much hope of that, our vessels on that station being
mostly slow, deep-draught craft, altogether unsuited for the pursuit and
capture of the swift, light-draught slavers, who, unless caught at
advantage in open water, could laugh us to scorn by the simple expedient
of taking short cuts across shoals, or seeking refuge among the shallow
lagoons that abound among the islands, and are especially plentiful and
spacious along the northern coast of Cuba. However, there was no use in
worrying over a state of things that I had no power to mend; I therefore
assumed charge of the deck, and allowed matters to take their course--
since I needs must.

The breeze continued to freshen as the sun increased his distance above
the horizon, and we went bowling along at a most exhilarating pace,
overhauling the brig ahead, slowly but surely; and when at one o'clock
the steward summoned me to the cabin to dinner, a space of barely two
miles separated the two craft. She had just hoisted Portuguese colours,
of which, however, Mendouca took no notice, somewhat to my surprise,
since he reiterated the statement that she was the craft he had believed
her to be, and that the captain of her and he were old friends. It was
my afternoon watch below; so when I rose from the dinner-table I said--

"Captain Mendouca, I have no wish to identify myself in any way with the
transaction you are about to negotiate; you must excuse me therefore if,
it being my watch below, I retire to my cabin."

"Very well, Dugdale," he answered, quite good-humouredly, "I can manage
the business perfectly well without you; if therefore _your
conscience_"--with just the faintest suggestion of a sneer--"will not
permit you to take an active part in it, you are quite welcome to stay
below until the affair is at an end, when I will call you."

I even thought that he spoke with an air of relief, as though my
withdrawal had smoothed away a difficulty. About an hour later I was
awakened from a nap by the sound of hailing in a language which I did
not understand, but which, from its decided resemblance to Spanish, I
concluded to be Portuguese. I could not hear what passed, nor did I
attempt to do so, being of opinion that the less prominently I was mixed
up with the affair, and the less I knew about it, the better. The
hailing soon ceased, and then the brigantine was hove-to, as I could
tell by the difference in her movements. I had the curiosity to rise
from my bunk and t