hat night. Tom went to his hut, promising to be
ready to start again at break of day. Ben went out to look after his
sheep at night. That must not be neglected.

Sarah was up long before daybreak to get the breakfast ready. Often and
often she went to the door of the hut, hoping to hear her young ones
voices returning home. Joseph mounted his horse, and went off in one
direction, Tom in another, and Sam in another. They were to return at
noon. Old Mat and Ben had to look after the sheep. Poor Sarah and
Sally worked away in and about the hut as hard as possible, but they
could not help thinking and talking about the dear little ones, and what
had become of them. Some time had passed, when Sally cried out that she
heard voices, and, running out, she saw three people on horseback
cantering up to the hut. They were Mr Harlow and his two sisters.
They had come over about the school. They were very sorry to hear that
the children were missing. Mr Harlow said that he would go off at once
to look for them. He had given his horse a handful of grain, and was
just starting, when a black came running up at full speed towards the
hut. Sally, who first saw him, said she was quite sure it was Troloo;
so he was. He reached the door of the hut out of breath.

"Oh, Missie Rudge, black fellow come, kill you piccaninnies, sheep, old
Mat, all, all," he cried out as soon as he could speak. What he said
was enough to frighten Sarah.

"Then the blacks must have found our poor, dear children, and they have
killed them," she said, and burst into tears.

"No, black fellow find piccaninnies," said Troloo, looking up from the
ground on which he had thrown himself.

Mr Harlow, who had dismounted from his horse, cross-questioned the
black as to the report he had brought. As far as he could make out, a
large party of natives were on their way to the hut, with the purpose of
burning it, and killing all the family. Still he thought that they
would not dare to do what they threatened, and tried to persuade poor
Mrs Rudge not to be frightened.

"If it was not for the dear children I wouldn't be frightened; but what
I fear is that the cruel black fellows have got hold of them, and will
do them a harm."

Mr Harlow had now to consider what was best to be done. He wished
first to place his sisters in safety, and then to fortify the hut, so
that when the natives arrived they might find all things prepared for
them. He could do littl