ort, and had been shot or cut down
by the savages. A few bodies of blacks were seen, evidently from their
dresses the officers' servants, who had been waiting at table. The
general state of the fort told its own story. The whole garrison and
several visitors had, not dreaming of danger, been suddenly surprised by
an overwhelming body of insurgents, who must have rushed in and
massacred them before the soldiers could stand to their arms. If any
white people in the neighbourhood had escaped with their lives, they
must have gone away and not dared to return to the scene of the
catastrophe.

The lieutenant and the midshipmen climbed to the highest part of the
fort, and looked round in every direction. Nowhere could they see a
human being, but in the distance they observed several blackened spaces
where flourishing sugar-canes had lately grown or gardens or other
plantations had existed. The fisherman's account was thus fearfully
verified. As no one could be seen from whom to gain further
information, Mr Foley and his companions re-embarked, and pulled back
for the ship as fast as the men could lay their backs to the oars. The
commander thought of landing the marines and a party of small-arms men,
but, without further information, it would be impossible to know in what
direction to proceed.

The boats being hoisted in, the sails were again filled, and the ship
stood on to the westward as close to the shore as the master would
venture to take her. Every telescope on board was turned towards it, no
one looking out more eagerly than Norman Foley, who dreaded lest they
should come in sight of a once pleasant mansion now reduced to a mass of
ruins. If a well-garrisoned fort had been surprised and thus fearfully
destroyed, what might not have happened in the event of a single
planter's house with small means of defence being attacked. He very
naturally conjured up all sorts of dreadful pictures; at the same time,
he manfully tried to combat his apprehensions, and to hope for the best.

"I see some one on the shore, sir, making a signal," cried Gerald, who
had a telescope to his eye. "He appears to me to be a white man. He is
running up and down, seemingly trying to attract our attention. There
he is now, under that tall cocoa-nut tree."

All the telescopes in use were turned in the same direction.

"Yes, that is a white man, no doubt about it," said the commander. "He
has taken off his shirt and is waving it.