The Quadroon: Adventures in the Far West

by Mayne Reid

  CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.

  THE PIROGUE.

  We soon after entered the _cypriere_. There the surface was mostlywithout underwood. The black taxodiums, standing thickly, usurped theground, their umbellated crowns covered with hoary epiphytes, whosependulous drapery shut out the sun, that would otherwise have nourishedon that rich soil a luxuriant herbaceous vegetation. But we were nowwithin the limits of the annual inundation; and but few plants canthrive there.

  After a while I could see we were approaching a stagnant water. Therewas no perceptible descent, but the dank damp odour of the swamp, thenoise of the piping frogs, the occasional scream of some wading bird, orthe bellowing of the alligator, admonished me that some constant water--some lake or pond--was near.

  We were soon upon its margin. It was a large pond, though only a smallportion of it came under the eye; for, as far as I could see, thecypress-trees grew up out of the water, their huge buttresses spreadingout so as almost to touch each other! Here and there the black "knees"protruded above the surface, their fantastic shapes suggesting the ideaof horrid water-demons, and lending a supernatural character to thescene. Thus canopied over, the water looked black as ink, and theatmosphere felt heavy and oppressive. The picture was one from whichDante might have drawn ideas for his "Inferno."

  On arriving near this gloomy pond, my guide came to a stop. A huge treethat had once stood near the edge had fallen, and in such a positionthat its top extended far out into the water. Its branches were yetundecayed, and the parasites still clung to them in thick tufts, givingthe whole the appearance of a mass of hay loosely thrown together. Partof this was under water, but a still larger portion remained above thesurface, high and dry. It was at the root of this fallen tree that myguide had halted.

  He remained but a moment, waiting only till I came up.

  As soon as I had reached the spot, he mounted upon the trunk; and,beckoning me to follow him, walked along the log in the direction of itstop. I climbed up, and balancing myself as well as I could, followedhim out into the water.

  On reaching the head of the tree, we entered among the thick limbs; and,winding around these, kept still farther towards the top branches. Iexpected that there we should reach our resting-place.

  At length my companion came to a stop, and I now saw, to myastonishment, a small "pirogue" resting upon the water, and hidden underthe moss! So completely was it concealed, that it was not possible tohave seen it from any point except that where we now stood.

  "This, then," thought I, "is the object for which we have crawled outupon the tree."

  The sight of the pirogue led me to conjecture that we had farther to go.The black now loosed the canoe from its moorings, and beckoned me toget in.

  I stepped into the frail craft and sat down. My companion followed,and, laying hold of the branches, impelled the vessel outward till itwas clear of the tops of the tree. Then, seizing the paddle, under itsrepeated strokes we passed silently over the gloomy surface of thewater.

  For the first two or three hundred yards our progress was but slow. Thecypress knees, and huge "buttocks" of the trees, stood thickly in theway, and it was necessary to observe some caution in working the piroguethrough among them. But I saw that my companion well understood the_manege_ of his craft, and wielded a "paddle" with the skill of aChippewa. He had the reputation of being a great "'coon-hunter" and"bayou fisherman;" and in these pursuits no doubt he had picked up hiscanoe-craft.

  It was the most singular voyage I had ever made. The pirogue floated inan element that more resembled ink than water. Not a ray of sun glancedacross our path. The darkness of twilight was above and around us.

  We glided along shadowy aisles, and amidst huge black trunks that roselike columns supporting a canopy of close-woven fronds. From thisvegetable root hung the mournful _bromelia_, sometimes drooping down tothe very surface of the water, so as to sweep our faces and shoulders aswe passed under it.

  We were not the only living things. Even this hideous place had itsdenizens. It was the haunt and secure abode of the great _saurian_,whose horrid form could be distinguished in the gloom, now crawlingalong some prostrate trunk, now half mounted upon the protruding kneesof the cypresses, or swimming with slow and stealthy stroke through theblack liquid. Huge water-snakes could be seen, causing a tiny ripple asthey passed from tree to tree, or lying coiled upon the projectingbuttocks. The swamp-owl hovered on silent wing, and large brown batspursued their insect prey. Sometimes these came near, fluttering in ourvery faces, so that we could perceive the mephitic odour of theirbodies, while their horny jaws gave forth a noise like the clinking ofcastanets.

  The novelty of the scene interested me; but I could not help beingimpressed with a slight feeling of awe. Classic memories, too, stirredwithin me. The fancies of the Roman poet were here realised. I wasupon the Styx, and in my rower I recognised the redoubtable Charon.

  Suddenly a light broke through the gloom. A few more strokes of thepaddle, and the pirogue shot out into the bright sunlight. What arelief!

  I now beheld a space of open water,--a sort of circular lake. It was inreality the lake, for what we had been passing over was but theinundation; and at certain seasons this portion covered with forestbecame almost dry. The open water, on the contrary, was constant, andtoo deep even for the swamp-loving cypress to grow in it.

  The space thus clear of timber was not of very large extent,--a surfaceof half-a-mile or so. On all sides it was enclosed by the moss-drapedforest that rose around it, like a grey wall; and in the very centregrew a clump of the same character, that in the distance appeared to bean island.

  This solitary tarn was far from being silent. On the contrary, it was ascene of stirring life. It seemed the rendezvous for the many speciesof wild winged creatures that people the great _marais_ of Louisiana.There were the egrets, the ibises--both white and scarlet--the variousspecies of _Ardeidae_, the cranes, and the red flamingoes. There, too,was the singular and rare darter, swimming with body immersed, andsnake-like head just appearing above the water; and there were the whiteunwieldy forms of the tyrant pelicans standing on the watch for theirfinny prey. Swimming birds speckled the surface; various species of_Anatidae_--swans, geese, and ducks,--while the air was filled withflights of gulls and curlews, or was cut by the strong whistling wingsof the mallards.

  Other than waterfowl had chosen this secluded spot for their favouritedwelling-place. The osprey could be seen wheeling about in the air, nowshooting down like a star upon the unfortunate fish that had approachedtoo near the surface, and anon yielding up his prey to the tyrant_Haliaetus_. Such were the varied forms of feathered creatures thatpresented themselves to my eye on entering this lonely lake of thewoods.

  I looked with interest upon the scene. It was a true scene of nature,and made a vivid impression upon me at the moment. Not so with mycompanion, to whom it was neither novel nor interesting. It was an oldpicture to his eyes, and he saw it from a different point of view. Hedid not stay to look at it, but, lightly dipping his paddle, pressed thepirogue on in the direction of the island.

  A few strokes carried us across the open water, and the canoe once moreentered under the shadow of trees. But to my surprise, _there was noisland_! What I had taken for an island was but a single cypress-tree,that grew upon a spot where the lake was shallow. Its branchesextending on every side were loaded with the hoary parasites thatdrooped down to the very surface of the water, and shadowed a space ofhalf an acre in extent. Its trunk rested upon a base of enormousdimensions. Huge buttresses flanked it on every side, slanting out intothe water and rising along its stem to a height of many yards, the wholemass appearing as large as an ordinary cabin. Its sides were indentedwith deep bays; and, as we approached under the screen, I could perceivea dark cavity which showed that this singular "buttock" was hollowwithin.

  The bow of the pirogue was directed into one of the bays, and soonstruck against the tree. I saw several steps cut into the wood,
andleading to the cavity above. My companion pointed to these steps. Thescreaming of the startled birds prevented me from hearing what he said,but I saw that it was a sign for me to mount upward. I hastened to obeyhis direction; and, climbing out of the canoe, sprawled up the slopingridge.

  At the top was the entrance, just large enough to admit the body of aman; and, pressing through this, I stood inside the hollow tree.

  We had reached our destination--I was in the _lair of the runaway_!