ssa
Raybone!"

"Do you want to go back to Redlawn with him, Cyd?" demanded Dan, with
compressed lips.

"Don't want to go back, for shore. Gossifus! Dis chile's a free man
now."

"Then use your gun when I tell you."

"Cyd do dat, for sartin," replied he, examining the lock of the fowling
piece. "Mossifus! Dis nigger shoot de whole crowd if you says so, Dan."

"Don't fire till I tell you, and take good aim," added the skipper, as
he finished loading the rifle.

"What's the matter, Dan?" asked Lily, opening the cabin door a little
way, for she had heard the stirring words of her friends on deck.

Dan told her, in as few words as possible, what had happened, and the
poor girl nearly fainted when she heard the name of her master.

"Then we are lost!" added she, in tones tremulous with emotion.

"Not yet, Lily. Be of good courage, and don't show yourself on deck."

The affrighted maiden threw herself upon her knees by her cot, and
prayed fervently that God would interpose his strong arm to save them
from the fate which now seemed to be inevitable. While she prayed, Dan
and Cyd worked, and made such preparations for the pending encounter as
their limited means would allow. There was only a small number of
passengers on board of the steamer, and the resolute captain of the
Isabel hoped that a few shots would intimidate them, and prevent Colonel
Raybone from rushing upon certain death.

But the planter of Redlawn was as resolute as his runaway chattel, and a
battery of artillery would not have deprived him of the satisfaction of
pouncing upon the fugitives. Though no fear could deter the master from
attempting to recover what he regarded as his own by the law of God and
man, it was otherwise with the captain of the Terre Bonne; for he
declared that he was in a tremendous hurry to make his trip, having been
detained over night at the foot of the lake. He sympathized with Colonel
Raybone in his desire to recover his slaves; but he positively refused
to put the boat about and capture the runaways.

It is not improbable that the captain of the steamer saw the guns and
the preparations made to receive a boarding party, and possibly he
reasoned in his own mind that a chance shot was as likely to kill him as
any other man on board; at any rate, he was as resolute in his refusal
as any of the resolute parties we have already mentioned.

Dan could hardly believe his senses when he saw the Terre Bonne standing
out towards