116 THE AFRICAN TRADER.

In vain I pleaded. My friend seizing me by
the arm, dragged me away, while the savages hove
Paul overboard.

‘Go into my cabin,’ he exclaimed, ‘its your
only chance of safety.’

I saw, as he dragged me aft, that the
Spaniards were preparing to throw several other
slaves into the sea; and, as I turned my head, .
three in rapid succession were thrust through the
gangway, secured, as the others had been, to
floats.

My friend had not cautioned me without rea-
son, for I heard the crew clamouring for the
‘Englez.’ My friend went out to them, and on his
return told me that they wished to throw me into
the sea, but that he had advised them not to do so
lest after all the schooner should be captured,
when the captain of the man-of-war would cer-
tainly deal more hardly with them for having thus
treated a countryman.

I thanked him for interfering as far as I was
concerned, but, at the same time, could not help
observing that the English captain would consider
the crime of throwing any one overboard equally
great, whatever the colour of the sufferer.