Danvers at once gave orders for the men to be landed. He then made a tour of the peninsula, and having examined the lie of the country, he returned to the settlement.

Rooms were provided for Danvers and the two midshipmen at Thresher's own house, which was the largest there, and also the best built and the best kept.

It formed three sides of a square. The ground floor was very strongly built of timber and clay, and was used as a store; the upper floor was built of wood, a succession of rooms of uniform width, but various lengths, with a broad balcony or verandah projecting out on either side, supported on pillars, so that the court in the centre of the three sides was nearly covered. Access to the inhabited portion of the house was obtained by a broad wooden ladder, which could be removed, if desired, when all communication with the outside was cut off. There was a staircase in the interior leading down into the store-house, and as the walls of the latter were loopholed, it could offer a formidable resistance to any attack from the natives.

Thresher led the way into his house accompanied by Danvers, Dayrell, and Marston.

On a table in the verandah, outside the diningroom, was a collection of bottles of liquor, and all the paraphernalia for mixing American drinks.

66

Here, let's have a tot. I am as thirsty as Lot's wife," said Thresher. "What shall it be, Danvers? A cocktail!"

Danvers signifying his acquiescence, Thresher set to work with the hand of a master, and in a short time four cocktails were produced.

"Here's luck," said Thresher, and in another second he set down his tumbler empty.

"Would you like to go to your room?

We dine at eight," he asked Danvers. Then continuing as if the thought had suddenly struck him: "Oh! perhaps you would like to see Nellie first."

"Yes, I should like to pay my respects," Danvers

answered, longing yet dreading to again meet this woman who had exercised so great an influence over him, and whom he expected to see so changed for the

worse.

Thresher roared out "Nellie!" and shortly afterwards she appeared on the scene, dressed in a soft, white cambric frock, tied here and there with knots of pale lilac ribbon. On her head, she wore a big shady hat, covered with white muslin and with a bunch of bell-shaped, natural flowers, the same colour as the bows of ribbon, coquettishly placed on one side. She was as girlish-looking as a young maiden in her 'teens; her complexion was as pink and white as though she had never seen a tropical sun, and her great, big, saucer eyes were as bright and clear as though she had never shed a tear or known a sorrow.

Danvers noticed that she was thinner; but this made her appear more youthful, and apparently increased the size of those big blue eyes, which never rested on a man yet for the good of his mind.

peace of When she saw Danvers she ran forward with a cry of delight, and, as he held out his hand, she clasped it in both of hers.

Did

"How good of you to come and save us," she said. "We have for weeks been in terror of our lives. you know I was here?"

Danvers replied that he had heard a rumour that she was; and her hands clasped his tighter, and she accepted the statement as admitting that he had come for her sake and hers only.

"Let me introduce Mr. Marston and Lord Rupert Dayrell to you, Mrs. "and Danvers hesitated. "Thresher," she added, with a slight flush. Then, continuing, she said to Dayrell: "It is an unexpected pleasure to meet a lord at Baroon."

"Not as unexpected nor as great a pleasure as for a lord to meet you at Baroon," replied Dayrell with the ready impudence of a midshipman. She gave a

silvery peal of laughter that sounded like an English song bird singing on some bright early summer's morning, from pure joyousness of heart.

"I have not had as pretty a compliment paid me since since I lived in another world, and I love compliments," she said.

"I know no one more calculated to inspire them," answered Dayrell, looking straight in her eyes and showing his admiration.

"Look here; it is about time to get ready for dinner," called out Thresher, from where he was standing by the table some three or four yards from the group, adding, in an undertone, "When you two have finished playing the fool."

He had not perfect command over his voice, and his remark was overheard.

"That is the sort of compliment I am accustomed to," said Mrs. Thresher in a low tone, as she lightly touched Dayrell's arm with her fingers; then with a smile and a friendly toss of the head, she passed on to her own room.

Half-an-hour afterwards, all the Europeans in the settlement were collected together in the large room over the principal store-house, which had been converted into a general mess.

There were assembled twenty-eight people altogether, of whom ten were women.

No one could approach Nellie Thresher in elegance of dress, and general appearance, though some of the other women were decidedly comely. They were all in short sleeves and low dresses, and evidently in their war paint.

The men were rather a rough-looking lot, mostly dressed in suits of white jean. Their conversation was interlarded with oaths, even when talking to the women, who did not seem to have the smallest restraining influence over them; and some of the subjects discussed would have been considered rather improper in the smoking-room of a club.

The dinner was excellent, with an abundance of good wine. The ladies remained to the last, many of them joining the gentlemen in an after-dinner cigarette.

Then the table was cleared and taken away; the chairs were moved back to the sides of the room; a barrel-organ was wheeled in, and a nigger commenced turning a handle and playing a waltz.

In a few seconds, fourteen couples were dancing round the room, those men who could not get ladies for partners being quite content to take up with their own sex. Danvers secured Nellie Thresher, and tried to retain her altogether; but directly he stopped, Dayrell came up and begged for a turn, and engrossed a good deal of her society.

After a few very vigorous dances, a number of the men deserted the ball-room for the verandah, where there was a card-table. Here they settled themselves for the greater part of the night, playing unlimited loo, winning and losing by turns, laughing and swearing by turns, but smoking and drinking incessantly.

Dayrell had taken up with a young quadroon girl, and so left Danvers undisturbed possession of Nellie Thresher. Tom Marston made friends with the little German, who gave him an account of what sport was to be had in the neighbourhood. He said that all the best shooting was on the other side of the river, and that being friendly territory, there was no difficulty in going. There were several kinds of small deer to be obtained, partridges, quail, and guinea fowl; while further inland were leopards, tiger cats, and larger kinds of deer. In conclusion, Herr Boehm agreed to go out with Tom the first opportunity.

About midnight, Nellie Thresher informed her lord and master that it was time to go home. He politely replied that she might go to the devil if she liked; but that she was not to bother him.

Thresher was winning, and he had no intention of leaving off play so long as good luck continued.

Nellie Thresher, Danvers, and Marston then took their departure. Dayrell was teaching the quadroon girl écarté, and could not be persuaded to leave.

Tom Marston was bored, and as soon as he reached the house, he said "good night," and retired. Danvers and Nellie remained for some time in the verandah.

"It would be rather fun to trice up that ladder, so that Thresher could not get up here when he returned," said Danvers.

"As far as Duncan is concerned, we are not likely to see him again to-night."

"Are you not afraid of being left here all alone with these niggers in revolt?" asked Danvers.

"I am not afraid, and I am not alone since you came," she answered.

For reply, Danvers put his arms around her and kissed her.

CHAPTER XXIV.

HIMANA

Thou art not able to go against this Philistine, to fight with him; for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.

1 Samuel xvii. 33.

Ar daybreak next morning Tom awoke, and feeling disinclined for further sleep, he got up, and putting his rifle together, went out for a stroll to see if he could get a shot at something, his conversation with the German the previous evening having fired his energy.

In the verandah he saw Mr. Duncan Thresher stretched on the floor in deep sleep, with a watercooler for a pillow. He was snoring stertorously, and was not a very edifying sight.