presented their fair cheeks to be kissed.
The elderly lady rose more leisurely, and with stately politenesswelcomed us to Castle Kearney. "My husband will indeed rejoice to seeyou," she said in very good English. "He has been a sad invalid for along time, and keeps much to his own room. He told us that he hadwritten to you, and was sure that you would come if you were able, sothat we had begun to look out for your arrival, though we scarcelyexpected that you could reach us so soon. He is full of anxiety aboutthe present and future of the country, which, owing to the warlikecharacter of the natives, he considers to be in a more alarmingcondition than most settlers will allow; hence the fortified state ofour dwelling-house, with which you must have been struck as youapproached."
My father replied that he considered his brother had shown wisdom inprotecting his family against any attack which might be made on thehouse by the Indians. He then explained how we had been fortunate infinding a vessel sailing for Savannah, and had come on without amoment's delay. My cousins and I were soon engaged in a livelyconversation, they rapidly asking questions which I had to answer.
On hearing that Judge Shurtleff and his wife and little boy hadreturned, they both declared that they must, as soon as possible, go andpay a visit to the lady, who was a great friend of theirs, thoughJuanita said that she could not admire her taste in marrying the oldjudge.
"But then she has such a charming little boy; he is a great pet ofours," exclaimed Rita.
When I told her how nearly he had been lost, and how Rochford had leapedoverboard to save him, she exclaimed--
"Oh, I should so like to see your friend! He must be a fine fellow."
"What if he were a little hump-backed man, with one eye?" I observed,laughing. "Still the gallantry he displayed would be the same, andprobably he would have run still greater risk of being drowned.However, as he is staying with the judge, you will be able to form anopinion about him if you go over to see your friends."
The conversation was here interrupted by the entrance of Carlos tosummon us to his father's room. My uncle, who had risen from a networkhammock in which he had been reclining, stretched out both his hands,and grasping those of my father, exclaimed as he looked him in theface--
"I knew, Michael, that we loved each other as boys, and that age wouldnot diminish your affection more than it has mine. Your coming provesthat I was right; and I thank you, I thank you." As he spoke, he threwhis arms round his brother's neck and burst into tears.
My father then introduced me to my uncle, who gave me an affectionatereception. In a short time Carlos returned, and invited me to come withhim, which I gladly did, that I might leave the two brothers tothemselves.
"Would you like to inspect our castle, and see my guns, and dogs, andfishing-tackle? Or do you wish to go back to the girls, to whom youappear to have had plenty to say just now when I interrupted you?"
He spoke in a somewhat sarcastic tone, which I did not altogether like.
"I shall be happy to return to the young ladies if you think they wishit," I answered.
"Oh, of course; they cannot fail to be delighted with a young gentlemanwho can give them all the news of the old country," he answered, leadingthe way back to the drawing-room.
"Here, girls, Cousin Maurice puts himself at your disposal; talk away aslong as you like, and when you have done with him send for me. I in themeantime have matters of importance to attend to." Having made thisremark, he hurried out of the room with an air which made me muchinclined to laugh. My fair cousins, however, did not appear to noticethe style of his exit, and talked on as before, asking all sorts ofquestions, and answering those I put to them. My aunt spoke little;indeed, I was struck with her reserved manner and melancholy expressionof countenance. After a time Carlos returned.
"Well, are you now inclined to take a stroll round our castle andgrounds?" he said.
"With much pleasure," I replied.
"We'll go too," exclaimed the young ladies together; and each putting ona large straw hat which lay near them, they accompanied us.
Carlos led the way with the air of a person who considers himself masterof the house. He first showed me the various rooms, which opened into abroad passage, and then going into the veranda, he pointed out howcompletely it commanded the approaches to the house on every side.
"You see these two guns, and you observe that we can wheel them round toany point which may be attacked. Not that I, for my part, believe theRedskins will ever venture to come near us."
The house, I saw, was built on a point, so that, except on one side, itwas surrounded by water. The upper floor to which he conducted uscontained several rooms. The roof, however, was low, the windowsnarrow, and so placed that musketry could be fired from them in alldirections, or missiles could also be showered down on the heads of anyassailants who might reach the gallery below. The rooms were furnishedin a way suitable to the climate, and wore an air of neatness andcomfort. Two of them, I guessed, from their appearance, belonged to myfair cousins; while another, the walls of which were ornamented withguns and pistols, swords, bows and other Indian weapons, Carlos told mewas his.
At the back of the house were outbuildings and huts, in which the blackson the property lived; and the whole of the rest of the island wasoccupied by an orange grove and garden, in which grew a great variety ofvegetables.
"Now you must come down and see the lower regions of our castle," saidCarlos, descending the steps.
The ground-floor had but a few strongly-barred windows, opening on thewater, which we had not observed on approaching, and a single door intothe back of the house. There was a kitchen of large size on one side,and on the other the rooms of the domestics.
"We are not without our dungeon," said Carlos, striking his hand againsta strongly-barred door. "A captive would find it a difficult task toget out of this, and it has safely held more than one in its time."
"As soon as Maurice is satisfied with a sight of this gloomy place, Ihope that he will come and see the garden," exclaimed Rita, I of coursesaid, "Yes."
Two fine dogs, whose kennels were near the entrance, came up, waggingtheir tails, and rubbing their noses against my legs, as if to know meagain. A short distance to the right were some open sheds serving asstables, in which were several stout horses, generally called mustangsin that part of the world. The girls said that they and their brotherfrequently rode out on horseback, but that of late they were not allowedto go far from home. Passing the huts of the slaves, which for economyof space were huddled close to the stables, we entered the orange grove.It was the first I had been in. In all directions ran small aqueductsformed of bamboo, so that the ground might be easily irrigated. Thewater, my cousins told me, was let on every evening, and while we werethere, we saw it trickling along the miniature canals, and almostinstantly the flowers gave forth the most delicious perfume.
"That's what the Spaniards call `returning thanks,'" observed Juanita."It is a pretty idea, is it not?"
Carlos, fancying that I took more pleasure in the society of hissisters, left us, and I had a pleasant stroll round the whole islandwith my cousins. They showed me that the wild trees I had seen comingup the river were left there merely as a protection to the garden, and Isaw that the stockades which surrounded the island were so placed as toprevent any persons landing, and might serve also as an outerfortification to the castle. When we returned to the house, we foundsupper prepared, and my uncle, accompanied by my father, entered theroom.
"Why, papa, you are already better for Uncle Michael's coming," saidRita, giving him a kiss.
"I feel so," answered Uncle Nicholas. "I hope, before long, to bemyself again, and be able to show him and Maurice some of the wonders ofthe country."
The young ladies, mentioning the arrival of the judge, begged permissionto ride over the next morning to pay their friend his wife and littlePaul a visit.
"You need have no fear of Indians," observed Carlos; "for it is saidthat the few families which occasionally visit
ed this neighbourhood havemoved away west, having probably made up their minds to accept theoffers of the government and vacate the country."
When I mentioned our encounter with the Indians in the lagoon, hereplied that they were probably a party of hunters who considered thatthey had a better right to the deer than we had, and that,notwithstanding the apprehensions of the old judge, they would notlikely have molested us; besides which, as the place was a long way off,we should certainly not meet with them on our contemplated excursion.Though my uncle at first offered some objections to the proposal, heultimately gave his daughters permission to make the excursion.
Tim came into my room before he went to bed, and expressed himself ashighly satisfied with his quarters.
"Sure, it's a fine place, Mr. Maurice,--a regular castle.
In the Wilds of Florida: A Tale of Warfare and Hunting Page 6