"I shall have four defenders with me," said the lieutenant, quietly, "and you will be back soon with a reinforcement. We must get the poor wretches on deck, out of that loathsome den, or they will half of them be dead of fever in four and twenty hours." "You wish me to go?" said Mark, hesitating. "I order you to go, my lad," said the lieutenant, speaking sternly, but with a friendly light in his eye. "There, off at once." Mark passed over the side with half the boat's crew, and, feeling extremely uneasy about his officer's fate, had himself rowed back, and stated the case to the captain. "Horrible!" he said. "Well, the men must be brought on board if the schooner is a fixture. Take back ten men with you, and tell Mr Russell to get out an anchor and see if he cannot haul off the vessel. If he cannot, the slaves must be brought on board, and the schooner burned." "But how are we to get the men out of the hold, sir? They are frightened to death of us," said Mark. "To be sure, yes. Try fair means, and if they do not answer, the poor wretches must be hoisted on deck with ropes. They will soon grow satisfied when they feel that we mean them no harm." "But--I beg your pardon, sir," faltered Mark; "we cannot make them understand that we are friends." "May I speak, sir?" cried Bob Howlett. "Silence, sir; don't interfere," said Mr Staples, sternly. "Oh, you lucky beggar," whispered Bob; "you get all the fun." "Go back at once, Mr Vandean," said the captain. "You understand. Get the schooner off if possible. If not, bring the slaves on board, and the vessel is to be set on fire. Well, Mr Howlett, why are you making signs?" "I beg pardon, sir, but I could make the slaves understand." "_You_?" "Yes, sir; I should take Soup and--I mean the two black fellows--and make them interpret." "Of course; a capital idea, my lad; but--stop. How are you going to understand the men you would take?" "Oh, I think I could manage that, sir," said Bob, importantly. "Indeed?" "Yes, sir. I am making a study of their language, and I've learned a few words and taught them." "Take them with you in the boat, then, sir, by all means;" and Bob darted a triumphant glance at the first lieutenant, in ignorance of the fact that this gentleman was watching him, and met his look in a terribly stony fashion, which made Bob's face turn blank in the extreme. To hide his confusion, he ran off forward, and, partly by signs, partly by hauling, he drew the two blacks to the waiting boat, into which they stepped willingly enough, and five minutes later the little party were on their way back to the schooner. CHAPTER FIFTEEN. A DIFFICULT TASK. "Old Staples'll serve me out for this," cried Bob, merrily. "Hallo! What's the matter? Don't stare in that solemn fashion." "I was looking at the schooner," said Mark. "Mr Russell has so few men with him in case of a rising on the part of the blacks. He would be as good as helpless."