CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
HUMPY DEE'S PLAN GOES "A-GLEY."
It all seemed to Nic like part of some terrible dream, for a strangestruggle was going on in his weakened brain, where reason seemed to comeand go by pulsations. One minute everything appeared to be real, thenext it was dream-like; and he was so convinced that in a short time hewould wake up that he walked quietly on side by side with one of thenegroes, taking notice of the place, which seemed to be a port, with thebeginnings of a town dropped down in a scattered fashion a shortdistance from the mouth of a river. The houses were of timber, and toeach there was a large, roughly fenced-in piece of cultivated ground,with some trees standing, while others had been cut down, leaving theblackened stumps in all directions.
It was a strange mingling of shed, shipbuilding-yard, and store, formany of the erections and their surroundings wore all the aspect ofbarns. As the little party now tramped on, with the prisoners' fettersgiving forth a dull, clanking sound, the aspect of the place grew moreand more rustic, the people who stopped to stare fewer, till, as theyreached a large boarded house, evidently nearly new, and against whoserough fence a farmer-like man, in a damaged straw hat, was leaning,gazing intently at the prisoners. All beyond seemed trees and wildgrowth, amidst which the river made a curve, and the trampled tracklooked more green.
Nic looked half-wonderingly at the man leaning upon the fence, and feltthat he was going to speak in commiseration of his plight; but the nextmoment his hopes were dashed, for the settler shouted:
"How are you, Master Saunders? How's the Gaffer?"
"All well," said the overseer, with a nod.
"Seems a nice, tidy, strong-limbed lot you've got there, master."
"Oh yes; pretty well."
"Some of all sorts. That's an ugly one," continued the farmer, pointingto Humpy Dee, and mentally valuing him as if he were one in a herd ofcattle. "But I daresay he can work."
"He'll have to," said the overseer, and Nic saw that each black facewore a grin, while Humpy was scowling savagely.
"Yes, I should like a lot such as that. 'Member me to the Gaffer. Tellhim to look in if he comes to town."
"Yes," thought Nic as they passed on; "it must be a dream, and I shallwake soon."
It grew more and more dream-like to him as the track was followed amongthe trees till a rough landing-place was reached, formed by some hugestakes driven down into the mud, with heavy planks stretched over tothem, and others laid across. The reddening sun was turning the glidingwater to gold, as it ran up the river now, for the flood-tide wasrunning fast; and as they drew nearer, Nic caught sight of what lookedlike the launch of some large vessel swinging by a rope fastened to anupright of the landing-stage.
Just then one of the blacks uttered a peculiar, melodious cry, the greatdogs bounded on to the stage and began to bark, and a couple of blacks,dressed like those about him, sprang up in the boat, where they had beenlying asleep, and began to haul upon the now unfastened rope to draw thecraft up to the stage.
Nic's head was throbbing again, and the unreality and novelty of thescene increased.
"I shall wake soon," he said to himself. "How strange it is!"
For at that moment, as the boat came abreast, he saw one of the greatdogs leap from the stage, run to the stern, and sit down, the othersfollowing and joining it behind the seat provided with a back rail.
It seemed to be no new thing to the blacks, for the huge fellow who hadacted as smith stepped down into the boat, followed by his assistant,walked aft, and deposited his bag with the dogs, and then stooped downand drew from under the side-seat a couple of muskets, one of which hehanded to his assistant, both examining their priming, and then seatingthemselves one on either side of the boat, with their guns between theirlegs, watching the embarkation.
"You next," said the overseer to Pete; and the prisoner walked to theedge, made as if to leap, but checked himself and climbed down, feelingthat the other way would have been risky, weighted as his legs were bythe shackles. "Help your young mate," said the overseer roughly; andPete's eyes flashed as he stood up and held out his hand to Nic, whoshrank from the contact as his wrist was caught. Then he descendedfeebly into the boat, and then had to be helped right forward, to sitdown close to one of the blacks who was now holding on to the woodworkwith a boat-hook.
The other prisoners followed awkwardly enough in their irons, and tookthe places pointed out to them by one of the blacks who had been incharge of the boat.
As the second of the party took his place next to Pete, he hung down hishead and whispered:
"Humpy says we're to make a dash for it and take the boat."
Pete started; but the man, under the pretence of adjusting his irons,went on, with his head nearly in his comrade's lap:
"T'others know. We shall push off into the stream, where he can't hitus with his pistols, and we can soon pitch the niggers overboard."
"Silence, there!" shouted the overseer.
The other men descended, and exchanged glances with their companions--glances which Pete saw meant "Be ready!"--and his blood began to dancethrough his veins.
Should he help, or shouldn't he?
Yes; they were his fellows in adversity, and it was for liberty: hemust--he would; and, with his heart beating hard, he prepared for thestruggle, feeling that they must succeed, for a blow or two would sendthe men by them overboard, and a thrust drive the boat gliding swiftlyup-stream, the man with the boat-hook having enough to do to hold on.
"Young Nic Revel don't zeem to understand," thought Pete; "but hecouldn't help us if he did."
He had hardly thought this when, in obedience to an order from theoverseer, the last man, Humpy Dee, tramped clumsily to the edge andseemed to hesitate, with the result that there was a sharp bark from oneof the dogs right astern, and a chill ran through Pete's burning veins.
"I forgot the dogs!" he said to himself.
"Get down, fool!" cried the overseer, and he struck at the hesitatingprisoner with the whip.
It was all a feint on the part of Humpy to gain time and carry out hisplan.
He winced as the whip-lash caught him on his leg, and then, instead ofdescending slowly, leaped down right upon the black who held the boat tothe stage by the hook.
It was cleverly done, and acted as intended, for the black was drivenover the side, and the prisoner's weight gave the boat the impetusrequired, sending it a little adrift into the stream, which began tobear it away, but not before the result of a little miscalculation hadmade itself evident.
For Humpy Dee had not allowed for the weight and cumbersomeness of hisfetters; neither had he given them credit for their hampering nature.He had leaped and suddenly thrust the black overboard, to hang clingingto the boat-hook; but he had been unable to check himself fromfollowing; and, as the boat yielded to his weight and thrust, he seemedto take a header over the bow, there was a tremendous splash, and thewater was driven over those seated forward.
The two blacks astern leaped up, and the overseer uttered a cry of rage;the water closed over Humpy Dee's head, while the dogs set up a chorusof baying as the boat glided steadily away.
Nic Revel: A White Slave's Adventures in Alligator Land Page 18