CHAPTER XVII.
THLUCCO.
"What's your plan now, Sam?" asked Tom, when the boat had beensecured, and a fire built.
"First and foremost, where are we?" asked Sid Russell.
"Yes, an' how fur is it to somewhere else?" questioned Billy Bowlegs.
"An' is we gwine to somewher's or somewher's else?" demanded blackJoe, with a grin.
"One question at a time," said Sam, "and they will go a good dealfarther."
"Well, begin with Sid's question, then?" said Tommy. "His is the mostsensible; where are we?"
"We're on an island," returned Sam, "and the island is somewhere herein the upper part of Escambia bay. You see how it lies on our map.The bay ends down there in Pensacola bay, and there is Pensacola,about fifteen miles away. We came here, you know, to find out what isgoing on in Pensacola and its neighborhood, and my plan is to run downpast the town, to some point four or five miles below, in theneighborhood of Fort Barrancas. There I'll set up a fishing camp, butfirst I must get tackle, and, if possible, some duck cloth for asail."
At this point the conversation was interrupted by the suddenappearance of a canoe's bow in their midst. Their fire was built nearthe water's edge, and the canoe which interrupted them had beenpaddled silently to the bank, so that its bow extended nearly intotheir fire.
"Ugh, how do," said a voice in the canoe, "how do, pale faces," andwith that the solitary occupant of the canoe leaped ashore and seatedhimself in the circle around the fire.
Joe was frightened, but the other boys were reasonably self-possessed.
"Injun see fire; Injun come see. Injun friend."
"White man friend, too," said Sam, holding out his hand. "Injun eat?"offering the visitor some food.
"No. Injun eat heap while ago. Injun no hungry, but Injun friendly.Fire good. Fire warm Injun."
Sam continued the conversation, desiring to learn whether or not therewas an Indian encampment in the neighborhood. He was not afraid of anIndian attack, for the Indians were not on the war path in Florida,but he was afraid of having his boat and tools stolen.
"Injun's friends over there?" asked Sam, pointing in the directionfrom which the canoe had come.
"No; Injun's friends not here. You know Injun; you see him before?"
"No," said Sam, "I don't remember you."
"Injun see you, all same. Injun General Jackson's friend. Injun seeyou when you come General Jackson's camp. Me go way then for GeneralJackson."
Here was a revelation. The young savage was, or professed to be, oneof the friendly Indians whom General Jackson was using as scouts. Itwas certain that he had seen Sam on his entrance into GeneralJackson's camp, and he must have left immediately after Sam's arrivalthere.
"How did you get here so quick?" asked Sam.
"Me run 'cross country. Injun run heap."
"Where did you get your canoe?"
"Steal um," answered the Indian with the utmost complacency.
"Have you been here before?"
"Yes. Injun fish here heap. Injun go fishin' to-morrow."
"Where will you get lines and hooks."
"Me got um."
"Where did you get them?"
"Steal um," answered he again.
"We're going fishing, too," said Sam.
"You got hooks? You got lines? You got bait?"
"No," said Sam.
"Injun get um for you."
"How?"
"Steal um."
"No," said Sam, "you mustn't steal for us. I'll go to Pensacola andbuy what I want. But you may go with us, if you will, and show uswhere to fish."
"Me go. Injun show you,--down there," pointing down the bay, "heapfish there."
The Indian, Sam was disposed to think, was a valuable acquisition,although he was not disposed to trust him with a knowledge of the realnature of his mission. Warning the boys, therefore, not to reveal thesecret, he admitted the Indian, whose name was Thlucco, to hiscompany, not as a member, but as a sort of guide.
The next morning the boat went down the bay to the town, where Samstopped to purchase certain necessary supplies, chiefly fishing tackleand the materials for making a sail, and to take observations.
He found many British officers and soldiers lounging around the town,and had no difficulty in discovering that they were made heartilywelcome by the Spanish authorities, notwithstanding the professedneutrality of Spain. It was clear enough that while the Spaniards wereat peace with us, they were permitting our enemy to make theirterritory his base of supplies, and a convenient starting point ofmilitary and naval operations against us. All this was in violation ofevery law of neutrality, and it fully justified Jackson in invadingFlorida, and driving the British out of Pensacola, as he did, not verylong afterward.
Sam "pottered around," as he expressed it, making his purchases asdeliberately as possible, and neglecting no opportunity to learn whathe could, with eyes and ears wide open.
In an open square he saw a sight which astonished him not a little.Captain Woodbine, a British officer in full uniform, was endeavoringto drill a band of Indians, whom he had dressed in red coats andtrowsers. A more ridiculous performance was never seen anywhere, andonly an officer like Captain Woodbine, who knew absolutely nothing ofthe habits and character of the American Indian, would ever havethought of attempting to make regularly drilled and uniformed soldiersout of men of that race. They were excellent fighters, in their ownsavage way, but no amount of drilling could turn them into soldiersof the civilized pattern.
It was a cruel, inhuman thing to think of setting these savagesagainst the Americans at all, for their notion of war was simply tomurder men, women and children indiscriminately, and to burn housesand take scalps; but to try to make soldiers out of them was in a highdegree ridiculous, and Sam could scarcely restrain his disposition tolaugh aloud, as he saw them floundering about in trowsers for thefirst time in their lives and trying to make out what it all meant.
Thlucco, wrapped in his blanket, bare-headed and bare-footed, lookedat the performance with an expression of profound contempt on hisface.
"Red-coat-big-hat-white man big fool!" was the only comment he had tomake upon Captain Woodbine and his drill.
Having bought what he wanted, and learned what he could, Sam returnedto his boat, and paddled down the bay to a point not far from FortBarrancas. Here he established his fishing camp, and began work uponhis rudder, mast and sail. Before the evening was over he had his boatready for sea, and was prepared to begin the work of fishing the nextmorning. He had news for General Jackson; and before going to sleep hewrote his first despatch.