st night," said he. "We'll try my plan now.
I'm convinced that there must be slavers up that river; so we'll send
the cutter and pinnace up to look after them. Desire Mr Jenkins to be
prepared to take the command of them, and let Mr Johnston go also."

"Ay, ay, sir," I answered. "Shall I get the boats ready, sir?"

"Yes, you may, at once," was the answer.

And the boats' crews were soon busily engaged in making the necessary
arrangements for their departure. With three cheers from the ship, away
they pulled towards the mouth of the Sherbro. We watched them
anxiously; for although the wind was off-shore, the swell which rolled
in threw up a heavy surf on the bar, which at times makes the entrance
to that river very dangerous. There was, however, every probability of
Jenkins finding a smooth place to get across, and if not, he was ordered
to return.

The crews gave way with a will, and the boats flew across the dark,
slow, heaving undulations, now on the summit of one of the leaden rises,
and now lost to view from the deck. At last they reached the irregular
line of white foam, which danced up glittering and distinct against the
dark mass of land and fog beyond. Into it they seemed to plunge, and we
saw no more of them, for the wall of breakers and the height of the
swell entirely shut out all view beyond. With hearty wishes for the
safety of our shipmates, we hoisted the topsails and ran off the land.

When we had run some eight or ten miles by the log, it came on a dead
calm, and there we lay, rolling and tumbling about, as the master said,
like a crab in a saucepan, without being able to help ourselves. At
length it cleared up a little in the north-west, and a line of whitish
sky was seen under the copper. The line increased in size and blueness,
till our topsails were filled with a fine strong breeze from that
quarter. The brig was then kept away, in order to run down to the
southernmost extremity of our station.

I had just gone aloft to have a look round, when my eye fell on a sail
broad on our starboard bow, which, from the size of her royals, just
appearing above the horizon, I judged to be a large square-rigged
vessel. I descended to the cabin to inform the captain, and to ask
leave to make sail in chase.

"What, another of your phantom slavers, Rawson?" he answered, laughing.
"Make sail, by all means; but I'm afraid we shall not be much the
wiser."

Hauling up a little, I soon had every sti