otting it properly about his own brawny
neck, while as he gave the black another hearty clap on the shoulder the
poor fellow's shiny black face seemed to have become the mirror which
reflected a good deal of the tar's jovial smile. "There, sir,"
continued the big sailor; "that's our Mr Dempsey's way o' teaching a
man anything he don't understand. `Show him how it's done,' he says,
`with your fisties, and then he can see, and he never forgets it
again.'"

"That's all very well, Tom," said Murray, smiling, "but it's rather a
rough style of teaching, and you nearly made the poor fellow jump
overboard."

"That was afore he began to grasp it, sir. He's got it now. You can
see now; eh, darkie?"

"Bri'sh sailor kill Massa Huggin, no kill poor niggah," cried the black.

"There, sir, what did I say?" cried Tom. "British tar's the niggers'
friend, eh, what's your name?"

The black sprang up and executed two or three steps of what he meant
most probably for a triumphal dance.

"Steady, my lad, or you'll have one of them stick-in-a-brick pretty
little foots of yours through the bottom planks of the boat."

_Plop_! went the black, letting himself down, not upon his feet, but
upon his knees, and laying his head between the sailor's feet he caught
one by the ankle, raised it and began to plant it upon his woolly head.

"What game does he call that, sir?" cried Tom, in astonishment.

"He's following up your style of teaching by an object-lesson, Tom,"
cried the middy merrily. "It's to show you he's your slave and friend
for ever."

"Ho!" ejaculated the big sailor. "That's it, is it? Well, that'll do,
darkie; we understand one another; but recklect this, you arn't
civilised enough yet for object-lessons. Here, what are you up to now?"

For the black had shuffled upon his knees to the side of the boat, to
hold his hands to the sides of his capacious mouth, while he sent forth
a cry wonderfully like the blast given trumpet-like through a conch
shell to call slaves to plantation work in the fields.

No sooner did the deep tone float across the water than there was a
movement amongst the giant reeds, and first in one place and then in
another and from both sides, black faces and woolly heads began to
appear, while the black who had uttered the cry made for one of the
oars, passed it through the rowlock astern and began to paddle the boat
along cleverly enough towards his fellows, who one by one began to take
to the w