, courageous officer, was Captain Wilson, and every inch a sailor.
Poor chap! he afterwards fell a victim to the fatal coast fever at
Zanzibar.

"Well, I could see from the look on his face now, that if the Arab
skipper was a determined fellow, and had resolved to circumvent us, why,
Captain Wilson was equally determined, too, that he shouldn't, and that
it was a case of `pull baker, pull devil' atween the two!

"`Campion,' say he to me, `pass the word forra'd for Mr Shrapnel to
come here to me for a moment.'

"Of course I did as he told me; and soon the gunner arrives on the
bridge, where, as I still stopped, it being my station there for the
time, I heard all that was said between the skipper and him.

"`Mr Shrapnel,' says Captain Wilson, `we'll have to fire at the fellow
in earnest now, or else he'll escape us; but I don't want to hurt any of
those poor creatures, who are on board against their will. Can't you
manage to shoot away a spar so as to cripple his wings a bit, so that we
can manage to get alongside before he gets too close inshore?'"

"`I'll try, sir,' says the gunner, turning to go away.

"`Do,' replies our skipper, `and look sharp about it, too, or else it
will be too late. Mind, though, and aim high. I wouldn't have the
slaves hurt for anything. As for the Arab crew, we'll give 'em a taste
of cold steel when we come across them, and that will be better than all
the shot and shell we can send after them now!'

"`Aye, aye, sir,' said Mr, Shrapnel, going forwards again without any
delay; and the gun detachment being all ready, our seven-inch spoke out
again to the slaver, with more purpose than it had done before.

"The first shot went wide of the mark, and so did the second; but the
third carried away her main halliards apparently, for the big sail came
down all at once by the run, making the dhow broach-to as it fell over
the side to leeward. Our men gave a tremendous cheer at this, but the
slaver captain was a smart chap, as you might have noticed before, and
would not give in yet; as before you could say `Jack Robinson,' he had
the halliards spliced again, and the sail hoisted, bearing away straight
for the land now, and not edging along it as he had previously done. He
was evidently determined to destroy the vessel rather than give in.

"`Silence, men!' shouted out Captain Wilson to stop our fellows
cheering, which, as you know, sir, is against the rules of the service,
although winked