The man had his back turned to him. But at the sight of him, Raynor
gave such a start that he dropped his bucket. It fell on the rocks
with a loud clatter.
At the sound the man on the rocks turned suddenly. Then he uttered a
loud yell and leaped from the boulder. To Raynor’s amazement he
began running at top speed away from him.
“Hanged if he isn’t more scared of me than I am of him,” thought the
boy in astonishment. All his fear of the unknown man vanished now.
“Hey, there!” he shouted, “don’t run! Stop!”
“Wow-ow!” yelled the fleeing man, and ran faster than ever.
“I want to speak to you!” bawled Raynor, beginning to lose his
temper.
“He must be crazy,” he thought, “but I’ll catch him and find out
what is the matter with him if I have to chase him all over this
island.”
He picked up his bucket and set off after the man. It was hard work
over the rocks and uneven ground. But Raynor, who had won several
cups as a “miler” at school, soon saw that he was gaining on the
other. At length only a few feet separated them.
Suddenly the man gave a yell of piercing quality and tripped over a
stone. In a jiffy he was sprawling on the ground. Raynor grasped his
club more tightly and rushed upon him.
“What do you mean by running away from me like this?” he demanded,
“what’s the matter with you, anyhow.”
“Oh, oh, Mister Ghost, don’ hurt me. Ah didn’ mean no harm by coming
on you-all’s island. No, indeed, sah, I didn’. Ah des----”
“Pompey, by all that’s wonderful!” cried Raynor with a glad laugh.
“Get up, you idiot. I’m no ghost.”
Pompey, for it was the black cook of the _Polly Ann_, sat up with
his eyes as big as saucers.
“Gollyumption, if it ain’t Massa Raynor.”
“Yes, and a fine chase you led me. What was the matter with you?”
“Ah done thought Noddy an’ mahself was alone on dis island. Den ah
see yo coming an’ ah thought it was a ghostess. Ah done heard the
rattle of chains jes’ as plain!”
“Those weren’t chains. That was my bucket that I dropped. I guess I
was as scared as you for a minute because I, too, thought I was
alone. But tell me, is Noddy really here?”
“He sholly is.”
“How did you come ashore?”
“In one ob de dories. Dey done didn’ leave us nuffin’ else. I was
awakened in de night by de awfullest shoutin’ an’ yellin’. Dey say
de ship sinkin’--de ice done punched hole in her. But de boats was
crowded an’ dey wouldn’ let me or Noddy on board. We got lef’ behin’
an’ Noddy, he calkerlate that bin as you slep’ in de cabin yo’ mus’
hab been one of the fustest in de boats.”
“I guess I slept too soundly,” rejoined Raynor, “but where are you
camped?”
“Right ober de top ob dat l’il hill yander. We fin’ a hut dere built
by some sealer, an it’s right handy to de spring, too.”
“Come on, we’ll go right over there. By the way, Pompey, have you
roamed around the island much?”
“Why yais, dis mawning early I was ober to de udder side. Ah go to
look at de _Polly Ann_ cos it wuz dark when we leabed her.”
“Then it was the track of your foot I saw on the shore,” laughed
Raynor, much relieved, and he explained to the mystified Pompey the
“Robinson Crusoe” incident.
As they neared the hut, Noddy came running to meet them. As he saw
who was with Pompey, he broke into an exultant yell.
“Whoopee! Gee, ain’t I glad! Bill, old socks, I thought you wus off
in de boats wid Terror an’ dat crew. Come on in an’ tell us all
about it.”
Raynor found a cheery fire burning in an old iron stove inside the
hut, which was lighted by a ship’s lantern Pompey had had the
foresight to bring from the schooner. It looked quite cozy. Pompey
soon cooked a good supper and made boiling hot tea, to which they
all did ample justice.
Then they all had to tell their stories over again, both the boys
and Pompey, too, shouting with laughter over the wild chase the
frightened colored man had led Raynor across the island.
“Some day you’ll see a real blown-in-the-panel ghost,” chuckled
Noddy, “and then you’ll jes’ naturally lie down and die of scare.”
“Ah seen ghostesses, real ones afore now,” affirmed Pompey with
dignity, “ah see two ob dem on board dat _Polly Ann_. Right den ah
knowed dat dat l’il schooner wuz goin’ ter git busted. Yassah.”
It was agreed that in the morning they should all go to Raynor’s
camp by boat, and bring his provisions and so forth, round to Camp
Hope, as they decided to christen the hut. After the exertions of
the day, they were disinclined to sit up late, and having made up a
roaring fire, they turned into their blankets, of which Pompey had
brought a big supply, and were soon asleep.
It must have been after midnight that the boys were awakened by an
appalling yell from Pompey.
“Help! Murder! Help!” shrieked the negro.
“What’s the matter?” shouted the boys.
“Oh, the hants! The hants wid de fiery eyes,” bawled the colored
man, burying his head in his blankets and kicking up his heels in an
agony of alarm.