slaves on board, she was in every respect fitted to carry them. She
had but a small crew, it being evidently intended to take more men on
board when the slaves were shipped. Waller thought it best to remove
them into the _Zerlina_, while he sent me and three hands, with Jack
Stretcher as my first-lieutenant, to navigate the prize into port. As
may be supposed, I felt very proud of my new command, and pictured to
myself the satisfaction I should have in reporting my arrival at Sierra
Leone.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

MY NEW COMMAND--A HEAVY SQUALL AND CAPSIZE--SAVED ON THE BOTTOM OF THE
SCHOONER--TAKEN OFF BY A SLAVER--CHASED BY THE OPOSSUM--THE SPANIARD'S
THREAT--A HURRICANE--SHIPWRECK--MY FRIENDS THE MARLOWS--CONCLUSION.

There is a common saying that "there's many a slip between the cup and
the lip." I experienced the truth of it on the present occasion.
Scarcely had I got on board my new command, when one of the thick fogs I
have before described came on. The _Zerlina_ was leading, and being by
far the faster vessel of the two, was already a mile ahead of us.
However, I was pressing on all sail to keep up with her, while Waller
shortened sail to enable me to effect this object. The fog grew thicker
and thicker, and at last night came on, and we lost sight of our
consort. The fog lasted two days. When at length it partially cleared,
we saw a sail hull down to the southward; but not another speck was
visible in the whole circle of the horizon.

"We must pack on her, and try and overtake Mr Waller," said I to Jack
Stretcher. "He will heave-to for us, probably, when he finds we are so
far astern."

Pack on her we did, in truth. If Jack had a fault as a seaman, it was a
too great fondness for carrying on to the last. We neither of us took
warning from our misfortune in the _Opossum_. The faster the little
schooner ran through the water, the greater was our satisfaction.

"If we continue to make as good way as we do at present, we shall soon
overtake the _Zerlina_," said I to Jack.

"She's got a clean pair of heels of her own, I'll allow; but we have
taught our little craft to go along too," he answered, looking up with
no small amount of pride at our well-set canvas.

A true sailor has a pride in the good behaviour of any craft he happens
to be on board. Thus a couple of hours passed, and we certainly were
gaining on our consort. I own that I had not been keeping that look-out
to mark any change in t