y pulling as hard as they could. He was eagerly looking about all
the time for some passage through which they might get to the assistance
of their comrades. The boat dashed on up the river, and very soon they
came in sight of a schooner moored close to the bank of a small creek.
They were quickly up to her and mounting her sides. No one opposed
them, and not a human being was to be seen. There were, however,
evident signs that people had only just left her. A stage of planks led
from her deck to the shore. Her sails were bent, her anchor stowed, she
was in perfect readiness for sea. A hurried glance below showed that
she was undoubtedly a slaver, and about probably that very day to
receive her human cargo on board. In her hold were leaguers or huge
water-casks filled with water; a large supply of wood and provisions,
especially of farina, on which slaves are chiefly fed. Then there was
the slave-deck, scarcely thirty-six inches in height, and large coppers
for boiling the slaves' food, and some hundred pairs of slave irons or
manacles for confining their legs or arms; indeed, nothing was wanting
to condemn her. Although Hemming guessed that the crew would soon be
back, he was so eager to go to the assistance of Mr Evans, that leaving
Murray and a couple of men on board the schooner, he leaped again into
his boat and pulled up the creek, thinking that he might get through it
into the other channel. It narrowed, however, very rapidly. The trees
grew closer and closer together till the branches touched, and finally
arched so much overhead as to shut out the view of the sky. It was
almost evident that there could not be a navigable passage into the
other stream, and Hemming felt that he was not doing a prudent thing in
thus pushing on into what might prove not only a hornets' nest, but a
hornets' trap, where he and those whose lives were entrusted to him
might be stung to death without the power of defending themselves.
Still he did not like to abandon his purpose. To push over land would
be still more dangerous. The question about proceeding was settled for
him. The boat, although in mid-channel, ran her stem into the mud.
With a falling tide it would have been madness to proceed farther.

"Back all!" cried the lieutenant.

There was barely room for the oars between the two banks. It seemed
doubtful, at first, whether the boat could be shoved off. Delay in this
case, as it is in many others, was dangerou