one hurt?"

"I saw Tom May fall, sir," replied the lad, as the incident was brought
to his mind by his officer's question.

"Picked him up again, sir," came in a deep growl, "but two of our
messmates has got it, I find."

"That's bad," said the lieutenant. "Who are they?"

There was no response, and the lieutenant turned sharply upon the
midshipman.

"Mr Murray," he said, "take two men, May and another, and try if you
can find your way down to the boat. Do you think you can?"

"Yes, sir."

"Off with you, then, at the double. When you reach the boat, out oars,
and with the two boat-keepers try and reach the sloop. Don't run more
risks than you can help. If you are cut off by enemies on the banks,
retreat back to me here and help me hold this place until the captain
sends a force to my relief. You will report to Captain Kingsberry that
I did everything possible to avoid an encounter. But there--you know.
I trust to your discretion, my lad, in spite of your late mistake.
There, take May and Titely. Now off."

Just at that moment Roberts, who had been standing close at hand,
stepped forward, to cry eagerly--

"Did you say I was to go with Murray, sir?"

"What, you? Go with Murray?" cried the lieutenant. "No, sir. What!
Do you want to leave me in the lurch?" Then, knowing from old
experience the jealous motive which animated the lad who was left out of
the commission, the officer clapped the midshipman on one shoulder
warmly. "No, no, Roberts; I can't spare you. I want your help, my lad;
and besides, you will be safer with me than with Murray."

Roberts winced and turned a reproachful look upon his officer.

"I wasn't trying to make myself safe, sir," he said bitterly. "I wanted
to be in the thick of it all, sir, and not left out as usual."

"Of course you did, my boy; and that's where you are going to be, I
expect."

By this time Murray and his two men were passing out of sight, followed
by the midshipman's longing eyes; and directly after the lad had
forgotten his disappointment in the orders he was busily trying to obey.
For in the full belief that the overseer would return with his
followers, the lieutenant set to work trying to put the house in a state
of defence.

This was no easy task, for with four times the number of men that were
at his service the officer would have found it difficult to bar and
barricade the lower windows of the plantation house and secure the doors
back and fro