ly. "It does seem as you say
repugnant; but it is necessary, my lad, for several reasons, one of the
first of which it that it will be a lesson for the black king."

"But he could soon have another village built."

"Then we ought to come and burn that, and his people with him, if we
could get hold of the wretches. I'm sure you must have seen enough this
morning to make you feel how necessary it is for this slave traffic to
be stamped out."

"Yes, of course," said Murray, "but--"

"Then take my advice, my lad," said the doctor, gripping the lad's arm;
"leave these matters to your superior officers, and don't look at me as
if I were a heartless brute. My profession makes me firm, my lad, not
unfeeling."

"Oh, I don't think that, sir," said the lad quickly.

"But you thought something of the kind, Murray, my lad, and I like you,
so it hurt me a little. You ought to have known that black and white,
good and bad, are all one to a doctor. He sees only a patient, whatever
they may be. But in this case I saw that this poor black woman was at
almost her last gasp. Understand?"

"Yes, I see now, sir, and I beg your pardon," said the midshipman.

"We understand one another, Murray, and--Ah, here is the first luff
doing just what I wanted him to do."

For that officer had gathered his men together in the shade of a clump
of trees where the moving branches blew from off the river in a breeze
that was untainted by the miasma of the marshy ground and the horrors of
the village, for it brought with it the odour of the floating seaweed
and old ocean's health-giving salts.

By this time one of the boats was despatched, and the lieutenant joined
the pair.

"Ah, Mr Murray, you have lost your chance. I was going to send you to
the captain for instructions, but you were busy with the doctor, so I
sent Mr Roberts.--Giving him a lecture on the preservation of health,
doctor?"

"Just a few hints," said that gentleman, smiling. "We were taking
opposite views, but I think Murray agrees with me now."

CHAPTER NINE.

"FIRE! FIRE!"

"Now, Mr Murray," said the lieutenant, "I don't want to expose the lads
to more of this unwholesome place than I can help, so you must use your
brains as soon as we get word from the captain, and see that they start
the fire where it will have the best effect. This abomination must
disappear from the face of the earth, so where you begin to burn, start
your fire well. You understand?"