ver," he shouted with a stentorian voice, "take
me board--me come show way."

Hemming ordered his crew to cease rowing, and took him into his boat to
hear what he had got to say for himself. He had, however, exhausted
nearly all his vocabulary in his first address, and there was some
difficulty in understanding him. In vain Hemming tried to gain some
information about the missing boat and her crew. The negro either knew
nothing or was resolved not to tell. At last he produced a book of
certificates, and when Hemming had glanced over them he burst into a fit
of laughter, and handed them back. The big negro looked exceedingly
indignant, and, striking his breast, repeated vehemently--

"Me good man--me show way."

Many of the certificates had been far from complimentary to the negro,
but still Hemming thought that he might be useful as a pilot, till he
recollected the warning he had just before received.

"This is undoubtedly the very fellow I was to expect," he said to
himself. "No, no, you go on shore; we can do without you," he
exclaimed, addressing the negro.

The burly savage blustered and protested, but he was made to step into
his canoe, which had been paddling alongside, and Hemming signified to
him clearly that he must take himself off. They observed him watching
them for some way; then he hauled up his canoe, and taking a path
inland, they saw no more of him. They had pulled on for half an hour or
more when Murray caught sight of a board floating in the water. He
could scarcely account for the impulse which made him steer towards it
and pick it up. His eye brightened as he looked at it.

"Hurrah!" he shouted joyfully; "hurrah! Jack Rogers is alive; here is a
note from him. There is no doubt about it. It is short though--he
says, `A prisoner. Up south branch. Jack R.'" The shout was taken up
by his own crew and the crews of all the other boats, and the banks of
the stream rang with their loud hurrahs. This brief notice instigated
all hands to make still greater exertions to try and recover Jack,
wherever he might be. On they went; reach after reach of the winding
river was passed, and they had got a long way up, higher than any of
them had been before, when a shot, seeming as if it came out of the
bank, flew over their heads. Another and another followed.

"We are just in front of the pirates' battery," exclaimed Hemming; "on,
lads, on! we'll storm it without delay." The seamen required