(4 THE AFRICAN TRADER.

His face looked so pale and haggard, his eyes
so sunken, his voice so weak and trembling, that I
could not help fearing that he was mistaken. I
was unwilling to alarm him, but it was so import-
ant that I should know how to act in case of his
death, that I could not help saying,—‘ But suppose
anything was to happen to you, sir, what should
you advise me to do?’

‘I do not intend that anything shall happen to
me, Harry,’ he answered, evidently annoyed at my
remark. ‘ After having got this valuable cargo on
board we must not think of such a thing. Why
Harry, in all my voyages I have never collected
half so rich a freight.’

‘T earnestly hope that you may recover your
health, sir, I said. ‘I mentioned the subject
simply in case of accidents, ‘and I did not suppose
that you would be offended.’

‘ Of course I am not, Harry,’ he replied. ‘ You
don’t suppose that I am a coward and afraid to die ;
and if it was not for the sake of the vessel and her
freight, I should not care, I fancy, so much about
the matter; but it would never do now to knock
under—so don’t, Harry, put those gloomy thoughts
again into my head,’