t for slavers.

Mr Marlow was going to spend some time at Bridgetown, where he had a
house of business. He received Waller and me most kindly, and nothing
could exceed the hospitality of the inhabitants generally when they
heard of our exploit. Captain Curtis, also, the master of the barque,
got great credit for the way he had defended his vessel till we came to
his assistance. Miss Alice Marlow had grown somewhat, but still she was
very little for her age. She was, however, as kind as ever, and I, for
one, was very sorry when the _Opossum_ came in with another prize. The
survivors of the men who had boarded the barque were hung, and the
schooner herself was condemned. This business being accomplished, the
_Opossum_ once more made sail for the coast of Africa.

CHAPTER TWENTY.

LOOK OUT FOR SLAVERS IN A BOAT--WEARY OF WAITING--A SAIL IN SIGHT--
CAPTURE HER--ATTACKED BY A LARGER SLAVER--DESPERATE FIGHT--BEAT HER OFF.

We had been some weeks on the coast without having taken a prize,
although we had chased several suspicious-looking craft, which had
contrived to get away from us. At Sierra Leone we had shipped a dozen
Kroomen, to get wood and water for the ship, a work which Europeans in
that climate are unable to perform without great risk. At length
Captain Idle began to grow impatient. One day he sent for Waller, who
had been on the coast before with him, and was a very clever, active
fellow.

"Waller," said he, "I want you to go away in the pinnace, and while some
of these slaving gentlemen are running away from us, perhaps you may be
able to render a good account of them. You will require a companion.
Will you like to take D'Arcy with you?"

Waller expressed his readiness to go, and to have my society; and so it
was settled. Among his other accomplishments, he was a first-rate shot
with a rifle, and it was reported, when he was before on the coast, that
he used to pick off the men at the helm, and any of the crew who went
aloft or appeared above the bulwarks, and had thus caused the capture of
several slavers. I was to see this talent exerted. Jack Stretcher, who
was a capital companion, went with us as coxswain. We were all dressed
in thick flannel shirts, and had blankets in which to wrap ourselves at
night. We had water and provisions for ten days, and a small stove,
with which to warm up our cocoa and tea, and to make a stew or a broil
on occasion. I do not remember that we had any other