e
violence of the Arabs, who would certainly attack them if they had the
opportunity.

Green, thankful to get the men out of the scrape, ordered them to keep
close together, and follow the Sultan's advice.

"But what are we to do with the poor nigger gals, sir?" asked Jerry, who
seemed in no way conscious that he and his companions had illegally
transgressed the bounds of propriety.

"I'm afraid we must leave them to their fate," answered Green; "if you'd
carried them off, you wouldn't have known how to dispose of them; and,
when we get to sea, we must do our best to put a stop to the traffic by
catching as many slave-dhows as possible."

"Ay, ay, sir," shouted the men. The affair, which, at first, appeared
likely to be very serious, was thus terminated satisfactorily; and the
scene they had witnessed certainly contributed to make both men and
officers more eager than ever to catch the slavers, independent of any
secret hopes they might have entertained of collecting a good quantity
of prize-money.

Jos Green and his companions, though deprived of their ride, resolved
not to bring the matter before their officers, who might look upon it in
a different light to the seamen, unless complaints were made by the
authorities. In that case they determined to defend them as far as they
had the power. The consul, however, was likely to hear of the matter,
and it would, they suspected, prevent any man-of-war's men being allowed
on shore at Zanzibar.

The three vessels sailed together for the northward, when the
_Gauntlet_, with her screw lifted, was found to make as good way as her
full-rigged consorts. She was destined to take the most northern
station, the corvette to cruise next to her, and the brig to remain in
the south, to watch Pemba and the adjacent coast. The brig was the
first to haul her wind, the corvette next; and Jack then, parting from
her, stood for his station in the north. Higson had been out on the
coast before, as had the gunner and boatswain, and Jack was therefore
glad to consult them. The boatswain, Mr Large, was very unlike his
brother officer of the corvette, his appearance answering to his name.
Although not unusually tall, he required an unusually wide cot in which
to stow himself away. His countenance was stained red by hot suns and
air, rather than by any excess in drinking, though he took his grog, as
he used to observe, "like an honest man, whenever it came in his way,
either afloat o