Mass' George: A Boy's Adventures in the Old Savannah

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

  I was so curious the next morning to see whether the slaves had runaway, that I crept down soon after daybreak, and a curious feeling ofvexation came over me as I saw that the door of the big shed was open.

  "They're gone," I said, and ran back and down to the landing-place, tosee if they had taken to the boat.

  But there it was, all safe, and I drew back and stood watching as Icaught sight of a droll-looking object, so busy that he had not noticedme; for about forty yards away there was the boy, coating himself allover with the soft yellow mud he scooped up from the stream, where hestood about up to his knees, rubbing it well, and not forgetting hiswoolly head, just as I might have used soap.

  The appearance of the boy was so comical that I could hardly keep back alaugh. But I refrained, and watched him earnestly at work for a fewminutes, before throwing himself down, and sluicing off the thin mud,his black skin appearing once more, and ending by diving out into deepwater, and beginning to swim with an ease that I envied.

  This went on for about ten minutes, when he came out dripping, gavehimself a shake, and then catching sight of me, ran up the bank and ashard as he could go for the shed.

  I followed, and on reaching it found that the boy was not visible,having probably hidden himself among the corn-stalks, while hiscompanion lay sleeping heavily--a great savage-looking black.

  I came away without closing the door, thinking of my father's words; andI'm afraid with something of the same thoughts as I should have hadabout some of the wild creatures I had before tried to tame, I began tolong for the coming down of Mrs Morgan to prepare breakfast, meaning toget from her a good bowl of the Indian corn porridge that she regularlyprepared.

  As it happened she was extra early that morning; and as soon as I hadproffered my request, she informed me rather tartly that she knew allabout it, for the master had given her orders the night before.

  By the time it was ready and cooling, my father was down.

  "That for the blacks?" he said, as he saw the bowl I was taking to theshed.

  "Yes," I said; and I told him about what I had seen.

  "Poor fellow! I am not surprised," he said. "What can be more horriblethan the way in which they were confined?"

  The man was awake, and on our entering the dim shed he made an effort torise, but fell back helplessly, and lay gazing at us in a half fierce,half sullen way, not changing his aspect as my father felt his pulse,and laid his hand upon his head.

  "Hah! That's better," said my father; "less fever. If he can eat, itis only a question of time. Where is the boy?"

  We looked round, but he was invisible.

  "Call the boy," said my father, looking hard at the man, and pointing tothe food; but there was no sign of being understood, and my fatherturned to me. "Set the bowl down," he said. "They will get used to usin time."

  I followed him out, and we went in to our breakfast, where the positionwas pretty well discussed.

  "Let them be, poor wretches," said my father at last. "By and by,perhaps, they will find out that all white people do not mean evil bythem. It is very unfortunate, and I had made a vow that I would neverhave a slave, and here I am with two of my own purchasing."

  As soon as I could get away, I hurried off to the shed to hear a quickrustling sound as I neared the door, and I got to the opening timeenough to see some of the corn-stalks in motion, betraying where the boyhad rushed off to on hearing my steps.

  I did not make a rush after him, for fear of making him more wild, buttook up the bowl to find it empty, and I looked at our invalid andlaughed. But he made no sign, only gazed at me with the same wearysullen look, and I went away feeling a little disheartened.

  "Hullo, Master George, been to see my deppyties?" said Morgan. "I wasjust going to look at 'em. That big black isn't going to die, is he?"

  I turned back with him to the door of the shed, and he stood gazing in.

  "No; he won't die this time. But I don't much like his looks, MasterGeorge. Seems the sort of fellow to turn ugly and knock me down withthe big hoe, and I shan't like that, nor my wife neither. Where's youngsmutty?"

  "Under the corn-stalks in the corner."

  "What, hiding?"

  "Yes."

  "Here, stop a minute till I get the pitchfork; I'll soon turn him out."

  "No, no," I cried; "they're to be treated gently."

  "And as if they were human beings," said my father's stern voice, for hehad come silently behind us. "Have the goodness to remember that,Morgan. If I am to be a slave-owner, my people shall meet withconsideration, and not be treated as if they were the beasts of thefield. Do you understand?"

  "Oh yes, sir, I understand," said Morgan, good-humouredly; "you cancount on me doing what's right by them. They can't help the colour oftheir skins."

  "I am satisfied," said my father, quietly, and he left us staring inthat heavy, sombre face before us--a face full of despair, but one towhich we could not address words of sympathy.

  The change that took place in the man day by day was wonderful, as faras health was concerned. In three days he was walking slowly about; ina week he was ready to take the tool in hand which Morgan gave him, andhe went on clumsily with the work he was set to do, but displayingstrength that was the admiration of us all. But he was moody,shrinking, and suspicious, and the boy was precisely the same. For italways seemed to me that the boy was constantly on the look-out to avoida blow or some ill-usage on my part, and his companion to be expectingit from my father. The treatment they had been receiving for months hadutterly cowed them, but when they began to realise that they had fallenamong friends, the change was rapid indeed.

  Of course they could not understand us, and when they spoke, which wasvery seldom, their language was utterly beyond our comprehension; but wegot on pretty well by signs, after a few weeks when the change came.

  It was one glorious afternoon, when, after worrying Morgan into gettingme some bait, I prepared my rough lines for fishing, and while I wasdisentangling the hooks which had been thrown carelessly together, theboy who was passing nodded and looked on.

  "Going fishing," I said. "Come with me?"

  He looked at me without comprehension, and when I took hold of him bythe arm, he shrank away.

  "Oh, I say," I said, "I wish you wouldn't. Who's going to hit you?Carry this basket."

  I placed one in his hand, and gave him the pot containing the bait inthe other, signed to him to follow, and in a dull, sad way he camebehind to where the boat was moored; but as soon as he saw me step in,he began to look wildly out into the stream, and to shrink away.

  "It's all right," I said, "there's no slaver out there. Come along."

  But he shrank away more and more, with his eyes dilating, and he said afew words quite fiercely in his own tongue.

  "Don't be so stupid," I said, jumping out and securing him just in timeto stop him from running off with my bait and lines.

  He struggled for a moment, but ceased, and in a drooping, dejected wayallowed me to lead him to the boat, into which he stepped sadly, anddropped down in a sitting position, with his legs under him, and hishead bent upon his breast.

  "Oh, I say," I cried, "don't do that. Look here; we are going fishing.Here, take an oar and row."

  I had cast off the boat, and we were floating down the stream as Iplaced the oar in his hands, took the other, and in a sad, depressed,obedient way, he clumsily imitated my actions, rowing steadily if notably on.

  "There," I said, when we were as far out as I wished to be; "that willdo. Lay your oar in like that," and I laid down my own.

  He obeyed me, and then sat looking at me as mournfully as if I weregoing to drown him.

  "Oh, I do wish you'd try and take it differently," I said, lookingpleasantly at him the while. "Now, look here, I'm going to catch afish."

  As I spoke, I put a large bait on the strong hook I had ready, threw itover the side, and twisted the stout cord round my hand, while the boysa
t watching me.

  "Well, you have got a bit better," I said to him; "the other day youalways wanted to bite. Do try and come round, because you're not aslave, after all. Oh!"

  I uttered a yell, as I started up to pay out line, for, as we floatedgently down stream, there was a tremendous tug which cut my hand, andseemed ready to jerk my arm from out its socket.

  But I had so twisted the line that I could not pay it out, and as Istood, there came another so fierce a tug that I lost my balance, caughtat the boy to save myself, and the light boat careened over, and seemedto shoot us both out into the river.

  For a few moments the water thundered in my ears; the great fish, whichmust have been a gar pike, tugged at my hand, broke away, and I wasswimming with the black head of the boy close by me, as we struggled asquickly as we could to the bank, reached it together, climbed out, and Idropped down into a sitting position, with my companion staringwonderingly at me.

  His aspect was so comical, and his eyes sought mine in such a wonderingway, as if asking me whether this was the way I went fishing, that Iburst out into an uncontrollable roar of laughter, when, to my utterastonishment, the sad black face before me began to expand, the eyes totwinkle, the white teeth to show, and for the first time perhaps formonths the boy laughed as merrily as I did.

  Then, all at once, I remembered the boat, which was floating steadilyaway down stream toward the big river, and pointing to it, I ran as faras I could along the bank, and plunged in to swim out and secure it.

  There was another plunge and the boy was by my side, and we swam on, hebeing ready to leave me behind, being far more active in the water thanI. But he kept waiting for me, till I pointed on at the boat, and heseemed to understand, and went on.

  The boat had gone into a swift current, and it was a long way from whereI swam, and by degrees I began to find that I had rather miscalculatedmy strength. I was only lightly clad, but my clothes began to feelheavy, the banks to look a long way off, and the boat as far; while allat once the thought struck me, after I had been swimming some time, thatI should never be able to reach the boat or the shore.

  I tried to get rid of the fancy, but it would not go, and one effect ofthat thought was to make me swim more quickly than I should have done,or, as I should express it, use my limbs more rapidly than I ought, sothat I was quickly growing tired, and at last so utterly worn out that acold chill came over me. I looked despairingly to right and left at thebeautiful tree-hung river-side, and then forward to where the boy hadjust reached the boat, and saw him climb in, the sun shining upon hiswet back.

  "Hi! Boy!" I shouted, "take the oars, and row."

  I might as well have held my tongue, for he could not understand a word;and as I shouted again and again I looked at him despairingly, for hewas sitting on the thwart laughing, with the boat gliding downstreamfaster than I seemed to be able to swim, while I knew that I shouldnever be able to overtake it, and that I was getting deeper in thewater.

  "Oh, if I could only make him understand!--if I could only make himunderstand!" I kept thinking, as I shouted again hoarsely; and thistime he did seem to comprehend that something was wrong, for I saw himjump up and begin making signs to me. Then he shouted something, and Isaw that he was about to jump in again as if to come to me.

  But he stopped, and took up one of the oars, to begin rowing, but ofcourse only to send the boat round. Then, as if puzzled, he put the oarover the other side, and rowed hard like that, to send the boat's headin the other direction, repeating this again and again, and now standingup to shout to me.

  I could not shout in return, only stare at him wildly, as he kept onmaking ineffective efforts to row to me, till all seemed to be over; thebright water and the beautiful green banks began to grow misty; and Iknew that though I might keep struggling on for a few minutes, I shouldnever reach the boat, and that he would never be able to row it to me.

  I did not feel in much trouble nor get in any great alarm, for I supposethe severe exertion dulled everything, and robbed my sufferings of theirpoignancy as I still swam on more and more slowly, with my starting eyesfixed upon the boat still many yards away from me, and growing more andmore dim as the water began to bubble about my lips.

  All at once in front of me I saw the boy's black figure rise up in theboat like a shadow. Then there was a splash and the water flashed up,and I knew he must be swimming toward me to help me; but I could not seethat he had taken the rope in his teeth, after finding himself unable torow in my direction, and had essayed to swim to me and tug the boat inhis wake.

  This in so swift a stream was impossible, but his brave act saved mylife, for he was able to hold his own by swimming hard till the currentbore me down to him just as I was sinking; and my next recollection isof feeling myself clutched and my hand being raised to the edge of theboat, while one arm was about my waist.

  The feeling of comparative security brought back my fleeting senses, andI made a convulsive clutch with the other hand at the gunwale; while thenext thing I remember is feeling myself helped over the side by the boy,who had climbed in, and lying in the bottom with the sun beating downupon me--sick almost to death.