ousin did not call, though I was sure she must have seen me, I
felt that it would not be right to interfere, and therefore hurried on
until I was out of sight.

Some time afterwards, when the ladies had returned to the house,
Rochford came up to me.

"Maurice, I have made up my mind to accompany you on your expedition,"
he said. "I shall be obliged if you will let Carlos know. I see that I
cannot with propriety stay here any longer."

He did not tell me, but of course I guessed, the cause of his sudden
change of plan. I could not help thinking Juanita had done right, for
he was in reality a comparative stranger; and except that he was a
warm-hearted, impulsive young man, we knew little of his principles or
character. Carlos, on hearing of his intention to go with us,
exclaimed, "I am very glad of it; he'll make a capital companion: he
sings a good song, and I dare say will prove a good shot."

At daybreak on the following morning we started, our party consisting of
Lejoillie, Rochford, Carlos, Tim, and myself, with two ponies for
carrying game, and four blacks to beat the bushes and make themselves
generally useful. We had six dogs, well-trained animals, two being
retrievers, the others, powerful brutes, taught to rush into thickets
and turn out the game, or to pull down the larger animals. The blacks
carried guns, axes, and machetes; while we had our rifles, a brace of
pistols, and a long knife a-piece.

We at once struck away to the south-west, in the direction in which
Carlos considered we were most likely to find sport. Rochford was
unusually silent; a change had evidently come over him, and he seemed
almost morose and sullen. When Carlos bantered him with not being as
merry as usual, he turned away, and soon afterwards dropped behind the
rest of the party. Lejoillie was too much occupied in observing the
various birds and animals to remark our friend's behaviour.

I should have said that one of the dogs was a large handsome
spaniel--"Caesar"--of which my uncle had kindly made me a present some
days before. The animal seemed to understand the change of masters, and
having taken a great fancy to me, obeyed my orders as readily as if I
had trained him from his puppyhood. Three other animals, if not
perfectly well-bred, were closely allied to the Cuban blood-hound, too
frequently employed in hunting runaway slaves, although equally useful
for driving game out of thick coverts or protecting the camp whe