nd swim for his liberty, for the man was glaring at
the schooner they were approaching fast, his nostrils distended, and
there was a curious lurid light in his eyes as if he were suddenly
enraged.

"Why, Taters has got it too. Look at him."

The bigger of the two blacks had muttered something to his companion as
they sat together forward, and they both turned to Mark now as they
started up in the boat and pointed to the schooner, uttering a low
guttural cry.

"Sit down both of you; do you hear?" cried Bob.

"I see," cried Mark, excitedly. "They know that it is a slaver, and
they think we are going to take them off in it."

"No, no!" growled the bigger black, fiercely.

"Yes; that's what they think," cried Mark.

"Then they're a pair of black-looking old noodles," said Bob. "Here,
hi! sit down, or you'll be overboard."

"Yes; sit down," said Mark, rising, and speaking authoritatively as he
pointed downward.

"Yes, sir, begging your pardon, that's what it is; they think you're
going to sell 'em, sir."

"I wish to goodness they could understand English," said Mark,
impatiently. "How am I to explain?"

"Oh, they know a lot," said Bob. "Here, I'll show you. Hi, Soup!
Taters, ahoy!"

The two blacks looked at him excitedly.

"It's all right."

"All--righ?" said Soup.

"Yes, all right."

The man turned to Mark and looked at him inquiringly. "All righ?" he
said.

"Yes; all right," cried Mark, with a look which gave the men some
confidence, and they sat down.

"That's right, my dark-skinned messmate," growled Tom Fillot, "Why don't
you larn to understand that you're a free nigger now?"

They were close alongside of the schooner; and the blacks' nostrils
began to quiver and their excitement increase as they caught the
horrible, sickening effluvium which was wafted from the hold. Starting
up, they made as if they were about to jump overboard, in the full
belief that they were once more about to be entrapped into the hold of a
slaver; but dropping the rudder-lines, Mark sprang to them, and laid his
hands upon their shoulders.

"I tell you it is all right," he said. "Won't you believe me?"

The men could not understand his words, but the open countenance and
frank manner of the midshipman inspired confidence, and they sank down,
stretched out their hands to him, took his, and held it against their
foreheads in turn.

"Come, that's right, my lads," continued Mark, smiling. "There, don't
think