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some words to Nanina which I could not under- 

 stand, but they looked good-naturedly at me, and 

 laid their hands on their hearts. 



Now that we were apparently in safety, and 

 that we could venture to speak at ease, Nanina 

 told me what had happened during the long 

 time she was absent. The day on which, in 

 vexation, she had gone to complain to her 

 mother, she found a stranger in the hut. This 

 was the famous Apakong ; he was one of the 

 descendants of the Maroons, who had formerly 

 been so troublesome, and he fully inherited their 

 fierce, discontented spirit. He had instigated 

 the slaves in our neighbourhood to rise against 

 their masters. My injustice to Nanina and her 

 family was an additional pretext, and fearful 

 that her mother might suffer her to return to me, 

 and thus, perhaps, betray their plans, he took 

 her away as a hostage, and till that day had 

 watched her closely; but a general muster of 

 the insurgents had happily given her an oppor- 

 tunity of escaping from his less vigilant wife. 



Nanina left me at early dawn, entreating me 

 not to stir from the negroes' hut till she returned. 

 Hours passed in the most intense anxiety, and 

 no tidings came. I knew not what the poor 

 negroes said, but I saw they were deeply 

 anxious, listening to every sound, and watching 

 in every direction. They placed food before me, 

 but I could not eat. They brought me a branch 



