r more
than the half of our passage across the stream, when, happening to raise
my head upon emerging from a brown study into which I had fallen, I
thought I caught a momentary glimpse of some object looming through the
fog broad on our port beam. I looked more earnestly still, and
presently felt convinced that there _was_ something there.

Laying my hand on the second lieutenant's arm to call his attention, I
whispered:

"Can you see anything out there, sir, abreast of us on our port hand?"

Smellie looked eagerly in the indicated direction for some moments, and
then turning to the coxswain, whispered:

"Starboard--hard!"

The boat's helm was put over, her bows swept round; and then I was
certain _that we were being watched_, for as the launch swerved out of
her course the object became suddenly more distinct, only to vanish
completely into the fog next moment, however, its course being as
suddenly and promptly altered as our own, thus proving that there were
other eyes at least as sharp as ours. But that single momentary glance
had been sufficient to show me that the object was a native canoe
containing three persons.

The second lieutenant was seriously disconcerted at this discovery, and
was evidently in great doubt as to whether it would be more prudent to
push on or to turn back. If the occupants of the canoe happened to be
associated with the slavers, and had been sent out as scouts in
anticipation of an attack from us, then there could be little doubt that
it would be wiser to turn back, since a light craft like a canoe could
easily reach the creek far enough ahead of us to give the alarm, in
which case we should find a warm reception prepared for us; and in so
dense a fog all the advantage would be on the side of those manning the
slave fleet.

On the other hand, the _rencontre_ might possibly have been purely
accidental, and its occupants supremely indifferent to the movements of
ourselves and the slavers alike, in which case it would be not only
mortifying in the extreme but possibly fatal to Smellie's prospects in
the service if he allowed himself to be frightened out of the advantage
of so excellent an opportunity for effecting a surprise.

It was a most embarrassing problem with which he thus suddenly found
himself brought face to face; but with a brave man the question could
not long remain an open one; a few seconds sufficed him to determine on
proceeding and taking our chance.

The sounds