of muskets among them close to us, watching,
as it were, how matters were going. When the boats with the blacks on
board pulled away, they followed, and no one since then has come near
us. I hope it's all right, sir?'

"`Right!' exclaimed Wasey, feeling confident that he had been duped, `I
am afraid that it's very wrong. I have made every arrangement with the
authorities to have the blacks housed on shore while the schooner is
under repair, and to receive them back whenever I may wish, and I cannot
understand how any Government officers should venture to take them off
till my return.'

"Next morning he went on shore, when the authorities declared that they
knew nothing of the matter. He then found that some fellows, dressed up
as officers, had been sent off by slave-dealers, to play the trick, and
get possession of the unfortunate negroes.

"In vain he endeavoured to regain them, not a particle of information
could he obtain as to where they had been carried, except that they had
probably been immediately disposed of over the country. Thus, after his
noble self-sacrifice and the exertions he had made to save the lives of
his black-skinned fellow-creatures he had the mortification to find that
they had been carried off into slavery, and that he had nothing but the
bare hull of the schooner for his pains. Yes, by-the-bye, he had more
than that, he had the satisfaction of his own conscience, and that was
worth having. I did not hear the account from himself, but I got it
from one of the men who was with him. I am pretty sure that I am right
in all particulars. Now let us go on deck and hear what report
Snatchblock has to make. Perhaps after all Pedro may be mistaken, and
we shall not receive a friendly visit as he expects from the slavers.
However, we will take care not to be the victims of a trick like that
played on Wasey."

"Anything stirring, Snatchblock?" asked Adair, as he and Desmond went on
deck.

"Nothing that I can make out, sir, except that a little time back a
small boat pulled across our bows and returned to the shore. We were
all at the time as quiet as mice when the cat is about, and maybe the
fellows in her thought that we were keeping no watch aboard the
brigantine."

"We will show them that we are wide awake enough if they come off to
play us any trick," answered Adair, laughing.

He found his men sitting down with their arms by their sides ready for
action, and felt satisfied that th