to take care that
this gentleman does not leave this place, and to treat him as it seems
to me so that while he is a prisoner he shall not in his state of health
fancy that he is one."

"Skipper wants to keep friends with him so as he'll show us where all
the niggers are, sir, and give us a chance to make a good haul of prize
money?"

"Perhaps so, Tom."

"Well, sir, captain knows best, and the first luff knows what's second
best. I dunno about Mr Munday, sir, but I wish some un else had my
watch, that I do, sir. Our job burning out the black chief's place over
yonder was a bit too hot a job, but I'd rather have orders to do the
same sort o' thing again than be doing this here. It's too sleepy for
me. Can't you set me 'sploring, sir, or something of that kind? For
I'm no good at all onless I'm on active sarvice."

"You'll have plenty to do by and by, Tom, depend upon it."

"Hope so, sir, but I want something to do now. Couldn't do a bit o'
fishing, could I, sir?"

"No, Tom; we have no hooks and lines."

"That's a pity, sir. Seems to me that one might catch a good dish for
the gunroom mess, and a few over for the men, judging from the way they
bit out in the lagoon there, sir."

"We're on duty, Tom."

"O' course, sir. What do you say to me and a couple of the lads cutting
bamboos and routing out the snakes I heered yonder in the roof. Too
dangerous, perhaps, sir?"

"Much, Tom, and I don't think it would accord with our duty here."

"No, sir; o' course not, but you'll excuse me, sir?"

Murray nodded, and then, feeling hot and drowsy with the heat and
silence, he suddenly recalled what the planter had said about summoning
the servants if he wanted anything.

"Fruit!" he said to himself. "Well, I'll begin with a good drink of
water.--I'm going to have a look round, Tom," he said quietly.

"Thankye, sir; I'm glad of it," said the man eagerly; and he followed
his officer promptly as he walked round the cottage, and said a few
words to his sentries, who seemed to gladly welcome the coming of some
one to relieve the silence and monotony of their task.

As he passed round the extreme pale of the garden-like clearing, Murray
noted more than ever how the grounds were enclosed by a natural hedge of
the densest kind, so that it was like a wall of verdure which was
admirably tended and for the most part of the tropical kind, being kept
clipped and intertwined to such an extent that it would have been
impo