had lain down again.

"Oh, Mr. Duff, won't you please explain to me what the captain meant
when he said we were bound after negroes for the Cuban market."

"It's plain as your nose, my lad. We are going to the west coast of
Africa--somewhere about the Congo, I guess. There we take on a load of
Gold Coast darkies, fetch 'em over to Cuba, run 'em in after night,
then get away--if we can. If we get captured we'll all get a term in
Morro Castle or some other Spanish hole, and lose everything we've got.
Oh, it's a nasty business the----"

Here Mr. Duff broke off, remembering that he was saying too much before
a cabin boy. But Ralph detained him by the sleeve.

"I thought the negroes were all freed."

"At home they are. But in Cuba and Brazil they are not, although the
prospect is that they will be set at liberty before long. The best
sentiment of the world is against slavery, you know.'

"And what we're up to is worse than all the rest, isn't it?"

"Yes; it is a vile business. But look here, my lad. Whether you like
the job or not, you've shipped, and that means everything on shipboard.
Make the best of it while you're with us; when you're away it's another
thing."

"If you think so badly of it," persisted Ralph, "why did you ship, Mr.
Duff?"