I tore in through the wardroom, and did not consider myself safe until I got into my master’s bed.
The battle didn’t last long. Tom told me it was only a small slaver. But she was captured, and towed astern, and Tom said there was some talk of hanging one or two of the Arabs, but I didn’t know anything about this. I was very pleased the fight was over.
Three slaves were brought on board. One was a little boy, with no more clothes on than a mermaid. And he was so black, children, that when he crawled up and put his arms round my neck, I quite expected to see a black ring round me next time I looked in the glass.
But the blackness didn’t come off.
Strangely enough, this poor little black child and I grew very great friends indeed.
I think that by this time, however, there wasn’t an officer or man in the ship, fore or aft, that didn’t love me very much.