If the crew of the Perseverance thought their young captain somewhat dilatory, they soon had reason to modify that opinion, since he turned them out at three o'clock the next morning to raft one of the frames ashore, and raise it on the beach.

A large crowd of buyers came to look at it, and among the first Lemaire. All were anxious to buy, not merely the frames, but the hardware, some edge-tools that were in the vessel, and, in short, the whole cargo; but Lemaire outbid the rest, and made a bargain with Walter to go to his plantation at Vauclin, and there exchange his frames and other cargo for coffee, indigo, tortoise-shell, and cloves, at certain prices agreed upon between them. Walter, for the sake of going to the spot where Peterson was, would have closed with the planter at almost any price; but the rates now agreed upon left him a very large profit. The frame on the beach was taken down, and put on board of one of the drogers that had discharged her cargo of sugar, and she immediately made sail for the plantation.

That night, when the crew of the Perseverance assembled in the cuddy,—for, like all pink sterns, she had her accommodations forward, and the salt-room aft,—Walter told them that in two days, during which time Lemaire would get through with his business, they were to set sail for his plantation. The announcement gave rise to a most animated discussion as to the course to be pursued after they arrived there. It was much nearer morning than midnight when they turned in.

French and Spanish vessels are all well modelled, and, in general, sail well. The West India drogers, being constantly obliged to work out in creeks and coves, and contend with head winds, are generally fast vessels; but although, during the war of Independence, the Americans had been brought by necessity to build sharp vessels to prey upon British commerce, and escape from their men-of-war, the great majority of the American vessels employed in the West India trade were of the old English model, built after the fashion of the colonial period. Beauty and speed were sacrificed to capacity, and the vessel that could carry the most lumber and molasses, with the least tonnage on the custom-house books, was considered the best, since in that trade, at that period, capacity was more profitable than speed. But the inventive genius of the people, always equal to the situation, was manifested in their fishermen. In respect to this class of vessels, always on a lee shore, and navigating among shoals and breakers, where both life and property depended upon their weatherly qualities, speed paid. Thus it came to pass that occasionally, in the winter, after the fishing season was over, an Ipswich chebacco boat or Marblehead pink-stern would take a cargo of onions, codfish, or small lumber, and go to the West Indies, when those who confounded her with the common lumber drogers, and supposed they could sail two feet to her one, caught a Tartar. It was so in the present instance. Lemaire prided himself upon the sailing qualities of his droger, and thought nothing on the coast could hold way with her.

He came alongside of the Perseverance, the morning of the day appointed, and said,—

"Captain, I shall be ready in about two hours. I must go ashore again. You had better get your anchor and make sail."

"But I don't know the way."

"No matter; you can be jogging along the coast. I'll overtake you, and then you can follow me."

"Very well," was the reply.

It was a good working breeze, the wind for a portion of the way nearly ahead—a direction well adapted to show the weatherly qualities of a vessel.

"Make sail," said Walter; "we'll be jogging."

With only her fore, mainsail, and jibs set, the Perseverance soon left the harbor astern. Hour after hour passed, and nothing was seen of Lemaire; but as they knew the general direction, and that there were no reefs or shoals, they kept on till they made Diamond Rock, on the port hand, when they must round the southern extremity of the island, and a pilot was needed. They accordingly hove to abreast of this singular rock, rising perpendicularly between five and six hundred feet above the sea, except on the western side, which is accessible, and where are a few small trees and bushes.

Lemaire was astonished, when, after getting his anchor, he looked in vain for the Yankee schooner, and knew not what to make of it, as she was hidden from his view by the island. After waiting till the droger came up, and passed ahead for nearly a mile, they put the bonnet on the jib, set the gaff-topsails, came up with and passed her, as Dick Cameron said, "hand over fist," then hove to, and waited for her to come up.

"I guess," said Walter, "we can spare him the gaff-topsails, the bonnet off the jib, and the flying-jib, and then keep jogging."

Having thus shortened sail, they fell into the wake of the droger.

Lemaire was excessively annoyed at being beaten so outrageously by a lumber carrier, and internally resolved to buy the American schooner, as he had not the least doubt but a Yankee would sell anything, only give him his price; and if she would sail like that loaded, what wouldn't she do in a set of pig-iron ballast, and with copper on her bottom!

Rounding Cape Ferre, they entered the Passe Vauclin, where the navigation was most intricate. Sewall Lancaster was one of those who seem by nature constituted for pilots. If he went to a place once, he could go again. In the woods, or on the water, Sewall could find his way. Though an uncouth, awkward being, caring little whom he pleased or displeased, he was a good navigator, had been mate several voyages, and only went before the mast in the brigantine because of the profits, and volunteered to go in the Perseverance because he was a relative of Walter, and greatly attached to Captain Rhines. When Walter saw the nature of the navigation, he said,—

"Sewall, I must calculate on you to bring us out again; this is a crooked place."

"Never fear, cap'n; I'll take my landmarks, crooked as it is."

The plantation of Lemaire was of great extent, comprising two coves, separated by a point of moderate height, rocky at its extremity. The cove on the southern side being appropriated to the house and offices connected with it, and the northerly one, where was a greater depth of water, was the site of the mill, the house of the overseer, negro quarters, hospital, and other buildings. Here were a wharf, and facilities for repairing vessels, work-shop, and so on, and here the drogers were moored. The great wealth of this planter was evident from the character of the buildings, which were to a great extent of stone or timber, and the roofs covered with tiles, instead of thatch and palm-leaf, as is generally the case. Many of the work-shops were built of timber framed together, the walls covered with narrow pine boards lapped one over the other to shed rain, and the roofs either tiled or shingled after the fashion in America—constant intercourse with the States having taught the French planters many of the methods of building in use there; and, as in that climate timber decayed rapidly, there was a steady demand for lumber.

As they slowly entered the harbor, the sound of hammers, axes, and calking mallets was heard from the northern cove. With eager curiosity the boys strove to make out the form of Peterson among some negroes driving oakum into the gar-board seams of a droger that lay aground upon the beach.

"There is no man there large enough for him," said Walter.

The schooner dropped her anchor in the cove, and the ship's company had the rest of the day—it being two hours before night—at their own disposal, as nothing could be done towards discharging till the negroes moved some sugar that occupied the wharf.

After supper they went ashore, and took a stroll over the plantation, hoping they might get some inkling of Peterson, but without making any inquiries, or manifesting any undue curiosity to excite suspicion, for all felt that they were treading on dangerous ground. They went among slaves employed in all sorts of work, calkers, coopers, carpenters, not daring to inquire, and, without obtaining any information, returned on board.

"Where do you suppose he can be?" said Ned. "We've looked everywhere."

"Perhaps they've carried him to some of his other plantations," said Lancaster.

"No, he's here," said Walter.

"Where is he, then?"

"Locked up. That was what that droger was sent off in such a hurry for,—that we put the frame aboard of, that was on the beach,—to tell the overseer that an American vessel was coming into the creek. Lemaire is not such a fool as not to know that a fellow as smart as Peterson would do his best to get aboard of her. He will probably be kept out of sight as long as we are here, and we must find where he's confined, and get at him."

"What puzzles me," said Dick, "is why so smart a nigger as you say he is hasn't got away before, and got aboard some vessel."

"That is what puzzles me, too," said Walter.

"What kind of a vessel do you call that, captain?" said the planter, when he came down in the morning.

"We call them pink-sterns."

"Why don't you build larger vessels of the same model?"

"They would draw too much water, and would not carry enough."

"What are they made for?"

"Fishing. They will carry all the fish necessary, and are excellent sea-boats."

"She sails like the wind. Will you sell her?"

"She doesn't belong to me."

"Your captains are always allowed discretionary powers. Your owners would not object to a round price."

"She is owned by one man, who would not part with her, as she once belonged to a dear friend of his."

Every effort was made by Walter and his crew, by prowling round in the night, to discover the place of Peterson's confinement.

They cultivated the acquaintance of the negroes, who for their long residence on the estate, and supposed devotion to their master's interests, were promoted to the office of night watchmen, in hopes something might drop from them to throw light on the matter, while, at the same time, they dared not commit themselves by inquiry. The captain also became more and more intimate with Lemaire and the overseer, but all to no purpose, till at length the matter grew serious. The vessel was discharged, would soon begin to load, and there would be no longer any excuse for remaining.

One night, as Walter lay feverish and wakeful in his berth, his mechanical turn furnished him with an excuse for prolonging his stay.

"Monsieur," said he the next day to Lemaire, "I thought you wanted a new house for your overseer."

"So I do; but these frames are not large enough."

"Put three of them together, one on top of the other, and the third for a porch."

"That would be a great deal of work."

"I'll do it for you with my crew, if you will find us, and pay us moderate wages, cover the outside, lay the floors, and shingle the roofs."

To this the planter agreed, and forthwith all hands went to work, but in a manner very much resembling that of the negroes, as they desired to prolong the time.

For some time the attention of Walter had been attracted by a stone building of moderate size, of which no use seemed to be made as a storehouse, the windows of which were some feet from the ground and grated. He noticed a negro, a body servant of the planter, go in there about meal times with something in a basket, and thought it must be the place where Peterson was confined.

Access was difficult, even to the outside, in the night, as a negro called Jean Baptiste, and in whom great confidence was placed, kept the night watch before it. Walter made the acquaintance of Jean, which was not at all difficult, as the negro was delighted with the notice of both him and Ned. Nothing, however, came of it for some days.

At length Walter, being at work with Ned on the frame of the overseer's house, and thus brought above the level of the grates in the building which had been so long the object of intense curiosity, thought, as he looked towards it, he perceived something moving behind the grates, although the distance was too great to determine its character.

But the very possibility that Peterson was confined there made Walter's heart leap to his throat. He looked around. Below were Sewall, Dick, and three negro assistants. He made a signal to Ned, and directed his attention to the place, and received a nod of intelligence.

Every few moments that afternoon their eyes were fastened on those grates. As the sun declined, the rays, falling on the apertures, made them quite confident that they saw a human figure pacing back and forth. It seemed to Walter and Ned as though the sun would never, never set that night.

The moment they reached the vessel the announcement was made. Walter, Ned, and Dick began to devise methods to ascertain whether their suspicions were well founded.

"If you want to know, and can't see," said Lancaster, who stood listening in silence, "why don't you take the glass? That's what they have 'em for."

"What precious fools we are," said Walter, "looking and longing all the afternoon, and couldn't think of that!"

Within a short distance of the frame they had been at work upon, rose the high ground, forming the point that separated the two coves. In the evening, Walter hid the glass among some bushes on the side of the ascent, and while the rest were at breakfast the next morning, he and Ned repaired to the spot.

Walter put the glass to his eye, and was rewarded by seeing the well-known features of his black friend pressed against the grates.

"It's he," whispered Walter, trembling with suppressed delight, as he passed the glass to Ned. The boys sat and looked at each other in silent ecstasy, with hand clasped in hand for a few moments, and then, creeping stealthily from the place, by a look and gesture conveyed the intelligence to their shipmates as they joined them at the building. How to establish communication with Peterson was the subject that occupied the thoughts of Walter during the entire day.

Having made the habits of Jean a study for some time, he ascertained that he, like most negroes, kept a very poor watch. An old log lay beside the wall of the pig-yard, several rods from Peterson's window; upon this the negro would often sit, lean his back against the wall, and get sound asleep. During this time a good opportunity offered to attract the attention of Peterson, and communicate with him; but as it was not until late at night that Jean fell asleep, Peterson would be asleep also, and it would be impossible to arouse him within those thick walls without making noise enough to wake Jean likewise. They therefore determined to do it in the daytime, as exposing them to the least chance of detection, there being no watch kept then, the building not situated in any common thoroughfare, and the risk of observation from any transient passer very little. There is a great difference in the treatment of slaves by different planters, some being of a cruel, others of a more mild disposition, and disposed not to aggravate the hardships of their slaves by savage treatment; and there are some in whose hands the institution assumes somewhat of a patriarchal character. Lemaire was one of this latter class; whether it sprang from kindness of natural disposition or calculation, as thinking they would last longer and accomplish more in the end, his slaves were well fed, lightly worked, and seldom flogged. He kept a strict watch over his overseers, and the negro drivers especially, and has been known, when he heard the lash too frequently, to go to the spot, take the whip from the negro driver, and giving him three or four severe cuts, say, "See how you like that yourself!" The chief business of the day was over at three o'clock; then came the dinner hour at the mansion, after which Lemaire took his afternoon nap. The overseer did the same; the negroes improved the opportunity to shirk and sleep, and while work went on in the field and at the cane mill more leisurely, all was repose in the vicinity of the dwelling.

The boys had succeeded so well in gaining the confidence of all on the plantation, that they went everywhere without question, both night and day, sat down and gossiped with the children and worn-out darkies who were employed in picking over coffee and cloves, strolled into the fields, and among the carpenters and calkers, at work upon the drogers, for Lemaire built his own vessels.

This hour of napping was the time of the day selected by the boys as most favorable for their purpose. It was a little after four in the afternoon of the day succeeding that on which they had obtained a glimpse of Peterson, when they strolled leisurely towards the lock-up to reconnoitre.

A superannuated negro, partially blind and wholly deaf, sat half asleep on the steps; a parcel of negro children were burrowing in the sand beneath the walls of the adjoining stable, and teasing a turkey-cock by holding up before him a tattered red handkerchief.

With these exceptions, no person was seen around the premises. "We need not fear that old negro, nor these little children," said Walter, "and we never shall have a better opportunity than at this very time."

In the yard was a small building used for storing the coarse cloth of which coffee-bags were made; a cart was tipped up against it, by clambering on which it was not difficult to reach the roof.

"I will get up to the roof of that shed," said Ned, "where I can see all around, and make a signal if any one is coming."

No sooner had Ned gained the roof of the shed, than Walter placed himself directly beneath the grated window, at which they had seen Peterson the morning previous. The blacks possess a wonderful ability for singing those songs of labor used by both black and white seamen to lighten their toil. Negroes in general possess a great facility for remembering tunes, and even the words of songs. In the West Indies you will hear negroes who cannot speak a word of English (to know what it means), sing a song which they have caught from white sailors, all through, without knowing the meaning of one word.

Peterson had a large stock of these songs, which he had picked up in the course of his sea life from sailors of different nations, with whom he had been shipmate. It had been a favorite recreation of Walter, in years past, to sit on Peterson's knee, and coax him to sing those songs, while the little fellow would clap his hands, join in the chorus, and applaud most lustily at the close, always winding up with an entreaty for just one more. Sometimes on a rainy Saturday afternoon, when the weather prevented Peterson from working, half a dozen of the boys would get round him, and, together with his own children, make the old house ring with their screams, while Luce, Peterson's wife, would take her hands out of the suds and join the merry company.

Walter stood some minutes leaning against the wall, striving to recall some favorite song that had often served them upon those occasions. Al length, suddenly exclaiming, "I have it," he began in a low tone to sing,—

Instantly, in the same cautious tone, came through the grates the succeeding stanza,—

"Peterson," said Walter.

"Here I is. Who is you?"

"Walter—Walter Griffin."

"Bress de Lord! Who is wid you?"

"Little Ned, Sewall Lancaster, and Dick Cameron, your shipmate in the Leonidas, and old Neptune as cook. We are here in the Perseverance, and have come after you. Luce and the children, Captain Rhines, Lion Ben, and all our folks are well."

"Bress de Lord. He's too good; O, bress de Lord."

"Here, Peterson, take this;" and Walter took from his pocket a long piece of tarred twine, with a nail at the end of it, and fastening the string to a piece of rattan, thrust it through the grates.

"What dis for?"

"I dare not stay any longer now. When it is dark, tie this string round your wrist, and drop the nail out of the window. I'll come here at twelve o'clock to-night, when Jean is asleep, pull it to wake you up, and then we can talk more, and lay our plans."

At the appointed time Walter was on the spot. After telling Peterson how they ascertained he was sold and where he was, he asked,—

"Could you get out of that window, if we take the bars out?"

"No, sonny; it no large enough."

"Then we must break the door."

"Dat make too much noise. You bring strong string, piece of spun-yarn, and crowbar; tie de bar to de spun-yarn; I pull him up, hide him in my bed; den, when time come, pull de staple out de stone what hold de bolt. De stones of dis island bery soft, Peterson bery strong; pull him out; make no noise."

The plantation at Vauclin abounded in domestic animals and fowls of all kinds. Hogs were not suffered to run at large, but were kept in a yard surrounded by a high stone wall, laid in lime mortar; here were hogs, sucking pigs, and shotes of all ages. The fowls run at large. There were ducks, geese, guinea-fowl, turkeys, and hens in abundance. These were all under the supervision of an old negro, assisted by several boys. Philip was a Guinea negro, uncommonly stupid and indolent, although his office was no sinecure, as the other slaves stole all the fowls and pigs they could lay their hands on. But the depredations of the negroes upon their master's poultry and pigs were few indeed compared with those of Dick Cameron. From the time Dick was ten years old, and held horses for a baubee in the streets of Greenock, he had been flung upon his own resources, was an old forager, and his miscellaneous life was not favorable to the cultivation of very accurate distinctions in respect to the rights of individuals in such things as fruit, fowl, and other outlying property.

Dick would have cut his right hand off sooner than have cheated his landlord, backed out after signing the ship's articles, or run away after taking his advance wages; but he would not hesitate an instant in helping himself to a pair of trousers, or a frock, from any piece of canvas that was lying about decks, or to any rope, small line, twine, or worming he wanted for beckets to his chest, hammock lashings, or strings to a clothes-bag. Entertaining such sentiments, it was not wonderful that, since the arrival of the Perseverance, turkeys, ducks, and guinea-fowl should disappear with astonishing rapidity, especially turkeys. At length Walter objected to the process by which he had good reason to suppose the table of the Perseverance was supplied; but all the difference this made was, that, although he and Ned fared less sumptuously, Sewall, Dick, and old Nep lived none the worse, taking their meals at extra hours by themselves; and what they were unable to consume there were plenty of invited guests to finish.

At length the disappearance of some very fine turkeys attracted the attention of the cook, who told his master. He threatened to flog Phil if the matter went on.

"It is these white sailors," said the planter. "They steal them in the night. There's never a vessel comes here but the fowl and pigs are stolen. You must set a watch while this vessel is here,—there's enough of you,—or shut them up."

As the easiest method, Phil and his understrappers shut up the fowl; but every night, when Phil drove them in, some of the turkeys were missing.

"You lazy rascal," said Lemaire, "can't you keep them from stealing them in broad daylight? They don't take the geese; why don't you keep them from taking the turkeys as well?"

"Wharra fur you flog poor nigga, massa? How I help it, massa? When buckra man come, goose he say, 'Sailor man, sailor man.' Den Phil he look sharp. Buckra man go 'way; no git him. Turkey he big fool; go round all de day long, head one side, hollerin, 'Quit, quit, quit.' Wharra poor nigga do? He no tell when sailor man dere, 'cause turkey holler, 'Quit, quit,' all de time."

A few days after this conversation with his master, Phil was asleep in the sun, in the midst of his feathered charge, when he was aroused by a great outcry among the turkeys. Rousing up, he heard all the turkeys crying, "Quit, quit," and saw Dick running for dear life, with the gobbler after him, his neck outstretched, and his wings flapping.

"Yah, yah!" he exclaimed, rubbing his eyes; "wharra fur you run so, buckra man? Turkey no bite you."

It is said "a stern chase is a long chase." It proved so in this instance; for the gobbler never returned. The simple truth was, Dick had baited a hook with corn, and was dragging the old gobbler after him.

Ned was quite fond of going up and sitting among the negroes Sundays, listening to their queer expressions, and watching the frolics of the little darkies. One Sunday morning, there were many of them in a large yard near the house, one part of which was a garden, separated by an open fence of bamboo from the pig-yard. On the other side of the pig-yard was a smaller place, set apart for hens with young chickens.

The children were playing in the dirt and among the hogs, the older negroes sitting in the sun on a bench, in their holiday clothes, chatting and laughing. In the yard was a sow, with twelve pigs almost weaned. Ned sat next to Phil, who, as usual, was half asleep, and saw a pollock-line, which was not far from the color of the wall, flung over, attached to which was a hook, baited with a piece of bread. In a few moments a great squealing drew the attention of all, and one of the pigs was seen going right up the wall as fast as he could move his legs, and in a moment disappeared over the summit.

"Je hay, buckra man!" cried Phil, in amazement, and, turning to Ned, said, "Eighteen year dis nigga been in Martinique; nebber see pig run ober dat wall 'fore dis morning."

It may strike some of our young readers as rather singular, since we have spoken of a garden, that vegetables should be salable in the West Indies, where the soil and climate are so favorable to vegetation, and even bring high prices, especially in Martinique, which is well watered. One great reason of this, undoubtedly, was neglect, since most of the garden vegetables are raised in Martinique now. It must be recollected that many vegetables used on the table are not palatable when grown in a hot climate. Peas ripen so fast that you can only have them just for one picking. It is the same with corn, which, instead of being a long time in the milk, as with us at the north, ripens as it grows. Potatoes are not half as good as those of cold climates; beets and carrots soon grow tough and stringy, running up to seed the first year; cabbages won't form a close head, and are now exported by tons to Cuba. Add to this, that so many fruits grow spontaneously, and attention is all directed to sugar, coffee, and cotton.