ut. He was very glad
when, after some time, the lieutenant told him to take the bag out of
the carriage, for he was going to stop there that evening.

Old Sally, the black cook, especially took a great fancy to Bill, and he
seldom had had so luxurious a dinner as she put before him.

"Dare, sailor-boy! Eat and grow fat. Dat better than salt junk dat dey
give on board ship."

Bill, in return, danced a hornpipe for the amusement of his black
friends, who stood round him grinning from ear to ear, and clapping
their hands with delight, one or two of the negro boys trying to imitate
him, though Sally and the rest declared that they could in no way come
up to his performance.

When the colonel's party went to dinner, Bill was told to go in and
help. This he was glad to do, as he thus had an opportunity of seeing
the young lady he had heard spoken about.

Lieutenant Collinson was seated by her side. He was sure that must be
she, from the way the lieutenant was speaking to her.

"Well," thought Bill, "no wonder Mr Collinson admires her. She is
indeed a sweet young lady; so fair, and such blue eyes! And I think she
seems pleased to have the lieutenant where he is."

Little, probably, did either the officer or the young lady dream of the
thoughts which were entering Bill Sunnyside's head. There were a number
of other guests present,--two or three officers of the regiment, a
planter or two, as the West Indian proprietors are called, and several
ladies. Bill, however, thought that the colonel's daughter surpassed
them all. How very happy she looked, as the lieutenant spoke to her;
her countenance varying according to the subject, often a rich glow
overspreading her face, while her eyes flashed and sparkled. Certainly,
if the lieutenant had cared for her before, he must have admired her now
more than ever. And so he did,--of that there could be little doubt;
and he would have been ready at any moment to give his life for hers,
and to fight to the last gasp to defend her from danger.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

After spending a couple of days at Rockhill Cottage (for that was the
name of the colonel's residence), Lieutenant Collinson, accompanied by
Bill, returned on board. Each time, however, that the lieutenant went
to the colonel's house he took Bill with him, who, accordingly, found
himself thoroughly at home there. Sally especially won his affections.
She sometimes in her kindness reminded him of his mother, onl