CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.
I lay down to sleep that night quite satisfied of my ability to wake upin good time; but it was still dark when Pomp was shaking my arm.
"Make hase, Mass' George," he cried, with his lips to my ear, "umgettin' so dreffle late."
"Eh? Now, no tricks," I said, in that irritable state of sleepinesswhen one wants just an hour longer. "Why, I have only just lain down."
"Why, you've been seep all de night. You call me laze lil nigger if Isay dat. Get up!"
"But is it nearly morning, Pomp?" I said, with my eyes closely shut.
"Ah, you do dat 'gain! You roll ober de oder side for? You tink um disweek when it morrow morning."
"But it isn't really morning."
"Yes; bror daylight. Able see dreckly."
"It isn't," I said, opening my eyes and looking from under the boat-sailthat made our tent, and seeing the stars burning brightly.
"I neb see such dreffle man," whispered Pomp, for fear of rousing myfather. "Get late. Sun get up soon 'fore we get dah. Mass' Morgan an'Pomp fader gone down to de boat, and carry big bag somefin to eat. Pompgot de fishum-line, and dey say you'n me bring free guns and de powdershot."
"Eh! Gone down to the boat?" I said, rising hurriedly, for this wassuggestive of being left behind; and hurrying my preparations--mydressing-room being outside the tent--I was soon ready, took the pouchesand the three guns I had undertaken to have ready, and in a very fewminutes we two were marching toward the gate, I carrying one firelockunder my arm, and Pomp stepping out proudly with one on each shoulder.
"How long is it since Morgan and our man Hannibal went through?" I saidto the guard at the gate.
"'Bout half an hour," said the man, rather sourly. "Nice to be you,young gentleman, going out like that instead of keeping watch here."
"Oh, that will soon be over," I said. "Come along, Pomp."
It was for the sake of saying something, for Pomp was already outside,waiting. But I wanted to get down to the boat, and not stop to bequestioned by the guard as to what we were going to do.
As we went on down toward the wharf, the stars were still making theirreflections glimmer in the smooth water of the big river, and a scullingsound and the rattle of an oar being heard, told me where the boat lay.
"That you, Master George?" said a familiar voice.
"Yes; but isn't it too early?"
"Not a bit, sir. But it'll be daybreak directly, to be sure. Seethere?"
I could see a very pale streak right away down and over the big river inwhat I knew to be the east, but I was still too drowsy to feel muchinterest in our excursion, and consequently replied rather gruffly toHannibal's good-natured--
"Morn', Mass' George."
Just then the boat's keel grated on the pebbles, Hannibal jumped out,took the guns which Pomp parted with unwillingly, and passed them toMorgan, who stowed them in the stern. Then mine was passed in, andHannibal bent down.
"Jump on, Mass' George, no get foot wet."
I leaped on his great broad back, thinking that he was getting his feetwet, but that it did not matter as they were bare; then wash, wash wentthe water on both sides as the great black and his boy waded out. I wasdropped into the boat, the two blacks ran it out a little and steppedin, Morgan came aft to me, and the others backed water a while, andafter turning, rowed out a little but kept pretty close, so as to be outof the swift current running down toward the sea.
"Talk about early," said Morgan, pointing to the increasing pallor ofthe sky; "why, it will soon be broad daylight, and I want to get to themouth of the stream by that time."
They rowed on, and the freshness of the air, the motion of the boat, andthe thorough feeling of change soon made me forget my discomfort, and asthe pale dawn spread and showed the thick mist hanging over the lowgrowth at the edge of the river, the memory of the last time I came bythere started to my mind, and I looked eagerly at the near shore,thinking of hidden Indians ready to send flying their keenly-pointedarrows.
Morgan saw the direction of my glance, and said with a laugh--
"No; not this time."
"What?" I said sharply.
"Indians. That was a nice row we had that day, though, Master George."
"Mass' George going have fishum-line?" said Pomp, suddenly, as the darkline of forest began to look green, and higher up there was a tiny pointof orange mist.
"No," I said; "we'll get right on home."
Pomp seemed so disappointed that I added, "Perhaps we will fish lateron."
Vague as the promise was it sufficed to raise Pomp's spirits, and hetugged well at his oar, while I watched the splashing of fish in theriver, heard the low, floundering noise made by the alligators, andlistened to the fresh, clear song of the birds which were welcoming thecoming of another day.
Then slowly the sun rose to glorify the dripping reeds and canes, andfringe them as if with precious stones; the different kinds of ducks andcranes disturbed by our boat fled at our approach with much flapping ofwings and many a discordant cry. And before I could fully realise it,and think of anything else, it was bright, beautiful morning; allglorious, free, fresh, and delicious, with the moss draping the sunlittrees, the water sparkling, and the sensation growing upon me that I hadjust escaped from prison, and was going home.
"Not sorry you got up so soon, are you, sir?" said Morgan, smiling, ashe saw how eager and excited I had grown.
"Sorry? No," I cried. "Here, you two, are you tired? Morgan and Iwill row."
"No, no," said Hannibal, showing his white teeth. "We row Mass' Georgeboat all away."
"Look, Mass' George," cried Pomp, as there was a scuffle, a splash, anda good-sized alligator startled by our coming hurried into the river."You like shoot um?"
"No, no. Let's get right away home first."
"All the same, sir, we'll load the guns," said Morgan. "I don't thinkwe shall want to use 'em, but there's a few marks about this boat toshow that sometimes it is necessary."
He pointed laughingly to the holes left where the arrows stuck in thesides and thwarts.
"I broke out an arrow-head this morning," he said; and he picked it upfrom where it lay.
Pomp watched us eagerly as we charged all three pieces, and laid themdown in the stern, after which I sat thoroughly enjoying the scene,which was all as fresh to me as if I had never been there before. Butat the same time, as we went on, I recognised the different spots wherethe Indians had made their stand to harass us during our memorableescape down the river, notably at the wooded point we passed round justbefore reaching the mouth of our stream, and leaving the main riverbehind.
Then, as the space contracted and the banks seemed to draw graduallycloser together, we soon began to get into more familiar parts, and atlast the higher trees and points and bends were all memorable, known asthey were to Pomp and myself in connection with fishing excursions orhunts for squirrel or nest.
The stream here ran swiftly, and swirled round some of the bends, attimes well open, at others so close did the forest come that we seemedto be going along between two huge walls of verdure; and I don't knowwhether they would have noticed it, but just before we turned into ourlesser river, something induced me to begin talking rather rapidly toboth Pomp and Hannibal, for we were passing the place where the slaverhad lain, and as we came by, it seemed to me that the poor fellows mustbegin thinking of the horrors of that day when we brought them up inthat very boat, one dying, the other as wild as any savage creature ofthe forest.
"Here we are at last," I cried, as we came close up to the cut-downtrees on the bank which served as posts to our landing-place.
"Yes. Take your piece, Master George," said Morgan, "and don't shoutaloud. Let's have a good look round first."
It was good advice, and we made our rowers take the boat up a couple ofhundred yards past the landing-place, and then let her drift back. Butall was still. There were two or three busy squirrels, and some birds,but no sign of lurking enemy.
>
"It's quite safe, I think," I said.
"Yes, sir, safe enough. No Indian here, or we should have had an arrowat us before now."
"We may fasten the boat there, and leave it?" I said.
Morgan hesitated.
"Well, yes," he said; "we had better keep all together. It would not befair to leave those two alone to mind her in case the Indians did come."
"If they do," I said, "we must retreat overland if we can't get to theboat."
"Or they get it first," said Morgan, grimly.
So we landed at the familiar place, the boat was made fast, and withHannibal carrying one of the guns, we started for the old home, alleager and excited except Pomp, whose brow puckered up, and I knew thereason why--he had no gun to carry.
"Here, Pomp," I said; "you keep close to me, and carry my gun."
The sun was shining brilliantly over the river; now it began to shine inthe wood all over Pomp's smooth black skin, out of his dark eyes, andoff his white teeth, as he shouldered the piece, now the very embodimentof pride.
We had not far to go, and as we went on and found everything as we hadleft it, and no signs of enemy, the shrinking feeling which had hauntedme, and made me fancy I saw a living savage behind every great tree,passed away, and I strode on till we reached the clearing where Morganand I killed the rattlesnake, and there the same shrinking feelingattacked me again, for it was here that we had long back made our firstacquaintance with the enemy.
My eyes met Morgan's, and he was evidently thinking the same thing as hegave me a nod.
"No rattlesnakes here to-day, sir," he said, and he smiled meaningly,"not of any sort. Shall I go first?"
"No," I said, rather unwillingly, for I felt that I ought to lead; and,taking the firelock now from Pomp, I went toward the path leadingthrough the forest trees to our larger clearing where the house andgarden stood.
"Mass' George let Pomp go firs and see if any-boddy dah," whispered theboy.
"No," I said; but Morgan turned to me quickly, as Pomp lookeddisappointed.
"Why not let him go on? He'll creep through the trees like a snake, andget there and back unseen if there's danger."
"Nobody see Pomp if him hide."
"Go then," I said; and the boy darted off at once through the densestpart, while we followed cautiously, for there was the possibility ofsome of the Indians lurking about still.
But in a few minutes Pomp was back, looking very serious, but ready totell us at once that no one was there.
Upon this we pushed on rapidly, and soon stood in the midst of ourlovely clearing, framed in by the forest, where everything seemed morebeautiful than ever, except in one place, where, with the strands ofcreepers already beginning to encroach on the blackened ruins, lay aheap of ashes, with here and there some half-burned timbers and ends ofboards.
I felt a choking sensation as I looked at the ruins, and thought of howmany pleasant hours I had passed there with my father, and now I couldonly just trace out where the rooms had been, so complete was thedestruction the fire had made.
Not that it was surprising, the whole place having been built solidly ofthe finest pine from the sandy tract between us and the little river--wood that I knew would blaze up when dry and burn with a fierce resinousflame.
But it seemed so pitiful that the delightful little home, with all thepleasant surroundings, over which my father had toiled to make it asmuch as possible like an English country home, should have been entirelydestroyed. And for what?
Ah, it was a hard question to answer. But I supposed then that as wehad come into the land the savages looked upon as their specialhunting-ground, they considered that they had a right to destroy.
I tore myself away from the heap of black and grey ashes, and rejoinedMorgan, who said nothing, but accompanied me then around the garden,which to our great surprise we found untouched. It was weedy, andbeginning to show a great want of the master's hand, but otherwise itlooked delightful after the desolation I had just left.
"Seems hard as my part should have escaped, and your part be all burntup, Master George," said Morgan, slowly. "But it ar'n't my fault. I'dalmost rather they'd ragged the garden to pieces, and cut down thetrees, than have burnt the house."
"It can't be helped," I said, thankful for the sympathetic way in whichthe man spoke, and at the same time a little amused at his consideringthe garden his part, and the house wherein he always lived too as beingours.
We went all round and were on the way to the hut where the blacks slept,when I suddenly noticed that Pomp was not with us, and I drew Morgan'sattention to the fact.
"He was here just now, because I saw him stoop down and pick upsomething to throw at a bird."
"No, no: don't shout," I said. "I dare say he'll be here directly, andone don't know how near the enemy may be."
But Hannibal did not seem satisfied, and he began looking round thegarden and peering about close up to the trees in search of the boy,though without success.
I had taken little notice of this, for I had been talking in a low voiceto Morgan about the garden, and whether it was worth while to doanything, seeing that beyond a little weeding nothing hardly wasrequired.
"I thought the fences would all be down, and the place trampled, andthat I should have to cut rails and stakes to save the place fromdesolation."
So said Morgan, and I agreed that as far as the garden was concerned wehad met with a pleasant surprise.
"We'll have a good meal now," I said. "Let's sit down under the bigcypress," and I pointed to the great tree which had proved so good afriend during the flood, and unslinging the bag which he had beencarrying, Morgan led the way toward the resting-place.
"Why, Hannibal's gone now," I said, looking round wonderingly. "Oh, Iknow," I added, laughing; "he heard me say we would have something toeat, and he has gone to look for Pomp."
We were soon comfortably seated with the food spread before us, and as Icut some of the bread and salt pork we had brought, I said--
"It's of no use to go looking out for Indians, I suppose. We mustchance their being near."
"If we go looking for them, Master George, we shall have to spend allour time over it. I'm beginning to hope we shan't see them any more."
Then Morgan's mouth became too full for him to talk with comfort, andI'm afraid mine was in a similar condition, for the long row, the freshair, and the absence of breakfast before starting had had a great effectupon my appetite.
"I wish they'd come now," I said, as I half turned to Morgan, who wasleaning forward with his head thrown back in the act of drinking from abottle, when I felt as if turned to ice--frozen--motionless--gazing upat a great muscular brown arm raised to strike; and I don't know how toexplain it, for the space of time must have been short as that taken upby the flashing of lightning; but all the same, the time seemedprolonged to me sufficiently for me to see that the owner of that armwas half concealed behind the tree; that the hand belonging to that armheld one of the keen little axes used by the Indians; that the blow wasintended for my head; and I knew that before I could utter a word toalarm my companion, all would be over.
A good deal to think in that moment of time, but people do see and thinka great deal instantaneously, just as they have quite long dreams in afew instants of time; and as I tell you, I thought all that as I saw theraised axe, and I could not stir, though it was in motion to strike medown.
A loud report set me free, the sound of a shot from the forest, and theIndian sprang forward between me and Morgan, turned half round, struckat the air with his tomahawk, then twisted back so that I had a fullview of his hideous, distorted face, and then it was hidden from me, forthe little axe escaped from his hand, and he fell clutching and tearingat the grass and leaves.
By this time Morgan and I had seized the fire-locks we had stood againstthe trunk of the tree, and stooped down to shelter ourselves with itstrunk, as we presented the barrels at where we heard some one crashingthrough the bushes. But it was Han.
> "Mass' George not hurt?"
"No, no," I said. "Did you fire?"
He nodded shortly, and gave me the piece to reload as he picked up theaxe the Indian had let fall, and took the savage's knife from his beltto stick it in his own.
"If there's one Indian there's more," said Morgan, excitedly. "Quick,sir, ram the bullet well down. We must make for the boat. Where's thatboy Pomp?"
"No," said Hannibal, shaking his head; "gone, gone. Han look for him;saw Indian and Mass' George."
"And you fired and saved my life," I cried, catching his hand, as I gavehim back the reloaded piece.
He smiled at me, and shook his head sadly as I exclaimed--
"Now then to find Pomp, and get back to the boat."
I had hardly uttered the words when there was a yell, and four savagesdashed out of the forest toward us, knife in one hand, axe in the other.They were not twenty yards away, and I raised my heavy piece to myshoulder as I saw Morgan let his barrel fall into one hand and fire.
A hideous yell followed, and one of the Indians leaped in the air. Isaw no more for the smoke, but I drew trigger too, and staggered backwith the violent concussion of the piece.
Then I stood aghast at what followed, for as the smoke lifted I saw anIndian spring on Morgan, and Hannibal drop the gun he held as the othertwo Indians rushed at him axe in hand, yelling horribly.
Then in what seemed to me was a nightmare dream, I saw Morgan seize theIndian's hand, and they closed in a desperate struggle, while on myother side Hannibal was battling with two, and I was helpless to assisteither, and--well, I was a boy of sixteen or so, and how could I atclose quarters like that try to shed blood?
True, in the excitement of the flight in the boat, I had loaded andfired again and again as the Indians kept sending their arrows at us;but all I could do now was to drop my own piece and run to pick up theone Hannibal had dropped.
But I did not fire it. I could only stand and gaze first at one, andthen at the other, as I saw the great calm black now frenzied with rageand the thirst for battle. He was bleeding from blows given by theknife of one Indian and the axe of the other, but his wounds only seemedto have made him furious, and he stood there now looking like a giant,holding one of his enemies by the throat, the other by the wrist, inspite of their writhings and desperate efforts to strike him some deadlyblow. He looked to me then like a giant in strength; but the Indianswere strong too, and though he was rapidly subduing the one whose throathe grasped, the other was gradually wriggling himself free, when,seizing my opportunity, rendered desperate by the position, I raised theheavy piece I held as if it were a club, and brought the barrel downwith all my might upon the Indian's head.
I stepped back sickened by what I had done, as his arm relaxed and hefell prone, while, freed now from one adversary whose axe would the nextmoment have brained him, Hannibal grasped his remaining enemy with bothhands, raised him up, and dashed him heavily upon the earth.
It was time, for Morgan was down, the Indian upon him, his knife raisedhigh to plunge into the poor fellow's throat, but held back by Morgan'shand, which was yielding fast.
I stood paralysed and watching, when, with a roar like a wild beast,Hannibal dashed at this last man, and with the axe he had at his waiststruck him full in the temple, and he dropped down sidewise quivering indeath.
I remember thinking it very horrible as I saw all this bloodshed, but Iknew it would have been far more horrible if the savage wretches hadkilled us. Then every other thought was driven out of my head by theappearance of Hannibal, who was quite transformed. As a rule he was thequiet, gentle-looking black, always ready to obey the slightest command;now he seemed to tower up a ferocious-looking being, with wild glaringeyes looking about for something else to destroy, and had I not caughthold of his arm he would have used the axe he held on the fallen men.
"Under cover, my lad," said Morgan, who was panting heavily. "Don'tleave that gun. Now Hannibal, quick!"
He led the way in among the trees, where we quickly loaded thedischarged pieces, crouching down under bushes, while Hannibal kneltbeside us keeping watch, his wild eyes glaring round in every directionfor some fresh enemy to attack.
"Nice--narrow--escape that! Master George," said Morgan, in a lowvoice, as he gave the ramrod a thud between every two words. "Prettyobject I should have looked if I'd had to go back to your father and sayyou were killed by the Indians. Oh dear! Oh dear! I did hope I'd donekilling people to the end of my days, and now look yonder."
"It was forced upon you, Morgan," I whispered, as I finished chargingone of the pieces.
"Upon me!" cried Morgan. "Oh, come now, Master George, play fair.Don't get putting on all down to my account. My word! Who'd havethought old Hannibal here could fight like that?"
The great black looked fiercely round, but smiled sadly as Morgan heldout his hand and said--
"Thank you, old lad."
"Yes! Thank you, Hannibal, for saving my life," I whispered.
"Mass' George save Han's life," was the reply in deep tones. Then thesmile passed from the great fellow's face, and a terrible expressioncame over it again as his eyes rolled round, and he said in a deep, low,muttering voice--
"Come--quick find Pomp."
"And I was just going to say, let's make a run now for the boat," saidMorgan. "But we can't leave the boy, Master George."
"No," I said. "Here, take your gun, Han."
I passed the firelock to him, and followed his gaze as he glared roundamong the trees from behind whose trunks I expected to see the enemypeering, ready to take revenge for the death of their companions. Butthere was no one near as far as I could see, and we rose cautiously toget a better view round through the clustering boughs whose heavyfoliage cut off the light, so that we were gazing down glorious vistasthat ended far away in the deepest shade.
"Might hide an army there, and no one could see 'em," muttered Morgan.
"Find Pomp?" said Hannibal, looking at me inquiringly.
"Yes," I said; "try and find him. Go on."
The great fellow drew a deep breath, and led off at once with thefirelock in his left hand, the axe in his right; and I knew that if wehad a fresh encounter, the modern weapon would be useless in his hands,while the axe would be terrible.
To my great horror, the course he chose was out by where the desperatestruggle had taken place, and my first instinct was to close my eyes andnot look at the dead Indians; but I told myself I was a soldier's son,and that these men had fallen as we were fighting for our lives. But itwas very terrible to see them lying there as they had fallen, two ofthem still grasping their weapons, and with a look of savage hatred intheir faces.
Hannibal led on, Morgan followed, and I was last, and I was beginning tofeel glad that we were leaving the dead behind, where they lay beneaththe great cypress, when Hannibal turned round and raised his axe topoint as it seemed to me in the direction of the forest beyond thegarden, and to my horror it appeared as if the man had been seized witha fresh desire to shed blood, for his great lips were drawn away fromhis glistening teeth, his eyes opened widely showing broad rings ofwhite round the dark irides, and throwing up the axe ready to strike, hedropped the gun and literally bounded at me.
With a faint cry of horror as I saw the awful-looking object leaping atme, the firelock dropping from his left hand, and the blood glisteningon his great arms, I dropped sidewise just as a knife flashed by mycheek and over my left shoulder.
It was then that I realised the truth, and drew my breath hard, as I sawHannibal's axe descend; there was a terrible crashing sound and a heavyfall, and as, sick and seeing dimly, I looked down to my left, the greatfigure of the black was bending over a grinning object in the bushes atthe forest edge, his foot was pressing back one of our enemies, and hedragged the axe free.
"Is he dead now?" Morgan whispered, hoarsely, and his face lookedghastly as he caught me by the arm.
Hannibal uttered a low deep sound, and drew himself up to his fullhei
ght. Then he bent down again, and I saw him tear a glittering knifeout of a brown hand, which with its arm rose above the bushes and wasclinging still to the haft.
"Morgan," I said, faintly, as the great black strode back toward wherewe had had the struggle first, "stop him. What is he going to do?"
"I want to stop him, lad," whispered the faithful fellow, in low,awe-stricken tones; "but I can't try; I daren't. It must be done."
"But that was another Indian," I whispered, as I saw Hannibal bend down,rise up, take a step or two, and bend down again, and then everythingswam before my eyes. I could hear Morgan's voice though as he went on--
"It was horribly near, sir," he said. "It wasn't another Indian, butone of those shamming dead, and as soon as we'd got by he must havecrawled after us, and old Han turned just in time, and went at him as hewas striking at you with his knife. It's very horrid, my lad, but thesesavages don't understand fair fighting and giving quarter to thewounded. There, come away, and don't look angry at the black when hecomes back. He has just saved your life again, and what he is doing nowis to make sure you are not attacked again."
I stood speechless, resting on the piece I held in my hand till thegreat negro came back with the knife stuck in his waist-belt, to stoopand pick up the gun he had dropped; and then he pointed again with theaxe toward the forest beyond the garden.
"Come," he said, quietly. "Find Pomp."
He looked at me once more with so grave and kindly an aspect that Itried to smother the horror I felt, and taking a step or two forward, Idrew out a handkerchief and pointed to his bleeding arms, which weregashed by two blows of axe and knife.
He smiled and nodded half contemptuously as I tore the handkerchief intwo, and he held out his arms one by one for me to bind them tightly.
"Now," he said, "find Pomp."
I held up my hand and we listened to a low, hoarse, gurgling noise,which seemed to come from a distance in the forest, and I shuddered as Ifancied for a moment that it must be one of the Indians dying; but Iknew that the sound came from a different direction.
We listened intently as we stooped under cover and kept a watchful gazein every direction for danger. But the sound had ceased and for themoment we were safe, for no leaf was stirring, and the deep shadowy woodappeared to be untenanted. Hannibal shook his head, and was in the actof turning when the curious hoarse gurgling sound came again.
It was like nothing I had ever heard before, and what was more strange,it was impossible to make out whence it came, for it rose and fell, roseagain, and then died out.
"What is it?" I said to Morgan. "An Indian cry?"
"No," he replied. "Hark! There it is again."
Yes; there it was again, but appeared to be from a fresh direction.
"Is it something down amongst the bushes--a frog or a young 'gator?"
"No; I don't think it can be that, sir. I've heard nearly every soundthey make, and it isn't anything like that."
All was still again, and we moved on slowly farther into the forest,going cautiously in and out among the trees, our weapons ready, and astrict look-out kept for the enemy. For it seemed to me that the mainbody could not be far off, our encounter having been with a skirmishingparty.
"There again," I whispered. "What is it, Hannibal?"
He was kneeling down now listening; and as he looked up at me, I couldsee that he was puzzled, for he shook his head.
"Han done know," he said.
Again the sound came--a hoarse, gurgling, faint noise, as from a greatdistance, but somehow we were as far off from understanding what itmeant as ever.
"Never mind," said Morgan. "It isn't what we are looking for. Go on,Han; we must find that boy, and escape for our lives."
The great black nodded and started off at once, Morgan and I going toright and left of him, and we searched through the great trees, workingaway round the opening cleared from the forest for our house, but thoughthe sound continued, we could find no trace of the cause nor yet of thepoor boy, who had dropped completely out of sight.
My heart sank as I felt sure that the Indians must have surprised him,and moment by moment, as we started again into the forest, making nowtoward the rattlesnake clearing and the path leading to thelanding-place, I expected to come upon him lying dead where he had beenstruck down.
But we examined the place again and again in every direction withoutsuccess, and we were neither of us sufficiently skilled to attempt inthe gloom beneath the trees to find him by his tracks.
The sound had nearly ceased now, only occurring faintly at intervals,and still it was as confusing as ever, for we could not make out whenceit came.
At last we stopped at the edge of the rattlesnake clearing, near wherethe path struck out leading to the water-side.
"What are we to do, Master George?" said Morgan. "I want to find thatboy, and at any moment we may be attacked by enemies, and it seems to beour duty to get down to the boat, row back as fast as we can, and givewarning that the Indians are still near at hand."
"Yes, go," said Hannibal, who had been listening intently to Morgan'swords. "Boat. Injum. Han 'top find um boy."
Morgan looked at me, but I shook my head.
"No," I said; "we will not go--we cannot, and leave him here. Will youcome, Hannibal?"
"To find um boy," he said, frowning.
"And we'll stop too, Morgan," I said. "We may find him at any moment,and it is impossible to go and leave the poor boy like this."
Hannibal did not speak, but I saw his eyes fixed on me as Morgan spoke.
"I don't want to go and leave him, Master George," he said, "becauseit's like leaving a comrade, and old soldiers don't do that. Butsoldiers has their duty to do, and duty says--Go and let them know atthe settlement. Besides, my duty to your father seems to say, Get youout of this as quick as you can."
"Yes, I know that, Morgan," I said.
"And the Indians may be on us at any moment."
"Yes, but we can't leave him," I said; "and--Ah, there's that noiseagain. I'm sure it came from right in there."
I pointed back toward the other side of the clearing, toward which spotHannibal immediately rushed, and we followed as quickly as we could, forsomething seemed to tell us that a discovery was at hand.
It was close by the part of the forest through which Morgan and I hadmade our way cautiously and silently when we were going to kill therattlesnake; and as we reached the edge, and passed in amongst thedensely growing trees, all was silent, dark, and mysterious-looking; butthere was nothing to be seen but tree-trunks, and we crept up to wherethe great black stood bending down and listening.
All was silent. Then there was a faint rap as a squirrel dropped afir-cone from high up somewhere invisible to us. As far as we could seethere were the gloomy aisles of great growing pillars, and we knew thatwe had passed through this portion of the forest again and again, thoughit was quite possible that we might have missed parts.
"Well, do you hear it?" I said, in a whisper.
Hannibal shook his head despondently, and then his face lit up as weheard from our right, and quite close at hand, the same faint, gurglingsound, now evidently a cry.
The black rushed on in and out among the trees, a gleam of sunshinecatching his black skin once, just as we were passing the gloomiestpart; and then, as I was close behind him, he disappeared beyond a groupof great pillar-like pine-trees, and when I reached them I came upon himsuddenly in a hollow, deep with fir-needles--a natural hole formed bythe fall of a monstrous tree, whose root still lay as it had beenwrenched out when the tree fell, but the trunk itself had graduallymouldered into dust.
And there was Hannibal busily cutting the hide thongs which bound Pomp,who was lying helpless at the bottom of the hole, with a blanket and arough skin garment close by him, and beside these five bows and theirarrows.
It was evidently the lurking-place of the Indian scouting party, who hadsuddenly pounced upon the boy, gagged and bound him, for his jaws wereforced wide a
part, a piece of ragged blanket was thrust into his mouth,and this was kept in by another hide thong tied round and round his faceand neck, passing between his jaws as if he were bridled with a leatherbit, while his arms and wrists and legs were so securely tied that thepoor fellow was perfectly helpless.
"Can't say he's black in the face, in the way we mean," said Morgan,sympathetically, "because, poor lad, it is his nature to be so, lookyou, but he's half dead."
I was already down on my knees chafing the wrists set at liberty, afterthe hide had been cut away from the boy's cheeks and the gag taken out,but he made no sign whatever, and we were still rubbing him, and tryingto restore the circulation, when Morgan said quickly--
"We can do that in the boat. Up with him, Han, I'll carry your gun.There must be more Indians near. These were on the advance, I'll lay,and I wouldn't say we don't have a fresh attack to-night."
Without a word Hannibal handed the gun, took Pomp by the arms, gentlyswung him on his back, and tore off a strip of blanket with which hetightly bound the boy's wrists together upon his own chest, so that itleft the black's hands at liberty should he want to use them.
"Go on now," he said; and he held out his hand for his gun.
It was only a short distance from where we were to the boat, but it wasreally to be the most anxious part of all, and as we approachedrattlesnake clearing, I involuntarily checked the others to look outcautiously before we left the dark pine-shade.
But all was still, the beautiful young growth glistening in the hotsunshine; and striking the path on the other side, gazing watchfully aswe could, ready for attack, and fully expecting to see the Indians inpossession of the boat, we finally reached the landing-place, where Pompwas laid in the stern, the weapons were placed ready, and faint anddripping with perspiration, I sank down beside Pomp as the rope was castoff.
Mass' George: A Boy's Adventures in the Old Savannah Page 38
