CHAPTER IX
THE STAMPEDE
"You're a long time getting here," I observed, as Norris took up theoars.
"Yes," returned Norris. "And we wouldn't be getting here at all, ifthose voodoo skunks had had their own way about it."
"Did they give you trouble?" I asked.
"Oh, I guess--yes, some," he said. "But we gave them trouble, eh,Robert?"
Robert acquiesced.
"I reckon they'll some day be telling their voodoo grand-children how abunch of white devils came to their island and raised particular--"
"Raised particular 'hotel,'" assisted Ray, who saw that Norris was aboutto stumble on an impolite word.
We climbed aboard the _Pearl_ and Rufe fed the four while they gave ustheir tale.
"We got nearly everything loaded onto Carlos' little wagon, and Carloswas going to hitch up the donkey, when those voodoo skunks showed up,"said Norris. "They didn't knock on the door or ring the bell, but stoodoff like the pack of hyenas they are.
"Carlos talked to them. They said we must give up the kids, or theywould burn the shack with us in it. I told Carlos: 'Tell them that ifthey don't clear out right quick some of them will soon be burningin--in--'"
"Where Beelzebub tends the ovens and the climate is equable," offeredRay, politely.
"I don't know how many voodoo there was in the crowd," continued Norris."The people from the village came round, too,--I suppose, to see thefun. There were some guns; and those fellows began to get their headstogether. I got mad, finally, to see those skunks so cheeky; and Iforgot English wasn't their talk, and called out: 'Any of you who don'twant to get into the battle better crawl into your holes!'
"There must have been some that got that, for pretty quick there was ascattering, and only about a dozen or so stayed on. They were the oneswho'd come on business, I guess.
"Pretty soon Melie said there were some of the blacks sneaking up towardthe wagon, out by the barn. I got to the back door with my rifle, and Iblowed the high peaked hat off the nearest skunk--sorry now I didn'tblow his head off. Those fellows didn't stop to pick up that hat.
"Those cusses in front had begun to move up with their guns ready. ButRobert had his little twenty-two ready too; and they hadn't come farwhen he let the leader have one in his off hind foot. He limped offhowling, and the others suddenly recollected other appointments.
"'Now we've got to make our start,' I said."
"While the audience is wondering what'll be the next scene," promptedRay.
"Something like that," admitted Norris. "So we bundled the black babiesup, while Carlos hitched up the mule. And when we started for the barn,I saw Melie sprinkling some seeds about the ground and back stoop. 'Whatare you planting grass for?' I said. 'You're not coming back.'
"She laughed and said that the voodoo men were barefoot, and the seedswould give them sores that would disable them for weeks. Well, we gotstarted. Carlos drove; Robert went ahead with his rifle, and I followedbehind with mine.
"We poked along for about three miles, and no sign of those voodoocusses. Then Carlos pulled up and waited for me to catch up.
"'Well,' I said, 'do you reckon they've given up the fight?' And Carlossaid there was a little steep hill about a mile ahead, that the roadpassed round; and he was some afraid the enemy might be laying for usthere, and would roll rocks down on us. He said we might avoid the placeby a roundabout way through the woods, but it would be hard going, andwe'd lose time.
"I called Robert and told him our troubles. 'Wait ten minutes,' he said,'and then drive up to a couple of hundred yards of the place, and stoptill I whistle for you to come on.' And then he trotted on ahead. In tenminutes we started. Carlos pulled the donkey to a stop at the rightplace, and we waited.
"In a minute we heard a howl--then another howl--then a howl everysecond, for about six howls. Then we heard a stampede in the woods, offto our right.--Better let Bob tell what happened."
"I hurried on ahead till I saw the hill," said Robert. "It was a ridgethat ended right at the road, and all covered with the woods. I turnedoff and climbed to the top of the ridge pretty well back; and I movedtoward the road cautiously. Then I saw those black fellows--I guessthere was near a dozen--right at the end of the ridge. They had a screenof brush toward the road, but on my side it was all open. They had somebig bowlders all ready to push over. I slipped back a little and climbedinto a tree. I got a good seat in a crotch, from where the view wasgood.
"Pretty soon I heard the wagon. And those fellows heard it too. Theypeeked through the brush, and--"
"And they licked their chops," struck in Ray.
"I had my magazine full," continued Robert, "and I had my peep-sightset. One black's pants were tight with stooping to look--and I gave himthe first little bullet."
"Right on the '_spank_,'" said Ray.
"Yes," continued Robert, "I got the idea from Ray. Well that one let outa howl. And then I peppered the next one in the leg, and he howled.Another one got it in the shoulder. They were mightily puzzled--nothearing anything--so they couldn't use their guns. They didn't wait tolook round very long, but hiked out, running by right under my tree.Before they got away I hit six or seven--some of them limped as theyran."
"When we heard the stampede," said Grant Norris, "we didn't need Bob'swhistle to tell us to come on. There were no voodoo skunks going to hangback for any more, after all that 'whoop-er-up.' We got into townwithout any more accidents, and--"
"That was mighty fortunate for the voodoos," drawled Ray. "But where'sthe pickaninnies?"
"Melie here, turned them over to a priest," said Norris. "We lost sometime finding him."
Carlos had edged up, and I could see he wanted a word with me. So I ledhim toward the schooner's bow; and he told me his news, leaning on therail.
"Duran, he is in the city," he said.
He had touched on the thing that was in my mind; for during Norris's andRobert's recital of their adventures, I was wondering where this whitevoodoo should be all that while. I was conscious that it was thisman--or fiend--that was to continue to be the center and spring of allour interest to the end of the chapter.
"Have you seen him?" I asked.
"No, I have one friend in the city who see him," Carlos said. "He buynew picks, an' he buy pack-straps, for to carry things on thee back, andnew rope an' pulleys."
It developed that this friend of Carlos had long been of help to him, inkeeping an observant eye on Duran when in his city haunts; and it cameout that this friend's home was on the very street on which Robert and Ihad first encountered Duran.
"Well, Carlos," I said, "if we are to find this gold mine of yours,we'll have to keep an eye on Duran."
"Yes," he nodded. "And he kill' my father, an' my brother." And Carlossmiled a smile with his teeth set, and that gave him a sinister look. Inspite of the night I could see so much of his face. It was more lust forvengeance than love of gold that showed there then.
"I can speak for us all, Carlos," I said; "We will see this thingthrough. And we all want to see this man brought to justice for hiscrimes."
"Ah, I glad for to hear you say that!" he said. "Maybe we can find foryou much gold. I hope that."
I called the others into conference; and we made plans for our nextmove. We would turn in at once for a good sleep; and before daylight wewould go ashore and into the city and pick up Duran's trail. Carlos'sfriend had promised to keep his eye on Duran's movements, which he hadlearned to interpret in limited measure.
Before taking to our pallets, on the deck, we bade goodbye to theCambons, who were to take steamer for home on the morrow. Little Mariemade me promise to come to her home some time soon, said she would adoptme for her brother, so that I could have a good mother, too, in theplace of the good mother I had lost.
The Voodoo Gold Trail Page 9