with a peculiar, savage air, said in a
husky whisper:

"Look here, mate; there's only room for one to lead here. If you aren't
satisfied you can go and sit along with them two and sham sick, like
Pete Burge has all through the voyage."

"Well, don't bite a man's head off," said the other. "Who wants to
lead?"

"You do, or you wouldn't talk like a fool. Think I'm one, mates?--think
I'm going to do as I said, and let him go and blab, so as to get into
favour here? That's just what I don't mean to do."

"Then what are you going to do?" said his fellow-prisoner; but for a few
moments Humpy only glared at him without speaking. At last, though, he
whispered:

"I mean for us to go off together and get free; and as for some one
else, I mean for us all to give him something to remember us by afore we
go."

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

HUMAN CATTLE.

The prisoners had been sitting in the dark warehouse-like place for some
hours, Nic sleeping soundly, and Pete watching and listening to his
companions in misfortune, judging from their behaviour that he was to be
treated as an outcast, but caring little, for he was conscious of having
been true to them in their nefarious doings.

"Let them think what they like," he said to himself. "Humpy has got
that into their heads, and if I talk to them for a week they won't
believe me."

Then he began to muse upon the subject which forms seven-eighths of a
prisoner's thoughts--how he and Nic were to escape, and whether it would
be possible to get to a boat and float down the river of which they had
had a glimpse, and of which he had heard his companions speaking, when
suddenly there was the deep, heavy barking of a dog, followed by that of
two more; and, as he listened, the sounds came nearer and nearer, in
company with the shuffling of feet. Voices were heard too, and directly
after there was a loud snuffling sound and a deep growling, as the dogs
they had heard thrust their noses under the big door, tore at it, and
growled savagely, till a fierce voice roared:

"Come here! Lie down!" and there was a crack of a whip, and a sharp
yelp to indicate that one of the dogs had received a blow.

Directly after there was the rattle of a big key in the lock, the bolt
snapped back, and the door was thrown open, to fill the place with the
glow of the afternoon sunshine; and three great hounds bounded in, to
rush at once for the prisoners and begin snuffing at them, growling
loudly the w