A NIGHT OF ADVENTURE.
The tar flowed freely during Monday night and Tuesday, and by the time
that Tuesday's labors were finished, there was enough in the deep vat to
make all the pitch that was required. The salt-making was finished too,
and the big kettle was ready for use the next day in boiling the tar to
make pitch of it.
On Tuesday evening Ned determined to go fishing, as he did nearly every
night when the tide was at a proper stage. He had learned now the spots
most frequented by the mullets, and usually succeeded in bringing back a
good supply of them to camp. The boys had grown very tired indeed of
their restricted diet. For three weeks now they had not tasted meat of
any kind--for they never repeated their snake supper,--but had lived on
fish, shrimps, oysters, and a few crabs; and being without bacon or any
other kind of fat with which to fry their fish, they could not make an
appearance of variety by changing the way of cooking them. They had to
eat every thing boiled, or roasted, or broiled on the coals, and in the
absence of butter and other seasoning for broiled fish, the roast,
baked, broiled, and boiled all tasted alike. They had lost their relish
for such food as they could get, but having nothing else they were
forced to eat it.
On this Tuesday night Ned remained away from camp longer than usual, and
at about eleven o'clock Charley went to bed, Jack mounting guard. About
an hour later Jack waked Charley, saying:
"I'm uneasy about Ned, Charley. It must be midnight and he hasn't come
in yet."
Charley sprang up quickly, and the two looked and listened. Finally it
was decided that as Charley was less able to run than Jack--because of
the dog-bite, which had not yet entirely healed,--he should remain on
guard while Jack should go out in search of Ned.
Ten minutes later Jack came back, running as quietly as he could, and
hastily pushed through the eastern gate. Fastening this, he exclaimed
in an excited way:
"The squatters are all around us, and I'm afraid they've captured Ned."
"Why? Where are they? Tell me all about it, quick."
"I don't know much about it myself," answered Jack. "I only know that as
I walked down along the shore in the direction that Ned took, I almost
stumbled over one of the squatters. I retreated, of course, and by
keeping in the bushes and looking and listening, I made out that there
were at least half a dozen of them about. As I could see nothing, and
hear nothing of Ned, I'm afraid they've caught him. You see they came
right along the shore where he was wading about and fishing, and if they
hadn't caught him, of course he would have run in to give us the alarm.
Poor fellow! I wonder if they'll kill him?"
"I'm afraid of worse than that," said Charley, solemnly
"What?" asked Jack.
"I'm afraid they'll flog him. That would be horrible! for my part I'd a
good deal rather be killed, and I'm sure Ned would."
"Yes, of course," said Jack. Then, after a pause, he added:
"I'll tell you what, Charley, we mustn't let that happen."
"How'll we help it?"
"Well, they won't try that till after they've made their attack on the
fort. They'll simply tie Ned, and keep him till they're through with us,
and so we have time to make a diversion in his favor. We've got to give
them battle outside the fort. If we can drive them off we may find Ned.
When he finds what's up he'll let us know where he is quickly enough."
"Yes, if he hasn't been carried too far away already," said Charley. "At
any rate, we'll try. Where were the darkies when you saw them?"
"About two hundred yards away, in the woods near the shore."
"All right. Now let's remember that we've got to stick together, and
that our object is to do not as much but as little fighting as
necessary, and to get past the enemy if we can, and go on down the shore
in search of Ned. We mustn't stop to do any unnecessary fighting."
"No, we'll try first to creep past without any fighting at all," said
Jack.
Arming themselves with their best clubs the two boys crept out of the
eastern gate and made their way as secretly as they could through the
woods. They saw two of the squatters, but managed to slip past them
without discovery, and when they had got well beyond them they made
their way rapidly along the beach, calling Ned at the top of their
voices and listening for his answer. At last they heard a shout in
reply, but it seemed a long way off, and singularly enough it was in the
direction of the camp. Turning around, they were filled with horror and
amazement at what they saw. A great red blaze was shooting up from the
camp.
"They're burning us out!" exclaimed Jack.
"Yes, and they must have Ned there with them. His shout came from that
direction."
"Come, let's run with all our might. We may get there in time to save
Ned at any rate!"
They ran like deer-hounds and were quickly at the burning camp.
They encountered three of the negroes just outside the camp, but coming
upon them by surprise they were able to run past and to enter the gate
before their enemies could lay hold of them. Once inside they fastened
the gate log. As they did so and turned they discovered that they had
caught one of their assailants--a negro boy not older than
themselves--inside. This lad showed fight, but with two against him he
was quickly secured, and tied with the boat's anchor rope.
Then Jack and Charley had time to see the extent of the mischief done.
The stockade itself was uninjured, and thus far the boat also was safe,
but the vat of tar was afire, and the bush hut in which the boys slept
had either caught from the blazing tar or been set on fire by the negro
boy. It was obviously too late to save the hut, even if the boys had
been free to work upon it, as they were not, for the danger to the boat,
which lay very near the fire and was already scorching, was too great to
be trifled with. Jack managed to rescue the salt from the hut, and then
he and Charley began wetting moss and laying it over the boat.
"This won't do, Jack," said Charley; "those rascals outside will make
their way over the stockade if they aren't watched. Can't you keep the
moss wet now?"
"Yes, I'll attend to that. You go to the platform at once. If you need
me call out and I'll come."
Charley sprang to the platform, and was none too soon. The negroes
outside, hearing the cries of their imprisoned companion, were already
trying to make their way within the enclosure. One of them having
climbed upon the shoulders of another, had taken hold of the top of the
stockade, and in another second would have drawn himself up. In that
case the boys would have had to encounter him on equal terms, and
perhaps another squatter would have been over the wall by that time.
Luckily the light from the burning tar revealed the situation to Charley
in an instant. Running along the platform to the point of danger, he
rapped the knuckles of the climber with a degree of violence which at
once ended his climbing. He dropped to the ground as if his hands had
been cut off at the wrists, and then Charley began offensive measures.
Throwing his clubs one after another--for a large supply of them had
been stored along the platform--he compelled the assailants to beat a
retreat. They threw some sticks at him in return, but he managed to
dodge them, and Jack joining him for a few minutes, the pair fairly
drove the assailants off. Then Jack returned to his task of protecting
the boat, while Charley, promenading all the way around the barrier,
kept guard against surprises.
No further assault being made, and the fire gradually dying down until
the boat was no longer in danger, Jack and Charley had time to think of
Ned again, and their anxiety was intense.
"At least we've got a hostage," said Jack, "and perhaps poor Ned will be
able to arrange for an exchange. At any rate I hope so. There must be
some of them who can speak English, and, besides, Ned understands their
jargon a little."
"Well, we'll hope for the best," said Charley, "but oughtn't we to make
another effort to find Ned?"
"I don't see what we can do," said Jack. "They've carried him off by
this time, and to follow in the dark would be useless."
"Yes, that's true. Listen! What was that?"
Jack listened, but could hear nothing.
"What did you hear?" asked he.
"I thought I heard Ned shout."
Jack gave a loud, long call, and then the two listened again. A shout in
reply was this time distinctly heard.
"That's Ned," said Charley.
"Yes," answered Jack. "He's making all the trouble he can, I suppose, to
delay their march and give us time to catch up. Come, Charley, we _must_
rescue him."
Again the boys sallied out, this time through the western gate. They ran
along the shore, stopping occasionally to halloo and to listen for Ned's
replies, which came promptly now.
"They aren't getting on very fast with him," said Jack; "we're gaining
on them at any rate."
Again the boys ran. When they made their next pause to shout, they were
astonished to hear Ned cry out, in his natural voice, from no great
distance:
"Is every thing burnt up?"
Strangely enough the voice seemed to come from the water on the right,
and both Jack and Charley were bewildered by the fact.
"Where on earth are you?" called Jack.
"Here," answered Ned, "out here on the oyster reef."
The moon was near the zenith, and by carefully scanning the sea the boys
could make out the figure of Ned, standing knee-deep in water, about
fifty yards from shore. What to make of the situation they did not know.
"What are you doing out there, Ned?" cried Jack.
"I'm waiting for the tide to go down. Never mind me, but tell me about
the fire. Did it burn the boat?"
"No, only the tar in the vat and our hut. The boat is safe, and so is
the stockade."
"How did it catch fire?"
"Why, the squatters set it afire while we were out hunting for you."
"Have they been there, then?"
"Yes. Haven't they had you prisoner?"
"Not a bit of it. But don't stand there talking. Go back and take care
of the camp. When the tide goes down I'll return. Hurry now, or those
rascals will get in again and burn the boat."
"But what in the world----"
"Never mind that now. Go on to camp. You've no time to lose. I'll make
explanations when I get there."
The necessity for hurrying back was plain enough, and so, without
further delay, Jack and Charley started toward the camp at a brisk
trot.