“Would you like to see our doctor, sir?” asked Murray.
“No, no; thank you, no; it is only weakness,” was the reply. “I have often been like this, and it will soon pass off. I shall go off to sleep before many minutes have passed, and wake up rested and refreshed.”
“Then you would like me to leave you for a while?” asked Murray.
“I should be most grateful, sir,” was the reply, “and I shall sleep in peace now, feeling safe in the knowledge that I have the protection of a guard.”
The planter had opened his eyes to speak, and now closed them tightly, leaving his guardian to glance round the room, which had but the one door, that by which they had entered; while the window was open save that one widely arranged green jalousie shut out some of the sunshine and subdued the light that floated in.
Murray stepped out, after noticing that an oblong, shallow, brass-bound box lay upon a side-table—a box whose configuration had but one meaning for the lad, and that was of a warlike or self-protective character, an idea which was strengthened by the fact that an ordinary military sword was hung above the mantelpiece.
“Sword and pistols,” thought the lad. “What does he want with so many weapons? I should have considered that there were enough in the hall without these.”
He noticed that there was a hand-bell upon the side-table, a fact which suggested that a servant was within reach, and as the lad stood in the hall once more he looked about him, and then, feeling that he had entered upon a special charge, he crossed to the next door, that facing the one he had just left, and upon thrusting it open found himself in what was evidently used as a dining-room, being about double the size of the other, and having two windows whose lath-like shutters half darkened the room.
“I don’t want to play spy all over the house,” said Murray to himself, “but I am in charge of this planter fellow, and I ought to know who is about the place. But I don’t know,” he muttered; “it isn’t the duty of a naval officer.”
Frowning slightly, he stepped out on to the bamboo platform again and signed to the big sailor to follow him back to the door.