the blacks might do
to the midshipman should he attack their town. He was, therefore, ready
to try any plan, however desperate, to recover Rogers. Having obtained
the leave they wanted to put their plan into execution, Murray and Adair
set to work to devise the details. As they could only hope to carry out
their scheme at night, they agreed that they need not be very particular
as to the correctness of their masquerade. There was no time to get any
dye, but burnt cork well rubbed in with oil they agreed would answer the
purpose. It was too late, however, to take any active steps that night.
It was settled that the next morning the flotilla, with some parade,
should proceed down the river, while they, with Dick Needham and a
picked crew, should lie hid in the smallest boat till dusk the next
evening; then they were to land and try and find out where Jack was.

Once discovering the locality of his prison, they fully believed that
they could, as they called it, "cut him out as easily as many a rich
Spanish galleon has in days of yore been cut out from an enemy's fort,
even though protected by the guns of the fort."

The night passed away quietly. The party had expected an attack from
the slave-dealers, but these gentry had received a sufficient notice of
the warm reception they were likely to encounter, not to make the
attempt. In the naming, however, Murray, who had the lookout while the
rest were preparing to strike their tents, observed a party approaching
with a white flag. He reported what he had seen to Lieutenant Hemming.

"The impudent scoundrels," he exclaimed; "no flag of truce ought to
shelter them. However, while poor Rogers is in their power we must
treat with them as we best can."

The party soon arrived at the temporary encampment. The most prominent
person was the burly negro who had introduced himself down the river as
a pilot, and there was a Spaniard and several blacks. The big negro was
spokesman, as he professed to know more English than any of the rest.
Hemming received them in a very haughty way.

"What is it you want? Have you come to excuse yourselves for firing on
my boats and killing my people?" he asked in a stern voice.

It was difficult to understand exactly what the negro said in return,
but Hemming made out that he knew nothing about firing on the boats, as
he had not been at the fort, but that he had been sent by the king of
the country to demand back some prisoners who ha