a kinder doctor than I could be--one who
knows what is best for her. Look!"

He shrugged his shoulders and turned away.

"Let your men cut a few of those big leaves, Mr Murray, and lay over
her."

"You are too late?" said Roberts excitedly.

"Yes, my dear boy," replied the doctor. "With such hurts as the poor
girl had received it was only a matter of time. Ah, I wish to goodness
we had caught that schooner! It's time all this was stamped out.
There, come away and bring your men. Oh, here comes Mr Anderson.
Well, what are you going to do?" For the first lieutenant came up,
followed by some of his men, glanced at the motionless figure and the
action being taken, and turned away.

"What am I going to do?" he replied, frowning angrily. "Nothing but
communicate with the captain for fresh instructions."

"But aren't we going to pursue the black chief and his people through
the forest, sir, and punish them?" asked Murray, who was strangely moved
by his first encounter with the horrors of a slave encampment.

"No, Mr Murray, we certainly are not," replied the lieutenant, "for the
chief and his men will take plenty of care that we do not overtake them.
Here, come away, my lads; this place is pestiferous enough to lay every
one down with fever."

"Yes; I was just going to give you a very broad hint. Fire, eh?" said
the doctor.

The lieutenant nodded.

"I must just have a word or two with the captain first," said the
lieutenant, and giving the order, the men began to march to where the
boats lay with their keepers, and a sentry or two had been thrown out to
guard against surprise.

Murray closed up to the doctor, who was looking sharply about him at the
trees which remained standing amongst the almost countless huts.

"Not many cocoanuts, Murray," he said.

"Oh," cried the young man, who felt more annoyed by the doctor's
indifference than ever, "I was not thinking about palm-trees!"

"But I was," said the doctor; "they'll burn tremendously."

"Ah," cried the midshipman, "that was what I wanted to speak about. Did
you mean to suggest that the place should be burned?"

"Certainly, sir," said the doctor shortly.

"The village--but with the slave barrack?"

"Of course," said the doctor shortly. "Don't you think it would be
best?"

"I--Oh! It seems so horrible," began Murray.

The doctor looked at him searchingly, and laid his hand upon the youth's
shoulder.

"I understand, Murray," he said quiet