s, sir; he's trying to
make out what we want him for, and he knows a lot of plain English. You
try him, sir."

"What shall I say, Tom?"

"Oh, anything you like, sir. You're cleverer than I am, sir. Here, I
know--tell him you want the other chaps to man the boat. They'll come
fast enough if he calls 'em."

"Here goes, then, Tom; but I don't believe I shall do any good.--Here,
Sambo!" he cried.

The man showed his glistening white teeth in a very broad grin and shook
his head.

"Not Sambo?" said Murray. "Well, then, what is your name?"

"Caesar, sah--July Caesar."

"Well, Caesar, then. I want your master, Mr Allen."

"In de house, sah. De lilly house;" and the black pointed in the
direction of the cottage. "Sick, bad, sah."

"Not there now, Caesar," said Murray.

"Big house, Plantashum," said the black sharply, and he pointed in quite
another direction.

"Oh, at the plantation house?" said Murray.

"Yes, sah."

"Call your fellows, then, to row the boat to where he is," said the
middy.

The black looked at him doubtfully.

"Boys run away, sah. 'Fraid massa take 'em sell to bad massa."

"Oh no," said Murray, reaching forward to pat the man upon the shoulder;
but the poor fellow's action told its own tale. He started violently,
shrinking right away with a look of dread in his eyes. "There, don't do
that," Murray continued, "I'm not going to hurt you;" and following the
man he patted his shoulder softly, when the look of horror faded away,
to give place to a faint smile, one which broadened into a grin.

"Massa no take and sell boys away?"

"No; tell them we come to set them free," said Murray.

"Set niggah free?" cried the black excitedly.

"Yes; that's why my ship has come."

"Massa Huggin say come catch all de boy an' flog 'em heart out."

"Did your overseer tell you that, boy?" growled Tom May; and the man
winced at the deep fierce voice of the sailor.

"Yes, sah; flog 'em all, sah."

"Then you tell your Massa Huggin he's a liar," growled the big sailor.

The black showed his teeth in a wider grin than ever as he shook his
head.

"No tell um," he said. "Massa Huggin kill um dead."

"Where is he now?" said Murray sharply.

"Massa Allen sick, sah."

"No, no; Mr Huggins!"

"Massa sailor captain tell Massa Huggin--"

"No, no; I'm not going to tell your overseer anything."

The black looked at the speaker searchingly for a few moments, glanced
round as if to see whether t