by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XVI.
DOWN THE RIVER.
First steps are always full of interest, at least to those who takethem; and, as I look back upon the eventful time when our littleprocession left the back of the barn, it looms up as the most excitingmoment of my life, if I except the instant when I was struggling withSim Gwynn in the water. I was leaving the only home I had known foryears, and was going on a strange voyage down the river on a raft. Ishall not soon forget the emotions which agitated me.
DOWN THE RIVER.--Page 178.]
Sim led the way with the wheelbarrow piled high with Flora's bed,bundles of clothing, blankets, sheets, and comforters, while I broughtup the rear, dragging Flora's wagon, in which she was seated. My poorsister was quite cheerful, and did not seem to be disturbed by anytimidity.
"Hurry up, Sim!" I called to my file-leader. "We have no time to lose."
"Won't Captain Fishley come after us?" asked Flora, as Sim quickened hispace.
"He will if he knows where to come; but the swamp will be the last placein the world where any one would think of looking for us. Before morningwe shall be miles away. Don't be alarmed, Flora."
"I am not alarmed. I feel ever so much better than I did when I thoughtof meeting Mrs. Fishley again. Do you think it is right for us to dothis, Buckland?"
"Right! Of course it is. I don't know of any reason why we should staywith Captain Fishley and his wife, to be kicked and cuffed by them anylonger."
Flora was thoughtful; but I knew she would not have come with me if shehad believed it was wrong to do so. We were all silent till we reachedthe verge of the swamp, where the small raft lay. We unloaded thewheelbarrow, and Sim went back for the rest of the articles. I placed mysister's bed on the raft, and taking her in my arms, I laid her uponit, and covered her with blankets, that the night air might not injureher. I then pushed the raft over to the branch of the creek.
"Is that the raft?" exclaimed Flora, as I pointed it out to her.
"That's it; and I am sure you will be happier on board of it than atFishley's."
"The house looks real nice! There is the stove-pipe. You have one glasswindow."
"Yes; that is in your room," I replied, as I ran the tender alongsidethe great raft.
I fastened it securely, and helped Flora on board. She was almost asmuch delighted with my handiwork as I had been myself. I conveyed herbed to her apartment, and placed it in the bunk. It was not a bad fit.
"Now, Flora, I must leave you, and go for the rest of the things. Youcan lie down in your bed, and I will cover you with blankets."
"I'm not cold. Shall you be gone long?" she asked.
"No."
"This is a very dismal place."
"You shall be on the broad river in the morning."
She lay down, and I left her to meet Sim at the landing-place. He hadarrived before me, and we loaded all the rest of the goods on the raft.
"What shall I do with the wheelbarrow?" asked Sim.
"Take it up into the open field, where they can see it. It might lie inthe swamp for a year before any one found it; and I don't mean to take asingle thing from Fishley. I carried back the saw I borrowed, and boughta new one. I don't owe him anything now," I replied.
"I reckon he'll wonder where you and Miss Flora are, when he gets back,"said Sim, with one of his broad grins.
"Let him wonder. I shall not charge him anything for wondering."
"I s'pose not," chuckled Sim, as he went off with the wheelbarrow.
While he was gone, I amused myself in picking up a quantity of dry woodon the high ground for the stove, which I placed upon the raft. As soonas Sim returned, we pushed off, and made our last trip through theswamp. When we arrived at the raft, I found Flora had got up, and waswalking about the platform. She was so nervous she could not lie in bed.I placed her chair in the large room, closed the shutters, and made afire in the stove. In a few minutes I had the pleasure of seeing herseated before the fire, seemingly comfortable and happy.
Sim and I transferred the articles, including Flora's wagon, from thesmall raft to the house on the large one. By this time it was quitedark, and I lighted my lantern. My first work was in Flora's room, whereI made up the bed, and spread a rug on the floor. I drove nails into thewalls to hang her clothes upon, and arranged her boxes on some shelves Ihad put up. The place looked very cosy to me, and Flora declared that itwas ever so much nicer than she had expected. I had taken great painswith this part of the building, and carefully stopped every crack wherethe wind could blow through upon her, and the roof had already beentested in a heavy shower.
By nine o'clock, as nearly as I could guess the time, I had finished mysister's room; but, though it was past her bedtime, she was not willingto retire. I had hoped she would take to her bed at the usual hour, andrelieve me of all anxiety about her, for I was afraid she would catchcold and be sick. But the excitement would not permit her to do so. Thestove warmed both of the rooms, and we were in more danger from the wantof ventilation than from the night air. She sat in her chair in herroom, with Sim and me before her, talking over the matter.
"Why don't you start, Buckland?" she asked, when I had detailed morefully than before my plans.
"It is rather too early yet. You know the road to Riverport runs alongthe bank of the creek, and I don't wish anybody in these parts to seeus," I replied.
"The sooner we start, the farther we shall get before morning," addedSim, who was as impatient as Flora.
"We shall be far enough off in the morning. How fast do you suppose theraft will go, Sim?"
"I dunno."
"It will go about as fast as the current without any help; and that isthree or four miles an hour. We shall be at least twenty miles from hereat five o'clock in the morning."
"But won't they miss us at the house, Buckland?" asked Flora.
"Certainly they will. Very likely they have missed us by this time."
"Suppose they should find us?"
"We should be no worse off than before. But there is not the remotestchance that they will find us. Do you think they would look in the swampfor you, Flora?"
She was satisfied, and we continued to discuss the future, until Ijudged that it was late enough to commence the voyage. I wished to besure that Captain Fishley and his wife had returned from Riverport. Thenight was quite dark, and I had no fear that the raft would be seen; buteven if it were, it was not a very uncommon thing for such a craft to godown the river.
I had made a crooked steering oar, and built a platform to stand upon,so that the helmsman could see over the house. I mounted this platform,and took hold of the end of the oar.
"Now cast off the forward fast, Sim!" I called to my deck hand.
"All clear," replied Sim, when he had drawn in the line, which had beenpassed round a tree so that it could be hauled in without going onshore.
"Now let go the other!"
Sim untied one of the ends of the rope, and was pulling it in, when Ifelt a consciousness that something was wrong, though I could not tellwhat. It flashed across my mind that I was making a blunder.
"Hold on, Sim!" I shouted, jumping down from the platform, and trying tocatch the rope; but the end had gone ashore.
"What's the matter, Buck?" called Sim, apparently alarmed by my suddenmovements.
"I have forgotten my money!" I exclaimed, as I leaped on the small raftwhich lay alongside.
I sprang for the tree to which the great raft was fastened, in order tosecure the rope; but it was too late. The current started the raft, anddragged the rope off before I could catch hold of it. In the darknessand the night the craft went off without me.
"Don't leave me, Buck!" called Sim.
"Take the steering oar, and run her up to the shore!" I replied.
I had the small raft, and I could follow at pleasure, and join mycompanions; but if I pushed off, I could not return, for the branch ofthe creek was too deep for me to use the pole. I could not think ofgoing without my money.
I saw
Sim jump upon the platform, and work the steering oar vigorously,but with more power than skill. He succeeded in running her up to thebank.
"Now hold on to her!" I shouted. "I shall not be gone long!"
I pushed the raft to the tree where I had concealed the money; and,though I had some difficulty in finding it, I succeeded; still, threetimes as many minutes were wasted in the operation as I supposed wouldbe necessary. With the roll of bills in my pocket-book, I pushed offagain, and soon reached the stream. Launching out into the current, theraft was borne with its flow towards the creek.
I could not see the light on the raft where I had left it, only a fewrods below the starting-point. My frail bark was not large enough tofloat easily on the rapid stream, and in spite of my best efforts, itwould whirl round, for the pole in my hand had not blade enough toenable me to steer with it. In a few moments I reached the place where Ihad last seen the light through the window of Flora's room; but the raftwas not there. It was not to be seen before me; but the stream made abend a short distance below me.
The raft had probably broken loose, and Sim had been unable to stop it;but it was not like my fellow-voyager to let it go without yelling atthe top of his lungs, and he had more voice than wits. Though all myhopes were in the ark I had built, and Flora, whom I loved more thanlife, was a passenger upon it, I was not alarmed. Sim would be able torun it up to the shore, and probably had done so beyond the bend.
I always had a habit of looking on the bright side of things, and wasdisposed never to despair; at least not till I had seen what was beyondthe next bend in the stream of life. I was quite confident I should findthe ark of my safety in a few moments more, and I did not even attemptto hurry the crazy float on which I travelled. I reached the bend, andstrained my eyes to peer through the gloom, which hung deep and heavyover the swamp. The stream was straight for half a mile ahead of me, butno light gladdened my eyes.
I was startled, and even terrified, by the situation.