Those with the boat had been too much occupied in their own adventure to
heed what had taken place at the landing-stage; and, even had they
glanced in that direction, the distance the swift tide had carried them
up-stream would have made every movement indistinct.
But busy moments had passed there, for the overseer was a man of action,
and prompt to take measures toward saving the life of the drowning man.
For a human life was valuable in those early days of the American
colonies, especially the life of a strong, healthy slave who could work
in the broiling sunshine to win the harvest of the rich, fertile soil.
So, as the boat drifted away, he gave his orders sharply, and the black
slaves, who had stood helplessly staring, rushed to the help of their
companion, who was hanging by the boat-hook, half in the water, afraid
to stir lest the iron should give way and the tide carry him off to
where, as he well knew, there were dangers which made his lips turn grey
with dread.
The help came just as the poor fellow was ready to lose his hold and
slip back into the river, and in another minute he was shivering on the
stage.
"Take hold of that boat-hook," cried the overseer, speaking with his
eyes fixed upon one spot, where the water ran eddying and forming tiny
whirlpools, and not daring to look round for fear of losing sight of the
place where it seemed to him that his white slave had gone down like a
stone; and this had kept him from giving much heed to the proceedings in
the boat.
One of the men seized the pole and waited for the next order.
"He went down there," cried the overseer, pointing. "Sound with the
pole, and try how deep it is."
The man obeyed, the pole touching the muddy bottom about four feet below
the surface.
"That's right; jump in," cried Saunders.
The man started, and then remained motionless, gazing piteously at his
companions.
"Do you hear? Quick!" roared the overseer.
"There big 'gator, sah--'gator gar, sah," cried the man piteously.
"Bah! In with you," cried the overseer fiercely, and he cracked his
whip, with the result that the man lowered the pole again, and then
half-slipped, half-jumped down into the water, which rose breast-high,
and he had to hold on by the boat-hook to keep himself from being swept
away.
But the next moment he steadied himself.
"There, wade out," cried Saunders; "quick, before it is too late.
Quick, sir; do you hear?"
He cracked his whip loudly as he spoke, and the man raised the pole
after separating his legs to increase his support, as he leaned to his
left to bear against the rushing tide, which threatened to sweep him
from his feet. Then, reaching out, he thrust down the boat-hook again
to get another support before taking a step farther from the staging.
But it was in vain. The water deepened so suddenly that as he took the
step the water rose to his nostrils, and he uttered a yell, for the
current swept him from his feet to fall over sidewise, and the next
moment lay, as it were, upon the surface, with only one side of his face
visible; but he was not borne away.
The other blacks, and even the overseer, stared in wonder, for there the
man lay, with the tide rushing by him, anchored, as it were, in the
stream, rising and falling gently like a buoy for a few moments before
beginning to glide with the current.
"It's of no use," said the overseer sharply; "the hound's dead before
now. Clumsy fool! Two of you jump in, and one reach out to get hold of
Xerxes; we must give the new fellow up."
The men shrank, but they obeyed, lowering themselves into the water and
joining hands, one of them taking hold of the end of the staging, while
the other waded a step or two and reached out, as he clung to his
fellow's extended hand till he was just able to get hold of the cotton
jacket.
That was sufficient; the black was drawn a trifle shoreward, and then
came more and more, as if dragging with him whatever it was that had
anchored him to the bottom.
That mystery was soon explained, for the pole of the boat-hook, to which
the poor fellow clung, appeared level with the surface, and as the drag
was increased more and more of the pole appeared, till all three were
close up to the piles; after which first one and then another climbed
out to drag at the long stout staff, till, to the surprise of all, they
found that what it was hitched into was the clothes of Humpy Dee, who
had lain nearly where he had sunk, anchored by the weight of his irons,
in some hole where the pressure of the current was not so great as at
the surface.
In another minute the heavy figure had been hauled upon the platform, to
lie there apparently dead; while the blacks began, after their homely,
clumsy fashion, to try and crush out any tiny spark of life which might
remain, and kept on rolling the heavy body to and fro with all their
might.
"It's no good, boys," said the overseer, frowning down at the prisoner.
"Keep on for a bit, though;" and he turned away to watch the coming of
the boat, just as Pete sat up, looking dazed and strange, and Nic rose
to his knees, and then painfully seated himself in his old place.
"Better than I thought for," muttered the overseer. "One gone instead
of three--pull, boys," he shouted.
The blacks needed no telling, for they were exerting themselves to the
utmost, and in a few minutes one of the blacks on the landing-stage
caught the prow with the hook, and the boat was drawn alongside of the
woodwork, the dogs having quietly settled themselves in their place
behind the stern seat as soon as the two half-drowned men had shown
signs of recovery.
The overseer scanned the two dripping figures hard, uttered a grunt, and
turned once more to where the blacks were busy still with the heavy
figure of Humpy Dee, which they were rolling and rubbing unmercifully,
with the water trickling between the boards, and the sunset light giving
a peculiarly warm glow to the man's bronzed skin.
"Well," cried the overseer, "is he quite dead?"
"No, sah; am t'ink he quite 'livo," said one of the blacks.
"Eh? What makes you think that?"
"Him bit warm, massa--and just now him say _whuzz_, _whuzz_ when we rub
um front."
"No," said the overseer; "impossible. He was under the water too long.
Here, what are you doing?"
The black had laid his ear against the patient's breast, but he started
up again.
"Lissum; hear whever him dead, massa. You come, put your head down
heah, and you hear um go _wob_, _wob_ berry soffly."
Saunders bent down and laid his head against the man's bull-throat, to
keep it there for a few moments.
"No go _wob_, _wob_, sah?" cried the black. "You two and me gib um big
shake. Um go den."
"No, no; let him be," cried the overseer; and the blacks looked on in
perfect silence till their tyrant rose slowly to his feet, scowling.
"Clumsy brute," he said, "causing all this trouble and hindrance.
Nearly drowned two men. There, two of you take him by his head and
heels and drop him in."
"Tie big 'tone to um head first, massa?"
"What!" roared the overseer, so sharply that the black jumped to his
feet. "What do you mean?"
"Make um go to de bottom, sah, and neber come up no more."
"Bah! you grinning black idiot. Didn't you tell me he was alive?"
"Yes, sah; quite 'livo, sah."
"Drop him in the boat, then, and hurry about it, or we shan't get up to
the farm before the tide turns. There, four of you take him; and you
below there, ease him down. Don't let him go overboard again, if you
want to keep whole skins."
The men seized the heavy figure by the hands and legs, and bearing it
quite to the edge, lowered it down to the others, room being made at the
bottom of the boat, where it was deposited with about as much ceremony
as a sack of corn. Then, in obedience to another order, the blacks
descended, and the overseer stepped down last, to seat himself with his
back to the dogs; while the smith and his assistant once more took up
their guns and their places as guards. Then the boat was pushed off.
Four of the blacks seized the oars, the boat's head swung round, and the
next minute, with but little effort, she was gliding rapidly up the
muddy stream.
It was dangerous work to begin talking, but as Nic sat there in silence,
with his head growing clearer, and gazing compassionately at the
prostrate figure, two of the prisoners put their heads together and
began to whisper.
"Close shave for old Humpy," said one. "Think he'll come round again?"
"Dunno; but if he does, I'm not going to help in any more games about
going off. This job has made me sick."
"He won't want you to; this must have pretty well sickened him if he
comes to."
"Mind what you're saying. That there black image is trying to hear
every word."
"He can't understand. But I say, the gaffer didn't know how it
happened, after all. Thought it was an accident."
"So it was," said the other man, with a grim smile, "for old Humpy.
Here, Pete, old man, how are you now?"
Pete looked at the speaker in wonder, then nodded, and said quietly:
"Bit stiff and achey about the back of the neck."
"Mind shaking hands, mate?" said the man in a faint whisper.
"What for?" said Pete sourly.
"'Cause I like what you did, mate. It was acting like a man. But we're
not friends over that other business of splitting on us about the
salmon."
"Better wait a bit, then, my lad," said Pete. "It aren't good to shake
hands with a man like me."
"But I say it is," said the other with emphasis. "The way you went
overboard with them heavy irons on, to try and save young master here,
sent my heart up in my mouth."
Nic, who had sat listening moodily to the whispered conversation,
suddenly looked up in a quick, eager way.
"Say that again," he whispered huskily.
"Say what agen?"
"Did Pete Burge jump in to save my life?"
"Course he did--like a man."
"Oh!" gasped Nic, turning to look Pete wonderingly in the face.
"Silence there!" roared the overseer savagely. "Do you think you've
come out here for a holiday, you insolent dogs?"
At the last words the three animals behind the speaker took it to
themselves, and began to bark.
"Down! Quiet!" roared the overseer, and the barking of the dogs and his
loud command came echoing back from a wood of great overhanging trees,
as the boat now passed a curve of the river.
Nic glanced at the overseer, then to right and left of him, before
letting his eyes drop on the swiftly-flowing river, to try and think out
clearly the answers to a couple of questions which seemed to be buzzing
in his brain: "Where are we going? How is this to end?"
But there was no answer. All seemed black ahead as the rapidly-coming
night.