“Oh dear! oh dear! dat is de worstest; oh dear!” and he began to cry and sob like the veriest child. “Oh, massa,”--after he had somewhat recovered himself;--“Oh, massa, dese people debits. Why, de make all de oder on board walk de plank, wid two ten pound shot, one at each foot. Oh, if you had seen de clear shining blue skin, as de became leetle and leetle, and more leetler, down far in de clear green sea! Oh dear! oh dear! Only to tink dat each wavering black spot was fellow-creature like one-shef, wid de heart’s blood warm in his bosom at de very instant of time we lost sight of him for ever!” “God bless me,” said I; “and how did you escape, and the black dog, and the black--ahem--beg pardon--your wife I mean; how were you spared?” “Ah, massa! I can’t say; but bad as de were, de seemed to have a liking for brute beasts, so dem save Sneezer, and my wife, and myshef; we were de only quadrupeds saved out of de whole crew Oh dear! Oh dear!” “Well, well; I know enough now. I will spare you the pain of any farther recital, Peter; so tell me what I am to do.” “Stop, massa, till I see if de sentry be still sound. I know de fellow, he was one on dem; let me see”--and I heard him through the loose flooring boards walk to the foot of the trap ladder leading up to my berth. The soliloquy that followed was very curious of its kind. The negro had excited himself by a recapitulation of the cruelties exercised on his unfortunate shipmates, and the unwarrantable caption of himself and rib, a deed that in the nautical calendar would rank in atrocity with the murder of a herald or the bearer of a flag of truce. He kept murmuring to himself, as he groped about in the dark for the sentry “Catch pilot! who ever hear of such a ting? I suppose dem would have pull down light-house, if dere had been any for pull. Where is dis sentry rascal?--him surely no sober yet?” The sentry had fallen asleep as he leant back on the ladder, and had gradually slid down into a sitting position, with his head leaning against one of the steps, as he reclined with his back towards it, thus exposing his throat and neck to the groping paw of the black pilot. “Ah--here him is, snoring heavy as my Nancy--well, dronk still; no fear of him overhearing we--nice position him lie in--quite convenient--could cut his troat now--slice him like a pumpkin--de debil is surely busy wid me, Peter. I find de very clasp--knife in my starboard pocket beginning to open of himshef.” I tapped on the floor with my foot. “Ah, tank you, Massa Tom--de debil nearly get we all in a scrape just now. However, I see him is quite sound--de sentry dat is, for de oder never sleep, you know.” He had again come under the window. “Now, Lieutenant, in two word, to-morrow night at two bells, in de middle watch, I will be here, and we shall make a start of it; will you venture, sir?” “Will I?--to be sure I will; but why not now, Peter? why not now?”