r," said the big sailor, turning to gaze at
his officer.

"So it seems," said Murray, as he stood in the intense silence
listening; "but that Mr Allen said that his servants would come and
attend to any of my wants."

"Them chaps as rowed was all his servants or slaves, I suppose, sir?"
said the man.

"Yes; but it is the hottest time, and these people out here always sleep
in the middle of the day. Go out and follow up the side of that stream
where they poled up the boat."

Tom May looked at him in a peculiar way.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" said Murray.

"I warn't with you when the blacks pulled the boat away."

Murray started, and stared at his man in turn.

"Neither was I there," he said, with a strange feeling of being puzzled
assailing him.

"You said poled up the stream, not pulled, sir," said the man. "I
didn't think when I spoke."

"How absurd!" said Murray. "Here, let's go out this way round to the
front and hail the cutter. The boat-keepers will know."

"It's all right, sir," said May, for there was a rustling sound at the
back and light steps, and the man exclaimed, "Here's one of them."

"Why, it's one of our lads," said Murray excitedly.

"There's a bell ringing somewhere, sir," said the sailor, who now came
out of the deep shadow at the back of the cottage. "Was it you,
messmate?"

"Yes, my lad," said Tom, speaking to his brother sailor, but staring
hard at his officer the while. "This here's the bell, lad, and it was
me."

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.

BOILING OVER.

"Have you seen any of the black servants about?" asked Murray.

He was going to say slaves, but the word sounded so repugnant that he
changed it.

"Them black chaps, sir?" replied the man. "You mean them as rowed the
boat?"

"Yes, or any other ones about the place."

"No, sir, only them as rowed, sir, and I was wondering where they got
to. They seemed to go out, boat and all, like a match. I see 'em one
minute, and the next they'd gone in amongst the trees; but where it was
I couldn't make out, and when I asked one of my messmates he didn't seem
to know neither."

"Go back to your post, my lad," said Murray. "Keep a sharp lookout, and
report everything you see."

"Ay, ay, sir!" said the man, saluting and going back amongst the trees,
watched by Murray and May till he disappeared, when their eyes met in a
questioning look.

The sailor was the first to speak.

"Yes, sir!" he said. "Was you sayi