On went the dogs, apparently following the track of some animal; and, as
they seemed to be leading the fugitives farther and farther away from
the plantation, nothing Nic felt, could be better.
For, in spite of the long imprisonment at the settler's place, the
knowledge of the prisoners was confined to the river and the clearings
about the house. Certainly they had had a view of the distant hills;
but all beyond the plantation, save towards the swamp, was unknown land.
"We can't do better than go on, Pete," said Nic, after following the
dogs for about an hour.
"Don't see as we can, zir. They're hunting after zomething they've got
the zmell of, and maybe, if we cross their scent, they may begin hunting
us; zo I zay let 'em go. You zee, they're mostly kep' chained up in
them gashly kennels o' theirs; and they're enjoying a run in the woods.
Any idee where we be?"
"Not the slightest, Pete; but at any rate we're free."
"Till we're ketched again, Master Nic. But I zay, you'll show fight if
they should catch up to uz?"
"Yes, Pete; I should feel so desperate that I should be ready to die
sooner than give up now."
"That's me all over, lad," said Pete. "I zay, though; couldn't get to
be more friends still wi' the dogs, and make 'em fight for uz, could
we?"
Nic laughed bitterly, and then stopped short, for the yelping had
ceased.
"Can you hear the hounds now?"
A sharp burst of barking a short distance away told of their direction,
and after wandering in and out among the trees for a few minutes, they
found the three great creatures apparently waiting for them to come up
before starting off again.
This went on for a full hour longer, the dogs leading them on and on,
evidently getting scent of one of the little animals the blacks hunted
from time to time; but from their clumsiness, and the activity of the
little quarry, each run being without result.
"Where are we now?" said Pete at last, after the yelping of the little
pack had ceased.
"It is impossible to say," replied Nic. "It is all so much alike here
in the darkness that I have felt helpless ever since we started; but we
must be many miles away from the plantation, and I hardly know how the
night has gone in this excitement; but it must be near morning."
"Must be," said Pete, "for my clothes are quite dry again, and I'm
getting thirsty. What are we going to do now?"
"Keep on, and coax the dogs more and more away. We must not let them go
back."
"No; that wouldn't do, Master Nic. On'y if they don't ketch anything
they'll get hungry, and if they gets hungry they'll grow zavage; and if
they grow zavage, what's going to happen then?"
"Wait till the trouble comes, Pete," replied Nic; "then we'll see."
"That's good zense, Master Nic; and I b'lieve them brutes are lying down
and resting zomewhere. Shall I give a whistle?"
"Yes; it would do no harm."
Pete uttered a low, piping sound such as would be given by a bird, and
it was answered by a bark which showed the direction; and, on turning
towards it, a minute had not elapsed before they heard the heavy panting
of the three animals, which sprang up and came to them, lolling out
their tongues to be caressed.
"Good old dogs, then," said Nic, patting their heads. "Go on, and take
us right away, and when it gets daylight you may all have a good sleep.
Hie on, then, boys; hie on! Right away."
The dogs threw up their heads, snuffed about a bit, and then started off
once more at a steady pace, which soon slowed down, and made the task of
following them in the darkness much less difficult. Then all at once
one of them uttered a low, whining sound and sprang off a little faster.
For the ground was more open here, the trees bigger, and the
undergrowth--the great hindrance--scarce.
"Better going here, Master Nic, if it waren't for the great roots
sticking out. Now, if the day would only break we should be able to zee
better what we were doing. My word! if we could only come across a good
wild-apple orchard it wouldn't be amiss."
"And that we shall not find."
"Never mind, zir; we'll find zum'at else--toadstools on the trees, or
wild berries, or zomething; and if them dogs don't run down anything
good for a roast, why, they don't come up to one of our old Devon
lurchers. If this was one of our woods we shouldn't be long without
something between our teeth. Don't you be downhearted; I'll find
zome'at we can eat."
"I am not downhearted, Pete; and, if we can do so in safety, we'll go on
walking all day."
"That's right; on'y we don't want to run upon no more plantations."
"No; we must trust to the wild country, Pete, till we can reach the
sea."
"And not feel zafe when we get there, zir. Zay, Master Nic, I don't
think much of a country where they has zlaves, whether they're white or
whether they're black."
"Never mind that now, Pete; we have escaped."
"And without my having a chance to thrash Humpy Dee, and giving Master
Zaunders one for his nob."
"Hist! what's that?" whispered Nic, as a peculiar sound came through the
trees.
"Water!" said Pete excitedly. "The dogs lapping. Come on, zir. My
mouth's as if it was full of dust. The very thing we want."
The next minute the darkness seemed to be less intense, and in another
they were close to a little stream, where the dogs were drinking deeply;
but they left the edge as the fugitives came up, shook themselves, and
stood by while Pete sought for a place a little higher up.
"Here you are, Master Nic," he said. "They might ha' let uz have first
go; but I forgive 'em for finding it. Lie down on your face and drink."
Nic needed no incitement, and Pete followed his example, both enjoying
the sweetest, most refreshing draught that had ever passed their lips.
"Hall!" ejaculated Pete as he raised himself into a sitting posture.
"Can't drink any more. Hope we aren't zwallowed no young 'gators or a
snake; but if we have, zir, it'll be vittles as well as drink, and do uz
good."
"Ugh! don't talk about it," said Nic. "But where are the dogs?"
"Eh? Gone on, I s'pose; and we must trot on too. I'm ready for
anything now."
"Look, Pete. Yonder's the east."
"That's our way then, zir."
"And the sun will not be long before it's up. It is getting light fast.
Come along and find the dogs. We came up from the left; they will go
right on to the right. We should have heard them if they had crossed
the stream."
"That's right, lad. What a good--" Pete was going to say poacher, but
he checked himself--"wood-man you'd have made. Forward, then. It's all
open yonder."
A minute later they had stopped short, to see the three dogs walking
across a clearing, plainly seen in the grey dawn, while to the left the
stream had widened out.
It was only a momentary pause, and then the fugitives shrank back into
cover, chilled to the heart by the dreadful truth.
The dogs, quite at home in the neighbouring forest, had taken them a
long round, and brought them back to the plantation; and now, wearied
out, they were making their way to their kennel at the back of the house
and sheds.
The night's labour seemed to have been all in vain; and Nic laid his
hand upon his companion's shoulder as he said, with a bitter sigh:
"Pete, Pete, it is hopeless. We shall never see the old home again."