the private road which connected the property with the public way. Down here he would be admirably placed. While exercising a sharp look-out, he would himself be in deep shadow, and the absence of openings in the wall behind him would insure both eyes and ears from distraction. Against all these recommendations Nick saw one disagreeable objection to the place. There were near it one or two tombs containing the ashes of former denizens of the place, such objects being by no means uncommon on estates. In his present frame of mind he would as lief have declined their neighbourhood; but the garden-house was so eligible that he gulped down some more rum and his fear together, and made with tolerable steadiness for his station. Was it his fancy? Yes, of course it was his fancy; he was always fanciful when he felt as he did now; but he could have sworn that he saw a duppy* glide from one of the tombs, and vanish in the very building he was approaching. This nonsense was of a piece with the footsteps which he had thought he heard dogging him at intervals for the last half-hour. With great resolution he walked to and entered the building, and then he laughed at his own fears as he seated himself on a box which he felt near the door, and collected his senses for keen observation. The rum and the excitement together raised a persuasion that his watch would not be in vain; and, as he reflected, the charming idea gained strength that he might frustrate somebody's cherished hope that night; and he not only forgot his fears, but began to have a sense of enjoyment.

66

"Ha, boy!" chuckled old Nick to himself, you tink you dam clebber. Berry well, perhapsin you is. You hab plenty brains: berry good. You savey ebberyting; you not like poor black negar; him don't savey nuttin', poor debil! You make capital plan; you nebber

*

tink dat 'tupid ole Nick Chitty able for cheat you. Ole Nick, hah! No, I ax for you pardon, Mennylaiss yes, Mennylaiss, I believe, is de name you is please to call dat ole feller!" And Mr Chitty ground his teeth together in a charitable manner, while his countenance in the dim light of the doorway exhibited that sort of benign expression which the wolf puts on when waiting impatiently for a lamb. There was a luxury in that silent half-hour which it would have been hard to part with at all, but which it was thrice and four times distressing to have disturbed, as was at last the case; for in the very height of his reverie Mr Chitty was startled by a hideous groan: then a sepulchral voice said

Hei, you ole raskil, debil come fetch you at las'. Here, duppies, one, two, tree of you, take up dis ole rogue. Carry him 'traight to h: hear 'ee?

"Oh fader, oh murder, oh my king!" groaned Nick, in excruciating terror, and conscience-stricken. "Me nebber meaned it; me was only joking; me alliss lub de Obeah; ax de daddy."

"Silence, sar; no 'peak a word: hoo-o-ooo!" roared the voice, and a clap of thunder shook the room, while Chitty was violently thrust from his seat and belaboured with blows from invisible hands and sticks.

"Oh, wurrah, wurrah, wurrah! Oh fader!" groaned he.

"You 'peak anoder word, s' 'elp me Gad, me kill you 'pon de 'pot," returned the voice.

66

"What mus' me do, sar?" sighed Nick, submissively ; me is 'greeable to do anyting."

"Hah, dat sound more properer," the dread one replied; "dat more righter. Now den, if you don't want to be choke outright, put for you face upon de ground and listen."

Nick prostrated himself.

"Rub for you mout' and nose well in de dirt. Now den, sar, you

is not to tell no libing soul anyting you see dis night. Dere is duppies an' debils flying about plenty, perhapsin you might see some of dem. If you does, no say a word, or you is a dead negar. Now, mind anoder ting; if you eber tinks of courting Miss Rosabella, de Obeah come kill you sure as a gun. Me know ebberyting you does; don't tink for cheat me, you dam black negar. Hei! what dat? Me mus' go. Mind what me tell you."

The celestial visitant ceased abruptly. Again the thunder resounded through the apartment. A foot was placed heavily on Mr Chitty's body, and a weighty person was felt to jump over him. The jar upon his spine caused him involuntarily to disobey the injunction he had just heard, and to raise his head. A form which seemed gigantic had just cleared the doorway, and bounded along the path to where it joined the other path from the house. At the junction were two figures in light floating garments, evidently some of the duppies against whom Chitty had been cautioned. The three figures joined, and took the road leading from the property. Nick stood astonished, gazing after them till they disappeared, his heart going pit-a-pat, and his tongue cleaving to the roof of his mouth with terror. "Oh, lad-a-gad!" groaned Mr Chitty, chafing his bruised members, and wiping the cold perspiration from his face, "Duppy da come!" After a few moments of horror, he felt that the actual sight of duppies was more tolerable than the fear of their appearance. He had looked upon them, and still lived; nay, save in the matter of a bruise or two, he was none the worse. Nick had a tolerably quick brain, and he no sooner began to use it, than it set about clearing his bewilderment. Though he had been incapable of observing accurately at the time when he beheld the apparitions, there had been in the figure and gait of one of them something which called up the image of his beloved Miss Rosabella. The idea,

after once presenting itself, grew rapidly stronger and stronger, until he perceived that, after all, it was more likely to have been his "'pringflower" in the flesh than a disembodied spirit. Then came the thought of his rival Leander, and jealousy solved the whole riddle. The very design which he was there to frustrate had been effected before his eyes, and he knew it not. Fool, dolt, idiot that he was! he had been completely cozened. Of this he felt sure; and yet there lingered a shade of difficulty, which still seemed to link the affair with the supernatural. The deceit might have been easy enough if everything had been prepared for it, but his selection of the gardenhouse was unpremeditated, and his very presence on the estate was not designed by himself when last he left the premises. Therefore, supposing the whole thing a trick, the juggler must have divined his motives and intentions, which indicated something more than human ability. We could have relieved Mr Chitty's mind, as we will now do that of the reader, by observing, that negroes are accustomed to think aloud, and that Nick, rendered incautious by his potations and the wish to subdue his fear, had been, while disposing of the mule and reconnoitring the ground, most communicative to himself, as well as to another person who had watched him. Having thus destroyed the beauty of the mystery, we may as well complete our confidence, and say honestly, what we had rather not say that two of the figures seen by Nick Chitty were Leander and Rosabella; while the third-how shall we name the third! The third was the sweetest being in the island-Violet Arabin! Thus the murder is out. Violet, in tiny thin shoes, and wrapped in a light shawl, had stolen from her father's roof in the night-watches. Whether her flight was confided or not to any other person in the house save her companion, we are unable to report. All we know is, that Leander, in after years, was accustomed to urge

Rosy to confession on this point, while declaring that he saw a light in Mrs Arabin's room; and that between the window and the lamp he distinctly perceived a figure moving nervously about, and apparently watching the fugitives. But it is notorious that negroes talk a great deal of nonsense.

With a trembling and hurried step did Violet wend her way to the entrance-gate, escorted by her companions. Having passed through into the public road, she cast about her an anxious glance, while Rosy ejaculated, "Hei, buckra no come!" The person they expected to meet there was of course Arthur Brune, a man not given to break tryste on any occasion, far less on one such as this! The difficulty of Violet's situation requires no description. A hasty consultation was held, in which both her companions counselled return. Rosy promised to remain on sentry at the gate, and to give notice of Brune's arrival. But Violet did not choose, after the step she had taken, to cross again that night the threshold of Crystal Mount. Her decision had cost her too much to be thus dallied with, and her faith in Arthur assured her that he could not be far away. Nick Chitty's presence in the garden, too, was a sufficient reason for not going back, nor halting in uncertainty at the gate. For some way down the mountain there was but one principal road, and she determined to take it. It was easy, at most places, to elude observation by retiring among the rocks or bushes, and Arthur was sure to be met before they had travelled far along it. It proved, however, that there were a great many black and coloured people about, as we have already seen. Some of these evinced a disposition to join company, and identify the party. Wherefore Leander soon persuaded Violet and her attendant to keep to a negro path that ran at a little distance, almost parallel with the road, while he himself, on the

VOL. XCI-NO. DLVI.

public way, kept a look-out for the tardy lover. In this way they had proceeded for some time, still without meeting the object of their search, when the question of return began to be agitated again by the brown lady. Violet, though determined to resist her solicitation, knew not, nevertheless, how to reply to Rosy's arguments. Her shoes were torn, her feet were sore, her voice was nearly lost through shame and disappointment. Overcome at length with emotion, the poor girl seated herself, with a sigh of despair, on a fallen tree; and, unable longer to control her agony, she bitterly wept. Rosabella, greatly affected, and getting frightened, leaned over her mistress, giving what consolation and encouragement she could, but urging her to retrace her steps. Suddenly was heard the sharp yelp of a dog, which made Rosy start according to the instinct of her race. The bark was repeated after a short interval; then again it followed, getting quicker.

"Hei!" shrieked Rosy, "de dogs come tear we—make we run.

Violet controlled her feelings, and, in her turn, soothed the alarm of her attendant.

"Nonsense, Rosabella," she said, they are watch-dogs on some of the surrounding estates, perhaps miles off. You can hear them at a great distance on a night such as this."

"Dere, dere again! dem come nearer," sobbed Rosy. "Oh lad, what we is to do!"

It seemed certainly as if the dogs were coming nearer. Presently Leander joined them from the highroad. He, too, had been scared by the approaching animals. There was no further talk now of returning home; that would have been to meet the dreaded dogs. Violet, seeing them disposed to push forward, exerted herself to advance again, and despatched Leander backto the main road, promising that all would walk briskly abreast, or

N

nearly so. Quickly as the party now moved, the dogs' voices gained on them. Leander was not long in once more rejoining his convoy, his fright being excessive. Both he and Rosy were past hearing reason, and, half leading, half carrying Violet, they struck off on a cross-path which led to a house at no great distance, where they might be within reach of shelter. Horrified, indeed, they were; but not so much so as will be the reader, when we state that

the yelps and howls proceeded from our friends Echo and Crocodile, and that the gentle Violet Arabin, to whom all connected with her were so loving,

"That they might not beteem the winds of heaven

Visit her cheek too roughly"the delicate girl, for whom hundreds of one sex were at the time sighing, and whom hundreds of the other sex were envying-was literally being hunted by bloodhounds.

The book-keeper to whom, as we have seen, Echo and Crocodile had been consigned by Melhado, being a young man of enterprise, had, ever since their arrival, been burning with the desire to test their qualities. However, no opportunity of doing so presented itself until the great Obeah assemblage of which he had notice, as was stated some way back. Then he determined to astonish some of their deluded minds, and to create a summary dispersion; at least he did not plead guilty to any worse design, and it did not appear that Melhado's instructions pointed to anything more sanguinary. Accordingly he took the field in most approved style, mounted on his fleetest nag, with topboots and spurs on, and a wonderful hunting-whip in his hand. He had amused himself till past midnight with consuming cold rum-and-water, which, together with his sporting turn-out, so raised his spirits, that, when he had ordered the muzzles to be taken -off, and he heard the brutes try their voices in low single yelps, he began to search his memory for huntingterms of which he had read, and to crack his whip and cry "Yoicks!" in a very creditable and intelligent manner. His "Tally-ho!" gave evidence of considerable talent. He likewise incited the animals to "Hark forward;" but that exhortation was unnecessary, seeing that they were already proceeding at a vigorous pace, and puzzled him to keep up

with them, as he had to make several detours. At length, soon after crossing the main road, they began to raise their noses more frequently, and to give longer and louder notes; and finally, heedless of a caution to "hold hard," they ran completely out of sight in full cry. It is dreadful to contemplate the peril in which our sweet girl was placed, of being attacked and probably torn and mangled by these ferocious brutes! The shelter for which she and her escort were making was not very distant, but yet so far off that no human foot could reach it before being overtaken by the fleet pursuers. The dogs were in the same enclosure as our party, and might in daylight have seen it; and a catastrophe was imminent, which it sickens us to think of, and which would have given a page to the annals of the island interesting and harrowing in all time, when, by a providential intervention, the animals diverged suddenly from the track of our fugitives, and made off with increased zeal and redoubled howlings in an oblique direction. To explain the escape it is necessary to return to Mr Chitty.

We left that gentleman in all the pleasure of a dawning consciousness that he had been done. To do him justice, he did not, after this discovery, waste time in lamentations or oaths, but set himself energetically to work out what mischief might yet be in his power.

He détermined to bring Christy upon the scene in all haste, and to do what he could himself to arrest the fugitives. In fulfilment of both intentions he took the way to Domingo's hut, and, having roused that individual from the side of his beloved Calisto, bade him hie with all speed to Up Park Camp, and tell Massa Arabin that he was wanted at home directly-something terrible had happened. He was to request Mr Arabin to look at his watch when the message was delivered; and, if it was within two hours from that time, Domingo would receive three dollars (a Jamaica pound). Having despatched his messenger, Nick went out among the people, who were collected in the fields, to get news of the runaways, and stop them.

"You is not clear off yet t! thought Menelaus. "Ole Nick no fool."

Domingo put his best leg foremost to win the pound, and started away at a great speed, which brought him at a fortunate moment across the track on which the bloodhounds had wellnigh run into our party. Either for old acquaintance' sake, or for his very superior bouquet, the dogs, after a short hesitation, ran decidedly on his trail. He soon discovered his horrid predicament with an agony that cannot be described; yet he exerted both skill and muscles to escape. The whole mountain-side was well known to him, and by some dexterous drops, jumps, and climbings, he gained every now and then a start on his pursuers. The danger was so imminent that he did not dare to lose time in seeking for a tree into which he could mount, otherwise he might have been secure, though his errand would have been left undone. Once, after running for some yards along the bed of a mountain stream, he knew by the cessation of the baying that his pursuers were at fault, and he halted to draw breath and dash the perspiration from his counteAlas, no! they are once

nance.

more on his trail, and the race for life has yet to be run. Away again, and away it were endless to narrate the shifts and doubles of the hunted man, or the fell instinct of the hounds. As long as his strength and wind were in fair condition, he ran with hope and sometimes with success; but when these were fast failing, and his feet were galled and cut, and full of thorns, and his clothes, and almost his whole person, torn and bloody from the passage through the thickets, the blackness of despair came over him. 'Twas for dear life though, and worth contesting to the last : wherefore he pushes on, blown and footsore, but as yet untaken. Lusty confident life is an awful power! It maintains the struggle with greedy death, and baffles sometimes the grisly king. Give the mind her due glory here, and forget not that she will survive when her present dwelling-place has returned to be the dust of the earth : but for all that, a sound deep chest and trusty sinews are a great possession-such as a man may lawfully rejoice in!

Some way down the mountain he knows of a ravine bestridden by a foot-bridge formed of the trunk of a not very thick tree, and made practicable by a light handrail which has been secured to it. The dogs might venture to follow across, but they must do so singly. He may be able, with a stone or a stake torn from the bridge, to stun them as they come over in succession, or possibly to strike them into the chasm below. He loses a few minutes in seeking right and left for the path which leads to the bridge; but it is time well expended. He is already on the tree-trunk while his pursuers are struggling and yelling down the steep in rear. frail causeway bends and totters beneath him; but, courage! he is safe across. And now a thought strikes him. Cannot his arm, nerved by the fear of death, suffice to dislodge the structure? He will try. He does try; he makes a mighty

The