The captain seated himself at the center table, opposite the officer, and spread the papers before him.  “Heigho, I see you have a passenger this trip,” and then read from the sheet:  “Samuel Edmondson, Jamaica, W.I., thirty years old.  General Merchant.”

“Yes,” said the captain as he concluded.  “Mr. Edmondson asked for passage at the last moment and as he was alone and we had a bunk not in service, I thought I’d take him along.  He has a valuable bale of goods astray, probably at Jamaica, and is anxious to return and look it up.”

“Well I hope he may find it.  Where is he? let’s have a look at him.”

“Mr. Edmondson, will you come this way a moment?” called the captain.

As may be imagined the subject of this conversation had been listening intently and now when it was demanded that he present himself, he murmured a fervent “God help me” and jumped nimbly to the deck.

“This is my passenger,” said the Captain, and to Samuel he said:  “The customs officer simply wished to see you, Mr. Edmondson.”

Samuel bowed and stood at ease, resting one hand upon the table and in this attitude without the quiver of an eyelash or the flinching of a muscle, bore the searching look of the officer, which rested first upon his face and then upon his hand.  The flush of excitement still mounting his cheek and brow, gave a bronzed swarthiness and decidedly un-American cast to his rich brown color, while his features, clean-cut and but slightly of the Negro type, with hands well shaped and nails quite clean, were a combination of conditions rarely met in the average slave.  The first glance of suspicion was almost immediately lost to view in the smile of friendly greeting with which the officer’s hand was extended.  “I hope you may recover your goods,” were the words he said and, rising, added:  “I must be off.”  The captain had meanwhile placed his liquor chest on the table and, in a glass of good old Jamaica rum, a hearty “Bon voyage” and responsive “Good wishes” were exchanged.

The subsequent story of Samuel, interesting and adventurous as it is, scarcely comes within the scope of the purpose of this article.  After a brief stay at Jamaica, Samuel sailed before the mast on an English schooner carrying a cargo of dye-wood to Liverpool.  Two years were passed here in the service of a wealthy merchant, whom he had served while a guest of his former master in New Orleans.  During the third year he was joined by his wife and boy who had been liberated by their mistress.  Subsequently the family took passage for Australia under the protection of a relative of his Liverpool employer, who was returning to extensive mining and sheep-raising interests near the rapidly growing city of Melbourne.[13]

JOHN H. PAYNTER, A.M.