nd."

"Yes, sir; I hope so," replied Murray. "I am ready to hope so, my lad,
but I say it is impossible. That was a lugger, and this is a lugger,
and of course there is a certain amount of resemblance in the rig; but
you are jumping at conclusions just because this is similar."

"I think not, sir. I took so much notice of the boat; but look here,
sir, Tom May was with me when I went forward to speak to the Yankee, and
he would know.--Here, May, isn't that the lugger the American planter
was on when we brought her to?"

The sailor stared hard at the vessel hanging by a line fastened to what
seemed to be a cocoanut tree.

"Same build, sir; same rig, sir. Might have been built up the same
river, but it arn't the one we saw that day, sir--Wish it was!"

"There, Murray, what do you say now?"

"That I didn't think it possible that I could have been so deceived.
Would it be possible that it could have been built by the same
shipwright, sir?"

"Quite, my lad; and it is quite possible that we may come across a
schooner or two built just like the one we saw escape. There is no
doubt that many slaving schooners are built in these islands especially
for the trade. Look out, my lads, and don't miss anything. There may
be one of them moored safely in a snug creek.--What was that?"

"Nigger, sir," said Tom May. "I just ketched sight of him squinting at
us among the trees. There he is again, sir."

This time Roberts had caught sight of a black figure wearing the very
simple costume of a pair of loose cotton drawers, his round woolly head
covered with a broad-brimmed hat formed of extremely thin strips of thin
cane.

"Scared at us," said the sailor, for as the cutter was rowed alongside
of the lugger, the black darted out of sight, but, evidently curious to
know what was going on and the object of the strangers, he peered out
again.

"Ahoy there!" shouted one of the sailors.

That was enough. The black disappeared once more, but only for a few
moments before he was peeping again.

"You hail him this time, Mr Murray," cried the lieutenant.

"Ahoy there!" cried Murray. "What boat's that?"

The black clung to one of the trees on the bank of the river and watched
the speaker eagerly.

"He doesn't understand," said the lieutenant. "I dare say he only
speaks bad Spanish. But try him again."

"Can you speak English?" cried Murray.

"Yes, massa!"

"Come, that's better," said the lieutenant. "Try him again,