you the wood has an ill name, and all the people of the island
believe it to be full of devils; but even if you do not believe in the
devils, it is a pretty dreadful place to walk in by the moving light of
a lantern, with nothing about you but a curious whirl of shadows and the
black night above and beyond. But Arick kept his courage up, and I dare
say Austin's too, with a perpetual chatter, so that the people coming
after heard his voice long before they saw the shining of the lantern.

My dear Miss Boodle,--will I be asking too much that you should send me
back my letters to the Children, or copies, if you prefer; I have an
idea that they may perhaps help in time to make up a book on the South
Seas for children. I have addressed the Cellar so long this time that
you must take this note for yourself and excuse, yours most sincerely,

R. L. STEVENSON.

TO SIDNEY COLVIN

_Thursday, 15th September [1892]._

MY DEAR COLVIN,--On Tuesday, we had our young adventurer[46] ready, and
Fanny, Belle, he and I set out about three of a dark, deadly hot, and
deeply unwholesome afternoon. Belle had the lad behind her; I had a pint
of champagne in either pocket, a parcel in my hands, and as Jack had a
girth sore and I rode without a girth, I might be said to occupy a very
unstrategic position. On the way down, a little dreary, beastly drizzle
beginning to come out of the darkness, Fanny put up an umbrella, her
horse bounded, reared, cannoned into me, cannoned into Belle and the
lad, and bolted for home. It really might and ought to have been an A1
catastrophe; but nothing happened beyond Fanny's nerves being a good
deal shattered; of course, she could not tell what had happened to us
until she got her horse mastered.

Next day, Haggard went off to the Commission and left us in charge of
his house; all our people came down in wreaths of flowers; we had a boat
for them; Haggard had a flag in the Commission boat for us; and when at
last the steamer turned up, the young adventurer was carried on board in
great style, with a new watch and chain, and about three pound ten of
tips, and five big baskets of fruit as free-will offerings to the
captain. Captain Morse had us all to lunch; champagne flowed, so did
compliments; and I did the affable celebrity life-sized. It made a great
send-off for the young adventurer. As the boat drew off, he was standing
at the head of the gangway, supported by three handsome ladies--one