e who
saw him land had expected to see again. But the care of gentle hands
and the power of gladsome emotions had wrought miraculously on the man,
body and soul.

"I's heerd massa an' Cappin Fizzroy talkin' about you," said the negro,
crossing his arms on his chest and regarding his questioner with a
somewhat quizzical expression.

"Ha! I thought so. I am _wanted_, eh?"

"Well, yis, you's wanted, but you's not getted yet--so far as I knows."

"Ah! Ebony," returned Rosco, shaking his head, "I have long expected
it, and now I am prepared to meet my deserved fate like a man--I may
humbly say, a Christian man, thanks to God the Saviour and Zeppa the
instrument. But, tell me, what did the commander of the man-of-war
say?"

"What did he say? Well, I's tell you. Fust he hoed into massa's house
an' shook hands with missis, also wid Missis Waroonga wot happined to be
wid her, an' hims so frindly dat he nigh shookt de bonnit off her head.
Den dey talk 'bout good many t'ings, an' after a while de cappin turn
full on massa, an say,--

"`I's told Missr Zeppa dat you's got dat willain Rosco de pirit here.'

"Ho! you should hab see poor massa's face how it grow long, I most t'ink
it also grow a leetil pale, an' missis she give a squeak what she
couldn't help, an' Betsy she giv' a groan an' jump up, slap on hers
bonnit, back to de front, an' begin to clar out, but de cappin jump up
an' stop her. `Many apologies,' ses de hipperkrit `for stoppin' a lady,
but I don't want any alarm given. You know dat de pirit's life am
forfitid to his country, so ob course you'll gib him up.'"

"And what said Zeppa to that?" asked Rosco eagerly.

"I's just a-goin' to tell you, massa. You see I's in de back kishen at
de time an' hear ebery word. `Well,' ses massa, awful slow an'
unwillin' like, `I cannot deny that Rosco is in the island, but I do
assure you, sir, that he is quite unable to do any furder mischief to
any one, for--an massa stop all of a suddint.'

"`Well,' ses de cappin, `why you not go on?'

"`Has you a description of him?' he asked.

"`Oh! yes,' ses de cappin, drawin' out a paper an' readin' it. De bery
ting, as like you it was as two pease, even to de small mole on side ob
you's nose, but it say not'ing 'bout you's feet. Clarly he nebber heerd
ob dat an' massa he notice dat, seems to me, for he ses, `Well, Cappin
Fizzerald, it may be your duty to seize dis pirit and deliber him up to
justice, but it's no duty