and handed him a sabre and a pair of duelling pistols. "Missy send
um--an' dey loaded, both um, suh."

Captain Blaise, taking the sabre and passing me the pistols, ordered
Ubbo to show the way.

We skirted the grounds and entered by a rear gate a garden where were
all sorts of low-growing trees and high-growing shrubs to screen us as
we drew near the rear veranda. I saw the white gown with the dark blue
sash shining out from the shrubbery, and then the white and blue drew
back. I would have leaped out on the path to follow, but a restraining
hand was on my arm. "Wait, wait!" warned Captain Blaise.

It was the Governor and his son hurrying around the corner of the
veranda. "I do not believe it," the Governor was saying. "I cannot
credit it. That could not have been his ship which was reported still
off the bar at dark--a clumsy galliot of a craft she was described; and
besides, he would not dare, a whole squadron cruising within an hour's
sail."

"But he is gone, and we found the guard was overpowered. He does not
even know how it happened, and his ship is even now moored in the
lagoon, and he himself was with Hassan less than an hour ago. Hassan
will say no more until he gets his advance money in the morning. But if
we move now, he is caught like a rat in a trap. Why not send word to the
squadron? The wind is from the sea again and increasing, and he cannot
now recross the bar. If we could get hold of Cunningham's nigger, he'll
know something. Perhaps we can make him tell. I've sent Charlotte to
watch her." He ran to the corner of the veranda. "O Ubbo! Where in the
devil is he? O Ubbo! Only a few minutes ago he was talking to her out