said I, finishing his sentence.

"Exactly so; say no more about it."

I immediately turned the conversation, by asking him what he required;
and I attended him while dressing. From that time he became very
friendly towards me, constantly conversing with me. I did my duty as
his servant for more than a fortnight, during which time we became very
intimate, and (I may as well confess it) I grew very fond of my new
master, and thought less about the ship and my shipmates. We were going
into a port, I knew, but what port I did not know.

I often had conversations with Jose and the American black, and gained a
great deal of information from them; but I could not discover much of
the history of the captain. On that point they refused to be
communicative; occasionally hints were given, and then, as if
recollecting themselves, they stopped speaking.

It was about three weeks before we made the land of Cuba, and as soon as
we did so, the schooner was hove to till night, when sail was again
made, and before ten o'clock we saw the lights of the Havannah. When
about three miles off we again hove to, and about midnight we perceived
under the land the white sails of a schooner, which was standing out.
Sail was made, and we ran down to her, and before she was aware that we
were an enemy, she was laid by the board and in the possession of our
crew. The people belonging to the vessel were handed up, and she was
examined. She proved to be a vessel fitted out for the slave trade,
with the manacles, etcetera, on board of her, and was just sailing for
the coast.

I was on the deck when the white men, belonging to the slaver, were
brought on board, and never shall I forget the rage and fury of the
captain.

All sail was made upon both schooners, standing right off from the land,
and at daylight we had left it a long way astern.

Jose said to me, "You better not go to captain dis day. Keep out of his
way--perhaps he recollect dat you white."

From what I had seen the night before, I thought this good advice; and I
not only did not go into the cabin, but I did not show myself on deck.

About eight o'clock in the morning I heard the boat lowered down and
orders given to scuttle the vessel, as soon as she had been well
searched. This was done, and the boat returned, having found several
thousand dollars on board of her, which they handed upon deck.

I remained below: I heard the angry voice of the negro captain--the
pleadings