DOWN THE LAKE.
At the period of which we write, the railroad through the Teche country
had not been constructed, and the population was very sparsely scattered
over this region. Most of the available land, however, was occupied;
but, of course, none of the little villages which spring up around
railroad stations, and which, in the course of years, grow into large
towns and cities, had yet appeared.
With many doubts and fears in regard to the future, the young fugitives
commenced the voyage to the Gulf. It was seventy miles from the camp,
and it was absolutely necessary that the trip should be performed by
night, for the lake, at the season of high water, was navigable for
small steamers, which, with other craft, occasionally passed over its
turbid tide. In the passage down, they were liable to meet some of
these boats; and though the search for the runaways had long since
ceased, the Isabel might be recognized, and the mystery of her singular
disappearance explained.
Dan was determined to be very cautious, and to expose his party to no
risks which could possibly be avoided. The voyage was perilous enough at
best, and he was not disposed to trifle with the good fortune which had
thus far attended the expedition. He knew nothing of the navigation of
the lake, or of the Atchafalaya River, through which he must pass to the
Gulf of Mexico. He was therefore exposed to many perils. The boat might
get aground at a perilous point, which might expose them to an
examination from some inquisitive slaveholder. He might be stopped by a
steamer, or overhauled by a boat, and the fugitives taken into custody
because they could not give a good account of themselves.
Then, if he succeeded in reaching the Gulf, he knew that a day's sail at
the most would take him out of sight of land; and he had nothing but a
small compass and a map of the coast of Texas and Louisiana to guide
him. He had no expectation of being able to reach the free North in the
Isabel. He depended upon being picked up by some vessel bound to New
York or Philadelphia; and he had read the newspapers and listened to the
conversation of his master and his guests enough to know that
shipmasters were very cautious about carrying slaves to the North. But
he had made his plans, and hoped he should be able to overcome even this
most formidable difficulty.
To contend against all these adverse circumstances, he had a good boat,
though she was not fully adapted to a sea voyage. With her light draught
she had but a slight hold on the water; yet Dan was an excellent
boatman, and trusted in his skill to overcome the deficiencies of his
vessel. The Isabel was well provisioned for at least a month; and if the
weather was even tolerably favorable, he felt confident that he should
be able to contend successfully against the elements. At any rate he
feared the ocean, storm, and distance less than the insatiate
slave-hunters of the South.
With these difficulties before them, the young fugitives started upon
their uncertain voyage. It was a bright, pleasant evening, with a lively
breeze from the westward. The long confinement of the camp in the swamp
made the changing prospect exceedingly exhilarating. They had
encountered perils before, and the experience of the past prepared them
for the trials of the future. They had a head wind down the bayou which
led to the lake, and it required two hours of hard work for the two boys
to work the Isabel down to the open water; but when this labor was
accomplished, the foresail, mainsail, and jib were hoisted, and they had
a fair wind down the lake.
"Now, Lily, our voyage is commenced," said Dan, as he seated himself at
the helm.
"Yes; and I am so glad to get out of that dismal swamp!" replied she,
with a smile which spoke the joy of her heart.
"Perhaps you will wish yourself back again before many days, and perhaps
before many hours."
"Do you think there is much danger, Dan?"
"We may not meet with a single difficulty, and we may be in danger all
the time. I cannot tell. I hope for the best, but I am ready for the
worst."
"Any thing is better than slavery, Dan."
"Even death itself, Lily," replied Dan, solemnly.
"But there will be no people out on the lake in the night--will there?"
"There may be; but we may not find a good place to conceal ourselves
during the day. We may be discovered, for there are more people at the
lower end of the lake than in the part where we have been."
"We will pray to God, Dan, every day, and He will protect us, as He has
before," added Lily, confidingly.
"And while we do that, we must be very careful. There is one thing I
have been dreading ever since we began to prepare for this cruise."
"What is that, Dan?"
"You know Mr. Lascelles?"
"Yes; he spends a week at Redlawn every year, and master used to stay a
week at his plantation."
"He lives down this way somewhere--I don't exactly know where. The
Isabel, I think, came down here one year; if so, I am afraid they will
know the boat."
"Possifus!" exclaimed Cyd, who had been silently listening to this
conversation. "Dey'll ketch us, for shore."
"I'm not afraid of being caught; but Colonel Raybone almost always
visits Mr. Lascelles in the month of May. Suppose he should be there,
and we should happen to go near his plantation?"
"Hossifus!" groaned Cyd. "Massa Raybone down dar! Dis chile gubs it all
up den."
"Don't give up yet, Cyd," laughed Dan.
"Mossifus! If dis nigger see ole massa, he done sink into de ground,
like a catfish in de mud."
"You haven't seen him yet, Cyd; and what is more, I don't believe you
will see him."
"I hope not," added Lily, with a shudder.
"If we do, it will not alter any thing."
"What would you do, Dan?"
"I will never become a slave again. We have guns and powder, bullets and
shot."
"Would you kill him?"
"No man shall stand between me and freedom. I would shoot him or any
other man, if it were necessary to secure our safety."
"Gossifus! Shoot Massa Raybone!" exclaimed Cyd.
"I hope we shall not be obliged to fire upon any man; but I shall do so,
and you must do the same, Cyd, if we are in danger of being captured."
"Do any ting you say, Dan," replied Cyd whose mind readily settled upon
any policy adopted by his leader.
"Now, Lily, you had better turn in, as Midshipman Raybone used to say.
You must sleep while you can, for you may have no rest again for several
days."
"I'm not sleepy; but you are going to have a very hard time. When we get
out to sea we shall have to run all the time--shall we not?"
"Yes--night and day."
"Then when will you sleep?"
"Cyd and I must sleep by turns. We shall get along very well if the
weather is only good."
About eleven o'clock both Lily and Cyd retired to their berths, leaving
Dan alone on deck. The wind held fair till about three o'clock in the
morning, at which time the Isabel was within ten miles of the outlet of
the lake. It was too dark for the careful skipper to discover the nature
of the shore, and he was waiting for a little daylight to enable him to
find a suitable place to lie up during the next day. The boat was fully
three miles from either shore, when the wind suddenly died out. Directly
ahead, there were several small islands, but they were farther off than
the main shore.
The first of the skipper's trials seemed to have overtaken him; but he
did not permit himself to despair. He hoped, when the sun rose, a breeze
would come, and enable him to find some hiding-place for the day. There
was nothing to do but watch and wait, and Dan reclined upon the
cushioned seat to meditate upon the uncertainties before them.
There was not a breath of air upon the lake, and the sails hung
motionless in their places. Lily and Cyd still slept, and Dan did not
call them; for he was willing to spare them even an hour's useless
anxiety. The moments hung heavily upon the impatient skipper; but at
last the daylight came, and he had a chance to study the situation. On
the shore at his left there was a sugar plantation, the mansion of which
was built within a short distance of the water; for here, as in the
vicinity of Redlawn, the highest land was nearest to the streams. But
the estate was three miles distant, and he hoped that the Isabel would
not attract the attention of the people on the place.
The sun rose, but no wind came to gladden the heart of the impatient and
anxious skipper. The active life of the plantation had commenced. He
could see the smoke curling up from the chimneys of the cook-house near
the mansion; and in different parts of the lake he counted three boats
moving about near the shore. These signs produced an intense uneasiness
in his mind, which was not lessened by the appearance of Lily, who came
upon deck about this time.
While he was explaining to her the nature of their unpleasant position,
the smoke of a little steamer was seen beyond the islands. She soon came
in sight, and was headed directly towards the spot where the Isabel lay
becalmed. Dan and his fair companion were appalled by this new danger;
for a suspicion in the mind of any person on board the steamer could
hardly fail of being fatal to them. But Dan was soon prepared to make
the best of the circumstances.
"Cyd, Cyd!" called he, as he rushed into the cabin.
"Wha--wha--what's de matter?" stammered Cyd, springing to his feet.
"Go on deck at once," replied Dan, as he slung the powder-horn and
shot-pouch over his shoulders, and took one of the fowling pieces.
Cyd was on deck before him, and discovered the nature of the danger
which menaced them. The bateau, which had been placed upon deck, was
launched, and Cyd was directed to get into it with the oars, and pull
off a few rods from the Isabel.
"Now, Lily, you must go to your cabin, close the door, and on no account
show yourself while the steamer is in sight," said Dan.
"But what are you going to do, Dan?" asked she, with an expression of
the deepest concern. "Are you going to shoot any one?"
"No, dear," replied Dan, with a smile at her fears; "I am going to
pretend to be a sportsman. As we can't get out of the way of the
steamer, I intend to be as bold and impudent as I can. There, go to your
cabin now, and we will hope for the best."
Lily retired to the cabin, closed the door after her, and threw herself
on her knees to pray for the safety of herself and her friends during
the impending peril. In the mean time, Dan walked up and down the deck,
with the gun in his hand, apparently looking in all directions for game.
Just as the steamboat came within hailing distance of the Isabel, a
couple of brant fortunately flew over, and Dan fired. His practice in
the swamp had made him a very good marksman, and he was so lucky as to
bring down one of the birds. Cyd, as before instructed, pulled with all
his might to the spot where the game had fallen.
"Possifus!" shouted he; "massa fotch dat bird down, for shore!"
When he uttered this exclamation the bateau was within a few yards of
the steamer, and the few passengers on board of her, anxious to see the
sport, hastened to the boiler deck, and thus obtained a full view of the
Isabel, as she rounded in under her stern, on her way to the plantation,
where she evidently intended to make a landing.
"Any news below?" shouted Dan, hailing the steamer as she approached.
"By Heaven! that's my boat and my boy!" exclaimed a gentleman on the
boiler deck, as the steamer glanced by the Isabel. "Stop the boat! Stop
her!"
It was Colonel Raybone!