was undoubtedly a well-known figure in Sierra Leone; he was of
so striking a personality that it could not be otherwise, and I am of
opinion that at length his disguise was penetrated. He was recognised
in one of those flash places in Freetown that are especially patronised
by individuals of shady and doubtful character; and a scheme was devised
for his and our undoing which has succeeded only too well. In a word, I
believe that the whole of the information upon which he acted when
arranging this most unfortunate expedition was carefully fabricated for
the express purpose of bringing about the destruction of the ship, and
was confided to him by some one who had recognised him as her captain.
I believe, Purchase, that you were cut adrift last night, either by the
individual who spun the yarn, or by some emissary or emissaries of his
who have a lurking-place somewhere in this neighbourhood; and, if the
truth could be got at, I believe it would be found that the schooner
which we saw come out of this river on the day before yesterday--and
which the captain was led to believe was a decoy intended to draw us off
the coast--was actually chock-full of slaves!"

"By Jove!" ejaculated Purchase. "What a very extraordinary idea!"

"I don't think so at all," cut in Hoskins, before Mr Perry could reply.
"It may seem so to you, Purchase, because it has just been presented to
you, fresh and unexpectedly, as it were. But when we arrived at King
Olomba's town yesterday morning, and found neither slaves nor barracoon
there, I must confess that I was visited by some such suspicion as that
of which Captain Perry has just been speaking, although in my case it
did not take quite such a concrete and connected form. To my mind there
is only one thing against your theory, sir," he continued, turning to
the skipper, "and that is the existence of the factory on the lagoon."

"Yes," agreed the captain, "I admit that to be somewhat difficult to
account for. And yet, perhaps not so very difficult either; because if
the fellows who gave Captain Harrison the information upon which he
acted happened to have a grudge against the owners of that factory they
would naturally be more than glad if, while groping about in search of
the imaginary slavers and barracoon, we should stumble upon the real
thing and destroy it. All this, however, is mere idle conjecture, which
may be either well founded or the opposite; but there is one
indisputable fact abo