ck gesture, as if to hit out at his messmate, and then
looked on in wonder as the captain ordered the cutter's crew back into
the boat, and the men to the falls, ready in case the slaver captain
should repeat his manoeuvre, while the guns were double-shotted and laid
for the moment when the schooner would be once more within range.

"I say," whispered Bob, "don't the skipper look savage? I believe he'd
send a broadside into the schooner if it wasn't for the slaves on
board."

"Of course he would; he said so," replied Mark, and he went forward and
then down below to where, by the dim light of a swinging lantern, he
could see the wild eyes of the black as he lay in a bunk, ready to start
up in dread as the lad approached.

"All right; be still," said the midshipman, laying his hand upon the
man's shoulder, and pressing him back; "how are you?"

The man glared at him in silence, but made no sound.

"It's of no use to talk to you, I s'pose," continued Mark. "There, go
to sleep. Perhaps we shall have some companions for you in the morning.
Hullo! begun again!"

For at that moment there was a dull roar and the jarring sensation of a
gun being fired overhead, making the black start and look wonderingly
about him.

"I say, that startled him," said Bob Howlett, who had stolen down behind
his messmate, and had stood in the semi-darkness laughing at the black's
astonishment. "What do you think of that, old chap? That's some of our
private thunder. Large supply kept on the premises. There goes
another! Here, Van, we mustn't stop below."

For a second report shook the deck, and the black tried to rise, but
sank back from sheer weakness.

"Tell him it's all right, Van, and that he'd better go to sleep."

"How?" replied Mark.

"Ah, 'tis how! I say, what a shame for us to be sent on the west coast
in such a state of ignorance. Here, all right, Massa Sambo. Go to
sleep. I say, do come on, Van, or there'll be a row."

The next minute the two lads were on deck, to find that they were
rapidly overhauling the schooner, and they were just in time to hear the
orders given as the boat was ready to be lowered.

"Come, Mr Howlett, where have you been?"

This from the first lieutenant.

Bob murmured some excuse, and sprang into the boat, which dropped out of
sight directly, and then darted in again as the men bent to their stout
ashen oars, and sent her rapidly in the schooner's wake, where Mark made
out by the trou