Even Brown expressed some doubts about his honesty.
"You never can trust those mounseers," he said in reply to Tom's remark.
"Be silent there, men," said Rayner. "Our good friend has probably
thought it safer to hide himself, and will manage to get back at night."
Night came, however, and still Le Duc did not appear. Rayner and Oliver
became more anxious than ever.
"I must not let you fellows starve," said Rayner at last. "I'll go out
and try and get provisions of some sort. Le Duc spoke of several
cottages on the outskirts of the village, and I'll call at one of them
and try to bribe the inhabitants, or to move their compassion; perhaps I
may get tidings of our friend."
Though either Oliver or Brown would gladly have gone instead, they knew
that Rayner was the best person to undertake the expedition.
"If I do not return before midnight, you must all set out and travel
eastward as fast as you can. How do you feel, Peek? Can you manage to
move along."
"Yes, sir," answered Jack. "I could if you were with us, but I am
afraid if you were left behind in the grip of soldiers I shouldn't do
much."
"Don't let that idea weigh on your mind. If I am captured and sent to
prison, there I must remain until I am exchanged for a French officer,
though I don't think there's much chance of my being caught."
Having given his final directions, Rayner set off.
He went on till he saw a light streaming through a cottage window. The
better sort of people were alone likely to be sitting up at that hour,
as the poorer blacks, he knew, went to bed at sundown and rose at
daybreak.
He went up to the door and knocked.
"May I come in?" he asked in French; and without waiting for an answer
he lifted the latch.
An old mulatto woman was seated spinning. Near her sat a young girl of
much lighter complexion, with remarkably pretty features, engaged in
working on some pieces of female finery. She rose as he entered, and
the old woman uttered an exclamation of astonishment.
He at once explained his errand. He wanted food, and was ready to pay
for it. They would not be so hard-hearted as to refuse it to starving
men.
The girl looked at the old woman, who was apparently her grandmother.
"Mon pere will soon be back. Will monsieur object to wait?" she asked.
"I have no time to wait; here, accept this," said Rayner, holding out a
dollar which he fortunately had in his pocket.
The old woman's eyes glittered.
"Give monsieur what he wants, but keep enough for your father's supper
and breakfast to-morrow. It is strange that he should require food
since he is so rich."
"I want sufficient for several persons--anything you have got," said
Rayner.
The girl went to a shelf at the other end of the room and got down a
couple of loaves of maize bread, some cakes, salt-fish, and fruit.
"You can take some of these," she said, placing them on the table; "but
how are you to carry them?"
He had a silk handkerchief, which he produced, intending to tie up the
provisions in. The girl looked at it with admiration.
"Perhaps you will accept this, and give me a basket, or a matting bag
instead?" he said.
She quickly produced a bag large enough to hold all the things.
"Now can you give me any news of anything happening in the village?"
"Yes, some soldiers have been there, and impudent fellows they were;
some of them came to our house, and if my Pierre had been present there
would have been a fight. I am glad that they have gone. It is said
they were in search of deserters or spies, and that they had caught one
of them, but could not find the rest. If monsieur dislikes the military
as much as I do, he'll keep out of their way."
The girl said this in a significant manner. Rayner thanked her and the
old woman, and advised them to say nothing about his visit.
"If we know nothing we can say nothing, eh, monsieur? Bon voyage, and
keep out of the way of the soldiers," whispered the girl as she let him
out.
He could not help thinking, as he hurried back towards the cave, that
she suspected he was one of the persons the soldiers were in search of.
Although she wished to befriend him, her father might be in a different
mood. There was the danger, too, that if poor Le Duc was caught, he
might be tortured to make him confess where his companions were. Rayner
considered, therefore, that it would be imprudent to remain longer in
the cave, and that it would be safer even to carry Jack, should he be
unable to walk, than to delay their journey.
He got back safely, and the food he brought soon restored the spirits of
the party. Even Jack declared that he was strong enough to walk a dozen
miles if necessary. They were in great hopes, therefore, of getting
across the border before daybreak. They regretted greatly the loss of
Le Duc, who had served them so faithfully, especially as they feared
that he himself was in danger of suffering in consequence of the
assistance he had given them.
Rayner led the way. The stars being as bright as on the previous night,
he had no difficulty in directing his course. The country was much of
the same character as that they had previously crossed. In some parts
they came to plantations, and could distinguish the residences of the
proprietors.
Now they had to make their way by narrow paths through jungles, now to
wade through marshes.
Jack, helped by Brown and Tom, got on better than might have been
expected. Rayner intended to halt for a short time at the first
convenient spot they could reach.
He had for some distance observed no signs of cultivation, when he found
that they were passing close to a plantation. Then there appeared a
house on one side, then another and another. Barking dogs came rushing
out, and they had some difficulty in keeping them at bay. The brutes
followed them, however, joined by others. A voice from a gateway
shouted, "Who goes there?"
"Friends!" answered Rayner.
"Advance, friends, and show yourselves, and give the countersign," said
a sentry, at the same time calling out the guard.
To run would have been useless, besides which it is not a movement
British officers and seamen are wont to make, except after an enemy.
Rayner therefore determined to put a bold face upon the matter, advanced
with his companions, and the next instant they found themselves
surrounded by a body of French soldiers, whose looks, as they held up a
couple of lanterns, were anything but satisfactory.