t they have completely given their
leader away and played into my hands."

"Of course, sir. Nothing could excuse that attack."

"Nothing, my lad. I am master here now, and I feel sure that we shall
find more than I dared to expect. I believe now that this is a regular
Western depot for slaves, and a find that will make up to Captain
Kingsberry for all previous disappointments."

"Glorious, sir!" cried Roberts. "But of course this Huggins can't be
the man we saw in the lugger off the African river."

"Of course not, my lad; but he quite deceived me for the time. He is
almost exactly the same in appearance, in voice, manner and speech, and
the only way in which I can account for it is that both men are engaged
in the same hideously brutal trade, and that has in time made them
similar in habit."

"There seems something in that, sir," said Roberts thoughtfully.

"Seems, Roberts? Is," said the lieutenant, smiling; "and you must add
to it another point of resemblance: they are both Americans of the same
degenerate type--little, thin, dark-haired, and speaking in the same
tone of voice and in the same sneering contemptuous fashion. But of
course if we had them both together we should see a strong difference.
What are you looking at? See anything?"

"I fancied I could make out something moving across that opening yonder,
sir," said the lad, leaning a little out of the window.

"I trust not," said the lieutenant, shading his eyes with his hand. "I
was in hopes that we had given the fellows such a lesson that they would
keep away for the present, at all events, for I want no fighting, no
wounding the enemy, no injuries more than we have received upon our
side. I want just to hold our own, Roberts, till our friend Mr Murray
or Mr Munday brings us help."

"Yes, sir, but there is some movement going on there just among the
tall-growing coarse reeds."

"Sugar-cane stems, Mr Roberts," said the lieutenant firmly. "Yes, you
are right; there is movement there, and the scoundrels have not taken
their lesson to heart. Well, I do not see what more we can do to
prepare for them. They cannot get up to us without ladders or poles,
and from our sheltered position we ought to set firing at defiance,
while they allow us plenty of opportunities for giving them another
lesson.--What is it, my lad?"

The speaker turned to the big sailor who had just trotted up to the
door.

"Beg pardon, sir, but Lang reports enemy creepin