He and my mother had settled to arrange a passage for me with their old friend Captain Miles even before we started on our ride to Grenville Bay, dad and the captain having seen each other in the town and spoken about the matter previously, fixing the very day of our visit, as the substantial luncheon we had on board showed.
Now, therefore, that my inclinations chimed in with dad's views and arrangements, the thing was finally settled; and it may be imagined what a state of mind my mother and sisters were in about my going.

They hugged and kissed me as if I were going to start that very minute! Dad said that the _Josephine_ would complete loading her cargo at Grenville Bay in about a week or ten days.

She would then call round at Saint George's for orders, and I should have to go on board at a moment's notice, as she might sail almost immediately.
The next few days were all hurry and bustle, everybody being busy in preparing my traps--my mother and sisters seeing to my outfit, and the negro servants, with all of whom I was a great favourite, contributing all sorts of little presents, some of the most unwieldy and useless character, which they thought would either add to my comfort during the voyage or were absolutely necessary for "de young massa agwine to England!" But, at last, all my belongings, useful and useless alike, were packed up; and one fine morning in August--I remember well, it was the day after my birthday--a regular procession set out from Mount Pleasant, consisting of my mother and dad and my sisters, not omitting myself, the hero of the occasion.
We were all mounted on horseback; for no wheeled vehicle could overcome the engineering difficulties of the mountain road, rugged as it was and intersected by wild gullies and little brawling streamlets at intervals, the latter sometimes only bridged by a narrow plank, as I have mentioned before.
To a stranger, our cavalcade would have presented quite an imposing appearance, as behind the mounted portion of the procession came a string of negroes, headed by old Pompey, carrying the three large trunks and odd boxes containing my paraphernalia, those whose services were not absolutely required to carry anything volunteering to go with the rest in order to see me off.
I had been so excited all along with the idea of going to school, which I was looking forward to as something awfully jolly from the description I had read about other boys' doings in books--for I was utterly ignorant of what English life really was--that up to now I had scarcely given a thought to anything else, never realising the terrible severance of all the dear home ties which my departure would bring about.
But, when I mounted Prince for the last time, as I suddenly recollected all at once, and gazed round at my old home, which I was probably about to bid good-bye to for ever, my feelings overcame me.

At that moment I would gladly have stopped behind, sacrificing even the pleasure I anticipated from my voyage in the _Josephine_, and all that the future might have in store for me, rather than desert so summarily the scenes of my childhood and all the loved members of the home circle.
Dad noticed my emotion and he recalled me to myself.
"Come on, Tom," he said kindly but firmly, "you must be a man now, my boy! Be brave; for if your poor mother sees you crying she will break down utterly, and I'm sure you would not like that." This speech of his made me stifle my sobs; and, although I couldn't get out any words to answer him, I swallowed something hard that was sticking in my throat.

Then, putting Prince in a canter, I rode up to the side of my mother, who was in front with Baby Tot.
By that time I had regained my composure and was able to talk and make fun with my little sister, who, not knowing, of course, the purport of our expedition, thought it was a party of pleasure got up especially for her gratification.