y the fact that an ordinary military sword
was hung above the mantelpiece.

"Sword and pistols," thought the lad. "What does he want with so many
weapons? I should have considered that there were enough in the hall
without these."

He noticed that there was a hand-bell upon the side-table, a fact which
suggested that a servant was within reach, and as the lad stood in the
hall once more he looked about him, and then, feeling that he had
entered upon a special charge, he crossed to the next door, that facing
the one he had just left, and upon thrusting it open found himself in
what was evidently used as a dining-room, being about double the size of
the other, and having two windows whose lath-like shutters half darkened
the room.

"I don't want to play spy all over the house," said Murray to himself,
"but I am in charge of this planter fellow, and I ought to know who is
about the place. But I don't know," he muttered; "it isn't the duty of
a naval officer."

Frowning slightly, he stepped out on to the bamboo platform again and
signed to the big sailor to follow him back to the door.

"Here, Tom," he said, and glancing down at the man's bare feet, he
added, in a low tone, "You have no shoes on, so just go quietly through
the bottom of the building and see what rooms there are and what black
servants are about."

"Ay, ay, sir!" said the man softly.

"Go quietly," added Murray; "the owner is ill and has dropped asleep."

"Ay, ay, sir!" replied the sailor, and in regular able-seaman swing upon
the points of his toes he stepped out of the hall-like central room of
the place, taking in the little armoury the while, and left his officer
alone, the door closing behind him as silently as he stepped.

"How still it all is," thought the middy, and he went cautiously back to
the little room which he looked upon as the planter's study, pressed the
door slightly open, and peered in, to see that the occupant had not
stirred, while his deep breathing now sounded plainly, till Murray let
the door fall to and went back towards that through which Tom May had
passed upon his mission.

As the middy approached, it was drawn open again.

"Hallo, Tom!" said the lad. "Back already?"

"Ay, ay, sir! There's on'y two cabins to look at there, and one's a
cook's galley, and t'other's stooard's pantry."

"Did you see the black servants?"

"No, sir, and there ain't no white uns neither."

"Sort of summer-house," thought Murray;