oroughly
enjoyed themselves--so they said--in the jolliest quarters that had ever
fallen to their lot.

Caesar, too, in his actions was certainly one of the greatest of the
Caesars, for in spite of a terribly scorched face, and burned and
wounded arms and hands, he worked almost without ceasing. Scores of his
fellow-slaves flocked to help, and under his guidance the captain and
crew of the _Seafowl_ were perfectly astounded by the extent of the
plantation buildings, and the arrangements that existed for carrying on
the horrible trade and keeping up the supply from the far-off African
coast.

It was a busy time for the _Seafowls_, as they called themselves, but
they had the prisoners to deal with, for those left alive of the crews
of the two schooners had managed to reach the familiar shelter of the
dense shores, from which they did not wait to be hunted out, but
utilised some of the light boats of whose existence they were well
aware, and sickened by the terrible lesson they had received, made sail
for one of the neighbouring bays.

It was, as has been said, a busy time for the _Seafowls_, for there were
the two captured schooners to get afloat and the fired rigging to
restore before they were fit to take to a destined port as prizes.
There were vile barracks to burn, and plenty of other arrangements to
make as to the destination of certain newly-arrived prisoners who had to
be saved from their terrible fate.

Briefly, although the sailors called it a good holiday, it was a period
of the hardest work, but what with prize money and tasks that paid
mentally every lad and man who thought, it was a time of pleasure; and
it was not till towards the end of the _Seafowl's_ stay that Caesar came
on board the sloop of war one evening with his face flushing with
excitement and showing all his teeth.

"Caesar find um at last, massa," he cried.

"Find? Find? Not Mr Allen?" said Murray.

"Yes, massa. Find good ole Massa Allen."

"Then he is not dead?"

"Yes, massa. No massa. Huggins no kill um. Shut um up. Tell um,
massa, dat um poor crack looney."

"What! Lunatick!"

"Yes, massa, looney, mad. Shut um up."

"Where? And have you seen him?"

"Yes, massa. Tullus find um in niggah hut shut up, and take me dah."

"Then that Huggins has not killed him?"

"No, massa; shut um up. Say um mad man. Berry bad. Get more bad
ebbery day till Tullus find um. Black slabe woman 'top wiv him. Massa
Huggins say kil