f
tyranny which they hold up to public execration as typical of the
system--I have heard it all so often that I have long passed the point
where it was possible to listen to it with even the faintest semblance
of patience; so do not attempt the utterly useless and impossible task
of trying to convert me, I pray you, lest in my anger I should say words
that would offend you."

Good heavens! did the man suppose that he had not offended me already?
I saw, however, that I might as well attempt to quell the hurricane as
argue with him in his present mood; moreover I am but a poor hand at
argument; I therefore bowed in silence, turned away and went below,
fully determined to have the matter out with the fiery Spaniard the
first time that I caught him in a more amenable temper. Pedro would
have followed me, and indeed attempted to do so, but as I entered the
companion, I heard his father call him back and bid him remain on deck.

With the moderating of the gale the wind had come out dead ahead, and
the brigantine was consequently on a taut bowline on the starboard tack
when the hatches were opened and the bodies of the suffocated negroes
were passed up on deck and thrown overboard. She remained so for the
rest of that day; but when I awoke next morning, I at once became aware,
from the steady, long, pendulum-like roll of the ship, that she was once
more before the wind, and I naturally concluded that the wind had again
become fair. To my great surprise, however, when I emerged from my
state-room and caught a glimpse of the tell-tale compass hanging in
gimbals in the skylight opening of the main cabin, I saw that the ship
was heading to the _eastward_! Wondering what might be the meaning of
this, I went on deck, but neither Mendouca nor Pedro was visible, and I
did not choose to question the mate--a surly, hang-dog,
cut-throat-looking scoundrel, who had chosen to manifest an implacable
hostility to myself from the moment that our eyes had first met.
However, I had not been on deck long when Mendouca made his appearance,
and in response to his salutation I said--

"Good-morning, captain; I see you have shifted your helm during the
night."

I saw, when it was too late, that my remark was an unfortunate one, for
Mendouca scowled as he replied--

"Yes; it was not worth while to make the trip across the Atlantic and
back for the mere purpose of landing one hundred and forty odd negroes--
even could we have got them over wi