t to be there
to-night?"

"Not exactly, my good woman," replied I. "I must trespass upon your
kindness to give me something to eat, for I am hungry."

"Good woman! bah! and pray how dare you call me good woman? Call me
mistress, if you want any thing."

"I beg your pardon," said I. "Well, then, mistress, will you give me
something to eat?"

"Yes, I will. James, fetch the meal-cake and a bit of salt pork, and
give him to eat, while I call the cows from the bush."

The mistress, as I shall in future call her, then put down her musket
and left the cabin. During her absence I entered into conversation
with the man called James, for the other had gone out. To my inquiry
how far it was to James Town, he replied that he really did not know;
that he was sent out a convict, and sold for ten years to the husband
of the mistress, who had died two years ago; that this man had a small
vessel, in which he went to James Town by water, and that he had
returned with him in his vessel; that the distance by water, he
considered about one hundred and fifty miles, but by land it was not
half that distance; that he did not know the way, nor did he believe
that there was any road as yet made to James Town, as this plantation
was quite by itself, and a long way from any other. He understood that
the nearest plantation was twenty miles off, and he knew there was no
road to it, as no one ever went or came except by water.

"But," said I, "are not the settlers at war with the Indian tribes
that surround them?"

"Yes; and have been now for three or four years; and the Indians have
done great mischief to the plantations, and killed a great many
people; but the settlers have punished them severely."

"Then how is it that this plantation, which is so solitary, has not
been attacked?"

"Because the mistress's husband was a great friend of the Indians, and
it is said used to bring them cargoes of muskets and ammunition from
James Town, contrary to all law and regulation. But if he was friendly
with them, the mistress is not; for she has quarrelled with the
principal chief, and I should not be surprised if we were attacked
some day, and all scalped."

"And what does the mistress say to that?"

"Oh, she don't care; she'd fight a hundred Indians, or white men
either. I never saw such a creature--she's afraid of nothing."

"Who is the other man I saw here?"

"Oh, he's another like myself. There were three of us, but one was
drowned by fal