s seaworthy as yours, sir," said the lieutenant
good-humouredly.

"Not it, mister; and besides, I never go far from home in mine."

"From home!" said the lieutenant keenly. "Where do you call home?"

"Yonder," said the American, with a jerk of his head. "You ain't got no
home here, and it's a mercy that you haven't been swamped before now.
Where have you come from?--the Cape?"

"No," said the lieutenant; "but look here, sir, what are you, and what
are you doing out here?"

"Sailing now," said the American.

"But when you are ashore?"

"Rubber," said the man.

"What, trading in indiarubber?"

"Shall be bimeby. Growing it now--plantation."

"Oh," said the lieutenant, looking at the speaker dubiously. "Where is
your plantation?"

"Up the creek yonder," replied the American, with another nod of his
head towards the coast.

"Oh," said the lieutenant quietly; "you have a plantation, have you, for
the production of rubber, and you work that with slaves?"

"Ha, ha, ha, ha!" laughed the American, showing a set of very yellow
teeth. "That's what you're after, then? I see through you now,
cyaptain. You're after slave-traders."

"Perhaps so; and you confess yourself to be one," said the lieutenant.

"Me?" said the American, laughing boisterously again. "Hev another try,
cyaptain. Yew're out this time. Ketch me trying to work a plantation
with West Coast niggers! See those boys o' mine?"

"Yes; I see your men," replied the lieutenant.

"Them's the stuff I work with. Pay 'em well and they work well. No
work, no pay. Why, one of those fellows'd do more work for me in a day
than one of the blacks they come here to buy up could do in a week."

"Then slave-traders come here to buy, eh?"

"Yes, they do," replied the man, "but 'tain't none of my business. They
don't interfere with me, and I don't interfere with them. Plenty of
room here for both. Yew're after them, then?"

"Yes," said the lieutenant frankly.

"Phew!" whistled the man, giving his knees a slap. "Why, you'll be
after the schooner that came into this river this morning?"

"Possibly," said the lieutenant, while Murray felt his blood thrill in
his veins with the excitement of the position. "What schooner was it?"

"Smart sailing craft, with long rakish masts?"

"Yes, yes," said the lieutenant; "I know all about that. A slaver, eh?"

The American half shut his eyes as he peered out of their corners at the
British officer, and a q