om," he exclaimed at last, "no punishment could be too bad for
the wretches who are answerable for all this."

"That's what me and my messmates have been saying, sir; and of course
it's going to be a nasty job, but we're all ready and waiting for our
officers to give the word--Course I mean, sir, as soon as we get the
chance."

"Only wait, my lad," said Murray, through his set teeth.

"That's what we keep on doing, sir," said the man bitterly. "You see,
it's pretty well all wait."

"The time will come, Tom."

"Yes, sir; course it will, and when it does--"

The man moistened the palm of his right hand, clapped it to the hilt of
his re-sheathed cutlass, and half drew it from the scabbard. "My!" he
ejaculated, and his eyes seemed to flash in the morning sunshine. "It's
going to be a warm time for some of 'em. I shouldn't like to be in that
Yankee gentleman's shoes, nor be wearing the boots of his men where they
had 'em."

"Oh, but these people could not be such inhuman wretches," said Murray
excitedly. "The murderous, atrocious treatment--the killing of those
poor prisoners must be the act of the black chief and his men."

"Hope so, sir," said the sailor bluntly. "It's too black to be done by
a white. But all the same, sir, if the white skipper didn't want his
cargoes, the nigger king and his men wouldn't supply 'em; and here's the
doctor come ashore, sir," added the man, in a whisper.

For the two parties met just at the edge of a clump of trees, within
whose shade the unfortunate creature who had interested the midshipman
in her fate was lying with one of the seamen standing by her head, his
musket grounded and his crossed arms resting upon the muzzle.

"Ah, gentlemen, you here!" said the doctor, nodding shortly. "Nice
place, this. Humph!" he ejaculated, as with brows contracting he went
down on one knee.--"There, don't be frightened, my lass," he continued
softly, for as he drew near, the poor creature, who had been lying in
the shade with her eyes half-closed, startled by the footsteps, suddenly
raised her lids in a wild stare of horror and shrank away. "Poor
wretch!" continued the doctor. "The sight of a man can only mean
horrors for her."

"Horrors indeed, doctor," cried Murray excitedly; "but pray do something
for her!"

"No," said the doctor gravely. "Nature is her doctor now."

"What do you mean?" said the young man, half annoyed by the doctor's
inaction.

"That she is in the hands of