The Perils and Adventures of Harry Skipwith by Land and Sea

by William Henry Giles Kingston

  CHAPTER TWO.

  MOSQUITOES--A RUNAWAY SLAVE--I AM WOUNDED--THE STRUGGLE, AND READY ANDPETER COME TO THE RESCUE--PEACE NEGOTIATONS--TREATY OF ALLIANCE,DEFENSIVE AND OFFENSIVE--THE CANOE VOYAGE--MARCUS'S STORY.

  We sat up in the tree, wishing that the alligator would betake himselfto the waters of the Mississippi; but he seemed resolved to make hissupper off one of us, and in this neither of us was willing to indulgehim. Peter made no remarks, but Ready, every now and then, gave a growlof disapprobation; indeed, I believe, had I allowed him, he would havejumped down and done battle with the monster. I did not suppose thatthe cayman would catch him; but I knew that he could not by anypossibility hurt the cayman, so I kept him safe up on the branch besideme. The mosquitoes continued as active as ever, and as Peter and I hadonly each of us a hand at liberty, we could but partially defendourselves from their attacks. Hour after hour passed by.

  "I wonder whether it will ever be morning!" observed the poor lad,giving himself, for the thousandth time, a slap on the cheek.

  "We are not the first people who have wished for the return of day, myboy," said I. "But hark--"

  There was a slight sound as of an oar dipped in the water. Itapproached the island. It ceased, and I felt sure that the person orpersons in the boat had landed. I listened. I could hear the sound ofa canoe or boat being hauled up, and soon a light bursting forth showedme that a fire had been kindled, for the purpose probably of cooking.The alligator heard the sounds also, I suspect; for finding that we werenot likely to come down to satisfy his appetite, he wheeled round andbegan to crawl back to the other spot whence the sounds proceeded. Isuspected that he had not seen the fire, which, from our higher positionwe had observed, and I knew that he was not likely to approach it. Ishould otherwise have shouted out to warn whoever might be there of theapproach of the monster. As soon as the brute had moved off, Peter,Ready, and I jumped down to the ground and advanced towards the spotwhere we had seen the fire. It had now burnt up brightly, and betweenus and it I observed the huge form of the alligator crawling on. Hemust have suddenly become aware of the fire, for I saw him, much to mysatisfaction, scramble off as fast as he could on one side, and thesound of a heavy plunge assured me that he had once more taken to thewater. Peter and Ready followed at my heels. I slowly advanced, and ina short time I saw a man sitting down on his hams before the fire, atwhich he was cooking a fish. He was a negro, a big athletic-lookingfellow, with a bare woolly head, and naked to the waist, round which hewore a belt, and in it were stuck a brace of pistols and a longbowie-knife. The noise of the river rushing by and the crackling of theburning sticks had prevented him from hearing our approach. He turnedhis head--the glance of the fire fell on us. In a moment he was on hisfeet, and, drawing a pistol from his belt, he levelled it at my head.

  "I am a friend," I shouted out as rapidly as I could, but the black hadnot time to change the impulse given to his finger. There was a flash,a report, and a sharp stinging sensation in my neck told me that thebullet had taken effect. To save my life I sprang forward, and throwingmyself with all my might on the stranger, I grasped his arm as he wasdrawing a second pistol, and bearing him down we both rolled overtogether to the ground and very nearly into the water. He was as strongas I was, and being naked I had great difficulty in holding his arms andpreventing him from drawing his knife, which he made strenuous effortsto do, while at the same time he was evidently endeavouring to roll offthe bank into the river, and to drag me with him. I could not helpthinking of my friend, the cayman, who would probably have most largelybenefited by the success of his attempt. When people go to fisty-cuffs,there are seldom wanting alligators to profit by their quarrels. Had Ibeen alone, strong and active as I was, I scarcely know what would havebeen the result; but I had two trusty friends at hand. We had not beenstruggling many moments, when Ready, having laid his plans for thecampaign, flew at the negro's legs, one of which he gripped so firmlythat the poor fellow roared out with pain; while Peter, after hesitatingan instant, caught him by his woolly head and tugged away manfully in anopposite direction. In our struggles we all rolled into the fire--black, boy, dog, and I; and had not our clothes been still somewhatdamp, we should have been quickly in flames, and, had the alligator comeback, all ready cooked for his supper. As it was, we kicked about theburning ashes, tossing them into the air, when they came down in showersupon us, till, what with the singeing he was undergoing, the biting ofthe dog, and the pulling of his hair, the negro cried out lustily formercy.

  "Well, I have no wish to hurt you," said I, still holding down his arms."Don't attempt again to shoot me, and I will very gladly be yourfriend. Off, Ready! let go dog! Don't pull the man's hair any more,boy."

  Peter and the dog obeyed me, and the man, getting up and shakinghimself, began to scrape the ashes together, and then, looking for hisfish, stuck it on a stick to roast as if nothing particular hadoccurred.

  "You are a cool hand, my friend," said I, sitting down opposite to him."You might have killed me just now."

  "Of course; I took you for an enemy," he answered.

  "What enemies have you to fear?" I asked.

  "Slave-hunters," he answered, grinding his teeth and uttering a fearfuloath.

  "But how do you know that we are not searching for a runaway slave?" Iasked.

  "Because you are an Englishman," he replied.

  "Why do you fancy that?" said I.

  "From the way you spoke to your boy and dog," he observed with a fiercelaugh. "There would have been a kick and a curse had you belonged tothis country; but, though you gripped me hard, and well-nigh squeezedthe breath out of me, I know you to be a man, and I trust you."

  "I am obliged to you for your confidence, and I will not betray it;though, as it may be better, I will ask no questions."

  "That's wise; but I must ask you one," said the negro. "How came youhere?"

  I told him. He was silent for some time, turning his fish on the spit,while my companions, imitating my example, seated themselves beside me.Peter sat gaping with mute astonishment, Ready's lips and eye showedthat he still looked on the big negro rather as an enemy than a friend.The excitement had hitherto prevented me from feeling the wound in myneck. The pain and a sensation of blood flowing down my shoulderreminded me of it, and I was about to call Peter to my aid, when thenegro looked up and said--

  "Stranger, you believe that all men have sprung from the same parents?"

  "Certainly, my friend," I replied. "I have not the slightest doubtabout the matter."

  "Then, do you think that one portion has the right to keep another inbondage, to spit upon them, to beat and abuse them, and to treat them asbrute beasts without souls?"

  He ground his teeth as he continued speaking. I saw that he was workinghimself up into a fury, so I interrupted him:

  "Assuredly not, my friend," I said. "No man has a right to keep anotherin slavery; but slavery is a fact, and facts are stubborn things, not tobe got rid of."

  "I don't quite understand you, stranger," he replied. "But, from whatyou say, I believe that you would help a slave to escape from his bonds,if you had the opportunity?"

  This was a most disagreeable question. I had resolved, when I enteredthe slave states, not to interfere in the slightest way with the subjectof slavery, and now I was asked to commit the most atrocious crimeagainst the white community of which I could possibly be guilty.

  "Do you ask me to help you?" said I.

  "I do," was the answer.

  "What claim have you on me?" I demanded.

  "That of one man on another," said the negro, rising unconsciously, andstretching out his hand over the fire. "That of one immortal soul onits fellow, who must both stand, some day, before the judgment-seat ofHeaven, to be judged of the deeds done in the flesh. If you have thefeelings of a true man, the conscience of a living soul, you dare notrefuse my appeal."

  "I will not," I exclaimed, rising also and taking the negro's hand. "Iwill aid you at every
risk, to the best of my power."

  "Stranger," said the black, wringing my hand, while his voice trembledwith emotion, "your words may prevent me from doing many a fierce deed,which I otherwise should have committed; from turning my hand againstevery man's; from believing that every man with a white skin is a demonin human shape."

  He came round to me, and sat himself down by my side.

  "But you are hurt," he observed, in a tone of concern, "and I, in myfear, did it. You have a handkerchief. It is only a flesh wound; Iwill bind it up. I wish I could do more."

  Ready growled when he saw my late antagonist touching me, but proceededno further in his hostilities. Peter brought some water in a pannikin,which the negro had with him, and my wound, being bathed freely, wasbound up: and we sat down to discuss the fish, and another brought fromthe canoe, of which the negro insisted that we should partake, Readycoming in for the heads and bones. No one would have supposed that weand our entertainer had just before been engaged in a deadly struggle.I observed that the black man yawned and appeared very weary.

  "I should like to sleep for a short time," he said. "You took somethingaway from my strength. I have had also a long row, and have a longerbefore me. I know not when the chase after me may begin; but I do knowthat the blood-hounds will not give it up till they run me to earth, ortill they are sure I have escaped them."

  "I will gladly watch over you while you sleep," said I. "How long doyou wish to rest?"

  "Half-an-hour will be enough. That tussle with you wearied me more thanall my previous exertions. Just keep the fire alight, or we may havemore snakes and alligators visiting us than would be pleasant."

  I promised to follow his wishes, and having reloaded the pistol he hadfired at me, stretching himself on the ground, in an instant he showedme by his heavy breathing that he was fast asleep. What surprised memost about the man was the way in which he spoke. The remarks he madecaused me to suspect that he possessed a higher amount of education thanI should have expected to find in a negro. I felt gratified, too, atthe perfect confidence he placed in me. He was, at all events,evidently a man far above the common order, and I hoped to learn moreabout him before we separated. I employed Peter in collectingdrift-wood, of which there was a plentiful supply on the island. Thefire kept the mosquitoes off, and from the quiet I thus obtained I hadthe greatest difficulty in not going to sleep. The moment Peter satdown he fell off, and even Ready shut his eyes, though, if I moved inthe slightest degree, he was awake again in an instant. I knew that Icould depend on him for giving me timely notice of the approach of anenemy of any description; but still I did my utmost to keep my sensesalive. By degrees, however, I began to see all sorts of curious shapesin the fire, and to hear strange noises; and wild unearthly shrieksstruck on my ear, and snakes seemed to be crawling in and out among theembers, and then I suddenly found myself at the dear old hall, my home,with my feet on the parlour fender, while Bunbry's voice informed methat tea was in the drawing-room. I started up, and saw the negrowatching me across the expiring embers of the fire.

  "Pardon me, friend," said I. "Most unintentionally I went to sleep."

  "I could not expect aught else," he answered, in a tone which made mefeel rather ashamed of myself. "It is time for me to be moving. Whatdo you wish to do?"

  "To get away from this island. We shall be starved if we remain here,"was my answer.

  "I will take you," said the negro. "Step into the canoe--quick--all ofyou. Stay! I will put out the fire. It might betray me, should I bepursued."

  He threw some water on the ashes, and scattered them about.

  The canoe was what is called a "dug-out"--a hollowed trunk of a treefashioned into a boat shape. Though narrow and light, it was long, andcapable of carrying three or four people. Peter and I stepped in,followed by Ready. The negro, taking his seat in the centre, turned tome and asked if I could row. I told him that I could.

  "Then I will thank you to take one of the paddles and help me. I have along voyage before me. We will go up the stream."

  We paddled rapidly along. The negro steered, keeping out of thestrength of the current. He seemed to know the river well. I wascurious to ascertain something about the man. That he was a commonplantation negro I did not think possible.

  "You have travelled, friend?" I observed.

  "I have. I have visited your country. I have trod a free soil. I haveread much. I know the rights of man, and I resolved no longer to be aslave," he answered, with a rapid utterance. "I remembered, too, thedays of my childhood, when I roamed free in my native woods on theshores of Africa, the son of a powerful chief. Indistinctly at first,but afterwards clearly as I dwelt upon them, those times came back uponme, and I could bear my chains and degradation no longer. You aresurprised at my telling you that I have read much. In my youth Iaccompanied my master to England. He was a kind man. He allowed me tobe instructed in reading. I learned rapidly. My master, on leavingEngland, persuaded me to accompany him, promising legally to manumit meon our arrival in the States. In England I had become a free man. Ihad almost forgotten what slavery was. My master died on the voyage. Iapprehended no danger, though, for prudence sake, I contemplatedreturning to England; but scarcely had I set foot on shore, than I wasseized by the captain of the ship which brought me, and claimed as aslave. I was carried off to my master's heir. He has taken care tomake me feel what slavery is. I will not tell you what I have borne--how my purest and best feelings have been outraged--how one I loved wastorn from me--how--But to go on would unman me; and I have need of allmy coolness and self-possession. About four miles from this there is avillage. I will land you there, and we must part. I shall not tell youwhat course I intend to pursue: it may be better for you not to know."

  I agreed with him in this, but at the same time I had become sointerested in the fate of the poor fellow, that I was willing to run anyrisk to assist him. I told him so. He thanked me, but said that hewould not allow me.

  "And by what name shall I remember you?" I asked.

  "I have been called Marcus--Marcus the slave. I do not boast of anyother," he answered bitterly. "Dogs and negroes have seldom more thanone name."

  "Marcus, I shall never forget you. I hope we may meet again," said I."Our first introduction was somewhat unpleasant, but we part asfriends." He leaned forward, and grasped my hand.

  "Hark!" he whispered, suddenly. "There is the sound of paddles in thewater." His quick ear had detected the sound before I had done so. Icould hear nothing. "I am certain of it," he exclaimed, with a groan.He was right.

  "Here, take my paddle, and let the boy use yours; it is my only chanceshould my pursuers be at hand. I will lay down at the bottom of thecanoe. Now, round with her; and pull down the stream to meet them. Thebest way to escape danger is boldly to face it. I may be supposed to bea wounded or a dead man." The change of places was quickly effected,and turning round the canoe, Peter and I paddled down the stream, withReady standing in the bows, looking out ahead. I could now hear thesound of paddles in the water. Already the first streaks of dawn hadappeared in the eastern sky. Our only chance of escape was to pass thestrangers before the light should show them the canoe, or, should theydiscover us, before they could see that there was any one in her besidesPeter, Ready, and me. We paddled on steadily. The men in theapproaching canoe were talking, and, from the words which reached myears, I could have little doubt that they were in search of the fugitiveslave.