every now and den sparkling bright, cold, and blue, in de moonlight; and den I look beyond all dis out upon de smooth shining water of de harbour, which stretch away, bright as polished silver, until it end in de lights at Port Royal, and on board of de men of war, at anchor under de batteries dere, dat twinkle and wanish, twinkle and wanish, until de eye rest on de light at de flag-ship's mizen-peak, dat shone steady as one Wenus star. Suddenly I start- What is dat?' I say, for I see canoe steal gently along; de paddle seem of velvet, for no noise it make at all. Presently de parapet hide him, and de two peoples I sees in de canoe, from Quacco's sight. How de sentry don't hail ?' say I, Quacco-What it can mean he don't hail?' again say I. But, just as I tink about de wonder of dis, one loud laugh of de young buccra officer come from de mess-house, and I say, 'Ah ha! de claret begin to work dere -de brandy and water begin to tell; so I will take my grog too, and turn in.' -Hillo!' I say; for just at dis time I hear one footstep behind me; who go dere?' No one speak for long time; but I see one person, wid him head just above de level of de gallery, standing on de stair. I seized my fuzee. Come up, whoever you is.' Ha, ha!' laugh some one. What, broder Quacco, are you afeard? don't you know me, Jack? You know we are countrymen: so here I have brought you a drop of grog.'- Oh ho!' say I, Quacco, Jack, is it you? Come in, I shall strike a light. No, no,' say Jack; 'I don't want de oder men to see I am here.' I tink dis wery strange, but I say noting. All quiet; de rest of my company were at de oder side of de barrick, most of dem in der hammock already, and I was not wery fond to be alone wid Jack after what I overhear. Yet de grog was very good. I take anoder pull; it grew better, so I take one small drop more. Now, Jack,' say I, 'you must know I tought you were leetle better den one big dam rogue; but I begin to tink'-(here him give me oder small drop) dat you are not quite so big willain as I was led to believe; so shake hands.' He held out him's large paw, and say he, Oh, I know, Quacco, dat some one was prejudice you against me; but, never mind, I know of some fun going on. Ah, handsome black girls dere, Quacco, so come along. Come along?' say I, Quacco; where de debil you want me to go at dis time of night? De gate all shut; can't come.' Here him laugh loud again. Oh, if dat Ogly Jack had only had white face, I would have tought he was de wery debil himself. De gate shut?' say he, 'to be sure de gate is shut; but come here, man, come here;'-and now I was sure he was Obeah man, for I had no power to stay behind-someting seem draw me. Massa, you hab all see snake wheedle leetle bird into him jaw, and just so dis dam Jack work on me, Quacco. To be sure de rum was wery good, wery good indeed; so I follow him down stair, and as we pass dat part of de barrick where de grenadier were, we meet two tree men; but no notice take dem of we; so we go down to de esplanade. All still dere but de loud Ha, ha!' from de mess-room, where de band was play, and wax-lights shine. No one else stir, except sentry over de big heap of shell,-one large pile of ten, twelve, tirteen inch shell dat was heap up in de middle,-so we turn to de left, and ascend de platform. Who go dere?' sing out de sentry, as him walk backward and forward between de two gun facing we, Who go dere?' say he. Jack spring forward to de sentry, and say someting. I could not hear what he whisper; but, though I speak never one word, de man mediately say, Pass, friend!' and den him stomp away in de oder direction from where we was. Jack now take hold of my hand,- No time for lost; so come along, broder Quacco.' I hold me back. Ah ha!' say I, show me de cause for all dis, Massa Jack.' 'And so Jack shall,' him say- but come here, man, come here;' and he lead me into de embrazure of one long four-and-twenty, and taking one good strong rope out of de muzzle of de gun, where him seem to have been stow on purpose, him take one loop in him and hook him over de leetle nose dat stick out from de breech of him behind. Now, Quacco, I know you is clever fellow; so warp yourself down by dis ropedere is no ditch here-so down you go, and'- Gently,' say I, where we go to-tell a me dat. I will,' say he, but de night air chill, 80 shall soon have enough.' Wid dat him strike one light, den light some chip, and presently him tro someting on de flame, dat make it blaze up into one large blue flame dat make everyting look wery disagreab-oh, mosh wery. Jack sit down-he take piece roast pork, some yam, and some salt fis out of de crown of him shako we eat-de rum bottle soon not heavy too much in de handand I forget, sinner dat I is, dat I sould hab been in my bed in de barrick in de fort so Jack, after poke de fire again, say, Quacco, broder Quacco, as I say before, we is countrymen-bote Eboe is we?'-' Yes,' say I,'we is Eboe, but we were wery different peoples in de, Eboe country. You know, Jack, dat I was poor debil whose fader and moder was kill and carry away by dese dam Felatahs and"". Here friend Sprawl interrupted the thread of our friend Quacco's tale. "I say, sergeant, you are speaking of Felatahs-we have heard much of them on the coast-who and what are they, my man ?" here take anoder drop'-and, lord, we have de oder pull at de case bottle. Him puff one long puff after him drink. I see you suspicious wid me,' him say, but only come de length of de old hut in de cashaw bush dere, and you shall see I is true man.' Here I stand back leetle piece to remember myself-but he would give me no time to tink none at all. You coward fellow, come along,' say Jack-here go me' wid dat him let himself down by de rope. Coward! nay, me is no coward-so here go me, Quacco' and down I slid after him. We reach de bottom. Now follow me,' say Jack. Presently we come to de hut in de wood, but many a time I look back to see de glance of de sentry musket before him fire; but no one so much as hail we-so we walk, or rader run, along de small path, troo de cashaw bushes dat ⚫ lead to de hut-de moonshine flicker, flicker on de white sandy path, troo de small leaf of de cashaw, no bigger as, and wery like, de leaf of de sensitive plant.-Ah, Massa Brail," I was smiling here" I know him name-I know de sensitive plant-often get tenpence from young buccra hofficer to hunt him out for him, and, indeed, I know where whole acres of him grow in Jamaica. But you put me out, Massa Brail-where I was?-oh-him gone-'ah, Felatah must have de moonshine shine bright and clear, and de lizard whistle wheetle, wheetle, and de tree-toad snore, and de woodcricket chirp, and de beetle moan past we, and de bat whir, and de creech howl squake-So tink I, I wish I was once more in de barrick --but no help for it. Presently we were in front of de hut. Small black ogly hut him was-no light could be seen in him-at least none shine below de door-and dere was never no window in him none at all. Jack stop, and put him hand to de latch. I lay hold of him arm. I say, Massa Jack, is dis de hut you speak of, and dis de pleasant peoples I was to see, and de nice black girls, eh ? Stop,' say he, don't judge until you see-but come in, man, come in.' I go in, but Jack was close de door instantly behind him. 'Hilo, what you mean by dat?' say I, 'you go leave me here widout fire?' Poo,' say he, fire? you "I shall tell massa," said Sergeant Quacco. "Dam troublesome fellow dem Felatah-never stay at home→→→ always going about fighting here-stealing dere. You go to bed-hear de pig in de oder end of your hut grunt quite comfortable-you wake been dere.' You hab only two wife, so you go into market-bazar, de Moorish people call him-you buy anoder leetle wife, because maybe one of de two grow old, and de oder grow stupid maybe; well, you bring de leetle wife home-nice leetle person-you tell him de story how Felatah come, while you sleep, and tief pig-ha, ha-you laugh, and he laugh, and you drink small piece of tody, after nyam supper, and go werry merry to bed-ho-you wake next morning-debil-him gone too well as de pig-de leetle wife gone oh, lord sure as can be, Felatah must be dere.' And your bag of cowrie never safe-every ting dat cursed Felatah can lay him fist on, him grab-de Livapool ship people call him Scotchman." "Don't tell that part of your story in the hearing of Corporal Lennox, friend Quacco," said I, laughing. He grinned, and proceeded. "I say to Jack, 'I was catch when I was leetle naked fellow by de Felatahs, wid my fader and moder, and carry off to dem country, and afterward sell for slave; but you was great man always-big Fetish priest you was— many Fetish you make in your time; you kill goat and pig before de Fetish.' - Ay," said Jack, and maybe, Quacco, I kill oder ting you no dream of before de Fetish, beside dem who hab cloven hoof and four leg and one tail' and he rose up on which me Quacco jump on my feet too. Master Ogly Jack, I onderstand you, you willain; you is one mu tiny, sir, and I arrest you, sir, in de name of de Kin.' All dis time I was press de tumb of my left hand against de pipe of my bayonet to see dat him was loose in de sheath. Jack again throw someting into de fire, dat dis time flare up wid red flame, not wid blue one, as before, when everyting-de roof, de leetle wildcane bed, de rafter, and whole inside of de hut, de calabash hang against de wall, all look red, red and glowing hot, as if we had plump into de bad place all at once-even Jack, and me Quacco, seem two big lobster. I was wery terrible frighten, and drew back to de corner as far as I could get. Jack did not follow me, but continued standing in de same spot where he had risen up, wid both hand stretch out towards me. I try for speak, but my troat stop up, as if you was plug him wid piece of plantain. Quacco,' at length say Jack wery slow, like one parson, Quacco, you have say I was Fetish man, and hab kill goat and pig-and I say I was so, and dat I have in my time make Fetish of oder ting dat have no cleft in him hoof, and hab not four leg, nor one tail. Listen to me, Quacco, you is not goat?'-'No,' say me Quacco, certainly I is not goat.''You is not pig?" continue Jack.'No, no-Oh! oh! oh!' groan me Quacco again.-' You hab not cloven foot?' him go on to say.-'No,' roar I.-Nor four leg?'-No,' again me roar, shaking out my two foot for make him see. Nor one tail?'Here I get mad wid fear, and jump forward wid my drawn bayonet right upon Jack-but, fiz, as if water had been thrown on it, out goes de fire. I nearly stifle wid de smoke, but de termined to grapple wid Jack. I tumble all about de hut, but no Jack dere; I try de door-all fast. What shall I do ?-he vanish-he must be debil-and once more I retreat de best way I could, groping along de wall, until I once more get into de corner dat I was leave. Ob, my God!' say me Quacco, 'here I sall be murder-or if I be not murder, den I sall be flog for being out of barrick widout leave-Oh, poor me Quacco, poor me Corporal Quaccooh, to be flog at de triangles would be one comfort, compare wid walk to de hell place in dis fashion!' Quacco,' say one voice, it was not Jack voice,Quacco.'-Hillo,' say I, 'who de debil is you, eh?' No hanswer-den I begin to ruminate again. Quacco,' again de voice say.-Hillo,' again say I, frighten till de sweat hop, hop over my forehead, and den from my chin and de point of my nose,”—(" Where may* that be?" whispered little Binnacle) -"when it drop down on de floor like small bullets. Quacco.'-' Oh, oh, oh!' groan I; for dis time it sound as if one dead somebody was speak out of one hollow coffin, lying at de bottom of one new open grave, 'put you hand at you feet, and see what you catch dere, and eat what you catch dere.' I did so I find one calabash, wid boil nyam, and piece salt pork dere; I take him up-taste him-wery good-eat him all-why not? Quacco,' again say de voice, grope for de calabash dat hang against de wall.' I do so-quite heavy-let me see. 'Drink what in him,' again say de debil. To be sure, Massa Debil,' say I,' why not.' I taste him-good rum-ah, ah, ah— wery good rum, when flash de fire again blaze up right cheery, but I see no one; so I begin to look about, and de first ting I do was to put down my hand where I had replaced de calabash at my feet. Mercy Heaven! what I lift? One skull, fresh and bloody, of one dead shild, wid some dirt at de bottom, and some fedders, and de shell of one egg. Oh, oh, oh! obeah, obeah!' shout I. And de calabash, what him contain? I pour out some on de fire-blaze, whatever it was-blaze up in my face and singe my hair, oh, wery mosh-make my head smell like de sheep head de Scotch agitant sarvant boil for him massa dinner on Sunday, when him sound till near daybreak, when I too sick to dine at de mess. Dis turn myself, and say, 'Hab I Quacwill never do,' say I Quacco; 'let me co been dronk last night?' i tak so; see what stuff dis can be I was drink;'Or has all dis been one dream?' and I pour some on de white bench beside de fire. Oh, mammy Juba0-0-0-it was blood! And what is dat small black box I see below de bench? Icapsize him. 'Debil,' say I Quacco, 'what him is?' Massa, it was one leetle coffin tree feet long, wid de grave-clothes in him, but green and festering as if de rotting dead picaninny had been new remove. Quacco,' again say dat terrible voice, 'what you eat for yam was dirt from your fadder's grave, Quacco-look at him.'-' Oh, oh,' again roar I; but, good Massa Debil, who go to Africa for him, eh?'' Hold your peace and be dam,' say de voice; 'you mosh swear to keep Jack secret, and to help him, and to do whatever him tell you, even if it should be to shoot.'-Here I go mad altogeder-I dance about de firewhip, in one second it go out entirely—I jump up and down-de voice still continue to sing out-oder two voice sing out along wid him. 'Where dem evil spirit can be conceal?' say I-'some one must be on de rafter of de roof above my head calabash, for I can't find no devil on de floor of de hut, none at all,' say I; so I jump up again, when my head knock against someting. Oh,' say somebody. Ah,' say me, Quacco. I leap once more, and pike up my naked bayonet before me-It tick in someting-what it was I can't tell; it feel as if I had dig him into one round of beef-large yell instantly shake de entire hut I jump again— heavy ting fall down on me-I scramble to get away, but one of de debils scramble to hold me down-I turn to de left-I lay hold of de hand of anoder on dem-no doubt one who was speak. Ho, ho,' say I Quacco; so I make clever slide from between dem. De two debil grapple one anoder-gurgle, gurgle squeak, squeak-one on dem was strangling de oder. I almost laugh, when some one hit me a heavy blow behind de ear; I faint away-dead-and-and I remember noting none at all, until I find myself, when still it was dark night, all beat and bruise, but wid swimming head, in my hammock in de barrick at Fort Augusta. I sleep ་ Maybe. Den I put up my hand to my head, but I never get soch bumps and tumps in one dream before. Dere was only tree oder of our men sleep in dat end of de barrick where I was, de rest being two rooms off, dose between us being in repair; one on dem was Ogly Jack, and de oder two was de wery dentical rascail I have mention before, Mundingo Tom and Yellow-skin Paul -Dem all tree eider were sound asleep, or in dem hammocks, or pretended dey were so-for when I feel de cool damp morning breeze come troo de open window at one side of de barrick-room, and blow clean out at de oder, and see de morning startwinkle bright and clear in de red east on one side, and de paleface buccra moon, just sinking behind de brushwood on Hellshire Point, troo de window on de oder hand, I turn myself again in my hammock, and listen to de roar of de surf in de distance, and rub my eyes again, and say it not morning yet.'-But presently de truth push himself into my eye, and I say 'It is daybroke, and sore or sound, up must I Quacco get.' Just under de window, by dis time, I was hear some low grumbling voices, and coughs, and loud yawns; den I hear hollow tumbling sounds like when drum is place on de ground, den more grumbles, and coughs, and yawns, den de squeeking of de drum braces, as de leetle drummer pull dem tight, and de tootletoo of de fifer, as dem get all ready. At length old Spearpoint, de drum-major, sing out wery gruff, 'fall in, music,' and next minute roll went de drum, squeak went de fife, roll went de drum, squea-eak went de fife very shrill, roll went de drum de tird time, and squea-ea-eak went de fife, very too dam shril dis last time, and away dem stamp rum dum dum round de barraik-yard wid dere reveillie. We all tumble out, and fall in on parade-still dark-we stand to our arms, de moon go down, but de morning star glance cold and clear on de bayonet and bright barrels of de guns-de great Duke no was brown de barrel den, God bless him. Search arms,' de sergeant say. We do so-half pace to de right-so in dat position I see well what Ogly Jack, who was my rear rank man, was do. De sergeant approach me I send down my steel ramrod wid one bang-he jump up with a loud ring one foot out of my musket-it really surprise me how far de ramrod jump, as I send him home wid scarcely no strength none at all. Ha, someting past common here,' say I to myshef-de next man to me in de front rank was Yellow-skin Paul, and de next man to Ogly Jack was Mundingo Tom. As me Quacco was de right hand man of de front rank of de grenadiers, so Jack was de right hand man of de rear rank-well, Yellow-skin Paul make believe dat him send him ramrod home, but I notice he catch him between his finger and tumb, so as he never reach de bottom. 'Ho, ho,' tink I to myself,' who shall say dat gun no load! I keep quite still de sergeant by and by come to Jack-he catch de ramrod same way, and de sergeant being half asleep, eider did not notice dis, or him tought nothing about it. Presently he desire Mundingo Tom to search arms-he bang his ramrod down I saw, wid design to catch him like de oders, but in his hurry it slipt troo his fingers, and go home thud. Ho, ho,' say I again to myself, dis piece is also load'-What was to be do-de sergeant notice dis one-dat firelock is load, you scoundril.' No,' say Mundingo Tom, but I leave some tow in him, beg pardon, massa sergeant.'-'You dem rascail,' say de sergeant, you never is better, you lazy dog-fall out sir, and draw de Atten tion,' call out agitant de left wheel into line-marsh' - tramp, tramp, tramp, whir-de line is form. 'Stand at ease'-'A sergeant from each company for blank cartridges.' So away step de sergeant, who had given Mundingo Tom a rating, and I take de opportunity of whisper Jack I say, Jack, what is in de wind? I have great mind to peach my sospicion.' He say nosing; and den I say, 'Poo, all my fear must be nonsense-all must be a dream-de sergeant return-serve out eight round of blank cartridge- attention' again. De line will wheel into open column of companies, right in front,-on you left backwards wheel-halt, dress.' De hofficer was now all on parade, and stood in a group in front-de agitant mount him horse-Major D- appear at de door of him house-one orderly hold him horse-him mount, and ride up to de hofficer. • Gentlemen, fall inform subdivisionsquick march' rum, dum, dum, dum, again, and away we march out to de glacis of de Fort-den we form, and much manoeuvre we was perform-oh wery brilliant, wid cartridge, prime, and load. De regiment will fire by companies from right to left'-short tap on de drum de hofficer commanding companies fall back two pace-ready, present, fire-blaze go de grenadier-I prick my ear, and cock my eye. Ogly Jack, my covering file, was not fire-I know, because de moment I pull de trigger, I clap my right cheek down on de barrel of he musket as he was level-all cold iron -Ha, ha,' say I to myself, and while loading, I glance my eye at Yellowskin Paul's firelock, who was next me, and also at Mundingo Tom's, who was next Jack, bote on dem were half cock. So Ha, ha,' say me Quacco again, but before I could determine in my own mind what I should do, de word was given-De regiment will fire one volley direct to de front,'-' Ready - present fire,' roar went de musketry all smoke for small space-we remain at de presentwait long time for de major give de word 'Come to de recover,'-no one speak-all of we remain wid our piece level-oh! one attitude wery tiresome. Still no one speak. At length I hear our captain, one wery nice man, grumble to himself, Why, what can be amiss wid de old major?'-dat moment de smoke, by de setting in of de sea-breeze, was blow off. What shall we see? Why, Major D was lying on him horse's neck, widin ten yard of de grenadier company. Ah!' say for we captain- he must be in one fit'-when down de major drop-and away scamper de horse-de captain run up, and turn de old man on him back, and take off him stock, and open him jacket. Ah!' cry he mutiny, gentlemen, mutiny; de |