is
nothing to fear, if you do what I tell you--this isn't the first
cholera ship I've been aboard."

It was no pleasant job confronting us, although we had less dead men
to handle than I anticipated. Indeed we found only five bodies on
board, and as the slaver must have originally carried a large crew, it
was evident the survivors had thrown overboard the corpses of those
who succumbed first, until they also became too weak to perform such
service. There were only two on deck, the fellow crouched on the
grating, a giant, coal black negro, and a gray-bearded white man, his
face pitted with smallpox, lying beside the wheel. Before he fell to
the deck, he had lashed the spokes and still gripped the end of the
rope in his dead hand. Determined on what was to be done, I wasted no
time with either body. The two sailors hung back, so terrorized at the
mere thought of touching these victims of plague, I steeled myself to
the job and handled them alone, dragging the inert bodies across the
deck, and by the exercise of all my strength launching them over the
low rail into the sea. It was indeed a relief to know the deck was
clear, and I ordered Schmitt to cut the lashings and take charge of
the wheel. Sam was shaking like a leaf, his face absolutely green.

"What---what dey die of, sah--cholera?" he asked faintly.

"No doubt of it; but they are safely over the side now. There is
nothing to be frightened about."

"But s'pose we gits it, sah; s'pose we gits it?"

"There is no reason why we should," I contended, speaking loud and
confident, so both could hear. "We are all in good health and in the
open air. See here, you men, stop acting like fools. We will take a
look below, and then have the others on board."

"But Ah's suah feared, sah."

"At what? You are in no more danger than I am. See here, Sam, and you
too, Schmitt, I am in love with that girl in the boat. Do you suppose
I would ever have her come on this deck, if I believed she might
contract cholera? You do as I say, and you are perfectly safe. Now
Schmitt remain at the wheel, and you Sam come with me. There will be a
dead nigger aboard unless you jump when I speak."

He trotted close at my heels as I flung open the door leading into the
cabin. The air seemed fresh enough and I noted two of the ports wide
open. A tall smooth-shaven man, with an ugly scar down one cheek, lay
outstretched on a divan at the foot of the after mast, his very
posture proclaiming him d