By Conduct and Courage

amaica, and Will at once went to

in another prize, Mr. Gilmore. She looks a mere hul

ner that sank the

er about terribly, for s

shattered. We have covered it over with tarpaulins b

u have caught that scoundrel, Mr. Gilmore, b

ir, for both she and the cut

gratification. "In that case she must be

ed it in my

our report. Please give me a full account

ns a-si

done wonders. Now te

taken to prevent them from playing a treacherous trick upon him, and of the land f

u brought home this ti

l portion of the total. I have left nearly half my crew there to guard the storehouses until you could send some ships from here to bring home their contents. With the cutter to navigate and the schooner to tow I dared not weaken myself further. I have left six[pg 180]teen of my me

risk," the admir

the risk for such a splendid prize. The value of

admiral said; "what

gar, rum, and molasses; the other half are bales and boxes, of which the details are given. Those we have

en made in these islands, at any rate since the days of the Spanish galleons. I wi

could do it in two trips. Meanwhile I wish you would

ged their cargoes and have not yet taken fresh ones on board, but are waiting to sai

inlet Will went ashore, and to his delight found the storehouses intact, and the little garrison all well. The crews of all the ships were at once landed,

orted that only once had the pirates shown in force. He had allowed them to come within a hundred yards of the battery they we

that the goods which he had brought in the cutter and sch

n made on the forts the day after the fleet had sailed for Jamaica, but the garrison had repulsed it so effectually that they had not seen a sign of the enemy sin

burned, and Harman and his party returned to the

adventures. At the end of three weeks he returned, and when he went to make his r

he service. My share, as you know, is an eighth. You, as officer in command, and altogether independent of the fleet, will get o

"it seems almost impossible that

by your own exertions, courage, and skill. I think now that it is only fair that I sho

t feel deeply indebted to you for havin

gave you the command of that little craft. If I had had the sligh

is good fortune. When he came on deck a little later he fou

h you ever since, but I live up among the hills, except when business calls me down here, and your stay here has always been so short that I never before heard of your arrival unti

ed that I was able to save your daughter's l

own here to carry you off to my home whether you like it or not. I called on the admiral this morning, and he said that he would willingly grant

ountains. The scenery was lovely, and Will, who had not before made an excursion so far into the interior, was delighted with his drive. So much so, indeed, that Mr. Palethorpe gradually ceased speaking of the subject nearest his heart, and suffered Will to enjoy [pg 184]the journey in silence. At last they drove up to a handsome house which was surrounded by a broad veranda covered with rose

round his neck and kissed him. "Oh, how much you have done for us! If it hadn't been for you fath

gravely; "it would have taken all the joy o

. I don't call you old at all; I consider that you are just in your prime.

d showed him the negro cabins, fed him with fruit until he almost fell ill, and, a

ill said, as he stood on the veranda with Mr

ing it myself, and I don't like

ise; "it certainly looks as

are going to have a hurricane; it is overdue now by nearly a month. October, November, and the first

I saw its effects on land, however, for we spent some weeks ashore in consequence of

Words cannot describe how terrible they are. I hope, however, if we

half in fun and half in earnest: "I should advise you to have your clothes handy by yo

ber. He leapt out of bed, seized his clothes, and [pg 186]hurried down. He met Mr. Palethorpe coming from his daughter's room, carrying her wrapped up in her bed-clothes. They went down together to the front door. Will turned the handle, and the door was blown in with a force that knocked him to the

t into shelter?" he shou

d; "I dare not get below a tree, but I will put

e kept. It was about six feet long and three broad, and was built of bricks. The floor was some

r feet," the planter said, "

he allowed her to sink down on her knees and then knelt by her side. As soon as he h

ogether to keep out [pg 187]marauders. Now, Mr. Gilmore, there is room for us to crouch inside; it is the only place of safety I know of, for even in t

hen they looked out a scene of terrible devastation met their eyes. Some trees had been torn up by the roots, and branches twisted from others were strewed upon the ground everywhere. The house was a wreck; the whole of the roof was gone, and parts of

. I have no doubt that all the loose ones are scattered about everywhere, and that some of the things are miles away

elt so sure that a hurricane was impending that [pg 188]he had simply lain down on his bed without taking off his clothes. Accordingly they started at once for the slave-huts. As they had expected, the destruction there was complete. Every hut had been blown down. The negroes, who had fled to various places for shelt

back should be sent down to the town for a surgeon, but her father pointed out that it would be absolutely useless to do so, as, judging by what they could see, the destruction wrought in the town would be terrible. Every surge

he said, "but I know a little, and some of

ent splints. Will rendered all the assistance in his power. Now he held splints in position while Mr. Palethorpe wound the bandages

now?" he asked as the last

thout injury, as the part of the stable in which they stood was sheltered by a huge tree, which lost its head, but was fortunately otherwise uninjured. You had

f some help h

e head and killed him on the spot. I will put Sambo in his place for the present; he is a very reliable man, and I can trust him to issue the stores to the negroes daily. I am afraid it will be some time before we get the hou

he carriage could pass. It was therefore late in the day before they reached the town. Will could not help grieving at the terrible destruction wrought in the forest. In some places acres of ground had been cleared of the trees, in others the trunks and branches lay piled in an inextricable chaos. All the huts and cottages they

ends at their door, joined one of these parties, and until late at night laboured by torchlight. At midnight he went to Mr. Palethorpe's house, to which he had promised to return, and slept till morning. Two long days were occupied in this work, and even then there was much to be done in the way of clearing the streets of the debris and restoring order. Not until this was finished did Will cease from his labours. He then drove

many invitations to dinner that he was obliged to ask the admiral to allow him to give up his leave and to take another short cruise in L'Agile, prom

ted to walk along the shore with Dimchurch and Tom. They had gone but a short distance when a number of negroes rushed suddenly out upon them. Will had just time to discharge his pistols before he was knocked senseless by a negro armed with a bludgeon. Tom and Dimchurch stood over him and made a desperate de

URCH MADE A DE

" Will said when he

, Master Will. Who are the

of us. It is likely enough they take us for pirates, who are a constant scourge to them, capturing them in their little fishing-boats and either cutting their throats or forcing them to

clearing on the summit. Will in vain endeavoured to add

are going to do with u

likely going to burn us alive, or put u

ow much about tying ropes. It seems to me

as much, for mine are knotted so ti

mine I have got my jack-knife in my pocket, a

away in the wood, and by the sounds we hear they

ee." Immediately afterwards Will felt his bonds fall off, and half a minute lat

ad of going straight down the hill we will turn off for a short distance. They are

satisfaction of hearing the negroes rushing in a body down the hill. They waited until their pursuers had covered a hundred yards, and then they jumped to their feet and hel

now changed their direction, taking a line that would bring them to the rear of their friends. The firing soon ceased, the negroes having evidently got entirely out of s

another [pg 194]two minutes they were among their friends. Harman had landed with three-and-thirty men, leav

not beat them we should certainly suffer some loss which might well be avoided. There is no doubt they took us for pirates and belie

a crowd of negroes rushed down to the beach. Four or five shots were fired, but by Will's

o experience. If it hadn't been for Dimchurch I don't think you would have arrived in time, for they were cutting brushwood for a

ill. If they had carried you any farther away we could not have followed. I was turning this over in my mind as we advanced, when we heard the rushing of a large number

assumed that there was a possibility of such a thing and not to have run the risk. I'll be mighty careful that I don't play such a fool's trick again. It was lucky that Dimchurch shout

st have been negroes who had carried you off, and my only thought was to r

y man must run risks and take his chances, but one hardly bargains for being burnt alive. It makes my flesh creep to think of it, more now, I fancy, than when I was face to face with it. When I was lying helpless on the hill, there seemed s

down and trying to sleep. I am sure I should [pg 196]do so myself,

ng her pursuers the slip by running between two small islands under cover of night. The passage was very shallow, and the Frenchmen were unable to follow, and before they could make a circuit of the isla

h enthusiasm when he

ing and cruising, till we are sick of the sight of islands, without picking up a prize of importance, while you have

ders to sail for Portsmouth, and after a long and weariso

g