rts to stop the fray. They were now undoubted masters of the field,
but what to do with the liberated blacks was a question which had not
entered their heads. Had they been allowed, they would have liked
amazingly to have followed up their victory till they had driven the
Sultan and all his subjects out of the city, or burned it down over
their heads; but before they proceeded to extremities, His Highness
himself, with a body of his troops, happening to be passing through the
neighbourhood, encountered some of the flying populace, and,
ascertaining the cause of the uproar, rode into the square.

Instead of charging the British and cutting them down, he wisely, by
means of an interpreter who happened to be with him, shouted to them to
keep together, and let him hear what they had to say for themselves. On
this Green and the midshipmen hurried after those who were still
pursuing the Arabs in different directions, and succeeded in calling
them back. They quickly collected in a body, and, not dreaming that
they had done anything especially out of the way, but rather had fought
bravely and in a laudable cause, without hesitation, still grasping
their cudgels, boldly faced the Sultan and his party.

"Tell His Royal Majesty that we found them rascally Arabs knocking down
these here unfortunate blackies, just like so many hogs at Smithfield
market," answered Jerry to the interpreter's interrogations.

The latter was sorely puzzled to explain the sailor's reply to the
Sultan. "Neither the auctioneers nor the others would do anything to
knock down the slaves or do anything to hurt them," he answered.
"Inshallah! His Majesty allows no violence in his dominions."

This was a broad assertion on the part of the interpreter, considerably
remote from the truth. However, the Sultan, who was extremely anxious
not to get embroiled with the English, at once accepted their excuses,
and either believed, or pretended to believe, that the slave-dealers had
been using violence towards the blacks. Catching sight of Green and the
other officers, he sent to request their attendance, and desired them to
collect their men and march them down to the water, undertaking to
protect them from the violence of the inhabitants, who would have
otherwise undoubtedly set upon them in overwhelming numbers, and cut
them to pieces. He observed, however, that they must on no account
again venture on shore, as it would be impossible to guard them from th