ing with wonderful unanimity to stamp
and utter a wild and stirring moan as if of despair. Then they tossed
their hands on high in obedience to the movements of their leader, who
seemed to tower up above them, and whose black skin, which had most
probably been heavily anointed with palm oil, glistened in the firelight
until when every now and then he stopped short and stood motionless, he
looked like some great image cast in ruddy bronze.

Onward and onward tramped and stamped the great procession; the strange
thrilling chant rose and fell, now uttered as a wild shrieking yell, and
then descending gradually until the sailors were listening to a wail of
despair, as if the wretched people were appealing for pity in their
terrible position and asking for help to relieve them from their piteous
bondage.

"And I was afraid my lads would laugh, Murray," whispered the lieutenant
huskily. "Why, my lad, there's something so terrible, so horrible,
about it all that one seems to want no explanation. It tells its own
tale of the poor wretches' sufferings."

"Yes, sir," whispered back the middy, "and I'm glad to hear you say
that."

"Glad, boy!" cried the lieutenant, in an angry whisper. "What do you
mean by that?"

"Only that it makes me feel choky, sir," whispered Murray, "and I was a
bit ashamed."

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, my lad. I feel as if I should be
glad of a chance to set our lads at some of the torturing, murderous
wretches who drag the people from their own country and treat them as
they do."

"I feel the same, sir," replied Murray, as he stared straight before him
at something that had caught his eye; "but we shall have our chance, I
feel sure, sir, and have the blacks to help us, for they are not working
themselves up like this for nothing."

"Working themselves up," whispered the lieutenant, as the weird chant
went on and the heavy beat of the people's bare feet grew more and more
impressive, while the rate at which they now tore on increased. "Why,
they are working my men up too. The great baby! I shouldn't have
believed it possible that a big strong fellow like that could have been
so impressed."

"What, Tom May, sir?" said Murray.

"Yes, my lad. There were two great tears rolling down his cheeks, and I
suppose he didn't know how they were shining in this dazzling light, for
he rubbed them away with his great ugly fists. Don't let him see that
we noticed it, for I suppose it is genu