r
Katrine too, you will wait expecting me for many a long day, and you
will wonder why I have not come back; but I may never be able to tell
you how hard a fate is mine."

The day after Hans came on board he began to experience the style of
treatment he would receive from the hands of the sailors. The fact of
his having knocked down two of them seemed to have drawn special
attention to himself, for whenever food was brought down for the slaves,
the very worst was given to Hans, whilst kicks and cuffs were freely
bestowed upon him whenever an opportunity offered.

At daybreak on the third day the vessel's anchor was weighed, and with a
fair wind from the north-east she ran offshore and steered down the
coast. As long as the ship was protected by the headland, she did not
feel any influence from the waves; but no sooner was she out at sea
than, being a very small vessel and drawing but little water, she was
very lively, and danced merrily on the waves. Hans had never been to
sea before, nor been on board ship; and cooped up as he was in the
close, foul atmosphere between decks, he was very soon, in addition to
his other miseries, suffering from sea-sickness, and was thus utterly
prostrated, and unable to do more than rest his head and wearied limbs
as best he could, and wish for some release from his sufferings.

As the day wore on, and night once more came, Hans believed that no
human being could be in a more miserable plight than he was. He
reflected upon his sensations when he discovered that Katrine had been
carried off by the Matabili; he thought over his feelings when he fought
on the solitary rock with Victor, and when a rescue seemed very
improbable; but there was excitement and uncertainty in those
conditions, whereas now there seemed not even the remotest chance of any
help coming to him. He was on board a vessel, a chained prisoner, and
determined men his jailors; and thus his fate was sealed.

For three days and nights the little vessel rolled steadily on her
course, at the end of which time Hans had in a great measure recovered
from his sea-sickness, and had begun to plan some means of escape. He
had made up his mind that death was preferable to a life of slavery, and
it is surprising what a desperate man will plan and very often
accomplish. Hans decided that the only possible means of escape was to
induce the slaves to mutiny. If the slaves could be freed from their
irons, and could be organised