h its lower edge close to the horizon, while the
sea and sky were glorified by the wonderful colours that spread far and
wide.

Mark walked right aft now, and hailed Dance on board the other schooner
to find that there were cheery answers, and all appeared to be right
there, the blacks crowding into the bows to shout and wave their hands
to him whom they looked upon as their preserver.

"I'm glad, after all, that Bob isn't here," thought Mark; "he'd be as
jealous as could be, and say I was as cocky as a lieutenant who had just
received his promotion. Am I? One can't help feeling a bit proud, but
it was as much Tom Fillot and the boys as it was I, and they got all the
hard knocks."

"Any orders about the watch, sir, or making or taking in sail?" said Tom
Fillot, meeting him as he turned, and touching his hat respectfully.

"N-no," said Mark, giving a quick look round aloft and slow.
"Everything seems to be right."

"Did what I thought was best, sir."

"You say the men below have had their rations?"

"Yes, sir; and I lowered 'em down some meat as well, but they never said
thankye, sir."

"I suppose not," muttered Mark. "But now about the watch over the
prisoners."

"Can't do better than let Soup and one of the blacks do that, sir.
They've had a good long snooze in the sun. And if they watch, and you
or me give an eye to 'em now and then, we can't do better."

"No, I suppose not, Tom. That will do, and we'll be on deck all night.
I don't see that we can do anything more to make the hatch safe."

"No, sir, nothing. That cask's a puzzle for 'em. We've got 'em safe
now."

"Yes, Tom, and they're having a taste of what it means to coop up
fellow-creatures below hatches like cattle."

Then came the tropic darkness, as if a heavy veil were drawn slowly over
the sky. Lanterns were lit, the blacks went below without being told,
and the business of the schooner already began to work as orderly as if
it had been turned into a man-o'-war. The men examined their arms, Mark
and Tom Fillot looked to their pistols, and the darkness was met with
every precaution for the safety of the ships and crew.

Then came a long interval of solemn silence, with the light on the
schooner they were towing rising and falling slowly on the long heaving
swell, and both vessels gliding gently along toward the north.

The night was once more grand, with the great soft stars illuminating
sea and sky; but, in his anxiety, Mark could