ck flag thrice lowered in token of adieu.
Immediately afterward it was again hoisted _over the effigy of an
enormous shark_!

In a twinkling, I understood the _real_ cause of danger, which no
alacrity or courage in the water could avoid, and comprehended that my
only hope was in the open sea. A retreat to Cape Mount was a toilsome
task for my weary _Krooman_, who had been incessantly at work for
twenty-four hours. Yet, there were but two alternatives,--either to
await the subsidence of the surf, or the arrival of some friendly
vessel. In the mean time, I eat my last morsel of cassava, while the
_Krooman_ stretched himself in the bottom of the canoe,--half in the
water and half in the glaring sun,--and went comfortably to sleep.

I steered the boat with a paddle, as it drifted along with tide and
current, till the afternoon, when a massive pile of clouds in the
south-east gave warning of one of those tornadoes which deluge the
coast of Africa in the months of March and April. A stout punch in the
Krooman's ribs restored him to consciousness from his hydropathic
sleep; but he shivered as he looked at the sky and beheld a token of
that greatest misfortune that can befall a negro,--a wet skin at sea
from a shower of rain.

We broached our last bottle to battle the chilling element. Had we
been in company with other canoes, our first duty would have been to
lash the skiffs together so as to breast the gusts and chopping sea
with more security; but as I was entirely alone, our sole reliance was
on the expert arm and incessant vigilance of my companion.

I will not detain the reader by explaining the simple process that
carried us happily through the deluge. By keeping the canoe bow on, we
nobly resisted the shock of every wave, and gradually fell back under
the impulse of each undulation. Thus we held on till the heavy clouds
discharged their loads, beating down the sea and half filling the
canoe with rain water. While the Krooman paddled and steered, I
conducted the bailing, and as the African dipper was not sufficient to
keep us free, I pressed my Panama hat into service as an extra hand.

These savage squalls on the African coast, at the beginning of the
rainy season, are of short duration, so that our anxiety quickly left
us to the enjoyment of soaking skins. A twist at my red flannel
relieved it of superabundant moisture, but as the negro delighted in
no covering except his flesh, an additional kiss of the bottle wa