he had not now been across for nearly a week. The cow kept at the
crater gave a large mess of milk, and the butter produced by her means
was delicious when eaten fresh, but did not keep quite as well in so
warm a climate as it might have done in one that was colder, and Dido
was ever anxious to send it to Miss Bridget, as she still called her
mistress, by every available opportunity. The boat used by the negresses
on such occasions, was the Dido, a perfectly safe craft in moderate
weather, but she was just the dullest sailer of all those owned by the
colony. This created the additional danger of a capture, in the event of
a chase. Taking all things into consideration therefore, Mark adjourned
the council to the Peak, a feverish desire to look out upon the sea
causing him to be too uneasy where he was, to remain there in
consultation with any comfort to himself. To the Peak, then, everybody
repaired, with the exception of Bigelow, Peters, and Jones, who were now
regularly stationed at the carronades to watch the entrance of the
cove. In saying everybody, we include not only all the women, but even
their children.

So long as the colonists remained on the plain, there was not the
smallest danger of anyone of them being seen from the surrounding ocean.
This the woods, and their great elevation, prevented. Nor was there much
danger of the party in the batteries being seen, though so much lower,
and necessarily on the side of the cliff, since a strict order had been
given to keep out of sight, among the trees, where they could see
everything that was going on, without being seen themselves. But on the
naked Peak it was different. High as it was, a man might be seen from
the ocean, if moving about, and the observer was tolerably near by. Bob
had seen Mark, when his attention was drawn to the spot by the report of
the latter's fowling-piece; and the governor had often seen Bridget, on
the look-out for him, as he left the island, though her fluttering dress
probably made her a more conspicuous object than most persons would have
been. From all this, then, the importance of directing the movements of
the party that followed him became apparent to Mark, who took his
measures accordingly.

By the time the governor reached the Peak, having ascended it on its
eastern side, so as to keep his person concealed, the hostile fleet was
plainly to be seen with the naked eye. It came on in a tolerably
accurate line, or lines, abreast; bein