“Hullo, here’s another small girl.  Black one this time,” said one of the white sailors.

“Yas, Massa!  Please whar’ is my missy?” replied the little darky eagerly.

“Safe in the cabin,” nodded the good-natured man.

Estralla slipped behind a pile of boxes, and watched for a chance to get on board the vessel without being seen.  She had heard many tales, told by the older colored people, of little children, yes, and grown people, too, who had been enticed on board vessels in far-off African ports, and carried off to be sold into slavery.  Estralla remembered that all those people in the stories were black; but who could tell but what there was some place in the world where white people were sold?  Anyway, she resolved that wherever Missy Sylvia went she would go with her.

In a few moments she saw a chance to run over the gangplank.  She went straight toward the cabin door and peered in.  Yes, there was Missy Sylvia on the broad cushioned seat under the window.  Very softly Estralla tiptoed across the cabin.  Just as she was about to speak Sylvia’s name the sound of approaching footsteps startled her, and, sure that she would be sent on shore by whoever might discover her, she looked about for a hiding-place, and the next instant she was curled up under the very seat on which Sylvia was asleep.

It was not long before Estralla followed her missy’s example.  But she was wide awake when Captain Carleton came into the cabin.

As soon as he returned to the deck Estralla crawled out from her hiding-place and looked about her.

“Wake up, Missy,” she whispered leaning over Sylvia; and Sylvia sat up quickly, with a little cry of astonishment.

“Don’t you be skeered,” said Estralla softly, “‘cause I ain’ gwine to let you be carried off.  I knows jes’ how slaves are ketched.  Yas’m, I does.  My mammy tole me.  They gits folks in ships and carries ’em off an’ sells ’em to folks.  An’ I ain’ gwine to let ’em have you, Missy.”  There were tears in Estralla’s eyes.  She knew that her own brother had been sold the previous year and taken to a plantation in Florida.  She had heard her mother say that she, Estralla, might be sold any time.  She knew that slavery was a dreadful thing.

“Where are they taking us?” questioned Sylvia, for she realized that the vessel was moving swiftly through the water.  She wondered why Captain Carleton had gone away.  Seeing Estralla there gave her a dreadful certainty that what the little darky said might be true.  Perhaps the vessel might have others on board who were being taken off to be sold, as Estralla declared.

“Yas, Missy.  My mammy’s tole me jes’ how white folks gets black folks fer slaves.  Takes ’em away from their mammies, an’ never lets ’em go back.  Yas!” And Estralla’s big eyes grew round with terror.

“But I am a white girl, Estralla,” said Sylvia.

Estralla shook her head dolefully.