tality to the Earl and his
sick son. The Earl hoped by travelling about, and by amusing Barry's
mind, to assist in the restoration of his health. They had on one
occasion gone to a planter's house at the back of the island, a day's
journey from the Earl's country residence, and situated near the sea.

The spot was a very beautiful one. In the background rose ranges of
mountains, feathered to their very summits with green foliage. On one
side of the grounds were plantations of coffee and sugar. The sandy
beach stretched like a line of silver along the edge of the blue water,
fringing the cane-fields, which formed a broad expanse of vivid green
behind them. Along the coast were lovely little coves and bays,
enlivened by neatly laid out mansions of the planters, while numerous
fishing and passage-boats, with their raking masts and latteen sails,
added life and animation to the scene. A bright and sparkling stream,
which found its way down from the mountains above, passed through the
plantation, and added much to the refreshing coolness of the scene in
that warm climate. A broad verandah ran round the house, on one side of
which or the other shade could be obtained at all times of the day. A
couple of days had been spent very pleasantly at this abode, when one
evening, just as the sun was about to sink through a rain cloud into the
distant horizon, an old whiteheaded slave came hurriedly into the
presence of his master.

"What is the matter, Caesar," asked Mr Jefferson, the planter. The old
man shook his head.

"Very bad, very bad."

"Speak, boy; have you lost your wits?" exclaimed the planter
impatiently.

"No, massa; but me hear there come one hundred Caribs and many white
men, and a whole lot of negroes, to burn the house this night and the
plantations; and they swear that they will kill all the people."

At first the planter was inclined to laugh at this information, so
indeed was the Earl; but, on a further examination, the statements of
the negro were so clear--and he was so well able to explain how he
obtained his knowledge--that they began to think more seriously.

"It is too late now," observed the planter, "for your lordship to
attempt to return to the town; indeed, you would be very likely to fall
in with these rebels; but I have several trusty slaves on the estate who
I am sure would be ready to lay down their lives for my sake. I will
send Caesar to summon them into the house, and as I know t