Arabs stood on the deck, but they offered no resistance.
Rhymer inquired for the captain. A well-dressed person stepped forward,
making a profound salaam.

"Where are your papers?" inquired Rhymer.

The Arab understood him, and presented several documents, which the
English officer looked at, in as knowing a way as he could assume,
without being able to decipher a word. He then made signs that he
wished to examine the hold. No opposition was offered. It was found to
contain a miscellaneous cargo, but not a single slave could be
discovered. As it was evident that the dhow was a lawful trader, Rhymer
apologised to the captain, and stepping into his boat pulled for the
shore, while the dhow sailed on her course. Several other dhows were
boarded in the same way. Some had blacks on board, but they were
supposed either to form part of the crew or to be passengers, and Rhymer
did not venture to stop them. The time for their return was
approaching.

"If we had not captured those slavers some time back, I should be
inclined to believe that there is no such thing as the slave trade on
this coast," exclaimed Rhymer, as he sat in the tent one evening after
sunset. "It is all my ill-luck, however, and I suppose I shall get
hauled over the coals for my want of success. If we catch sight of
another dhow, and she takes to flight, I'll chase her round the world
rather than lose her."

Next morning, soon after Ned had gone up to the look-out station, as he
was turning his glass to the southward, the white canvas of a dhow,
lighted up by the rays of the rising sun, came full into view, standing
almost directly for the island. The wind for the last day or two had
been variable. It was now blowing from the south-east. Quickly
descending, he carried the information to his commanding officer. The
party, tossing off their coffee, and snatching up the portions of
breakfast they had just commenced, hurried on board. By the time they
had got clear of the island the hull of the dhow could be seen. For
some time she stood on as before, apparently not discovering them. With
the wind as it had been, she had no chance of escaping, except by
running on shore, and Rhymer ordered his men to lay on their oars to
await her coming, while the sail was got ready to hoist in a moment, and
the gun loaded to send a shot at her should she refuse to strike.
Presently the wind shifted two points to the eastward, the dhow lowered
her sail.

"