ad though too fast in my narrative. Before the morning
came that we were to have left our anchorage Captain Willis himself was
laid prostrate with the fever, and having now no one on board to
navigate the vessel, we could not venture to sea. I would have done my
best to find our way to Sierra Leone, but the black boatswain refused to
leave the harbour without an officer capable of taking charge of the
brigantine. We were compelled, therefore, to wait till Captain Willis
should recover sufficiently, or till the arrival of another English
vessel which could spare one of her mates to take charge of the
"Chieftain."

Before many days were over Captain Willis, and Sambo, the black cook,
and I, were the only persons of those who had come into the river, still
alive on board. Had the Krumen been badly disposed, they might, without
difficulty, have taken possession of the vessel, and made off with her
rich cargo; but they appeared, as far I could judge, to intend to act
faithfully, and perform their various duties as well as if the captain's
eye had been constantly upon them. About Paul I had no doubt. Little
as I knew of vital religion myself, I was sure that he was a true man,
and that he acted according to his professions. Nothing could exceed
his attention to the captain; he or I were constantly at his bedside;
and Paul showed considerable skill in treating the disease. I believe
that it was mainly owing to him, through God's mercy, that the captain
did not succumb to it, as the rest of the crew had done.

"Paul," said the captain one morning, when he felt himself getting a
little better, "I owe you my life, I will try not to forget you."

"Oh, no, no captain, poor fellow like me not able to do you good; give
God de praise," he answered solemnly, looking upwards. "Oh, if you did
but know how God loves you, how He takes care of you, and gives you all
the good things of life, and saves you from danger, and wishes you to
come and live with Him, and be happy for ever and ever, you would try to
love Him and serve Him, and obey Him in all things."

"I don't think that God can care for one who has cared so little for
Him," answered the captain. "I don't mean to say that I call myself a
bad man, or that I have many great sins on my conscience, and so, I
suppose, if I died He would hot shut me out of heaven altogether."

"Captain," said Paul, fixing his eyes steadily on him, "the debil told
you dat; he a liar from the