o come up. Still the
midshipmen had their wits so completely about them, and Bird was so
trustworthy a fellow, and fully alive to the importance of keeping an
eye on the Arabs, that he had no very serious apprehensions about their
safety.

A clump of trees rising in the centre of the island at length, to his
infinite satisfaction, came in sight. He dropped his anchor in the
small harbour formed by the coral reef which circled round the southern
portion. He was seen coming in, and one of the boats pulled off to
welcome him. He was informed that a vast number of dhows had been
boarded, but none as yet captured, all being, as far as could be
ascertained, lawful traders; though several had, like his prize, no
small number of black passengers on board.

"Depend upon it, then, you have been deceived," said Adair, "as I
should, had I not the fortunate chance, by means of Pango, to discover
the trick the rascally Arabs are playing us. All those black passengers
were really slaves, dressed up by their masters. However, we'll take
care in future that their trick doesn't avail them, and they must take
to some other dodge if they wish to escape us."

Jos Green, he found, had gone over towards the mainland, to watch for
any vessels running in or out of Angoxa, or slipping by up the coast,
and as he had been away for several days, it was expected that he would
soon be back. Several times before going on shore Adair swept the
horizon with his glass in search of the missing dhow, expecting every
instant to see her sail, like the dark fin of a shark, rising above the
waters. He looked, however, in vain. The other officers climbed, one
after the other, to the look-out place, but came back with the report
that no sail was in sight.

He at once, therefore, made up his mind to send the pinnace, with a
fresh crew, in search of the dhow. The wind, though contrary, was
slight, and she might reach the spot where the dhow had last been seen
before nightfall, and, if any accident had happened to her, render
assistance. His only dread was that she might have been leaky, as he
knew to be the case with many such craft, and perhaps have gone down.

He and his men were pretty well worn--out from want of sleep and hard
work. Having seen the slaves landed, and fresh hands placed in charge
of the dhow and the Arab crew, he therefore lay down in his tent to
obtain the rest he so much required. Completely exhausted, he slept on
till morn