Part 15 (1/2)

Meantime Mr Talboys, leaving us to defend the lower storey, mounted to the top of the house, where, keeping under shelter, he could take a look-out at whatever was going on below.

Presently we heard him shout, ”Who are you, and what is it you want?”

”We free and independent people,” answered a voice from the crowd; ”we want our rights. We no get dem, den we kill all de whites.”

”Much obliged for your kind intentions,” answered Mr Talboys. ”There are two sides to that question, and you must look out not to be killed yourselves, which you will be, I promise you, if you attack us.”

”We see about dat,” one of the blacks shouted out.

Mr Talboys replied, and made what sounded to me so long a speech that I wondered the insurgents had patience to listen to it, till I discovered that his object was to prevent them as long as possible from recommencing hostilities. Like other brave men, being unwilling to shed blood, he would not allow any of us to fire until it should become absolutely necessary. He again asked the rebels what they wanted.

”We want our rights, dat's what we want,” they shouted.

”That's what all your friends in the island wish you to have, but you won't get them by murdering the few white people in your power,”

answered our host.

”Dat you say is true, Ma.s.sa Talboys,” cried a black from the crowd.

”Hold your tongue, Quembo; take dat!” and the sound of a crus.h.i.+ng blow, accompanied by a shriek, reached our ears, as if the last speaker had brained his wiser comrade.

”We no c.u.m here to talk, we c.u.m to fight,” shouted several together.

There was a good deal of jabbering, and once more I saw, through a loophole out of which I was looking, the sable army approaching.

”Stand to your arms!” cried Mr Talboys. ”We mustn't let these fellows get too confident. Shade all the lights, but don't fire until I give the word.”

It was pretty evident, from the bold way the blacks came on, that they supposed we were badly supplied with firearms, one shot only having been discharged. Mr Talboys waited till they got within thirty paces, when, just as two or three of them had hurriedly discharged their pieces, he gave us the order to fire, and we sent a shower of bullets among the sable ma.s.s. Without stopping to see what effect it had produced we all reloaded as rapidly as possible. A few bullets rattled against the house, but before we again fired the greater number of our a.s.sailants were scrambling off, in spite of the efforts of their leader to induce them to make a stand. As far as I could judge, looking through my loophole, none were killed, though several must have been wounded.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

A NARROW ESCAPE.

The overseer proposed das.h.i.+ng out, with a whip in one hand and a sword in the other.

”The rascals won't stop running if they see us coming after them,” he said.

Mr Talboys, however, wisely ordered all of us to remain inside the walls.

”There are brave fellows among them, notwithstanding the cowardice of some, and they are very likely to turn round and cut us to pieces,” he observed.

This would certainly have been the case, for we heard the blacks shouting and shrieking at no great distance off, though beyond the range of our muskets. They had evidently halted.

”We must be ready for another attack, my friends,” cried Mr Talboys.

”Keep at your posts.”

Miss Lucy came up to where Tom and I were standing.

”We're so much obliged to you,” she said. ”If those dreadful blacks had got in, we knew that we should all be killed. You have defended us bravely, and we're so glad that no one has been hurt.”

”When we think that we have you to defend, we'll fight as long as we have a charge of powder and a ball remaining, and after that, too, for we should make good use of our swords, depend on it,” answered Tom gallantly.