Boy Chums in the Forest; Or, Hunting for Plume Birds in the Florida Everglades

by John Henry Goldfrap

  CHAPTER VI.

  SOME SURPRISES.

  Loosening their pistols in their holsters, and grabbing up their guns,the little party struck out in the direction in which Chris haddisappeared.

  They were proceeding almost at a run when Charley checked theirheadlong speed.

  "Let's go slow," he panted, "it may be that the convicts have got himand we may be running right into an ambush."

  He but voiced the fear in the minds of the others, and they slackenedtheir advance to a slow walk, keeping a cautious eye on every bush ortree large enough to conceal an enemy.

  Trampled marsh grass and broken twigs gave them an easy trail tofollow, and in a few minutes they were in sight of the river bank.Charley, who was in the lead, suddenly stopped short with anexclamation of relief and disgust.

  "Just look at that," he said.

  On a little grassy knoll close to the water was Chris flat on his back,his mouth open, fast asleep. A half dozen fine bass lay on the grassbeside him, the end of his fishing line was tied to one ebony leg, anda coil of slack line lay upon the turf.

  "Let's give him a scare for causing us so much worry," Walter suggested.

  "Wait a minute," cautioned the captain, "he's gettin' a bite, let's seewhat he will do."

  The little party drew in behind some bushes, where they could peep outat the slumbering little darky.

  The slack was running out rapidly, and at last the line tauted with ajerk on the sleeper's leg.

  Chris sat up with a start, rubbed his eyes and looked at the sun, thenat the pile of fish beside him. The continued jerking of the line athis leg seemed to bring him out of his drowsiness. With a broad grinhe began pulling in the line, hand over hand.

  The three watchers stood peeping eagerly through the bushes, expectingto see another fine bass appear.

  As the hooked victim was drawn in close to the knoll, Chris gave ahearty yank and landed it on the grass beside him.

  But the result was not what the watchers expected. With a howl ofterror the little darky leaped to his feet and dashed away at abounding, leaping run, breaking through the undergrowth as though itwere reeds. One glance, as he flew by the watchers without seeingthem, caused them to hold their sides and double up with laughter. Theline was still fastened to Chris' leg, and drew after it the captive ofhis hook. One glance behind and Chris began to holler, "Help, help,Massa Walt, help, Massa Charley. De snake's goin' to get dis nigger.Oh golly, oh golly!"

  The line caught on a bush and broke short off, but Chris was making forthe lean-to with championship speed and knew it not.

  Charley picked up the severed line and held up the prize to view.

  "The biggest, fattest eel I ever saw," he declared exultantly. "Guessit must have been the first one Chris ever saw. They certainly do looklike snakes."

  "Keep it out of sight till we hear what he says," Walter said, andCharley with a smile agreed.

  The captain gathered up the fish and stringing them upon a cord slungthem over his shoulder.

  In a few minutes they were back at the camp, where they found Chrisstretched out on the ground breathing heavily, his face an ashen hue.

  "Why you-alls doan come when Chris hollers for help?" he demandedindignantly. "'Pears like you don't care if dis nigger's killed."

  "We came as soon as we could, Chris," said Walter, soothingly, "whatwas the trouble, anyway?"

  Chris, mollified, sat up. "Done got into nest ob snakes," he declared,"reckon I killed fifty of 'em, but more and more kept coming so I hadto run. Golly, I 'spect thar was mighty nigh a hundred chased me mostto camp. Dat's why I yells for you-alls."

  The captain smilingly laid down the string of fish, and Chris'countenance fell.

  Charley swung the eel into view. "It isn't a snake, Chris," heexplained, "it's an eel; they are not poisonous, and are mighty goodeating."

  For once the little darky was fairly caught without chance of evasion.Without a word he started building a fire, gutted the fish, washed themclean, and without removing head or scales, thrust them into theglowing coals. In twenty minutes they were done, the heads were cutaway, the skin with its load of scales peeled off, and our hungryhunters sat down to a dish fit for a king.

  They were in the midst of the meal when Charley arose and getting hisrifle put it down by his side. "Get your guns quick and keep themclose to you. We are going to have visitors," he said.

  The bushes were crackling loudly at the neck of the point and a momentlater a body of men came into view. As they clambered over thebarricade, Charley counted them. They were twelve in number, one ofthem an Indian, his face disfigured by a long scar that gave to it asinister, malignant expression.

  "Keep close together and your guns handy," counseled Charley, as theband approached. "I declare, if they aren't all unarmed," he added.

  "What in the world is the matter with them?" whispered Walter inamazement; "see, some of them can hardly walk."

  As the men drew nearer, our little party's wonder grew. Most of themdragged themselves forward with stumbling footsteps. Their faces werehaggard, their hands moving restlessly and their features twitching.They looked like men who had been for days undergoing severe mental andphysical strain and were on the verge of collapse.

  Our hunters drew close together with their guns, close to hand andawaited the convicts' coming with lessened apprehension as they sawthat they carried no guns.

  The leader staggered in front, the balance following him like starvedsheep. He stopped before the captain and sank to a seat on a stump.The perspiration stood in great drops on his face and he was breathingheavily.

  "Strangers," he said hoarsely, "if you've got any tobacco, fer mercy'sake, loan us some. We haven't had a scrap for two days."

  The boys had hard work to restrain a laugh, but the captain hastilyunbuckled the flap of his saddle-bags and brought out a huge package ofplug tobacco which he passed over to the spokesman.

  "I brought it along to give to the Indians in case we met any, but Ireckon you need it a heap sight worse," he said mildly.

  Without a word of thanks the man tore the package open and distributedthe plugs amongst his followers, and in a moment jaws and pipes weregoing vigorously on the enslaving weed.

  In five minutes a change was visible; slouching backs began tostraighten, dull eyes commenced to brighten, and the color to stealback into haggard faces.

  "I'm glad I never got into the habit of using it, now I have seen whata slave it can make of a strong man," whispered Walter in disgust.

  "Some of our soldier boys in Cuba went crazy for a while when deprivedof the use of it," said Charley. "None of it for me. It doesn't do ayoung growing fellow any good."

  As his muscles and nerves relaxed under the influence of the powerfulnarcotic, the leader of the convicts removed his pipe from his mouthwith a sigh of relief.

  "You sho' saved our lives that time, partner," he cried; "we doneforgot the bacca when we wus getting up our supplies, an' didn't findit out until we'd come too far to go back. Jim thar," (with a glare atthe culprit,) "had a sizeable piece, but he had to go and lose it onthe way."

  "Out for a hunt?" inquired the captain politely.

  "'Gators. We're just plain, honest 'gator hunters, working powerfulhard for a mighty poor living," declared the ruffian. "An' you-alls, Ireckon one guess will hit it, arter plumes, I allow."

  "We haven't said so," said Charley quickly.

  The ruffian favored him with an appraising leer. "Don't have to sayso," he drawled, "if you ain't, what have you-alls got them dinkylittle canoes for, an' if you were after 'gators you'd be packing bigrifles 'stead of them fancy guns. You ain't got no call to deny it,for I was aiming to give you a bit of neighborly advice."

  "What is it?" inquired Walter curiously.

  "That it ain't no use for you-alls to stop here. The Injuns have gotthis section combed out clean. You couldn't get enough plumes aroundhere to pay for your bacon. Now, I knows of a tidy little island 'bo
uttwelve miles south of here where there's stacks of the birds. If youstart right now you'll hit it before them pesky varmints of redskinsfind it. I'm telling you in pay for that tobacco. Max Hilliard ain'tthe kind of man to take nothing without paying for it," he concluded,grandly.

  "Them Indians don't seem to be bringing many plumes into town," saidthe captain.

  "'Cause why? 'Cause they have to turn the bulk of what they get overto their chiefs for tribute, an' them varmints are getting so foxy theyjust hoards 'em up. They know the price is goin' up right along. Oh,them pesky varmints are getting cunning these days. But come, boys, wemust be getting back to camp."

  The reinvigorated gang of cut-throats arose and with awkward, surlythanks stamped away.

  Their leader lingered behind for a moment. "Better pack right up andget out for that island right now, partners," he advised. "Thar's agang of Injins coming down the river day after to-morrow, an' they'llbe sure to clean it out." His voice grew low and menacing. "Anyway,you fellows want to get out of here afore day after to-morrow."

  Before any of the hunters could question him, he was gone.

  "He seems set on our leaving here," said Walter, anxiously.

  "I reckon it was sort of an error of judgment that we didn't tie themfellows up while we had the chance. They was too plum wore out to putup much of a fight," said the captain, regretfully.

  Charley said nothing, but his expression was that of one who after longpuzzling has solved a troublesome problem, and has found the solutionnot that which he desired. The outlaws' statement that there was aparty of Indians on their way _from_ the Everglades had given him thekey.