arold, rising, "but tell me one thing before
my comrade and I agree to go with you,--tell us honestly if you are
engaged in the slave-trade."

A slight smile curled the Arab's thin lip as he replied--"If I be a
slave-trader, I cannot speak honestly, so you Engleesh think. But I do
tell you--yes, I am."

"Then, I tell _you_ honestly," said Harold, "that I won't go with you.
I'll have nothing to do with slavers."

"Them's my sentiments to a tee," said Disco, with emphasis, thumping his
left palm as usual with his right fist, by way of sheating his remark
home--to use his own words.

"But you will both perish on this uninhabited coast," said Yoosoof.

"So be it," replied Harold; "I had rather run the risk of starving than
travel in company with slave-traders. Besides, I doubt the truth of
what you say. There must be several villages not very far off, if my
information in regard to the coast be not altogether wrong."

Yoosoof waited for no more. He nodded to Moosa, who instantly threw a
noose round Harold's arms, and drew it tight. The same operation was
performed for Disco, by a stout fellow who stood behind him, and almost
before they realised what had occurred, they were seized by a number of
men.

It must not be supposed that two able-bodied Englishmen quietly
submitted at once to this sort of treatment. On the contrary, a
struggle ensued that shook the walls of the little hut so violently as
almost to bring it down upon the heads of the combatants. The instant
that Harold felt the rough clasp of Moosa's arms, he bent himself
forward with such force as to fling that worthy completely over his
head, and lay him flat on the floor, but two of the other slavers seized
Harold's arms, a third grasped him round the waist, and a fourth rapidly
secured the ropes that had been thrown around him. Disco's mode of
action, although somewhat different was quite as vigorous. On being
grasped he uttered a deep roar of surprise and rage, and, raising his
foot, struck out therewith at a man who advanced to seize him in front.
The kick not only tumbled the man over a low bench and drove his head
against the wall, but it caused the kicker himself to recoil on his foes
behind with such force that they all fell on the floor together, when by
their united weight the slavers managed to crush the unfortunate Disco,
not, indeed, into submission, but into inaction.

His tongue, however, not being tied, continued to pour forth som