something about the air
and movements of this fellow that powerfully aroused my curiosity and
excited an irresistible impulse within me to follow him; and
accordingly, swinging myself to the deck abaft the main-mast, which was
deserted, the fight still being confined to the waist and forecastle of
the brig, I made a dart for the companion, kicked off my shoes before
entering, animated by some instinct or idea which I did not stop to
analyse at the moment, and drawing my cutlass from its sheath, crept
cautiously and noiselessly down the companion-ladder. The moment that I
entered the companion-way I was saluted by a whiff of moist, hot air
loaded with a powerful, foetid, musky odour, of which I had already
become vaguely conscious, accompanied by a deep, murmuring sound that
seemed to proceed from the vessel's hold; and although this was my first
experience with slavers, I knew in an instant that the brig had her
human cargo on board, and that the sound and the odour proceeded from
it.

The companion-way was in complete darkness, but at the foot of the
ladder, and to starboard of it, there was a thin, horizontal line of dim
light marking the presence of a door that I had heard slam-to as I
kicked off my shoes previous to descending. Making for this, I groped
for the door-handle, found it, and, grasping it firmly, suddenly turned
it and flung the door open. As I did so I found myself standing at the
entrance to a fine, roomy cabin, which seemed to be handsomely, nay,
luxuriously furnished. It was but dimly illuminated, however, the only
light proceeding from an ordinary horn lantern, which, kneeling upon the
deck, the man I had followed was holding open with one hand, while with
the other he was applying the end of a slender black cord to the flame
of the enclosed candle. The other end of the cord referred to led down
an open hatchway close to the fore-bulkhead of the cabin; and as I took
in the whole scene in a single comprehensive glance--the open hatchway,
the black cord, and the dimly-burning lantern--I realised with lightning
intuitiveness that every soul on board the brig was tottering upon the
very brink of eternity; the reckless villain before me was in the very
act of exploding the powder magazine, and blowing the ship and all she
contained into the air.

This surmise was confirmed as, turning his head at the sound of the
opening door, the fellow withdrew from the lantern the end of the black
cord--which w