Mark shook his head, and raising his glass, carefully inspected the distant vessel. "Yes," he said at last; "she looks too smart fer a trader." "She do, sir." "And I don't like to run any risks, Tom Fillot." "Oh Mr Vandean, sir!" "But we're out here to deal a deathblow at the slavery traffic." "To be sure we are, sir," cried Tom Fillot, excitedly. "And it would be cowardly to give up such a chance." "Cowardly--begging your pardon, sir--ain't half bad enough word for it, Mr Vandean? sir." "One moment I feel that I ought not to risk it, and the next I feel that I ought, Tom," said Mark, slowly. "Safe and sure is the motto to go upon, but--Oh, I can't, as I am officer in command, stand still here and see that vessel go away, perhaps loaded with slaves, Tom Fillot. Wrong or right, I must do it." "Three cheers for you, sir!" cried Tom, excitedly; "and there ain't no wrong in it, for if you made a mess of it you would still be doing right. Then now, sir, shall I have a little more canvas shook out, and alter her course, sir?" "No," cried Mark, firmly. "You won't try and take her, sir?" said the sailor, despondently. "Indeed, but I will, Tom Fillot," cried Mark; "but if we begin to chase her, she'll be off, and sail perhaps as quickly as we do. We must trap her, Tom, by pretending to take no notice, and then be ready to go aboard." "Why, of course, sir. My, what a dunder-headed beetle of a fellow I am. Cunning's the word." "Yes," said Mark, decisively now. "Now, my lads, quick. Off with those duck frocks, all of you, and make yourselves untidy-looking. Tom Fillot, get that American flag ready to hoist if she signals us, and send the blacks below, all but our two and their gang. Let them lie down on the deck." The blacks looked surprised at being sent down into the stifling hold, but Soup seemed to have some inkling of what was intended, and he spoke eagerly to his companion before talking very earnestly, and with a good deal of gesticulation, to the men whom he had selected for his followers. These appeared to understand what was on the way, looking earnestly at the distant vessel, and then taking the positions assigned to them when all was ready, and Tom Fillot burst into a hearty laugh. "They'll walk into the trap beautiful, sir, see if they don't," he said. "Lor', sir, if you only could make yourself look like the Yankee skipper, we should be lovely." Mark said nothing, but quietly went on with his preparations. He made the man at the wheel look as much as possible like an ordinary sailor, and transformed another in the same way. Then, counter-ordering his instructions about the men's duck frocks, he partly lowered down the boat with an armed crew, including Tom Fillot, with instructions to keep out of sight, and ready for him to drop and board the stranger later on.