eyes filled, his lips
trembled, and his voice was husky, as he whispered the verdict in my
ear. I guessed it before he said a word; yet I hoped he would have
counselled against the dread alternative. As we went aft to the
quarter-deck, all eyes were bent upon us, for every one conjectured
the malady and feared the result, yet none dared ask a question.

I ordered a general inspection of the slaves, yet when a _favorable_
report was made, I did not rest content, and descended to examine each
one personally. It was true; the child was _alone_ infected!

For half an hour, I trod the deck to and fro restlessly, and caused
the crew to subject themselves to inspection. But my sailors were as
healthy as the slaves. There was no symptom that indicated approaching
danger. I was disappointed again. A single case--a single sign of
peril in any quarter, would have spared the poison!

That evening, in the stillness of night, a trembling hand stole
forward to the afflicted boy with a potion that knows no waking. In a
few hours, all was over. Life and the pestilence were crushed
together; for a necessary murder had been committed, and the poor
victim was beneath the blue water!

* * * * *

I am not superstitious, but a voyage attended with such calamities
could not end happily. Incessant gales and head winds, unusual in this
season and latitude, beset us so obstinately, that it became doubtful
whether our food and water would last till we reached Matanzas. To add
to our risks and misfortunes, a British corvette espied our craft, and
gave chase off Cape Maize. All day long she dogged us slowly, but, at
night, I tacked off shore, with the expectation of eluding my pursuer.
Day-dawn, however, revealed her again on our track, though this time
we had unfortunately fallen to leeward. Accordingly, I put La Estrella
directly before the wind, and ran till dark with a fresh breeze, when
I again dodged the cruiser, and made for the Cuban coast. But the
Briton seemed to scent my track, for sunrise revealed him once more in
chase.

The wind lulled that night to a light breeze, yet the red clouds and
haze in the east betokened a gale from that quarter before meridian. A
longer pursuit must have given considerable advantage to the enemy, so
that my best reliance, I calculated, was in making the small harbor
near St. Jago, now about twenty miles distant, where I had already
landed two cargoes. The corvette was t