Prisoners of Chance

by Randall Parrish

  CHAPTER XII

  WE LAND AN ODD FISH

  After brief respite Madame steered as closely beside the bank aspossible, thus avoiding the swift current, yet it was no small task towin our way upward through the lagging hours. More and more frequentlytired muscles drove us to the shore for intervals of relaxation.Still, in spite of much time thus lost, we made steady progress, sobefore morning dawned I was confident many a mile had been placedbehind, although the low shore we skirted remained so similar inoutline as to afford few landmarks with which to gauge our passage.

  De Noyan grew more cheerful toward the end, his sullen mood changing toa gay semblance of reckless abandon. To me, however, he appearedscarcely more engaging in snatches of ribald song, and careless speech,freely interspersed with French oaths and much complaint at unwontedtoll, than in his former moody silence; yet his cheerfulness had effectupon Madame, who contrived to rally from her mental depression,becoming in turn a veritable sunburst in the gloom. I experienced aglow of pleasure listening to her merry banter, and, once or twice, toa low-voiced French song, sounding sweetly enough as it echoed backfrom off the black water.

  In spite of such efforts to appear light-hearted, the nature of ourwork, coupled with the sombre surroundings of the night, rested heavilyupon the spirits, and long before morning broke, we had all subsidedinto disheartening silence, holding grimly to our onward course throughsheer force of will. With wearied eyes I marked the slow coming ofdawn above that desolation; the faint gray light creeping like someliving thing across the swirling waters, leaving more ghastly thanbefore the immense flood sweeping past. It was a sombre sight, yetbecame more heartsome as crimson light streaked the sky, flashing forthover the wide river, reddening the heaving surface, until the watersblazed like burnished metal, and our blinded eyes could hardly gazeupon it.

  We were at this time approaching a vast curve in the shore-line,appearing to the eye as if it might prove the mouth of some importanttributary stream. Beyond, perhaps a hundred feet out in the mainriver, appeared a low island, a mere rock as it fronted us, yet thicklycovered by small trees and bushes, growing close to the water's edge.No sign of life was apparent anywhere. The mainland, so far as thesweep of vision extended, bore the same marshy and inhospitable look,and I immediately determined upon the island as the more suitablecamping spot.

  "Turn the prow of the canoe toward the upper end of that rock, Madame,"I said, resuming my place at the oar. "It appears the most promisinghalting place hereabout, and should afford us excellent vantage of viewboth up and down the river."

  "It will prove vantage of sleep for me," grumbled the Chevaliergruffly. "I take it I should have been resting better had I remainedwith the Dons."

  I noticed the sudden uplifting of his wife's face, and seeing a painedexpression upon it, I replied:

  "Such words bespeak little appreciation, Monsieur, of our efforts topluck you from a fate which has befallen your companions. Surely yourwork is no harder than that of others, while you have more at issue."

  He glanced from her face to mine in apparent surprise, but repliedreadily:

  "Those knowing me best, friend Benteen, pay least heed to my words.When I bark I seldom bite, and when I intend biting I waste small timeon the bark. But, _parbleu_! how can I feel life worth living, if itis all toil? There may be those who enjoy such existence, but Idiscover no pleasure in it. _Sacre_! I love not hard hands and poorfare, nor will I make pretence of what I do not feel."

  We were then two-thirds of the distance between the mainland and theisland, in the full sweep of the raging current. It struck ussidelong, with such force as to require all our combined strength toafford the laboring boat headway. Suddenly Eloise startled us with anoutcry.

  "What is that yonder?" she questioned excitedly, pointing directlyup-stream. "It looks the strangest red thing ever I saw on water. Ibelieved it moved but now, as if alive."

  Keeping my oar in motion, lest we should drift backward, I made shiftto glance across my shoulder in the direction indicated. The river hadus completely in its grasp, tossing the light boat in a majestic floodof angry water, whitened by foam, and beaten into waves, where itrounded the rocky edge of the island. Across this tumbling surgestreamed the glorious sunlight, gilding each billow into beauty, whilein the midst of it, bearing swiftly down toward us, came that strangething that had so startled Madame. What in the name of nature it mightprove to be, I could not hazard--it had the appearance of some queer,shaggy animal, rolled tight into the form of a ball, having fur soradiantly red as to flash and burn in the sunshine. It bobbed crazilyabout, barely above the surface of the river, like some livingcreature, while now and then I marked a glimmer of light behind, as ifthe water was being vigorously churned by some species of swimmingapparatus in the monster's tail.

  "Stand by with your small sword, De Noyan," I commanded uneasily, "for,hang me if I ever before set eyes on such a creature! Move, quick, andpass me over your oar so you may have both hands free for the onset."

  The beast was being swept along rapidly, now appearing to my eyessomewhat whiter on top, although the surrounding red was so glaringlyprominent as to obscure everything else. Suddenly the creature gave akick and whirled over, turning the white expanse directly toward us.At the same moment De Noyan dropped the point of his rapier against theside of the boat, with a loud guffaw.

  "May the saints absolve me," he grinned, choking from merriment, "ifit's not the red-headedest man ever my eyes looked upon."

  Forcing back his laughter, he hailed the swimmer, who, perceiving usfor the first time, began sheering off, as if frightened by ourpresence, and intent upon escape.

  "Hold there a moment, Master Red-Cap! If in truth you are not a fish,come on board."

  The fellow heard him plainly enough, for I distinguished a mutteredEnglish exclamation, but he made no pause in urging a peculiarsidestroke of the arms which threatened to bear him past us like a wildthing.

  "Hold your hands!" I roared in English, thinking, perhaps, he had notcomprehended the other tongue. "Come in here, sirrah, or, the Lordhelp you, we 'll turn and run you down."

  At sound of these words he ceased his efforts, and turned a peculiarwrinkled face, creased like long-folded parchment, and as yellow,directly toward us. Even at that distance I imagined I could detect atwinkle of delight in the shrewd gray eyes.

  "Thy words of greeting are as manna fallen from heaven," boomed a deep,resonant voice, surprising in its volume. "I take heart anew, youngman, for surely thou art not the spawn of the scarlet woman, but,verily, one of the chosen people of our own God."

  "I fail to grasp your meaning, friend," I retorted, nettled to be heldat the oars so long in that current. "We are honest voyagers, glad tobe of aid to any one in such distress as you seem to be."

  "Nay; I am not especially uncomfortable, unless my tobacco is soaked,and if such disaster hath overtaken me, it shall yet go hard with thoseblaspheming idolaters who cast me overboard. But thy language is thatof modern Israel, so I will join you in the boat. 'Tis the morereadily done as I have not tasted food since yesternoon, and possess ahollowness within my physical temple which demandeth attention. Thespirit yieldeth to the craving of the flesh."

  "Catch hold upon the side," I ordered, as he drew near. "We will haveyou ashore in a dozen strokes."

  The stranger did as I bade him, and it was truly a wondrous sight toobserve how his head glowed in the sun as the drops of moisture dried,and brought out the full, ornate color of it. His face had a pinchedlook, with thousands of little wrinkles leading away from the cornersof the wide mouth, and about the narrow, glinting gray eyes. But therewas a sly gleam of humor about the expression of it, which, taken inconnection with that fiery headpiece, nearly caused me a fit oflaughter. I noticed, however, that Madame drew slightly away from hisside of the boat, as if close proximity to the fellow were repugnant toher.

  "Well, friend," said I, as we drew up in shoal water under lee of therock, and I noted his
short legs and stocky chest, "no doubt you arewell water-logged, and a little healthful exercise will help to warmyour blood, especially as we dare not light a fire for such purpose.So bend that broad back of yours, and aid us in lifting the boat tocover."

  He performed his portion of the work well, bearing with apparent easefully one-half the burden, while De Noyan and I staggered beneath theremainder, until together we sank the boat well out of sight behind thethick brush.

  "And why not a fire?" the stranger questioned abruptly, noticing Eloisespreading forth our stock of provisions on the grass. "It was in hopeof thus warming the inner man that I consented to come ashore andcompanion with you. Are you refugees, fleeing from danger?"

  I glanced aside at De Noyan and muttered hastily in French, "It will bebest to tell him our story--'tis not likely he will prove an emissaryof Spain."

  "As you please; he is more of your class than mine," he returnedindifferently, and, with a shrug of the shoulders, strolled away.

  "You have made fairly correct guess," I said to our new acquaintance;"so we may as well understand each other first as last. We haveescaped with our lives from New Orleans, and are now seeking refuge onthe Ohio."

  He nodded, his shrewd gray eyes fastened intently on my face, his owncountenance expressionless.

  "Who holdeth New Orleans?" he asked in a tone of interest.

  "The Spanish, under O'Reilly."

  "'Tis what they told me above, yet I believed they lied. Those withyou are French?"

  "Ay."

  "And you?"

  "Of Louisiana birth and English blood; five years I have been a hunterin the Illinois country."

  He groaned as though the mention of the word awoke unpleasant memories.

  "'Tis an unholy land, no fit abiding place for the elect, as I learned,having passed through its settlements seeking prayerfully to bear anevangel unto that stiff-necked people. Friend, thou hast an honestface, and I will say in confidence I have been ofttimes blessed of theSpirit in the conversion of souls; yet this people laughed at myunctuous speech, making merry regarding that head-covering with whichthe Almighty chose to adorn his servant. Dost thou know the Frenchsettlement on the Kaskaskia?"

  "I have been there often."

  "Ah! 'tis verily a stronghold of popish superstition. Recall you thehumble cabin of Gabriel La Motte, the Huguenot, close by the ravine?It was there I abode in much spiritual and temporal comfort with thatgodly man, until certain mad roisterers took offence at plain gospelspeech, driving me forth into the wilderness, even as Jehovah'sprophets of old. Since that hour I have been a wanderer on the face ofthe earth, finding small comfort in this life; yet Ezekiel Cairnes ismerely the poor servant of the Lord, the chief of sinners, and mustabide in travail until He cometh."

  He cast up his eyes in pious affectation, his lips moving as though hemeditated in prayer.

  "Then your name is Cairnes?"

  "Ezekiel Cairnes, late of the Connecticut colony, and am permitted bythe Lord's mercy to write Reverend before my unworthy appellation."

  "A Puritan preacher!" I exclaimed in some disgust. "I have heard ofyour sort before, yet have been spared a meeting until now. Where doyou propose going?"

  "The Lord leadeth His anointed, young man. Even as Jonah abode in thebelly of the whale, so doth the water bear me onward as the Almightywilleth."

  His wandering eyes rested thoughtfully upon my companion, now returningtoward us, sauntering listlessly along the sandy shore.

  "I know not, friend, who you may be, save as you have seen fit toreveal," he said shrewdly. "Yet I would venture a guess as to yondergayly attired cavalier."

  "A guess?" I echoed, taken completely by surprise. "It is small chanceyou would hit right--what might your guess be?"

  "Chevalier Charles de Noyan."

  "How know you that?"

  He chuckled grimly, evidently well pleased at my astonishment.

  "'Tis no work of the evil one, friend. I am but just escaped also fromthe hands of the Philistines," he explained, becoming angry at thethought, and ducking his red head vehemently. "While in theirunhallowed company, a gray-bellied son of Belial questioned me muchregarding yonder fine gentleman, ere he waxed exceedingly wroth at myplain speech in matters of the spirit, bidding his jabbering crew ofpapists to heave me overboard."

  "How far away did this occur?" I asked, looking anxiously up the river.

  "Oh, mayhap some such matter as twenty leagues," he returnedindifferently, his gaze idly following mine. "Let me reflect; it wasat the hour for sunset prayer I fell in with their party. I have heardit said this stream hereabout hath a sweep of seven or more miles thehour, and I kept well in the current of it."

  "Do you mean you have been swimming since sunset yesterday?"

  "Nay, friend; I beg be not over-hasty in conclusions. I merely reposedeasily upon my back, with only enough straightening out of the legs tokeep my nose fairly up-tilted above the stream. 'T was thus I made thepassage with much comfort of body, and relaxation of mind. 'T is noserious trick for one unafraid of the water although it might bring oncramps were I to keep on as far as New Orleans."

  I stared at him with an astonishment which for the moment precludedspeech. Before I found voice with which to express doubt of his story,Madame called, bidding us join her upon the grass, where our rude mealwaited.