o save slaves, sir; but beg pardon, sir; you won' be offended?"

"Offended? No, Tom Fillot; you've been too good a friend," cried the
midshipman, eagerly. "What were you going to say?"

"Only this, sir. What we're most feared of is the Yankee skipper coming
back!"

"Of course."

"Then why not strengthen the watch, sir?"

"How? I wish I could."

"Oh, I'll soon show you how, sir. You get Soup and Taters, and make 'em
understand what you want, and it will be all right."

"But what do I want, Tom?"

"I'll show you, sir, and I think you can make 'em understand. Tell 'em
to pick out half-a-dozen of the strongest young blacks, and we'll give
'em a cutlash and a belt apiece, and set 'em to keep guard by the
schooner's side."

"But would it be safe, Tom?" cried Mark eagerly.

"Not very, sir, for the skipper and his men. Soup'll explain it to 'em,
and once they know, you see if they don't do all that dooty splendid,
and leave us free to navigate the schooner."

"Navigate the schooner, Tom?" said Mark, rather dolefully, as he thought
of his shortcomings in that direction.

"Oh, it'll be easy enough, sir. All we've got to do is to sail doo
north and hug the shore. We can't go wrong."

Soup and Taters were summoned, and grasped the idea readily enough, with
the result that in a very short time they had under their command six of
the blacks keeping watch and ward against surprise, leaving the weary
crew opportunity for getting up the anchor when the tide turned. Then a
sail was hoisted for steering purposes, and the men gave a hearty cheer
as they began to drop down the river with their prize.

"Lor', mates!" said Dick Bannock, "who'd ha' thought of our getting of
her after all. Shows as it never does to say die. `Persewere,' says
you, `and never mind the difficoolties.' What yer larfin' for, Tom
Fillot? Don't I say what's true?"

"I warn't laughing at you, messmate, but at the niggers keeping watch."

"Ay, they do look rum," said Dick, smiling; "but they do splendid. Seem
proud o' their uniform too, eh?"

"Yes," said Joe Dance, who was leaning his back against the bulwark,
"but you might give 'em a bit of something else to put on."

"Well, yes, I might--a sword-belt ain't much for a man to wear, and his
legs would be very thin to get 'em hid behind a scabbard. But we shall
see, my lad, we shall see."

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

A STRANGE AWAKENING.

"What's a wonder to me, sir," said Tom Fi