p
this "His Majesty" climbed, and was received on board with all the
honours.

Joyful salutes passed between him and his well-known acquaintance, the
captain; and, without more ado, the latter led the way across the
quarter-deck, and conducted his majesty to the cabin with apparent
formality, but yet in a frank and jovial manner that proved the two to
be old friends--the best friends in the world.

The mate did his best to entertain the two "Councillors of State," while
the men of the bodyguard remained below in the canoe. His majesty had
no fear for his personal safety. He knew the slaver and her master. He
had been expecting them, and therefore needed to ask no questions about
country or character. The skipper and the king understood each other.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

I could not tell what was said between these two worthies, but I knew
what was to be done. His majesty had a crowd of poor negroes not far
off--no doubt shut up in the large building which could be partially
seen through the trees. These he had procured from some back country in
the interior--partly by traffic with other king-monsters like himself,
and partly by means of man-hunting expeditions, which he had made with
his ferocious troops. It was highly probable, too, that among the
victims about to be transported were many who had been his own subjects;
for these African potentates do not scruple to make merchandise of their
own people, when cash or "cowries" run short, and their enemies have
been too strong to be captured.

Just such a crowd then had King Dingo Bingo got together; and the joyful
smile that lighted up the jovial face of the skipper, as he reappeared
upon deck, proved that it was a large crowd, and that he was sure of a
full "cargo" without further trouble or delay. Often competition among
the slave-vessels renders it difficult to obtain a full "freight;" and
in such cases the white slave-dealers, who dwell upon the coast (for
there are many such), and the native chiefs become terribly exacting.
Then indeed, the first cost of the human merchandise forms an important
item in the invoice, and the profits on the other side are
proportionately diminished; but where there is no competition the price
of the black is considered a mere trifle; and, taken in "barter" as he
is, a whole ship's load of such "bales," as they are jocularly called
among slavers (by the Spaniards termed "bultos"), is not such an
expensive investment. The