In the morning, as the eternal hoeing went on, Pete found his
opportunity for telling of his adventures during the night. Humpy Dee
had evidently heard nothing.
"Keep at it, Master Nic," he said; "this here stuff's growed up zo that
there's no telling when they're coming on to you. It's all right
though, now."
"Tell me, then, quickly. You got out?"
"Zure I did. I meant to, and had a good long night of it."
"And you're sure the dog hasn't hurt you much?"
"Nay, on'y a pinch; I had the meat ready to shove in his face, But there
aren't much to tell you."
"I was afraid so. We must be patient, Pete, and live on hope."
"Can't live on hope, master. Hope's on'y the salt as makes the rest o'
life tasty. Want zome'at else as well. But don't you be down. We've
got to get away, and we'll do it afore we've done."
"Then you found out nothing?"
"Oh yes, I did," said Pete dryly. "I found out that it didn't matter
which way I went there waren't what I wanted."
"You mean the boat?"
"That's right, master. I went as far as I could get along the river one
way, and it waren't there; and I went as far as I could get t'other way,
and it waren't there. Old Zam must get in and paddle it right away
zomewheres. There now, if I haven't found it after all!"
"What! Where it is hidden?"
"I believe I have; zeemed to turn it over and find it under this here
clod I'm breaking up with the hoe. Wish I'd looked when we was aboard."
"Looked at what?"
"Her bottom. She's got a big bung-hole in her zomewhere, and he must
pole her along into a deep part, and take the bung out, and let her fill
and zink. Then he zinks the painter with a stone."
"But she wouldn't sink, Pete."
"Oh yes, she would, with ballast enough, sir; and all we've got to do
now is to find out where she is."
Nic shook his head sadly, for he was not convinced.
"Don't you do that, my lad; that's not the way to get home. Maybe I'm
wrong, but I think I'm right, and I dare zay, if we knowed where to
look, she's just close handy zomewhere. Zay, Master Nic, s'pose I get
old Zamson down and kneel on his chest, and pull out my knife. I could
show my teeth and look savage, and pretend I was going to cut his head
off if he didn't tell me. That would make him speak--eh?"
"Yes, to Saunders; and you would be punished, and we should be worse off
than ever."
"That's about it, sir. I'm afraid I did no good last night."
Pete chopped and broke clods, and muttered to himself in a way which
suggested that he was by no means satisfied with his investigations.
Then all at once he said:
"What do you zay to our going quietly down to the water some night,
dropping in, and zwimming for it?"
"Into the jaws of the great alligators, Pete?"
"Didn't think o' that. Could hear 'em, too, as I walked along. One
whacker went off from just under my feet once. I 'most fell over him,
and he roared out like a bull calf. I thought he meant my legs. No, we
couldn't do that, Master Nic. We must get hold o' that boat. I'll have
another try to-night."
"Better not," said Nic. "Some of the others will hear you."
"And old Humpy be on'y too glad to get me in a row. Well, I mean to
have it zomehow."
But Pete did not go upon any nocturnal excursion that night. Nature was
too much for him. He dropped asleep, and did not wake till the conch
shell sounded its braying note; and Nic rose once more to go to his
labour in the fields, asking himself if it was not all a dream.
The next time the settler came that way the young man made an appeal to
him for permission to send off a letter to some one in authority; but
the angry refusal he received, coupled with a stern order to go on with
his work, taught him plainly enough not to place any confidence in
obtaining his liberty through his employer, so he tried to move the
overseer the next time he came by.
Nic fared worse.
"Look here, my lad," said Saunders; "your country said you were better
out of it, and we've taken you, and mean to try and make something
decent of you. We're going to do it, too."
"But that was all a mistake, sir, as I told you," pleaded Nic.
"And this is a bigger one. Who is to believe your word? Get on with
your work, and if you worry me again with your whining I'll shorten your
rations, and keep you on the hardest jobs about the plantation."
"It's of no use, Pete," said Nic as soon as he could speak unobserved;
"there is nothing to hope for here. We must escape somehow, or else die
in trying."
"That's sense, Master Nic, all but the last part. I don't see any fun
in dying for ever so long. I'm going out to-night to find that boat,
and if I do, next thing is to zave up some prog and be off. There's one
thing to do, though, 'fore we start."
"What's that?"
"Borrow a couple o' guns and some powder and shot."
"Impossible, Pete. No; I think I could manage it."
"How, my lad? It has bothered me."
"There are two ways. Get at the guns one day when Samson is cleaning
them; or else creep to the house some hot night, risk all, and climb in
by one of the windows. I think in time I shall know whereabouts they
are kept."
"Risk getting zeen and shot?"
"We must risk something, Pete," said Nic quietly. "It is for liberty.
I should leave it to the last moment, and get them when the boat was all
ready; then, if I were heard there would be somewhere to make for, and
once afloat we should be safe. But there, we have not found out where
the boat is yet."
"And," said Pete thoughtfully, "there's zomething else we haven't took
count of."
"What's that?" said Nic eagerly.
"The dogs, my lad; the dogs!"