ring which the boats were being
noiselessly lowered and manned, the oars muffled, and every possible
precaution observed to enable us to take our unseen but doubtless
vigilant enemy unawares. This was just then regarded as of especial
importance, for at the time of which I am now writing the traffic in
slaves was regarded as piracy, and rendered its perpetrators liable to
capital punishment, in consequence of which almost every slaver went
heavily armed, and her crew, knowing that the halter was already about
their necks, resisted capture by every means which their ingenuity could
devise, whenever they had the chance, and often fought with desperate
valour.

As I hurried aft to attend to the lowering of the gig, which hung from
davits over the stern, a hand was suddenly laid upon my arm, and,
turning, I found myself confronted by Cupid, the Krooboy servant who
"did for us" in the midshipmen's berth. His eyes were aglow with
excitement, he carried a short-handled hatchet, with a head somewhat
bigger and heavier than that of a ship's tomahawk, in his hand, and he
was naked, save for a pair of dungaree trousers, the legs of which were
rolled up above his knees.

"Mr Fortescue, sar, I fit for go in dem boat wid you, sar," he
whispered eagerly.

"Yes, I quite believe it, Cupid," I replied. "But you know perfectly
well that I cannot give you permission to join the gig's crew. If the
captain had been anxious to have the pleasure of your company I feel
sure that he would have mentioned the fact. Besides, if you should
happen to be killed, what would become of us poor midshipmen?"

A suppressed chuckle, and a gleam of white teeth through the darkness,
betrayed Cupid's appreciation of the compliment subtly conveyed in the
suggestion that the budding admirals inhabiting the midshipmen's berth
aboard H.M.S. _Psyche_ would suffer, should he unhappily be slain in
the impending conflict, but he hastened to reassure me.

"No fear, sar," he whispered. "Dem slaber no lib for kill me. I,
Cupid, too much plenty black for see in de dark; an' if dey no see me,
dey no kill. Savvey? _Please_, Mr Fortescue, sar. I no lib for fight
too much plenty long time."

"Look here, Cupid," I replied. "It is no use for you to ask me for
permission to go in the gig, for I cannot give it you. But,"--
meaningly--"if you were to stow yourself away in the eyes of the gig it
is just possible that the captain might not notice you until we had