s toiling.

"Quick," he said, "you get on to my row and keep moving your hoe and
resting till I ketch up."

"But--" began Nic.

"Quick," growled Pete fiercely; and he gave the lagger a sharp thrust
with his elbow. "If they zee us talking and moving, old Zaunders'll
come across."

That meant a fierce bullying, as Nic knew, and he hesitated no longer,
but stepped into Pete's row.

"I don't like this; it is too full of deceit," said Nic. "You will be
blamed for not doing more work."

"Nay; I shan't," replied Pete, "because I shall work harder. We're
a-going to do it this way; they won't notice it, and if I keep pulling
you up a bit level with me it'll make your work easier."

"But I have no right to let you."

"'Taren't nought to do wi' you; it's for the zake of the old country.
When you get stronger and more used to the hoeing you'll do more than I
can, p'raps, and help me."

For the prisoners had been compelled to settle down at the plantation;
and men who had never been used to regular hard toil, but had lived by
fishing and salmon-spearing, and any odd task which offered, now slaved
away among the sugar-canes or the Indian-corn, the rice cultivation
being allotted to the blacks.

The settler had kept his word as to the behaviour to his white servants,
treating them with what he considered stern justice; but every effort
Nic had made to obtain a hearing failed, the last producing threats
which roused the young man's pride, and determined him to fight out the
cruel battle as fate seemed to have ordained.

Three months had passed since the boat reached the place that night, and
there had been little to chronicle, for the prisoners' life had been
most monotonous, embraced as it was in rising early, toiling in the
plantation in the hot sunshine all the day, with the regular halts for
meals, and the barn-like shed at night, with the men's roughly-made
bunks, a blanket, and a bag of husks of Indian-corn.

The life suited Nic, though, for after the first fortnight he rapidly
began to gain strength, and soon after he was sent out with the rest of
the men.

There had been no open trouble; the prisoners shared the same building,
and their meals were served out to them together; but there was a
complete division between them which was kept up whenever possible; and
one day out in the field Pete began about it to Nic, who took no heed of
either party.

"Zee Humpy Dee look at me, Master Nic?" said Pete.

"Yes