!
shout, all hands!"

Mudge and I raised our voices, joined by the crew, who gave way with
redoubled vigour. The black, who just then saw the shark coming, began
to splash and kick, and to shout pretty lustily. This was not the only
peril to which he was exposed, for at the same moment several persons
appeared among the trees, with muskets in their hands, and began to fire
at him. Happily, one of the bullets aimed at him or at us struck the
savage shark, just as it was about to make a dash at him; and, either
from the wound it had received, or frightened by our shouts, it suddenly
turned round, with a whisk of its tail, and darted away from Blackie.

We immediately dashed on, in spite of the bullets. The black was close
alongside, when I saw the monster's huge form gliding like lightning
beneath the surface; his head rising just as, with a violent jerk, we
drew the poor fellow into the boat. The disappointed brute made a grab
at one of the oars in revenge, though he got nothing but a broken tooth
for his pains.

Without stopping to ask questions, Mudge put the boat round, and pulled
away for the ship, fortunately not one of us being hit, while the enemy
in the bush quickly vanished. As soon as we were out of the line of
fire, one of the ship's guns, loaded with grape, was let fly at the spot
from which the shots had come, and greatly contributed to the rapid
retreat of Blackie's pursuers, whoever they were--at all events, of
those of them who escaped being hit; but whether any were so, we could
not tell. As soon as the boat got alongside, the black sprang on board
with considerable activity, showing that he was none the worse for his
run and subsequent swim. There he stood, naked as he was born; when an
old quartermaster, a wag in his way, brought him a pair of duck
trousers, evidently considering that he was not fit, as he then stood,
to appear on the quarter-deck of a British man-of-war. Blackie put them
on with a grin, shook the water out of his woolly pate, and then, with
an air of perfect self-possession, walked aft to where the commander and
several of the other officers were standing.

"Me Dicky Popo, please, sar," he said, giving a haul at his hair; "me
loyal British subject--once serve His Majesty--but de nigger
slave-catchers find me ashore, carry me off, and sell me to still bigger
rascals. Dey ship me aboard wid oder slaves; and den a bigger rascal
still take de whole of us on board de _Sea-Haw