ed on.

"Going fishing," I said. "Come with me?"

He looked at me without comprehension, and when I took hold of him by
the arm, he shrank away.

"Oh, I say," I said, "I wish you wouldn't. Who's going to hit you?
Carry this basket."

I placed one in his hand, and gave him the pot containing the bait in
the other, signed to him to follow, and in a dull, sad way he came
behind to where the boat was moored; but as soon as he saw me step in,
he began to look wildly out into the stream, and to shrink away.

"It's all right," I said, "there's no slaver out there. Come along."

But he shrank away more and more, with his eyes dilating, and he said a
few words quite fiercely in his own tongue.

"Don't be so stupid," I said, jumping out and securing him just in time
to stop him from running off with my bait and lines.

He struggled for a moment, but ceased, and in a drooping, dejected way
allowed me to lead him to the boat, into which he stepped sadly, and
dropped down in a sitting position, with his legs under him, and his
head bent upon his breast.

"Oh, I say," I cried, "don't do that. Look here; we are going fishing.
Here, take an oar and row."

I had cast off the boat, and we were floating down the stream as I
placed the oar in his hands, took the other, and in a sad, depressed,
obedient way, he clumsily imitated my actions, rowing steadily if not
ably on.

"There," I said, when we were as far out as I wished to be; "that will
do. Lay your oar in like that," and I laid down my own.

He obeyed me, and then sat looking at me as mournfully as if I were
going to drown him.

"Oh, I do wish you'd try and take it differently," I said, looking
pleasantly at him the while. "Now, look here, I'm going to catch a
fish."

As I spoke, I put a large bait on the strong hook I had ready, threw it
over the side, and twisted the stout cord round my hand, while the boy
sat watching me.

"Well, you have got a bit better," I said to him; "the other day you
always wanted to bite. Do try and come round, because you're not a
slave, after all. Oh!"

I uttered a yell, as I started up to pay out line, for, as we floated
gently down stream, there was a tremendous tug which cut my hand, and
seemed ready to jerk my arm from out its socket.

But I had so twisted the line that I could not pay it out, and as I
stood, there came another so fierce a tug that I lost my balance, caught
at the boy to save myself, and the light boat