Suliman, come aft, I want you."

Lieutenant Lindsay was one of those men who are apt to surprise people
by the precipitancy of their actions. He was not, indeed, hasty; but
when his mind was made up he was not slow in proceeding to action. It
was so on the present occasion, to the consternation of Suliman, who had
hitherto conceived him to be rather a soft easy-going man.

"Suliman," he said, in a low but remarkably firm tone of voice, "you
know more about Marizano than you choose to tell me. Now," he
continued, gazing into the Arab's cold grey eyes, while he pulled a
revolver from his coat-pocket and cocked it, "I intend to make you tell
me all you know about him, or to blow your brains out."

He moved the pistol gently as he spoke, and placed his forefinger on the
trigger.

"I not know," began Suliman, who evidently did not believe him to be
quite in earnest; but before the words had well left his lips the drum
of his left ear was almost split by the report of the pistol, and a part
of his turban was blown away.

"You don't know? very well," said Lindsay, recocking the pistol, and
placing the cold muzzle of it against the Arab's yellow nose.

This was too much for Suliman. He grew pale, and suddenly fell on his
knees.

"Oh! stop! no--no! not fire! me tell you 'bout 'im."

"Good, get up and do so," said the Lieutenant, uncocking the revolver,
and returning it to his pocket; "and be sure that you tell me all, else
your life won't be worth the value of the damaged turban on your head."

With a good deal of trepidation the alarmed interpreter thereupon gave
Lindsay all the information he possessed in regard to the slaver, which
amounted to this, that he had gone to Kilwa, where he had collected a
band of slaves sufficient to fill a large dhow, with which he intended,
in two days more, to sail, in company with a fleet of slavers, for the
north.

"Does he intend to touch at Zanzibar?" inquired Lindsay.

"Me tink no," replied the interpreter; "got many pritty garls--go
straight for Persia."

On hearing this the Lieutenant put the cutter about, and sailed out to
sea in search of the `Firefly,' which he knew could not at that time be
at any great distance from the shore.

He found her sooner than he had expected; and, to his immense
astonishment as well as joy, one of the first persons he beheld on
stepping over the side of his ship was Azinte.

"You have captured Marizano, sir, I see," he said to Captain