ently been a busy, thickly inhabited place, where prisoners were
herded together by the brutal savages who made incursions in different
directions, and held their unfortunate captives ready for the coming of
the slaver. But now the place was a dreary silent waste, and the trail
well marked showed plainly the direction taken by the native marauders
to some forest stronghold, near at hand or far distant, it was
impossible to say which.

"Pah!" ejaculated Murray, as he sprang back with disgust from the
strongly palisaded enclosure which was evidently the prisoners'
barracks. "Let's get away, Dick."

"I'm ready," was the reply, "but I say, did you go round the other side
yonder?"

The lad pointed as he spoke.

"No. What was there to see?"

"Tom May found it out," replied the midshipman, "and I was idiot enough
to go. Here, Tom," he cried, signing to the generally amiable-looking
sailor to approach; and he strode up, cutlass in hand, musket over his
shoulder, scowling and fierce of aspect. "Tell Mr Murray what you
showed me over yonder, Tom."

The man's face puckered up as he turned and met Murray's eyes.

"It's 'most too horrid, sir," he said, "and don't do no good but make a
man savage, sir. There's just fourteen of 'em among the trees there."

"What, prisoners?" said Murray excitedly.

"Yes, sir, and six on 'em got the chains on 'em still."

"Well, what about the armourer?" cried Murray excitedly, turning upon
Roberts. "Didn't Mr Anderson have them struck off?"

"No, lad," replied Roberts. "There was only one of them alive out of
the whole fourteen, and I don't think she'll be alive when Munday comes
back."

"Comes back! I didn't know he had put off again."

"Gone for the doctor," said Roberts. "Go on, Tom May. Tell him what
you made it out to be."

"Just this, sir--that they'd got more than the schooner could take away,
and they finished off the sick and wounded."

"How could you tell that?" said Murray, with a look of horror.

"Seemed pretty plain, sir. All the men had old wounds as well as what
must have been given them to finish 'em yes'day morning, sir, when the
black fellows forsook the place."

"But you said--finished the men who had old wounds?"

"Yes, sir; half healed. T'other wounds was fresh, and the women and
children--"

"Women and children!" cried Murray excitedly.

"Yes, sir; knocked on the head--clubbed. Didn't care to take 'em away
with them, sir, when we come."