followed
him that he could feel his way along the rest of the distance, during
which it was quite dark; and he hurried his followers along till the
black gloom gradually became twilight, and that increased in power till
it became possible to follow the dimly seen figure which went on in
front. Then the twilight became a pale green, which grew brighter and
brighter till all at once the black stopped short and whispered--

"No make noise. Caesar go first and see Massa Huggin gone take Massa
Allen 'way."

The party stopped and saw the black hurry on for a few dozen yards, and
then disappear through what seemed to be a clump of bushes, which pretty
well blocked up the end of the passage.

"I should like to know what's going to be the end of this," said the
lieutenant; "but I suppose we must go on with it now and trust the
black, for he seems to be proving himself honest. What do you say, Mr
Murray?"

"I feel sure he is," replied the midshipman.

"But his motive? We are almost complete strangers."

"I think he is a faithful servant of the planter, sir, and wants us to
save him from danger."

"Yes, that's how it suggests itself to me, Mr Murray, though I can
hardly understand such conduct on the part of one of these wretched
ill-used slaves towards the oppressor. But there, we shall see."

He ceased speaking, for just then the black seemed to spring through the
bushes, and joined them where they were waiting in the tunnel.

"Find Massa Allen," said the black, in a quick excited whisper.

"Ah!" cried Murray joyfully, for somehow--he could not have said why--he
had begun to feel the greatest interest in the sick man. "Ah! Where
did you find him?"

"Massa Huggin got um."

"But where is he?"

The black pointed in the direction from whence he had returned,
evidently indicating the forest which closed in the end of the tunnel.

"What is he going to do with him?" asked Mr Anderson--"Keep him a
prisoner?"

"Kill um," said the black abruptly. "Come! Caesar show um;" and he
caught hold of the middy's arm, gave it a tug, and then signed to the
others to follow.

"Yes," said the lieutenant sharply; "it seems to me quite time we had a
word to say about that. Let him lead on, Mr Murray. I want to have a
few more words with our friend Mr Huggins. We must show him that there
is a difference of opinion upon this question. Here, you darkie, does
Mr Huggins indulge himself much in this kind of sport?"

The bl