ON BOARD THE _ADVENTURER_ The captain turned rather sharply away, and I was thrust through an open cabin door by the grasp of the mate before I could really sense the true meaning of this unexpected news.

Mapes paused long enough to gruffly indicate a coarse suit of clothes draped over a stool, and was about to retire without further words, when I recovered sufficiently from the shock to halt him with a question.
"I suppose you saw those people picked up from the keel-boat ?" "Sure; helped pull 'em aboard.

A damned queer combination, if you ask me; two nigger wenches, Joe Kirby, an' a deputy sheriff from down Saint Louee way." "Two women, you say?
both negresses ?" "Well, thet whut Joe sed they wus, an' I reckon he knew; an' neither ov 'em put up a holler whin he sed it.

However one ov 'em looked ez white as enybody I ever saw.

The deputy he tol' ther same story--sed they wus both slaves thet Kirby got frum an ol' plantation down below; som' French name, it wus.