Mr. Lieutenant; and let the darkies bring in the
breakfast!"

I have narrated this little anecdote to show that Spanish slavers
sometimes ventured to have a little fun with the British lion, and
that when we got him on his haunches, his month full of beef and his
fore paws in air, he was by no means the unamiable beast he is
described to be, when, in company with the _unicorn_, he goes

"a-fighting for the crown!"

CHAPTER LIX.

The balance of life vibrated considerably on the African coast.
Sometimes Mr. Bull's scale ascended and sometimes the Slaver's. It was
now the turn of the former to be exalted for a while by way of revenge
for my forced hospitality.

Our friends of the Bonito held on with provoking pertinacity in front
of my factory, so that I was troubled but little with company from
Cuba for several months. At last, however, it became necessary that I
should visit a neighboring colony for supplies, and I took advantage
of a Russian trader along the coast to effect my purpose. But when we
were within sight of our destination, a British cruiser brought us to
and visited the "Galopsik." As her papers were in order, and the
vessel altogether untainted, I took it for granted that Lieutenant
Hill would make a short stay and be off to his "Saracen." Yet, a
certain "slave deck," and an unusual quantity of water-casks, aroused
the officer's suspicions, so that instead of heading for our port, we
were unceremoniously favored with a prize crew, and ordered to Sierra
Leone!

I did not venture to protest against these movements, inasmuch as I
had no interest whatever in the craft, but I ventured to suggest that
"as I was only a _passenger_, there could be no objection to my
landing before the new voyage was commenced."

"By no means, sir," was the prompt reply, "_your presence is a
material fact for the condemnation of the vessel_!" Indeed, I soon
found out that I was recognized by some of the Kroomen on the cruiser,
and my unlucky reputation was a hole in the bottom of our Russian
craft!

At Sierra Leone matters became worse. The Court did not venture to
condemn the Russian, but resolved on ordering her to England; and when
I re-stated my reasonable appeal for release, I was told that I must
accompany the vessel on her visit to Great Britain.

This arbitrary decision of our captors sadly disconcerted my plans. A
voyage to England would ruin New Sestros. My _barracoons_ were alive
with blacks, but