"Hallo! Jack, what's that? See, through the reeds; it creeps slowly.
Oh; horror! it comes towards us!"
Jack looked at it sleepily. "It's an alligator," said he. "If it
approaches too close, just wake me; but, pray, don't keep howling at
every thing that comes to peep at us."
Just at that moment, the hideous reptile drew near, and, opening its
jaws, let them come together with a snap! Even Jack was not proof
against this. He started up, and looked about for a defensive weapon.
We had nothing but our clasp-knives. The alligator wallowed towards us.
"Oh for an axe!" gasped Jack.
The brute was within a few yards of us now. I was transfixed with
horror. Suddenly an idea occurred to me.
"Your leg, Jack, your leg!"
He understood me. One sweep of his clasp-knife cut all the fastenings--
the next moment he grasped the toe in both hands, and, swaying the heavy
butt of the limb in the air, brought it down with all his force on the
skull of the alligator. It rang like the sound of a blow on an empty
cask. Again the limb was swayed aloft, and descended with extraordinary
violence on the extreme point of the alligator's snout. There was a
loud crash, as if of small bones being driven in. The animal paused,
put its head on one side, and turning slowly round waddled away into the
noisome recesses of its native swamp.
Scarcely had we recovered from the effects of this, when we heard in the
distance shouts and yells and the barking of dogs. Crouching in our
nest we listened intently. The sounds approached, but while those who
made them were yet at some distance we were startled by the sudden
approach of a dark object, running at full speed. It seemed like a man,
or rather a huge ape, for it was black, and as it came tearing towards
us, running on its hind-legs, we could see its eyes glaring in the
moonlight, and could hear its labouring breath. It was evidently hard
pressed by its pursuers, for it did not see what lay before it, and had
well-nigh run over our couch ere it observed Jack standing on one leg,
with the other limb raised in a threatening attitude above his head. It
was too late to turn to avoid the blow.
Uttering a terrible cry the creature fell on its knees, and, trembling
violently, cried--
"Oh, massa! oh, massa, spare me! Me no runaway agin. Mercy, massa!
mercy!"
"Silence, you noisy villain," cried Jack, seizing the negro by the hair
of the head.
"Yis, massa," gasped the man, while his teeth chattered and the whites
of his eyes rolled fearfully.
"What are you? Where d'ye come from? Who's after ye?"
To these abrupt questions, the poor negro replied as briefly, that he
was a runaway slave, and that his master and bloodhounds were after him.
We had guessed as much, and the deep baying of the hounds convinced us
of the truth of his statement.
"Quick," cried Jack, dragging the black to the edge of our log, "get
under there; lie flat; keep still;" so saying he thrust the negro under
the branches that formed our couch. We covered him well up and then sat
down on him. Before we had well finished our task the foremost of the
bloodhounds came bounding towards us, with its eyeballs glaring and its
white fangs glittering in the dim light like glow-worms in a blood-red
cavern. It made straight for the spot where the negro was concealed,
and would have seized him in another instant, had not Jack, with one
blow of his leg, beat in its skull.
"Shove him out of sight, Bob."
I seized the dead hound and obeyed, while my comrade prepared to receive
the second dog. But that animal seemed more timid. It swerved as the
blow was delivered, received on its haunches, and fled away howling in
another direction.
Jack at once laid down his leg and sat down on the negro, motioning me
to do the same. Then pulling an old tobacco-pipe out of his pocket, he
affected to be calmly employed in filling it when the pursuers came up.
There were two of them, in straw hats and nankeen pantaloons, armed with
cudgels, and a more ruffianly pair of villains I never saw before or
since.
"Hallo! strangers," cried one, as they halted for a few moments on
observing us. "Queer place to camp. Fond o' water and dirt, I guess?"
"You seem fond o' dirt and not o' water, to judge from your faces,"
replied Jack, calmly, attempting to light his pipe, which was rather a
difficult operation, seeing that it was empty and he had no fire. "Ah!
my light's out. Could you lend us a match, friend?"
"No, we can't. No time. Hain't got none. Did you see a nigger pass
this way?"
"Ha! you're after him, are you?" cried Jack, indignantly. "Do you
suppose I'd tell you if I did? Go and find him for yourselves."
The two men frowned fiercely at this, and appeared about to attack us.
But they changed their minds, and said, "Mayhap you'll tell us if ye saw
two hounds, then?"
"Yes, I did."
"Which way did they pass?"
"They haven't passed yet," replied Jack, with deep sarcasm, at the same
time quietly lifting his leg, and swaying it gently to and fro; "whether
they'll pass without a licking remains to be seen."
"Look 'ee, lads, we'll pay you for this," shouted the men as they turned
away. "We've not time to waste now, _but we'll come back_."