ead. I warn you that we will stand no nonsense, so if you
value your lives you will attempt to play no tricks!"

To this no reply whatever was vouchsafed; and I was about to hail again,
when the captain remarked, very quietly--

"May I inquire, Mr Dugdale, what is the nature of the communication--
the _unauthorised_ communication--that you have just made to those
schooners?"

"I beg your pardon, sir," answered I, considerably abashed; "I thought I
heard a sound just now as though another of the schooners were on the
point of attempting to slip away; so I hailed them that if they
attempted any such trick we would treat them to a dose of grape. I also
ordered them to each hoist a lantern to the mast-head, so that we may
see where they are."

"Very good," remarked the skipper suavely; "it was quite the proper
thing to do. But I do not altogether approve of my young gentlemen
taking the initiative in any matter unless they happen to be for the
time being in supreme command. When that is not the case I expect them
to wait for instructions. And now, be so good as to hail them again,
and say that unless those lanterns are displayed within three minutes I
will fire into them."

My second hail proved effective, the two lanterns being in position well
within the time specified. Our skipper was, however, very uneasy; and
after retiring aft and consulting with Ryan for a few minutes, the
second luff and Gowland went away in the first and second cutters with
two good strong crews, and boarded the schooners, the slavers--who were
evidently on the look-out--shoving off in their own boats and escaping
to the shore the moment that they detected what we were after. Both
schooners had a cargo of slaves on board, and were of course at once
taken possession of, an instant search--prompted by our experience on
board the brig--revealing the fact that one of them had been set fire to
so effectually that it took the prize-crew fully an hour to extinguish
it.

Meanwhile, lamps and lanterns were found on board the brig and lighted,
when those of us whose hurts were the least serious set to work to
attend to our more unfortunate comrades. Closer investigation now
revealed the welcome fact that we had suffered less severely than had
been at first anticipated, our killed amounting to five only--although
two more died before they could receive proper surgical attention--
while, of the wounded, seven had received injuries serious enough