r more, flourishing long knives, came running toward
us from a neighbouring wood.

"Put spurs to your horses, boys, and let us get away from this!" cried
the doctor. As we were attempting to follow his advice, one of the
blacks seized Jerry's rein, and though I struck the fellow a heavy blow
with my stick, he would not let go his hold. The consequence of the
blow was nearly fatal to me, for the fellow with his other hand struck
at me with a long glittering knife, and had not I pulled back my horse
by an involuntary movement, he would have plunged it into my side--as it
was, he cut my trousers and drew blood from my leg. Seeing things come
to this pass, the doctor and Silva, who proved himself a brave fellow,
began to lay about them, one with his stick and the other with a heavy
Spanish riding whip; while old Surley, who, after growling fiercely, saw
that the time for action had now arrived, began to bite away at the
negroes' thin calves and long heels, greatly to their annoyance. Each
man, as he found himself bit, turned round and endeavoured to stab the
dog, and very much afraid I was that they would succeed; but so actively
did he jump about from side to side, now bounding here, now there, that
not one of the numberless blows which were struck reached him, while his
furious barking and repeated bites served most materially to distract
the attention of our assailants. Still they were fully eight armed
savages to five people with sticks and a whip, and a dog; and as Jerry
and I were only boys, and old Surley had only his teeth to fight with,
it must be acknowledged that we were very unequally matched. Feeling
this, we should certainly have felt it no disgrace to run away if we
could; but the black held on so tightly to Jerry's rein that we could
not escape. At last the negro I speak of, finding that he had missed me
and could not hit the dog, lifted up his long knife and made a desperate
lounge with it at Jerry. I saw what he was about to do, and crying out
to Surley, my stick instinctively came down with all its force on the
ruffian's arm, while the dog sprung up and caught him by the throat. He
let go at that moment the rein.

"Now on, boys, on!" sung out the doctor, who saw what had occurred; and
bringing our sticks down on our horses' backs, we dashed past the
infuriated negroes, on whose heads Silva bestowed many a terrific whack
with his stout stick, as they attempted to catch his rein. We were
followed