t it."

"Well, then, away you go, my boy, and a dollar shall be yours when you
come back," said Mr Pemberton.

"Ki! dat's good," exclaimed Quashie, eager to be off.

The planter took him down to a back-door, by which he let him out that
he might creep away, lest any prowling foe might be watching the house;
not that there was much risk of that, or Jack and his friends would not
have performed their expedition so securely.

Quashie ran on along the well-accustomed road till he got near his own
village, when, taking off the few clothes he wore, he did them up in a
bundle and stowed them away in the hollow of a tree to be ready for his
return, leaving only a piece of black stuff round his waist, with which
Mrs Pemberton had supplied him at his request. The sharpest of eyes
only could have detected Quashie as he crept along under the hedges: he
felt confident there was very little risk of his being discovered. Few
of his age could outstrip Quashie, and making good use of his legs, he
got over the ground in a third of the time Jack Pemberton had taken to
accomplish the distance. He now moved more cautiously, stopping to
listen every now and then for the sound of voices which might warn him
of the whereabouts of the rebels.

At first he began to fancy that they must have decamped. Creeping down
the hill, he suddenly found himself close to a group of men lying
stretched on the ground fast asleep, while as he peered over a bush he
observed others in the same position. He stole silently back, making
his way to the left at a cautious distance from the besieging force, if
they could be dignified by such a title. Presently, again he drew near,
looking out for some opening in their line through which he might make
his way, but they appeared to have extended themselves so as completely
to encircle the house. Again and again he got up close to the line;
still he was not to be daunted. He had undertaken to get through them,
and he intended by some means or other to do so. Suddenly he heard a
shot, followed by several others. The blacks close to him started to
their feet, and hurried off in the direction from whence the shot came.

Now was his opportunity. He darted forward down the hill, springing up
the opposite declivity like a hunted hare, at the same time keeping his
body almost bent to the ground; and before he was perceived, he was
close to the _chevaux-de-frise_. In vain, however, he endeavoured to
find his way