330 



BRAZILIAN PLANTER. 



position, but of most pleasant manners. He 

 had in one particular instance, which pre-emi- 

 nently stamped his character, behaved in a most 

 shameful manner to a lady to whom he professed 

 himself to be attached. He had possessed many 

 slaves ; but at the time the following occur- 

 rences took place three or four only remained, 

 and of these one alone was in health. Appre- 

 hensive of being assassinated by some of the 

 persons whom he had injured and insulted, he 

 usually kept the doors and windows of his re- 

 sidence well secured, excepting one entrance 

 which was likewise closed at dusk. One even- 

 ing, three men knocked at the door, and asked 

 leave to pass the night in some of the out-houses 

 of the plantation ; the owner answered from 

 within, but did not open the door, saying that 

 they might sleep in the mill. About an hour 

 afterwards there was another knock, and a person 

 requested that some fruit might be sold to him. 

 The owner fetched some, and inconsiderately 

 opened the door to give it to the man ; but when 

 he looked out, all the three were there, and as 

 he reached the fruit to one of them, a second 

 fired, and the greatest part of the shot entered 

 the abdomen. The known courage of the 

 wounded man made these fellows hesitate in 

 approaching him immediately, by which means 

 he had time to reach his sword, which stood 

 near to where he was, and he was enabled to 



