behind, and thus afforded me an opportunity of raising myself from
the ground. The whole affair had not taken more than a few seconds.
The negro's fury was now roused to its highest pitch by the wounds
he had received: he gnashed his teeth at us like a wild beast, and
flourished his knife with frightful rapidity. The Count, in his
turn, had received a cut right across the hand, and we had been
irrevocably lost, had not Providence sent us assistance. We heard
the tramp of horses' hoofs upon the road, upon which the negro
instantly left us and sprang into the wood. Immediately afterwards
two horsemen turned a corner of the road, and we hurried towards
them; our wounds, which were bleeding freely, and the way in which
our parasols were hacked, soon made them understand the state of
affairs. They asked us which direction the fugitive had taken, and,
springing from their horses, hurried after him; their efforts,
however, would have been fruitless, if two negroes, who were coming
from the opposite side, had not helped them. As it was, the fellow
was soon captured. He was pinioned, and, as he would not walk,
severely beaten, most of the blows being dealt upon the head, so
that I feared the poor wretch's skull would be broken. In spite of
this he never moved a muscle, and lay, as if insensible to feeling,
upon the ground. The two other negroes were obliged to seize hold
of him, when he endeavoured to bite every one within his reach, like
a wild beast, and carry him to the nearest house. Our preservers,
as well as the Count and myself, accompanied them. We then had our
wounds dressed, and afterwards continued our journey; not, it is
true, entirely devoid of fear, especially when we met one or more
negroes but without any further mishap, and with a continually
increasing admiration of the beautiful scenery.

The colony of Petropolis is situated in the midst of a virgin