to comprehend their wishes.

That morning, as soon as the party on board the first schooner was
provisioned, the boat was manned, and Fillot, accompanied by Soup, went
aboard the second schooner, where all proved to be satisfactory, Taters
greeting them smilingly, while the emancipated slaves were ready to lie
down on the deck.

"To make it soft for us to walk upon," Tom said on his return.

This was eagerly looked for by Mark, who had spent his time watching the
schooner astern, and the shore a couple of miles away, in the hope of
their coming upon a town where he could land his prisoners, their
presence on board being risky in the extreme.

Tom Fillot's return was looked for so eagerly on account of the action
of the prisoners, who had begun to clamour for the hatch to be opened,
and after several orders to be silent had been disregarded, now beat
heavily on the hatchway cover, and shouted to be let out.

Mark had deferred taking any action while his right-hand man was absent;
but the uproar became at last so obstreperous that he walked to the
cable-covered hatchway and struck heavily upon the deck.

"Now," he said, sharply, "what is it?"

"Look here, squaire," came in the skipper's muffled tones, "guess yew
don't want to kill us?"

"Then have off that there hatch. We're being smothered: that's so."

"It's not true," said Mark, firmly. "The ventilator's open."

"Wal, that say gives 'bout air enough for one man to drink in. We want
more."

"You're getting more now than you considered enough for those
unfortunate blacks, sir. So be silent, or I'll have you all in irons."

"Don't you try it, mister," cried the skipper. "But look here, squaire,
we want our breakfast."

"Your rations shall be served out to you all in good time," replied
Mark.

"But we want 'em now, mister; my lads are half famished."

"I tell you that you shall have them soon, so wait patiently."

"Wall, don't be ugly about it, squaire. We're not ugly now. Look here,
it's hot and smothering down here. Let us come up on deck and have a
confab about this business. It's of no use for us to quarrel about it,
so let's square matters."

"I don't understand you."

"Yew don't? Wall, look here; yew've took the schooner, and I s'pose
she's your prize if yew say yew ain't pirates. 'Scuse me for thinking
yew was, seeing as yew came in a schooner as don't look a bit like a
Britannic Majesty's ship o' war."

"I told you that was a priz