was kept, for all were eager, from the captain to the youngest boy on
board, to catch the miscreants who were outraging all laws, human and
divine, in thus carrying off the innocent natives into slavery.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

THE FRIGATE IN DANGER.

One day, a sail was sighted, becalmed. The frigate carried the breeze
up to her. At first it was hoped that she was a slaver. She proved,
however, to be a whaler, the Grand Turk, whose captain had come on board
the Ajax off Raratonga. As Captain Bertram wished to make inquiries of
Captain Judson respecting the slavers, he invited him on board. The
captain of the whaler seemed very much out of spirits. Before he went
away, Mr Martin had a long talk with him, and inquired what was the
matter.

"Why, Martin, I am afraid that I have been a very sinful and foolish
man," he answered. "You shall hear what has occurred. You know how I
used to abuse the missionaries, and say that they spoilt all the people
they got among, and that I would never visit another missionary island
if I could help it. Wishing to get more vegetables, we made for an
island known to be heathen. We anchored in a sheltered bay, where I
knew that the people would give us all we wanted for a mere song. We
had soon plenty of natives on board, men and women. They danced and
sang, and drank as much rum as our men would give them. I need not
describe the scenes which took place. I must confess, what I now see to
be the truth, that we have no business to call ourselves Christians, or
civilised people, while we allow such things to occur. Yet they were
not worse than have been carried on at many islands, ever since our
whalers came to these seas.

"The next day a quantity of provisions were brought down to the beach,
and, thinking the people so inclined to be friendly, I let a number of
our men go on shore. I was in my cabin when I heard a shot. I ran on
deck, and saw our men running towards the boats. Now and then they
stopped and fired at a large band of natives, who were following them
with clubs and spears. Another body of natives were rushing down on one
side to try and cut off our men, and great numbers of others were
launching canoes in all directions. I had very little hope that our men
would escape, but to help them I had an anchor and cable carried out
astern, by hauling on which we brought our broadside to bear on the
boats. Our guns were then fired at the second party of natives o