“Caesar wait till come dark, sah. No go yet. Massa Huggins men watch all round and take—kill—Murray Frank if um go now.”
“But can’t you go and warn our people that they are in danger?”
“Massa Anderson know,” said the black coolly. “Bri’sh sailor officer keep eye wide open. Dah!”
He uttered the last word in a low, excited fashion, for just then there was the distant smothered report of a musket, and Murray pressed the growth before him a little on one side.
“Was that one of the slavers’ crew?” he whispered.
“No, sah. Dat sailor shoot. Look now.”
The lad pressed forward again, but nothing was visible, for the densely packed party of sailors who the minute before had been seen to be in motion had quite disappeared, though Murray could grasp the fact that they must still be there.