now, for he had given proof that he could be
made useful to his owners.

On the evening of the second day after they had been relieved from
starvation, the white slaves were visited in their place of confinement
by three Arabs they had not before seen.

These were well-armed, well-dressed, fine-looking fellows, having
altogether a more respectable appearance than any inhabitants of the
desert they had yet encountered.

Jim immediately entered into conversation with them, and learned that
they were merchants, travelling with a caravan, and that they had
claimed the hospitality of the town for that night.

They were willing to purchase slaves, and had visited the penn to
examine those their hosts were offering for sale.

"You are just the men we are most anxious to see," said Jim, in the
Arabic language, which, during his long residence in the country, he had
become acquainted with, and could speak fluently. "We want some
merchant to buy us, and take us to Mogador, where we may find friends to
ransom us."

"I once bought two slaves," rejoined one of the merchants, "and at great
expense took them to Mogador. They told me that their consul would be
sure to redeem them, but I found that they had no consul there. They
were not redeemed, and I had to bring them away again, losing all the
trouble and expense of a long journey."

"Were they Englishmen?" asked Jim.

"No, Spaniards."

"I thought so. Englishmen would certainly have been ransomed."

"That is not so certain," replied the merchant; "the English may not
always have a consul in Mogador to buy up his countrymen."

"We do not care whether there is one or not," answered Jim. "One of the
young fellows you see here has an uncle, a rich merchant in Mogador, who
will ransom not only him, but all his friends. The three young men you
see are officers of an English ship of war. They have rich fathers in
England, all of them grand sheiks; and they were learning to be captains
of war-ships, when they were lost on this coast. The uncle of one of
them in Mogador will redeem the whole party of us."

"Which is he who has the rich uncle?" inquired one of the Arabs.

Jim pointed to Harry Blount, saying, "That is the youngster. His uncle
owns many great vessels that come every year to Swearah, laden with rich
cargoes."

"What is the name of this uncle?"

To give an appearance of truth to his story, Jim knew that it was
necessary for some of the others to say s