CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.
WOMAN'S PITY.
The sun sank lower and disappeared behind the trees straight away as theboat drifted on; the sky turned of a glorious amber, darkened quickly,and then it was black night, with the eerie cries of the birds rising oneither side, and the margins of the swift river waking up into life withthe hoarse bellowings and croakings of the reptiles which swarmed uponthe banks. Every now and then there was a rush or a splash, or theheavy beating of the water, as some noisome creature sought its prey;and Nic sat there watching and listening, wakeful enough, and always onthe alert to catch the breathing of his companion, who for hours had notstirred.
"Beat out," said Nic to himself; "utterly exhausted, poor fellow! If Icould only feel that it was a natural sleep."
He was thoroughly done-up himself, and in spite of his efforts to keepawake, and the dread inspired by the movements of the strange creaturessplashing about in the water, and often enough apparently close at hand,he could not keep from dozing off time after time, but only to start upin an agony of fear. He hardly lost consciousness, and at such timesthe startling noises and movements around him in the darkness seemed tobe continued in the wild dreams which instantly commenced.
Now in imagination he saw through the transparent darkness some hugealligator making for the boat, where it reared itself up, curved over,and seemed about to seize upon Pete, when he raised the oar with whichhe was keeping the boat's head straight and struck at the monster withall his might, and in the act awoke.
Another time Nic dropped off, to imagine that they were slowly glidingbeneath the far-spreading boughs of a gigantic forest tree; and, as theyswept on, something soft and heavy suddenly hung down into the boat,began crawling about, and at last stopped its progress by coiling itselfround one of the thwarts, and then raising its head high in the air andbeginning to dart its tongue, now at Nic, now at the motionless body ofPete, who still lay sleeping soundly.
Nic felt powerless, and lay watching the approach of the huge boa,seeing it plainly in spite of the darkness and suffering an agony ofhorror as he felt that he could not move, but must lie there, quite atthe mercy of the powerful reptile, which drew the boat over so much onone side that the water, as it rippled by, rose apparently higher andhigher till it was about to pour in.
Ripple, ripple, ripple, against the sides, while the boughs of a treeswept over his face, the touch awakening the dreamer, who uttered a lowgasp of relief as he realised how much the water and the brushing of theleaves over his face had had to do with the dream from which he had justbeen roused.
Morning at last, with the east all aglow, and the beauties of river andtree sweeping away the horrors of the black night.
Pete awoke as if by instinct, and started into a sitting position, tostare hard at his companion.
"Why, Master Nic, you aren't never gone and let me sleep all night?"
"Indeed, but I have, Pete," replied Nic. "Feel better?"
"No, zir. Never felt so 'shamed of myself in my life. Oh dear! ohdear! To think of my doing that! Where are we, zir? 'Most got to thatt'other zattlement, aren't uz?"
"What! where we rested for the night, Pete? No; I don't think we arenear that yet."
"Then get nigh we must," cried Pete, putting out his oar. "We've got tofind some braxfuss there. What we had yes'day don't zeem to count abit. I zay, though, you don't think they got another boat and passed uswhile we were asleep, do you?"
"No, Pete," replied Nic, smiling; "and I don't think that we shall dareto land at that plantation lower down. The man there would know we areescaped slaves, and stop us."
"He'd better not," said Pete, with a curious look in his eyes. "He'sthe only man there."
"There are several blacks."
"Blacks!" cried Pete contemptuously. "I'm not afraid o' them. It's o'no use, Master Nic; I've tried hard to bear it, and I can bear a deal,but when it comes to starvation it's again' my natur'. I must eat, andif he calls twenty blacks to stop me I mean to have zomething, and zoshall you. Why, lad, you look as if you're half-dead wi' want o' zleepand a morsel o' food. Nay, nay; you leave that oar alone, and coveryour head up with those leaves while you have a good rest. By that timep'raps we may get a bit o' braxfuss."
"I'm not sleepy, Pete," said Nic sadly.
"P'raps not, zir; but man must eat and he must zleep, so you lie back inthe bottom of the boat. Now, no fighting agen it, zir; you worked allnight, zo I must work all day."
"Well, I'll lie down for an hour, Pete, for I do feel very weary. Assoon as you think an hour's gone, you wake me up."
"Right, Master Nic, I will," cried Pete heartily; and after a glance upand down the river, the young man sank back in the bottom of the boat,settled the leafy cap and veil in one over his face to shield it fromthe sun, and the next minute--to him--he unclosed his eyes to find thatPete was kneeling beside him with a hand on each shoulder as if he hadbeen shaking the sleeper.
"Hullo! Yes; all right, Pete, I've had such a sleep. Why, Pete, itmust be getting on for noon."
"Ay, that it is, my lad; noon to-morrow. But don't bully me, zir; youwas zleeping just lovely, and I couldn't waken you. Here we are at thatfarm-place, and I don't zee the man about, but yonder's the two women."
"And the dogs, Pete?"
"Nay, don't zee no dogs. Maybe they're gone along wi' the master. Comeon, lad; I've tied the boat up to this post, and we'll go up and ask thewomen yonder to give us a bit o' zomething to eat."
The place looked very familiar as Nic glanced round and recalled thetime when he reached there, and their departure the next morning, withthe looks of sympathy the two women had bestowed.
Just as he recalled this he caught sight of the younger woman, who camefrom the door of the roughly-built house, darted back and returned withher mother, both standing gazing at their visitors as they landed fromthe boat.
"Must go up to the house quiet-like, Master Nic, or we shall scare 'em,"said Pete. "Just you wave your hand a bit to show 'em you know 'em.Dessay they 'members we."
Nic slowly waved his hand, and then shrugged his shoulders as he glanceddown at his thin cotton rags; and his piteous plight made him ready togroan.
"We must go up to them as beggars, Pete," he said.
"That's right enough for me, Master Nic; but you're a gentleman, zir,and they'll know it soon as you begin to speak. Let's go on, zir. I'mthat hungry I could almost eat you."
Nic said nothing, but began to walk on towards the house by hiscompanion's side, anxiously watching the two women the while, in thefull expectation that they would retreat and shut the door against theirvisitors.
But neither stirred, and the fugitives were half-way to the house, whensuddenly there was a growl and a rush.
"Knives, Master Nic," cried Pete, for three great dogs came chargingfrom the back of the low shed which had given the slaves shelter ontheir journey up the river. The dogs had evidently been basking in thesunshine till they had caught sight of the strangers, and came on bayingfuriously.
Nic followed his companion's example and drew his knife, feeling excitedby the coming encounter; but before the dogs reached them the two womencame running from the door, crying out angrily at the fierce beasts,whose loud barking dropped into angry growls as they obeyed the calls oftheir mistresses--the younger woman coming up first, apron in hand, tobeat off the pack and drive them before her, back to one of theout-buildings, while her mother remained gazing compassionately at thevisitors.
"Thank you," said Nic, putting back his knife. "Your dogs took us forthieves. We are only beggars, madam, asking for a little bread."
"Have you--have you escaped from up yonder?" said the woman, sinking hervoice.
"Yes," said Nic frankly. "I was forced away from home for no causewhatever. I am trying to get back."
"It is very shocking," said the woman sadly, as her daughter camerunning up breathlessly. "Some of the men they have there are bad andwicked, and I suppose they deserve it; but Ann
and I felt so sorry foryou when you came that night months ago. You seemed so different."
"You remember us, then?" said Nic, smiling sadly.
"Oh yes," cried the younger woman eagerly. "But they are hungry,mother. Bring them up to the house; I've shut-in the dogs."
"I don't know what your father would say if he knew what we did," saidthe woman sadly. "It's against the law to help slaves to escape."
"It isn't against the law to give starving people something to eat,mother."
"It can't be; can it, dear?" said the woman. "And we needn't help themto escape."
"No," said Pete; "we can manage that if you'll give us a bit o' bread.I won't ask for meat, missus; but if you give us a bit, too, I'd thankyou kindly."
"Bring them up, mother," said the girl; "and if father ever knows I'llsay it was all my fault."
"Yes; come up to the house," said the elder woman. "I can't bear to seeyou poor white men taken for slaves."
"God bless you for that!" cried Nic, catching at the woman's hand; buthis action was so sudden that she started away in alarm.
"Oh mother!" cried the girl; "can't you see what he meant?"
The woman held out her hand directly, and Nic caught it. The nextmoment he had clasped the girl's hands, which were extended to him; butshe snatched them away directly with a sob, and ran into the house,while the mother bade the pair sit down on a rough bench to rest.
The girl was not long absent; but when she returned with a big loaf anda piece of bacon her eyes looked very red.
"There," she said, setting the provisions before them; "you'd bettertake this and go, in case father should come back and see you. Don't,please, tell us which way you're going, and we won't look; for weshouldn't like to know and be obliged to tell. Oh!"
The girl finished her speech with a cry of horror; for how he hadapproached no one could have said, but the planter suddenly came up witha gun over his shoulder, and stood looking on as, with a quick movement,Pete snatched at the loaf and thrust it under one arm.
"Hullo!" said the man quietly as he looked from one to the other; "whereare the dogs?"
"I shut 'em up, father, so as they shouldn't hurt these two poor men."
"An' s'pose these two poor men wanted to hurt you; what then?"
"But they didn't, father," said the girl, as the mother stood shivering."They were hungry, and only wanted something to eat."
"Yes, that's right, master," said Pete stoutly. "We shouldn't hurt noone."
"Let's see," said the planter; "I've seen you both before. My neighbourbrought you up months ago."
"Yes," said Nic firmly; "but he had no right to detain us as slaves."
"Humph! S'pose not," said the planter, glancing sharply from one to theother. "So you're both runaways?"
"We are trying for our liberty," replied Nic, who was well upon hisguard; but the man's reply disarmed him.
"Well, it's quite nat'ral," said the planter, with a chuckle. "Hot workhoeing the rows, eh? Took the boat, I s'pose, and rowed down?"
"Yes," said Pete gruffly.
"Hungry too, eh?"
"Yes," said Pete again.
"Course you would be. Quite nat'ral. They've give you a bit to eat, Isee. Well, then, you'd better come and sit down out o' the sun and eatit, and then be off, for your overseer won't be long before he's downhere after you. He's a sharp un, Master Saunders, aren't he?"
"Yes; he's sharp enough," said Pete quietly.
"He'll be down after you with his dogs, and then, if he catches you,there'll be a big row and a fight, and I don't want nothing o' thatsort, my lads. Come on, and bring your bread and meat in here.--Ann, mygal, get 'em a pitcher o' cool, fresh water."
"Yes, father," said the girl; and, as the planter turned off to lead theway, Nic caught the lass's eyes; for she began to make quick movementsof her lips, and her eyes almost spoke as she pointed towards the riverand signed to them to go.
Nic gave her an intelligent nod, and followed Pete after the planterinto the great, barn-like place which had been their prison for thenight when they were there before; but as he passed the door he noticedthe great wooden bar turning upon a bolt, and fully realised that thegirl's signs were those of warning, for treachery was meant.
"Nice and cool in here," said the man. "Sit ye down on the corn-husksthere. My gal will soon be back with the water; and I wouldn't be long,if I were you, in case Master Saunders should come down the river, forwhen he asked me if you two was here I couldn't tell a lie about it,could I?"
"No," growled Pete. "That would be a pity."
"Ay; it would. But he'd know you was both here by the boat. Where didyou tie it up?"
"Just at the bottom there, by the trees," said Nic, to whom these wordswere addressed.
"Ah, 'tis the best place," said the man, halting by the door, andstanding aside to make room for the young men to pass. "In with you.It's better than being in the hot sun. Seems a bit dark; but it'scooler to have your dinner there. Well," he continued, "why don't yougo in? The dogs are not here."
"Because it looks like a trap, sir," said Nic firmly. "Do you want toshut us up there, and keep us prisoners till your neighbour comes?"
"Yes, I do," cried the planter fiercely as he stepped back, and with onemotion brought down and cocked his piece, which he presented at theyoung man's breast. "In with you both, or I'll shoot you like dogs!"
He raised his gun to his shoulder and drew the trigger; but it was toolate. Nic had sprung forward, striking up the barrel; and, as themother and daughter shrieked aloud from the house door, there was asharp report, which set the dogs baying furiously from the shed in whichthey were fastened.
A short struggle followed, in which the gun was wrested from theplanter's hands by Nic, and the next moment Pete had joined in the fray,securing the planter's arms, and then with Nic's help he was dragged andthrown into the great barn. Then the door was banged to and fastenedwith the bar; and the prisoner began to call and threaten what he woulddo if his people did not let loose the dogs.
What followed would have seemed almost comic to a spectator, for the twowomen came hurrying up with their fingers stuck in their ears.
"Run--run to your boat!" they whispered. "We can't hear what he saysnow, but we must soon, and then we shall be obliged to let out thedogs."
"Oh, mother!" cried the girl, "the blacks will be here directly."
"Yes, yes," cried the elder woman, who somehow seemed to have heardthat. "Run, then, run, and get away before it is too late."
"God bless you both for what you have done for us!" cried Nic. "I praythat you may not get into more trouble on our account."
"Oh, father won't hurt me," said the girl; "and he shan't hurt mother.Serve him right for being so cruel. You never did him any harm."
"Oh, run, run!" cried the woman, with her fingers still in her ears; andthe two young men dashed off to the boat and leapt in, Nic's nextaction, as Pete unfastened the slight cord, being to fling the gun asfar out into the river as he could.
"Oh!" cried Pete, "what did you do that for?" as the gun fell with asplash and disappeared.
"I was not going to steal the scoundrel's gun," said Nic, seizing anoar.
"Well, it wouldn't ha' been any use without powder and zhot," said Peteas he thrust the boat out into the stream. "Good-bye to you both," heshouted, waving his hand to the two women, who stood waving theiraprons.
"But it seems cowardly, Pete, to go and leave them in the lurch."
"Ay, it do, Master Nic; but it only means a rowing for them, and it'slife and liberty for us."
There was another wave of a white apron as the boat glided out intomid-stream, and Nic responded with his hand. Then trees interposed andhid the house and sheds from view, and the fugitives went on strainingat their oars till they felt that their safety was assured, when theyrelaxed their efforts.
"That was close, Master Nic," said Pete. "Treacherous martal. Wish I'dgive him a good topper before we zhut the door."<
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"I'm glad you did not, for his wife and daughter's sake," replied Nic."Poor things! they will suffer for their gentle, womanly compassiontowards a pair of poor escaped slaves."
"Ay, it was good of 'em, Master Nic. Zees how hungry we were, andfetches that fresh brown loaf, and all that pink-and-white bacon aslooks d'licious. Zo, as we're going gently on, and not likely for himto take boat after us, what do you say to staying all that horridgnawing of our insides with a good bite and sup? But--I say, MasterNic, what did you do with that bacon and bread?"
Nic looked sharply up at Pete, and the latter uttered a dismal groan.The bread and bacon had gone, neither knew where, in the struggle, andthe landing and encounter had all been for nothing.
"Not quite," Nic said later on. They had learned how much gentlecompassion existed for the poor white slaves, even in a district wherethe sight of them was so common.
"P'raps so, Master Nic; but I'd give all the compassion in the worldjust now for a zlice of that bacon and a hunk of bread. What's to bedone now, zir?"
"Row, Pete, row; and let's try and forget our hunger in the knowledgethat we are so far free."
"Right, zir; we will. But what about that treacherous hound? Thinkhe's got a boat?"
"Sure to have," replied Nic.
"Then he'll come after as zoon as he can get help; and if he do--Well, Ishould be sorry to hurt him, on account of them as was kind to us; butif he does ketch it, mind, Master Nic, it's his fault and not mine."
There was no more talking, for both felt morose and weak, their growingsense of hunger making them more and more silent and disinclined tospeak.
Still, fortune favoured them to a certain extent, for there had beenrain somewhere inland, and the stream ran as if it were in flood higherup, so that their rate of progress was swift.
As the hours went on and there was no sign of pursuit--no enemies whohad made a short cut to the river-bank waiting to fire at them fromamong the trees--the fugitives grew more and more confident; and when atlast they reached another swamp, the alligators appeared to be lessmonstrous and the gloomy place lost half its forbidding aspect.
At last, after endless difficulties, and nearly starved, the tidal partof the river was reached, and, to the delight of both, they found thatthey had hit exactly the right moment, for the tide was at its height,and stood as if waiting to bear them onward towards the sea.
Excitement had kept off all thought of food; but when, after a longjourney, they approached the straggling town at nightfall and saw thetwinkling lights, an intense desire seized upon both to land as soon aspossible and satisfy their needs.
"You see, we lost everything, Master Nic, in that struggle. What youlooking at, zir?"
"You, Pete. I was thinking."
"What about, zir?"
"About this place. If we land we must go to some house for food; andwhen we two half-naked, miserable, starved wretches have obtained whatwe want we shall be asked to pay."
"My word!" gasped Pete, ceasing to row. "I never thought of that. Andwe aren't got any money."
"Not a coin."
"And they'd want it here just the same as they would at home, though itis a foreign country?"
"Of course."
"Then I tell you what, Master Nic," said Pete after a long pause; "wemust go straight to zomebody and tell 'em how we've been zarved, and askhim to help us."
"We should have to tell them everything, Pete."
"Of course, zir; downright honest."
"And who would believe us at a place like this, where we know that poorwretches are brought to go up to the plantations?"
"Oh, hark at him!" sighed Pete. "And I'd been thinking our troubleswere over, and we'd got nothing to do but get plenty to eat and a goodship to take us home. You're right, zir; it would be as mad as Marchhares to go ashore. They'd put us in prison and keep us there till oldZaunders come again with his dogs and guns and niggers to take us back;and when we got to the plantation it would be the lash and shortcommons, and the hoe again out in the hot sun."
"Yes, Pete," said Nic sadly; "that is what I fear."
"And you're a deal longer-headed than me, master. It's going and givingourselves up for the sake of a good dinner. Master Nic!"
"Yes, Pete."
"Just buckle your belt a bit tighter, two or three holes, like this.That's the way. Now then, take hold of your oar again. We can hold outanother day or two on what we can find, while we coast along till we seea ship outward bound somewhere. Sure to be lots. Then we'll row tillthey see us and pick us up. They won't bring us back, that's forsartain, but to the port they're going to; and of course they can'tstarve us. Then they'll hand us over to a judge o' some kind, and assoon as he hears your story you'll be all right; and--and--"
"Yes, Pete?"
"I know I've been a bad un; Master Nic; but I'm going to turn over a newleaf, zir, and never meddle wi' the zalmon again. You'll put in a goodword for a poor fellow, won't you?"
"A good word for you--for one who has been ready to risk his life againand again to help me? Pete, we have been brothers in our greatmisfortune, and we must hold together, come what may."
"Then take a good grip of your oar, Master Nic, and let's forget beingempty by taking our fill of work. Pull away, my lad, right out, and Idessay the tide'll run us along the shore, as it does at home. When theday comes again we shall zoon zee a zhip. We can't give up now.Ready?"
"Yes."
"Then pull."
And in their desperate strait, feeling as they did that they wouldstarve sooner than go back to slavery, those two bent to their oars inthe darkness that closed them in, and rowed on with the swift tide. Thelights on the shore grew fainter, the tide swifter, and the water becamerough; but they rowed on, hungry, exhausted: on and on, ignorant of theset of the tides, of the trend of the coast, and without a drop of freshwater to satisfy their thirst. A mad, mad attempt; but it was forliberty--for all that man holds dear. What wonder that when the daydawned both had sunk forward over their oars and were sleeping heavily,to wake at last with the southern sun beating down upon their heads, andthat they gazed at each other in a half-delirious, stupefied way,wondering what had happened and where they were.
There was a faint appearance as of a cloud low down on the waterfar-away, but no cloud overhead, nothing but the burning, blistering sunto send a fierce energy through Nic's veins, which made him keep callingwildly upon Pete to row, row hard, before they were overtaken anddragged back to a white slave's life.
Pete's eyes were staring fiercely, and looked bloodshot, while histhroat was hot and dry, his brain felt as if on fire; but at every orderfrom Nic he bent down over his oar and pulled and pulled, till hisstrokes grew more and more wild, and at last, as he made one moredesperate than ever, he did not dip the blade, but fell backward fromthe thwart. Then, after vainly trying to pull with both oars himself,Nic turned to face his companion in misfortune, wondering in hisdelirium why he was there.
The sun went down like a ball of fire on his left, and directly after,as it seemed, rose like a ball of fire on his right. It was that, hefelt, which caused all his suffering, and in his rage and indignation heturned upon it fiercely, and then bent down to lap up the sparklingwater which tempted him and seemed to promise to allay his awful thirst.
He reached down and dipped his hand, but the attitude seemed to send theblood like molten lead running to his brain, and with a weary groan hefell sidewise and rolled over in the bottom of the boat.