and
beautiful girl whose protector he had thus strangely and suddenly
become. Not one point of her sweet beauty was lost upon the young
commander, and her every word and movement he seemed to dwell upon, and
to consider with a tenacious degree of interest.

On her part, Miss Huntington looked upon him as her preserver, and did
not hesitate to accord him that confidence which the circumstances of
her situation would so naturally lead to, being delighted and
entertained by the sketches he gave her of sea life and wild adventure
upon the ocean, elicited by her suggestion. The mother, too, was
well-pleased with the profound respect and polite attention which
herself and daughter received from him, and accorded him that cordial
countenance in his intercourse with her child which placed him quite at
ease.

"We have not even asked you, Captain Ratlin, what trade you are in,"
said the mother, as they sat together, her daughter and the young
commander, upon the quarter-deck beneath an awning which had been rigged
for their comfort.

"Ahem! madam!" hesitated the young officer, "we are, that is, yes, we
are on a trading voyage to the coast--just at the present time."

Whether the mother saw that the subject was not one which was of an
agreeable nature to him, or otherwise, she at once changed the subject,
and congenial themes were discussed, to the delight of the daughter, who
dwelt with evident pleasure upon the manly tones of the captain's voice,
which seemed to have some secret charm upon her. Even her mother noticed
this, and seemed to regard her with sensitive watchfulness while the
captain was near, though there was no well defined suspicion or fear in
her mind.

"Is it customary for traders upon these seas to go so thoroughly armed,
Captain Ratlin?" asked the daughter, one day, after she had been shown
about the decks, at her own request, where she had marked the heavy
calibre of the gun amidship, its well as the neat and serviceable array
of small arms within the entrance to the cabin.

"It is a treacherous latitude, lady, and the strong arm often makes the
right," he answered again, evasively, as he called her attention to some
distant object in the horizon, while at the same moment there was
shouted from aloft:

"Land O!"

"Land, land!" repeated the gentle being by his side, "what land?"

"Africa," quietly responded the captain, without a token of
satisfaction.

"Africa? that is indeed an inhospitable shore