Chapter III
Tamin's Little Stratagem
I had been gnawing, gnawing in an anguish at the thongs, for perhapsfive minutes. There had been no more than time for the Abbe'swolf-pack to vanish by a turn of the road. Suddenly a keen blade slitthe thongs that bound my wrists. Then my feet felt themselves free. Isat up, astonished, and saw stooping over me the droll, broad face ofTamin the Fisher,--or Tamin Violet, as he was rightly, though seldom,called. His mouth was solemn, as always, having never been known towear a smile; but the little wrinkles laughed about his small brighteyes. I sprang up and grasped his hand.
"We must not lose a moment, Tamin, my friend!" I panted, dragging himinto the thick shade of the wood.
"I was thinking you might be in a hurry, M'sieu," said my rescuer."But unless the mouse wants to be back in the same trap I've just letit out of, you'd better keep still a half-minute and make up your mind.They've a round road to go, and we'll go straight!"
"You saw it all?" I asked, curbing myself as best I could, for Iperceived the wisdom of his counsel.
"Oh, ay, M'sieu, I saw it!" replied the Fisher. "And I laughed in mybones to hear the lad talk up to the good father. There was more thanone shot went home, I warrant, for all the Black Abbe seemed so deaf.They're festering under his soutane even now, belike!"
"But come!" said I. "I've got my wind!" And we darted noiselesslythrough the cool of the great trees, turning a little east from theroad.
We ran silently for a space, my companion's short but massive frameleaping, bending, gliding even as lightly as my own, which was ever aslithe as a weasel's. Tamin was a rare woodsman, as I markedstraightway, though I had known him of old rather as a faithful tenant,and marvellously patient to sit in his boat all day a-fishing on thedrift of the Minas tides.
Presently he spoke, under his breath.
"Very like," said he, drily, "when we come up to them they will allfall down. So, we will take the lad and walk away! eh, what, M'sieu?"
"Only let us come up to them," said I, "and learn their plans. Then wewill make ours!"
"Something of theirs I know," said Tamin. "Their canoes are on theCanard maybe three furlongs to east of the road. Thence they willcarry the lad to de Ramezay, for the Black Abbe will have things in dueform when he can conveniently, and now it is plain he has a scheme wellripe. But if this wind holds, we'll be there before them. My boat islying hard by."
"God be praised!" I muttered; for in truth I saw some light now for thefirst time. Presently, drawing near the road again, I heard the voiceof La Garne. We at once went softly, and, avoiding again, made directfor where lay the canoes. There we disposed ourselves in a swampythicket, with a little breadth of water lying before and all the forestbehind. The canoes lay just across the little water, and so close thatI might have tossed my cap into them. The clean smell of the wet saltsedge came freshly into the thicket. The shadows lay long on thewater. We had time to grow quiet, till our breathing was no longerhasty, our blood no longer thumped in our ears. A flock ofsand-pipers, with thin cries, settled to feed on the red clay betweenthe canoes and the edge of the tide. Suddenly they got up, and puffedaway in a flicker of white breasts and brown wings; and I laid a handon Tamin's shoulder. The painted band, Marc in their midst, La Garnein front, were coming down the slope.
The lad's face was stern and scornful. To my joy I saw that there wasto be no immediate departure. The redskins flung themselves downindolently. The Black Abbe saw his prisoner made fast to a tree, andthen, telling his followers that he had duties at Pereau which wouldkeep him till past sunset, strode off swiftly up the trail. Tamin andI, creeping as silently as snakes back into the forest, followed him.
For half an hour we followed him, keeping pace for pace through theshadow of the wood. Then said I softly to Tamin:--
"This is my quarrel, my friend! Do you keep back, and not bring downhis vengeance on your head."
"That for his vengeance!" whispered Tamin, with a derisive gesture. "Iwill take service with de Ramezay, as a regular soldier of France!"
"Even there," said I, "his arm might reach and pluck you forth. Keepback now, and let him not see your face!"
"Priest though he be, M'sieu," urged Tamin, anxiously, "he is a mightyman of his hands!"
I turned upon him a face of scorn which he found sufficient answer.Then, signing to him to hold off, I sped forward silently. No weaponhad I but a light stick of green ash, just cut. There was smooth,mossy ground along the trail, and my running feet made no more soundthan a cat's. I was within a pace of springing upon his neck, when hemust have felt my coming. He turned like a flash, uttered a piercingsignal cry, and whipped out a dagger.
"They'll never hear it," mocked I, and sent the dagger spinning with asmart pass of my stick. The same stroke went nigh to breaking hiswrist. He grappled bravely, however, as I took him by the throat, andI was astonished at his force and suppleness. Nevertheless thestruggle was but brief, and the result a matter to be sworn tobeforehand; for I, though not of great stature, am stronger than anyother man, big or little, with whom I have ever come to trial; and morethan that, when I was a prisoner among the English, I learned theirshrewd fashion of wrestling. In a little space the Black Abbe laychoked into submission, after which I bound him in a way to endure, andseated him against a tree. Behind him I caught view of Tamin,gesturing drolly, whereat I laughed till I marked an amazement growingin the priest's malignant eyes.
"How like you my lesson, good Father?" I inquired.
But he only glared upon me. I suppose, having no speech that wouldfitly express his feelings, he conceived that his silence would be mosteloquent. But I could see that my next move startled him. With myknife I cut a piece from my shirt, and made therewith a neat gag.
"Though you seem so dumb at this present," said I, "I suspect that youmight find a tongue after my departure. Therefore I must beseech youto wear this ornament, for my sake, for a little." And very civillyprying his teeth open, I adjusted the gag.
"Do not be afraid!" I continued. "I will leave you in this discomfortno longer than you thought it necessary to leave me so. You shall befree after to-morrow's sunrise, if not before. Farewell, good Father,and may you rest well! Let me borrow this ring as a pledge for thesafe return of the fragment of my good shirt which you hold soobstinately between your teeth!" And drawing his ring from his fingerI turned away and plunged into the forest, where Tamin presently joinedme.
Tamin chuckled, deep in his stomach.
"My turn now!" said he. "Give me the ring, M'sieu, and I'll give youthe boy!"
"I see you take me!" said I, highly pleased at his quick discernment.
We now made way at leisure back to the canoes, and our plans ripened aswe went.
Before we came within hearing of the Indians I gave over the ring withfinal directions, to Tamin, and then hastened toward the point of landwhich runs far out beyond the mouth of the Habitants. Around thispoint, as I knew, lay the little creek-mouth wherein Tamin kept hisboat. Beyond the point, perchance a furlong, was a narrow sand-spitcovered deep at every flood tide. In a thicket of fir bushes on thebluff over against this sand-spit I lay down to wait for what Taminshould bring to pass. I had some little time to wait; and here let meunfold, as I learned it after, what Tamin did whilst I waited.
About sunset, the tide being far out, and the Indians beginning toexpect their Abbe's return, came Tamin to them running in haste alongthe trail from Pereau, as one who carried orders of importance. Goingstraight to the chief, he pointed derisively at Marc, whose back wastowards him, and cried:--
"The good father commands that you take this dog of a spy straightwayto the sand-spit that lies off the point yonder. There you will drivea strong stake into the sand, and bind the fellow to it, and leave himthere, and return here to await the Abbe's coming. You shall do nohurt to the spy, and set no mark upon him. When the tide next ebbs youwill go again to the sand-spit and bring his body back; and if the Abbefi
nds any mark upon him, you will get no pay for this venture. Youwill make your camp here to-night, and if the good father be notreturned to you by sunrise to-morrow, you will go to meet him along thePereau trail, for he will be in need of you."
The tall chief grunted, and eyed him doubtfully. After a briefcontemplation he inquired, in broken French:--
"How know you no lie to me?"
"Here is the holy father's ring, in warranty; and you shall give itback to him when he comes."
"It is well," said the chief, taking the ring, and turning to give somecommands in his own guttural tongue. Tamin repeated his message wordby word, then strode away; and before he got out of sight he saw twocanoes put off for the sand-spit. Then he made all haste to join me onthe point.
Long before he arrived the canoes had come stealing around the pointand were drawn up on the treacherous isle of sand. My heart bled forthe horror of death which, as I knew, must now be clutching at Marc'ssoul; but I kept telling myself how soon I would make him glad. Itwanted yet three hours or more till the tide should cover thesand-spit. I lay very still among the young fir trees, so that awood-mouse ran within an arm's length of my face, till it caught themoving of my eyes and scurried off with a frightened squeak. I heardthe low change in the note of the tide as the first of the flood beganto creep in upon the weeds and pebbles. Then with some farewelltaunts, to which Marc answered not a word, the savages went again totheir canoes and paddled off swiftly.
Marc tied to post]
When they had become but specks on the dim water, I doffed my clothes,took my knife between my teeth, and swam across to the sand-spit.There was a low moon, obscured by thin and slowly drifting clouds, andas I swam through the faint trail of it, Marc must have seen me coming.Nevertheless he gave no sign, and I could see that his head droopedforward upon his breast. An awful fear came down upon me, and for asecond or two I was like to sink, so numb I turned at the thought thatperchance the savages had put the knife to him before quitting. Irecovered, however, as I called to mind the orders which Tamin hadrehearsed to me ere starting on his venture; for I knew how sorely theBlack Abbe was feared by his savage flock. What they deemed him tohave commanded, that would they do.
Drawing closer now, I felt the ground beneath my feet.
"Marc," I called softly, "I'm coming, lad!"
The drooped head was lifted.
"Father!" he exclaimed. And there was something like a sob in that cryof joy. It caught my heart strangely, telling me he was still a boyfor all he had borne himself so manfully in the face of sudden andappalling peril. Now the long tension was loosed. He was alone withme. As I sprang to him and cut the thongs that held him, one arm wentabout my neck and I was held very close for the space of some fewheart-beats. Then he fetched a deep breath, stretched his crampedlimbs this way and that, and said simply, "I knew you would come,Father! I knew you would find a way!"