D OF AN AMATEUR MATADOR AND THE WORK OF A
ROUGH-AND-READY SHOEMAKER.

When the day began to break Hockins awoke, and his first impulse was to
shout "hold on!" Ebony's first action was to let go, thereby bringing
himself to the ground with an awful thud, which would have told severely
on any one less akin to india-rubber.

For a few minutes Mark Breezy, holding tight to his particular branch,
looked down at his companions, yawned heavily, and smiled a little.
Then a sudden impulse of memory caused him to look grave.

"Come," he said, dropping lightly from his perch, "these natives may
have been searching for us all night, and are perhaps nearer than we
suppose. I vote that we push on at once."

"Agreed," said Hockins, stretching himself.

"No fear, Massa," remarked the negro. "If it wur moonlight dey might
'ave search, but whar de nights am dark dey knows better. De niggahs in
dis yer island hab got skins an' eyes an' noses. If dey was to go troo
such woods in de dark, dey hab no skins or eyes or noses in de mornin'--
leas'wise nuffin' wuth mentionin'. Cause why? Dey'd all git knocked
into a sorter mush. Plenty ob time for breakfast 'fore we start."

"That's true, boy," said Hockins, "but where's the breakfast to come
from?"

"What! you no bringed nuffin' in your pockits?" asked the negro with a
look of visible anxiety on his expressive face.

Hockins turned his various pockets inside out by way of reply.

"I am equally destitute," said Mark.

The negro groaned as he slowly drew from his breeches pockets two
sea-biscuits and a cold sausage.

"I meant dat," he said, "as a light lunch for _one_ yisterday."

"It'll have to do dooty, then, as a heavy breakfast for three this
morning, Ebony. Come, divide, and let's have fair play."

"Here, massa," said Ebony, handing the food to Mark, "you divide, I
ain't got de moral courage to do it fair. Number one is too strong in
me when I's hungry!"

With a laugh at this candid admission the youth did his best at a fair
division. In a few minutes the scanty meal was finished, and the
fugitives proceeded straight into the interior of the country at the
utmost speed which was compatible with sustained exertion.

They could see the faint outlines of a mountain range in the far
distance, and towards that they directed their steps, knowing that in
the event of sustained pursuit they had a much better chance of escaping
among the rugged fastnesses of a mountain re