Whereas, by dropping down in the night, she might be
well out to sea before any one on board the cruiser should notice her at
all.

It was finally resolved then by the _Pandora's_ officers to sail the
moment the darkness came down; and both were wishing, in their own
blasphemous way, for a dark night.

It yet wanted a few minutes of sundown as the captain took his last
embrace of King Dingo Bingo, and stepped out of the "palace." His
majesty came swaggering along to conduct his guest to the landing, while
several of the sable courtiers followed in his train.

All stood upon the bank while the captain was getting into his gig.
Brace and I, with the other men of the crew, had already seated
ourselves in the boat, and were holding the oars balanced and ready,
when all at once we were interrupted by a singular exclamation from the
king.

On looking up I perceived that his eyes were fixed upon me, and the fat
monster was gazing at me as if he desired to eat me up--while all the
while he kept jabbering to the captain in a language which I could not
comprehend.

Notwithstanding the time we had been at his factory, I had never
attracted the attention of his majesty before. I don't think he had
ever seen me before--that is, to take particular notice of me. I had
been, as already stated, all the time on board, with the exception of
that very evening, and the day I had spent with Brace in the woods; and
although the slave-king had been often aboard I had never come in his
way, as he usually stayed about the quarter-deck, or in the cabin. It
is likely enough, therefore, that this was the first time he had set
eyes upon me to notice me.

But for what reason was he taking such particular notice of me now?
Although I could not tell what he said--for the captain and he talked in
a sort of bastard Portuguese (the best-known language in these parts);
yet I perceived by his countenance and the animated gestures which he
made use of, that either myself, or something about me, greatly
interested him.

Brace was sitting near me, and, without raising my voice above a
whisper, I asked him to tell me what the fuss was all about--for it had
now assumed something of this character--both the captain and the king
talking hurriedly, earnestly and loudly, in their barbarous jargon.

Brace's reply was--

"The king ha' taken a fancy to you--he wants to buy you!"

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.

On hearing this explanation I at first felt i