y
abreast of her. The commander, heaving the ship to, sent his second
lieutenant with a boat to try and ascertain from any of the people in
the neighbourhood what was going forward, that he might direct his
course accordingly. A fisherman's hut appeared not far off from where
he landed, and the lieutenant made his way towards it. The door was
closed, but Mr Foley, on listening, heard a loud snore from within. He
knocked.

"Ki! who are you? What you come for?" asked a gruff voice.

"Open the door, my friend, and I will tell you," answered the
lieutenant; "but bear a hand, for I am in a hurry."

The door was speedily opened, and a stout, well-fed negro appeared.

"Beg pardon, Massa Osifer," exclaimed the man, who had evidently been
taking his midday sleep after the labours of the morning, for he stood
blinking his eyes as the bright light shone on them; "what you want?"

"I want to know what is going forward in the country; and if you cannot
inform me, pray say where I can find some one who can, for I see no
dwelling-houses hereabouts."

"Oh, massa, bad, berry bad. De black slaves great rascals. Dey say dat
dey murder all de garrison at Fort Maria, and kill de white buckras
eberywhere."

"That is indeed bad news," observed Mr Foley, scarcely believing the
man.

"It true news too," answered the fisherman in a positive tone. "If you
wish to know, go on along de road up dere, on de top of de hill to de
right, and dere you find a house, and de people tell you what happen, if
dey alive; but me tink all de people dead by dis time, seeing dat dere
troats were cut last night."

"Is such really the case?" exclaimed the lieutenant.

"Iss, massa; dey cut my troat 'cause I free gentleman, but I hide away
and pull off in de boat, and so I 'scape."

The black spoke so positively that the lieutenant, not thinking it
prudent to venture alone, lest some of the insurgent slaves might be in
the neighbourhood, called up his men and proceeded along the road the
fisherman had pointed out, till he reached a house embosomed in trees.
The doors were open, but no one came forth. He entered. Marks of blood
were on the floor, and an odour of burning pervaded the building. Going
along the passage, he found that the fisherman's statement was too true.
At the further end of a room lay on the ground the bodies of a white
man, a brown young woman, and two children cruelly mangled, while in
another room were some extinguished torc