As the night grew darker, and Nic sat in the forepart of the boat in his
drenched clothes, which at first felt pleasantly cool, and then by
degrees grew colder until he shivered, his head grew clearer and he
became more himself. He was able to grasp more fully his position and
how hardly fate had dealt with him.
It was clear enough now; he had been sent off in that terrible blunder
as one of the salmon-poachers; and he was there, sold or hired to one of
the colonists, to work upon a plantation until he could make his
position known to some one in authority, and then all would be right.
He felt that it would be of no use to appeal to this brutal slave-driver
who had him and his fellow-unfortunates in charge. What he had to do
was to wait patiently and make the best of things till then.
His head was rapidly growing so clear now that he could piece the
disconnected fragments of his experience together, few as they were, and
broken up by his sufferings from the injuries he had received; and, as
he sat there in the darkness, he became more calm, and rejoiced in the
thought that he was growing stronger, and would, without doubt, soon be
fully recovered and able to act. Till then he made up his mind to wait.
When he had arrived at this point he began to think about his position
in connection with the rough ne'er-do-wells who were his companions. He
shivered involuntarily at the thought of being in such close touch with
men of this class; but he softened a little as he dwelt upon the fact
that, bad as he was, Pete Burge had behaved bravely, and that he had to
thank him for twice-over saving his life. He might have said three
times, but he was unaware of the patient attention he had received from
the man during the feverish hours produced by his contusions and wound.
But, still, there was a feeling of revulsion which made him shrink from
contact with one whom he felt to be the cause of all his sufferings, and
he hardened himself against the man more than against the others.
Then, with a sigh of relief, he cast all thoughts of self away, after
coming to the conclusion that, as soon as his father realised what had
happened, he would never rest till the authorities had had him found and
brought back, even if a ship was purposely despatched.
For this thought was very comforting. He had only to wait, he felt,
little thinking that the old Captain was lying in peril of his life from
the genuine trouble which had come upon him, as he mourned over the loss
of the son whom he believed to be dead, and for the recovery of whose
body he had offered a heavy reward to the fishermen.
For he said to Solly, "One of these days they will find him cast up on
the shore."
It was very dark; the cloudy sky seemed to be hanging low over the heads
of those in the boat, as the men rowed on till the overseer made a
change in his crew; the four blacks who had been rowing taking the
places of those who had been guards and steersman, while the rowers took
the muskets in turn.
The fresh crew pulled steadily and well, and the boat glided on along
the winding river, whose banks grew more and more wooded until they
seemed to be going through a thick forest, whose closely-growing trees
formed dense, high walls, above which there was a strip of dark, almost
black, sky.
Then another change was made, just when Nic was suffering from a fresh
anxiety; for after he had proved to himself, by kneeling in the boat and
touching him, that Humpy Dee was alive and regaining consciousness, his
companions had suddenly grown very quiet, and the dread had assailed Nic
that the man was dead, for he had been left to take his chance as far as
the overseer was concerned; and when twice-over the prisoners had begun
to trouble themselves about their comrade's state, Nic setting the
example by kneeling down to raise Humpy's head, a stern command came
from the stern of the boat, and this threat:
"Look here, you fellows; if I hear any more talking or shuffling about
there I shall fire."
Nic felt that the man would act up to his threat; but after a time, when
a groan came from Humpy, the whispering and movements recommenced in the
efforts made to succour the sufferer.
"I don't speak again," roared the overseer; and Nic started and
shuddered, but felt fiercely indignant the next moment as he heard the
ominous _click_! _click_! of a pistol-lock from out of the darkness
astern.
At last came the order for a fresh change of rowers, and four of the
captives went climbing over the thwarts, with their irons clanking and
striking against the seats as they took their places, all being men who
had been accustomed to the handling of an oar.
Nic took advantage of the noise to sink upon his knees beside Humpy in
the bottom of the boat to try if he could not do something for him; he
was no longer the hated, brutal ruffian, but a suffering
fellow-creature. As Nic felt about in the dark he found that the man
had somehow shifted his position and slightly rolled over, so that his
face was partly in the water which had collected for want of baling; and
doubtless, in his helpless, semi-insensible state, but for Nic's
efforts, Humpy Dee's career would after all have been at an end.
It was only a fresh instance of how strangely we are all dependent upon
one another, and the way in which enemies perform deeds which they
themselves would previously have looked upon as impossible. And without
doubt big, brutal Humpy Dee would have stared in wonder, could he have
opened his eyes in daylight, to see what took place in the
pitch-darkness--to wit, the feeble, suffering young man, whom he had
struck down and tried to drown in the Devon salmon-pool, kneeling in the
wash-water, making a pillow of his knees for his companion's rough,
coarse head.
Still, for hours this was Nic's position, while the boat was rowed by
the white slaves along the winding river, until another change was made,
the blacks taking the oars, when Pete, being the first of the rowers to
come back to his seat, found what had taken place, and insisted upon
relieving Nic of his task.
"On'y to think of it, zur," he said; "on'y to think o' your doing o'
that, and you so bad!"
Nic said nothing, but had to be helped back to his seat, the position he
had occupied having cramped him; and then once more he sat gazing at the
great black wall opposite to him as the blacks sent the boat along, till
suddenly, about midnight, there was heard a deep bark from somewhere
ashore.
The three dogs, which had been curled up asleep, sprang to their feet
and answered in chorus, when another chorus rose from the right and came
nearer and nearer. Then the black wall on the same side dropped away,
and amidst the baying of the great hounds the boat's speed was
slackened, and it was turned into a narrow creek. Here the oars were
laid in, and progress was continued for about a hundred yards by a
couple of the blacks poling the boat along towards a light which
suddenly appeared, the bearer hailing and coming alongside to begin
talking to the overseer.
It was dark enough still; but another lanthorn was brought, the
prisoners were ordered to step out, and were then marched to a barn-like
place, where, as they entered a door, Nic felt the soft rustling of
Indian-corn leaves beneath his feet.
"In with you, boys," cried the overseer; and the three dogs, and the
others which had saluted them, scampered in. "Watch 'em, boys, and give
it to them if they try to get away. There, lie down."
The man held up the lanthorn he had taken as he spoke, and Nic saw that
seven of the great hounds settled themselves in a heap of leaves close
to the door, while quite a stack was close to where he was standing with
his companions.
"There's your bed, my lads," cried the overseer. "You heard what I
said. Lie down, all of you, at once. There will be a sentry with a
musket outside, and you can guess what his orders are."
The man strode out; the door was banged to, there was the noise of a big
bar being thrown across and the rattling of a padlock, followed by the
clink of fetters as their wearers lay down in the heap of sweet-smelling
corn-stalks and leaves; and for a few moments no one spoke.
Nic had sunk down in the darkness, glad to be in a restful posture, and
began to wonder whether Humpy Dee had been carried in by the blacks, for
he had been one of the first to leave the boat, and had seen hardly
anything by the light of the lanthorns.
"Poor wretch!" he sighed. "I hope he is not dead."
Just then one of the other men said, in the broad Devon burr:
"Zay, lads, bean't they going to give uz zum'at to eat?"
"Brakfus-time," said another. "Zay, Humpy, how is it with ye? Not
thuzty, are you? Oughtn't to be, after all that water."
"I'm going to make zumun pay for all this," came in the man's familiar
growl. "Why didn't you get hold o' me and pull me in? Zet o' vools.
Had your chance; and we might ha' got away."
"Why, it was all your fault," said another. "We was waitin' for you.
What did you go and stop zo long under water for?"
"Did I?" said Humpy confusedly.
"Course you did. We was too good mates to go and leave you behind."
There was a heavy bang at the door, as if from the butt of a musket, and
the dogs leaped up and began to growl.
"Lie down, boys," cried a thick voice, the words sounding as if spoken
through a big keyhole. "An' I say, you chaps, look heah; de massa say
you make a row in dah I got to shoot."
"All right, blackie," said one of the prisoners; "don't shoot.
Good-night, boys. I'm going to sleep."
Just at that moment Nic started, for there was a snuffling noise close
to him, the leaves rustled, and he felt the hot breath of one of the
dogs on his face.
But it was a friendly visit, for the great brute turned round two or
three times to trample down the dense bed of leaves, and settled itself
into a comfortable curve, with its big head upon the poor fellow's
chest, making Nic wonder whether it was the dog which had been friendly
before.
He risked it: raising his hand, he laid it gently between the animal's
soft ears, and there was a low muttering sound that was a big sigh of
satisfaction, not a growl; and Nic felt as if the companionship of the
dog was pleasant in his terrible loneliness and despair. It was warm
and soothing, too, and seemed like the beginning of something hopeful--
he knew not what. Then he began to think of home, and a sensation of
prayerful thankfulness came over him as he felt that his head was
growing clearer. The next minute all trouble, pain, and weariness were
forgotten in a deep and dreamless sleep.