ght they dreamt about the white
men.

But it was no dream: they _did_ see the white men! Yes, it was the
white men who had put those cords round their hands and feet. There
they lay, like logs of wood thrown on a plank, a man at each end of the
plank, and these men took poor Saib and Boa.

For a long time the minds of poor Saib and Boa were in such a state
that they could not _think_, nor could they call to mind how they came
to be where they were. Thus did they go for miles, till at last they
came near the sea coast, and Saib saw a ship out at sea, with her sails
spread. Close to the shore was a small boat, near which there were two
or three black men, who, as Saib and the rest came in sight, rose up in
haste, and the sound of a gun was heard. Saib did not know if this
sound came from the ship or the boat, but as soon as it was heard there
was a great rush of men to the sea shore.

[Illustration: THE FIGHT. Page 37.]

Where these men came from it would have been hard to guess, for they
rose up all at once, as if they had sprung out of the earth. Long had
they lain in wait to try if they could keep that ship from the shore,
for that ship was a slave ship, and the white men meant to take on
board all the blacks they could seize. That it was a slave ship had
been found out by scouts set to watch this part of the coast.

Great was the joy of Saib when he saw the chance of help--when he
thought that he should once more be free! The fight was a fight of
blood, and some on each side were left dead on the shore.

The ship came near to the shore, and soon a boat was put out in which
there were more white men. Few of the poor blacks were left, and those
that were took to flight when they saw that all hope was gone.

Saib was one of those who could _not_ take to flight. His cords had
been cut off at the first of the fight, but such was his state of mind,
so much did he feel from hope and fear, that he could not move, nor
make use of his limbs.

And, oh! what a sight for him to see! There was Boa, his friend--the
poor girl for whom he had more love than he had for all else on the
earth--there she was on the ground at his feet. She would not look at
him more; he would hear her voice no more: Boa lay there, dead!

From this time he had no sense of what was said or done; he had no
care, no thought, for what might be done to _him_. So there he stood
mute and still, like a thing cut in stone.

Some time he had stood thus wh