CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.
"Better, my lad?"
I did not answer, but looked in my father's face, wondering what was thematter--why I felt so deathly sick, as I lay back feeling water splashedin my face, and seeing a black hand going and coming from somewhere atmy side.
"Come: try and hold up," said my father.
"Yes," I said. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing very serious for you, my lad. We have been playing at soldiersin earnest, that's all, and you have been wounded."
"I, father--I? Ah yes, I remember," I said, essaying to sit up. "But Idid try hard to bear it."
"I know--I know, my lad. I didn't know you were hurt like that."
"But--but the Indians?" I said, struggling up, and then catching at myfather's hand, for I felt a burning pain run through my leg, and thesick sensation returned.
"We have left them behind," he said, "and are out of their reach for thepresent. Now sit still, and the faintness will go off. I must go tothe other boat."
I looked sharply round, and found that the wooded point was far behind,and also that we were well out of our stream, and floating steadily downthe big river toward the settlement, whose flagstaff and houses stoodout in the sunshine on our left about a mile away. I saw too that arope had been made fast to the end of the other boat, and that we werebeing towed, but by whom, or what was going on there, I could not seefor the great bundle in the white sheet which filled up the stern, andwas still bristling with arrows.
"Hold hard!" shouted my father, and our boat began to glide alongside ofthe other. "Can you sit up, my lad?"
"Yes, father," I said.
"Pomp take car' of him, massa."
"Yes, but you are wounded too," said my father.
"Oh, dat nuffum," said the boy contemptuously.
My attention was riveted now on Sarah, whom I could see as the boatswere alongside lying crouched back in the bottom, looking deathly whiteas Morgan knelt by her, holding a handkerchief pressed to her shoulder.
"Now let me come," said my father. "Are both your pieces loaded?"
"I have that charged, sir," he said aloud. Then I heard him whisper,"You don't think she's very bad, do you, sir?"
My father made no reply, but took Morgan's place.
"Go and take an oar," he said then. "Help Hannibal; and try and get usto the fort if you can. Yes," he continued, after shading his eyes withhis hand, "the flag is still flying; the Indians cannot be there yet."
"Boat coming," cried Pomp; and to our great delight, we saw awell-manned boat shoot out from the shore, and begin to head in ourdirection.
My father uttered a sigh of relief, and I heard him mutter "Thank God!"as he proceeded to bandage the poor woman's shoulder as well as hecould; and in a momentary glance I saw that an arrow, with the shaftsticking out, broken short off, was still in the wound.
I wondered why my father did not draw it out, but of course saidnothing, only sat gazing from the coming boat to the shore, which allseemed peaceful and calm now, there being no sign of Indians or trace ofthe trouble, save on board our boats.
Just then, as I was reviving more and more, and fully learning the factthat I had received what might have proved a dangerous wound had not thebleeding been stopped, a hail came from the approaching boat, whichproved to be Colonel Preston's.
"Anything the matter? What's all that firing about?" cried the colonel,as his boat's way was checked.
"Indians!--attacked!" said my father, speaking excitedly as he waved hishand toward his wounded; and then, "Don't lose a moment. Help usashore, and there must not be a soul out of the fort in half an hour'stime."
There was a disposition in Colonel Preston's manner to make light of thematter, but the sight of the arrows bristling about the defences checkedhim; and ordering a couple of men out of his own boat to help row ours,he stayed with us to hear the narrative of our fight.
"They are good marksmen too," he said; and then, turning to my father, Iheard him whisper, "That woman--wound dangerous?"
"I am afraid so," my father replied. "She must have better attentionthan I can give her."
I turned to gaze on the poor sufferer lying there close beneath thebundle which she had insisted upon bringing--the great pile of softthings which had been a protection to those with her, but had not savedher from the Indians' arrow; and as I watched her I forgot my own painand suffering, and thought of how good and kind she had always been tome in spite of her quaint, rather harsh ways; and the great hot tearscame into my eyes, to make things look dim and misty again, as I thoughtof my father's words.
A sharp look-out was kept, and the colonel and his men armed themselveswith some of the pieces we had in the boats; but the Indians were in theforest right at the back of the settlement, and had not kept along thebank when we reached the great river.
Quite a little crowd was awaiting our coming at the wharf, and as soonas the news spread, the excitement was tremendous; but almost beforepoor Sarah had been carried up to the great block-house, and I hadlimped there, resting on Hannibal, a bugle had, rung out, and havingbeen drilled by the General in case of such emergency, men, women, andchildren, followed by the black slaves, ran scurrying to theentrance-gates, carrying such little household treasures as they couldsnatch up in the hurry.
As the women and children took refuge inside the strong palisades, theable-bodied men formed up ready outside, all well-armed; and looking athoroughly determined set, as they were marched in, guard set, andammunition served out.
The military training of many of the settlers stood them in good stead,while the General, who the last time I saw him was superintending hisslaves in the cotton-field, was hurrying about now giving his orders;and in an amazingly short time scouts were sent out, arrangements weremade for barricading the gates, and every musket that could be procuredwas stood ready to battle with the savage foe.
Colonel Preston and my father were, I soon saw, the General's right-handmen, and each had his particular duty to do, my father's being thedefence of the gates, just outside which I was standing in spite of mywound, Pomp being close at hand, ready, with several other of the blackboys, to fetch ammunition, to carry messages, and, with the guardingforce outside the gates at the present, being sent to first one and thenanother of the abandoned houses, to bring out valued articles, such ascould be hurriedly saved.
I was in a good deal of pain, but everything was so exciting that Icould not find it in my heart to go into the great barrack-like woodenfort in the centre of the palisaded enclosure, but stood watching thepreparations, and thinking how rapidly the settlement had increasedsince we came.
One thing I heard over and over again, and that was the people bemoaningtheir fate at having to leave their comfortable houses just aseverything had been made homely and nice, to be pillaged and burned bythe Indians.
"And they'll pillage and burn our place," I thought, "perhaps thefirst." And I was thinking bitterly of all this, and that we had farmore right to complain than the rest, when Pomp came strutting up withhis arm in the loose sling, of which he seemed to be very proud.
He stopped short as he came quickly up, having been summoned away a fewminutes before; and now he pointed at me, and turned to a quiet,keen-looking youngish man, who wore a sword, but had his pockets stuffedfull of bandages and bottles, for I heard them chink.
"Dat Mass' George, sah," he cried.
"Ah, that's right. Your father wished me to examine your wound."
"Are you a doctor?" I said eagerly.
"Well, yes--a surgeon."
"Come with me, then," I cried. "There's some one who was wounded in oneof our boats."
"The woman? Yes, I have seen her and attended to her. Now then, quick,my lad. Lean on me, and let's see about you."
I limped beside him to the part of the block-house set apart for suchtroubles, and after giving me no little pain, he said--
"There, you can sit somewhere and load guns. You will not hurt now."
"
It's not dangerous then?" I said.
"Not at all; but if it had not been sharply attended to by your fatheryou would have bled to death."
"And how is our Sarah?" I said, eagerly.
"If you mean Captain Bruton's housekeeper, she is badly wounded, but Ihave removed the arrow-head, and I think she will do. I suppose you areMaster George?"
"Yes."
"Then as soon as you can you must go and see the poor woman. She wastalking constantly of you, and begged me to send you if we met."
I thanked him, and left him emptying his pockets of strips of linen,threads, a box of something that made me think about pistols in the caseat home, and then of some bottles, all of which he laid about in themost orderly manner, and I left him with a shudder, as I thought of whatthey were for.
As soon as I got outside I was accosted by Pomp, who came up to me,saying--
"Leg quite well now?"
"No; nor likely to be, Pomp."
"Mass' George better wear um in fling like Pomp arm. Missie Sarah wantMass' George."
He took me to where the poor woman lay, very white and exhausted, butshe brightened up as soon as she saw me approach, and the black nursewho was attending to her drew back.
"Ah, Sarah," I exclaimed, as I went to her side, "I am sorry to see youlike this."
She paid no heed to my words of condolence, but caught me by the wrist.
"Where is that box?" she said eagerly.
"The box? The one Hannibal carried down?"
"Yes; where is it?"
"I don't know," I said.
"What? You don't know? Oh, Master George!"
"It was brought up from the boat, and put in the enclosure somewhere."
"Thank goodness," she said with a sigh.
"And the bundle?" she suddenly exclaimed.
"Ought you to worry about such things now?" I asked. "What does itmatter?"
"Matter?" she gasped.
"Yes. Do you know your waiting to get those things made us nearlycaught by the Indians?"
"If it did, they saved you all from being shot by them as I was withthat dreadful arrow."
"Well--yes, they did keep off the arrows; but if you had been quicker weshould not have been shot at. You shouldn't have stopped to worry aboutyour clothes. My father would have paid for more."
"And me so weak and ill, Master George, and you to reproach me likethat," she said, with the tears brimming over on to her cheeks.
"Nonsense!" I said, taking her hand, to feel her cling to mineaffectionately. "I was not reproaching you, and we are all safe, andnothing to mind."
"Nothing to mind? Ah, my dear, think of what our poor house will belike when we get back."
"I don't think I will," I said dryly; but she did not heed, and wenton--
"It was bad enough after that dreadful flood. What will it be now? Andso much pride as I took in it, and such a home as it had become. Andthen, my dear, for you to go and think that I should keep those twowaiting while I got together things of my own."
"Well, you know you did," I said, laughing.
"For shame, Master George! That box has got everything in that I knewyou would like to save."
"Oh, Sarah!"
"And in that bundle is all the best of the linen, and right in themiddle, your poor dear father's uniform."
I did not know which to do--to laugh at the poor woman for her kindlybut mistaken thoughts, or to feel affected, so I did neither, butpressed her hand gently, told her she must sleep, and rose to go; butshe clung to my hand.
"You'll take care, and not go into danger," she said. "You have beenhurt enough."
"I'll try not," I said, as she still clung to my hand, looking wistfullyat me. I seemed to understand what she meant, stooped over and kissedher, and made her cry.
"Poor old nurse!" I said to myself as I limped out, and across theenclosure, where the people were gathered in knots discussing thepossibility of an attack. In one part all the blacks were together--thewomen and the younger boys; in another part the ladies with theirchildren; while on the rough platforms erected at the corners of thegreat palisade sentries were stationed, keeping a vigilant look-out; andI now saw that to every white man there were two armed blacks, and Icould not help thinking that we should all be massacred if the blackssided with the savages against those who had made them their slaves.
At one of these corners I saw that our Hannibal was placed, his greatbulk and height making him stand out prominently from his companions;and feebly enough, and with no little pain, I went towards him, thinkingvery little of my injury in my boyish excitement, though had I beenolder, and more given to thought, I suppose I should have lain up atonce in the temporary hospital.
I signed to Hannibal to come to me, and the gentleman mounting guardwith him giving permission, I took him aside.
"Well, Han," I said, as he smiled at me in his quiet, grave way, "you'vegot a gun, and are going to fight then?"
"Yes, Mass' George, going to fight."
"And will the other people fight too?"
"Yes; all going to fight," he said. "Capen say must fight for us,Hannibal, and Hannibal going to fight for capen and Mass' George."
"But--" I checked myself, for it seemed to come to me like a flash thatit would be foolish to ask the question I intended about the blacksbeing faithful. "It would be like putting it into their heads to befalse," I said to myself; and then, as the great fellow looked at meinquiringly, I continued aloud--
"Try and protect my father if you can, Han."
He gave me a quick look, and the tears stood in his eyes.
"Han die for capen and Mass' George," he said.
At that moment there was a bustle and excitement at the gate, and Itried as quickly as my injury would allow to join the group who werehurrying that way.