urray, sir, these here black African niggers arn't
cannibals, are they?"

"Some of them, Tom, I believe."

"Then that's it, sir; they're all gathering up together for a great
feed. Over yonder's a big opening like with the fire in the middle of
it, and we're in for it now, and no mistake!"

"Oh, nonsense, Tom!"

"Is it, sir? Well, I never see such a turn out o' nonsense before.
It's going to be a feast they're set upon, and it don't seem to me as
we're going to have a bit o' room if the first luff makes up his mind to
fight. All I can say is that cook me how they please, I'm sorry for the
poor beggar of a black who's got to stick his teeth into me. Talk about
a tough un, Mr Murray, sir, I'm one," chuckled the big fellow.
"They're gathered together for a big feast, as I said afore, and it's no
use to show fight, for there arn't room. They'll squeeze us all up
pretty tight before the cooking begins, and that may make a bit o'
difference in the way of being tender, but I shall give some of them the
toothache for certain, and I don't think after the feed's over many of
'em'll want to try British tar again. British tar!" repeated the man
jocosely. "Wonder whether I shall taste o' best Stockholm tar. I've
got pretty well soaked in it in my time."

"Hush, Tom! Here's Mr Anderson waiting for us to join him."

For it had proved to be as the sailor had said. They had been marched
into a wide amphitheatre of trees, in the midst of which a tremendous
fire was burning brightly, and by its light the English party could make
out the long serpentine line of men who were marching into the
amphitheatre, which was lined with hundreds upon hundreds of blacks,
whose eyes glowed in the firelight, while whenever lips were parted
there was the glistening of the brilliantly white teeth.

It was a strangely impressive sight, as the lieutenant said when Murray
joined him.

"I don't know even now," he added, "what it signifies. They don't mean
harm to us, my lad; but if they did we should have small chance of
resistance. It seems to me that they have gathered for some special
reason. It is a sort of feast, I suppose."

Murray caught sight of Tom May's eyes fixed upon him, and he closed one
eye very slowly and solemnly as he frowned at the midshipman, as much as
to say, "There, sir, I told you so!"

"What is your opinion of it, Mr Murray?"

"It looks to me, sir, like a rising of the blacks, for they are all
armed."

"We