ACROSS THE CANEFIELDS.
"Look, Mark!" ejaculated Alano.
"A snake!" I yelled. "Drop! drop!"
I had already dropped to the limb upon which I had been sitting. Now,
swinging myself by the hands, I let go and descended to the ground, a
distance of twelve or fifteen feet.
In less than a second my Cuban chum came tumbling after me. The fall
was no mean one, and had the grass under the tree been less deep we
might have suffered a sprained ankle or other injury. As it was, we
both fell upon our hands and knees.
Gazing up at the limb we had left, we saw the serpent glaring down at
us, its angry eyes shining like twin diamonds. How evil its intention
had been we could but surmise. It was possible it had intended to
attack us both. It slid from the upper limb to the lower, and stretched
out its long, curling neck, while it emitted a hiss that chilled my
blood.
"It's coming down! Run!" I began; when bang! went Alano's pistol, and I
saw the serpent give a quiver, and coil and uncoil itself around the
limb. The bullet had entered its neck, but it was not fatally wounded;
and now it came for us, landing in the grass not a dozen feet from
where we stood.
Luckily, while traveling along the hills, we had provided ourselves
with stout sticks to aid us in climbing. These lay near, and, picking
one up, I stood on the defensive, certain the reptile would not dare to
show much fight. But it did, and darted for me with its dull-colored
head raised a few inches out of the grass.
With all of the strength at my command I swung the stick around the
instant it came within reach. It tried to dodge, but failed; and,
struck in the neck, turned over and over as though more than half
stunned.
By this time Alano had secured the second stick, and now he rushed in
and belabored the serpent over the head and body until it was nearly
beaten into a jelly. I turned sick at the sight, and was glad enough
when it was all over and the reptile was dead beyond all question.
"That was a narrow escape!" I panted. "Alano, don't you advise me to
rest in a tree again. I would rather run the risk of fever ten times
over."
"Serpents are just as bad in the grass," he replied simply. "Supposing
he had come up when you were flat on your back!"
"Let us get away from here--there may be more. And throw away that
stick--it may have poison on it."
"That serpent was not poisonous, Mark. But I will throw it away,--it is
so covered with blood,--and we can easily cut new ones."
The excitement had made me forget the heat, and we went on for over a
mile. Then, coming to a mountain stream, we sat down to take it easy
until the sun had passed the zenith and it was a trifle cooler.
About four o'clock in the afternoon, or evening, as they call it in
Cuba, we reached the end of the woods and came to the edge of an
immense sugar-cane field. The cane waved high over our heads, so that
what buildings might be beyond were cut off from view. There was a
rough cart-road through the field, and after some hesitation we took to
this, it being the only road in sight.
We had traveled on a distance of half a mile when we reached a series
of storehouses, each silent and deserted. Beyond was a house, probably
belonging to the overseer of the plantation, and this was likewise
without occupant, the windows and doors shut tightly and bolted.
"All off to the war, I suppose," I said. "And I had half an idea we
might get a chance to sleep in a bed to-night."
"We might take possession," Alano suggested.
But to this proposition I shook my head. "We might be caught and shot
as intruders. Come on. Perhaps the house of the owner is further on."
Stopping for a drink at an old-fashioned well, we went on through the
sugar cane until we reached a small stream, beyond which was a boggy
spot several acres in extent.
"We'll have to go around, Alano," I said. "Which way will be best?"
"The ground appears to rise to our left," he answered. "We'll try in
that direction."
Pushing directly through the cane, I soon discovered, was no mean work.
It was often well-nigh impossible to break aside the stout stalks, and
the stubble underfoot was more than trying to the feet. We went on a
distance of a hundred yards, and then on again to the stream, only to
find the same bog beyond.
"We'll have to go further yet," said Alano. "Come, Mark, ere the sun
gets too low."
"Just a few minutes of rest," I pleaded, and pulled down the top of a
cane. The sweet juice was exceedingly refreshing, but it soon caused a
tremendous thirst, which I gladly slaked at the not over clear stream.
Another jog of quarter of an hour, and we managed to cross at a point
which looked like solid ground.
"How far do you suppose this field extends?" I asked.
"I have no idea; perhaps but a short distance, and then again it may be
a mile or more. Some of the plantations out here are very large."
"Do you think we can get back to the road? I can't go much further
through this stubble."
"I'll break the way, Mark. You follow me."
On we went in the direction we imagined the trail to be, but taking
care to avoid the bog. I was almost ready to drop from exhaustion, when
Alano halted.
"Mark!"
"What now, Alano?"
"Do you know where we are?"
"In a sugar-cane field," I said, trying to keep up my courage.
"Exactly, but we are lost in it."
I stared at him.
"Can one become lost in a sugar-cane field?" I queried.
"Yes, and badly lost, for there is nothing one can climb to take a view
of the surroundings. Even if you were to get upon my shoulders you
could see but little."
"I'll try it," I answered, and did so without delay, for the sun was
now sinking in the west.
But my chum had been right; try my best I could not look across the
waving cane-tops. We were hedged in on all sides, with only the setting
sun to mark our course.
"It's worse than being out on an open prairie," I remarked. "What shall
we do?"
"There is but one thing--push on," rejoined Alano gravely; "unless you
want to spend a night here."
Again we went on, but more slowly, for even my chum was now weary. The
wet ground passed, we struck another reach of upland, and this gave
us hope, for we knew the sugar cane would not grow up the hills. But
the rise soon came to an end, and we found ourselves going down into
a worse hollow than that we had left. Ere we knew it, the water was
forming around our boots.
"We must go back!" I cried.
"I think it is drier a few yards beyond," said Alano. "Don't go back
yet."
The sun had set, so far as we were concerned, and it was dark at the
foot of the cane-stalks. We plowed on, getting deeper and deeper into
the bog or mire. It was a sticky paste, and I could hardly move one
foot after another. I called to Alano to halt, and I had scarcely done
so when he uttered an ejaculation of disgust.
"What is it?" I called.
"I can't move--I am stuck!"
I looked ahead and saw that he spoke the truth. He had sunk to the
tops of his boots, and every effort to extricate himself only made him
settle deeper.
I endeavored to gain his side and aid him, but it was useless. Ere I
was aware I was as deep and deeper than Alano, and there we stood,--and
stuck,--unable to help ourselves, with night closing rapidly in upon
us.