were in quest; and when
first sighted it was about a quarter of a mile distant. As we drew
nearer to it I saw that a deep-water channel led straight to it from the
main deep-water channel, at a point about half a cable's-length distant;
and I kept my eye upon the spot, as the creek gradually opened out, for
I could not help thinking that it presented an almost ideal spot wherein
a slaver might conceal herself. And, as I watched, I suddenly saw a
column of thick smoke shoot up above the tree tops at a point that I
estimated to be not much more than two hundred yards from the mouth of
the creek, and in the direction toward which the latter seemed to be
trending, while at the same moment the blare of horns and the dub-a-dub-
dub of tom-toms was borne faintly to our ears by the fitful breeze.

"Oars!" cried I sharply. "Silence, fore and aft, and listen all of
you!"

The men instantly laid upon their oars, and as the boat went surging
along with the "way" that she had on her, we all distinctly heard, above
the quiet lap and gurgle of the water against her planking, the sounds
of which I have spoken, with an occasional swelling of the sound which
conveyed the idea of many human voices raised in a monotonous kind of
chant.

"How much farther do you say this creek of yours is, Higgins?" I
demanded.

"Why, sir," answered the man, "I should say as it's the best part of a
mile higher up. Ain't it, Mike?"

"Ay, about that, I should think," answered Mike, swinging round on his
thwart and shading his eyes with his hand as his gaze searchingly swept
the river bank. And the other three escaped mutineers expressed a like
opinion.

"And what was the general trend of the direction which you took when you
followed the savages?" asked I.

"Why," answered Higgins, instantly catching my meaning, "it was
westerly, sir; wasn't it, Mike? Don't ye remember that the run of the
creek itself was some'at down-stream? And when we went a'ter the
savages we kept on bearin' away towards the left, didn't we? Depend
on't, sir, that there smoke is where the village lies, and that row that
we hears is made by the savages doorin' the tormentin' of one of our
pore unfort'nit shipmates!"

I was of the same opinion myself. That creek away on our port bow
appeared to lead so nearly in a direct line toward the point from which
the smoke was rising, and seemed to offer such a temptingly short cut to
the village where the diabolical work was und