“‘Not a bit of it,’ cried a cheery voice close behind us; and looking round there stood little Midshipman Leigh, of the starboard watch. The young rascal had heard us coming, and hidden his boat among the trees, making his men lie close, as he expressed it, to see how we’d look.
“Our orders were to follow the Niobe south, where she had gone to pitch into a whole fleet of piratical slavers, and it was currently reported that our old friend Zareppa was admiral of the pirates, and thirsting for his revenge.
“What a lovely day it was, Nie; the sea as blue and tranquil as the eye of a beautiful child.”
“More poetry, old tar,” I said.
“Wait a bit,” said Captain Roberts. “Well, we cruised along down the coast with just enough sea-breeze to bear us onwards and keep the oars in-board.
“We expected to find our ship at a little island called Chaksee, where she would wait us; or, if absent when we went home, as our middy called it, we could wait till she returned to this rendezvous.
“There wasn’t a sail in sight when we started, nor a speck on the ocean’s breast, except a jumping skip-jack now and then, or a big shark asleep on the surface, with a bird perched upon his protruding fin.
“The breeze held, and very pleasant it was, and most of us, I think, were asleep at the moment the outlook at the bows sang out—