Nic Revel: A White Slave's Adventures in Alligator Land

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.

  NEVER SAY DIE.

  "What zay?" cried Pete sharply. "Never zay die, lad. English lads arenever beat. Look at that!"

  He pointed through the trees at where the streamlet widened into thelittle creek where they had first landed, and Nic rubbed his eyes,refusing to believe in what he saw.

  But there it was plain enough in the dim, grey dawn--the boat lying tiedup to the post; and a great sob rose to the poor fellow's lips, whilefor a few moments he could not stir.

  Then a thrill of excitement ran through him as he looked round and sawthat the dogs had passed out of sight beyond the long, low shed whichhad been their jail.

  It came like a flash to him now what must have taken place--one of thoseguesses at the truth which hit the mark. He knew that his enemies haddashed off in pursuit of the men who had made for the boat.

  They must have been overtaken during the night, brought back, and weredoubtless at that moment shut up in their old quarters.

  Nic hurriedly told Pete his impression, and the latter slapped his leg.

  "That's it," he said, "and zarve 'em right, zir. That's tumbling intothe hole you made for zomebody else, isn't it? That's why they've notblown the old shell yet and didn't put the boat back. Been out allnight."

  "Could we make sure by trying to see whether there is any one on guardat the barrack-door?"

  "Zoon do that, zir," said Pete; and, going down upon hands and knees, hecrawled away among the bushes, to be back in a few minutes.

  "Old Zamson and Zerk both there at the door, zir, with guns."

  "Then they have caught them," said Nic excitedly. "But the blacks areboth sitting down, fast asleep, zir."

  "Worn out with their night's work, Pete; but the prisoners will be wellironed and safe enough."

  "Ay, zir, or they'd have had the boat by now."

  "Now then, can we crawl to it under cover? We must be off at once."

  "Couldn't on'y crawl half-way, zir, and then it's all open, and we mightbe shot at if they zaw us from the house. Better make a dash for it atonce and chance it."

  "Come on, then," cried Nic; and they ran as quickly as they could downby the side of the creek, reached the boat in safety, found that thepoles and oars were in their places, and jumped in.

  There was no stopping to untie the rope which ran across the gunwale.Pete's knife flew out and sawed through it in a moment or two. Then onevigorous thrust sent the craft into the stream; but before they hadcleared the creek there was a shout, followed by the whiz of a bulletand the report of a musket.

  "All right; fire away. Shouldn't come back if you was a ridgment ofzojers," cried Pete, who was sending the boat along vigorously with thepole. "Lie down, Master Nic; they're going to shoot again."

  "And leave you there?" cried Nic. "No."

  Instead of screening himself by the boat's side, Nic seized two oars,got them over the rowlocks, and as soon as they were in the river hebegan to pull with all his might, watching the figure of Saunderslimping slowly down after them and stopping from time to time for ashot; Samson and Xerxes, wakened by the firing, hurrying up, handing hima fresh musket, and reloading each time.

  "Don't see nothing of the gaffer," said Pete coolly; "he must have beenhurt too, or he'd have been after us. There come the blacks. Hearthat?"

  Plainly enough, for the whistle was very shrill, and it was answered bythe dogs, which came tearing round the end of the shed to follow theoverseer.

  "Row faster than they can zwim," said Pete, laying down the pole."Here, give us one oar, Master Nic," he continued; and, taking his seat,the oar was handed to him, and, aided by the current, the boat began tomove more swiftly.

  "Why, there's the gaffer," cried Pete suddenly; and Nic saw that thesettler was coming down from the house by the help of a stick, while thedogs stood close by Saunders, barking loudly.

  "There must have been a desperate fight in the night, Pete," cried Nic."Look, there are two of the blacks with their heads tied up."

  "And jolly glad I am, Master Nic. I shouldn't have cried much if they'dall killed one another and left nothing but the bones. There, put thatgun away, stoopid; you can't hit us at this distance."

  The overseer seemed to have thought so too, for he lowered the musket,and Nic just caught sight of him striking savagely with it at the dogs,which began to bay and make rushes at him. But Nic saw no more, for abend in the river, with a clump of trees thereon, hid the plantationfrom their sight; while Pete began to sing an old West-country ditty,something about a clever moneyless adventurer who, no matter what taskhe undertook, always succeeded in getting the best of his adversaries.

  The words were absurd and often childish, but there was a ring in thefamiliar old melody that went straight to Nic's heart and brought astrange moisture to his eyes, for it thrilled him with hope, and broughtup memories of the far-away home that he began to feel now he might seeagain. And that feeling of hope drove away the horrible dread and themiserable sensation of weariness, sending vigour through every nerve,and making him bend to his oar to take a full grip of the water andswing back at the same moment as Pete, making the river ripple and plashbeneath the bows and driving the boat merrily along, just as if the twofugitives were moved by the same spirit.

  "Zome zaid a penny, but I zaid five poun'. The wager was laid, but the money not down. Zinging right fol de ree, fol de riddle lee While I am a-zinging I'd five poun' free,"

  chanted Pete in a fine, round, musical bass voice, and the trees on oneside echoed it back, while the ungreased rowlocks, as the oars swung toand fro, seemed to Nic's excited fancy to keep on saying, "Dev-on,Dev-on, Dev-on," in cheery reiteration.

  "Zinging right fol de ree!" cried Pete. "Zay, Master Nic, why don't youjoin in chorus? You know that old zong."

  "Ay, Pete, I know it," said Nic; "but my heart's too full for singing."

  "Nay, not it, lad. Do you good. That's why I began. Mine felt so fullthat it was ready to burst out, and if I hadn't begun to zing I shouldha' broken zomething. I zay, Master Nic, get out o' stroke and hit me agood whack or two with your oar and fisties, right in the back."

  "What for?"

  "To waken me up. I'm dreaming, I'm afraid, and I'd rather be roused upthan go on in a dream like this. It's zo hearty, you zee, and makes mefeel as if I could go on rowing for a month without getting tired."

  "So do I now, Pete."

  "Well, that's real, Master Nic. I dunno, though; p'raps it aren't, andI want it cut short. It would be horrid to wake up and find it allzleep-hatching; but the longer I go on the worse I shall be. It'sdreaming, aren't it, and we didn't get away?"

  "You know it is not a dream, Pete," replied Nic. "We have escaped--Imean, we have begun to escape."

  "Begun, lad? Why, we've half-done it," cried Pete, who was wild withexcitement. "Pull away, and let's zhow 'em what West-country musclescan do. Pull lad, pull, and keep me at it, or I zhall be getting up anddancing zailor's hornpipe all over the boat, and without music. Music!Who wants music? My heart's full of music and zinging of home again,and I don't know what's come to my eyes. Master Nic, all this river,and the trees, and fog rising on each zide through the trees, looks zobeautiful that I must be dreaming. Zay, lad, do tell me I ra-ally amawake."

  "Yes, Pete, awake--wide awake; and I am feeling just the same. Myheart's beating with hope as it never beat before."

  "Hooroar for Master Nic's heart!" cried the big fellow wildly. "Beataway, good old heart, for we're going to do it, and it'll be just aseasy as kissing your hand."

  "We mustn't be too sanguine."

  "Oh yes, we must, lad. I don't know what being zangwing is, but if it'sanything to do with fancying we shall get away, I zay let's be aszangwing as we can. None of your getting into the dumps and `shan't doit' now. We're free, my lad--free; and I should just like to have a cutat any one as zays we aren't. Zlaves, indeed! White zlaves! But Iknowed it couldn't last. You can't make a zlave of an Englishman,Mast
er Nic. You may call him one, and put irons on him, or shut him uplike zyder in a cask, and hammer the bung in; but zooner or later he'llzend the bung out flying, or burst the hoops and scatter the staves. Itwas only waiting our chance, and we've got it; and here we are rowingdown this here river in the boat, and they may hoe the old plantationthemselves. Zay, Master Nic."

  "Yes, Pete."

  "Don't it zeem strange what a differ a black skin makes in a man?"

  "What do you mean--in the colour?"

  "Nay-ay-ay-ay, lad! I mean 'bout being a zlave. Here's these niggersbrought here and made zlaves of, and they zettles down to it ashappy-go-lucky as can be. They don't zeem to mind. They eat and drinkall they can, and zleep as much as they can, and they do as little workas they can. Why, I zometimes did three times as much hoeing as one o'they in a day; and that aren't bragging."

  "No, Pete; they took it very easy."

  "I should just think they did, my lad; and then the way they'd laugh! Inever zee any one laugh as they could. I s'pose that's what makes theirmouths zo big and their teeth zo white. Gets 'em bleached by openingtheir mouths zo wide."

  "Look, Pete!" whispered Nic. "Wasn't that something moving on the rightbank?"

  "Yes; I zee it, Master Nic. Dunno what it was, but it waren't a man onthe watch. Zay; they aren't got another boat anywhere, have they?"

  "Oh no; I feel sure they have not," said Nic sharply.

  "Then we're all right. This water's running zwift, and we're making theboat move pretty fast. They can't zwim half as fast as we're going, andthey've no horses, and the dogs can't smell on the river, even if theymade a raft of the trees they've got cut down yonder."

  "It would take them a day, Pete."

  "Ay, it would, Master Nic; and going on as we're going, we shall be along way on at the end of a day."

  "Yes; we shall be some distance towards the mouth. I begin to think,Pete, that we shall really manage to escape."

  "Yes, we've done it this time, Master Nic; and we only want a veal-pie,a cold zalmon, a couple o' loaves, and a stone bottle o' zyder, to be'bout as happy as any one could be."

  "But do you think we can reach the mouth of the river without beingstopped?"

  "Don't zee who's to stop uz, zir," said Pete coolly. "What we've got todo is to row a steady stroke till we come to a place where we can getzome'at to eat; and then we'll row right out to zea, and get ourselvespicked up by the first ship we can board. But we zeem to want thatthere veal-pie, cold zalmon, two loaves, and the stone bottle."

  "Yes, we want provisions, Pete. Are you keeping a good, sharp lookout?"

  "I just am, Master Nic. I'm afraid it's taking zome of the bark offwhen I look among the trees. But we needn't; nobody can't overtake uzunless we tie the boat up to a tree on the bank and lie down to go tozleep."

  "And that we shall not even think of doing, Pete."

  "That's zo, Master Nic. But by-and-by, when the zun gets hot and you'rea bit tired, we'll get ashore zomewhere to break off a few good leafyboughs and make a bit of a shelter in the stern of the boat, zo as youcan lie down and have a zleep."

  "Or you, Pete."

  "When it's my turn, Master Nic. We'll take watch and watch, as thezailors call it, zo as to keep the boat going till we get aboard a ship.I zay, how far do you make it to the landing-place where we come aboardthe boat?"

  "I can't say, Pete," replied Nic. "I was in such a confused state thatI have lost all count."

  "And I aren't much better, zir. You zee, we landed and slept on theroad, and that took up time; but I've allowed us three days and nightsas being plenty to get down to the zea; and that means tying up to thebank when the river's again' uz--I mean, when we come to where the tideruns, for we should knock ourzelves up trying to pull this heavy,lumbering old boat against the stream."

  Nic nodded, as he kept on looking anxiously astern; but he said nothing,and they rowed steadily on.

  "Zay, Master Nic," said Pete suddenly.

  "Yes."

  "Getting hot, aren't it?"

  "Terribly."

  "Well, I can't zay that, zir, because the zun aren't shining now on azlave's back; it's on a free man's, and that makes all the differ. Butwhat are you thinking about?"

  "The possibility of seeing another boat coming round the bend of theriver."

  "It's unpossible, zir. The gaffer hadn't got no other boat to come in.I believe we was the only other planters up the river, and that there'llbe no boat till we come to the places where we stayed of a night, andit's a zight nearer the zea. I keep on thinking, though, a deal."

  "What about--our escaping?"

  "Nay. It's very queer, Master Nic, and I s'pose it's because I'm zoempty."

  "Thinking of food, Pete?" said Nic sadly.

  "Yes, Master Nic. More I tries not to, more I keeps on 'bout veal-pie,cold zalmon, and zyder."

  "Ah yes, we must contrive to get some provisions after a bit."

  They rowed on in silence for some time, with the sun gathering power andbeating down upon their heads, and flashing back from the surface of theriver, till at last Pete said suddenly:

  "We must run the boat ashore close to those trees, Master Nic, or weshall be going queer in the head for want of cover."

  "Yes; I feel giddy now, Pete. Do you think we could tie a few leavestogether for hats?"

  "You'll zee, my lad," said the man. "I could do it best with rushes,but I'll work zomething to keep off the zun."

  The boat was run in under the shade of a tree whose boughs hung down anddipped in the running stream; and as Pete laid in his oar he glanceddown over the side and saw fish gliding away, deep down in thetransparent water.

  "Zee um, zir?" said Pete.

  "Yes; there are some good-sized fish, Pete."

  "And either of 'em would make uz a dinner if we'd got a line."

  "And bait, Pete."

  "Oh, I'll manage a bait, Master Nic. Dessay they'd take a fly, abeetle, or a berry, or a worm, but I aren't got neither hook nor line.I'm going to have one, though, zoon, for the way I'm thinking o' coldzalmon is just horrid. I could eat it raw, or live even, withoutwaiting for it to be cooked. These aren't zalmon, but they're vish."

  Nic said little, for he could think of nothing but the overseer cominginto sight with musket and dogs, and his eyes were constantly directedup the river.

  But Pete took it all more calmly. He had dragged the boat beneath theshade of the overhanging tree, secured it to one of the boughs with theremains of the rope, several feet having fortunately been passed throughthe ring-bolt to lie loose in the bottom; and while Nic kept watch heroughed out something in the shape of a couple of basket-like caps, wovein and out a few leaves, and ended by placing them before his companion.

  "They aren't very han'some, Master Nic," he said, "but they'll keep thezun off. What do you zay now to lying down and having a nap while Itake the watch?"

  "No, no," cried Nic excitedly; "let's go on at once."

  "I'm ready, Master Nic, but, if you could take both oars, I've beenthinking that I could cut off one sleeve of my shirt, loosen and pullout the threads, and then twissen 'em up into a sort o' fishing-line,paying it over with some of the soft pitch here at the bottom of theboat, so as it would hold together a bit."

  "And what about a fish-hook?" asked Nic.

  "Ah, that's what bothers me, master. I've been thinking that when weget on into that great big marsh of a place where the river runs throughthe trees we might stop and vish, for there must be plenty there, orelse the 'gators wouldn't be so plentiful. I did zee one big fellow,close to the top, in the clear water where it looked like wine. Ithought it was a pike as we come up, and I felt as if I should like totry for him; but how to do it without a hook's more than I can tell.But we must have zomething to eat, Master Nic, or we shall be starved,and never get away after all."

  "Go on making your line," said Nic thoughtfully. "I'll row."

  As Nic took both oars Pete unfastened the piece of rope, and the bo
atbegan to glide along with the stream, while the latter burst into a lowand hearty laugh.

  "On'y think o' that now, Master Nic. There's no need for me to spoil myshirt when there's a vishing-line half-made, and a hook waiting to befinished."

  "Where? What do you mean?" cried Nic excitedly. "Why, here in thebows, lad. I've on'y got to unlay this piece o' rope--it's nearly new--and then I can twist up yards o' line."

  "But the hook, man--the hook?"

  "There it be, Master Nic--the ring in the bolt. I've on'y got to zaw itthrough with my knife, bend it to get it out, and then hammer one partout straight, ready to tie on to the line, and there you are."

  "But--"

  "Oh, I know; it won't be as good as a cod-hook, because it won't have nopoint nor no barb, but I'll tie a big frog or a bit o' zomething on toit, and if I don't yank a vish out with it afore night I never caught azalmon."

  Nic winced a little at the word "salmon," but he kept his thoughts tohimself and went on rowing; while Pete set to work with such goodwillthat he soon had plenty of the rope unlaid, and began to plait thehempen threads into a coarse line, which grew rapidly between his cleverfingers. But many hours had passed, and they were gliding through theinterminable shades of the cypress swamp before he prepared to saw atthe ring.

  It was Nic who made the next suggestion.

  "Pete," he said quickly, "why not take the head off the pole? It isvery small for a boat-hook, and it is quite bright. There's a hole foryou to fasten the line to, and a big pike-like fish might run at it asit is drawn through the water."

  "Of course it might, lad. Well, that is a good idea. Why waren't Iborn clever?"

  Pete set to work at once, and after a great deal of hard work he managedto cut away the wood from the nail-like rivet which held the head on tothe shaft, after which a few blows sufficed to break the iron hook away,with the cross rivet still in place, ready to serve as a hold for thenewly-made line.

  "Wonder whether a vish'll take it, Master Nic," said Pete as he stood upin the boat. "Now if it was one o' them 'gators I could lash my knifeon to the end of the pole and spear a little un, but I s'pose itwouldn't be good to eat."

  Nic shook his head.

  "Might manage one to-morrow, zir, if we don't ketch a vish."

  Nic shook his head again.

  "I mean, zir, when we're nex' door to starvation-point. Don't feel asif I could touch one to-day."

  "Don't talk about the horrible reptiles, Pete," said Nic, with ashudder.

  "Right, Master Nic, I won't, for horrid they be; and I don't mindtelling you that when I zwimmed across to get this boat I was in such afright all the time that I felt all of a zweat. I don't know whether Iwas, for it don't zeem nat'ral-like for a man to come all over wet whenhe's all wet already; but that's how I felt. There we are, then. I'mready, Master Nic, if you'll go on steady, on'y taking a dip now andthen to keep her head straight."

  He held up the iron hook, which began to spin round, and he chuckledaloud.

  "I wouldn't be zuch a vool as to throw a thing like that into the waterat home, Master Nic," he said, "for no vish would be zuch a vool as torun at it; but out here the vish are only zavages, and don't know anybetter. That's what I hopes."

  Nic began to dip an oar now and then, so as to avoid the rotten stumps,snags, and half-fallen trees, as the stream carried them on, so that hehad little opportunity for noting the occupants of this dismal swamp;but Pete's eyes were sharp, and he saw a good deal of the hideous, greatlizard-like creatures lying about on the mud or upon rotten trunks, withtheir horny sides glistening in the pencils of light which pierced thefoliage overhead, or made sunny patches where, for the most part, allwas a dim twilight, terribly suggestive of what a man's fate might be ifhe overbalanced himself and fell out of the boat.

  "I believe them great 'gators are zo hungry," said Pete to himself,"that they'd rush at one altogether and finish a fellow, bones and all."

  At last: "Looks a reg'lar vishy place, Master Nic; zo here goes."

  Pete gave the bright hook a swing and cast it half-a-dozen yards fromthe boat to where it fell with a splash, which was followed by a curiousmovement of the amber-hued water; and then he began to snatch with theline, so as to make the bright iron play about.

  Then there was a sudden check.

  "Back water, Master Nic," cried Pete. "I'm fast in zomething."

  "Yes," said Nic, obeying his order; "you're caught in a sunken tree.Mind, or you'll break your line."

  "That's what I'm feared on, Master Nic, but it's 'bout the liveliesttree I ever felt. Look where the line's going. I'm feared it's gone."

  The line was cutting the water and gliding through Pete's fingers tillhe checked it at the end, when a black tail rose above the surface andfell with a splash, and the line slackened and was hauled in.

  "Hook aren't gone, zir," said Pete as he drew it over the side. "Rumvishing that there. Why, it were one o' them 'gators, five or six footlong. Let's try lower down."

  They tried as Pete suggested, and there was another boil in the water,but the hook was drawn in without a touch; and Pete tried again andagain, till he felt the glistening iron seized by something which heldon fast.

  "Got him this time, zir," said Pete, with his face lighting up. "It's avish now. One o' they pike things, and not zo very big."

  "Haul in quick," cried Nic.

  It was an unnecessary order, for the line was rapidly drawn closeinboard, and Pete lowered one hand to take a short grip and swing hiscaptive out of the water. But he put too much vigour into the effort,and flung his prize right over just as it shook itself clear of thehook, and fell upon the gunwale before glancing off back into the water.No fish, but an alligator about thirty inches long.

  "Ugh!" ejaculated Pete; "and I thought I'd got a vish. Never mind,Master Nic. We'll have zomething good yet."

  His companion did not feel hopeful. It was evident that the waterswarmed with the reptiles, and in spite of the terribly faint sensationof hunger that was increasing fast, Nic felt disposed to tell hiscompanion to give up trying, when suddenly there was a fierce rush afterthe glistening hook as it was being dragged through the water, a suddencheck, and the water boiled again as Pete hauled in the line, seafishing fashion, to get his captive into the boat before it couldstruggle free from the clumsy hook.

  This time success attended Pete's efforts. He got hold of the lineclose to the iron, and with a vigorous swing threw his prize into theboat just as the hook came away, leaving the fish to begin leapingabout, till Nic stunned it with a heavy blow from the boat-hook pole.

  "I knowed we should do it, Master Nic," said Pete triumphantly. "Therenow, aren't it zummat like one of our big pike at home? Now, that'sgood to eat; and the next game's tie up to the zhore where there's somedry wood, and we'll light a fire."

  "Yes," said Nic as he bent over their prize. "I suppose it's what theycall the alligator-gar, Pete."

  "Dessay it is, zir; but I don't care what they calls it--Ah, would you?"cried Pete, stamping his bare foot upon the great fish as it made a leapto escape. Nic too was on the alert, and he thrust the ragged head ofthe pole between the teeth-armed, gaping jaws, which closed upon itfiercely and held on.

  But Pete's knife was out next moment, and a well-directed cut put thesavage creature beyond the power to do mischief.

  "A twenty-pounder, Master Nic. Wish it were one o' your zalmon. There,I'll zoon clean him, while you run the boat in at a good place."

  "But how are we to get a fire, Pete?" said Nic anxiously, for an intensefeeling of hunger now set in.

  "I'll zoon show you that, lad," replied Pete; and he did. In a veryshort time after, by means of a little flint he carried in company withhis pocket-knife, the back of the blade, and some dry touchwood from arotting tree, he soon had a fire glowing, then blazing, for there wasdead-wood enough to make campfires for an army.

  Another quarter of an hour passed, and the big fish was hissing andspluttering on a wooden spit over th
e glowing embers; and at last theywere able to fall to and eat of the whitest, juiciest flesh--as itseemed to them--that they had ever tasted.

  "Bit o' zalt'd be worth anything now, Master Nic, and I wouldn't turn upmy nose at a good thick bit o' bread and butter, and a drop o' zyder'dbe better than river water; but, take it all together, I zay as zalmon'snothing to this here, and we've got enough to last uz for a couple orthree days to come."

  "Now for a few big leaves to wrap the rest in," said Nic at last, afterthey had thoroughly satisfied their hunger.

  "Right, Master Nic; but I must have a good drink o' water first."

  "Yes," said Nic, suddenly awakening to the fact that he was extremelythirsty, and he rose to his feet to utter a cry of horror.

  "Pete--Pete! The boat! the boat!"

  Pete leaped up and stared aghast, for the action of the running streamhad loosened the thin remnants of the rope with which they had mooredtheir boat. These had parted, and the craft was gliding rapidly away, aquarter of a mile down the river.