and haste he made all sorts of signs, aiding them
by such few words as he knew. "Man come--bad, no, no," he said,
pointing up the river. Hemming understood that some one would come and
try and mislead them, and that they were not to trust to him. Then
Hemming tried to ascertain the fate of the missing boat's crew. His
heart sank when the negro explained by signs that he could not mistake
that they had all been murdered.

"No one escaped?" he asked.

The negro shook his head, no, not one survived, it appeared. Murray and
Adair were soon made acquainted with the information, and then indeed
they began to fear that Jack Rogers, their gallant jovial companion, was
lost to them for ever. Grief and indignation, and a desire to punish
the perpetrators of the deed, took possession of their hearts. That was
but natural. It is difficult to distinguish between revenge, which is
wrong, and a desire to punish evil-doers, when we ourselves are affected
by their misdeeds.

The young negro, after talking away and making signs to Hemming for some
time longer, desired to be put on shore. Murray was ordered to convey
him there.

"Good man--good man, Massa Hemming," he kept saying all the time. "Take
care, bad man come off shore."

As soon as he landed, off he darted again through the mangrove bushes,
and was lost to sight.

"He seems to be an old friend of yours, sir," observed Murray when he
got back.

"Yes, I find that he is a lad I once, when he was a young boy, jumped
overboard to save in the West Indies after he had been taken out of a
slaver," answered Hemming carelessly. "He made me out when we were in
the river before taking the Spanish schooner, and has ever since been
watching for an opportunity to speak to me. I cannot make out exactly
what he wishes to guard us against--some treachery, I conclude. I could
not fancy that he would have recollected me so long. It shows that
blacks have grateful hearts."

Hemming sympathised much with Murray and Adair, for he knew of their
attachment to Jack, and he fully believed that he had been lost with the
rest. Bitter and sad were their feelings. "Oh, Jack, Jack!" muttered
Adair in a tone of grief, "are you really gone?" The flotilla of boats
proceeded some way farther, when a large canoe was seen paddling out
towards them from the shore. A burly negro sat in the stern and made a
profound salaam with his palm-leaf hat as he approached.

"Me first pilot in dis ri