antime, the cries of the poor fellow in the sinking boat
reached our ears, but it was impossible to render him any assistance.
Farther and farther he drifted at a rapid rate, until he and the boat
were lost sight of, although, we could hear his shouts every minute
becoming fainter and fainter. At last there arose a dreadful shriek,
which, although from a distance, was piercingly clear.

"Poor fellow! Jack shark has got him," said Tubbs. "There are plenty
of those creatures about here, and I was sure that it wouldn't be long
before they had hold of him."

I have not mentioned the poor slaves all this time. The wounded were
suffering dreadfully, and since they had again been sent down to the hot
slave-deck, several had died. The mate, while waiting for the expected
boat, ordered some hands below to overhaul them. Six dead bodies were
brought up, which were without ceremony thrown overboard, as if they
were so many rotten sheep, and the men reported several more not likely
to live out the night. The mate, hardened villain as he was, did not
order them to be got rid of, as was sometimes done by slavers to save
themselves trouble, and to economise the food the poor creatures might
have consumed. He became impatient when, after waiting some time, no
boat appeared. The weather, too, although so fine and calm when we
brought up, gave indications of a change. The sky was overcast, and
heavy undulations began to roll in towards the shore. Though as yet the
wind had not increased, our position was becoming dangerous, and I for
one wished that we were miles off the coast.

"If there's no harbour into which we can run, we shall be in a bad way,"
said Tubbs. "I suspect that the mate doesn't know of one, or we should
have steered in for it at once."

"What had we better do?" I asked.

"Do, sir! Why, there's nothing we can do but ask God to take care of
us. If it comes on to blow, as I believe it will, ten to one but that
the ship is driven on shore, and with the heavy surf there will be,
before many hours are over, breaking on the coast, and the sharks
waiting for us outside, there won't be many who will reach the shore
alive. The best swimmers could not help themselves, and that's all I
can say."

I was convinced of the truth of what Tubbs said. That he was right with
respect to a gale approaching was soon proved; the wind, bursting
suddenly on us, striking the ship, and, although all her sails were
furled, ma