r rather ran, that they thought an enemy was behind them.
They bore among them several wounded men. Not till they had hurried
through the village did they halt.

At first, no one would say what had happened. The hopes of the English
prisoners, however, began to rise, and soon the news spread through the
village that a fierce battle had been fought, and that the English had
been victorious. At length a French officer was seen coming along the
road, who stopped for a few minutes to give his horse some water. Mr
Collinson approached him.

"I am one of the English officers who have been some time prisoners in
the island," he said, addressing him in French.

"Ah!" he answered, "you need consider yourselves prisoners no longer.
Your countrymen have come with an overwhelming force and taken
possession of the island. I am sent with despatches to the other side,
to give notice of the capitulation."

This news rapidly spread throughout the village.

A loud cheer burst from Jack and the boys' throats, in which even
Grimshaw joined.

The other prisoners came hurrying up to hear the news, and three more
hearty cheers were given, in which even many of the negroes for sympathy
could not help joining. There, whites and blacks were shouting
together, and shaking hands cordially.

There was some difficulty in getting conveyances for the whole party.
At length, however, mules and horses sufficient to carry them were
collected. Mammy Otello gave Bill an affectionate embrace, as he wished
her good-bye, an honour she did not bestow on the rest of the party.
She insisted, however, on their taking several delicacies of her own
cooking; and, at length, all hands being under weigh, with repeated
cheers, the sailors set out from the place of their long imprisonment.

Mr Collinson stopped at the house where they had been entertained on
their way. Mademoiselle Mouret entreated him not to thank her for the
trifle she had sent, and begged him to assure his friends that, should
they ever come to the island, it would be her pride and pleasure to
receive them.

On arriving in sight of the sea, a large fleet of men-of-war and
transports were seen below them, while British troops lay encamped on
the side of the hill. Having been delivered over by the French
authorities, in due form, to the English, they once more had the
satisfaction of feeling themselves free men. Among the ships lay a fine
corvette. No sooner did Jack Windy's eye f