the potent
spirit.

I joyed at observing this--it would help my purpose. I joyed to see him
stagger over the floor, and still more when he stumbled against a sort
of couch-bed and fell heavily upon it.

The next moment he was sound asleep--a deep, drunken sleep. His snore
was music to my ears--though it resembled the dying snort of a prize ox.

At this moment I heard across the river the clacking of the windlass,
and the rough rasping of the anchor chain as it was drawn through the
iron ring of the hawse-hole.

Most of the royal attendants were out upon the bank to witness the
departure of the barque, just visible through the dim twilight.

I waited a few minutes longer, lest I should set forth too soon, and,
therefore, be pursued and overtaken before I could get down to the mouth
of the river. I knew that the barque would move but slowly--the stream
was narrow and curved in several places, and therefore she could not use
her sails. She would drop down by the force of the current, and I could
easily keep up with her.

The attendants of the king were in no way suspicious of my intentions.
They observed that I appeared well pleased with my new situation. No
doubt most of them envied me my good fortune, and it is probable I was
looked upon as the "new favourite." It was not likely I should run away
from such splendid prospects--not likely indeed! Such an idea never
entered the mind of one of the sable gentlemen who surrounded me; and as
soon as his majesty fell asleep, I was left free to go about wherever I
pleased. Just then it pleased me to skulk backward behind the great
barracoon, and a little further still into the thick woods beyond. For
this point I took a diagonal line that led me back to the river bank
again--only at a considerable distance below the "factory"--and, having
now got beyond earshot of the negro crew, and altogether out of their
sight, I advanced as rapidly down the bank as the brushwood would permit
me.

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.

I had observed before starting, that the barque had got up her anchor
and was slowly gliding down stream. At intervals I turned a little out
of my way and came close to the edge of the water, to make sure that she
was not getting ahead of me; and then I would glide back into the path,
which ran parallel with the stream, but at several yards' distance from
the bank.

Guiding myself thus, I advanced at about the same rate as the vessel was
going, and ever