"Oh, Dick," said Murray, whose face now looked ghastly, "I knew that
there were horrors enough over the slave-trade, but I never thought it
could be so bad as that. Here, Tom, where is this? Show me."

"Don't be a fool, old chap," whispered Roberts, grasping his companion's
arm. "You've heard what Tom said. I've seen it too, and I could tell
you, but I won't. It's too horrid to go and see again."

"Yes, it must be horrible," said the young man passionately; "but you
said one poor creature was still alive?"

"Yes, and the doctor's being fetched."

"But something might be done--water--carried into the shade."

"We did all that, sir," said the sailor gruffly.

"Who did?" asked Murray excitedly.

"Well, I helped, sir, and the poor black lass looked at me as if she
thought I was one of 'em going to take her aboard a slaver."

"But didn't you tell her--Oh, you are right, Dick; I am a fool! She
couldn't have understood unless it was by our acts."

"Oh, don't you worry about that, Mr Murray, sir," said the man eagerly.
"The poor thing took quite a turn like when I knelt down and held my
waterbottle to her lips."

Murray stood looking at the man, with his brow furrowed, and then he
nodded.

"Now then," he said, "where was this?"

"T'other side of this barrack place, sir," said the man; "just over
yonder."

"Show me," said Murray abruptly.

"I wouldn't go, Frank," whispered Roberts.

"I must," was the reply. "Lead the way, Tom."

"One of our lads is with her, sir," said the man, hesitating.

"So much the better," cried Murray firmly. "You heard what I said?"

Roberts, who was nearest to the sailor, heard him heave a deep sigh as
he gave his trousers a hitch, and led the way past the vile-smelling
palm and bamboo erection which had quite lately been the prison of a
large number of wretched beings, the captives made by the warlike tribe
who kept up the supply of slaves for bartering to the miscreants. Those
who from time to time sailed up the river to the king's town to carry on
the hateful trade content if they could load up with a terrible cargo
and succeed in getting one-half of the wretched captives alive to their
destination in one of the plantation islands, or on the mainland.

Tom May took as roundabout a route as he could contrive so as to spare
the young officers the gruesome sights that he and the other men had
encountered; but enough was left to make Murray wince again and again.

"Why, T