THE BAY OF THE BLOODHOUNDS.
Dan had his solitary watch for four hours, with nothing to disturb his
meditations except the occasional visit of an alligator; but as the ugly
reptiles did not offer to swallow the boat, or otherwise interfere with
her, the lonely sentinel did not even challenge the intruders. He was
very sleepy, for he had not closed his eyes during the preceding night,
and his great purpose had sadly interfered with his slumbers since the
time for its execution had been fixed.
It was one o'clock when he called the "watch below." Lily was still
wrapped in slumber, worn out by her sleepless night, and by the
excitement of her novel position. After charging Cyd to keep awake,
assuring him that "eternal vigilance was the price of liberty," Dan went
into the cabin to obtain the rest he so much needed. He slept soundly,
and, no doubt, dreamed strange things; but when he awoke it was nearly
dark. Starting up with a spring, he bounded to the deck, where he found
Cyd fast asleep upon the cushions of the standing room.
"Cyd!" exclaimed he, seizing the faithless sentinel by the collar. "Is
this the way you keep watch?"
"Possifus!" ejaculated Cyd, as he sprang to his feet. "I done been
asleep."
"Been asleep! I should think you had! Have you been snoring there all
the afternoon?"
"No, _sar_! Dis chile hain't been asleep more'n two minutes--no, sar,
nor more'n a minute and a half."
"Yes, you have; you have been asleep all the afternoon. You deserve to
be a slave all the rest of your life!" added Dan, indignantly.
"Gossifus! I tink not. Wha--wha--wha--what does you mean by dat?"
stuttered Cyd.
"How dared you go to sleep when you were on watch?"
"I tell you, Dan, I'se been wide awake all de arternoon. Hadn't been
asleep quite two minutes."
"He hasn't slept long, Dan," said Lily, as she came out of the cabin;
"for I was with him only a little while ago."
"I'm glad of it, if he hasn't," added Dan, more calmly.
"You kin bet yer life dis chile don't go to sleep on de watch. No,
_sar_!"
"But you did go to sleep, Cyd. You were asleep when I came on deck."
"I jes close my eyes for a minute, but I was jes gwine to wake up when
you comed on deck."
"I can't keep awake all the time; I must sleep some."
"Bout six hours," chuckled Cyd; and his companion had really slept about
this time.
"Why didn't you call me then, as I did you?"
"I told him not to do so, Dan," interposed Lily, whose sweet smile was
sure to remove any objection which Dan might have. "We ate our supper
about an hour ago. Cyd was going to call you, but I wouldn't let him. I
knew how tired you were, and you will not have any chance to sleep
to-night."
"It was very kind of you, Lily," said Dan with a smile. "But I must
teach Cyd not to sleep when he is on watch. Any carelessness of this
kind might spoil every thing."
"I never'll go to sleep on de watch agin, so help me Possifus!"
exclaimed Cyd, now fully impressed by the magnitude of his criminal
neglect.
"I'll answer for him," said Lily; "I'll stay on deck and keep him awake
next time."
"O, no, you needn't, Lily."
"But why can't I keep watch in the daytime, and let both of you sleep?
If there was any danger I could call you."
"I don't mean to ask you to keep watch, or do any such work. It is not a
woman's place."
"I mean to take my turn next time," said she, resolutely. "Now, Dan, I
will get your supper. Cyd and I ate bread and butter, and drank cold
water; but if you are going to sail the boat all night, you will want
some tea."
"Thank you, Lily; you are very kind. I will get the tea myself."
"No, you shall not. I am not going to be idle all the time. I mean to do
my share of the labor. If it isn't a woman's work to keep watch, it is
to get tea; and if you please, I will do it myself."
My young readers will remember that Lily, though a slave girl, was a
gentle, delicate creature. She had never done any manual labor. She had
simply stood by her young mistress, fanned her when she was warm,
brushed away the flies, handed her a book, or other article, when she
wanted it, picked up her handkerchief when she dropped it, and assisted
at her toilet. If Miss Edith needed any greater exertion of bone and
muscle, another person was called to render the service. But she had
been about the kitchen and work rooms of the plantation, and having a
taste for the various housekeeping operations, she had incidentally
acquired some little skill in cooking, needle-work, and other branches
of female industry.
Her form was agile and graceful, her organization delicate; and no
person, even with a knowledge of her social condition, and rankly imbued
with southern prejudices, could have denied that she was beautiful in
form and feature. Her complexion was fairer than that of a majority of
Anglo-Saxon maidens. Her eye was soft, and sweetly expressive. Such was
Lily, the slave girl of Redlawn; and when she talked of performing the
drudgery of the Isabel, Dan, with that chivalrous consideration for the
gentler sex which characterizes the true gentleman, resented the idea.
He preferred to labor day and night, rather than permit her to soil her
white hands with the soot of the furnaces.
Lily, as we have seen, had wiser and more sensible ideas on the subject.
She had an instinctive contempt for that sort of chivalry, and in spite
of the remonstrances of the knightly skipper of the Isabel, she kindled
a fire, and with the assistance of Cyd, soon placed the tea and bread
and butter upon the cabin table. She then took her place at the head of
the board, and "did the honors" with an elegance and grace which would
have adorned the breakfast parlor at Redlawn. Though Cyd had been to
supper, he accepted the invitation to repeat the operation.
Before the meal was commenced, it was necessary to light the cabin
lantern, which swung over the table. Whether there is any exhilaration
in a cup of tea or not, the party soon became very cheerful; and Cyd was
as chipper as though he were in the midst of the Christmas holidays.
After supper Dan took the bateau, and pulled out to the lake, to
reconnoitre the position, and assure himself that there were no
obstacles to the departure of the Isabel. When he returned, Lily had
washed the dishes and put the cabin in order, thus carrying her point,
and establishing herself as mistress in this department. Dan did not
deem it prudent to start so early in the evening; but the sails were
hoisted, and every thing made ready for the departure.
The wind was light, and the leader of the expedition had some doubts
about starting at all that night. The Isabel had made only about twenty
miles during the preceding night, with a strong breeze to help her
during a portion of the time. He had carefully studied the maps in his
possession, and estimated the distances by the scale between the various
points. He knew exactly where he intended to go, and a failure to reach
the place before daylight would expose him to the risk of being seen
from some of the plantations on the banks of the lake.
The responsibility of deciding this important question rested upon him
alone. The distance to be accomplished before they could reach another
place of security was about twenty-five miles. An average of three miles
an hour would enable him to complete the passage by sunrise, and he at
last decided to attempt it.
About nine o'clock the two boys got into the bateau, and towed the
Isabel out of the creek, and with gaff-topsails and staysail set, in
addition to the jib, fore, and main sails, the voyage was renewed.
Keeping as near the western shore of the lake as it was prudent to go,
the boat glided gently over the tranquil waters.
In a couple of hours the Isabel reached the narrow outlet of the lake.
Thus far, the south-westerly wind had enabled her to run with a free
sheet; but at this point the course changed, and Dan found that he
should be compelled to beat dead to windward in order to reach his
destination. Then he wished he had not started; but up the creek he had
been unable to determine from what direction the light breeze came, and
had decided the question to the best of his ability.
Though he had no reason to reproach himself for his want of care, the
situation was none the less difficult or trying on that account. But
there was one compensating advantage: as he passed through the narrow
outlet of the lake, the broad surface of the Chetemache was before him.
It was forty miles long by ten miles wide, and afforded him abundant
space in which to work the boat. And in this open sea the wind came
unobstructed to his sails.
The course of the Isabel, on her first tack, lay close to the eastern
shore of the lake. The boat moved very slowly through the water, and
Lily and Cyd sat by the side of the skipper, talking in low tones of the
future, with its hopes and its trials, its joys and its dangers.
Suddenly they heard a crackling sound in the cane-brake near them; then
came from a greater distance the bay of bloodhounds. There was no
mistaking these sounds; and for an hour they listened in almost
breathless anxiety to these appalling indications of a slave-hunt.
The yelp of the dogs came nearer and nearer; but they had lost the
sounds which indicated the presence of the hunted fugitive.
"Gossifus!" whispered Cyd, for he had been forbidden to speak a loud
word. "Where you 'pose de nigger dem dogs is chasin' is?"
"I don't know. I pray that he may escape," replied Dan.
"Can't you help him?" asked Lily, whose frame shook with terror, as her
fancy pictured the terrible scene which she had so often heard
described.
A splash in the water a hundred yards astern of the Isabel now attracted
the attention of the party.
"Can't you help him?" repeated Lily, in trembling tones.
"It will not be safe for us to show ourselves, for the human bloodhounds
are not far off."
"Do help him if you can. Save him from those terrible dogs!" pleaded
Lily.
"He will swim to that island," said Dan. "Perhaps the dogs will not
catch him."
"Yes, they will."
"Yes, dey will. Dey done leap in de water. Dar dey go!" added Cyd, as
they listened to the splashes as the brutes sprang into the lake.
"Save him! Save him, Dan!" cried Lily.
"It may cost us our lives and our liberty," replied Dan.
"No matter. Let us die if we can save the poor man from the fangs of the
bloodhounds."
"I will, Lily," replied Dan, as he put the Isabel about, and headed
towards the small island, about half a mile from the shore. "Take the
helm, Cyd," continued he, as he left his post at the tiller, and rushed
into the cabin.
He returned in a moment with two fowling-pieces in his hands, and
proceeded to load them. By this time the panting fugitive was distinctly
seen, closely pursued by the dogs.