e fellow, we will have a look below."

In the cabin were seated nearly a dozen young women and girls, dressed
up in somewhat more elegant costumes than those on deck.

"Who are these?" asked Tom.

The captain signified that they were his wives.

"What! all of them, you old wretch?" cried Tom.

The captain smiled in return, and pressed his hand on his heart, either
to signify that he was speaking the truth or that they reigned there
supreme.

"We will now have a peep into the hold."

Tom, telling Alick to look out on deck, descended with two hands below.
As little light reached that region, it appeared at first to be entirely
empty. The odour was not very pleasant. Tom was on the point of
returning on deck when he heard a groan, and hurrying to the fore part,
by the dim light which came down, he distinguished a human form lying on
the deck. Blood was streaming from the poor fellow's head. Tom and his
men lifted him up, and discovering no one else, they carried him under
the main hatchway. He quickly revived in the fresher air, and gazed
with astonishment at the lieutenant and his men.

"Who are you, my poor fellow?" asked Tom, not expecting an answer.

"Me Pango; served board English man-war."

"Pango!" exclaimed Tom, remembering the black who had been rescued at
Zanzibar by the _Opal_, and who, after serving on board of her for some
time, was lost sight of. "I recollect all about you, and if you wish it
you shall come on board again, but I want first to know who all those
people are."

"All slavy, slavy," answered Pango. "Dey jus' dress up, an' when I tell
cap'n dat trick no do, he cut me down an' try to kill me."

"There is no time to be lost; take him up on deck, and we will soon show
the skipper that you speak the truth," said Tom.

The Arab captain looked very much taken aback, while he cast savage
glances at poor Pango; he saw, however, that the game was up, and that
it was useless any longer to attempt deceiving the English officer.

Tom immediately ordered him and several of his crew to get into the
boat, which conveyed them on board the _Bellona_, under charge of Alick.
Another boat being lowered, Pango was taken on board, with the
remainder of the Arab crew, that the surgeon might look to him. Tom
then returned to the _Bellona_.

Jack decided on taking all the supposed passengers on board. As soon as
Pango was sufficiently recovered to act as interpreter, they were
examined, when they