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 crushing 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 dashing 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.
After this the blacks were quiet for some time, but we could not judge whether they intended again to come on. Mr Talboys a.s.sured us that they were still in the neighbourhood, and that we must be prepared at any moment for an attack. The time went slowly by. I heard Caesar and Cato talking; and as the danger appeared to lessen, the courage of the former increased.
"Dem n.i.g.g.e.rs, how dey did run when we fired at dem! great cowards! Just dey c.u.m on again, and see how we pepper der legs," said Caesar.
"Better dey not c.u.m," observed Cato, like a true philosopher, probably doubting his companion"s resolution.
As there was no necessity to keep at our posts, I went up and asked Mr Talboys if he would allow me to take his place, while he joined the ladies.
"Thank you," he said; "I was intending to summon you, for I wish to take a look round our fortifications, to be sure that we have no weak points, for I strongly suspect we have not done with those fellows yet."
He was just about to descend, when I caught sight of a bright light away to the northward.
"What is that?" I asked, pointing it out to him.
"It comes from the direction of Marchant"s house," he answered. "I very much fear the rebels have set fire to it. Yes, there is no doubt about it," he added, as forked flames were observed to burst up round the first light, and to extend on either side. Presently another light was seen in the south-east.
"That must be from Peek"s estate. I hope they had warning, and made their escape in time, or the villains will have murdered them, to a certainty. Fortunately there are no women or children there."
We stood watching the progress of the flames.
"We"ll not tell the Marchants of the disaster," he continued. "It might drive them out of their wits; but they may consider themselves fortunate in having escaped with their lives."
Loud shouts rising from the spot where we supposed the blacks to be showed the pleasure they felt at seeing the houses burning.
"They would be still more delighted could they destroy Belmont,"
observed Mr Talboys. "They will, I fear, soon again attempt to carry out their design."
He now begged me to remain where I was, and to give him immediate information, should I observe anything suspicious, and went down to carry out his intention of examining every a.s.sailable point in the house. I kept, my eyes turned, first to one side, then to the other, peering into the darkness, when I observed something moving, away to the right. It seemed like a black line; and after watching it for a few seconds, I felt sure that it was formed by a number of negroes creeping cautiously on to the right of the house, and endeavouring to conceal themselves. I was afraid that my voice might be heard should I shout out, so I went down the steps and soon found Mr Talboys. The moment I told him what I had seen, he sprang up with me, but we could see nothing, though we watched for some minutes.
"If they were really blacks you saw, they intend to take us by surprise," he said. "We must keep a look-out, and be prepared for them."
Just as he was speaking, there came a loud crashing sound, and the next instant cries and shouts rang through the house. Mr Talboys sprang down the steps, and I followed him. There was no difficulty in ascertaining in what direction to go. A door had evidently been burst open in the southern wing of the house. A piercing shriek was heard as we hurried on. The rest of the party, deserting their posts, had already gone to drive back our a.s.sailants. The overseer and clerk, Sinnet and Chaffey, were encountering them bravely. Two had already paid dearly for their temerity, when Mr Talboys, springing forward, attacked them furiously. I kept with him, and did my best with my hanger, cutting and slashing at the woolly pates of the fellows, who evidently were not prepared for so determined a resistance. Those in front gave way, and others who were about to enter hesitated to advance.
Mrs Talboys was rendering us good service by holding up a lantern, by which we could see our a.s.sailants, while the light, falling on their eyes, prevented them from seeing us. Though I observed my other two messmates, I could nowhere see Tom Pim. What could have become of him?
I thought. I was, however, sure that he would not have held back, for though he was but a little fellow, he knew how to use his hanger as well as any of us. The fight didn"t last long; another black was killed, two lay wounded on the ground, and the rest bolted out of the door, which, though shattered, was not off its hinges.
"Quick! Bring some planks," cried Mr Talboys.
There were some near at hand, with which we had intended to secure that particular door. We were not long in putting them up, and placing a heavy chest of drawers against them. Just as this was done, Mrs Talboys exclaimed--
"Where is Lucy?"
"And where is Tom Pim?" I cried out.
Neither of them answered. Before any search could be made, Mr Marchant, who had been watching at the other side of the house, shouted out--
"The enemy are upon us I the enemy are upon us! Quick! quick!"