A MAN-OF-WAR IN SIGHT. 109

carried were loaded andrun out. The savage cries
and oaths, and fierce gestures of the crew, made
them look more like demons than men.

I looked anxiously for Paul, fearing that in
their fury they might injure him, but he had wisely
taken shelter in the berth forward so as to be out
of their sight. I had thought of hiding in the
cabin where I slept, but felt too anxious to watch
the issue of events to do so. Of one thing I felt
very sure, that though the Spaniards might fight,
the British seamen would soon be in possession of
the slaver.

The day was drawing to a‘ close, however, and
I began to fear that the boats might not reach the
schooner before darkness set in. In a short time
too, I observed a thick mist gathering over the
land, which rose higher and higher, and came
moving towards us. We were soon completely
enveloped in it. This seemed to give the slaver’s
crew great satisfaction, and they again began to
talk and laugh in their usual tone, while all the
time they continued their exertions to get the
vessel off. Lazy as the Spaniards are they ‘can
work as hard as any one when they have a suffi-
client motive to arouse them.