Sunshine Bill Part 15

"You are welcome, sir, to my house," he said; "and I am happy to receive you. I lately received great kindness from your countrymen, when I was in your situation, a captive in their hands, and I am thankful to have an opportunity of returning it."

Mr Collinson made a suitable reply, adding that it was a sad thing that peaceable people should be made prisoners, and inconvenienced because their nations happened to be at war.

"Yes, indeed," added the Frenchman; "but don't speak about it. It was our Emperor who set the example."

"How long ago was it since the circ.u.mstance occurred?" asked Mr Collinson.

"But a few weeks ago," answered the Frenchman; "indeed, we have only returned home about ten days. My daughter and I were on our way from France, when our vessel was captured by an English corvette, and carried into Port Royal. The captain of the English s.h.i.+p treated us with great kindness, as, indeed, did several of the inhabitants of the place, especially a military officer commanding a regiment there, with whom I was formerly acquainted when I was in the army. We, on that occasion, met as enemies, but we parted as friends, and I was very glad to renew my acquaintance."

The English lieutenant listened to this account with great interest.

"And what was the name of the s.h.i.+p by which your vessel was captured?"

he asked.

"She was a corvette, I know," he answered. "Yes, yes, I remember; her name is the _Lilly_, and her captain is Mr Trevelyan."

"That was indeed a curious coincidence, for it is the s.h.i.+p to which I belong," said Mr Collinson.

"The captain is indeed a kind and generous man!" exclaimed the young lady with enthusiasm. "And, now I think of it, how very strange!

Surely we heard of you from Colonel Lydall. They were very anxious indeed about you. Some, in truth, thought you were lost, but Miss Lydall would not believe that; yet often she was very sad. Now I understand it all."

As may be supposed, after this information, Mr Collinson had numberless questions to ask. Sometimes he was grieved at the thoughts of the anxiety Miss Lydall was suffering; at other times, he could not help feeling grateful that her affection for him was undiminished.

While they were still speaking, a handsome repast was placed on the table, brought in by several black slaves.

"We will have your people in," said the French gentleman. "You will not object to their sitting at table, for I cannot ask them to join the black slaves."

"Certainly not," said Mr Collinson; "though I do not believe they would object to that. Probably, indeed, they would be happier by themselves."

However, the Frenchman insisted that they should come in. The boys'

eyes sparkled as they found themselves seated at the table, for it was seldom or never they had seen so fine a repast.

"Won't I have a good tuck-out!" said Tommy Rebow, as he eyed the viands.

"In case our n.i.g.g.e.r-guards should be inclined to starve us, we may as well take in enough to last for some days."

All hands did ample justice, as may be supposed, to the repast, the black soldiers being fed, in the mean time, in another part of the house.

At length the sergeant of the party appeared at the door, and summoned his prisoners.

"I have not asked your name," said Mr Collinson, turning to his host.

"I should like to remember one of whom I shall always think with grat.i.tude."

"My name is Mouret, and my daughter's name is Adele; but don't suppose that I shall lose sight of you. Every influence I possess with the authorities I will exert in your favour, though I fear that is not very great."

The sergeant becoming impatient, the English party had to take a hurried farewell.

"Good-bye, monsieur; much obliged for your good dinner!" cried Jack Windy, as Monsieur Mouret kindly shook him and his companions by the hand. "We will not forget you, and be sure to give you a call, if we come this way again."

The party were once more on their road.

"Here, sir, the n.i.g.g.e.r servant gave us these bundles to look after,"

said Jack. "They're our duds, I suppose. One is yours, sir, and the rest ours."

"Take care of them," said Mr Collinson. "They may be useful to show who we are, should there be any doubt about the matter."

They pushed on till it was dark, as fast as the negro soldiers could march, the sergeant being anxious, apparently, to make up for the time they had spent at Monsieur Mouret's house. They reached a village at length, where he told them they must stop.

"Is there an inn to which we can go?" asked Mr Collinson.

The negro grinned.

"No, monsieur," he answered; "but quarters will be a.s.signed to you."

After being kept waiting for some time, the sergeant, who had gone away, returned, and told them to follow.

"Here's a fine place," he said, pointing to a tumbledown barn, or shed rather; "but I will see if we can get some straw, and something for supper. You will not require much, after the good dinner you enjoyed."

In vain Mr Collinson expostulated: he found, at length, that he _must_ submit. The soldiers went out, and came back in a short time with some straw, which they piled up in one corner.

"Here's enough for all of us," they grunted out; "and as for food, some farina, and cold water to wash it down, is all that is allowed. If monsieur has any money, we may procure something more suitable to his taste."

When Mr Collinson told his companions what the negro soldier said, they begged that he would not submit to any imposition.

"We can do very well without any supper, or with only what the n.i.g.g.e.rs bring us," answered Jack; "and maybe we shall all want it more by-and-by."

However, when the bowl of boiled corn-meal was brought, they did ample justice to it, declaring that, for once in a way, it was not such bad food, after all. Old Grim, however, grumbled considerably, especially at night, when the rats began to chase each other about the place; and the negro soldiers kept up an interrupted snore, with occasional grunts, as a variation to the music.

"I don't see why we should complain," said Bill, at length. "We're better off than we were on the raft; and, to my mind, it is not worse than being with those cut-throat looking fellows on board the privateer."

"You are always contented," answered Grimshaw. "I can make nothing out of you."

"Just for the reason that I stick to my belief that the sun is s.h.i.+ning up above the clouds, however dark they may be over us," answered Bill.

In spite of the rats, and the snoring and grunting of the negroes, and the unpleasant odours, even Mr Collinson fell asleep, his example being followed by his companions. They were roused up by the black sergeant at daybreak, and, without any breakfast, were ordered to proceed on their journey.

"The people have given us supper and bed, and that's all they're obliged to do," said the sergeant. "We must get breakfast where we stop at."

They travelled on as on the previous day, the scenery being sometimes very picturesque--the p.r.i.c.kly palm, and cocoa-nut trees, and numberless shrubs with long waving leaves. Sometimes thickets of the graceful bamboo lined either side of the road; but persons, when carried off as prisoners, are not generally apt to admire the beauty of the scenery.

Suns.h.i.+ne Bill, however, was not to be put down.

"It's one way of seeing the world that I did not expect, when I left home," he remarked to Jack Windy. "I shall have many more yarns to spin, when I get back, in consequence. Now, Tommy, look out where you are going to. You have nearly brought the mule down two or three times; and the next time we get off, I must sit ahead and steer."

They brought up at another village, where the sergeant procured some messes of boiled meal, such as they had had for supper.

"If it had not been for that kind gentleman, I don't know where we should have been by this time," said Jack. "We should have been desperately hungry, I know. Howsumdever, when we are once settled, I suppose we shall be able to get sufficient grub to keep body and soul together."

At length the prisoners arrived at a wretched-looking village, though picturesquely situated with hills rising round it.

"Halt here," said the sergeant, "while I go and inquire what quarters are to be a.s.signed to you."