ople we could not get to Spanish Town and
back in time. I only wish we could do something. I would give a
great deal to see Vetch get his deserts."

"We must get help from Spanish Town: we must do something
ourselves--you and I and the niggers. We must attack the house."

"'Tis impossible. He has a score of cut-throat ruffians in his
pay."

"At the house?"

"A dozen or so at the house, the rest about the plantations and on
the road, to guard against surprise from Spanish Town or any of the
settlements."

"Will you help me loyally, if I can find some means of rescuing
Lucy?" I asked, for Cludde's attitude to me was so altered that I
was not without suspicion of his sincerity.

"With all my heart; but we can do nothing."

"At present I see no way," I sorrowfully admitted; "but help her we
must. Good heavens! Can we leave her at his mercy, and not make an
effort on her behalf? We may fail, but let us at least do what men
may do."

Then Cludde made me tell him what had happened to me. He fell
asleep before I had finished my story, but I lay for long hours
pondering this baffling problem, and wishing that I had Joe
Punchard and my messmates of the Dolphin instead of negroes, whom I
could scarce trust. 'Twas clear, as Cludde had said, that we were
no match for the ruffians whom Vetch had about him; in open fight
we should be worsted, and maybe hasten the very catastrophe I
dreaded. Even if we should attempt a surprise by night I could not
hope for success, for the least check would turn the negroes into a
pack of howling cowards. We could only succeed by a ruse, and
though I cudgelled my brains until all my thoughts were in a whirl
I could invent no plan which had the least promise.

And it was Wednesday night! If we had not rescued Mistress Lucy
within forty-eight hours I had a strong presentiment that 'twould
be too late.

I sank at last into a sleep of sheer exhaustion. When I awoke, day
had dawned, and with the return to consciousness there came a
sudden recollection of something told me by Uncle Moses--something
that explained the fact that only two horsemen had ridden in
pursuit of us. All the horses of the estate had been employed in
conveying sugar to Dry Harbor. They had been gone a day; when would
they return?

I sprang up in haste to get an answer to this question; for on it
depended the chances of a plot which had flashed upon my mind.
Uncle Moses told me that, if the usual course were followed, t