our which ascended from below.

"To my mind, Mr Higson, them niggers are all as drunk as sows," he
said, coming aft, and touching his hat as he spoke. "Quasho and the
whole lot of them have turned in, and are snoring away like grampusses,
except Sambo here at the helm, and he's pretty well two sheets in the
wind."

Higson had not observed this when he came on deck after supper, for
Sambo, a big, powerful negro, was keeping the vessel's head the right
way, and steering a straight course.

"Well, Sambo, how is it with you?" he asked, to ascertain the condition
of the man.

"Me sober as judge," answered the helmsman, in a husky voice. "If de
oder black fellers for'ard take too mush rum, no fault o' mine. I mate
of de _Snapper_, and got character to lose."

"Take care you don't lose it then, my friend," said Higson. "I see how
it is. I shall have to put all hands on an allowance, and if you've got
any rum stowed away I must have it brought aft or hove overboard. You
understand me."

"Yez, massa ossifer, berry right," answered the black, with a grin.

"You can lie down, Needham, and be ready to keep watch with Mr Norris,"
said Higson. "If there isn't another nigger to relieve Sambo you can
take the helm, and as the weather promises to hold fine we shall do very
well."

In less than a minute Dick was asleep with a sail over his head, and
Higson paced the deck till past midnight. He then roused up Needham,
and sent him down to call Norris. Tom also awaking sprang on deck. As
soon as Higson had turned in, Sambo declared that he could no longer
stand at the helm, and Needham taking it the black dived into the
forepeak. A growling and chattering sound ascended, but no one
appeared. It was evident that the negroes considered the buckra
officers competent to manage the vessel, and had resolved to take their
ease. At daylight the occupants of the cabin came on deck well-baked.
They talked of heaving-to and bathing, but the fin of a shark appearing
above the surface made them change their minds, and they refreshed
themselves by heaving buckets of water over each other. The lazy crew
had not yet appeared.

"_We'll_ soon make them show themselves," said Higson; and he, Timmins,
and Norris, each taking a bucket full to the brim, hove the contents
simultaneously down the forepeak. A chorus of shrieks and shouts
instantly followed.

"Oh, ki! what happen! Oh lud--oh lud--we all go to be drowned!"
exclaimed the