CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.
A jerk! Then a hasty movement. I must have left the window open, and afly or a beetle had got in and was tickling my ear. Now it was on mycheek--then on the other cheek--my neck again--my ear--my eyes--andnow--
"Ertchsshaw--ertchsshaw!" It was right on my nose, and I start up tobrush it away, and in the gloom recognise the figure of Pomp, who burstinto a roar of laughter.
"Mass' George tiddle lil nigger; now lil nigger tiddle Mass' George."
"Why, Pomp," I said, sitting up and staring, "I--I thought I was athome."
"No, Mass' George. Home long a way. Been sleep, and Pomp been sleep."
I shivered, got up, and stamped about.
"Yes, Mass' George, um dreffle cole."
"Here, get the powder and shot, and let's go back."
Pomp shook his head.
"No good go now. Get 'tuck in de forn, or tumble in de ribber."
"But we must go."
"No see de way; an' all de big 'gator go out for walk now, Mass'George."
"What time can it be?"
"Dunno, Mass' George, o'ny know not morrow mornin' yet."
I looked about me, and tried to make out the forest path by which weshould have to go; but all was dark as night could be, except overheadwhere a faint gleam showed where the moon should have been giving herlight, had not the clouds and mist interposed.
I did not like the look of it, but on the other hand I was afraid togive up; I knew that my father would be anxious, perhaps setting out insearch of me.
That last thought fixed me in my determination, and taking up the gun, Isaid firmly--
"Come along."
"Mass' George go shoot somefin?"
"No; let's get back home."
"No get home now. Too dark."
"But we must get home."
"Mass' George say muss get home, but de dark night say he no get home."
"Let's try," I said.
Pomp was obedience itself, and he followed me as I strode back to theedge of the forest, entered the dense thicket close to the river, andhad not gone a hundred yards before just in front of me there was acrashing, rustling noise, and a dull sullen plunge.
"I yah, ugly ole 'gator. Take care, Mass' George, he don't hab you."
I felt my heart beat fast, but I tried to fix it upon my mind in theforemost place that the reptiles fled from me, and were perhaps morealarmed than I was; but as I pressed forward, Pomp suddenly said,piteously--
"No got shoe like Mass' George. Poor Pomp put him foot in 'gator mouf.Oh!"
Pomp caught hold of me tightly, for from somewhere in front there came alow snarling roar, which I had never before heard; but report had toldof different savage creatures which came down from the hills sometimes,mountain lions, as the settlers called them, and to face one of thesecreatures in the dark was too much for my nerves.
"It's unlucky," I said to Pomp; "but we can't get back to-night. We hadbetter get out from among the trees."
Pomp wanted no second hint; he was behind, and he turned at once, andled the way back to the sandy bluff, where he stood shivering.
"What was dat, Mass' George?"
"I don't know," I said. "Some kind of great cat, I suppose."
"Pomp tink he know. It great big monkey like in him country. Great bigas fader, and big long arm, an um shout _ooooor_! Like dat."
He uttered as deep-toned a roar as he could, and made a snatch at medirectly and held on, for from out of the forest came an answering roarthat sounded terrific to us, as we stood there shivering with cold andfear.
"Mass' George! Mass' George!" whispered Pomp, with his lips close to myear, "tell um I berry sorry. I no do um no more."
"Hush!" I said, and I stood ready with the gun presented, fullyexpecting to see a dark shadowy form crawling over the light-colouredsand, and trying to get within range for a spring.
But all was still once more, and we waited in expectancy for someminutes before there was a great floundering splash in the water to ourright; and then away to the left where the river ran black andmysterious in the night--where all was bright and beautiful by day--there came evidently from three different parts as many bellows, such asmust have been given by alligators of great size.
"Come 'long, Mass' George," whispered Pomp.
"No," I said, "we must wait till day."
"Dey come and hab us bofe, Mass' George, we 'top here. Come 'long."
"But it is impossible."
"Yes, Mass' George, um possible; come and get up dat big tree."
The proposition seemed so much in unison with my feelings that Ifollowed my companion at once, and he paused under a great oak a littlefarther from the river, and beyond the bluff.
"Dah, Mass' George, make base up an' let me come. I dreffle frighten."
"Then go first."
"No, Mass' George, you go firs', you de mas'r."
"Then I order you to go first, Pomp," I said.
"Den we bofe clime up togedder, Mass' George. You go one way, and Pompgo oder way."
There seemed to be no time for discussion on questions of precedent, sowe began to climb together, reaching a great branch about twenty feetfrom the ground, no easy task for me, encumbered as I was by the gun.
"Ha ha!" cried Pomp, who seemed to have recovered his courage as soon ashe was up in the tree; "no 'gator catch um up here, Mass' George.Nebber see 'gator, no, not eben lil 'gator, climb up tree."
"No," I said in a low tone, which impressed the boy so that he satspeechless for some time; "no, but the panthers can, more easily than wedo, Pomp."
I don't know what sort of a shot I should have made; probably I shouldhave been too nervous to take good aim up there in the dark; but forwhat seemed a terrible length of time I sat there gun in hand, ready tofire at the first savage creature I could see, and a dozen times over Iconjured up something stealthily approaching. But it was not until wehad been up there about an hour that I felt quite certain of some greatcat-like creature being beneath the tree.
It was not creeping forward, but crouched down as if watching us, readyat our first movement to change its waiting attitude into one ofoffence.
Pomp made no sign, but he was so still that I felt sure he could see ittoo, and I was afraid to call his attention to it, lest it should bringthe creature on me so suddenly that it might disorder my aim. So I saton with the piece directed at the object, my finger on the trigger,hesitating, then determined to fire, when all at once it seemed to methat the animal had grown plainer.
This, though I had not detected the movement, must mean that it wasgetting nearer and about to spring, so casting all hesitancy to thewinds, I raised the gun to my shoulder, and then quite started, for Pompsaid aloud--
"Mass' George going shoot?"
"Yes," I said, in a husky whisper. "Keep still; do you see it?"
"No. Where be um?"
"There, there," I whispered; "down straight before us."
"What, dat?"
"Yes. Be still, or you'll make it leap at us."
"Why, dat lil tree."
There was a tone of such astonishment in the boy's voice that I bentlower and lower down, knowing how much better Pomp's eyes were thanmine; and as I looked, I saw that the object was clear, and that it wasindeed a low patch of shrub getting plainer and plainer rapidly now, forit was morning once more.