CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.
IN ALLIGATOR LAND.
As the night grew darker, and Nic sat in the forepart of the boat in hisdrenched clothes, which at first felt pleasantly cool, and then bydegrees grew colder until he shivered, his head grew clearer and hebecame more himself. He was able to grasp more fully his position andhow hardly fate had dealt with him.
It was clear enough now; he had been sent off in that terrible blunderas one of the salmon-poachers; and he was there, sold or hired to one ofthe colonists, to work upon a plantation until he could make hisposition known to some one in authority, and then all would be right.He felt that it would be of no use to appeal to this brutal slave-driverwho had him and his fellow-unfortunates in charge. What he had to dowas to wait patiently and make the best of things till then.
His head was rapidly growing so clear now that he could piece thedisconnected fragments of his experience together, few as they were, andbroken up by his sufferings from the injuries he had received; and, ashe sat there in the darkness, he became more calm, and rejoiced in thethought that he was growing stronger, and would, without doubt, soon befully recovered and able to act. Till then he made up his mind to wait.
When he had arrived at this point he began to think about his positionin connection with the rough ne'er-do-wells who were his companions. Heshivered involuntarily at the thought of being in such close touch withmen of this class; but he softened a little as he dwelt upon the factthat, bad as he was, Pete Burge had behaved bravely, and that he had tothank him for twice-over saving his life. He might have said threetimes, but he was unaware of the patient attention he had received fromthe man during the feverish hours produced by his contusions and wound.But, still, there was a feeling of revulsion which made him shrink fromcontact with one whom he felt to be the cause of all his sufferings, andhe hardened himself against the man more than against the others.
Then, with a sigh of relief, he cast all thoughts of self away, aftercoming to the conclusion that, as soon as his father realised what hadhappened, he would never rest till the authorities had had him found andbrought back, even if a ship was purposely despatched.
For this thought was very comforting. He had only to wait, he felt,little thinking that the old Captain was lying in peril of his life fromthe genuine trouble which had come upon him, as he mourned over the lossof the son whom he believed to be dead, and for the recovery of whosebody he had offered a heavy reward to the fishermen.
For he said to Solly, "One of these days they will find him cast up onthe shore."
It was very dark; the cloudy sky seemed to be hanging low over the headsof those in the boat, as the men rowed on till the overseer made achange in his crew; the four blacks who had been rowing taking theplaces of those who had been guards and steersman, while the rowers tookthe muskets in turn.
The fresh crew pulled steadily and well, and the boat glided on alongthe winding river, whose banks grew more and more wooded until theyseemed to be going through a thick forest, whose closely-growing treesformed dense, high walls, above which there was a strip of dark, almostblack, sky.
Then another change was made, just when Nic was suffering from a freshanxiety; for after he had proved to himself, by kneeling in the boat andtouching him, that Humpy Dee was alive and regaining consciousness, hiscompanions had suddenly grown very quiet, and the dread had assailed Nicthat the man was dead, for he had been left to take his chance as far asthe overseer was concerned; and when twice-over the prisoners had begunto trouble themselves about their comrade's state, Nic setting theexample by kneeling down to raise Humpy's head, a stern command camefrom the stern of the boat, and this threat:
"Look here, you fellows; if I hear any more talking or shuffling aboutthere I shall fire."
Nic felt that the man would act up to his threat; but after a time, whena groan came from Humpy, the whispering and movements recommenced in theefforts made to succour the sufferer.
"I don't speak again," roared the overseer; and Nic started andshuddered, but felt fiercely indignant the next moment as he heard theominous _click_! _click_! of a pistol-lock from out of the darknessastern.
At last came the order for a fresh change of rowers, and four of thecaptives went climbing over the thwarts, with their irons clanking andstriking against the seats as they took their places, all being men whohad been accustomed to the handling of an oar.
Nic took advantage of the noise to sink upon his knees beside Humpy inthe bottom of the boat to try if he could not do something for him; hewas no longer the hated, brutal ruffian, but a sufferingfellow-creature. As Nic felt about in the dark he found that the manhad somehow shifted his position and slightly rolled over, so that hisface was partly in the water which had collected for want of baling; anddoubtless, in his helpless, semi-insensible state, but for Nic'sefforts, Humpy Dee's career would after all have been at an end.
It was only a fresh instance of how strangely we are all dependent uponone another, and the way in which enemies perform deeds which theythemselves would previously have looked upon as impossible. And withoutdoubt big, brutal Humpy Dee would have stared in wonder, could he haveopened his eyes in daylight, to see what took place in thepitch-darkness--to wit, the feeble, suffering young man, whom he hadstruck down and tried to drown in the Devon salmon-pool, kneeling in thewash-water, making a pillow of his knees for his companion's rough,coarse head.
Still, for hours this was Nic's position, while the boat was rowed bythe white slaves along the winding river, until another change was made,the blacks taking the oars, when Pete, being the first of the rowers tocome back to his seat, found what had taken place, and insisted uponrelieving Nic of his task.
"On'y to think of it, zur," he said; "on'y to think o' your doing o'that, and you so bad!"
Nic said nothing, but had to be helped back to his seat, the position hehad occupied having cramped him; and then once more he sat gazing at thegreat black wall opposite to him as the blacks sent the boat along, tillsuddenly, about midnight, there was heard a deep bark from somewhereashore.
The three dogs, which had been curled up asleep, sprang to their feetand answered in chorus, when another chorus rose from the right and camenearer and nearer. Then the black wall on the same side dropped away,and amidst the baying of the great hounds the boat's speed wasslackened, and it was turned into a narrow creek. Here the oars werelaid in, and progress was continued for about a hundred yards by acouple of the blacks poling the boat along towards a light whichsuddenly appeared, the bearer hailing and coming alongside to begintalking to the overseer.
It was dark enough still; but another lanthorn was brought, theprisoners were ordered to step out, and were then marched to a barn-likeplace, where, as they entered a door, Nic felt the soft rustling ofIndian-corn leaves beneath his feet.
"In with you, boys," cried the overseer; and the three dogs, and theothers which had saluted them, scampered in. "Watch 'em, boys, and giveit to them if they try to get away. There, lie down."
The man held up the lanthorn he had taken as he spoke, and Nic saw thatseven of the great hounds settled themselves in a heap of leaves closeto the door, while quite a stack was close to where he was standing withhis companions.
"There's your bed, my lads," cried the overseer. "You heard what Isaid. Lie down, all of you, at once. There will be a sentry with amusket outside, and you can guess what his orders are."
The man strode out; the door was banged to, there was the noise of a bigbar being thrown across and the rattling of a padlock, followed by theclink of fetters as their wearers lay down in the heap of sweet-smellingcorn-stalks and leaves; and for a few moments no one spoke.
Nic had sunk down in the darkness, glad to be in a restful posture, andbegan to wonder whether Humpy Dee had been carried in by the blacks, forhe had been one of the first to leave the boat, and had seen hardlyanything by the light of the lanthorns.
"Poor wretch!" he sighed. "I hope he is not dead."
Just then one of the
other men said, in the broad Devon burr:
"Zay, lads, bean't they going to give uz zum'at to eat?"
"Brakfus-time," said another. "Zay, Humpy, how is it with ye? Notthuzty, are you? Oughtn't to be, after all that water."
"I'm going to make zumun pay for all this," came in the man's familiargrowl. "Why didn't you get hold o' me and pull me in? Zet o' vools.Had your chance; and we might ha' got away."
"Why, it was all your fault," said another. "We was waitin' for you.What did you go and stop zo long under water for?"
"Did I?" said Humpy confusedly.
"Course you did. We was too good mates to go and leave you behind."
There was a heavy bang at the door, as if from the butt of a musket, andthe dogs leaped up and began to growl.
"Lie down, boys," cried a thick voice, the words sounding as if spokenthrough a big keyhole. "An' I say, you chaps, look heah; de massa sayyou make a row in dah I got to shoot."
"All right, blackie," said one of the prisoners; "don't shoot.Good-night, boys. I'm going to sleep."
Just at that moment Nic started, for there was a snuffling noise closeto him, the leaves rustled, and he felt the hot breath of one of thedogs on his face.
But it was a friendly visit, for the great brute turned round two orthree times to trample down the dense bed of leaves, and settled itselfinto a comfortable curve, with its big head upon the poor fellow'schest, making Nic wonder whether it was the dog which had been friendlybefore.
He risked it: raising his hand, he laid it gently between the animal'ssoft ears, and there was a low muttering sound that was a big sigh ofsatisfaction, not a growl; and Nic felt as if the companionship of thedog was pleasant in his terrible loneliness and despair. It was warmand soothing, too, and seemed like the beginning of something hopeful--he knew not what. Then he began to think of home, and a sensation ofprayerful thankfulness came over him as he felt that his head wasgrowing clearer. The next minute all trouble, pain, and weariness wereforgotten in a deep and dreamless sleep.
Nic Revel: A White Slave's Adventures in Alligator Land Page 21