. Mr
Twigg hurried to the door, followed by Mr Ferris.

"Who is it?" asked the former.

"Hayward," answered a voice. "Thank Heaven I find you safe! I've had a
narrow escape of my life, and I was afraid that you might be placed in
equal danger; indeed, had it not been for my faithful fellow Tom Yam
here, I should to a certainty have been killed."

"Come up, then, and tell us all about it," exclaimed Mr Twigg, who the
next instant was shaking hands with the stranger, while Martin took
charge of Tom Yam. Mr Twigg introduced the new arrival. Mr Hayward,
sitting down, tossed off a glass or two of Madeira, for he required some
stimulant before he could speak.

"I bring you dreadful news," he said. "I would thankfully not have to
alarm you, ladies, but it may be better to know the worst at once. I
had come over to Stillwater, having providentially left my family at
Kingston, when, as I was resting after my journey, Tom Yam, who had been
sent with a message to Fort Maria to ask Captain Torrens, commanding
there, to come over and dine with me, rushed into my room panting for
breath with the fearful news that the entire garrison and a number of
white people from different places assembled there at dinner had
suddenly been surprised by a whole host of blacks. The villains had
been lying in ambush near at hand, and rushing upon them without
warning, had put nearly every human being of the party to death. Among
the few survivors was a black servant of one of the officers, who had
given him the information. He himself had got near enough to see the
blacks in possession of the fort, some engaged in burning down the
buildings, and others carrying off the arms and ammunition. The boy
told him that the white men were at the supper-table, and that all had
there been butchered without being able to reach their arms or strike a
blow for their defence. He hurried back, and as he came along he heard
the negroes close at his heels, shouting and shrieking over their
victory, and threatening to attack Stillwater House. Scarcely had he
uttered the words than the cries of the barbarians reached my ears. Not
a moment was to be lost; I hastily threw on my clothes and followed Tom,
who entreated me to run for the stable, where we could get our horses
and gallop off as the best prospect of saving our lives, for if we
attempted to hide ourselves the rebels were nearly sure to find us--
many, indeed, of my own slaves having, as Tom ass