CHAPTER XVI
A SAD BREAKFAST--SAGACITY OF DOGS--SEARCH FOR THE BOAT--EXCITINGADVENTURE--A PRETTY PET--UNEXPECTED INTELLIGENCE
Once more the young people assembled in their tent; once more they readthe Scriptures, and knelt together in prayer. Their tones were humbleand subdued. They felt more deeply than ever their dependence upon anarm that is stronger and farther reaching than man's.
Their simple meal was soon ready, consisting of the most tempting bitsthat Mary could select, as an enticement to their reluctant appetites.They sat down, and endeavoured to appear cheerful, but little was said,and less was eaten. Harold's face was towards the marsh. Robertobserved him fix his eye steadily upon a distant point of land, wherethe opposite bluff of the river terminated on the sea. He looked as ifhe saw something unusual, but after a scrutinizing gaze of half aminute, turned away his eye, and relapsed into thought.
"Did you observe anything across the marsh?" inquired Robert, willing torelieve the silence.
"I thought I saw a little curl of smoke upon the point," he returned;"but now suppose it was the steam from the bluff, drawn up by the sun.
"Robert," he continued, "it is possible after all that we may find ourboat. If not sunk at the landing, it is certainly somewhere up theriver, in the direction of the wind. The tide has not yet begun to ebb.If it has lodged in the marsh, we can best see it while the water ishigh, and if it has not lodged, it may float back with the tide.Suppose we set off at once to search."
Mary's reluctance to be left alone yielded to the necessity of the case,and begging them to be careful of themselves, and to return as soon aspossible, she assumed a cheerful air, and tried to prepare them fortheir departure.
The boys promised to return by midday, unless delayed by finding theboat; and taking their guns and hatchet, together with a luncheon incase of delay, they set out, accompanied by Mum. Ere proceeding morethan a few steps, however, Robert stopped to say, "Harold, we shall notneed the dogs. Let us leave them for protectors to Mary and Frank.True, there is no danger; but they will feel safer for having them athand. Frank, bring me Mum's chain. Here, Mum! Here, Mum!"
Mum came rather reluctantly; for dog though he was, he appeared toapprehend the state of the case. Mary observing this, exclaimed,"Cousin, I do believe that Mum understands what brother says. Only seehow disappointed he looks!"
"O, yes," returned Harold; "dogs understand more than most peoplesuspect. He probably heard Robert use the word 'chain'; and he hasheard it often enough to know what it means. But they gather more fromthe eye and tone than from words. Mum, poor fellow, I am sorry to leaveyou; for I know you love hunting better than staying at home. But youknow nothing of hunting boats, Mum; so we want you to stay and helpFidelle to guard your young mistress and master against the squirrelsand opossums. If any of them come you must bite them well; do you hear,Mum?"
The poor dog wagged his short tail mournfully, as much as to say hewould do his best; but at the same time cast a wistful look at the guns.With a charge to Mary not to let Mum loose without necessity, and toFrank not to approach the bluff except in the company of his sister, theboys were once more on the move, when Mary inquired, "But what shall wedo if we see the boat coming down the river, or if we need you for anyother reason?"
"True, true," said Robert; "I am glad you suggested it. We will loadWilliam's gun for you, and you must fire it for your signal. We shallprobably be within hearing."
Robert well knew that Mary was able to do what he proposed, for herfather had made it a part of his duty to instruct her, or cause her tobe instructed, in every art necessary to preserve and enjoy life. Forthis purpose she had learned how to load and use the several varietiesof firearms--to manage a horse in harness and under the saddle--and evento swim. Compared with most other girls she was qualified to be quite aheroine.
With many adieus and kind wishes from both sides, the boys finally setoff. They struck directly through the woods for their old fishingpoint, at the junction of the creek with the river. Standing on themost commanding part of the bluff, they looked in every direction, butno sign of the boat appeared. Then they turned their steps to thesoutheast, following, as closely as they could, the bank of the creek,though compelled oftentimes to make large circuits in order to avoid theshort creeks and bay-galls that set in from the marsh. These bay-gallsare wet spongy bottoms, shaded with loblolly bays, and tangled withbriers, and the edges are usually fringed with the gall-berry bush--ashrub closely resembling the whortleberry, and bearing a black fruit ofthe same size, but nauseously bitter. Compelled to make great circuitsaround these miry bottoms, and interrupted by a close growth of vinesand trees, the boys advanced scarcely a mile and a half to the hour.They left not a foot of the shore unexplored; still no vestige of theboat appeared.
About eleven o'clock they approached the tongue of land on which theyhad discovered the orange trees, and where they proposed to quench theirthirst with the pleasant acid of the fruit, and afterwards to return tothe tent. They had just headed a short bay-gall, and were enjoying thefirst glimpses of the south river, when they were startled by atrampling in the bushes before them; and a herd of six deer rushed pastand disappeared in the dark bottom. Soon after a half grown fawn, whiteas milk, and bleating piteously, was seen staggering through the bushes,having a large wildcat seated upon its shoulders, and tearing furiouslyat its neck. Robert's gun had been levelled, when the herd appeared,but they passed too quickly for a shot; he was therefore all ready whenthe fawn approached, and aiming not at it, but at the fierce creatureupon its back, both animals rolled together upon the ground. He wouldhave rushed immediately upon them, had he not been restrained by thegrasp of Harold.
"Not yet!" said he, "not yet! keep your other barrel ready, a wildcat ishard to kill, and will fight until he begins to gasp."
It was fortunate for Robert that he was thus arrested, for the cat wasonly wounded, and soon recovered sufficiently to limp away. "Now givehim your second barrel, Robert; give it to him in his shoulder." Beforehe could do so, however, the cat slipped into the hollow of aneighbouring tree.
"He is safe now," said Harold; "we can kill him at our leisure. Butkeep your eye on the hole, and be ready to shoot, while I attend to thisfawn."
When Harold took hold of the beautiful little creature, he discoveredthat the wounds were very slight. The ball had penetrated the back ofthe head and stunned it, without touching any vital part, and it wasbeginning to recover; the wounds made by the wildcat were only skindeep, and could easily be healed.
"Shall I bleed it for venison?" asked Harold, "or save it as a pet forMary and Frank?"
"O, save it by all means," replied Robert, whose sympathies had beenfrom the first excited by the piteous, childlike tones of the fawn."Save it for sister, and let us make haste to finish this beast."
"Then lend me your handkerchief," said Harold; "mine alone is notsufficient for both collar and cord."
Robert approached him for the purpose, when he observed the cat creepslyly from his hole, and hobble away with all haste. "Quick, Harold,"cried Robert, tossing him the handkerchief, "tie the fawn, and followme," then dashed through the bushes in pursuit.
"Take care, you may get too near," Harold shouted; but Robert wasalready lost to sight behind the underwood. By the time the fawn wassecured, Harold heard him hallooing about one hundred paces away, andgoing rapidly in that direction, saw him watching the convulsive throesof the wild creature as it lay gasping on the ground.
Harold looked on and pleasantly remarked, "You will soon get your nameup for a hunter, if you keep improving at this rate. That is a splendidcat! What claws and teeth! Let us see how long he is." Putting hishands together at the thumbs, and spreading them out to span a foot, heascertained that it measured two feet nine inches from the nose to theroot of the short tail; and that, standing with its head erect, it musthave been fully two and a half feet high. Its teeth and nails weresavage looking things.
"I am glad he did not fasten those ugly looking things in my leg," saidRobert; "but I was so excited by the pursuit, that I rushed at one timealmost upon him. He had stopped behind a bush; all at once he sprang atme with a growl, showing his white teeth, bristling his hair, andglaring at me with his large fierce eyes. He dodged behind anotherbush, and when I next saw him he was gasping and convulsed as when youcame up."
"It would have been a desperate fight, if he had seized you," remarkedHarold; "you would have borne the marks to the end of your life."
Returning to the fawn, which struggled violently on their approach, theysoon succeeded in allaying its terror by gentle tones and kindtreatment. It yielded passively to its fate, and consented to be ledwherever they chose.
The oranges were delicious after their long walk, and now excessivethirst. A few minutes served to rest their weary limbs, and they hadjust begun to discuss the propriety of returning to the tent, when thefawn pricked up its ears with the signs of renewed alarm, a neighbouringbush was agitated, and ere they could fully grasp their guns and springto their feet, Mum came dashing up at full speed.
The boys were much surprised, and were afraid some accident hadhappened. Mum, however, showed no signs of anything wrong; he came upwagging his cropped tail, and looking exceedingly pleased. He cast ahungry look at the fawn, as though his mouth watered for a taste, but heoffered no interference. On close inspection, Harold observed a stringtied round his neck, to which was fastened a little roll of paper. Hehastily took it off, and calling to Robert, they read these lines inpencil:
"Come home quickly. I see some one across the river; he is waving aflag. Mary."