o
miserable that we all begged that he might be allowed to remain.

"I much regret having to send him off, but for his own sake as well as
ours, go he must," answered my father; "he shall be escorted until he is
delivered into the safe keeping of our friends, the Greys, though there
is a risk of his being suspected, should he be seen in my company."

"Let me take charge of him, then," said Mr Tidey; "we will make our way
through the forest by unfrequented paths with rifles in our hands as if
on a shooting expedition, and shall run little risk of falling in with
anyone who will interfere with us."

Our tutor's offer was accepted. My father wrote a letter to Mr Grey,
introducing him, at the same time so carefully worded, that, should it
fall into the hands of enemies, Dio might not be betrayed.

It was arranged that they should start the following morning. The poor
negro was overcome with grief when he heard what was decided.

"Dis poor niggar break him heart leave Missy Kathleen, him no more learn
read!" he exclaimed, bursting into tears. So powerful was the effect
produced that he was taken seriously ill, and the next morning was
utterly unable to proceed. I am sure he was not shamming, for he tried
to get up and prepare for his journey. He recovered somewhat during the
day, and acknowledging that it was his duty to go for the sake of our
family, declared that he should be ready to start whenever Mr Tidey
wished.

That evening a report was brought to the house by one of the
farm-labourers that two suspicious characters had been seen in the
neighbourhood, and from the description of the men we had no doubt that
they were the same who had before paid us a visit and had been driven
off by Biddy's heroism.

On hearing this, Uncle Denis offered to go out to try and ascertain what
they were about. I begged to accompany him. We hunted round in all
directions, and were returning home when we caught sight of two persons
skulking in a wood at a short distance from the house. On seeing us
they beat a rapid retreat, and darkness coming on they managed to get
away before we could overtake them, but Uncle Denis was of opinion that
they were watching the house in the hopes of catching Dio.

This surmise was ultimately proved to be correct, showing that by some
means or other they had information that he was still with us. My
father, fearing that the black would be followed and recaptured,
determined to postpone sendi