"To-morrow, I hope," answered his father, "we can pull that off."

6.

The sooner the better," responded young Taffrell. "I seem in a dismal nightmare whilst those scamps and murderers are in existence."

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Well, shake that idea off," said the captain, suddenly rising and expanding his arms and turning them round rapidly. "Now be off, my son, to all your friends," he added.

There was quite a jollification amongst the young officers, who were glad to see their messmate back again, and Mr. Holmes, the genial gunner, was invited to join in the hearty festivities.

The court-martial was held the next day, with the assistance of the captain and senior officers of H.M.S. Samson.

The time was one of grim justice, yet the occasion was full of bustle and warlike array of swords, cocked-hats, epaulets on the shoulders of the lieutenants and senior officers, and all looked brilliantly alive to the disagreeable duty which now had to be done. The faces of those officers who formed the court-martial, appeared fixed and hard as a flint, with an intelligent expression showing a clear apprehension and judgment of the case in all its bearings.

We need not dwell long upon the gruesome aspect of the crime, in which all the slave-ship crew had joined at the instigation of their slave-master, with one exception, the "super-cargo" clerk, who, in abject fear, turned what is called "Queen's evidence" against his former comrades in evil.

They also exonerated him from all complicity in the extreme crime, so the clerk escaped the penalty

K

of hanging, but was sent to England for home justice to be delivered upon him. But the slaving-crew had no mercy shown to them; but a quick judgment after all the overwhelming evidence was given, and the same day they sullenly took their places on deck, were pinioned, and quickly hoisted up to the yardarms of the warship that had caught them. There they were soon dead, hanged by the neck as a warning to all traitors to humanity and God's supreme law.

Everyone felt a great relief when full justice had been done to those cruel men who had not only engaged in the nefarious slave traffic, but, after they had been fairly fought and conquered by a boat's crew of warshipmen headed by the Middy John Moriarty, they rose, and in cold blood took the lives of their captors, one by one, not in fair fight, but by sneaking stealth.

Commencing with the little pocket-book called a "watch-bill," which was found so wonderfully, scraps of evidence had come to light, until a full confession was elicited from all the men, who then were tried and doggedly met their doom.

CHAPTER IX.

A LIEUTENANT'S ATTACK OF BRANDY-FEVER AND "DELIRIUM-TREMENS," COMMONLY CALLED THE "D.T." OR "BLUE-DEVILS."

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IMMONDS, where are you?" So shouted Lieutenant Steymore for his

servant, as he entered his cabin, after talking awhile with his brother officers when in full dress they had with-"All hands" present, witnessed the execution carried out at the yard-arms of their ship.

"Simmonds! Simmonds! Pass the word for Simmonds."

One of the "ward-room" servants soon departed howling the name Simmonds. That individual responded gruffly as he came down the main hatchway: "Get a Simmonds for yourself. You want yer big sister out 'ere to wait on yer."

"Simmonds!" again shouted the servant-lad from the ward-room.

"Well, now, do yer think I'm suddenly gone deaf, or down amongst the deadmen. You make a fine blooming row for such a delicate-looking chap. An' what might you want Simmonds for now? A knifeand-fork tea ready for me, I suppose? Well, I de

cline, with thanks, having had a sooperior hengagement. I'm jest a-goin' to see 'ow my master is

a-gettin' on."

He soon found his way to his master's cabin, and found Lieutenant Steymore just recovering his breath after tossing down his throat a full glass of "neat" brandy. With an empty glass in his hand and a bottle half-full of brandy on his cabin table, he stood the very picture of so-called generous good-nature. "Half-a glass, Simmonds, will do you good: will you have it?"

"I'm

"Can a duck swim, sir?" answered his man. glad we haint got ter see an hexecution every day, sir."

'Well, take this to drive away the 'blues' and brace you up again," said Lieutenant Steymore, handing him the strong drink, the glass being halffull.

"'Ere's yer health, sir," said Simmonds. there's drink, there's danger!"

“Where

The lieutenant had turned to put the brandy bottle away, but that sentence rang loudly in his ears. He turned about again:

"What did you say, Simmonds?

come and preach to me ?"

Who told you to

Simmonds finished his drink and then stood glass in hand, panting, his eyes wide open, and looking at his master.

"I aint a-preaching," he said. "I says just now, 'Ere's yer health, sir, an' then I drank it without 'eeltaps, do yer see, sir? not a drain left.”

The servant proceeded to wash the glass and replace it in the cabin rack. "Be-jabers," he muttered.

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6

Strange," mused the officer, "passing strange! Methought I heard a voice—a loud one, too. Where there's drink, there's danger.' Oh, fiddle-de-dee, I'll have a spree." Then he added aloud, "Give me that glass again, Simmonds."

His servant obeyed, but looked grave, for, living as he did amongst men who thought highly of bigdrinks; yet he felt at times rather anxious about his master, who, as he called it, went in for such biglicks.

Lieutenant Steymore helped himself again from the brandy bottle and freely gulped down more of the strong intoxicating liquid. The effect was soon observable in the flushed face as he allowed his full dress clothing to be taken off him by the attentive Simmonds.

"I think I'll lay down for an hour; call me if I'm wanted, Simmonds."

"Aye, aye, sir," answered his man.

Steymore rolled on to his couch, and after looking vacantly at the beams for a few seconds, closed his eyes, and soon he was in a stupid sleep.

The marine servant folded his master's clothes on his arm and took them for a brushing, came back, put everything away and in place and ship-shape, then retired quietly.

an

Still soundly sleeping with his mouth half-open, and face flushed, Lieutenant Steymore was example-an object-lesson of the danger there is in the use and abuse of strong intoxicating drinks.

"Oh the pity of it!" exclaimed young Middy Taffrell, when half-an-hour later he came in and saw his uncle.