without room to move,
without hope; with insufferable stench, with hunger and thirst, with
heat unbearable, with agony of body and soul, with dread anticipations
of the future, and despairing memories of the past, they sat for days
and nights together--fed with just enough of uncooked rice and water to
keep soul and body together.

Not enough in all cases, however, for many succumbed, especially among
the women and children.

Down in the lowest, filthiest, and darkest corner of this foul hold sat
Kambira, with little Obo crushed against his shins. It may be supposed
that there was a touch of mercy in this arrangement. Let not the reader
suppose so. Yoosoof knew that if Kambira was to be got to market alive,
Obo must go along with him. Moosa also knew that if the strong-minded
chief was to be subdued at all, it would only be by the most terrible
means. Hence his position in the dhow.

There was a man seated alongside of Kambira who for some time had
appeared to be ill. He could not be seen, for the place was quite dark,
save when a man came down with a lantern daily to serve out rice and
water; but Kambira knew that he was very ill from his groans and the
quiverings of his body. One night these groans ceased, and the man
leaned heavily on the chief--not very heavily, however, he was too
closely wedged in all round to admit of that. Soon afterwards he became
very cold, and Kambira knew that he was dead. All that night and the
greater part of next day the dead man sat propped up by his living
comrades. When the daily visitor came down, attention was drawn to the
body and it was removed.

Moosa, who was in charge of this dhow (Yoosoof having command of
another), gave orders to have the slaves in the hold examined, and it
was discovered that three others were dead and two dying. The dead were
thrown overboard; the dying were left till they died, and then followed
their released comrades.

But now a worse evil befell that dhow. Smallpox broke out among the
slaves.

It was a terrible emergency, but Moosa was quite equal to it. Ordering
the infected, and suspected, slaves to be brought on deck, he examined
them. In this operation he was assisted and accompanied by two powerful
armed men. There were passengers on board the dhow, chiefly Arabs, and
a crew, as well as slaves. The passengers and crew together numbered
about thirty-four, all of whom were armed to the teeth. To these this
inspection was of gr