CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.
FOR LIFE AND LIBERTY.
Before Nic Revel's mental sight the difficulties rose like a great blackrock, but he did not shrink. He rose softly from his bunk, strivinghard to keep the corn-stalks from crackling, and felt Pete as the mantook a couple of steps from his sleeping-place and stood with his faceto the back of the shed.
Then, in the midst of a very faint rustling, Nic knew that his companionhad thrust a couple of pegs into the knot-holes in the stout planks, andraised himself by hand and foot till he could softly draw the woodenshingles of the roof aside, and the cool, moist air of the night camedown. Then for a moment or two Nic saw a bright star, which was blottedout by something dark as the faint rustling continued.
Nic turned to listen, but all was well within the shed. He could hearthe deep breathing of sleepers, and the low humming song of the sentryoutside the door.
"How long will it be?" thought Nic, who was trembling with excitement;but the suspense was soon over. All at once there was a dull sound,such as might be made by two bare feet alighting on the earth outside,and he knew that his turn had come.
He was lightly enough clothed, merely in short-sleeved, striped cottonshirt, and breeches which did not reach the knee, and his feet werebare, so that there was nothing to hinder his efforts as he reached uptill he could place one foot upon the first peg. Then, seeking for theother, he seized it in his hand, and drew himself into a standingposition upon the first, reached up to the rafters, drew himself fartherup till he could rest his foot on the second peg and pass his head andshoulders through the hole in the roof; then, resting a hand on eitherside, he drew his legs through, turned and lowered himself down, anddropped upon the ground almost without a sound.
It was intensely dark, but every step was familiar enough, and there wasno need for words: their plans had been too well made. But as theymoved off towards the house, one thought was in both minds as presentingthe greatest obstacle they had to dread:
Where were the dogs? If loose, and their approach were heard, the greatbrutes would set up a fierce baying directly, preliminary to a savageattack; and then--
They neither of them cared to reckon more in advance than that, and wentsoftly on, to receive proof directly that the dogs were not loose, forthere came from the back of the house the rattle of a chain being drawnover wood, followed by a low, muttering growl, as if one of the animalswas uneasy.
This ceased directly; and, treading cautiously, Nic went straight up tothe front of the building, feeling as if, at any moment, he might seethe flash of a musket and hear its roar.
But the place was dark and still, and the croaking and other soundswhich came in chorus were quite loud enough to drown their lightfootsteps as they approached.
The door was closed, but the two long, low windows in the veranda provedto be open; and, as Nic approached the one upon his right and listened,he could distinctly hear the heavy breathing of a sleeper. He drewcautiously back, to come in contact with Pete, who was taken by surpriseat the sudden movement made.
Then they stood with hearts thumping against their ribs, feeling certainthat they must have been heard; but not a sound followed. After waitingnearly a minute, a fresh movement was made, Nic stepping softly to thewindow on his left, the perspiration streaming down his face, for theheat was intense.
He listened here, with Pete close behind, but all was still, the windowwide open to admit the air; and he knew that all he had to do was topass softly in, take down a couple of the guns, passing one out at atime through the window to Pete, beat a retreat, and then all would beas easy as possible. It was only cool, quiet action--that was all; butNic for a time could not move, only stand there, breathing heavily, inthe full expectation of hearing his companion say something to urge himon.
Pete did not stir: he felt that he must trust to his companion'scommon-sense, and leave him to act as was best.
Then the power to act seemed to come, and Nic softly grasped thewindow-sill, passed one leg in, then the other, and stood upon the barefloor, fully expecting to hear a bullet whiz past his head, even if itdid not strike.
But he could hear nothing; the house might have been unoccupied; and,drawing a deep breath, he acted quickly now, turned to his left, raisedhis hands, and pressed forward till they touched one of the weaponshanging upon the wall.
A sudden feeling of elation now came over him, for it all seemed to beso astonishingly easy, as he stepped softly to the window to pass out amusket with its flask and pouch, feeling it taken from his handdirectly.
The next minute he was in front of the other pieces, and took down asecond musket, felt that the flask and pouch were attached to it, and,with his pulses hard at work, he was about to make for the window whenevery drop of blood in his veins seemed to stand still. For there was asharp, angry oath, a quick start, and the overseer, who had beensleeping upon a rough couch, rose to a sitting position.
It was too dark for Nic to make out anything more than a shadowy figurewithin ten feet of him; and he stood as if petrified, holding themusket, meaning to use it as a club at the first attack; one whichseemed to be strangely deferred, for the figure sat as if staring at himin astonishment.
How long this pause lasted it is impossible to say, but to the intruderit seemed like minutes before he heard a faint rustling movement as ifthe overseer was about to lie down again.
"He can't see me," thought Nic. "It is too dark."
Then his heart seemed to stand still again, as the horrible thoughtoccurred that the rustling meant getting something out of a pocket, andthat something must be a pistol.
Instinct taught the listener that to save his life he must spring at hisenemy before he could take aim, and, nerving himself for a leap forwardto dash the musket he held upon the man's face, he was almost in the actof bounding across the room when there was a low gurgling sound, and hisnerves and muscles relaxed, for he realised the fact--the overseer hadawoke suddenly from some nightmare-like dream, and it was no pistol hehad taken out, but a flask of spirits.
It was plain enough now--the gurgling of the flask, the smack of thelips in the darkness, and the long, satisfied breath taken, before thebottle was replaced and its owner sank back upon his couch.
In another minute the breathing had grown deeper and sounded stertorous;and, without pausing longer, Nic stepped to the window, handed out thegun, and felt it taken quickly from his hands.
Just then there was a faint muttering which almost paralysed Nic, whoturned to meet an attack; but none came, and in another instant or twohe had slipped out of the window and was following Pete, who had handedback one gun, with the warning to beware of the dogs.
Pete's stooping figure was just visible as Nic followed, him in silencetill they were about a hundred yards away, making for the spot where theboat was hidden, when one of the dogs barked loudly.
"Mustn't stop to load," whispered Pete. "Let's get to the water, andthen they can't take up the scent."
They hurried on, listening the while; but the dog quieted down again;and with his spirits rising, Nic closed up alongside of his companion.
"That was a near touch, master," whispered Pete. "I waited ready tojump in and help you, for I zomehow thought it was too dark in there forhim to zee you, and you hadn't made any noise. Lucky for him he laydown again."
Nic made no reply, but he thought a great deal; and no more was saidtill they had crossed a couple of the great fields and knew by thesounds they heard that they must be close to the long, low band of reedygrowth which ran by the river-side.
"You lead now, my lad," whispered Pete. "Get as nigh as you can towhere you think the creek is on the other side."
"It is so dark," whispered Nic; "but I think we are right."
He went to the front, assailed by a horrible doubt now that he had takenthe wrong way, and was some distance farther up the river; but, as hebent down to part the low growth, to peer through over the dark water,there was a scuffle and a splash, telling of some
reptile taking flight,and he shrank back.
But he hardly heeded it, for he had dimly made out a solitary treeacross the river, some eighty or a hundred yards away, which he hadmarked down for bearings.
"This is the place, Pete," he whispered. "If you stand here and lookacross, the creek is a little way up to the right."
"That is good, my lad; I was beginning to be feared that we should haveto wait for daylight, and be missed. Now then, take my gun and thetackle, and while I'm gone you load both on 'em."
"While you are gone?" whispered Nic excitedly. "You are not going; Iknow the way, and I'll fetch the boat."
"That you don't, Master Nic," said the man sturdily. "That therewater's full o' them great brutes, and one of 'em might pull you down."
"I know it is; and one of them might pull you down."
"He'd be zorry for it if he did, for I'd zoon zend my knife through hiscarcass. It's my job, zir, and I'm going."
"I tell you I know just where it is, and I'm going to fetch it."
"That you aren't, zir. I won't have you risk it."
"Then we'll swim the river together, Pete."
"And what about the guns?"
"Leave them on the bank, and come back and fetch them."
"Never find 'em again in the darkness and hurry, my lad. Now, do bezensible."
"I'm master, and I order you to stay."
"Which you aren't master, zir, for we're both zlaves, and if you talk soloud you'll be bringing down the dogs and I'm off."
Almost before Nic could realise it, Pete had slipped across the narrowspace, lowered himself into the water, and swum away, leaving hiscompanion horrified at the sounds he heard. For directly after the manhad struck out there was a tremendous wallowing splash, which Nic feltcertain had been caused by some monstrous reptile; and he crouched theregrasping the guns, with a chilly perspiration breaking out over hisbrow.
It was some minutes before he thought of the loading, and when he did hecould not follow out his instructions for listening and staring acrossthe dark, gliding water, which was full of life, startling him with thebelief that Pete had been attacked when some louder splash than usualcame from the direction the man had taken. Then the horrible thoughtcame that the poor fellow had been seized the moment he plunged in, andthat that loud wallowing noise was when he was dragged underneath. For,though he listened so hard, there was nothing to prove that his comradewas still swimming across the river; and his heart sank at the thoughtof what would be a most horrible death.
Everything served to depress him more as he crouched there in theenforced inaction; he could hear rustlings in the low water-growth as ofreptiles creeping along, the splashes in the river, and all about himthe croaking, hooting, and barking of the nocturnal creatures which madethe place their home; while, as if these were not sufficient, there wasthe dread of pursuit, with their enemies hounding on the savage dogs,which might spring upon him at any moment.
"Not without giving notice, though," he said to himself. "What anervous coward all this has made me! Why, the hounds would begin to bayas soon as they took up the scent."
He listened again; but all was still save a splash or two, and hebitterly repented that they had not thought of some signal--a whistle orthe like--to give warning that the river had been successfully crossed.
"He would do it," thought Nic, trying to be firm. "He is a splendidswimmer. Why, it was wonderful what I believe he did when he tried tosave me--in irons, too."
Nic paused for a few moments longer to listen to the splashing whichwent on; and then, recalling once more his companion's words, heprepared to load the muskets.
But the first he tried proved to be loaded, and, on replacing the ramrodand opening the pan, he found the priming all right. The next proved tobe in the same condition; and, once more laying the pieces down, hecrouched with his ear near the water to listen to the lapping andsplashing which went on. But there was nothing that he could interpretto mean the movement of an oar or pole on a boat, and his heart began tosink again lower and lower, till wild thoughts arose about hiscompanion's fate.
He would not give harbour to the suggestion that he had been draggeddown by the reptiles, but fancied that the boat might be securelypadlocked, or that Pete had got it out, and, not knowing the force ofthe stream, had been swept away past where he should have landed, andwith so big and heavy a boat he might not be able to get back. If thiswere the case Pete would escape, and he would have to go back to hisprison.
"No, he would not forsake me," muttered Nic, with a strange glow abouthis heart as he thought of the man's fidelity to his cause; and he hadjust come to this conclusion when he heard a rustling behind him as ofsome creature creeping up. It was forgotten, though, the next moment,for unmistakably there was the sound of an oar whishing about in thewater, as if someone had it over the stern and, fisherman fashions wassculling the boat towards the bank.
Then for a moment Nic was doubtful, for the sound ceased.
"It was one of the alligators," he muttered through his teeth, "and thepoor fellow--"
There was a faint chirrup off the river, and once more Nic's heart beatwildly as he answered the signal. Then the sculling began again, therustling was repeated somewhere behind where Nic crouched, and he feltfor the muskets to take them up.
"Whatever it is, I shall be aboard in a moment or two," he thought, witha strangely wild feeling of exultation; for he heard the oar drawn in,the head of the boat suddenly appeared close at hand, and it was runinto the muddy, reedy bank a couple of yards away, while Pete leapedashore with the painter.
"Now!" cried a loud voice, when, with a rush, half-a-dozen men sprangupon them from the bed of reeds and a fierce struggle began.
Nic Revel: A White Slave's Adventures in Alligator Land Page 29