had not gone far through the dense leafage, and
over the soft, spongy, river-soaked bank, before there was a rush and a
scuffle, followed by a splash, and though I saw nothing, I knew that it
was a small alligator, taking refuge in the water after a night's
wandering ashore.

I had heard these sounds so often, and was so accustomed to the dread
shown by the reptiles, that I did not hesitate to go on, and soon after
reached the place where Morgan was holding on by the overhanging bushes,
drawing the boat so close in that I easily stepped down on to one of the
thwarts, giving my father a bright, eager look, but he did not see it;
so taking one of the oars, I sat down behind our man, and rowed hard
till our boat glided out of the mouth of the stream which ran through my
father's property, and reached the turbid waters of the great river.

As we passed out of the mouth of our stream, and round the bushes on the
point, there lay the schooner a couple of hundred yards away, anchored
in the middle, with her long raking masts tapering in the sunshine, and
the great spars glistening and bright as if freshly greased.

She was low in the water, and as I looked over my shoulder, I caught
sight of a boat just pushing off to go down stream, and noted that she
was rowed by some of our neighbours, and had black men on board.

I saw my father give a quick look in the direction of the boat, and
frown, but he did not speak, and we rowed on.

As we neared the schooner I more than once became conscious of a
peculiar offensive odour, that I thought must be something coming up
with the tide; but I was too much interested in the slaver to give more
than a passing thought to such a matter, and my eagerness and excitement
increased as we drew near. For I heard loud voices, and saw our nearest
neighbour close to the side, talking to a hard-looking, deeply-bronzed
man. Then one of the sailors threw us a rope; we made fast, my father
stepped on board, and I followed.

"Better take the other two I've got, colonel, and clear me out," said
the bronzed man.

"No, I think not," said Colonel Preston, who had exchanged a short nod
with my father, and he turned to where a dejected-looking group of
negroes, both men and women, were standing on the deck close to the open
hold.

"Better alter your mind; make your black hay while the sun shines. I
may never come up your river again. I'll throw in the other two dirt
cheap."

I felt the colour com