I desired the foreman to walk out with me; and asking how long he had been in that employ, he told me he was a native of the Born Isles, and was brought thither young, where he first wrought in the iron, then in the silver, and now in this mine: that he had been there twenty years, and never expected to be delivered from his miserable slavery; but as he was now overseer of that work, he did pretty well, though nothing like freedom. He told me they expected several new slaves quickly, for the mines killed those they did not agree with so fast they were very thinly wrought at present, and that the governor was gone to the isles to get more men. I was glad to hear this. "And, pray," says I, "where does the governor reside?" He (pointing to the place) told me. "And what guard," says I, "may he keep?"—"About four hundred men; but nobody durst molest him," says he; "for he tortures them in such a manner, never killing them, that not the least thing can be done against his will."
After we had talked a good while on the misery of slavery, and finding him a man fit for my purpose, I asked him if he would go with me to Brandle-guarp: "For," said I, "there are certainly good mines in those mountains; and if you will overlook them, you shall be free, and have whatever you desire." He shook his head, saying, how could he expect to be free where all the rest were slaves. "And besides," says he, "they are in such commotions among themselves, that it is said the State will be torn to pieces."—"You are mistaken," says I, "very much; I myself have settled peace amongst them, and killed the usurper."—"Is it possible?" says he; "and are you the man it was said they expected to come out of the sea?"—"The very same," says I: "and as to slavery, there is not a slave in the kingdom; nor shall be here, if you will hearken to me."—"That would be a good time indeed," says he.—"Well," says I, "my friend, I promise you it shall be so; only observe this, that when I come to reduce the governor, do none of you miners assist him." He promised he would let the other miners secretly know it, and all should be as I wished; but desired me to be expeditious, for the governor was expected every day.
I went from him to the other mines, and my guides with me; who seeing me so well received at the copper-mine and reporting it to the others, it caused my proceedings to go on smoothly, and my offers to be readily embraced wherever I came.
Having prepared matters thus, I set Maleck and his countrymen upon the natives, to treat with them about submission to Georigetti, on promise of freedom; who being assured of what I had done at Brandleguarp, and in hopes of like liberty, readily came into it; so that the only thing remaining was, before the governor's return, to attack the soldiery. Having, therefore, renewed my engagements with the miners, and believing myself upon as good terms with the natives as I could wish, I was advised by Nasgig and Lasmeel to return for cannon and a large army before I attacked the soldiery: but I, who had all my life rode upon the spur, having considered that an opportunity once lost is never to be regained; and though I could have wished for some cannon, I valued the men but for show: I therefore formed my resolves to march with the force I had next morning, and pitch upon a plain just by the governor's garrison, in order, if I could, to draw his men out. I did so, and it answered; for upon the first news of my coming, they appeared with a sort of heavy-headed weapons, which hurling round, they threw upwards aslope, in order to light upon the backs of their enemies in flight, and beat them down; but they could not throw them above thirty paces.
I sat still in my chair, with a gun in my hand, and Maleck with another at my elbow, with four more lying by me, ready to be presented; Lasmeel standing by to charge again as fast as we fired. I ordered a party of twenty of my men with cutlasses to attack the van of the enemy, by rushing impetuously upon them, they coming but thin against me; for I was not willing to employ my pieces till I could do more execution. They began the attack about a hundred yards before me, not very high in the air; and my cutlass-men having avoided the first flight of their weapons, fell upon them with such fury, that chopping here a limb and there a graundee, which, disabling their flight, was equally pernicious, they fell by scores before me: but I seeing those in the rear, which made a body of near three hundred, coming very swift and close in treble ranks, one above the other, hoping to bear down my handful of men with their numbers, I ordered my men all to retire behind me, and not till the enemy were passed over my head to fall on them. Maleck and I, as they came near, each firing a piece together, and whipping up another, and then another, in an instant they fell round us roaring and making a horrid yell. This the rest seeing, went over our men's heads, not without many falling from the cuts of my men; and those who escaped were never heard of more.
The miners, who from their several stations had beheld the action, came singing and dancing from every quarter round me, and if I had not drawn my men close in a circle about me, would probably, out of affection, have done me more hurt than two of the governor's armies; for against these common gratitude denied the use of force; and they crowding every one but to touch me, they said, for fear of being pressed to death myself, as some of them almost were, I ordered them to be let in through my men at one side of the ring, and, passing by and touching me, to be let out on the other side; and this quieted them, but kept me in penance a long time.
We then marched in a body all into the town, where we were going to proclaim Georigetti King of Mount Alkoe, when a surly fellow, much wiser than the rest, as he thought, being about to harangue the people against being too hasty in it, was knocked down and trod to death for his pains; and we went on with the proclamation, giving general liberty to all persons without exception.
The next thing to be considered was how to oppose the governor when he came; and for that purpose I inquired into the manner of his coming, the road he came, and his attendants; and being informed that a hundred of his guards who had not the graundee waited for him at the sea-side, and that he had got no other guard, except a few friends and the slaves he went for, and that the slaves always came first, six in a rank tied together, under convoy of a few of his guards, I went in person to view the route he came, and seeing a very convenient post in a thick wood through which they were to pass, from whence we might see them before they came near us, I posted a watch on the sea side of the wood, and myself and men lay on the hither side of it, just where the governor's party must come out of it again: so that my watch giving notice of their approach, we might be ready to fall on at their coming out of our side of the wood.
When we had waited three days, our watch brought word they were coming; so we kept as close as possible, letting the slaves and guards march on, who came by about two hours' march before the governor: but so soon as he approached I drew up my men on the plain within the wood in ranks, ordering them to lie close on their bellies till they saw me rise, and then to rise, follow me, and obey orders.
Several of the first ranks having passed the wood, just as the governor had entered the open country, I rose and bade Maleck call aloud that if any of them stirred or lifted up a weapon he was a dead man; and then seeing one of the foremost running, I fetched him down with a musket-shot, bidding Maleck tell the rest that if they submitted and laid down their weapons they were safe; but if they refused, I would serve them all as I had done him who fled. This speech, with the terror of the gun, fixed every man to his place like a statue.