"ALONG O' THAT THERE NIGGER?"
But Shanter, though he slept so soundly, was ready to start up if any
one even whispered, and also ready to lie down and sleep again the
moment he found that all was well; and at the first grey dawning of day,
when the great trees began to appear in weird fashion from out of the
darkness, and the tops of the mountains to show jagged against the sky,
he sprang up from where he had slept close to the warm ashes, yawned,
gave himself a rub as if he were cold, and then shook out his arms and
legs, and picked up his weapons.
"Mine go along, see myall black fellow. Little Marmi come."
This was to Norman, who turned to the captain.
"Yes; go, and be very careful. Recollect it will be broad daylight
directly."
Norman gave a sharp nod, and caught his brother and cousin's eyes fixed
upon him enviously.
The captain noticed it.
"Wait," he said; "your turns will come, boys.--Now, Norman, scout
carefully, and put us out of our misery at once. If the blacks are
coming this way, hold up your gun as high as you can reach. If they are
going in another direction, hold it with both hands horizontally above
your head."
Norman nodded and ran after Shanter, who was already on his way, and
together they reached the precipice, and climbed the face to creep down
at once among the bushes, from which place of vantage they could see
right into the blacks' camp, where a party of nineteen were squatted
round the fire eating some kind of root which they were roasting on the
embers.
This went on for some time, while, knowing the anxiety at their own
camp, Norman crouched there watching them, till Shanter whispered
softly, "All go along. Mine glad."
He was right, for suddenly one man sprang up and took his spear, the
others followed his example; and they stood talking together just as the
rising sun peered over the horizon and turned their glistening black
bodies into dark bronze.
Then followed a good deal of talking and pointing, as if some were for
climbing over the ridge, and at first the others seemed disposed to
follow them; but another disposition came over the party, and,
shouldering their spears, they went off toward the mountains, one
portion of which formed a saddle, from which at either end two lines of
eminences of nearly equal height went right away as if there was a deep
valley between.
"Baal black fellow now. Come all along, Shanter want big damper."
They waited a few minutes longer, till the party had disappeared in what
looked to be the bed of a dry stream, leading up into the mountains; and
then, with a feeling of elation in his breast, Norman hurried to a
prominent part of the edge of the steep escarpment, and stood holding
his gun up on high with both hands, horizontally, as agreed upon, till,
with a fierce look, Shanter ran to him and dragged it down, giving a
sharp look toward the place where the blacks had disappeared.
"Little Marmi want myall black fellow come along?"
"Baal black fellow now," said Norman; and Shanter's fierce countenance
became mirthful.
"Baal black fellow now!" he cried, with a hoarse chuckle. "Baal black
fellow now. You pidney?"
"Yes, I pidney--I understand," cried Norman, laughing.
"Come all along. Shanter want big damper. Break-fuss," he added with a
grin.
They soon lowered themselves down the wall of rock, and ran to the camp,
where the captain had just arranged that soon after breakfast Rifle and
Tim were to take it in turns to mount to the highest point of the ridge
to keep watch, while the rest worked at preparations for their defence
and that of the cattle.
In the relief they all felt for their escape, a hearty meal was made,
the watcher was sent out to perch himself where he could look out
unseen, and the day's work began.
The cattle were first counted, and found to be none the worse for their
journey, and grazing contentedly on the rich feed. Just below them was
an ample supply of water, and altogether, as they showed no disposition
to stray, they could be left.
Weapons were then placed ready for use at a moment's notice, and all
hands set to work to unpack the wagons, the cases being ranged outside,
barrels rolled to the corners and built up, and all being arranged under
the shadow of a great tree, whose boughs would do something toward
keeping off rain. This by degrees began to assume the character of a
little wooden fort, and lastly, over the tops of the wagons, a ridge
pole was fixed formed of a small tree which fell to Uncle Jack's axe,
and across this three wagon cloths were stretched, forming a fairly
waterproof roof to protect goods that would spoil, and also promising to
be strong enough to check a spear which might reach it through the
branches of the trees.
As evening came on, this stronghold was a long way from being finished,
but it promised some security if it were found necessary to take to it
for shelter, and it was decided that the women should occupy it, and for
the present give up the tent to the men.
Every one was highly satisfied with the day's work, and, as Rifle said,
they could all now devote themselves so much more easily to other
things--this when he had been relieved in his guard by Tim, who had
stalked off to his post looking, with his shouldered piece, as important
as a grenadier, and no doubt feeling his responsibility far more.
But matters had not gone on without a hitch, or to be correct, several
hitches, consequent upon the behaviour of Shanter, who in every way
showed that it was his intention to stay.
The beginning of it was a complaint made by German, who went up to Tim
and touched his hat.
"Beg pardon, Master 'Temus, sir, but along o' that there nigger."
"What about him?"
"I asked him as civilly as a man could speak, to come and help me unload
the big wagon, and he shouldered his clothes-prop thing and marched off.
Aren't he expected to do something for his wittles?"
"Of course, Sam. Here, I'll go and set him to work."
Tim walked away to where the black was busy carrying wood to replenish
the fire.
"Here, Shanter," he said; "come and help me to carry some boxes."
"Baal help boxes. Plenty mine come along wood."
"There's enough wood now."
"What metancoly wood," (much, a large number). "Baal come along boxes."
"But you must come," cried Tim.
Shanter seemed to think that he must not, and he took no more notice,
but marched away, fetched another big armful of wood, and then took the
big kettle to fill at the spring.
"I say, uncle," cried Tim, "here's insubordination in the camp."
"What's the matter?" said Uncle Jack, who was chaining up the wheels of
one of the wagons to insure its not being dragged away.
"The black will not work."
"Send him to me."
Tim ran back to Shanter.
"Here," he cried; "Uncle Jack wants you."
"Baal come along Uncle Jack," said the black sharply. "Uncle Jack come
along Shanter."
"But I say: that won't do," cried Tim. "You must mind what's said to
you."
"Shanter going get grub. You come along mine."
"No; I'm going to work, and you have to help."
Shanter got up and walked straight away in the other direction, and Tim
went and told his uncle.
"Lazy scoundrel!" cried Uncle Jack. "Well, if he doesn't work he can't
be fed."
"Shall I go and tell the captain?"
"No; he has plenty of worries on his mind. Let's do without the sable
rascal. We never counted upon having his help."
So the work went on without the black, and the captain did not miss him;
while the ladies, finding a plentiful supply of wood and water, were
loud in Shanter's praises.
Just before dark he walked back into camp with a bark bag hanging from
his spear, and a pleasant grin upon his face.
"Baal black fellow," he cried.
"There now," said Aunt Georgie, who was busy preparing the evening meal,
helped by Mrs Bedford; "there it is again. I was doubtful before."
"Baal black fellow," said Shanter once more.
"Yes, there. You see how it is, Marian; these people must be
descendants of the old Philistines, all degenerate and turned black."
"Nonsense!" said Uncle Jack, and he looked very sternly at the black.
"But it is not nonsense, John," said the old lady. "Surely you don't
mean to say that I do not know what I'm talking about. That dreadful
man is a descendant of the old Philistines. You heard him say as
plainly as could be something about Baal."
Norman burst into a roar of laughter.
"Norman, my dear, how can you be such a rude child?" cried the old lady
reprovingly.
"Why, aunt, baal means none, or not any."
"Nonsense, my dear!"
"But it does, aunt. Baal black fellow means that there are none about."
"Baal black fellow," cried Shanter, nodding. "Mine not see plenty--all
gone."
"There, aunt."
"Oh dear me! what a dreadful jargon. Come here, sir, and I'll give you
some damper."
Aunt Georgie seated herself, took one of the great cakes she had made,
and broke it in half, holding it out to the black.
"He doesn't deserve it," said Uncle Jack, sternly.
"Big white Mary gib damper," cried the black excitedly, taking the cake
and sticking it in his waistband, while he slipped his spear out of the
handles of his bag. "Shanter find white grub. Plenty all 'long big
white Mary."
As he spoke, he emptied the contents of his bag suddenly in the old
lady's lap, laughed at the shriek she gave, and walked off to devour his
cake, while Norman and Rifle collected the curious white larvae in a tin
to set them aside for a private feast of their own, no one caring to
venture upon a couple that were roasted over the embers.
Just then the captain was summoned to the evening meal, and after a
glance round, he called to Shanter:
"Here, boy," he said, as the black came up grinning, and with his mouth
full; "go up and look black fellow.--That's the best way I can think of
telling him to relieve Tim," he said.
The black nodded, shouldered his spear, and marched off.
"He obeys you," said Uncle Jack, who had looked on curiously.
"Of course. So he does you."
Uncle Jack shook his head.
"No," he said. Then the incidents of the day were related, and the
captain looked thoughtful.
In due time Tim came down from his perch, and took his place where the
evening meal was discussed in peace, but not without an occasional
glance round, and a feeling of dread that at any moment there might be
an alarm; for they felt that after all they were interlopers in an
enemy's country, and on their voyage out they had heard more than one
account of troubles with the blacks, stories of bloodshed and massacre,
which they had then been ready to laugh at as travellers' tales, but
which now impressed them very differently, and filled them with an
undefined sensation of terror, such as made all start at every shadow or
sound.