ber. Poor niggah dance and sing, and Massa Allen get well."

"But--what--here--I say, Caesar!" cried Murray, staring hard at the
black--"You don't mean to say that you mean you would poison the
wretch!"

"Yes, massa," said the black, in the most innocent way. "Gib um Obeah
snake poison. Gib um manchineel in um rum. Make um curl up and go
dead."

"Oh, that wouldn't do at all, Caesar," cried Murray earnestly. "He's a
horribly bad wretch, of course."

"Yes, massa; ollible bad wretch, and ought to be killed dead; but Massa
Allen say no, he won't do any more wicked thing."

"And he is quite right, Caesar."

"No, sah," said the black, shaking his head. "Not do no wicked thing.
Caesar do it, and it not wicked thing. All good."

"No, no; it would be murder, Caesar," cried the middy.

"What murder, massa?"

"Eh? What is murder? Why, to kill innocent people."

"What innocent people, massa?"

"What are innocent people, my man? Why, those who have done no harm."

"Massa Huggin not no innocent people, Murray Frank. Massa Huggin bad
man; kill poor niggah. Try kill poor Massa Allen, take um plantation."

"Yes, that's all very bad," said Murray thoughtfully.

"Yes, sah; berry bad. What British captain do Massa Huggin?"

"Well, I hardly know, Caesar," said Murray thoughtfully. "I should say
that if he catches him fighting against the king and setting those
blackguards of his to murder the poor creatures he has been dealing in--
throwing them overboard so as to escape--the captain will have him hung
at the yard-arm."

"Yes, sah," cried the man, with his eyes flashing. "Dat what Massa
Allen tell um. Massa Allen say he desarve be hung at um yard-arm for
kill an' murder poor black niggah, and Massa Huggin laugh and say Massa
Allen hang too. Dat right, sah?"

"No, no; that wouldn't be right, Caesar."

"Bri'sh captain not kill Massa Allen?"

"Certainly not, my man," said Murray earnestly. "No, sah. Much a bes'
way for Caesar gib Massa Huggin Obeah."

"No, no, and that would not do either. Hallo! what do you mean by
that?"

The black had suddenly thrown himself down upon his face and dragged the
midshipman beside him, a movement instantly imitated by the big slave
who was seated among the bushes beside Roberts, who lay motionless as if
asleep.

"Massa see?" whispered Caesar.

"See what?" asked Murray excitedly.

The black slowly and cautiously extended his right hand while he placed
the finge