room to see if her lamp was out. In
about half an hour the little thin beams through the chinks of her door
disappeared, and then I knew that she had gone to bed. I watched two
hours more before I ventured to stir. The convicts were both snoring
loud, and effectually drowned any slight noise I might make in moving
about. I went to the locker, secured all the cold meat for provision,
took down one of the muskets and ammunition-belts, and, having put the
latter over my shoulders, I then took the musket in my hand and crept
softly to the door of the cabin. Here was the only difficulty; once
out, but five yards off, and I was clear. I removed the heavy wooden
bar, without noise, and had now only to draw the bolt. I put my finger
to it, and was sliding it gently and successfully back, when my throat
was seized, and I was hurled back on the floor of the cabin. I was so
stunned by the violence of the fall, that for a short time I was
insensible. When I recovered, I felt a great weight upon my chest, and
opening my eyes found my mistress sitting upon me, and giving orders to
the convicts, one of whom had already lighted the lamp.

"For mercy's sake, get off my chest," said I, in a faint voice.

"Yes, I will, but not yet," replied my mistress. "Now, James, hand them
to me."

James handed some chains to his mistress, who, turning round as she sat
on my body, made the manacle at the end of the chain fast round my
ankle. This went with a snap-spring, which could not be opened without
a key belonging to it. At last she rose off my body, and I could
breathe free. She then called to the convicts, saying:

"Go both of you into the tobacco-shed, and wait there till I call you
out. If I find you one foot nearer to us, I'll flay you alive."

The servants ran off as fast as they could. When they were gone, my
mistress said:

"So you were about to escape, were you? You would avoid the chances of
matrimony, and now you have other chances which you little dreamt of."

"I thought it was the wisest thing that I could do," replied I. "Since
I must be plain, I am sacredly betrothed to another person, and I could
not even for you break my faith. I meant to have told you so to-morrow
morning, but I was afraid it would annoy you, and therefore I wished to
go away without giving you any answer."

"Well, Sir, I offered to be your wife, which would have made you my lord
and master. You refuse it, and now I make you my slave.