A RESCUE. 183 



giving a few extra quavers towards the last, making 

 the woods ring again with a volume of sound that 

 Lablache might have envied. 



'Hilloa!' came back from a long distance off. 



' Whoo-whoop ! ' I answered. 



As no response came, I felt satisfied that whoever it 

 was, the stranger was making his way towards me ; so I 

 waited patiently, occasional!}^ giving a solitary screech, 

 just to guide my unknown friend. 



* Who's that trying to scare all the owls out of the 

 forest?' shouted a voice at a little distance. 



^Take care you are not scared yourself, my fine 

 fellow ! ' I shouted. I'm treed by Mexican hogs, and 

 they'll put you to climbing in half-a-second, if 3^ou let 

 them catch a glimpse of you.' 



^ Go back,' I continued, ' go back to the plantation ; 

 get every dog you can find ; get some people with guns 

 and cane-knives, and come back and use them up,' 



' All right ! ' the voice replied, ' I'll soon be back to 

 you ; so sit still.' 



The latter advice was quit# unnecessary. I had 

 already been ^ treed ' for fully six hours ; and it was not 

 likely, now I was about to be relieved, that I should be 

 so stupid as to come down amongst my vindictive 

 gaolers, to be cut to pieces by them at the eleventh 

 hour. 



In about three-quarters of an hour's time, although 

 each minute seemed to be lengthened a quarter of 



