vancing, in company with
the beautiful Fayaway. At last I perceived Tinor coming forward, followed
by the girls and young men who usually resided in the house of Marheyo;
but with them came not my comrade, and, filled with a thousand alarms, I
eagerly sought to discover the cause of his delay.

My earnest questions appeared to embarrass the natives greatly. All their
accounts were contradictory: one giving me to understand that Toby would
be with me in a very short time; another, that he did not know where he
was; while a third, violently inveighing against him, assured me that he
had stolen away, and would never come back. It appeared to me, at the
time, that in making these various statements they endeavoured to conceal
from me some terrible disaster, lest the knowledge of it should overpower
me.

Fearful lest some fatal calamity had overtaken him, I sought out young
Fayaway, and endeavoured to learn from her, if possible, the truth.

This gentle being had early attracted my regard, not only from her
extraordinary beauty, but from the attractive cast of her countenance,
singularly expressive of intelligence and humanity. Of all the natives,
she alone seemed to appreciate the effect which the peculiarity of the
circumstances in which we were placed had produced upon the minds of my
companion and myself. In addressing me--especially when I lay reclining
upon the mats suffering from pain--there was a tenderness in her manner
which it was impossible to misunderstand or resist. Whenever she entered
the house, the expression of her face indicated the liveliest sympathy for
me; and moving towards the place where I lay, with one arm slightly
elevated in a gesture of pity, and her large glistening eyes gazing
intently into mine, she would murmur plaintively, "Awha! awha! Tommo," and
seat herself mournfully beside me.

Her manner convinced me that she deeply compassionated my situation, as
being removed from my country and friends, and placed beyond the reach of
all relief. Indeed, at times I was almost led to believe that her mind was
swayed by gentle impulses hardly to be anticipated from one in her
condition; that she appeared to be conscious there were ties rudely
severed, which had once bound us to our homes; that there were sisters and
brothers anxiously looking forward to our return, who were perhaps never
more to behold us.

In this amiable light did Fayaway appear in my eyes; and, reposing full
confidence in her c