ue line advanced, and grew wider and wider, till it spread
itself over the ocean; and the white speck grew higher and higher, till
the topsails of a vessel were seen rising out of the water. Oh! with
what intense anxiety did we watch her, fearing every moment to see her
alter her course, or pass by without noticing us.

"Can she be the _Zerlina_?" said I to Jack. "I think when Mr Waller
found that we were not following him, he would have put back to look for
us."

"No, sir; she has too wide a spread of canvas, to my mind, for the
_Zerlina_," answered Jack. "I'm doubtful what she is."

"Maybe she's the _Opossum_ hersel'," remarked Sandy. "I ken she ought
to be found hereabouts."

"No, no, my boy; that craft is a square-rigged schooner, and a big one
too," said Jack, positively.

Less than an hour showed us he was right, and a long, low, black,
rakish-looking schooner, with a wide spread of canvas, everything set
alow and aloft, to catch the breeze, came sweeping past us.

"She's a slaver," I exclaimed, with dismay.

"Ay, and has as wicked a look as I ever wish to see," said Jack.

He was right in his description, and as she glided by us, a villainous
set of ruffians of every shade of colour, of every variety of costume,
appeared looking at us over her bulwarks. Still, ruffians as they might
be, it appeared better to be taken off by them than to remain and perish
where we were. We waved to them to come to us, and Jack and Jim Dore
sung out, "_Misericordia_! _misericordia_!"

They appeared, however, to take no notice, either of our signs or our
cries, and our hearts sank within us. Happy would it have been for us
had they left us where we were (so it seemed a short time afterwards).
However, directly they had passed us, their studding-sails were taken
in, the yards braced up, and in fine seamanlike style the schooner was
rounded-to, close to leeward of us. A boat was instantly lowered, and
pulled up alongside the wreck. Her crew did not improve in appearance
on a nearer inspection. As they made signs to us to get into the boat,
we slid off the bottom of the schooner, when they hauled us in, and
placed us in the stern-sheets.

While they were pulling on board their own vessel I saw them eyeing my
uniform with suspicious glances, and they made remarks which I did not
understand. Our condition was sad enough to excite the compassion of
anything human. When we were lifted on deck we could scarcely stand,