THE AFFRAY ON THE LAKE
Even Lily laughed when she realized that her friend Cyd was in no danger
of dying in the bad fit which had attacked him; she laughed at his
strange actions and his silly expressions; they all laughed for a time,
but there was something very serious in the occasion. The patient was
taken down into the cabin, and put to bed in his bunk.
When he was asleep again, and the rest of the party had returned to the
deck, the serious part of the affair came up for consideration; and the
meeting was so solemn and momentous that even the good luck of the two
sportsmen was forgotten, and the game and fish were allowed to remain
unnoticed in the bateau. To Dan and Lily it was a terrible thing for a
boy like Cyd to get drunk. It was very funny, but it was awfully serious
in view of future consequences.
Several bottles of wine and liquor had been deposited in the lockers
under the seats in the standing room, and Cyd had helped himself as he
sat there alone. This was the key to his mysterious sickness; and while
his companions congratulated themselves upon Cyd's expected recovery, it
was deemed prudent to place all the intoxicating beverages on board in a
secure place. A locker in Lily's cabin was selected for this purpose,
and it was soon out of Cyd's reach.
Dan wanted to throw all the liquor overboard, except a couple of bottles
to be used as medicine; but Quin thought that some use might be made of
it at a future time. There was no one on board, except Cyd, who would
drink it; and he had imbibed rather as a frolic than because he had any
taste for the fiery article.
The patient slept all the rest of the day and all the following night.
The next morning he was afflicted with a terrible headache, and was so
stupid that he was good for nothing. He was severely reprimanded for his
folly, and made a solemn promise never to partake again; and as the
dangerous fluid was all locked up, and the key in Lily's possession, it
was believed that he would not violate his obligation.
Roast ducks and geese, and fried fish, were the food of the party for
several days to come; and the change from salt provision was very
agreeable. About once a week Dan and Quin repeated the excursion to the
lake, and almost always returned with a plentiful supply of fish and
game. The fugitives lived well, especially as pigeons, partridges, and
an occasional wild turkey graced their table. A roast coon was not an
unusual luxury; for by extending their hunting-grounds in various
directions, they added very much to the variety of their larder.
The small stores, such as butter, salt, sugar, coffee, and tea, were
exhausted in the fall, though they had been very carefully expended.
They had been so long accustomed to their luxurious living, that the
want of these articles was felt as a very great hardship. Their nice
ducks and geese were absolutely loathsome without salt, and Dan came to
the conclusion that salt was a necessity, and that it must be procured
at any risk. About twenty miles from the camp there was a village where
groceries could be obtained; and after a great deal of consideration it
was decided to undertake a journey for this purpose. They had been five
months in the swamp without seeing any human being, though Dan and Quin,
in one of their hunting trips, had heard voices on the lake. They felt
entirely secure in the camp, and Lily was not afraid to remain with Cyd
while Dan and Quin went after the needed supplies.
It was resolved that Dan should pass himself off as a white boy, who,
with a party of hunters, had encamped in the woods. He therefore dressed
himself for the part he was to play, and embarked in the bateau with
Quin, who was to act as his servant. With the utmost care they pursued
their journey, and, without any incident or accident, came in sight of
the village where they were to purchase the stores. But Dan did not
think it prudent to visit the place in broad daylight; so they concealed
themselves in the swamp, and slept by turns till nearly daylight the
next morning.
This seemed to be the most favorable time to visit the store; and they
entered the village, which was called so by courtesy, for it had only
six houses. Putting on the bold, swaggering air of a young southerner,
Dan entered the place, followed by his servant. With all the bluster
necessary to keep up his character, he roused the shopkeeper, and
ordered, rather than requested, him to open his store. Fortunately trade
was not so lively in the place as to render the merchant independent of
his business, and he gladly opened his establishment even at that
unseemly hour. He asked a great many questions, which Dan answered very
readily. The purchases were all made, and Dan's funds, though they
amounted to nearly thirty dollars, were almost exhausted. When the
stores had been gathered together, a new and appalling difficulty
presented itself. Dan had not intended to purchase a quarter part of the
supplies which were now piled in the middle of the store. It was five
miles to the lake, and no two men in the universe could have carried
them that distance.
The matter was one of so much importance, and the articles obtained with
so much greater facility than he expected, that he had been tempted to
procure this large stock. But the pile was so large that he began to
repent of the act, and to wish that half his money was in his pocket
again. To remedy the difficulty he began to bluster, and told the
storekeeper that he must get a team and tote the goods down to the lake
for him.
The man objected; but he at last consented to procure his neighbor's
mule team and help them out. For this service Dan paid him two dollars
more, which entirely collapsed his exchequer. The stores were safely
deposited in the bateau, and the man drove off, apparently as well
satisfied with his morning's work as the other party to the transaction.
As soon as he was out of sight and hearing, Quin could contain himself
no longer, and vented his satisfaction at the success of the enterprise
in the most violent and extraordinary manner. He laughed till his eyes
were filled with tears, and had nearly upset the overloaded boat by his
extravagant demonstrations.
"What's the matter, Quin?" demanded Dan, astonished at the conduct of
his usually prudent and sedate companion.
"Bress de Lo'd, we's got all de tings," exclaimed Quin.
"Don't crow till you get out of the woods."
"Dar's de hard bread, and de salt, and de butter--golly, Massa Dan, you
done do dat ting bery fine."
"Wait till we get back to the camp before you say any thing. We are not
out of danger yet."
"But we's got de tings, Dan--de coffee, de sugar, and de salt."
"Take your oar now, and when we get back we'll have a jolly time."
"Bress de Lo'd, yes, Dan," said the delighted Quin, as he grasped the
oar.
Prosperity makes men careless and reckless. The bateau was so crowded
with stores that the rowers had but little space to use the oars. Their
progress was necessarily very slow. They wanted to get back to the camp
before night, and instead of keeping under the lee of the land, where
the boat would not be likely to attract attention, they proceeded by the
shortest route. When they reached the upper end of the lake, and were
within five miles of the camp, they were startled to see a boat put out
from one of the small islands, and pull towards them.
"De Lo'd sabe us!" exclaimed Quin, as he discovered the boat, which
contained two white men.
"Take no notice of them, and don't speak a word," said Dan, in a low
tone.
"De Lo'd hab us in his holy keeping!" ejaculated Quin, reverently, as he
raised his eyes towards heaven.
"Do you know them?" asked Dan.
"One of dem's Massa Longworth; don't know de oder," replied Quin, his
teeth chattering as though he had been suddenly seized with the ague.
"Who is he?"
"De oberseer on de plantation next to ole massa's."
The overloaded bateau rendered an escape by fast rowing impossible, and
the fugitives continued to pull steadily, as before. Dan had his gun in
a position where he could use it when occasion required. The two men
pulled up to within a short distance of the bateau, and rested on their
oars.
"Where ye gwine with all that stuff?" demanded Longworth.
"We belong to a party of gunners up here," replied Dan, boldly; for he
was determined to make the most of the circumstances.
"Where be they?"
"Up to Chicot--about ten miles from here."
"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Longworth, glancing at his companion. "That's a
good story, but it won't go down."
"You open your mouth wide enough to take any thing down," answered Dan,
smartly.
"Can't swallow that story, no how," said the overseer. "But who's that
boy with you?"
"None of your business. I don't make stories for you to laugh at."
"Yes, you do, my boy. But you needn't row any furder. We want ye both."
"You can't have us."
"We'll see about that," added the man, as he raised his fowling piece.
"No use,--'tain't loaded," snarled the other man in the boat.
"Mine is," replied Dan, elevating the piece.
Longworth cursed his companion for the revelation he had made, and
proceeded to load the gun. In the mean time Dan dropped his piece, and
began to pull again.
"Stop, now. I don't want to destroy val'able property with this yere
iron, but I must if you don't stop," continued the overseer, as he
finished loading his gun.
"Perhaps I can destroy as much valuable property as you can," said Dan,
as he took his fowling piece again.
"You must come with me. I know that nigger in the boat with you, and I
reckon you belong to Colonel Raybone."
"I, you villain! How dare you insult me? I am a free white man."
"Perhaps you be, but you've been advertised enough to let any man in
these yere parts know you. That nigger belongs to my neighbor. If you've
a mind to come in quietly, I'll see you let off without any whippin."
"I have no mind to come in, either quietly or otherwise," replied Dan.
"Then the wust's your own;" and Longworth fired.
The ball whistled within a few feet of Dan's head; but, unterrified by
the peril, he raised his gun and fired.
"I'm hit!" groaned Longworth, as he sank down into the boat.
The other man in the boat with Longworth took the gun, loaded it, and
fired. At that moment Dan had stooped down to pick up his shot-pouch,
and Quin being the more prominent party in the bateau, the other man
fired at him.
"De Lo'd sabe me!" groaned Quin, as he placed both hands on his chest.
Dan was ready to fire again; but, to his astonishment, he saw the man
who had shot his companion seize the oars and pull away from the spot as
fast as he could.
It was evident that the fate of his companion had appalled him; and
seeing Dan nearly ready to discharge his gun again, he hastened to widen
the distance between them. He rowed with the desperation of a doomed
man. As the boat receded, Longworth raised himself up, as if to assure
the fugitives that he was not dead.
Dan pointed the gun at the retreating boat for some time, and then
fired, but not with the intention of hitting his savage foes. They were
slave-drivers, but he did not wish to kill them.
The boat shortly disappeared, and Dan turned his attention to his
wounded companion. The ball had passed through his lungs, and had
penetrated a vital organ. Deeply affected by the event, he did what he
could to stanch the blood; but poor Quin was past the aid of any
surgery, and breathed his last a few minutes later.
Fearful that other pursuers might soon appear, Dan worked the boat up
the bayou as rapidly as he could alone; but it was late at night when he
reached the camp. Then he wept; then the tears of Lily mingled with his
own over the corpse of the honest and faithful Quin, whose spirit had
soared aloft, where the black man is as free as his white oppressor.