"Shall we have to stop on board here?"

"Not a doubt about it, my lad; but she's a valuable prize, and by
to-morrow we'll have her different from this, or know the reason why."

He set to work giving orders after the men had been refreshed; and, now
that the two black sailors grasped the object of the taking of the
schooner, and comprehended that the slaves were to be set free, they
began to work with tremendous energy. Though speaking a dialect
somewhat different from that of the poor creatures on board, they made
them understand that their lot had been bettered, and, as soon as this
was understood, a complete change came over the scene. The women
laughed and cried, and the men evinced a desire to help, so that before
night the hold had been cleansed and ventilated, and the deck opened to
let in light, till, though still far from being pure, the place began to
be bearable.

The task had not been completed, though, without attendant horrors, for
upon the first steps being taken to examine the hold, no less than six
poor creatures, victims to the hideous traffic, were found lying where
they had fallen--dead.

It was horrible in the extreme, Mark felt, but nothing else could be
done, and the sufferers were committed to the deep by their more
fortunate companions, with a few wails of grief and beatings of the
breast. Then all was over, and the cleansing went on, till Mr Russell
gave orders for the men to cease.

"And pretty well time," grumbled Tom Fillot. "There's been some hundred
millions o' buckets o' water slooshed about this here schooner."

"More or less, Tom," said Mark, laughing.

"Well, sir, I dessay you're right," said the man, "for I didn't count;
but I've been hauling up buckets and swabbing till I don't seem to have
no arms. Howsoever, we are a little bit more decent, and I don't think
we shall have anything on our consciences to-night."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think any niggers'll die 'cause of our not taking care on 'em,
sir, that's all."

Just before dark, Bob Howlett was back on board with a despatch for the
lieutenant, and soon after he had gone Mr Russell told Mark the
contents.

"We're to make sail as soon as there's a breath of wind," he said, "and
steer for Port Goldby, so as to get the blacks ashore and in charge of
the authorities as quickly as possible. But there will be no wind
to-night, my lad, and I shouldn't be surprised if it was calm all day
to-morrow. Still, the