he made amid
his companions prevented the defenders of the house, none of whom were
over good marksmen, from taking a steady aim at him. Like a swarm of
ants about to devour some creature of the forest, the blacks surrounded
the house, and began to lift the ladders and place them against the
walls.

The lieutenant now ordered the party he had told off for that purpose to
go up on the roof to force back the ladders, to hurl down the stones,
and to defend it to the last.

Desperate, indeed, had now become the condition of the devoted inmates
of Bellevue.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

THE CHAMPION SAILS FROM PORT ROYAL--IN SEARCH OF ENEMIES--CHASES A
PIRATE, WHICH ESCAPES--RETURNS TO THE NORTH COAST OF JAMAICA--NORMAN
FOLEY HEARS OF THE INSURRECTION--FINDS SOME MURDERED WHITES--DREADFUL
SCENE AT FORT MARIA--THE SHIP PROCEEDS ALONG THE COAST--A WHITE MAN SEEN
MAKING A SIGNAL FROM THE SHORE--A BOAT SENT TO BRING HIM OFF--PURSUED BY
BLACKS--RESCUED--PROVES TO BE ARCHIE SANDYS--GIVES AN ACCOUNT OF THE
ATTACK ON BELLEVUE--A CONFLAGRATION--SIGNALS SEEN--AN EXPEDITION UNDER
NORMAN FOLEY SENT ON SHORE--THE REBELS PUT TO FLIGHT--THE GARRISON OF
BELLEVUE RELIEVED--MEETING OF NORMAN AND ELLEN--MAJOR MALCOLM AND A
STRONG FORCE ARRIVE--THE CHAMPION SAILS--SIGNS OF A COMING GALE.

When Gerald wrote the last letter his father and Norah had received, the
_Champion_ was on the point of sailing from Port Royal harbour, on a
cruise between Jamaica and Cuba, with directions to look out for any of
the enemy's privateers or smaller vessels of war, or should she come in
sight of any squadron of larger ships, to watch their movements, and to
return to port with an account of their whereabouts. Captain Olding
also received orders to visit the northern coast of the island, and
ascertain if the reports which had just arrived of the unquiet state of
the slaves had any foundation in truth; but he was not to waste time on
the coast, as the former part of his orders was considered of by far the
greatest importance. Still his second lieutenant very naturally hoped
that he might obtain an opportunity of paying his promised visit to Miss
Ferris, and Gerald expected that he might get a run on shore, and
perhaps spend a pleasant day with his friends. He had inquired, when at
Mr Twigg's office in Kingston, about the _Ouzel Galley_. The anxiety
he had naturally felt when he heard of the hurricane had been relieved
on his being assured that a search had