Slave Trade

THE SLAVE SHIP--Mary Johnston-- Little, Brown ($2.00). David Scott happened to be so born that he quite naturally fought for the Stuarts at Culloden. For that culpable error in prenatal judgment he was arrested and condemned to be shipped as a political slave to Barbados or Virginia. David Scott, however, was a lad of spirit, decided against the King and the King's men, broke jail, was not recaptured for some time. Sent to Virginia, he worked in the forests and fields oi the new country in a capacity only nominally above that of the African slaves, his coworkers. Again he escaped to a ship in Norfolk Harbor, which proved unfortunately to be herself a slaver. The captain, happily, was his kinsman. Thus, David Scott rose to be a captain in the slave trade, rum and the force of habit hardening him to his task. Little by little he is brought in the end to see the light and realize the iniquitous character of his way of life. A da capo climax brings him back to the Virginia tobacco fields.