Part 11 (1/2)

Then Otter rose upon his hands and knees, and his face looked fierce in the faint light

”Baas,” he whispered, ”shall we----” and he drew his hand across his throat

Leonard thought awhile His rage was deep, and yet he shrank fro men, however wicked Besides, could it be done without noise? Some of them would wake--fear would sober them, and they were many

”No,” he whispered back ”Follow ood,” said Otter

Then, stealthily as snakes, they crept some thirty yards to where the boats were tied to a low tree--three canoes and five large flat-botto the ar their knives they cut these loose A gentle push set theht theht

This done they crawled back again Their path took them within five paces of where that half-breed ruffian lay who had begun the talk to which they had listened Leonard looked at him and turned to creep away; already Otter was five paces ahead, when suddenly the edge of the ht fell full upon the slaver's face The sleeping man awoke, sat up, and saw them

Now Leonard dared not hesitate, or they were lost Like a tiger he sprang at the rasped it in his hand before he could even cry aloud Then cale short and sharp, and a knife flashed Before Otter could get back to his side it was done--so swiftly and so silently that none of the band had wakened, though one or two of them stirred andup unhurt, and together they ran, rather than walked, back to the spot where they had left Soa

She atching for the to Leonard's coat, asked ”How many?”

”One,” answered Otter

”I would it had been all,” Soa muttered fiercely, ”but you are only two”

”Quick,” said Leonard, ”into the canoe with you They will be after us presently”

In another minute they had pushed off and were clear of the island, which was notThey paddled across the river, which at this spot ran rapidly and had a width of soht hundred yards, so as to hide in the shadow of the opposite bank

When they reached it Otter rested on his paddles and gave vent to a suppressed chuckle, which was his nearest approach to laughter

”Why do you laugh, Black One?” asked Soa

”Look yonder,” he answered, and he pointed to some specks on the surface of the river which were fast vanishi+ng in the distance ”Yonder go the boats of the slave-dealers, and in them are their arms and food We cut them loose, the Baas and I There on the island sleep two-and-twenty men--all save one: there they sleep, and when they ill they find? They will find thereat waters, into which, even if they could, they will not dare to swiet no food on the island, for they have no guns and ducks do not stop to be caught, but outside the alligators ait in hundreds to catch _thery--they will shout and yell, but none will hear the on each other, they will eat each other and die miserably one by one Soht by the alligators, and so it shall go on till they are all dead, every one of theain Otter chuckled

Leonard did not reprove hi in his ears he could feel little pity for the horrible fate which would certainly overtake them

Hark! a faint sound stole across the quiet waters, a sound which grew into a clae The slavers had awakened, they had found the dead man in their midst athered to a yell, for they had learned that their boats were gone and that they were trapped

From their shelter on the other side of the river, as they dropped leisurely down the strealihtfor their boats But the boats had departed to return no rees the clamour lessened behind them, till at last it died away, sed in the silence of the night

Then Leonard told Soa what he had heard by the slaver's fire

”How far is the road, Black One?” she asked when he had finished

”By sundown to-ates!” answered Otter

Two hours later they overtook the boats which they had cut adrift Most of theroup