us day by day, and as soon as we are lost in one of these foggy
hazes it's up with their lug sails, and they glide away like--like--
like--here, what do they glide away like? I'm not as clever as you.
I'm at a loss for words. Give me one--something poetic, Frank."

"Steam out of a copper."

"Bah!"

"What, won't that do?"

"Do? No! There--like a dream."

"Brayvo! Werry pretty, as Sam Weller said. Oh, here's Tommy May--Here,
Tom, what do you think of the weather?" said the lad, addressing a
bluff-looking seaman.

"Weather, sir?" said the man, screwing up his face till it was one maze
of wrinkles. "Beg pardon, sir, but did you mean that as one of your
jokes, sir, or was it a conundydrum?"

"Oh, don't ask questions, Tom, but just tell us plainly what you think
of the weather."

"Nothing, sir; it's too hot to think," replied the man.

"Quite right, May," said the other midshipman. "Don't bother the poor
fellow, Murray. Here, May, what do you fellows before the mast think
about the slavers?"

"Slippery as the mud of the river banks, sir."

"Good," said Murray. "Well spoken, Tom. But do you think there are any
about here?"

"Oh yes, sir," said the man; "no doubt about it. They on'y want
catching."

"No, no," cried Murray. "That's just what they don't want."

"Right you are, sir; but you know what I mean."

"I suppose so," said Murray; "but do you chaps, when you are chewing it
all over along with your quids, believe that we shall come upon any of
them?"

"Oh yes, sir; but do you see, they sail in those long, low, swift
schooners that can come and go where they like, while we in the
_Seafowl_ seem to be thinking about it."

"Poor sluggish sloop of war!" said Roberts.

"Nay, nay, sir," said the man, "begging your pardon, she's as smart a
vessel as ever I sailed in, with as fine a captain and officers,
'specially the young gentlemen."

"Now, none of your flattering gammon, Tom."

"Begging your pardon, gentlemen," said the man sturdily, "that it arn't.
I says what I says, and I sticks to it, and if we only get these here
blackbird catchers on the hop we'll let 'em see what the _Seafowl_ can
do."

"If!" said Roberts bitterly.

"Yes, sir, _if_. That's it, sir, and one of these days we shall drop
upon them and make them stare. We shall do it, gentlemen, you see if we
shan't."

"That's what we want to see, Tom," said Murray.

"Course you do, gentlemen, and all we lads forrard are itchin