t
last out till we got more. I daresay, sir, as how you must have thought
it strange that Captain Wilson should have put me in charge of the
pinnace, instead of a warrant officer or middy?"

"Yes, I must say I have been wondering at that," I replied to Ben's
question.

"Well, it seems rather queer," said Ben; "but you must know that when
the _Dolphin_ captured the dhow that time, the only officers on board
fit for duty that weren't down in the sick bay with fever were the first
and second lieutenants, one middy and the boatswain, besides Chips the
carpenter, who couldn't be spared from the ship; and in boarding the
_Fatima_, the first swab, as I told you, got an ugly scrape in the leg
that prevented him from moving; so when the second lieutenant was put in
charge of the dhow to take her up to Zanzibar, I was the only
responsible man the captain could think of to send cruising with the
pinnace, as the middy was a harum-scarum youngster, who hadn't got
thought enough, and neither the boatswain nor Chips could be taken away
from their duties without perhaps the ship suffering. Besides, I had a
very good character, standing on the books for promotion, with three
good-conduct badges; and being at the time well acquainted with the
coast and the ways of the slave-dhows I was just the man to be put in
charge of the boat as `jaunty,' as we say in the service."

"All right, I've no doubt the captain selected you as a fit person for
so responsible a post," said I. "Fire away with the yarn."

"Very good, sir," said Ben, continuing his narrative now that he had
given this explanation. "I was in command of the party anyway, though I
must say I wasn't very much like an officer in appearance, for I hadn't
a rag of clothing on. Indeed, most of us were in the same condition;
for, only Magellan and one other chap had trousers, the remaining three
being, like myself, as naked as when they were born! However, that did
not trouble us much then, as we were under the shade of the trees, and
in those parts of the world the less you have on the more comfortable
you are; although, when exposed directly to the sun it soon raises
blisters on a bare skin.

"Before doing anything else, as soon as I resumed my proper post as
headman of the crew, I thought the best thing was to organise a proper
search for water, that being our principal necessity for the moment;
and, accordingly, directing the lot to separate, each going a different
way so