Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-12-20

4 VIGIL enough II tney ndNe arms
Then Leonard looked at Otter, seeking
further ideas.
my shake puts 1t into my head, - said
the dwarf, that fire Is good friend when
men are few and foes many; also that the
| reeds yonder arc dry, and the sea wind
rises and viii blow hard before midnight
4 Moreover, all these houses are matched,
and in a wind fire jumps. But can a regi-
ment have two generalss You are our cap
tain, bans. Speak, and we will do your
bidding. Here one counsel is rs good as
another. Let fate speak through your
| mouth"
every well," said Leonard. "This Is
my plan. Ii goes little further than
| yours, that is all We must gain entrance
| to the nest while 1t is still dark, before the
moon arises l know the watchword-
Devil Disguised as we are, perhaps the
sentry will let us pass unquestioned. II
not. We must kill him, and silently"
"Goodr' said Otter. "but how about the
woman heref"
1--WE will have her hidden in the bush.
She could be of no help in the camp and
might hinder us.
mo, white man," broke in Soa
Where you go I go also. Moreover, my
mistress is yonder, and would seek her"
las you like" answered Leonard, then
| went on: I've must get between the hut
borders the canal separating the nest from
the slave camp, and If the drawbridge is
| mp and no other means can be found we
| swim the dixie, dispose of the sentry there
| also and gain the slave camp. There we
| must try to free some of the slaves and
send them round through the garden into
the morass to fire the reeds should the
wind blow strong enough Meanwhile ]
| propose to walk boldly into the camp, sa
1 lutte Pereira, pass myself of as n SLAYER,
| with n dhow at the mouth of the river, and
| say that i have come to buy slaves, and,
above all, TO bid for the white girl. Luck
| lily we have n good deal of gold. This Is
| my plan SO far as it goes, and the rest we
must leave to chance. II can buy the
Shepherdess, / will; If not, i must try to
| get her of in some other way"
Good, baas, and now let us eat, for we
shall need all our strength tonight. Then
we will go down to the landir place and
| take our chance"
AS yet the night was intensely dark, and
the gloom did not tend to raise their spir
its; also, as Otter had predicted, the wind
| was getting up and soughed the reeds and
| willows in melancholy notes
| So the time passed till IL was O'Clock.
! I'VE must move down to the landing
place" said Leonard. There will soon
| be some light-enough for US to work by"
Then Otter took the lead, and slowly,
step by step, they crept back to the road
and followed il down the shore of the canal
| opposite the water gate. Here was n place
| where boats and canoes were tied, both for
convenience in crossing tho canal to and
from the camp and for the use Of the slave
dealers when they passed TO the secret
harbor six miles away, where the dhows
embarked their cargoes.
Here they waited awhile. From tho nest
came the sound of rcvelry; from the slave
lamp there rose other sounds-the voice
II groaning, broken by an occasional wall
Erung out of the misery of some lost
rcaturc who lay there in hell. Gradually
he sky frightened little.
Perhaps we had better be making a
start, " said Leonard. There is n canoe
which will serve our turn"
| Before the words were out of his mouth
they heard n sound of oars, and n boat crcpt
past them and made fast to the water gate
90 yards away.
"who goes therc?" came the challenge
of the sentry in Portuguese Speak
quick, or / fire
Don't be in such n hurry with your
rife fool!'' answered n coarse voice. The
very best of friends goes here, an honest
trader called Xavier, who comes from his
plantation ON the coast to tell you all good
news
Pardon, scnor," said the sentry, but
how was n man to see in the dark, big rs
you arc' What is the news, them AW
the dhows in sight!"
Come down and help US TO tie up this
| cursed boat, and l will tell yoI. You
know where the post is, and we can't find
it."
The sentry obeycd with alacrity, and
the man called Xavier went on. Yes,
the dhows are in sight, but don't think
that they will get In tonight because of
the wind, so you may look for busy day
tomorrow loading up the blackbirds. One
is in, by the way, small one from Mad
agascar. The captain is a stranger, n big
Frenchman named Pierre, or he may be
an Englishman for anything / know.
! hailed him and found that he is all right,
but / didn't sec him. However, l sent
him n note To tell him that there was fun
on here tonight, which was generous of me,
as he may he n rival bidder"
"ls he coming, scnor!'' ask, because.
If SO, / must look out for him."
/ Il don't know. He answered that hC
would il he could, but how is the English
girl: She is to be put up tonight, isn't
shei'
"Oh, yes, senior, there will be n great
deal to do ut IL, when the moon Is high.
AS soon as she has been bought the priest
Francisco is to marry her to the lucky
man there and then. The old fellow in
/
about the girl and says she shall be prop
erly married. -
Xavier laughed aloud. Has he, now
He is getting into his dotage. Well, whn
does it mattcr' We have a good law u
divorce in these parts, friend. l am goinI
in for that girl. II l give hundred
ounces for her, 1 will buy her. and hav,
brought the gold with me-
"A hundred ounces for one girl! 1t Is
; large sum, senior, but you are rich, no
like us poor DEVILS who get all the risl
and little profit"
BY this time the men had finished tyinI
up the boat and getting some baggage o
provisions out of her, Leonard could no
1 see which. Then Xavier and the sentr,
went up the steps together, followed b!
the two boatmcn, and the gates were shu
behind them.
S well" whispered Leonard, I'VE hav
d learned something at any rate. Now, OF
ter, i am Pierre, the French slave trade
from Madagascar, and, understand, you ar
my servant. As for Soa, she is the cook
or interpreter, or any one you like. w
must pass the gates, but the real Pierr
, must never pass them. There must be n
7 sentry to let him in. Do you think tina
you can manage 1t, Otter, or must li''
ut comes into my head, baas, that W
y may learn a lesson from this Xavier
might forget something in the canoe an,
the sentry might help me to find it afte
+ you have passed the gates. For the rest
u am quick and strong and silent
Quick and strong and silent You mus
Q be. a noise, and all is lost
s Then they crept to the canoe which the
had selected and loosened her They 90
t | in md Otter tooE the paddIa First d