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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
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