he door, from which the rays
streamed across the open roof, leaving the roughly-boarded floor in
darkness.

After a few minutes the eyes became accustomed to the gloom, and the men
seated themselves upon the empty chests and barrels lying about, Pete
securing one for Nic, who sat down mechanically, with his head thrown
back so that he could gaze at the light. Pete contented himself with
the rough floor, where he half-lay, listening to his companions in
misfortune, half-a-dozen yards away, as they talked over their position
and wondered where they were to go--to a man keeping aloof from Pete,
the traitor they accredited with bringing them to their present state.

The men were better informed than Pete had been, his stay in company
with Nic and the dislike in which he was held by his old companions
having kept him in ignorance of facts which they had picked up from the
sailors. And now Pete gradually grasped in full that of which he had
previously only had an inkling--that the pick of the prisoners had been
reserved for man-o'-war's-men, those who were considered unsuitable
having been reserved for handing over to the colonists. This was in
accordance with a custom dating as far back as the days of Cromwell, the
Protector being accredited with ridding himself of troublesome prisoners
by shipping them off to the plantations as white slaves, most of them
never to return.

"Well," said Humpy Dee aloud, in the course of conversation, "I suppose
it means work."

"Yes," said another; "and one of the Jacks told me you have to hoe
sugar-cane and tobacco and rice out in the hot sun, and if you don't do
enough you get the cat."

"If any one tries to give me the lash," growled Humpy, "he'll get
something he won't like."

"They'll hang you or shoot you if you try on any games, old lad," said
another of the men.

"Maybe, if they can," said Humpy, with a laugh. "Perhaps we may be too
many for them. I mean to take to the woods till I can get taken off by
a ship."

"Ah, who knows?" said another. "I aren't going to give up. Place don't
look so bad. See that river as we come up here?"

"Of course," growled Humpy.

"Well, I dare say there'll be salmon in it, same as there is at home."

"Tchah!" cried Humpy; "not here. This is foreign abroad man. You'll
get no salmon now."

"Well, any fish'll do," said another of the men. "The place don't look
bad, and anything's better than being shut down below them decks.
'Noug