s last
night, whatever since you have done with them?" exclaimed Jack, stamping
on the deck with indignation, as he felt somewhat compromised in the
matter.

"Be calm, young gentleman," said the Don. "As I remarked, suspicions
are not proofs. I am not accustomed to answer questions as to my
movements, and therefore would advise you to be silent."

There was no more to be done on board the felucca. Although Don Diogo
was known to be a slave-dealer and guilty of numberless atrocities, he
could not be touched, nor could his craft be detained. As the English
returned to their boat he bowed and scraped, his mouth grinning, and his
countenance wearing at the same time an expression of the most intense
hatred. "We may meet again, gentlemen, before long, but perhaps you may
not find me in so placable a mood as at present."

Hemming made no answer, but the Don was seen bowing away and nourishing
his sombrero as long as they could see him. Not a little vexed at the
fruitless result of their expedition, Hemming and his companions pulled
to the northward in search of the frigate.

"I cannot make it out," observed Jack, after having been lost in thought
for some time.

"I can, though," said Hemming. "I have not the shadow of a doubt that,
somehow or other, the Don got notice that we were in the neighbourhood,
and that, as the slaves were taken in on one side of the vessel, he sent
them back again by the rafts over the other. Had we made a dash at the
felucca at once, we should have found some of them on board, and she
would have been condemned. We will be wiser in future."

It was not till late in the evening that they fell in with the frigate.
She kept cruising off the bay, and two other boats were sent in to watch
for the felucca; but the old Don was too wary a bird to be thus easily
caught, and nothing was seen of the felucca. Soon after this a steamer
hove in sight, and her commander, coming on board the _Ranger_, informed
Captain Lascelles of an unsuccessful attack having been made on Lagos;
at the same time delivering to him despatches from Mr Beecroft, the
British Consul for the Bight of Benin, residing at Fernando Po, asking
for further assistance. Sail was instantly, therefore, made for the
northward, and, the wind holding favourable, they were not long before
they got off the slave-coast in the neighbourhood of the place proposed
to be attacked. Great was the satisfaction expressed by all hands, both
in