The captain desired to see me before I started, and gave me further instructions, making me study well a plan of the road to the fort, so I did not fear that I should lose my way. At length we shoved off. Instead, however, of pulling directly for the shore, we steered over to the opposite side of the bay to that where the enemy were encamped. Nettleship seemed very anxious about me. "I wish that an older man had been sent, Paddy," he said; "and I'm ashamed of myself that I don't understand French, or I might have been employed in the service. I envy you for the opportunity you have of distinguishing yourself." "I don't see that I shall have much to boast of, having only to creep along in the dark up to the fort and back again. There's no great difficulty in the undertaking, besides having to keep out of the way of the French pickets." "It's not so much what you have to do, as the object to be attained, and the danger of doing it, which will bring credit on you," he answered. It was perfectly dark before we reached the place which had been fixed on for landing, so that we ran no risk of being observed from the shore. It was arranged that Nettleship was to wait off it until I made the signal for him to come in and take me aboard. Not a word was spoken as Larry and I stepped on to the beach, he carrying the signals and I the book and the admiral's letter. We kept first to our right till we found a path leading inland through a wood. We went on as rapidly as the nature of the ground would allow. The snake-like roots ran across the path, and creepers hung low down in festoons, forming nooses, which might have brought us sharply up if we had run our heads into them. Now and then I fancied that I saw a huge snake winding its way along before me; and tree-frogs, crickets, and other nocturnal insects, kept up a noisy chorus as we went on. Sometimes it was so dark that it was with the greatest difficulty I could make my way with the stick I carried. I was very glad when, getting out of the wood, we found ourselves on the borders of a sugar-cane plantation. This I knew I should have to skirt till I reached another path leading almost directly up to the fort. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. THE LAST OF THE "LIFFY."