l gone.
She'd have been off before if it hadn't come on as thick as soup. Say,
'bout how far off is your ship?"

"Half-a-dozen miles away," said the lieutenant.

"That ain't far. Why not be off at once?"

"Why not come with us?" asked Murray.

"Ain't I telled yer, youngster? Think I want to come back and find the
schooner gone?"

The lieutenant gazed from the American to the midshipman and back again,
with his doubts here and there, veering like a weather vane, for the
thought would keep attacking him--suppose all this about the slave
schooner was Yankee bunkum, and as soon as he had got rid of them, the
lugger would sail away and be seen no more?

"You won't trust him, will you?" said Murray, taking advantage of a puff
of wind which separated the two boats for a few minutes.

"I can't," said the lieutenant, in a whisper. "I was nearly placing
confidence in him, but your doubt has steered me in the other direction.
Hah!" he added quickly. "That will prove him." And just then the
lugger glided alongside again, and the opportunity for further communing
between the two officers was gone.

"That's what yew have to be on the lookout for, mister, when yew get
sailing out here. Sharp cat's-paws o' wind hot as fire sometimes.
Well, ain't you going to fetch your ship?"

"And what about you?" said the lieutenant.

"Me?" said the man wonderingly, and looking as innocent as a child.

"Yes; where am I to pick you up again?"

"Oh! I'll show you. I'll be hanging just inside one of the mouths of
the river, and then lead yew in when yew get back with yewr ship."

Murray softly pressed his foot against his officer's without seeming to
move, and felt the pressure returned, as if to say--All right; I'm not
going to trust him--and the lieutenant then said aloud--

"But why shouldn't you sail with us as far as our sloop?"

"Ah, why shouldn't I, after all?" said the man. "You might show me your
skipper, and we could talk to him about what we're going to do. All
right; sail away if you like to chance it."

The lieutenant nodded, and a few minutes later the two boats were
gliding about half a mile abreast of the dense mangrove-covered shore in
the direction of the _Seafowl_, and only about fifty yards apart.

"You'll be keeping a sharp lookout for treachery in any shape, sir?"
said Murray, in a low tone.

"The fellow's willingness to fall in with my proposal has disarmed me,
Mr Murray," said the lieutenant quiet