o us, the old chief called the overseer, and sent him down to where we
were working. He went up to Pember, and made signs to him to go to the
chief.

"Sure that's a message for us!" exclaimed Pat Brady. "Arrah, Ben, my
boy, you will be after seeing your dear mother again; and the thought
that she has been mourning for you has been throubling my heart more
than the hard work and the dishonour of labouring for these blackamoors.
Hurrah! Erin-go-bragh! I am right sure it's news that's coming to
us."

By this time the overseer had spoken to Kiddle, and finally we were all
conducted up to the chief. What was our astonishment to see the
stranger produce a letter and hand it to Pember. It was written by the
captain of a frigate, stating that having heard that some British seamen
were detained by a petty chief, he had gone to the Rajah of the country,
who had agreed that they should be liberated. The letter was addressed
to any officer, or the principal person who was among them, advising
them to follow the messenger, who could be trusted. The old chief
seemed very indignant, but the envoy was evidently determined to carry
out his instructions.

"Sure he need not grumble," observed Pat Brady, "the big thief has been
getting a good many months' work out of us, and sure that's more than he
had any right to. Still we will part friends with him, and show him
that we bear him no ill-will." On this, Pat, not waiting for the rest,
went up and insisted on shaking the old chief cordially by the hand; the
rest of us, with the exception of Pember, did the same. I need scarcely
say that it was with no little amount of satisfaction that we began our
march under the guidance of the Rajah's envoy. I doubt if any of our
friends would have known us, so changed had we become during our
captivity. Rice and other grain diet may suit the natives of those
regions, but it certainly does not agree with an Englishman's
constitution. We were all pale and thin, our hair long and shaggy, our
clothes worn and tattered. We had darned them and mended them up as
best we could with bits of native cloth, but in spite of our efforts we
officers had a very unofficerlike appearance; while the two men might
have served for street beggars, representing shipwrecked sailors, but
were very unlike British men-of-war's men. Eager as we were to get on,
we made little progress across the rough country, and not till nearly
the close of the second day did