great satisfaction.

"Well, Malachi," said Alfred the next morning, as they were all busily
employed getting the seed into the new cleared land; "what do you
imagine will be the steps now taken by the Angry Snake?"

"It's hard to say, sir," replied Malachi; "for he well deserves the name
of a snake, if, as the Scripture says, it's the subtlest thing on earth:
he will try all he can, you may be sure; and if it were not that he is
afraid of us, he would attack us immediately; but that I have no idea
that he will venture upon."

"No, for your letter says, that he has only two rifles in his band,
which are not enough to give him any chance of success."

"Very true, sir. I hear that the _bateaux_ are coming from the fort for
the plank and flour."

"Yes, to-morrow, if there is not so much wind as there is to-day; it
blows very fresh. Where is John?"

"I left him with the Strawberry, sir; they were busy with the sugar."

"By the by, how much have you got, Malachi?"

"About three or four hundred pounds, sir, as near as I can reckon; quite
as much as madam will require."

"Yes, I should think so; now we shall have preserves of all sorts and
the fruit for nothing; the wild raspberries are nearly ripe, and so are
the cherries; my cousins want John to help to gather them."

"Well, sir, I dare say he will do so, although I believe that he would
rather do any thing else. He said he was going to fish this morning."

"The water is too rough, and he will not be able to manage the punt by
himself."

"Then that's the very reason why he'll go out," replied Malachi; "he
don't like easy jobs like picking raspberries. Is it true, Mr. Alfred,
that we are to have some more settlers come here?"

"Yes, I believe so; my father is very anxious to have them; he thinks it
will be a great security, and he has offered very advantageous terms;
you won't much like that, Malachi?"

"Well, sir, I dare say you may think so, but it is not the case; if any
one had told me, two years ago, that I could have remained here, I would
have said it was impossible, but we are all creatures of habit. I had
been so used to my own company for so long a time, that when I first saw
you I couldn't bear the sight of you; no, not even that of your pretty
cousins, Miss Mary and Emma, although, Heaven knows, they might tame a
savage; but now, sir, I feel quite changed; I have first borne with
company, because I fancied the boy, and then I felt no dislike to it,