chase stood on as before; the gun was quickly
loaded, but the second shot, though well aimed, produced no more result
than the first. It was pretty evident that the Arabs expected to reach
some place of shelter, and that they would run on until they had gained
it. This made Rhymer doubly anxious to come up with them before they
could do so. He continued firing away as fast as the gun could be run
in and loaded. Though the sail was riddled with shot, the yard and
rigging remained uninjured.

"Get the muskets ready, Garth!" he cried out. "We shall soon be near
enough to send a shower of bullets among those fellows, and they will
then, I have a notion, heave to pretty quickly."

Scarcely, however, had he spoken than the breeze freshened up, and to
his disappointment he found that the boat was no longer gaining on the
dhow. Still he kept firing the gun, hoping that a fortunate shot might
bring down her yard. Some way ahead, on the south side of the river, he
observed a small bay, where the bank was steeper than in any other place
and free of trees; the dhow appeared to be edging away towards it. "I
must knock away that fellow's yard. I'd give a hundred guineas to see
it come down," he exclaimed, as he again fired.

The shot wounded the yard, for he could see the splinters fly from it,
but it still remained standing; at any moment, however, it might go.
The Arabs seemed to think so likewise, for the dhow was now steered
directly for the little bay. Before another shot was fired at her, she
was close up to the bank, and a black stream of human beings was seen
issuing forth from her decks, and winding, like a long black snake, up
among the grass and bushes, while the Arabs could be distinguished by
their dress urging on the fugitives with their spears.

"We must stop those fellows, and turn them back," exclaimed Rhymer, and
resuming the tiller, he steered the boat for the shore at the nearest
spot above the dhow where a landing could be effected.

"Meadows, do you remain by the boat with a couple of hands, the rest of
you follow me," he exclaimed as he leapt on shore.

It was now seen that the blacks, of whom there appeared to be nearly two
hundred, were becoming divided, some going off in one direction, some in
another, while others, mostly women and children, were sinking down on
the ground, unable to keep up with their companions. Rhymer on this
made chase with most of his crew after the larger party; but h