y, and that movement seemed to tighten up
the nerves of his men.

"Can't you understand, sirr, that if I like to hold back you'll get no
provisions or water here?"

"Confound your supplies, sir! And look here, if I must deal with you
let me tell you that I have good reason to believe that under the
pretence of acting as a planter here, you are carrying on a regular
trade in slaves with the vile chiefs of the West Coast of Africa."

"I don't care what you believe, mister," said the American defiantly.
"I am working this plantation and producing sugar, coffee and cotton--
honest goods, mister, and straightforward merchandise. Who are you, I
should like to know, as comes bullying and insulting me about the tools
I use for my projuce!"

"You soon shall know, sir," said the lieutenant, and he just glanced at
the pale, trembling man, who had sunk into a cane chair, in which he lay
back to begin wiping his streaming brow--"I am an officer of his
Britannic Majesty's sloop of war _Seafowl_, sent to clear the seas of
the miscreants who, worse than murderers, are trading in the wretched
prisoners of war who are sold to them by the African chiefs."

"Don't get up too much of it, Mr Officer," said the American,
deliberately taking out a very large black cigar from his breast pocket
and thrusting it between his lips, before dropping into another cane
chair and clapping his hands; "this here ain't a theayter, and you ain't
acting. That there's very pretty about his Britannic Majesty's sloop of
war. Look here, sirr; bother his Britannic Majesty!"

At these last words a thrill of rage seemed to run through the line of
sailors, and they stood waiting for an order which did not come, for the
lieutenant only smiled at the American's insolent bravado and waited
before interfering with him to hear what more he had to say.

"It sounds very lively and high faluting about your sweeping the high
seas of miscreants, as you call 'em, and all that other stuff as you
keep on hunting up with African chiefs and such like; but what's that
got to do with an invalid English gentleman as invests his money in
sugar, coffee and cotton, and what has it to do with his trusted
Aymurrican experienced planter as looks after his black farm hands, eh?"

"Only this, sir," said the lieutenant, "that if he or they are proved to
be mixed up with this horrible nefarious trade they will be answerable
to one of the British courts of law, their mart will be de