"Yes, sir; chimpanzee, sir."

"How dare you bring a monkey on board, sir?"

"Only a natural history specimen, sir; and I thought--"

"Oh, there you are, Staples," said the captain, coming up. "Look, I
think this is right at last;" and he handed the letter to his second in
command.

"Looks correct, sir," said the lieutenant, after reading the letter.
"Shall you act upon it?"

"Act upon it, man! Of course."

The monkey was forgotten. The boatswain's pipe rang out, the men came
tumbling up, and as fast as it could be achieved, the anchor was raised,
sail after sail hoisted, and an hour after, with every scrap of canvas
that could be set, the _Nautilus_ was slowly gliding along right out to
sea, with the palm and mangrove-lined shore slowly fading into the haze,
while the men collected together in knots and discussed the possibility
of catching a slaver that night.

"What's it to be, Van," said Bob Howlett, "fun or flam?"

"Tell you to-morrow morning," was the reply. "I say, I've fed the
chim', and he's asleep."

"Wish I was too," said Bob Howlett, "Oh, I say, ain't it hot?"

CHAPTER TWO.

BLACKBERRYING AT SEA.

That night the _Nautilus_ was pretty close inshore, as soon as she could
approach without being seen. Every light was out, the sail had been
reduced, and they were gliding slowly along, watching the mouth of a
river about twenty miles south of Port Goldby. They had been lying off
here for days, waiting for the news the British agent had been trying
hard to obtain for them, so as to enable the officer in command of her
Majesty's cruiser to strike a severe blow at the horrible traffic being
carried on by swift-sailing schooners and barques trading between the
West Coast of Africa and the southern ports of the United States.

The _Nautilus_ had been for weeks upon the station, and so far all her
efforts had proved vain. But now very definite information of the
sailing of a large schooner from Palm River had been obtained, and
everyone on board was in a most profound state of excitement. The
night-glasses were being used, and as the vessel cruised to and fro off
the mouth of the river, it did not seem possible for a fishing-boat to
get away, leave alone a large schooner. This would be sure not to leave
the river till the turn of the tide, two hours after dark, when she was
expected to drop down with her cargo of unfortunates, collected at a
kind of stockade by a black chief, who was suppo