al hold.

There were nearly a dozen infants on board; the mothers of some of them
being too weak to carry them, they were lifted up by the seamen, who
tenderly bore them along the deck, chirruping and talking to them as
they would have done to their own offspring. Though two or three were
sickly, and one was found dead in its mother's arms, yet they had
suffered less than the somewhat older children, who had been unable to
obtain their share in the scramble for food, which, from the mode the
Arabs had of distributing it, must have taken place; the more helpless
ones went without it, while the stronger got a double portion.

There were nearly a hundred and fifty children under ten years of age.
Some were in the very last stage of suffering, and were mere skeletons.
There were comparatively few middle-aged men, showing that they must
have either fallen in battle, or escaped the raids made on their
villages by the slave-procurers. Some, again, were old women, who
would, it might be supposed, from their very worthlessness, have been
allowed to remain behind by their barbarous captors.

"The poor old crones would not have fetched half a dollar apiece,"
observed Higson; "had these rascals any bowels of compassion, they would
have spared them all the sufferings they've had to endure; but for the
sake of the few dollars they may pocket, they would not mind what amount
of torture they inflict. I wish we had liberty to string up the whole
lot of them at our yard-arms, they would only get their proper deserts."

Some time was spent before the dhow was cleared. Her Arab skipper and
crew were then placed on the poop, as they came, sulkily enough, on
board. They were received by the ship's corporal and corporal of
marines with no very friendly looks, and were compelled pretty roughly
to strip, in order that they might be searched for arms and money.
While they took charge of the former articles, the latter commodity was
handed to the paymaster. On their clothes being returned, they were
sent on to the poop under charge of a sentry, to await their fate,
whatever that might be.

"Are all out of the dhow?" asked Higson of the carpenter and his crew,
who had been sent on board her.

"I'll take one look more round," was the answer; and a lantern being
handed to him, he descended with some of his men into the hold. They
presently returned carrying three human beings, but what they were it
was difficult to say, till they were h