he said, without the slightest sign of recognition. "Very like, sirr," he added, in a peculiar drawl; "where was it?"

"You do not seem to remember," said the lieutenant. "Let me refresh your memory: a few weeks back, off the coast of Africa."

The man half-closed his eyes and stared hard at the first lieutenant and then at the two middies in turn.

"Last year, yew mean, squire?" he said. "No: don't seem to know you again."

"Then I shall have to refresh your memory a little more. Mr Murray," continued the officer, "who do you say this man is?"

"The indiarubber planter, sir, who played us that trick."

The man turned sharply upon the lad.

"And who do you say he is, Mr Roberts?"

"The skipper of the lugger, sir, who guided us up the African river."

"There," said the lieutenant; "will that do for you?"

"I guess I don't know what you are talking about, mister," said the man sharply. "You said something about a trick. Is this some trick of yours?"

"Why, confound your impudence, sir!" cried the lieutenant hotly. "How dare you speak like this to a King's officer!"

"Don't get in a fuss, mister," said the Yankee coolly. "We don't deal in King's officers here, and don't want to. Here, Mr Allen, you're an Englishman; these people are more in your way. What do they want?"

"It is the lieutenant of a ship that has cast anchor here, Huggins," said the gentleman addressed agitatedly. "It is about the slaves."

"Eh? About the slaves? Our slaves—your slaves? Well, what about 'em?"

"Yes; about the slaves we have here. You understand?"

"Not me! Not a bit. He's been talking to you, has he?"

"Yes—yes."

"Well, then, you'd better finish the business. Tell him I don't want to trade any away. We've got no more than will get in the crops."

"Speak to him," said the other, who seemed to grow more nervous and agitated.

"Oh, very well. Look here, mister; you've come to the wrong shop. I don't understand what you mean by making believe to know me, but I don't know you, and I'm not going to trade in blacks with any British ship. Understand?"

"Understand, sir?" cried the lieutenant, who was growing scarlet with heat and wrath. "It seems to me that you do not understand. Pray, who are you?"

"Business man and overseer of this plantation for my friend here, Mr James Allen, who trusts me to carry on his affairs for him, being a sick man just getting over a fever. There, I don't want to be surly to an English officer, though I never found one civil to me. You've dropped anchor off here, and I suppose you want water. Well, if you do I'll put a gang of my slaves on to help your men fill their casks."

"I am exceedingly obliged to you, sir," said the lieutenant sarcastically.

"Wal, that's spoke better," said the American. "And if you want some fresh meat and vegetables you can have a boat-load or two if you like to pay for 'em with a chest or so of tea. You'd like a few bottles o' port wine, too, for your complaint, wouldn't you, Allen?" he continued, turning to the pale, nervous man at his side.

"Yes—yes," faltered the poor fellow.

"Really, you are too condescending," cried the lieutenant. "Mr Roberts—Mr Murray—did you ever hear the like of this? Here, May— Titely—what do you say to this American gentleman?"

Tom May took off his straw hat and gave his curly hair a rake with his fingers, while Titely stared with all his might.

"It caps me, sir," said the latter, while Tom May looked at the American, then at the two middies in turn, and shook his head.

"Well, sir, why don't you speak?" cried his officer angrily.

"'Cause it's such a rum un, sir."

"Bah! Speak out, man, and don't hesitate. You remember seeing this man before?"

"Well, sir, I seem to ha' seen him afore, and then I don't seem, and get kind o' mixed up. Sometimes it looks like him and sometimes it don't look like him, sir. Beg your pardon, sir, but would you mind asking my messmate here—Titely?"

"Bah, man! The sun has made you giddy."

"Well, skipper, when you like I'm ready for an answer. Want the water and fresh vittles?"

"My dear Huggins," said the trembling owner of the place, "it would be far better if you explained to the King's officer—"

"You leave me and the King's officer alone, James Allen," said the American sturdily.

"But I'm sure—" whispered the planter.

"So'm I. You keep your tongue between your teeth, and I dessay we can settle matters. Look here, Mr Officer, I'm boss of all the business here, and you needn't take no notice of this gentleman. I telled you that Mr Allen has been in bed with fever, and it's left him, as you see, very shaky upon his legs. Your coming has upset him and made him a bit nervous. Here, I'll put in a word for him, poor chap. Jes' you ask your skipper to give him a small bottle o' quinine. You won't want paying for that, being charity."

The lieutenant turned his back upon the speaker angrily, and spoke to the feeble-looking planter.

"Look here, sir," he cried, "you are nominally owner of this plantation and the slaves upon it."

"Now, look here, mister," said the American angrily; "I spoke civil to you, and I offered to help you and your ship with what you wanted in the way of fresh meat and vegetables. What's the good of returning stones for stuff?"

"My good fellow, will you be silent," cried the lieutenant, "and let me deal with your master?"

"My master!" snarled the American. "I am my own master, sirr. I tell you I'm boss of all this here show, and if I like to turn nasty—"

"My dear Huggins—" interposed the planter.

"Shut your mouth, you old fool," growled the American, "and don't interfere."

"Why, you insulting scoundrel!" roared the lieutenant. "Here, Mr Allen—that is your name, I believe?—you had better leave this matter in my hands, and I will settle it."

The American stood listening with his eyes half closed and a peculiarly ugly look upon his countenance, while the planter made a deprecating sign with his hands.

"I see very plainly, sir," continued the lieutenant, "that this insolent Yankee is presuming upon your weak state of health and assuming a power that he cannot maintain. You have been placing yourself in a position in which it would be better to—"

"Now see here, stranger," burst in the American, "I'm a man who can stand a deal, but you can go too far. You come swaggering here with a boat-load of your men and think that you're going to frighten me, sirr— but you're just about wrong, for if I like to call up my men they'd bundle you and your lot back into your boat—for I suppose you have got one."

"Look here, sir," said the lieutenant, as he caught the flashing eyes of the two middies and the fidgety movements of his men, "I am loth to treat an American with harshness, but take this as a warning; if you insult your master and me again I'll have you put in irons."

"What!" cried the man, with a contemptuous laugh. "You'd better!"

The lieutenant started slightly, and that movement seemed to tighten up the nerves of his men.

"Can't you understand, sirr, that if I like to hold back you'll get no provisions or water here?"

"Confound your supplies, sir! And look here, if I must deal with you let me tell you that I have good reason to believe that under the pretence of acting as a planter here, you are carrying on a regular trade in slaves with the vile chiefs of the West Coast of Africa."

"I don't care what you believe, mister," said the American defiantly. "I am working this plantation and producing sugar, coffee and cotton— honest goods, mister, and straightforward merchandise. Who are you, I should like to know, as comes bullying and insulting me about the tools I use for my projuce!"

"You soon shall know, sir," said the lieutenant, and he just glanced at the pale, trembling man, who had sunk into a cane chair, in which he lay back to begin wiping his streaming brow—"I am an officer of his Britannic Majesty's sloop of war Seafowl, sent to clear the seas of the miscreants who, worse than murderers, are trading in the wretched prisoners of war who are sold to them by the African chiefs."

"Don't get up too much of it, Mr Officer," said the American, deliberately taking out a very large black cigar from his breast pocket and thrusting it between his lips, before dropping into another cane chair and clapping his hands; "this here ain't a theayter, and you ain't acting. That there's very pretty about his Britannic Majesty's sloop of war. Look here, sirr; bother his Britannic Majesty!"

At these last words a thrill of rage seemed to run through the line of sailors, and they stood waiting for an order which did not come, for the lieutenant only smiled at the American's insolent bravado and waited before interfering with him to hear what more he had to say.

"It sounds very lively and high faluting about your sweeping the high seas of miscreants, as you call 'em, and all that other stuff as you keep on hunting up with African chiefs and such like; but what's that got to do with an invalid English gentleman as invests his money in sugar, coffee and cotton, and what has it to do with his trusted Aymurrican experienced planter as looks after his black farm hands, eh?"

"Only this, sir," said the lieutenant, "that if he or they are proved to be mixed up with this horrible nefarious trade they will be answerable to one of the British courts of law, their mart will be destroyed, and their vessels engaged in the trade will become prizes to his Majesty's cruiser."

"Say, mister," said the American coolly—and then to a shivering black who had come out of the house bearing a coarse yellow wax candle which he tried to shelter between his hands, evidently in dread lest it should become extinct,—"Take care, you black cuss, or you'll have it out!"

Murray heard the poor fellow utter a sigh of relief, but he did not even wince, only stood motionless as his tyrant took the wax taper, held it to his cigar till it burned well, and then extinguished it by placing the little wick against the black man's bare arm, before pitching the wax to the man, who caught it and hurried away.

"Say, mister," said the overseer again, "don't you think you fire off a little too much of your Britannic Majesty and your King George fireworks?"

"Go on, sir," said the lieutenant, biting his lip. "Yes, that's what I'm going to do," continued the man coolly. "What's all this here got to do with a free-born Aymurrican citizen?"

"Only this, sir, that your so-called American citizen will have no protection from a great country for such a nefarious transaction."

"There you go again, mister! That's I don't know how many times you've let off that there prize word of yours, neefarious. There, don't bluff, sir; to use your old country word, them as plays at bowls must expeck rubbers. No, no, no, don't you begin ordering your fellows to meddle with me, because I'm rather nasty when I'm interfered with, 'sides which I've got some one inside the house to take care of me if it was wanted, as you can see for yourself—twenty of 'em, boys who can use a rifle; and that's what your chaps can't do."

In spite of himself the lieutenant started and raised his eyes, to become aware of the fact that some dozen or fourteen rifle barrels were protruding from the windows of the long low house, while others were being thrust from another building away to the right—a shed-like place that had been unnoticed before, through its covering of densely growing creepers.

"Don't do that, youngsters," said the American, with a sneering laugh; "they wouldn't hurt anybody if you pulled 'em out, and some of my fellows indoors might take it as what you call a signal to draw their knives."

"Trapped!" muttered the lieutenant to himself; but he did not wince, only stood thinking out to himself what would be his best course to pursue, and his musings were interrupted by the American, who lay back sending forth great puffs of smoke without a quiver visible in his face.

"Looks nasty, don't it, Mr Officer?" said the man, in his long, slow drawl. "But don't you be skeart; they won't fire without I give the order or they see me hurt. Then I won't answer for them. 'Tain't because they're so fond of me, youngsters," he continued, with an ugly cat-like grin, "because they ain't; but they're afraid, and that's a good deal better for me. And look here, they're lying back there in the dark because I told 'em to, and you can't see them; but they're not niggers—oh no! You can't trust niggers to fight. Your Jack Tars there would send a hundred of 'em running. Niggers are good field hands, and my chaps are bad at that, but they can fight, and so I tell you. Now, skipper," he continued, turning quietly to the lieutenant, who was pressing his lower lip hard between his teeth, "I think we understand one another now, and that you see I didn't put up any bunkum when I telled you that I was boss of this show. So you let me alone, and I'll let you."

"Sir," said the lieutenant firmly, "I give you fair warning that if harm happens to a man of my party my captain will land a force that will burn this place to the ground."

"Very kind of him, too," said the man grimly, "but he won't, because he mustn't. You don't seem to savvy, skipper, that you ain't at home here. Do you know, sir, where you are?"

"Yes, sir; on the shores of one of his Majesty's West Indian Islands."

"I thought so, squire; well, then, you're jest about wrong, and you've no more business here than if this here was Spain. I dessay you think you can hyste the British flag here, but I tell you that you can't, for this here island is called South Baltimore, and whenever a flag is hysted here it's the stars and stripes and the Aymurrican eagle, what some fellows call the goose and gridiron; and that's so."

"South Baltimore!" cried the lieutenant, who looked puzzled by the announcement. "And pray, sir, who gave the island that name?"

"I did," said the Yankee drily. "Now then, will that do for you?"

"No, it will not do," cried the lieutenant hotly. "My officer will need some far better explanation—one based upon greater authority than this—before he gives up the duty he has to fulfil."

"Vurry well, sir, let him go and find a better explanation, then. It don't trouble me. Only you had better march your men back aboard your schooner, or brig, or whatever you call it, before they get falling out with my fellows. You see yon men's sailors like yours are, and my fellows may get upset by your chaps, for I always find that British sailors get a bit sarcy and quarrelsome when they come ashore, and no matter how quiet and patient the Aymurricans, they lay themselves out for a fight."

"As in the present case, sir," said the lieutenant sarcastically.

"Jes' so, squire. So now you take my advice and march your chaps back again. You see how the land lies, and as I've said afore, I don't want to ride rusty over your skipper. You've on'y got to send word ashore as you wants fresh provisions and water, and say as you're ready to make a fair swap with a few things as we want, and there you are."

The lieutenant stood frowning in silence, turning his eyes from the American to the feeble-looking planter, and from him to the two middies and his men, in each case finding that he was being watched eagerly, every eye seeming to ask the same question—what are you going to do?— while on his part he felt the impossibility of responding.

For the responsibility he felt was almost maddening. It was plain enough that his men called upon him to resent the American planter's insolence, and that if he did not do so at once, not only would the two lads and his men look upon his behaviour as cowardly and degrading to the British prestige, but the Yankee and his faintly seen scum of followers would treat the whole party with contempt.

It was a painful position, for the Yankee had plainly shown him the risks he ran. He would not have hesitated for a moment, in spite of the display of armed men ready to attack, for if he had felt free to act he would have chanced everything, depending as he felt he could upon his little party of thoroughly well-drilled able-bodied seamen, and boldly attacked at once; but he had to think of his captain and the great risk he ran of bringing him into difficulties and forcing him to answer for some international difficulty over the rights of the United States, which, if the American overseer was right, were sure to be jealously maintained.

It was hard to do, and Murray noticed a peculiar twitching about his officer's lips as he turned at last to the smiling, sneering man, his first words showing his hearers how bitterly he felt his position and the necessity for obeying the teachings of the proverb that discretion is the better part of valour.

"Well, sir," he said, in a cold, hard fashion, "I have heard all that you have to say. As to the correctness of your statement that we are not upon British soil, I must leave that to my superior's judgment and decision, for certainly I cannot feel that it is my duty to proceed farther without drawing off my men and going back to lay the matter before Captain Kingsberry."

"That's right, Mr Lieutenant," said the overseer. "Nothing like it. You always do that; when you find yourself in a tight corner, you get out of it as soon as you can."

"Ha, ha, ha!" rang out in a harsh, discordant tone from somewhere inside the house, and this acted as the signal for a burst of jeering laughter which made the lieutenant wince and his face turn pale even to his lips, which he bit until they were white, while a low, dull murmur that sounded like the threatening premonitory growl of the British bulldog being pricked by an insult, ran through the group of sailors.

"Silence, there!" cried the lieutenant, in a choking voice; and the murmur died away.

"That's right, Mr Officer," said the American. "Yew always drop on to your fellows sharply when they show signs of mutiny. I allus do. And you within there, none of that row. Quiet, do you hear?"

There was another low mocking laugh, but the American paid no heed, only went on talking at Mr Anderson.

"That was very good of you, squire, but while you're about it if I were you I'd just say a word or two to them two bantam-cock-like boys of officers of yours, who keep on sneering like at my men and setting their backs up. You don't mean it, of course, being ready to do what's right. So you give 'em a good talking to when you get 'em back safe aboard. You'd best do it, for if them puppies keep on that how they may make my chaps wild. Now just look at that!"

For the two midshipmen had been growing warmer for some minutes past as they listened to the American's insulting language, and at last, hot with annoyance, Murray, unable to contain himself and forgetting discipline, clapped his hand upon his side-arms and took a step forward, his eyes flashing with boyish anger, and exclaimed—

"Do you mean that insulting language for me, sir?"

Perhaps there was something in the lad's manner, as in that of Roberts', who immediately followed his example, or maybe the overseer's men were only waiting for an opportunity to be aggressive. At any rate, they seized upon the opportunity to burst out into a derisive laugh.

"Quiet! Steady, my lads!" cried the lieutenant fiercely.

"But, sir—" began Murray hotly.

"Silence, sir!" roared his officer; and then what happened was too much for him, for a dark shadow came from somewhere amongst the trees, a shadow-like something which described a curve and struck the speaker full in the chest, and fell to the ground in the shape of a great unhusked cocoanut.

In an instant the lieutenant's hand flew to his sword, but he checked himself. His act, though, had its effect, for there was a yell of laughter, and the one great nut was followed by a shower, two of which half drove the two young officers mad as they struck heavily, the rest having effect amongst the sailors, who with one impulse fell into line and presented arms.

There was another yell of laughter, and the overseer sprang up from his cane chair.

"That'll do!" he shouted; but he made no effort further to check his men, but dashed in through one of the open windows of the house, just as from another came the sharp flash and puff of smoke from a rifle, followed by a ragged volley from the creeper-covered building that lay farther back.

This was answered by a fierce British cheer and a rush on the part of the sailors, who either carried their officers with them or were led—no one afterwards seemed to know—but in almost less time than it takes to describe, the little party of sailors swept through the plantation house from front to back, driving its defenders before them, and without firing a shot till a few desultory rifle-shots began to spatter from the thick patch of tropic forest which sheltered the back of the attractive dwelling. Then, and then only, three or four volleys silenced the enemy's fire, and it was evident that the overseer and his men had now fled, taking with them the planter, if he had not retreated by his own efforts, for he was nowhere visible. Then all was silence as soon as the rustling and crackling of cane and the heavy shaddock-like foliage had ceased.



CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

MURRAY'S MISSION.

"Hah! I did not mean this," cried the lieutenant; and his eyes lit upon Murray, who winced and felt guilty as he stood dirk in hand panting and waiting for his superior officer's reproof, which he felt must come. "Ah, Mr Murray," he continued, as he took off his hat and wiped his forehead, "you there? Any one hurt?"

"I saw Tom May fall, sir," replied the lad, as the incident was brought to his mind by his officer's question.

"Picked him up again, sir," came in a deep growl, "but two of our messmates has got it, I find."

"That's bad," said the lieutenant. "Who are they?"

There was no response, and the lieutenant turned sharply upon the midshipman.

"Mr Murray," he said, "take two men, May and another, and try if you can find your way down to the boat. Do you think you can?"

"Yes, sir."

"Off with you, then, at the double. When you reach the boat, out oars, and with the two boat-keepers try and reach the sloop. Don't run more risks than you can help. If you are cut off by enemies on the banks, retreat back to me here and help me hold this place until the captain sends a force to my relief. You will report to Captain Kingsberry that I did everything possible to avoid an encounter. But there—you know. I trust to your discretion, my lad, in spite of your late mistake. There, take May and Titely. Now off."

Just at that moment Roberts, who had been standing close at hand, stepped forward, to cry eagerly—

"Did you say I was to go with Murray, sir?"

"What, you? Go with Murray?" cried the lieutenant. "No, sir. What! Do you want to leave me in the lurch?" Then, knowing from old experience the jealous motive which animated the lad who was left out of the commission, the officer clapped the midshipman on one shoulder warmly. "No, no, Roberts; I can't spare you. I want your help, my lad; and besides, you will be safer with me than with Murray."

Roberts winced and turned a reproachful look upon his officer.

"I wasn't trying to make myself safe, sir," he said bitterly. "I wanted to be in the thick of it all, sir, and not left out as usual."

"Of course you did, my boy; and that's where you are going to be, I expect."

By this time Murray and his two men were passing out of sight, followed by the midshipman's longing eyes; and directly after the lad had forgotten his disappointment in the orders he was busily trying to obey. For in the full belief that the overseer would return with his followers, the lieutenant set to work trying to put the house in a state of defence.

This was no easy task, for with four times the number of men that were at his service the officer would have found it difficult to bar and barricade the lower windows of the plantation house and secure the doors back and front.

Fortunately it was soon found that the occupant or builder of the house must have had some notion of the possibility of an attack being made upon the place, for the doors were strong, the lower windows were each furnished with stout shutters and bars, and these having been secured and the bottom of the staircase carefully barricaded, a better chance was offered for holding the house, that is, of defending the first floor from any attack that might be made from within or without.

"There, Mr Roberts," cried the lieutenant, "I think that is all we can do for the present, and if our friend the overseer ventures to bring his men on we shall be able to give a good account of a few of them. Can you suggest anything more to strengthen the bottom of that staircase?"

"I think we might drag some of those chests out of the rooms, sir, on to the landing, ready to pile in front of the stairs."

"Good, my lad; it shall be done," cried the lieutenant; "but in addition let the lads fill up every bucket, can and jug we can find."

"I did see to that, sir, and I am sure that we have more than the men can drink."

"I was not thinking of drinking, my lad," said the lieutenant, "but of quenching the fire that may be started by our enemies."

"You don't think that they will try to fire the place, sir?" said the lad.

"Indeed, but I do, my lad. But at any rate we must be prepared for such an attack."

Roberts puckered up his forehead and looked aghast at his officer, and then bidding four of the men follow him, he did his best to collect together on the landing of the well-appointed building a pretty fair supply of the element necessary for extinguishing the first out-breakings of fire which might be started by the expected foe.

"Well done, Mr Roberts," said the lieutenant; "but we've rather upset this Mr—Mr—What's his name?"

"Allen, sir."

"Yes—Allen. Upset Mr Allen's house. It's a bit of a surprise to find an English gentleman.—Yes, gentleman, Mr Roberts: he is evidently quite a gentleman, although he is completely under that Yankee scoundrel's thumb. But what was I saying? Oh, it's rather a surprise to find an English gentleman living like this in an out-of-the-way West Indian island?"

"That's what I thought, sir," replied Roberts.

"Ah, well, you need not feel so again, for numbers of men of our best families have settled out like this in the plantations, built themselves good houses, and surrounded themselves with every comfort, and grown rich producing sugar, coffee, cotton and rum by means of a large staff of slaves. We have fallen upon one of these estates, but in this case the Yankee overseer seems to be the master, and the real master the slave."

"It seems strange, sir, doesn't it?" said Roberts, who was standing by one of the first floor windows keeping a sharp look out for danger.

"To a certain extent, my lad," said the officer, "but I have made a shrewd guess at what has been going on, and it strikes me that our friend Mr Allen has been dabbling largely in the trade that we are here to suppress."

"You think that, sir?"

"Yes, my lad—and repented of it when too late, and found himself, after growing disgusted with it, unable to draw back on account of this man, who has committed him deeply."

"Yes, I see, sir," cried Roberts eagerly. "That would account for the American's overbearing insolence to this Mr Allen and to you, sir. But surely he cannot be right about the island here being under the American Government?"

"Certainly not, I think, Mr Roberts," said the lieutenant decisively; "but I do think this, that he might have kept up the assertion that he was correct and made complaints to the Americans and called our visit here a trespass. This would have caused an enormous amount of trouble to the captain, and so much official correspondence that we should have bitterly repented coming here in search of a newly-run cargo of slaves."

"Do you think we shall find one here, sir?" asked Roberts.

"I feel pretty certain, my lad, as certain as that we should not have dared to prosecute our search in face of the scoundrel's defiance and bravado. But now the tide has completely set in our favour."

"In our favour, sir?" said Roberts wonderingly.

"Why, of course, my lad. If our visit here had been aggression, all the rascal had to do was to call upon us, after his declaration, to withdraw; and that was what he meant to do, although the fellow's natural insolence induced him to do so in that bullying way."

"And instead of keeping to what he had a right to do, sir," cried the middy eagerly, "he let his blackguardly followers attack us as they did."

"That's right, Mr Roberts," said the lieutenant; "though I must give him the credit of saying that I am sure he never intended that attack. He has evidently such a loose rough lot of followers that they became out of control, and the result is that they have completely given their leader away and played into my hands."

"Of course, sir. Nothing could excuse that attack."

"Nothing, my lad. I am master here now, and I feel sure that we shall find more than I dared to expect. I believe now that this is a regular Western depot for slaves, and a find that will make up to Captain Kingsberry for all previous disappointments."

"Glorious, sir!" cried Roberts. "But of course this Huggins can't be the man we saw in the lugger off the African river."

"Of course not, my lad; but he quite deceived me for the time. He is almost exactly the same in appearance, in voice, manner and speech, and the only way in which I can account for it is that both men are engaged in the same hideously brutal trade, and that has in time made them similar in habit."

"There seems something in that, sir," said Roberts thoughtfully.

"Seems, Roberts? Is," said the lieutenant, smiling; "and you must add to it another point of resemblance: they are both Americans of the same degenerate type—little, thin, dark-haired, and speaking in the same tone of voice and in the same sneering contemptuous fashion. But of course if we had them both together we should see a strong difference. What are you looking at? See anything?"

"I fancied I could make out something moving across that opening yonder, sir," said the lad, leaning a little out of the window.

"I trust not," said the lieutenant, shading his eyes with his hand. "I was in hopes that we had given the fellows such a lesson that they would keep away for the present, at all events, for I want no fighting, no wounding the enemy, no injuries more than we have received upon our side. I want just to hold our own, Roberts, till our friend Mr Murray or Mr Munday brings us help."

"Yes, sir, but there is some movement going on there just among the tall-growing coarse reeds."

"Sugar-cane stems, Mr Roberts," said the lieutenant firmly. "Yes, you are right; there is movement there, and the scoundrels have not taken their lesson to heart. Well, I do not see what more we can do to prepare for them. They cannot get up to us without ladders or poles, and from our sheltered position we ought to set firing at defiance, while they allow us plenty of opportunities for giving them another lesson.—What is it, my lad?"

The speaker turned to the big sailor who had just trotted up to the door.

"Beg pardon, sir, but Lang reports enemy creeping through the sugar-cane a bit for'ard here to the left, and Duncombe says he can see 'bout a dozen on 'em out at the back looking as if they meant a rush."

"Hah! That is fresh," said the lieutenant. "Mr Roberts here made out those amongst the canes. I'll come and look. You, Mr Roberts have the goodness to keep your eye on them and hold your fire until they show a determination to come on. Then you must fire; but fire low. We must cripple and not kill."

"Yes, sir," said Roberts, and he sheltered himself behind one of the curtains of the well-furnished English-looking bedroom where he and the officer had been watching. And then, as the latter walked quickly out, followed by the sailor who had made his report, a terrible sense of loneliness fell upon the youth, accompanied by a shortness of breath, as his heart began to beat with a heavy dull throb that sounded loud and strange.

He was gazing out at a scene of tropical beauty, the wild and the cultivated blending so that at another time he could have stood in the perfect silence dwelling upon the loveliness of the place. But now there was a feeling of awe that seemed to over-master everything, while the very fact that where he had plainly made out the movement of figures as they evidently sought concealment, all was now motionless, and not a leaf waved or was pressed aside, added to the weirdness of his position, and made him draw farther back in the full expectation that the next moment the vivid green of the surroundings would be cut by a flash of light and then turn dim as it was deadened by the rising smoke of a shot.

"I wish I wasn't such a coward," he muttered. "I do try hard to stand it all, and get on beautifully when the firing and spear-throwing are going on, but now, when the enemy may be going to throw a spear or fire a shot at one, it does seem so hard to bear. No worse for me than for other fellows," he muttered bitterly, "but I am myself and they are other fellows. Ugh! I suppose it's a very beautiful place, but it seems very horrible, and it makes a fellow wish that if he is to be wounded it would come off at once so that one could get it over. There's some one creeping along there now," he muttered. "I'll shout a warning to Mr Anderson. No, whoever it is doesn't seem to be coming on, and it looks so stupid to shout for help when there's no need."

For all was perfectly motionless amongst the vivid green leaves, save where from time to time there was a flash of light—red light—topaz light—and that changing to a vivid green that looked as if it were blazing in the burning sun, and he grasped the fact that he was gazing at some lovely humming bird that darted here and there and then poised itself, apparently motionless, till he made out that there was a faint haze visible which must be caused by the rapid vibration of the tiny creature's wings.

"Yes," he said to himself, "it's as beautiful as can be—that is, it would be if everything wasn't so silent and still and one didn't know that people were ready at any moment to take aim at one with rifle or musket. He said that they used rifles—the wretch! It's a nasty sensation, when you don't want to shoot any one, to feel that they want to shoot you."

"Oh, what a while Mr Anderson is!" muttered the lad again. "He might make haste back to a fellow. He can't be obliged to stop away watching, and he ought to visit his posts regularly so as to give each of us a bit of company."

Roberts gazed from his sheltering curtain as far as his eyes could sweep to left and round to right, going over and over again the arc of the circle formed by his vision where he had plainly seen movement going on and people creeping amidst the rich growth of the huge saccharine grass; but all was motionless and still, and the silence seemed to grow more and more awful as he watched.

"Oh," he groaned to himself, "why didn't I make a dash for it and follow old Murray without saying a word? It wouldn't have been half so bad as this, and even if it had been a more risky task—no, it couldn't have been more risky than this—I could have borne it better. Wonder where he is, and whether he would have felt as bad as I do now if he had had my job. Ugh! It's horribly still, and if old Anderson doesn't come soon I shall make some excuse and go to him."

"Yes," he continued, "Franky would have felt just as bad as I do. He must have done. No one could help it. No man could stand this terrible silence and the sensation that a shot was coming at him. No man could bear it—no man. Oh, I say, doesn't it seem bumptious for one to think of himself as a man? Well, why shouldn't I be? It's man's work, at all events. Oh, I can't stand it. I must make some excuse. I'll ask Mr Anderson to come and see if he doesn't think there is some one crawling along there to the right. No, I won't—I can't—I must master it. It's sheer cowardice! And if it is," he added, after a few moments' pause, "it's Nature's fault for making a fellow like this. I don't want to be a coward; I want to be as brave as brave—well, as brave as Murray is. I wouldn't care if I was just as full of pluck as he is. Anyhow I won't be a sham and go and pretend that some one is coming. I could never look him in the eyes again for fancying that he was reading me through and through. And he would—I'm sure he would."

"Oh!" ejaculated the lad excitedly, for just then one of the floor-boards gave out a sharp crack.

"Hallo!" said the familiar voice of the lieutenant. "Did I startle you, Roberts?"

"Something of the kind, sir," said the lad, breathing hard. "I didn't hear you come."

"No, I suppose not. Seen anything?"

"No, sir. All is as still as if there wasn't a soul for miles, and I felt at times as if I must come and ask you if you could hear anything."

"Ah, this silence is very trying, Roberts, my lad," said the lieutenant. "The men are all suffering from it and feeling as if they would give anything to be watching together."

"They feel like that, sir?" cried the lad eagerly.

"Yes, of course they do, sir. So do I: the utter stillness of the place, and the expectation of a shot coming at any moment, is most trying to a man. Here, how long do you think Mr Murray has been gone?"

"Can't say, sir. It feels to me like hours; but it can't be."

"I don't know, my lad. It certainly does, as you say, feel like hours. But he ought to be back by now, with at least a dozen men. Let's see, twelve men with Mr Munday and Mr Murray and his two will make sixteen. Sixteen picked men; and they will bring plenty of ammunition. Well, I should like the reinforcement before friend Huggins makes his attack. I don't care then how many he brings with him. I wonder, though, whether he will use any of his slaves to help him."

"He said they won't fight, sir," said Roberts.

"But he may force them to fight, my lad. Ah! Look out! Here they come with a rush. There's no mistake about this."

And the officer ran to the door to shout a warning to the watchers at the other windows, for not only away in front were the giant green grass-like leaves of the Indian corn in full motion, but the rustle and crush of feet reached the listeners' ears, while click, click, from within, the cocking of the men's muskets was heard.



CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

"SEAFOWLS AHOY!"

Murray lost no time in making for the spot where the two men were in charge of the boat; but simple as the task appeared on the surface, it proved to be far otherwise.

He had told himself that he had only to follow in reverse the faintly-marked track taken by the black who had been their guide; and that he set himself to do, until he felt that he must be close to the stream that they had ascended; but if close by, it was by no means visible, and after making a cast or two in different directions without result, he pulled up short, the men following his example and looking at him wonderingly.

"It was just here that we left the boat-keepers, wasn't it, Tom?" he said.

"Don't seem like it, sir," replied the man, "'cause if it was just here, where is it?"

"But it must have been here," cried Murray, growing irritable and confused.

"That's what I thought, sir," said the man, "but it don't seem to be nowhere near. What do you say, messmate?"

"I warn't a-looking out, lad," replied Titely. "You see, I didn't take no bearings 'cause I says to mysen, 'Mr Murray 'll see to that,' and what I does was to foller with my eyes screwed back'ards over my shoulders like a she hare at the dogs."

"Same here, messmate," says Tom May. "'Mr Murray took the bearings to begin with,' I says to myself, 'and I'll keep a sharp lookout for the enemy, who maybe 'll try to run us down.'"

"Then you neither of you feel that you can remember the black fellow's trail?" said Murray, speaking excitedly, and looking hard at the big sailor the while.

"Well, I can't answer for Titely, sir," said the man.—"Why don't you speak up like a man, messmate, and say what you know?"

"'Cause I can't, lad," replied the man addressed. "It warn't my watch, and I telled you I was too busy looking out for squalls. I dunno which way we ought to go, messmate. Don't you, Mr Murray, sir?"

"No, my lad; I've lost our bearings for a bit, but you two try off to right and left while I go straight on, and the first that comes upon the river holloa gently. Not loud, because it may bring the enemy down upon us. Now then, off with you, and when you shout, stand fast so that we may come and join you."

"Stand fast it is, sir," said Tom May, and without further hesitation the three separated and began to thread the dense cane brake, each fully expecting to come upon the windings of the overshadowed river at once. But somehow every step seemed to lead the seekers into greater difficulties. It was plain enough that the river must be near, for their steps were in and out among the dense patches of cane and over soft spongy soil into which their feet sank slightly, the earth being springy and elastic; but though Murray expected to see the dense foliage open out and the brake look lighter from the presence of the river, he was disappointed again and again, and to all intents and purposes the stream had ceased to exist.

For some minutes, as Murray strode on, the steps of his companions were audible in two directions, and making up his mind to proceed in that being taken by May, he struck off so as to cross the man's track.

This seemed practicable enough for a while, and he went on till the brake began to grow more dense and he had to force his way through the thicket. Then to his disgust he found himself entangled in a little wilderness of thorny palms, out of which he had a hard struggle to free himself, and he stood at last, panting and exhausted, rubbing the bleeding spots beneath the rents in his garments which asserted themselves plainly.

Murray rubbed himself and listened, and then listened and rubbed, but he could not hear a sound.

"Let me see," he thought. "Oh, how vexatious, just when we ought to be close to the boat and sending her down stream! Must be this way where I heard Tom May—if it was Tom May. Well, it doesn't matter if it was Titely. Let's get to either of them, and then we'll hail the other."

The lad hesitated for a few minutes longer, listening hard the while, and then more in passion than in despair he started off in a bee line through the thick canes, hopefully now, for the earth felt softer than before.

"Must be right here; and as soon as I reach the river I have only to see which way the stream runs and follow it down to where the boat lies. Oh, look sharp, old fellow," he muttered, "for this is horrible."

He increased his pace, with the earth certainly growing softer, and then he pulled up short, turned and darted back, for as he stepped forward the soft spongy earth seemed suddenly to have grown horny and hard and to heave up beneath his feet, convincing him that he had stepped upon one of the horrible alligators of the Western swamps. There was a violent splashing, the reptile struck to right and left, mowing down the canes, and the midshipman, suffering from a sensation of horror and creepiness, stopped at last, panting.

"Why, that must be the direction of the little river," he thought; "and instead of following the horrible brute here have I run away; and now how am I to find the way that it pointed out? That's soon done," he said, as he thought of the broken and crushed-down canes which must mark the alligator's track; and he began at once to search for what proved to be absent. There were bruised and trampled growths which he sprang at directly, but his reason soon pointed to the fact that they had not been made by the huge lizard he had started from its lurking place where it had crawled ashore to watch for the approach of prey, but by himself in his flight, and though he tried over the swampy ground again and again, it was only to grow more confused, and at last he stopped short, baffled and enraged against himself.

"Oh!" he ejaculated, as he raised one foot to stamp it down heavily upon the earth, with the result that he drove it through a soft crust of tangled growth and sent up a gush of muddy, evil-smelling water, and then had to drag his shoe out with a loud sucking sound, while the foot he had not stamped was beginning to sink. "It's enough to drive any one mad," he muttered. "Just as I am entrusted with something important I go and muddle it all, and the more I try the worse the hobble grows."

He took a few steps to his right, to where the earth beneath him felt firmer, and listened, but the floundering and scuffling of the alligator had ceased, and he looked in vain for the traces of its passage.

"Think of it," he said, half aloud; "I trod on the brute, and it dashed off, frightened to death, to make for the river; and then what did I do?—Turned round and ran away as if the brute was coming after me with its jaws opened wide ready to take me down at a mouthful! Alligators are not crocodiles. Here, I'm a brave fellow, upon my word! I'm getting proud of myself, and no mistake!"

He stood and listened as he looked around and tried to pierce the dense growth, but in vain, for all was thick vegetation, and eye and ear were exercised in vain.

There was a soft, dull, half croaking sound here and there at a distance which suggested the existence of frogs, and from the trees whose clustering leaves overhead turned the brake into a soft twilight, he now and then heard the twittering of some bird. But he could see nothing, and for a few minutes he began to give way to a feeling of despair.

"I daren't shout," he thought, "for it would be like calling the attention of the enemy. The Yankee and his people are sure to be on the lookout to pounce upon one, and though if they took me prisoner—they wouldn't dare to do anything else—my being taken would not so much matter if May or Titely got down to the boat and reached the Seafowl. How do I know that they would get there? Oh, was ever poor wretch in such a hole before!"

"Here, I must do something," he cried, at last, rousing himself to take some action. "The river must wind about, and if I keep on I shall be sure to come across it at last."

He started off in what he hoped was the right direction, and forced his way through the tangled growth, to find that after a short time the earth began to grow firmer beneath his feet; and then he stopped short.

"Must be wrong," he thought, "for the river banks were swampy."

Striking out in a fresh direction, he was not long before he found that the ground began to yield again, and his spirits rose as he found that he was plunging into a swampy part once more, while his heart literally leaped as all at once right in front there was a rush as of one of the great alligators being startled from its lair.

The lad stopped short, but only for a few moments, before mastering the sensation of dread, and plunging on as nearly as he could make out in the direction the great lizard had taken.

"It's afraid of me," he muttered, as he drew his dirk, "and if it turns at bay on finding itself followed, I ought to be able to do something with this, though it is such a stupid ornament of a thing. I'm not afraid, and I won't be afraid, but I wish my heart didn't beat so fast, and that choking sensation wouldn't keep on rising in my throat."

But though the lad behaved as bravely as was possible to any man, by pressing on and determinedly following in the track of the alligator, his heart kept on with its heavy pulsation and the perspiration streamed down his face in the stiflingly hot swamp.

He had the satisfaction, though, of making out that the reptile was scuffling on before him, and now he grew more accustomed to the fact he was able to make out the creature's trail and just dimly see the movement ahead of the thick cane growth as it rapidly writhed itself along.

"It's getting softer," thought Murray, "so I must be getting towards the river. Won't turn upon me and attack, will it, when it gets in its own element?"

That was a startling thought, but it was only another difficulty in the way of one who had mastered his natural dread and determined in his peril to make a brave fight.

"It's no more an alligator's element than the land is," thought the lad. "The brute's amphibious, and I don't believe it will turn upon me unless I stick my dirk into it; and I don't care, I'll risk it, if I die for it. I don't believe they're so tough as people say."

Then a more staggering thought assailed him, and this time, instead of forcing his way through the tangle and dragging his feet out of the swampy soil, he stopped short. For the hope that had sustained him suddenly sank away. He had been feeling sure that the guide he feared to a great extent was after all leading him towards the little river, and that once he reached the bank he would know by the current, however sluggish, the way down to the boat; but now the terrible thought attacked him that the reptile might after all have its dwelling-place in some swampy lagoon such as he had read was common in the islands and the Southern States.

"It's of no use," he said to himself, as he stopped short, panting and exhausted; "this can't be the right way. There's no clear river down which a fellow could wade or swim; this is one of those dreadful swamps—dismal swamps, don't they call them?—and the farther I go the worse off I shall be. Oh, where's my pluck? Where it ought to be," he said, answering himself; and he struggled on again, for he had awakened to the fact that the rustling and splash made by the reptile was dying out.

Rustling and splash, for now he awoke plainly enough to the fact that he was sinking ankle deep at every step, and he roused himself fully once more.

"Giving up," he panted, "just when I had won the day! Hurrah! There's the river!" And making a tremendous effort he struggled on, for there was the alligator floundering through mud and water now where the growth was getting more open, and at the end of some dozen yards there was light—golden-looking light—coming down from above. Then there was a loud flopping, followed by a heavy splash, and the lad snatched at and seized the boughs that closed him in, and just saved himself from following the reptile he pursued by clinging with hands and legs to a stout cypress, to which he held on as he indistinctly made out the sobbing sound of the wave that the reptile had raised as it plunged into what seemed to be the edge of a swampy lake.

"He won't come back, will he?" thought Murray, and he obeyed the natural instinct which prompted him to drag himself up amongst the evergreen boughs of the tree, which slowly rocked to and fro with his weight.

But the water beneath him gradually settled down, the cypress in which he clung ceased to bend, as he got his feet settled better to support his weight, where he could look along a dark green verdant tunnel to a spot of golden light where the subdued sunshine fell upon a glistening level of amber-hued water so beautiful that for a time the lad could not withdraw his eyes.

"It's no river," he said, "but the edge of a lagoon, and it would be madness to go any farther. Let's have a rest. Might have been worse off after all, and it's no use to get despairing and tiring oneself out. I should have liked this adventure if my two lads had been with me, and—and—Yes, that's it," he groaned—"if I hadn't been sent on such a tremendous task! There, it's of no use to despair. I've done my duty, and no matter what happens now I can say that. Who knows what may come next? I mustn't think I can hang here till it grows dark. I could climb up higher, but this is a swamp, and though I might save myself from alligators and snakes—Ugh!" he shuddered. "This is the sort of place where they live!—I couldn't escape from fever. There, I must hail now till some one hears me and answers, even if it's the enemy. But it may be one of my fellows, or if not it's sure to be one of the slaves, for there must be plenty about here."

But Frank Murray did not shout for help. Perhaps it was due to exhaustion, that the place seemed to have a strange restful fascination, as he hung there in the thick growth of the cypress, gazing along the soft green tunnel at the little glistening lake, which he now saw was full of living things, for every now and then the surface was stirred by creatures which he made out to be tiny terrapins—water tortoise-like creatures which just thrust out their heads and drew them beneath again. Then water beetles skimmed about, forming glistening geometric figures for a time before they disappeared.

Then the lad shuddered, for from the side of the bright verdure-framed lagoon a snake writhed itself in horizontal waves across the surface and began to climb up the foliage, to glisten as it reached where the light fell strongest and the burnished scales flashed with bronze, silver grey and gold.

"I wonder whether it's a poisonous snake," thought Murray; and then he made an effort to awaken himself from the pleasant feeling of restfulness, for he knew that he must exert himself if he intended to find a way back to where he had been separated from his companions— those whom he must urge on to the fulfilment of his task.

"And I have not done what I felt that I must do at all risks," he said, as he once more made an effort to rouse himself from the drowsy inertia which was holding him in something resembling a trance.

Drawing a deep breath, he took more tightly hold of the cypress boughs, and was about to hail at any risk and with all his might, when he uttered a loud sob of relief, for suddenly from somewhere far away, came, strangely softened and subdued, though prolonged, the words—

"Ahoy-y-y! Seafowls ahoy-y-y!"



CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

WITH SHOT-HOLES.

"Ahoy-y-y! Seafowls ahoy-y!" came again after a pause, and though he felt that he ought to have hailed in reply, Frank Murray's lips remained closed, and he still clung there listening for the hail to come again.

It was not until he heard the hail for the fourth time that the midshipman was able to throw off the nightmare-like feeling, and, drawing a deep breath, shout with all his might—

"Seafowls ahoy!"

Then he held his breath and waited, feeling that his voice could not have been heard, and a feeling of despair began to assail him and the fancy grew that he was sinking back into that horrible sensation of inertia which had mastered him for a time.

But it was fancy, for throwing off the weakness he shouted now joyously and lustily—

"Seafowl ahoy!"

There was silence for a few moments; then came the inspiring sound of some one struggling through the tangled growth and splashing over the mud and water—sounds which were followed by—

"Where away there? Ahoy!"

"Here! Is that you, Tom May?" shouted Murray, and from not far from the foot of the cypress where the lad clung there was a wallowing sound and a splash in the water which sent a wave-like movement across the little lake at the end of the tunnel.

"Tom May it is, sir! Where are you?"

"Up here in this fir-like tree, Tom. Where's Titely?"

"What, ain't you got him along o' you, sir?"

"No! I haven't seen him since we parted. Haven't you any notion where he is?"

"Not a haporth, sir. I on'y hope he arn't gone through."

"Gone through!" cried Murray, in horror.

"Yes, sir; I hope not, but it's solid soft everywhere I've been. I've been most through half-a-dozen times, and twiced over I've felt as if some of them there lizardy crorkendillo things had got hold of my toes and tugged at 'em to get me down."

"Oh, don't talk about it, Tom," groaned the midshipman.

"All right, sir; on'y you arksed me."

"But you have no right to think such a horror as that. He may have got down to the boat."

"Yes, sir, he may," said the man, in a low growl, "but I've been trying my best, and I couldn't."

"Then you haven't seen the boat-keepers, Tom?"

"Not a squint of 'em, sir, and there's going to be the wussest row that ever happened aboard ship if we don't make haste and find them and fetch the first luff help."

"It's horrible, I know, Tom, but I've tried all I could. What's to be done?"

"Dunno, sir. But anyhow I've found you—leastwise, a'most; and I'm coming to jyne yer. Whereabouts are you, sir? Hail again; it's rayther puzzling like."

"It is, Tom—dreadful. But here, where I told you—up in this fir tree—cypress. But mind how you come, for it's very soft."

"Soft ain't the word for it, sir. I've been going to make a swim on it over and over again. But it's reg'lar hugga-my-buff, sir; neither one thing nor t'other. It's too soft to walk in, and it ain't soft enough to swim."

"That's true, Tom," said the lad.

"Oh, you've found it so, have you, sir? Then look here; you arn't so heavy as I am, so s'pose you comes to me 'stead o' me coming to you. What do you say to that?"

"I'll try, Tom," cried Murray; and he began to descend, feeling the elastic evergreen begin to sway and vibrate as if before long it would double down with the weight of its load; and this it finally did, leaving the midshipman floundering on the surface of the cane and reed-covered swamp, so that it was only by a vigorous effort that he managed to scuffle along in the direction of the man, who kept on shouting encouragement until he was able to reach out a hand and drag the lad to his side.

"Hah!" panted Murray, with a sigh of relief.

"Hah it is, sir," said the man. "But beg your pardon, sir; arn't you a-spoiling your uniform?"

"Don't talk about it, Tom," said Murray, breathing hard. "Let's be thankful that we've saved our lives."

"Saved our lives! But have we, sir? Don't seem to me that we're out of the muddle yet. There, look at that!" added the man.

"Look at what?" cried Murray.

"I meant feel that, sir," said the man, correcting himself, and stamping with one foot. "It felt just as if one of them short four-legged sarpints had laid hold of my leg to pull me down for supper."

"Surely not, Tom," said Murray, with a shudder, as he felt attacked by a sense of horrible insecurity.

"All right, sir. Say so if you like; I'm willing. But I'd keep on stamping as long as we're here in this lovely place. I do hope, though, as they arn't making a meal of poor old Titely; he do desarve better luck after being speared as he was over yonder across the herring pond."

"Let's hail him again."

"All right, sir. I've wanted to do so ever so much more, but I wouldn't, for it was telling the enemy where we are, and if we do much of that sort of thing we shall be having that pleasant Yankee coming shooting with his men, and we don't want that."

"Of course not, Tom, but we must risk it, for the poor fellow may be somewhere within reach waiting for help."

"Then why don't he holler, sir?"

"Perhaps he has shouted till he is worn-out, Tom."

"Then he can't be within reach, sir, or else we should ha' heered him, for he's got a pretty good pipe of his own."

"Well, hail him, Tom."

"All right, sir, but 'tween you and me and the starn post your voice would go farther than mine would."

"Think so, Tom? Very well, then. Seafowl ahoy!"

It was a loud tenor shout that doubtless penetrated the cane jungle farther than would the deep bass of the able-seaman, and after a minute's listening, Murray hailed again; but somehow the shout did not seem to have any result.

"Let me have a try, sir," growled the sailor, and upon the middy nodding, the man shouted five times at intervals, listening with his hand to his ear after every hail.

"It's of no good, Tom," said Murray bitterly. "Come along, and let's be doing something."

"That's what I was a-thinking, sir, for if we stop here much longer we shall be reg'larly sucked down into the mud. 'Sides which, if my poor mate hears us he won't come here. He'd on'y hail."

"And if the enemy hear us they are quite at home here, and they'll come down upon us and put a stop to our getting across to the boat. What do you mean by that?—What are you chuckling about?"

"You, sir," said the man. "I was thinking what an orficer you will make some day."

"Do you mean that for banter, my man?" said Murray angrily.

"Banter, sir? What, chaff? Not me, sir. I meant it. I felt a bit proud of you, sir, for using your head like that."

"Well, this is no time for paying compliments, Tom. You take the lead."

"I'll do what you orders, sir, of course, you being my orficer, but you might tell me which way I oughter lead."

"I can't, Tom, my lad. We want to get down to the boat, and hope to pick up Titely on the way. I've tried till I grew more and more puzzled than ever; so now you try. You must chance it, my lad."

"Mean it, sir?"

"Mean it? Of course!" cried Murray; and the man shut his eyes close, knit his brow, and then began to mutter in a low tone, much to the midshipman's surprise.

"What are you doing, Tom?" he cried at last.

"What you telled me, sir—charnshing of it."

"Chancing it?"

"Yes, sir; that's right," said the man. "Same as we used to when we was little uns playing at Blind Man's Buff. 'How many horses has your father got?' Then the one as had the hankychy tied over his eyes used to answer, 'Black, white and grey.' Then the one who arksed about the horses used to say, 'Turn round three times and ketch who you may.'"

And as soon as the man had repeated these words with his eyes still closely shut he turned round three times and then opened them and stared straight before him.

"This here's the way, sir; right ahead."

"What nonsense, Tom!" said the middy sadly. "You're old enough to know better."

"Maybe, sir, but you said I was to charnsh it, and that's what I'm a-doing of; and if I don't find the way down to the boat it won't do us no harm as I can see; so come along."

The man stepped off, keeping as nearly as he could to the line he had marked down, and without turning his head he called back to his young officer—

"Don't you mind me giving o' you orders, sir, but you telled me to lead on, and I should like to say, sir, as you'd find it better if instead of walking hard and stiff, sir, like the jollies march up and down the deck, you'd try my way, sir, trot fashion, upon your toes, with a heavy swing and give and take. You'd find that you wouldn't sink in quite so much, seeing as one foot's found its way out before t'other's got time to sink in."

"I'll try, Tom," said the middy quietly; and after following the man for a few dozen yards he whispered, "Yes, I think that's better, Tom; but I have no faith in your Blind Man's Buff plan."

"Give it time, sir; we arn't half tried it yet."

"Go on, then," cried Murray; and the man trotted on as fast as the tangled growth would allow him, pausing from time to time to listen before going on again.

"I'm afraid we must make a change, Tom," said Murray, at last, when the man drew up suddenly. "Are you, sir?"

"Yes; this seems hopeless."

"That's what it all seems, sir, but I don't like being in too great a hurry to pitch a hidee overboard. There's nothing like trying, sir, and just as like as not we may be getting nigher and nigher to poor old Titely."

"I'm afraid—"

Murray did not finish his sentence, but made a spring forward and clapped his hand hard upon his leader's shoulder.

"What's wrong, sir?" cried the sailor, turning sharply upon him.

"Hark! Listen!" cried Murray excitedly.

"Oh, Mr Murray, sir," groaned the man despairingly, "you've been and gone and done it now!"

"Nonsense! What do you mean?"

"Pitched me off my bearings, sir. I've looked round, and I shall never pick 'em up again."

"Well, what does that matter?" cried Murray. "Don't you hear?"

"Hear, sir? Hear what?"

"Oars. I heard them rattling in the rowlocks as plain as possible."

"Whereabouts, sir?"

"Away there through the canes yonder. Didn't you?"

"No, sir," said the man gloomily; "I didn't hear no oars."

"I did, quite plainly," said Murray, leaning forward and straining his ears. "No, it's stopped now."

"Yes, sir," said the man, shaking his head; "it's stopped now."

"Well, don't talk like that, Tom. You look as if you didn't believe me."

"Oh, I wouldn't go for to say as I don't believe anything you say, sir," said the sailor; "but all the same it do seem queer."

"Yes, queer because they've stopped rowing to listen. Don't you see?"

"No, sir," said the man, shaking his head sadly. "I don't see nothing, on'y as you're a bit overdone, sir, in the head, and gets fancying things."

"Fancy, man!" cried the middy angrily. "It was no fancy, I tell you. Now then, listen."

Tom May shut one eye and cocked his head on one side in obedience to his young officer's command; but all was perfectly still.

"It's very strange," said Murray.

"Yes, sir; very," said the sailor, in a tone of voice which made the young officer turn upon him fiercely.

"Oh, you obstinate—"

Murray did not say what, but ceased speaking and stood straining forward.

"Of course you thought you heered oars, sir, because you wanted to hear 'em," said the sailor; "but it's a pity you did, sir, because it made me lose my bearings, and I know I shall never—"

"There, then," cried the middy excitedly. "Now, did I fancy I heard rowing?"

"No, sir; that's oars, sure enough," replied the sailor; "and it seems to come from right for'ard there, and not far away."

"Hail the boat, then," cried Murray excitedly.

"I dunno as I would, sir," whispered the man, "because it mightn't be our boat."

"What! Oh, we must chance that. Hail away."

Tom May, who looked exceedingly unwilling, clapped his hand to his cheek and yelled out, "Seafowls ahoy!" just as the regular beat of oars had ceased once more.

But there was no further doubt, for in a dull smothered tone, as if the reply came through so much dense forest, there was the answering hail—