he dropped his voice to a
portentous whisper) "of these black gentry; they have such a wonderful
thievish way about them. Supposing now that some of them were to slip
into the boat at night and cut the cable, and make off with her? That
would be a pretty go, that would."

The whale-boat, I may explain, was one specially built for us at Dundee,
in Scotland. We had brought it with us, as we knew that this coast was a
network of creeks, and that we might require something to navigate
them with. She was a beautiful boat, thirty-feet in length, with a
centre-board for sailing, copper-bottomed to keep the worm out of her,
and full of water-tight compartments. The Captain of the dhow had told
us that when we reached the rock, which he knew, and which appeared to
be identical with the one described upon the sherd and by Leo's father,
he would probably not be able to run up to it on account of the shallows
and breakers. Therefore we had employed three hours that very morning,
whilst we were totally becalmed, the wind having dropped at sunrise,
in transferring most of our goods and chattels to the whale-boat,
and placing the guns, ammunition, and preserved provisions in the
water-tight lockers specially prepared for them, so that when we did
sight the fabled rock we should have nothing to do but step into the
boat, and run her ashore. Another reason that induced us to take this
precautionary step was that Arab captains are apt to run past the point
that they are making, either from carelessness or owing to a mistake in
its identity. Now, as sailors know, it is quite impossible for a dhow
which is only rigged to run before the monsoon to beat back against it.
Therefore we got our boat ready to row for the rock at any moment.

"Well, Job," I said, "perhaps it would be as well. There are lots of
blankets there, only be careful to keep out of the moon, or it may turn
your head or blind you."

"Lord, sir! I don't think it would much matter if it did; it is that
turned already with the sight of these blackamoors and their filthy,
thieving ways. They are only fit for muck, they are; and they smell bad
enough for it already."

Job, it will be perceived, was no admirer of the manners and customs of
our dark-skinned brothers.

Accordingly we hauled up the boat by the tow-rope till it was right
under the stern of the dhow, and Job bundled into her with all the grace
of a falling sack of potatoes. Then we returned and sat down on the de