ipman and his men.

"What does he mean by all this?" said Mr Anderson angrily.

"I don't quite know, sir," cried Murray; but he followed and caught the
black by the arm. "Come," he continued; "show us where Mr Allen is."

"Caesar berry frighten', massa," whispered the poor fellow, whose teeth
were chattering; but he yielded to Murray's hand and followed him back
towards the corner of the little room, where his eyes assumed a fixed
and staring look as he leaned forward and pointed downward at the thick
rug of fur which covered that part of the floor.

"What does he mean?" cried the lieutenant. "Is the planter buried
there?"

"Show us what you mean," cried Murray, and he tried to draw the black
forward; but the poor fellow dropped upon his knees, resisting with all
his might, and, with eyes starting and rolling and teeth chattering, he
kept on pointing downward, darting his index finger at the floor.

"I beg pardon, sir," said Tom May gruffly. "I think I know what he
means."

"What is it, then?" cried Murray.

"It's snakes, sir, same as I heered up-stairs."

"Perhaps so," said the lieutenant, "so take care; some of these serpents
creep into the houses here, and they are very poisonous. Mind what you
are about, Mr Murray. Let the black pull the rug away. Mr Roberts, a
couple of your men here with cutlasses. Be smart, my lads, and strike
the moment the brute is uncovered."

"Ay, ay, sir!" came in a chorus from the guard; but every Jack stood
fast, waiting for his fellows to volunteer.

"Pull the rug away, Caesar," said Murray, as soon as the men had been
ordered to advance, which they did after making a great show of spitting
in their hands to get a good grip of the cutlasses they drew.

"No, no, no, massa. Caesar 'fraid, sah. Massa Huggin kill poor Caesar
dead, for show."

"Is there a snake there, darkie?" said the lieutenant impatiently.

"No, massa. No, massa," panted the poor fellow. "Caesar brave boy; no
frighten snake. Massa Huggin kill um for show."

"What does he mean? Master Huggin will make a show of him?"

"No, sir," cried Murray. "He's afraid of being murdered for showing the
way. I have it, sir," he said now excitedly. "That explains
everything. There's a way out here;" and stooping down the middy seized
one corner of the rug, gave it a sharp jerk, and laid bare what seemed
to be a trap-door neatly made in the polished floor.

A murmur of excitement ran through the room, and