st them with whips and canes, which they used freely in all
directions, thus quelling in a measure the disturbance.

After the din and tumult of the combat the silence on the deck of the
slaver was a most painful contrast to Hans, who believed it improbable
that another attempt could be made to take the slaver before the
following day, because the distance of the ship to which the boats
belonged was so great that they could not reach her and bring a stronger
force before daybreak, at which time there was usually a fresh breeze on
the coast; so that Hans feared his fate as a slave was decided.

Before daybreak Hans could feel by the movement of the vessel that a
light breeze had sprung up, and this he now knew was just the style of
wind that would best enable the slaver to creep away from the heavy ship
in pursuit of her. He therefore obeyed unwillingly the order of one of
the crew, who came down below to drive him and half a dozen other slaves
on the deck to aid the sailors in pulling on the braces, etc. The night
was rather foggy, and but few stars were visible; but Hans noticed that
the clouds seemed to pass rapidly before the stars, as though the wind
up high blew stronger than down below. From this fact he hoped that an
increase would take place in the wind soon after sunrise, when there
might be a chance of the large vessel again overhauling the slaver.

Hans remained on deck till the first streak of light appeared, but as
the sea-line was not visible on account of the fog, he could not obtain
a view of the vessel that was pursuing the slaver. As the light very
rapidly increased, Hans looked eagerly astern in hopes of seeing the
ship there. He was not aware that the vessel's course had been altered,
and that it was no longer astern that he must look for the ship. He
noticed that the sailors were all anxiously looking out in a different
direction, over the slaver's quarter in fact, and there all was foggy.
Soon, however, the fog rose, and there, to the surprise of the slaver's
crew, was the strange ship, distant scarcely more than two miles. To
Hans it seemed little short of a miracle how she had reached such a
position; but the fact was that the breeze which had enabled the slaver
to move on had been first felt by the ship, which had brought it up with
her, and she had thus seen the manoeuvre of the slaver in changing her
course before the fog had hidden her from view.

All sail was already spread on the s