at any man who attempts to escape."

Pete's head gave a throb, and his hand glided slowly to Nic's and held
it tightly.

"When you get up to the plantation you will see for yourselves that you
cannot get away, for you will have jailers there always ready to watch
you or hunt you down. There are three of them," he continued, pointing
to the dogs which crouched on the warehouse floor, panting, with their
long red tongues out and curled up at the ends.

At their master's gesture the sagacious animals sprang up and gazed
eagerly in his face.

"Not now, boys; lie down.--Ah, what's that?" he cried sharply, and the
dogs made a movement as if to rush at the prisoners, for Humpy leaned
sideways and whispered to his nearest companion:

"More ways than one o' killing a dog."

"Talking about the dogs," said the other surlily. "You are making
yourself a marked man, my friend. Take care. Who are these--the two
who have been in hospital, Mr Groves?"

"I suppose so," was the reply.

"What's the matter with you?" said the overseer--for such he proved to
be--addressing Pete. "Jump up."

Pete softly lifted Nic's head from his knee and rose quickly.

"Was cut down, sir," said Pete; "but I'm getting better fast now."

"Good job for you. Now, you, sir; wake up."

The overseer raised the whip he held, to make a flick at Nic as he lay
soundly asleep; but Pete stepped forward to save his companion, and in
bending over him received the slight cut himself without flinching,
though the lash made him feel as if he had been stung.

"He has been a'most dead, zir," said Pete sharply; "but he's getting
better now fast. Hasn't got his zenses, though."

"Wake him up, then," said the overseer sharply; "and you can get your
meal now.--Here, my lads, bring that stuff here and serve it out."

Pete obeyed the order given, and began by gently shaking Nic, who made
no sign. Pete shook him again more firmly, starting violently the next
moment, for, unnoticed, one of the great hounds had approached him and
lowered its muzzle to sniff at the prostrate man.

Pete's first instinctive idea was to strike fiercely at the
savage-looking intruder, but fortunately he held his hand and bent over
his companion wonderingly, and hardly able to believe what he saw; for
as the dog nuzzled about Nic's face, the young man, partly aroused by
the shaking, opened his eyes, looked vacantly at the brute for some
moments, and then, as if his intellectual pow