hark-steaks; or, maybe, some sea-bird
squeaking up in the air."

"No, neyder one nor todder. Hush! Massa Brace, I hab hear some soun'
'tirely diffrent,--somethin' like de voice ob human man. You obsarb
silence. Maybe we hear im agen."

Snowball's companions, though inclined to incredulity, obeyed his
injunction. They might have treated it with less regard, had they not
known the Coromantee to be gifted with a sense of hearing that was
wonderfully acute. His largely-developed ears would have proved this
capacity; but they knew that he possessed it, from having witnessed many
exhibitions of it previous to that time. For this reason they yielded
to his double solicitation,--to remain silent and listen.

At this moment, to the surprise of Ben Brace and William, and not a
little to the astonishment of the negro, a tiny voice reached them from
below,--which they all easily recognised as that of Lilly Lalee.

"O Snowball," called out the girl, addressing herself to her especial
protector, "I hear people speaking. It's out upon the water. Do you
not hear them?"

"Hush! Lilly Lally," answered the negro, speaking down to his _protege_
in a sort of hoarse whisper; "hush, Lilly, pet; doan you 'peak above him
Lilly Breff. Keep 'till, dat a good gal."

The child, restrained by this string of cautionary appeals, offered no
further remark; and Snowball, making a sign for his companions to
continue silent, once more resumed his listening attitude.

Ben Brace and the boy, convinced by this additional testimony that the
Coromantee must have heard something more than the frizzling of the
shark-flesh, without saying a word, imitated his example, and eagerly
bent their ears to listen.

They had not long to wait before becoming convinced that Snowball _had_
heard something besides the spirting of the shark-steaks. They heard
something more themselves. They heard sounds that could not be mistaken
for those of the sea. _They were the voices of Men_!

They were still at some distance,--though, perhaps, not so distant as
they seemed. The thick fog, which, as every one knows, has the effect
of deadening sound, was to be taken into account; and, making allowance
for this, the voices heard might not be such a great way off.

Whatever was the distance, it was constantly becoming less. The
listeners could tell this, ere they had stood many minutes listening.
Whoever gave utterance to those sounds--words they were--must be mo