ch--a hole which must have
flooded the place with light.

At that moment there was the soft pad of footsteps again, and to his
horror, in company with the rustle of the tall corn stalks, the figure
of the black, who now seemed to be herculean in build, dashed into
sight, armed, as the middy could see, with a heavy machete, and coming
rapidly straight for the door of the hut.

CHAPTER FORTY THREE.

NOCTURNAL VISITORS.

Desperate, but ready for action in defence of his comrade, Murray
gripped his cutlass hard, and in those exciting moments found time,
oddly enough, to congratulate himself upon the fact that he was armed
with the heavy service weapon in place of the ordinary ornamental dirk
that formed part of a midshipman's equipment. As to his chance, slight,
well-built and youthful, he could not help feeling doubtful, pitted as
he was about to be against a heavy, work-hardened negro wielding the
heavy cutting weapon utilised for laying low the canes; but on the other
hand he felt that skill would count somewhat on his side, for in company
with the wounded lad he sought to defend he had devoted every
opportunity that presented itself to small-arms practice, and was no
mean handler of the service sword.

"I can only do my best," he thought; and in this spirit he stood on
guard in the darkness, his eyes flashing, and fresh and active, prepared
for everything that might befall him.

And that for the time being proved to be nought, for in those brief
moments the black made for the doorway, Murray noting the glistening of
the great fellow's opal eyes, and standing ready to receive him upon his
point, when with a sharp swerve to his right, the man sprang at the
broad-leaved banana plant which had supplied the lads' sustenance, and
disappeared from his sight, and then there was the sharp hacking sound
of a couple of blows being delivered at the fruit stem, before the huge
fellow backed into sight again with a banana bunch thrown over his left
shoulder.

A minute later the black had plunged in amongst the canes, and Murray,
whose heart was still beating hard from excitement, was listening to a
repetition of the sounds he had first heard, as the man worked himself
round by the back, the imaginary danger passing away and leaving the
middy wondering how it could have happened that the black had not caught
sight of him, and coming to the conclusion that the poor fellow was so
intent upon obtaining the food that he had