"Then all I can say is," Nat said sternly, "that I trust that some day, when you are in the power of your enemies, there will be none to give you the aid you now deny to women in distress."
So saying, he turned and went out through the door, and before morning broke arrived again at the cave. Not wishing to disturb the others, he lay down outside until the sun was up, then he went along the stream for some distance and bathed. As he returned, Myra was standing on the ledge outside the entrance.
"Welcome back!" she called out. "What news have you brought?"
"Good news as far as your friends are concerned. Toussaint has got them down to the coast, and sent them to Cape François in a boat."
"That is good news indeed," she cried. "Oh, I am glad! Now, what is the bad news?"
"The only bad news is that the negro declined to help you in the same way. He is starting this morning to join some bands of slaves up in the hills."
"That is hardly bad news," she said, "for I never supposed that he would help us. There was no reason why he should run any risks for our sake."
"I hoped that he would have done so, Myra; but at the same time, as he evidently regards the success of the blacks as certain, and expects to become one of their leaders, one can understand that he does not care to run any risk of compromising himself."
"Mamma is better this morning," Myra said; "she has asked after you, and remembers what happened before her fever began."
"That is good indeed. As soon as she gets strong enough to travel we will begin to think how we can best make our way down to the town."