"I am wrong, Bruton," said Colonel Preston, as I finished my narrative,
and the last question had been answered--"quite wrong, gentlemen all. I
was longing to get back to my comfortable home. Come along. I suppose
we may have a fresh visit at any time."
The meeting broke up, and my father led me back to our quarters.
"I ought not to have let you go," he said. "The risk was too great, but
I was influenced by the general opinion. Ah!" he continued, as he saw
Hannibal standing by our rough tent, "why, my good fellow, you are
wounded."
He laid his hand upon the black's arm, and said something in a low
voice, but I could not catch his words. I saw Hannibal's eyes brighten,
though, and a look of pleasure in his face as he suffered himself to be
led to the temporary hospital; and I followed, to find our Sarah sitting
up and ready to welcome me with a few sharp snappish words, after her
fashion. I have often laughed since at the way in which she showed her
affection for me; for that she was fond of me she often proved.
"You've come back then?" she said, as I seated myself upon a box.
"Yes; and I'm as bad as Pomp now," I replied.
"Oh, I don't doubt that a bit, Master George. What new mischief has he
been at now?"
"Getting himself taken by the Indians, and nearly killed."
"And you have too?"
"Not taken, but nearly killed."
"Well, it serves you both right," she cried, with her lips working. "It
was bad enough to come to this terrible place without you two boys going
and running into all kinds of risks, and getting yourselves nearly
killed. I don't know what the captain has been about, I'm sure."
"About here," I said, good-humouredly.
"But tell me at once, sir. What do you mean about being as bad as that
impudent black boy?"
"Oh, only that I'm dreffle hungry," I said, laughing.
"Hungry? Then why didn't you have some food as soon as you got back?"
"Because I had to go and tell them my news; and then I wanted to see how
you were. How is your wound?"
"Oh, it don't matter about me a bit. I'm in hospital, and being
attended to, so of course my husband can go on pleasure-trips, and leave
his poor wife to die if so inclined."
"Curious sort of pleasure-trip, Sarah," I said. "I say, you should see
how Morgan can fight."
"Fight? Did he have to fight?"
"Yes;" and I told her what he had done.
"Oh, what a foolish, foolish man! How could he go leading you into
danger like that?"
"He didn't. I led him."
"Then you ought to be ashamed of yourself, Master George. But tell me;
why did you go back home?"
"To see what the place was like, and whether it could be built up
again."
"Built up? Why, it hasn't been blown down."
"No; burnt down."
"Burnt! What, our house?"
"Yes."
"But not my kitchen? Oh, Master George, don't say that my kitchen has
been burned too."
"There's nothing left of the place but a little firewood and a few
scuttles of ashes."
Sarah wrung her hands. "Oh dear--oh dear!" she cried, "why wasn't I
told before?"
"Never mind; you'll soon be well again. You were not told for fear of
worrying you; and as soon as we have got rid of the Indians my father
will have the place all built up again, and it will be better than
ever."
"Never!" said Sarah, emphatically. "But you were not hurt, my dear,
were you?"
"No," I said, "only horribly frightened."
"No," said Sarah, emphatically, "you may have been startled, my dear,
but I'm not going to believe that you were frightened. And you are
hungry, too, and me not able to get about and cook you a bit of food."
"Oh, never mind. Now I know you are better I'll go and get something to
eat."
"Yes, do, my dear, do," she cried, "and make haste. It was very kind of
you to come. But do, please, do take care of yourself, my dear, and
don't go running any more of these dreadful risks. Then you killed all
the Indians?"
"They did," I said.
"That's a comfort," said Sarah. "I'm sorry for the poor savages, but
it's their own fault. They should leave us alone. The cowards too--
shooting a poor woman like me. Well, there's an end of them now."
"Of that party," I said. "We are afraid that there will be another
attack to-night."
"What? Oh dear me! Now I ask you, Master George, how can I get well
with such goings-on as this?"
I did what I could to cheer her up, and went out to find Hannibal just
leaving the doctor, and ready to laugh at the wounds upon his arms as
being too trifling to be worthy of notice. In fact the pains he
suffered did not prevent him from partaking of a hearty meal, at which
Pomp stood looking on regretfully. I happened to catch his eye just as
I was eating rather voraciously, the excitement and exertion having
given me a tremendous appetite.
"Have some, Pomp?" I said, feeling half guilty at sitting there eating,
while the poor boy who had suffered so much in our service should be
only looking on.
"What Mass' George say?" he replied, coming nearer.
"I say, will you have something to eat?"
Pomp sighed.
"What's the matter?" I asked.
"Poor Pomp can't."
"Can't? Why not? If I like to give you some now, no one will say
anything."
"Poor fellow," I added to myself, "how he remembers that he is a slave!"
All the time I was cutting him one of the solid slices of bread in which
I knew from old experience he delighted so much, and then carved off a
couple of good, pink-striped pieces of cold salt pork. But he drew away
with a sigh.
"Why, what's the matter, Pomp?"
"Eat much, too much now," he said, quaintly. "Pomp can't eat no more."
The mournful way in which he said this was comical in the extreme, for
he accompanied it with a sigh of regret, and shook his head as he turned
away, unable to bear longer the sight of the good food of which he was
unable to partake.
I had hardly finished my meal, and begun to feel a little rested and
refreshed, before I was attracted out into the enclosure where the
ladies and children, whom I had seen only the day before looking
cheerful and merry, were wearing a wild, scared look as they were being
hurried into the block-house, while the most vigorous preparations were
carried on.
"They don't mean to be taken by surprise, Morgan," I said, as I ran
against him, watching. "The Indians may not come after all."
"Not come?" he said. "What! Haven't you heard?"
"I--heard?"
"The message brought in by one of the scouts?"