CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.
No one would have thought there had been a flood to have seen the gardenand plantation so soon after the waters had gone down; for where theslimy mud had lain in pools, it had cracked all over till it was creasedand marked like an alligator's back, through which cracks the tendergreen growth soon thrust itself, to spring up at a wondrous rate, as ifglad to be fertilised by the soft alluvial soil.
Wherever the mud had lain thick on broad leaf or grass, it had, as Ihave said, cracked and fallen off, or been washed away by the heavyrains and dews, and our grounds and the country round were as beautifulas ever--more beautiful, I ought to say, for everything was fresher andgreener, and where the swamps had been muddy and parched, and overhungwith dry growth, all was bright and glorious, with the pools full up,and the water-ways overhung with mossy drapery, glittering and flashingback the sun's rays wherever the sun pierced the trees.
"Going for a walk, Master George?" said Morgan that morning, as Isauntered down the garden in the hot sunshine, wondering what I shoulddo with myself.
"Yes," I said, eagerly, for the question had given me the idea I wanted.Yes, I would go for a walk.
"Better be careful, my lad. I would not overheat myself. After allthis flooding there may be fever in the air. But there, you will takecare of yourself."
"Yes, Morgan," I said, "I'll try. Seen Pomp anywhere?"
"No; not since breakfast. A lazy young dog. Make his father do all thework. What's that, sir?"
We both looked sharply round toward the forest, for there was the faintrustle of something moving, but the sound ceased as he spoke.
"Only a squirrel," I said, at a guess. "I think I shall go and have abathe."
"Where?" said Morgan; "not in the river; the stream is too swift, sir,yet."
"No; in our big pool."
"Better take a pole and prod about well first. After all this waterthere may be a young alligator or two crept in."
"Oh, I'm not afraid of them," I said, laughing; and I listened again,for there was another faint rustle among the leaves, but it ceased, andI stood watching as Morgan tied up two or three of the great succulentvine-shoots which were trailing over one of the trees, luxuriating inthe glowing sunshine, and showing goodly-sized bunches of grapes, suchas would in another two months be so many little amber bags of luscioussweetness.
"Yes, I haven't had a swim since the flood," I thought to myself, as Iwent on, leaped over the rough, moss-grown fence, and was soon aftermaking my way along past the edge of the sugar-cane plantation, wherethe weeds were growing like mad, and then through the great, tall-leavedrows of tobacco in the new clearing, where the stumps of the trees solaboriously cut down still stood.
In another ten minutes I was out of the glowing sunshine beneath theoaks with their flowing drapery of moss, now peering up to see ifanything alive was moving among the branches, now noticing how far upthe flood had risen, as shown by the mark of dried mud and the patchesof withered reed, which still clung here and there.
But there was no sign of living thing, and I walked on for a time in andout among the great trunks in the deep shade towards where there was abroad patch of sunshine, and all therein looked to be of green and gold.It was the clearing where the trees had been cut down for building andfencing when we first came.
I was not long in placing myself upon a stump out here in the broadsunshine, to watch what was going on, for this was a favourite old placeof mine, where I generally found something to interest me.
So it was on this day, for a great crane flew up and went off with agreat deal of wing-flapping before it was clear of the trees; and as Iwas eagerly watching the spot where it had disappeared, there was onebright flash, and one only, as a humming-bird darted across the sunnyclearing, to poise itself first here and then there, before the openflowers of the great creepers, its wings vibrating so rapidly that theywere invisible, and the lovely little creature looked more like somegreat moth than a bird.
I knew him and his kind well enough, and that if I had had it in myhand, I should have seen his head and crest all of a bright ruby tint,and the scale-like feathers of its throat glowing almost like fire; butas it flew rapidly here and there, it seemed all of a dull, warm brown,surrounded by a transparency formed by its rapidly-beating wings.
I sat watching the humming-bird till another and another came to disturbthe first, and begin chasing it, darting here and there likedragon-flies, now up, and now down; round and round, and sometimescoming so close that I could have beaten one to the ground with a bough.Then, all at once, they soared up and up, passed over the trees, andwere gone, leaving me swinging my legs and whistling softly, as my eyesnow wandered about in search of something else.
Oaks draped with moss, a great cypress at the edge of the clearing,which had grown up and up till it was higher than some of the trees, andspread its boughs over them like an umbrella to keep off the rain, andkeeping off the sunshine as well, so that they had grown up so manytall, thin trunks, with tops quite hidden by the dark green cypress, andlooking like upright props to keep its great top spread.
I knew that in all probability there was more than one 'possum in thegreat trees surrounding the opening, but Pomp was not there to findthem, and I had no dog. I felt, too, that in all probability more thanone bright pair of eyes were watching me from some bough, and theirowners' bushy tails twitching and whisking about; but I could seenothing, and after a time, as a sudden thought struck me, I got downsoftly, and looked round for a stick. This was soon found, for wheneverI cut one I generally left it thrust in somewhere among the densegrowth.
Thus armed, I went cautiously across the clearing toward the fartherside, where the gravelly bank was crowned by a tuft of pines, beneathwhich, in the full sunshine, the ground was almost bare, and dotted withstones, ashy, and dark, and dull, and grey.
I had committed more than one murder there, but they were murders inwhich I exulted, for they meant death to the horrible rattlesnake ordeadly moccasin, as they lay sunning their cold blood in the hot rays,ready to deal death to the passer-by, whose inadvertent foot shoulddisturb their sleep.
I went very cautiously, with my eyes scanning the spot eagerly, for atvery little distance the reptiles would be invisible from the way inwhich their scales assimilated with the earth. But, though I used everycaution, I saw no wavy or coiled up serpent asleep, nor caught sight ofa tail rapidly following its owner in amongst the stunted herbage andstones.
"Getting scarcer," I said to myself, as I turned off again, and made fora faint track between the trees--a seldom-used path, leading on to theedge of the swamp that bordered the little river running down to thegreat tidal stream, which came from far away to the north-west among themountains.
For a time, as I went on peering here and there, I forgot all about myfirst intention, but it came back strongly as I reached a naturalopening, and once more passed out of the shade, which seemed streakedwith threads of silver where the sun-rays darted through, and stoodlooking down at the broad, glistening, shallow pool, where we boys hadoften bathed.
The place looked beautiful as ever; the water wonderfully clear. Smallfish darted away at my approach, and took refuge in the reeds and grassat the side, or in the broad patch of water-growth in one corner sometwenty yards across.
There was the dead tree on my side of the pool, which was about sixtyyards in length, and looked as tempting a spot for a bath as can beimagined.
The heat was growing oppressive, but the air was beautifully pure andclear; and the insects which darted about flashed in the sunshine, andkept up a continuous hum that was soothing and pleasant, as I began totake off my clothes, enjoying the sensation of the hot sun pouring itsheat down upon my skin.
"I wish Pomp was here," I said to myself; and as I said those words, Iburst out into a hearty fit of laughter, as in imagination I saw hisblack face shining in the water, and the great drops standing likepearls in his woolly head.
My thoughts did not promise him much enjoy
ment in his bath, for diversideas connected with ducking, splashing, and the like occurred to me,the more forcibly from the fact, that though Pomp swam admirably, it wasafter the fashion of a duck, and not of a fish, for he never, if hecould possibly help it, put his head under water.
I was half undressed, when I caught a glimpse of a good-sized pike,slowly rising to the surface to bask, and stooping down, and picking upthe stick I had brought with me--a good stout piece of hickory nearlysix feet long--I drew back a little, stole gently along the edge of thepool till I deemed myself about opposite, and then raising the stickwith both hands, stole forward, to deal a heavy blow at the fish,trusting that if I missed it the stroke on the water might paralyse it,until I had had time to hook it ashore.
"Don't see why a crack with a stick should not do as well as analligator's tail," I said to myself.
That blow was not delivered, for before I could gather myself up andbring my muscles to bear, the water flashed as a little wave rose, andthe fish was far out of reach.
"Better luck next time," I said, as I went back to the tree, finishedundressing, stood for a moment or two on the edge of the pool, and thendived in, sending the water flying up sparkling in the light.
It was deliciously invigorating, though the water was too much warmed bythe sun to give me a swift electric shock; and as I rose to the surface,shook the drops from my eyes, and began to swim slowly along, I felt asif I had never enjoyed a bath so well before. For the water felt soft,and yielding, and elastic, and as if no effort was required to keepmyself afloat.
"Pity old Pomp isn't here," I said, as I lazily swam to one end, wherethere were tufts of water weeds, and a kind of natural ditch took offthe surplus water into a pool of similar size, a hundred yards awayamong the trees--a black-looking, overhung place, suggestive ofreptiles, and depth, and dead tree-trunks with snaggy boughs ready toremove a swimmer's skin, though possibly if the trees had all beencleared away, and the bright sunshine had flooded it with light, itmight have looked attractive enough.
As it was, I should have thought it madness to venture into such a spot,not knowing what danger might lurk therein, and I turned and swam backtoward the other end, but stopped in the middle opposite my clotheslying on the fallen tree, and turned over to float and gaze up at theblue sky and the glorious hues of green upon the trees which surroundedthe pool.
"I wonder where Pomp is," I said to myself, and then, satisfied that ifhe saw Morgan he would learn where I had gone, and follow, I turned overon my breast and began to swim lazily toward the end where the reedsgrew.
"I dare say all the fish have taken refuge in there," I said to myself."If one had a net to spread round, and then send Pomp in there with apole to beat and thrash about, one might get, a good haul."
I swam on, driven by I don't know what attraction toward the great patchof reeds standing up out of the clear water, when all at once Morgan'swords concerning alligators came to my mind, and for a moment Ihesitated and ceased swimming, gazing straight before me at the largepatch of aquatic growth, and then at another, a dozen yards away to myright.
"They'd only he little ones and scuttle off as hard as they could," Ithought directly, and continued swimming toward the great patch beforeme, when, just as I was about a dozen feet from the thickest part, Ifelt a chill of horror run through me, paralysing every nerve, and mylips parted to utter a cry, for the reeds were suddenly agitated as bythe passage of something forcing its way out, and to my horror thehideous open-mouthed snout of a great alligator was thrust forth, andfrom its wide jaws there came a horrible bellowing roar which sounded tome at the moment as if the monster had uttered the word _Houk_!
I could not for the moment stir nor utter a cry for help. Then as thereeds were more roughly agitated, and I saw that the brute wasstruggling out from the tangle of matted roots below the surface, Ithrew myself back, and splashing and beating the water with all my mightto scare the reptile, I made for the shore.
The distance was only short, but to me then it seemed interminable.
I had only glanced over my shoulder once, to see that the alligator wasin full pursuit, with its open jaws well above the surface, andevidently gaining upon me fast, as I tore through the water, sending allI could back over the monster's muzzle; but in those agonised momentsall seemed in vain, as in imagination I felt myself seized, draggedunder, and drowned.
The thought was far too horrible to bear; and, in spite of myself, Ifelt that I must turn round and face the brute, to make one bravestruggle for life, and not let it seize me by the leg and drag me down,when just as I was about to yield to this feeling, and in the act ofturning, my horror culminated, for there was a rush, and a great wave ofwater rose from the open patch of reeds on my left, and I knew that asecond enemy had rushed out from its lair and was making for me.
I uttered a hoarse gasp, and began swimming again toward the shore, whenonce more a strange sensation ran through me, mingled of horror,despair, and wonder, as I heard in a hoarse, hollow voice I well knew,though it sounded strange--
"Oh, oh, Mass' George! Help! Great 'gator, Mass' George--help!"
The cry did not come from the bank, nor from among the trees, but fromclose behind me where the first alligator was in full pursuit, and as Ionce more ceased swimming, paralysed by wonder, I saw my first pursuerrise up in a peculiar way in the water, raise its two black paws to itshead, take it off, and dash it at the second alligator, which seized iton the instant, a second head appearing just above the surface, closingupon the first with a snap, and then there was a tremendous swirl in thewater, a tail appeared above the surface as the brute dived down, and asI swam on panting, the surface of the water behind grew calm.
But I was not swimming alone. Pomp's black head was close by me, andhis voice rose in a sobbing howl as, shivering with horror, he kept on--
"Oh, swim fass, Mass' George; swim fass, Mass' George, 'fore de 'gatorcatch us. Oh, swim fass, Mass' George; swim fass, Mass' George! 'Forede 'gator catch us," till we reached the shore and scrambled out, whiteand black, in the blazing sun, the water streaming down us, and bothpanting hard and trembling in every limb.