Nic had no faith in his companion's notions about the boat lying sunk in
the creek or river; but as the time wore on he could suggest no better
idea.
Still, he did find out where the guns were kept one day when, in company
with a man of Humpy Dee's party, he was ordered up to help in stowing
some bales of tobacco-leaf in a kind of store at the back of the low
wooden building.
The work was pretty hard, but Nic hardly felt it, for in going to and
fro he had to pass an open door which led into the place used by the
settler and Saunders for their dining and sitting room. It was a very
rough spot, and the furniture was all home-made--that is to say, it was
manufactured by the blacks. But Nic hardly heeded its contents after
seeing a series of hooks driven into the wall, and upon each pair a
musket, with powder-flask and bullet-pouch attached.
He could think of nothing else as he walked away, for these weapons
meant a supply of food if he and Pete took to the woods, and that night
he communicated the discovery to his companion.
"It ought to be easy to borrow a couple of them," said Pete
quietly--"zome night when the two gaffers are asleep. On'y one thing to
hinder it, as I zee, for I don't believe they shut themselves up,
feeling as they do that we're under lock and key."
"What is to prevent me creeping in and getting them, Pete?"
"Dogs," said the man quietly. "Now, if we was at home I could walk into
Plymouth and go to a druggist's shop, and for twopence buy zomething I
knows of as would zend those dogs to sleep till we'd done what we
wanted; but there aren't no shops in the woods here."
"And we haven't found the boat, Pete."
"And we haven't found the boat, my lad. But here's a little bit of a
tool here I've got for you at last. Better one than mine. One of the
blacks had been cutting up zome meat with it yesterday, and left it out
on the bench--forgetted all about it--they're good ones at forgetting;
and zo I scrambled back and got hold of it, sharpened it up at the
point, and made a wooden sheath for it, so as you can wear it in your
belt under your shirt."
"A knife!" whispered Nic excitedly as Pete thrust the weapon into his
hand. "No; I don't want to shed blood."
"I didn't say it was to kill men with, did I? S'pose one of them dogs
had you by the throat, wouldn't it be useful then? or to kill a deer out
in the woods? or skin a 'possum? Might even be useful to stick into a
'gator's throat. Better take it, master."
Nic's hand closed upon the handle of the keen blade, and he transferred
it to his belt; when, as the hard sheath pressed against his side, he
felt that, after all, it was one step towards liberty.
The next morning Pete told him that he had had another good hunt by the
river-side, going as far as he dared, but without result.
"And 'twix' you and me, Master Nic, I suppose it's being a bit of a
coward, but I dursen't go no more. I aren't afraid o' things you can
see; but when you're down by the water o' nights listening to the
strange birds making queer noises, and the big bats whuzzing round you,
to say nothing of the 'gators walloping about at the edge, and other
gashly things zeeming to be lying wait for you, it's a bit too much for
me."
"It must be very nervous work, Pete."
"Last night about settled me that we must go right up-country or through
the woods, for I trod on a big snake, and felt it twissen round my leg.
Ugh! I don't mind a conger, because, even if he bites you, it's on'y a
bite, and it gets well; but a snake! Why, they tell me--leastwise one
of the blacks did--as a bite from one of the rattlesnakes'll finish you
off in 'bout an hour."
"But you were not bitten?"
"S'pose not, and I've been thinking since I must ha' trod on the gashly
thing's head. Anyhow it did scare me, and I mean to chop every one I
zee while I'm hoeing. I have killed four since we've been here."
"You must not try it again, Pete," said Nic.
"Then we shall have to take to the woods, master, for I don't zee any
chance o' getting the boat."
That day, while the two prisoners were hoeing together, the settler came
round, stood watching them for a time, and then came nearer and examined
their work, saw nothing to complain of, but still being dissatisfied, he
turned upon Pete.
"Here, you get chattering too much with this lad," he cried; "be off
across to the long corn-field behind the house and join that gang. Work
with them, and send black Jupe here to take your place."
"Yes, master," said Pete quietly; and as he shouldered his hoe and the
settler walked away, he made an offer at him with the hoe, when one of
the dogs growled savagely.
Suspicious of danger, the settler turned sharply, to see Pete slouching
away with his eyes on the ground; so, after an angry word or two at the
dog, the master went on again, leaving Nic hoeing away, thinking how
dreary the days would pass if he were to have no better companionship
than that of the black.
Half-an-hour passed before the slave came slowly along the row Nic was
hoeing--for the waving growth completely shut them from sight--and upon
reaching his fellow-prisoner's side he made a few scrapes with his hoe
and then stopped, with his black face shining as he showed his teeth.
"You had better go on with your work," said Nic quietly; "the master
will be back."
"Not a day, sah," said the black. "Him going get boat and go up ribber
'long o' Massa Saunder."
Nic looked at the man sharply as he uttered the word _boat_. Wouldn't
it be possible to hear from him where the boat was kept?
"Berry hot. Take four boy row de boat, and tell Sam and Zerks load de
gun and shoot ebbery white body who done work."
"Ah!" said Nic.
"Dat so, sah," said the man, laughing. "No shoot black fellow."
He said no more, but went on chopping away in the hot sunshine far
faster than Nic could manage, and the intense heat did not seem to
affect him. For it was so hot that the prisoner felt exhausted, early
as it was in the day, the tall growth around keeping off the breeze.
But he worked away, with the perspiration streaming down his face,
thinking what an opportunity this would be for taking to the woods or
the open country, but with his heart sinking as he dwelt upon the
possibility of Humpy Dee and the others fighting against such a plan
from pure malice. And besides, Pete was not there to discuss the
matter. There were the armed blacks, too, and the dogs.
Nic went to the end of his row, turned, and worked away back, forgetful
of his black companion, till he was half-way along the return row, when
a peculiar sound startled him, and stepping aside among the canes, his
heart gave a big throb, for the black seemed to have fallen from
exhaustion. The next minute he smiled, for he realised that the man was
fast asleep.
And how hot it was! Nic's throat was dry, his tongue parched, while
only some three hundred yards from where he toiled there was the green
band of cane and reed jungle, and just beyond that the bright, cool
waters of the river.
Oh, if he could only be where he could lie down and take one long, deep
draught!
The thought of it increased his thirst.
Well, why not? The black had shown him that there was no danger. Their
tyrants had started in the boat by now, or the idle rascal would not
have lain down so coolly to sleep, and this terrible thirst--
"Oh, I must go and have a drink," muttered Nic wearily; and then, laying
down his hoe, he walked swiftly to the end of the row, turned at right
angles along by the ditch which divided the field from the next field,
and, satisfied that he could not be seen from the house, kept on and on,
startled more than once by the rustle of a gliding snake, till the
narrow patch of jungle was reached, and he plunged into it, to force his
way along to the edge of the river.
The reeds and dense water-growth ended suddenly, and he was about to
peer out, up and down, to make sure that he was not seen, thinking the
while of how easy escape seemed, when he drew back and stood watching
with starting eyes.
But it was not at the alligator six feet long which lay between him and
the gliding river, nor yet at that other, a dozen yards away, sunning
itself at the surface of the water; but at the black woolly head of a
swimmer nearly at the other side, making easily and well for the mouth
of an overhung creek nearly opposite to where Nic crouched, and quite
regardless of the dangerous reptiles which might be near.
The feeling of thirst died out as Nic watched, seeing that there was a
way of escape after all by the river; for if that man dared trust
himself to swim in open daylight to the other side, surely he and Pete
might venture, even if the place did swarm with reptiles?
Nic's heart beat with a strange feeling of satisfaction. Here, then,
was one of his unfortunate companions taking advantage of the master's
absence to escape. Why was not Pete there to join him, and they might
all get away together?
In another minute Nic would have been on his way back to try and get
speech with Pete, and tell him what he had seen. He might, he thought,
elude Samson's watchfulness, when, to his astonishment, the man reached
the farther shore, stepped out, and shook himself, when Nic felt that he
must be dreaming, for it was Samson himself.
The next minute Nic saw him plunge into the thick growth overhanging the
narrow creek and disappear.
"Left his musket behind because he felt doubtful about getting it
across," thought Nic, and once more he was about to hurry back, when a
strange rustling sound caught his ear, followed by the rattle as of a
pole; and directly after the mystery of the boat's hiding-place was laid
bare, for it glided out from among the waving canes, and there was
Samson standing upright, dipping the pole first on one side, then on the
other, sending the boat across as it glided down with the stream, passed
the watcher, and evidently was being directed for the other creek.
"Poor old Pete, how glad he'll be!" thought Nic. "That's it, plain
enough; kept over there because they think no one would dare to swim
across; but we dare."
"Dare we?" said Nic to himself the next minute, as he saw an unusually
large alligator make a swirl in the water and dart by; and he shuddered
as the thought occurred to him that, though the reptiles might not touch
the blacks, with a white man it might mean something very different.
"Ugh! you little beast," he muttered, as there was a rustle in the moist
patch of jungle, and he caught sight of the loathsome blunt muzzle of
what looked like a monstrous eft staring hard at him, not a couple of
yards distant.
A quick movement sent the reptile scuffling away; then there was a
splash, and forgetful entirely of his thirst, Nic hurried back, feeling
a lingering doubt as to whether the settler or his overseer might not
have been to the field during his absence, as they were certainly not
gone.
But upon reaching the place where he had left his hoe, there it lay with
the handle too hot to hold, and the slave close at hand, shining and
happy, fast asleep, with his mouth open, and the red lips attracting the
flies, as if it were some huge ugly red blossom from which they might
sip.
That day seemed as if it would never come to an end. But at sunset the
conch shell was blown, and the black started up, just as Nic
straightened his weary back, and came slowly towards him down the row he
had hoed.
"Um tink um been fass 'sleep, sah," said the black, grinning. "You tell
Mass' Saunder? No, you not tell um, and me shut de eye nex' time you go
'sleep."
"I shan't tell tales," said Nic good-humouredly. "But I say, do you
ever think about running away?"
"Run away? What for? No use run away. Set dogs to catch you 'gain.
An' if dogs not catch um, where run to? Plantations all alike."
"To you," thought Nic. "Yes; where could he run to--back to Africa?
What then? Only to be caught and sold again. Poor wretch! Worse off
than I. There is no pleasant Devon for him to reach, as we must and
will reach it some day. Yes, there are slaves far worse off than I.
What can the dear old dad have thought when he found me gone? There is
only one answer to that," said Nic, with a weary sigh--"that I was
drowned in the pool struggle and swept out to sea."
The next minute Pete came into sight, and their eyes met, Nic giving the
man so long and intent a look that he did not see Humpy Dee watching
him, only that Pete's face worked a little, as if he grasped the fact
that his companion had some news to impart.
But they had no chance of communicating then, for Samson and Xerxes were
ready to count them as they went up to their shed; the dogs looking on
and trotting about busily, as if helping two black shepherds by rounding
up their flock.
It was hard work to eat that night, and the evening meal seemed more
than ever to resemble a mash prepared for fattening cattle such as they
seemed to be.
But Nic felt that food meant strength when the time for escaping came,
and he forced himself to devour his portion as if ravenously.
The night soon came there, and they were locked up once more, Nic
eagerly waiting for the chance to tell all he knew.
As he lay in his bunk listening, it was evident, from the low, guarded
tone in which their companions talked, that they were in ignorance of
the fact that their masters were absent, and all was very still outside,
till one of the men spoke out angrily. Then a bang on the door from the
butt of a musket, followed by a burst of deep-toned barking, told
plainly enough that proper precautions were taken, Samson's voice coming
loudly and hoarsely with an order to keep quiet and lie down before he
had to shoot.
"But there's light ahead," thought Nic; and he waited till he thought he
could communicate his news to Pete; but, to his disgust, the deep, low
breathing close at hand told that he was asleep.
"Worn out with his weary toil last night," thought Nic. "Well, I'll
keep watch to-night until he wakes, and tell him then."
But hour after hour went sluggishly by, with the watcher trying to think
out the plan by which they could escape in the easiest way.
In spite of the excitement produced by the knowledge that a door was
open by which they could get away, there was a hindrance to his thoughts
coming clearly. That long day's toil in the burning sun made his plans
run together till they were in a strange confusion; and at last he was
swimming the river to reach the boat, when a dozen of the reptiles which
haunted the water seemed to be tugging at him to drag him down, barking
fiercely the while. Then he started up, to find that he had been fast
asleep, and that the dogs were barking loudly because of their master's
return.
"What's the row about?" Nic heard Humpy Dee growl.
"Then I was right," said another of the men. "The gaffers have been off
somewhere, and have just come back. I thought so, because neither of
them showed up in the fields after quite early."
"Why didn't you tell me?" growled Humpy; and he whispered to his
companions very earnestly.
Just then the voices of the settler and the overseer were heard talking
to Samson; the dogs came smelling about the door, and the sentry spoke
loudly to them to get away. Then by degrees all grew silent again, and
a rustling sound told Nic that Pete was moving in his bunk.
"Couldn't help it, lad," he whispered; "I was zo worn out, I went off
fast. You've got zome'at to tell me?"
"Yes."
"I knowed it; but if I'd had to save my life I couldn't ha' kep' my eyes
open. What is it?"
Nic told him, whispering earnestly in his excitement.
"What a vool--what a vool!" whispered Pete. "On'y to think o' me never
thinking o' that. Then it's all right, Master Nic. We can just get
together enough prog to last us, borrow the guns, pick out the night
that zuits us, and then go quietly off."
"But would you dare to swim across the river--the alligators?"
"Yes," said Pete; "if they was twice as big; and if they touch me--well,
they'll find out what an edge and point I've given my knife. It's all
right, Master Nic, and I'm glad it's you as found out the way."
"Hist!" whispered Nic, laying a hand on the man's mouth.
For there was a rustling not far from where they lay; and Nic felt as if
a hand were catching at his throat, for the thought came to thrill him
through and through that Humpy Dee had crept nearer to hear what, in
their eager excitement, they had said; and if he had heard--
Pete put it this way:
"If he knows, the game's at an end."
Nic slept little more that night; not that he and Pete talked again
about their plans, but because his brain was full of the momentous
question:
Had their treacherous companion heard?