However much he might have been disposed to make a fresh appeal on his
companion's behalf, Pete had no opportunity; for, upon the boat being
run alongside of a roughly-made wharf, he and the others were hurried
out and marched away to a kind of warehouse, and the care of them handed
over to some people in authority, by whom they were shut-in, glad of the
change from the broiling sun outside to the cool gloom of the interior,
lit only by a grated window high up above the door, from which the rays
streamed across the open roof, leaving the roughly-boarded floor in
darkness.
After a few minutes the eyes became accustomed to the gloom, and the men
seated themselves upon the empty chests and barrels lying about, Pete
securing one for Nic, who sat down mechanically, with his head thrown
back so that he could gaze at the light. Pete contented himself with
the rough floor, where he half-lay, listening to his companions in
misfortune, half-a-dozen yards away, as they talked over their position
and wondered where they were to go--to a man keeping aloof from Pete,
the traitor they accredited with bringing them to their present state.
The men were better informed than Pete had been, his stay in company
with Nic and the dislike in which he was held by his old companions
having kept him in ignorance of facts which they had picked up from the
sailors. And now Pete gradually grasped in full that of which he had
previously only had an inkling--that the pick of the prisoners had been
reserved for man-o'-war's-men, those who were considered unsuitable
having been reserved for handing over to the colonists. This was in
accordance with a custom dating as far back as the days of Cromwell, the
Protector being accredited with ridding himself of troublesome prisoners
by shipping them off to the plantations as white slaves, most of them
never to return.
"Well," said Humpy Dee aloud, in the course of conversation, "I suppose
it means work."
"Yes," said another; "and one of the Jacks told me you have to hoe
sugar-cane and tobacco and rice out in the hot sun, and if you don't do
enough you get the cat."
"If any one tries to give me the lash," growled Humpy, "he'll get
something he won't like."
"They'll hang you or shoot you if you try on any games, old lad," said
another of the men.
"Maybe, if they can," said Humpy, with a laugh. "Perhaps we may be too
many for them. I mean to take to the woods till I can get taken off by
a ship."
"Ah, who knows?" said another. "I aren't going to give up. Place don't
look so bad. See that river as we come up here?"
"Of course," growled Humpy.
"Well, I dare say there'll be salmon in it, same as there is at home."
"Tchah!" cried Humpy; "not here. This is foreign abroad man. You'll
get no salmon now."
"Well, any fish'll do," said another of the men. "The place don't look
bad, and anything's better than being shut down below them decks.
'Nough to stifle a man. I know what I'm going to do, though, along with
them as like to join me."
"You're going to do what I tells you," said Humpy Dee sourly; "I'm going
to be head-man here; and if you don't you'll find yourself wishing you
hadn't been born."
The man growled something in an undertone, and Humpy made an offer at
him as if to strike, causing his companion in misfortune to flinch back
to avoid the expected blow.
"Look here, boys," said Humpy; "if every one here's going to try to do
things on his own hook we shall do nothing, so what you've got to do is
to stick by me. We're not going to be sold here like a gang o' black
slaves."
"But we are sold," said the man who had shrunk away.
"Never mind that; we're not going to work, then," said Humpy. "We're
going to slip off into the woods, get to that there river, and do
something better than spear or bale out salmon. We're going to take the
first boat we see and get round to the coast, and then keep along till
we find a ship to take us off."
"Well, that's what I meant," said the other man.
"Then you'll be all right," said Humpy.
So far, without paying attention, Pete had heard every word, and his
blood began to course faster through his veins at the thought of
escaping and helping Nic back to his friends; but, though he strove
hard, not another word reached his ears; for Humpy leaned forward and
began speaking in a hoarse whisper, his companions bending towards him,
as he said with a peculiar intensity:
"We've got to get back home, lads, and not stop here to rot in the sun
to make money for whoever's bought us; but there's something to do
first."
"What?" said one of the men, for Humpy Dee had stopped and sat in the
gloom, glaring savagely at the farther side of the place.
"Wait, and you'll hear," was the reply; and there was another pause,
during which Nic uttered a low, weary sigh, and let himself fall
sideways, so that his head sank in Pete's lap, and, utterly exhausted,
he dropped off to sleep.
"You know how it all was," Humpy went on at last. "I aren't going to
name no names, but some 'un was jealous-like o' me, and wanting to take
the lead always; and, when he found he couldn't, he goes and blabs to
the young master yonder. Well, we're not going to take him back--we've
not going to tell him how we're going to do it."
"Have told him. Spoke loud enough," said the man who had received the
rebuff.
Humpy leaned towards him, and with a peculiar, savage air, said in a
husky whisper:
"Look here, mate; there's only room for one to lead here. If you aren't
satisfied you can go and sit along with them two and sham sick, like
Pete Burge has all through the voyage."
"Well, don't bite a man's head off," said the other. "Who wants to
lead?"
"You do, or you wouldn't talk like a fool. Think I'm one, mates?--think
I'm going to do as I said, and let him go and blab, so as to get into
favour here? That's just what I don't mean to do."
"Then what are you going to do?" said his fellow-prisoner; but for a few
moments Humpy only glared at him without speaking. At last, though, he
whispered:
"I mean for us to go off together and get free; and as for some one
else, I mean for us all to give him something to remember us by afore we
go."