king you along with me."

"Oh, how glad I shall be--when may we go?"

"There lies the bother, my lad; you see there's no place in all Africa
where we could get off, or, if we did, it would only be to wander among
these black savages, and likely enough get murdered by them. No; we
can't get clear of the _Pandora_ this side the Atlantic. We must stick
by her, and make the voyage; and on the far side we'll manage it, I
warrant you."

"'Tis a long time to suffer."

"You ain't a-going to suffer--I'll take care o' that; but keep quiet,
and don't show that you are not contented enough--not a word to anybody
about what's been said this night,--not a word, my lad!"

I promised faithfully to observe the directions given, and, as Brace was
now called to his watch upon deck, I went down along with him, feeling
lighter at heart than I had done since I first set foot on board the
_Pandora_.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

I need not detail the incidents that occurred during the remainder of
our run to the African coast. There is not much variety in a journey
upon the sea. A shoal of porpoises,--a whale or two,--some
flying-fish,--a few species of sea-birds,--sharks and dolphins,--are
nearly all the living creatures that are ever seen, even upon the
longest voyages. Most of our course lay due southward, and directly
across the northern tropic, and, of course, the weather was hot nearly
all the time,--so hot that the pitch oozed out from the seams of the
planking, and the soles of our shoes parted with a creaking noise every
step we took over the deck.

We were in sight of several sail,--most of them were Indiamen,--some
outward bound from England, and some on their way home from the East. A
few smaller craft we saw, brigs and a barque or two, and, as they
carried English colours, we concluded they were traders to the Cape, or
Algoa Bay. None of them,--neither these nor the East Indiamen--seemed
desirous of cultivating the _Pandora's_ acquaintance; and all, in
meeting or passing, allowed her a "wide berth." Of course, the slaver
was equally desirous of avoiding them; and, therefore, none of these
vessels were "spoken."

There was one ship, however, that did not appear to shun us. On the
contrary, the moment the _Pandora_ came in sight of her the strange
vessel changed from the course in which she had been steering, and with
all sail set came running towards us. As we were now in the Gulf of
Guinea, and about a hundred miles