nces; and now, wonderful contrast! the very
man, to the best of my belief, who then saved me from peril, was
the leader of the lawless band who had deprived me of my liberty. I
conjectured that the danger grew imminent; for I heard some words and
circumstances which made me aware that a rider hastily fastened his own
horse to the shafts of the cart in order to assist the exhausted animal
which drew it, and the vehicle was now pulled forward at a faster pace,
which the horses were urged to maintain by blows and curses. The
men, however, were inhabitants of the neighbourhood; and I had strong
personal reason to believe that one of them, at least, was intimately
acquainted with all the depths and shallows of the perilous paths in
which we were engaged. But they were in imminent danger themselves; and
if so, as from the whispering and exertions to push on with the cart
was much to be apprehended, there was little doubt that I should be left
behind as a useless encumbrance, and that, while I was in a condition
which rendered every chance of escape impracticable. These were awful
apprehensions; but it pleased Providence to increase them to a point
which my brain was scarcely able to endure.

As we approached very near to a black line, which, dimly visible as it
was, I could make out to be the shore, we heard two or three sounds,
which appeared to be the report of fire-arms. Immediately all was bustle
among our party to get forward. Presently a fellow galloped up to us,
crying out, 'Ware hawk! ware hawk! the land-sharks are out from Burgh,
and Allonby Tom will lose his cargo if you do not bear a hand.'

Most of my company seemed to make hastily for the shore on receiving
this intelligence. A driver was left with the cart; but at length, when,
after repeated and hairbreadth escapes, it actually stuck fast in a
slough or quicksand, the fellow, with an oath, cut the harness, and, as
I presume, departed with the horses, whose feet I heard splashing over
the wet sand and through the shallows, as he galloped off.

The dropping sound of fire-arms was still continued, but lost almost
entirely in the thunder of the advancing surge. By a desperate effort I
raised myself in the cart, and attained a sitting posture, which served
only to show me the extent of my danger. There lay my native land--my
own England--the land where I was born, and to which my wishes, since
my earliest age, had turned with all the prejudices of national
feeling