but Bill did not mind the heat, and only wished the drive was to be
longer. They were soon among the well-built airy barracks of Uphill
Park camp, and Bill felt very grand as the carriage drove up to the
officers' quarters.

"Now I hope I shall see this young lady Lieutenant Collinson thinks so
much about," thought Bill to himself.

The lieutenant jumped from the carriage, and eagerly went to the
hall-door. He came back, however, very soon, looking somewhat
disappointed, and told the negro driver to go on farther up the country.
Bill, however, was not sorry, as he thus had an opportunity of seeing
more of the island.

"I hope the lady is there, however," he said to himself.

They drove on along the fine road, and among curious trees such as Bill
had never seen in his life. There was the graceful bamboo, with its
long leaves waving in the breeze; and the trumpet tree, from thirty to
forty feet high, its trunk something like that of the bamboo, with a
curious fruit growing on it not unlike the strawberry. Bill was quite
delighted when he caught sight of a monkey leaping among the branches of
a tree, wild and at liberty, like a squirrel in England. Away it went,
however, as the carriage approached, stopping only now and then to have
a look at the approaching vehicle, then hiding itself among the foliage.

At length, after driving some miles, ascending higher and higher, the
carriage turned off towards a large cottage-looking building on the side
of the hill. There was a broad verandah in front, looking out over the
plain towards the sea beyond. Under the verandah, several ladies and
gentlemen were collected.

Two or three blacks came out to meet the carriage, and the lieutenant,
having exchanged a few words with them, proceeded across the garden to
the verandah. Bill could just see a young lady, who had been seated
with her back to the drive, start up as the lieutenant approached, and
put out her hand to shake his, as he came up. A fine-looking gentleman,
whom Bill took to be the colonel, advanced from the other end of the
verandah, and seemed to welcome him warmly. He then saw him bow to the
rest of the company, and finally shake hands with one or two whom he
appeared to recognise.

"It's all right," said Bill.

Bill was soon at home among the negro servants. He did not turn up his
nose at them because they were black, and was ready to laugh and joke
with them, and help them in anything they were abo