uite," said Harry, "although it goes a long way. We are sinners
in God's sight, whatever we are in the sight of men; and if God in His
mercy hadn't given us a way by which we can be made friends to Him and
saved from punishment, we should be in a bad condition."

"You are right, sir," answered Tubbs; "but to my idea that's all
included in what I said."

We sat listening in silence.

"We are pretty well over the bar now, and I don't think we shall be cast
away this time," he observed a few minutes afterwards.

That he was right we were convinced by the more regular movement of the
vessel, as she slowly rose and fell, moved by the undulations which
rolled in towards the coast. We could judge that she was making good
way, and Tubbs was of opinion that all sail was set, and that we were
standing to the westward. At the time the slaves were fed, we had a
bowl of farina brought us, but the man put it down and disappeared again
without saying a word. Soon afterwards the mate came down, and told me
that I might come on deck for a quarter of an hour to stretch my legs.
I was thankful to breathe the fresh air, although there was but little
of it, and the ship was almost becalmed. I glanced astern, and could
distinguish the shore, although I could no longer make out the mouth of
the river. We had, at all events, got a safe offing. When my time was
up I was sent below and Harry took my place, and he was succeeded by
Tubbs. We were treated, however, with no more consideration than was
afforded to the slaves, who were brought up on deck at intervals in the
same fashion. The hold felt doubly close and oppressive after the
mouthful of fresh air we had enjoyed.

The second night of our captivity was even more trying than the first,
for the atmosphere of the hold, into which the horrible odour from the
slave-deck penetrated, was becoming every hour more and more
unendurable. I feared that should we be kept below during the voyage,
I, at all events, would sink under it, for I already felt sick almost to
death, and my spirits were at a lower ebb than they had ever before
reached. Harry was almost in as bad a condition as I was. Tubbs, who
had been well seasoned in the close air of forecastles, held out better
than we did.

"Don't give way, young gentlemen, whatever you do," he said very
frequently to us. "Cheer up, cheer up! When we get a breeze, some of
it will find its way down here perhaps; and if not, I'll ask the s