we may be sure it won't be long before she
tries to slip out unknown to us."

Jack thought that Needham was probably right in his conjectures, but one
thing was certain, that while the commander of the _Venus_ knew that he
was watched and likely to be followed, he would not attempt to put to
sea. Jack waited patiently. He knew that, at all events, he was of
some service in thus locking up these traders in human flesh. If he
could not catch them, he could, at all events, prevent them from doing
harm. He had accepted several invitations, and had been seen at both
English and Spaniards' houses; at one of the latter, he had met a
Spaniard, Don Matteo, who spoke English well, and paid him great
attention. On inquiry, he found that he was a slave-merchant, the owner
of a number of vessels employed in making frequent trips to the coast of
Africa and back.

Jack had hitherto refused his invitations, though his parties were among
the most brilliant, and his daughters the most attractive of the
black-eyed damsels of Cuba. Jack, however, as every British officer
engaged in the suppression of the slave-trade ought to be, was wide
awake; and when Don Matteo, notwithstanding his former refusals, again
invited him and as many of his officers as he could bring, to attend a
dance to be given at his house the following evening, he accepted the
invitation, and promised to bring all that could be spared from the
ship; on making inquiries he found, as he suspected, that the Don was
the owner of the _Venus_.

"He goes by the name of Don Matteo at present, but he was long known on
the coast of Africa by that of Pepe the pirate," added his informant.
"Innumerable are the atrocities of which, there is not the slightest
doubt, the fellow was guilty; but he managed to escape hanging, and
having realised a large fortune, got whitewashed by the authorities,
whom he still keeps in his pay, changed his name, and settled down in
Havannah as a respectable merchant and shipowner; though to avoid the
risk of personal inconvenience, he no more goes to sea, as was his wont
formerly. He has a fleet of a dozen vessels or more employed in the
middle passage. As he bribes the government officials, the captain of
the port, and others, as well as the commanders of the Spanish ships of
war, his vessels find no difficulty in getting in and out of harbour,
even though completely fitted for the slave-trade, and the latter
frequently convoy them till they