They had been awake and
active for many hours, and the flight and the fight with the natives had
helped to exhaust them. It was therefore with little show of excitement
that Dick nodded ahead and pointed to a ship lying off the mouth of the
river.

"British war vessel," he said sleepily. "What's she doing here?"

"Tink she make signal to us, sar," said Johnnie after some minutes.
"She wave de flag and send dem aloft."

"And there goes a gun. Looks as though she wanted to speak us. If
she'd give us a bed, where we could rest without caring about the launch
and our store of gold, I'd be thankful. I'd be asleep in a jiffy if it
weren't for the thought that I've a big store aboard, and that it might
be stolen. Hullo! It must be a signal for us."

They were still some little distance from the war vessel, which lay to,
at anchor off the coast, rolling with the swell. And as there was no
one else about and no other vessel, it seemed more than probable that
the flags were meant for the man in command of the launch. But how was
Dick to tell when he knew nothing of the signalling code? However, his
doubts were soon set at rest, for a figure in white suddenly leaped on
to the rail of the vessel, and held a big speaking trumpet to his lips.

"Launch ahoy! Launch ahoy!"

Dick waved his grimy hand.

"Come alongside at once. The Commodore wants to see you. Where are you
from? Have you seen any of the enemy?"

"Enemy! Then they did know of the trouble at the coast. Perhaps they
had already had a brush with the Ashantis."

Dick stood up in the well and waved again. Then he steered the launch
towards the gangway, while Johnnie, awakening to the fact that he was
about to run alongside a man-o'-war, with all its sparkle and polish,
managed for a few seconds to summon sufficient energy to look to his
engine. He rubbed with energy at the metal work till the launch was
almost alongside.

"Stand ready," cried Dick, sleepily. "Hook on. Steady. Back her.
Stop her!"

They were hanging to the broad gangway of the war vessel, while a sea of
faces looked down upon them. A British tar, bearded and full of
strength, stood in his white ducks at the foot of the ladder, his bare
feet splashed in the water, while he stared at the strangers in
amazement. Up above Dick caught a fleeting glance of a sentry, all in
white, marching to and fro under the awning, and looking as though he
would have given much for the privileg