CHAPTER VII
IN HIDING
"The first thing to do," Nat said, after he had seen that MadameDuchesne was as comfortably seated as possible, "is to find some sort ofhiding-place. We may be sure that the negroes will search everywhere foryou, and that, released from work and having nothing to do, they willwander about the woods, and one of them might come upon us at anymoment. Therefore, unless we can find some sort of shelter, I dare notleave you for a minute."
"But why should you leave us?" Myra asked.
"We must eat and drink," he said. "I must endeavour to discover what isgoing on elsewhere; I must, if possible, obtain a disguise, andendeavour to find out what are the intentions of the blacks, andascertain whether it will be possible to obtain help from the town; andI can begin to do nothing until I feel that you are at leastcomparatively safe. There is no doubt, Madame Duchesne, that ourposition is a very painful one, but we have a great deal to be thankfulfor. If the rising had taken place in the night, as no doubt it did atthe plantations where the negroes began their work, we should all havebeen murdered without the chance of resistance. Now, we have escapedwith our lives, and have the satisfaction of knowing that MonsieurDuchesne is safe in the town, and will assuredly do his best to rescueus; but that can hardly be yet. Cape Francois is no doubt in a state ofwild panic, and will in the first place be thinking of how it can bestdefend itself."
"There are, of course, many other planters there in the same position asyour husband. Each will be thinking of his own people; nothing like ageneral effort will be possible. At any rate, it seems to me that itmust be some time before any operations can take place to put down theinsurrection. If one could but get hold of some messenger one couldtrust, and could let Monsieur Duchesne know that you are for the presentsafe, it would be an immense relief to him; but so far as we know atpresent that old nurse is the only one of your slaves who is faithful,and even if I could find her and get her to carry a note or a message,it is unlikely in the extreme that she would be permitted to pass oninto the town. However, as I say, the first thing is to discover ahiding-place where you would be comparatively safe, and before I go tofind a messenger I will look round for some clump of undergrowth wherenothing but close search could find you. I think that those bushes wesee across there would do for the moment. You cannot remain here, foryou would be seen at once by anyone who came along within fifty yards ofyou. I will go and see at once whether it would do."
Without waiting for an answer he hurried away. On examination he foundthat the place was more suitable than he had expected. A great tree hadonce stood there, and had been sawn off close to the ground. Round thisa clump of bushes had sprung up, growing so thickly that it wasimpossible to see into the centre save by pushing aside the bushes andentering the little circle. He hastened back.
"It will do excellently for our hiding-place for the present," he said,"and the sooner we are inside the better."
He assisted Madame Duchesne to her feet, led her to the bushes, and thenbent some of them very carefully aside. The ladies made their way in,and he followed them, seeing that each of the saplings fell back in itsnatural position.
"There, madame," he said, "unless anyone took it into his head to pushin as we have done we are absolutely safe. But it will be better thatyou should keep your dark cloaks on. I do not think that anyone couldsee through this thick screen of leaves, but it is as well to be on thesafe side."
"You won't leave us at present?"
"Certainly not," he said. "After it gets dark I shall make my way downto the house. I must get a disguise of some sort; it does not mattermuch what it is, for I expect the slaves will be dressing up in theclothes they have stolen, no matter what they are. With some charredwood I can blacken my face and hands. No doubt anyone would see at onceon looking at me closely that I was not a negro, but at a distance Ishould pass."
"You would make a better mulatto than you would a negro," Myra said.
"So I should; as they are all shades of colour, I should not have to bevery particular."
"If we had Dinah here with us," Myra said, "she could make you some dye.She knows all about berries and roots, and generally doctors any of thewomen who may be ill; she would know for sure of some berries that wouldstain your skin."
"Well, I must see if I can find her, Myra. If not, I must use thecharcoal, but certainly the other would be much the safer; and, you see,thanks to my long stay with you before, I have got to speak French veryfairly now."
The day passed slowly. Occasionally they heard shouts lower down in theforest, but these did not come near them, and after a time died away.
"I thought they would hardly come up as far as this," Nat said; "negroesare not given to work unless they are obliged to, and they will find itso pleasant doing nothing that they are hardly likely to give themselvesthe trouble to search very far for us. Besides, doubtless they haveother things to think about. They will know that their work has onlybegun when they have burnt their masters' houses, and killed all thewhite people they can lay their hands upon, and that until they havetaken possession of the towns they are not masters of the island. Nodoubt, too, they carried out the wine before they burnt the house."
"Besides," Myra said, "there is the rum store; there are at least ahundred barrels there."
"Yes, I did not think of that. Well, I expect that before this thegreater part of them are drunk, and I don't suppose there will be asober man left to-night. That will make it an easy business for me tofind out what they are doing, and to get hold of the things that will beuseful to you. I am more afraid of the mulattoes than of the negroes."
"Do you think that they would join the blacks?"
"I have no doubt at all about it--I feel sure they have done so. I sawthree of them talking together yesterday; they were paying no attentionto the slaves, and I thought then that it was rather peculiar. Besides,we know that these lower class of mulattoes are as hostile to the whitesas the negroes are, if not more so, and I have no doubt they have had agood deal to do with exciting the slaves to revolt. And now, MadameDuchesne, I will go down through the woods and get you some sugar-cane,and look for a stream."
Madame Duchesne protested, but she was accustomed to have every wantsupplied as soon as expressed, and she was suffering much from thirstafter the excitement and effort.
"You really require something," Nat went on. "You see, if I go downafter dark I may be away for two or three hours, and were you to waittill then you would be in a fever with thirst. It is evident that thenegroes have all left the wood, therefore there can be no risk in mygoing down and cutting a dozen of the young canes."
"If you go," she said firmly, sitting up as she spoke, "you must leaveme two of your pistols--they are double-barrelled, are they not?"
"Yes, madame."
"Well, leave two. If the negroes come and begin to search this place Ishall shoot Myra first and then myself, for death would be a thousandtimes preferable to falling into the hands of these wretches."
"I think you are right there," Nat said gravely, "and if I thought thatthere would be the slightest fear of their coming I would not leave you.I shall not be away a quarter of an hour. I will leave my jacket and caphere, and tie a handkerchief round my head, so that should I by anychance come across a searcher, he will not recognize me until I am closeenough to silence him. I shall take the sword as well as the other braceof pistols; it will be useful for cutting down the canes."
Taking off his jacket and waistcoat, and tying his handkerchief roundhis head, he made his way through the bushes, and then started at a fastrun down the hill, keeping, however, a sharp look-out as he went. As heexpected, there were no signs of the blacks. As he reached the edge ofthe wood, and cut the canes, he could hear the sound of distant yells inthe direction of the house.
"The brutes have got at the rum," he said. "If I had but half a dozenblue-jackets, I believe I could clear the lot out. I do hope," he wenton, as he started on his way back, "I shall be able to lay my hand onsomething to ea
t, and get hold of a bottle or two of wine. Madame willnever be able to get on on yams and sugar-canes, accustomed as she hasbeen to every luxury. Myra will be all right, she is a regular youngbrick." As he neared the clump of bushes he cried out cheerily: "Allright, madame, I have got the canes, and have not caught sight of anegro." An exclamation of relief followed. Madame Duchesne and Myra wereboth standing as he entered, each with a pistol in her hand.
"I was not alarmed by your footstep," she said, "for anyone who wassearching for us would come along slowly and stealthily; but I thoughtyou might be pursued."
"If I had been," Nat laughed, "you may be very sure I should not havebrought them this way, but would have given them a dance all over theplace, and then slipped away and come back here."
"I know that," she said earnestly, "but I am nervous and shaken."
"Very naturally, too," Nat said: "you felt very much as I did when,after that explosion, I went on board the other pirate to drown themagazine. I believe that if anyone had given a shout close to me Ishould have tumbled headlong down on the deck. I think, now, we areperfectly safe till to-morrow. By the noises I heard down by the house Ishould say that most of the slaves are drunk already, and you may besure that they will not think of starting to look for us till to-morrow.Now, if you will take my advice, you will try to sleep a bit."
Accustomed to sleep for two or three hours during the heat of the day,Madame Duchesne was indeed feeling so drowsy that she could withdifficulty keep her eyes open, and she now in the course of a fewminutes was breathing quietly and regularly.
"Now, Myra, do you watch by your mother while I go and look for water.That tiny stream that crosses the road a quarter of a mile above yourhouse must come down not far from here, and it is essential that weshould be near it."
"But it is near water that they are most likely to look for us."
"I did not think of that, Myra; of course it is. Well, then, we mustmove over this hill and hide up in the next little valley we come to.There is a road that turns off half a mile above your house. I neverwent far along it, but it seems to go right up into the heart of thehills."
"I never went up it either, Nat, but I have heard my father say therewere a good many small clearings up among the hills, some with twentyslaves, some with only two or three."
"Then, when I come back from seeing how things are going on at thehouse, we had better make for that road, keeping along down at the endof the plantation until we come to it. It will be much better to keepstraight along there till we pass some little valley where there is astream, than to wander about in the wood; and we shall be farther awayfrom those who may be looking after us. If your mother sleeps for two orthree hours she will be able to go some little distance to-night."
Myra shook her head doubtingly.
"We must get her on," he added, "even if we have to carry her. It is allvery well for us, because I am as hard as nails, and you do a lot ofwalking for a white girl here, but your mother is not strong. You sawhow terribly exhausted she was when she got here, and it is quite likelythat she may knock up altogether; therefore it is essential to get herinto shelter. We are safe for to-day, but to-morrow we may have thenegroes all over the hills, and it will have to be a wonderfully goodhiding-place to escape their search."
"But do you feel sure that they have risen on all the otherplantations?"
"I have not the least doubt that they have risen on every plantation inthis neighbourhood. Your slaves were wonderfully well treated, and wouldnot have joined unless they had known that it was a general rising. Youknow the old nurse said that it was to have been on the twenty-fifth,which means, of course, that it was a great plot all over the island.Of course in some places they may not have got the news yet, and may notrise for a day or two, but you may be sure that all around here it hasbeen general."
"But why should they want to kill us?"
"Because they are really nothing but savages. Though they have in manycases been slaves for generations, still there are always fresh slavesarriving; and the others know that their fathers, like these, werecaptured and sold to the whites, that they had terrible times in theslave-ships, and are on some plantations treated like dogs, and arebought and sold just like cattle. I don't wonder at it that, now theyhave got a chance, as they think, they should take vengeance for all theills they have suffered. When they are at war with each other in Africathey kill or enslave all who fall into their hands--men, women, orchildren--and you may be sure that they will show no mercy here. When Iwas down at the edge of the wood to cut those canes I could see smokerising from a dozen points lower down. It is possible that some besidesourselves got warning in time, but I am afraid very few can haveescaped; for you see, once beyond the line of wood, which does not gomore than a mile or two further, there will be no hiding-places forthem. There is only one comfort, and that is, the news must have gotdown to the town in a very short time, and there is no fear of yourfather driving out and being taken by surprise. My greatest hope lies inthat old nurse of yours. She could do more in the way of helping us thanwe could do ourselves. She could go and get things, and hear what isgoing on. She is old, but she is a strong woman still, and could help tocarry your mother, and attend to her if she is ill."
"Do you think she is going to be ill?" Myra asked anxiously, looking ather mother.
"I sincerely trust not, Myra, but I own that I am afraid of it. She isbreathing faster than she did, and she has moved restlessly severaltimes while we have been talking, and has a patch of colour on eachcheek, which looks like fever. However, we must hope for the best.Anyhow, I shall bring Dinah up here if possible."
So they talked till the sun went down. Madame Duchesne still slept, buther breathing was perceptibly faster. She occasionally muttered toherself, and scarcely lay still for a moment.
"I will be going now," Nat said at last; "it will be pitch dark by thetime I get down to the house; it is dark already here. You have thepistols, Myra, but you may be quite sure that no one will be searchingnow. I may have some difficulty in finding these bushes when I comeback, but I will whistle, and when I do, do you give a call. I hope Ishall bring Dinah back with me."
"Oh, I do hope you will. She would be a comfort to us."
Nat heard a quaver in her voice, which showed that she was on the pointof breaking down.
"You must not give way, Myra," he said. "You have been very plucky up tonow, and for your mother's sake you must keep up a brave heart and hopealways for the best. I rely upon you greatly. We may have many dangersto go through, but with God's help we may hope to rejoin your father.But we must be calm and patient. We have been marvellously fortunate sofar, and shall, I hope, be so until the end. When I find out what thenegroes intend to do we shall be able to decide upon our course. It maybe that they will pour down from all the plantations within thirty orforty miles round and attack the town, or it may be that they will marchaway into the mountains in the interior of the island, in which case theroad to the town will be open to us. Now, good-bye; I will be back assoon as I can."
"Do not hurry," she said. "I will try to be brave, and I don't mindwaiting, because I shall know that you are trying to get nurse, and ofcourse it may be difficult for you to find her alone."
"Good-bye, then," he said cheerfully, and passing through the bushes hewent rapidly down the hill.
On reaching the cane-field he again took off his shoes. He did not hurrynow. It was a tremendous responsibility that he had upon his shoulders.He thought nothing of the danger to himself, but of how Madame Duchesneand her daughter were to be sheltered and cared for if, as he feared,the former was on the edge of an attack of fever, which might last fordays, and so prostrate her that weeks might elapse before she would befit to travel.
"I must get Dinah at all costs," he said to himself. "She knows whatwill be wanted, and will be a companion to Myra when I have to be away."
As he neared the place where the house had stood he heard sounds ofshouting and singing coming from a spot near the storehouses,
where abroad glow of light showed that a great bonfire was burning. He kept inthe shrubbery until near the house, and then stepped out on to thegrass. The house was gone, and a pile of still glowing embers alonemarked where it had stood. Nat approached this, found a piece of charredtimber that had fallen a short distance from it, and proceeded toblacken his face and hands. Then he turned towards the fire. As he hadexpected, it was not long before he came across the figure of aprostrate man, who was snoring in a drunken sleep. The stars gavesufficient light for him to see as he bent over him that he was a negro.He had attired himself in what when he put them on were a clean nankeenjacket and trousers, a part of the spoil he had taken in the sack of thehouse. Without ceremony Nat turned him over, and with some troubleremoved the garments and put them on over his own. Then he took the redhandkerchief that the negro had bound round his head and tied it on,putting his own bandana in his pocket.
"Now," he said to himself, "I shall do, provided I keep away from thelight of that fire. The first point is to find where Dinah has gone. Iknow she has a daughter and some grandchildren down at the slaves' huts.I should think I have most chance of finding her there."
Turning off, he went to the huts, which lay two or three hundred yardsaway from the house. As he did so he passed near the houses in which themulatto overseers lived. There were lights here, and he could hear thesound of voices through the open windows.
"I will come back to them later on," he said, "I may hear something oftheir plans; but Dinah is the most important at present."
He was soon among the slave huts. No one was about, the women beingmostly up at the fire with the men. He looked in at the door of each huthe passed. As he was still without shoes his movements were noiseless.In a few of them women were cooking, or putting their children to bed.At the last hut of the first row which he visited an old negro woman wasrocking herself in great grief, and two or three children were playingon the floor. Nat knew that he had come to the end of his search, by theblue cotton dress with large white spots that the woman wore. He went inand touched her.
"Dinah," he whispered, "come outside!"
She gave a little start of surprise, and then said to the children:
"Now, you stop here, like good childer, Aunt Dinah is agoing out. If youkeep quiet she tell you story when she comes in."
"IT WAS NOT LONG BEFORE HE CAME ACROSS THE FIGURE OF APROSTRATE MAN."]
Then she went out with Nat without any appearance of haste. By longconnection with the family she spoke French fairly well, whereas thenegro patois, although mostly composed of French words, was almostunintelligible to him.
"Tank de Lord dat you hab come back, Marse Glober. Dinah fret terribleall day. Am de ladies well? Whar you hide dem?"
"They are up in the wood, Dinah. I am greatly afraid that MadameDuchesne is going to have fever, and you are sorely wanted there. Myrasaid she was sure that you would come when you knew where they were."
"For suah me come, massa," she said. "What madame and Mam'selle Myra dowidout Dinah? So you black your face?"
"Yes, but I want some juice to make my face yellow like a mulatto.Anyone could see that I was not a negro in the daylight."
"Dat so. Me bring 'tuff wid me. What you want beside?"
"We shall want a bottle or two of wine if you can get them, and a jug offresh water, and anything you can get in the way of eatables, and Ishould say a cooking pot. Those are the principal things."
"Dere am plenty ob boxes of wine up near house. Dis black trash like rumbetter, leave wine for de mulattoes; dey bery bad man dose. Where you gonow, Marse Glober? Me take some time to get de tings."
"It would be a good thing, too, if you could get hold of enough cottoncloth to make dresses for them."
The old woman nodded.
"Plenty ob dat, sah. Storehouses all broke open, eberyone take what himlike. Dis dreadful day, almost break Dinah's heart."
"It has been a terrible day, Dinah, and I am afraid that the same badwork is going on everywhere."
"So dey say, marse, so dey say. Where you go now, sah?"
"I am going to the overseers' huts to hear what their plans are. Whereshall I meet you, Dinah?"
"Me take tings to bush just where you and de ladies ran in. Me make twoor tree journeys, but me be as quick as can."
"Do; it is anxious work for Myra there, and I want to get back as soonas I can. Her mother is asleep, and even if she wakes I do not think shewill be able to talk much."
"Me hurry, sah, but can't get 'tuff to stain you skin to-night. Findberries up in de wood to-morrow."
"There is one other thing, Dinah. Can you tell me where to find ahand-barrow? I expect we shall have to carry your mistress."
"Me know de sort ob ting dat you want, sah, dey carry tobacco leabes ondem. Dere are a dozen ob dem lying outside de end store."
"All right, Dinah, I will take one as I go past. Now I will go."
So saying, he turned and made his way to the overseers' house. He creptsoftly along to a lighted window. When in a line with it he stood up fora minute, knowing that those inside would not be able to see him, therebeing a screen of trees just behind him. The three mulattoes whom he hadseen talking together in the field on the previous day were seated rounda table. On it were placed two or three wine-glasses. All were smoking.
"To-morrow we must get those drunken black hogs to work," one said, "andhave a regular search through the woods. Everything has gone well exceptthe escape of madame and her gal. Someone must have warned them. Thehouse niggers all agree that they were in the verandah behind justbefore we came up, talking with that English lad. Of course they will befound sooner or later, there is nowhere for them to run to. The thingis, we want to find them ourselves. If anyone else came upon them theywould kill them at once."
"Yes, and you will have some trouble if you find them, Monti," one ofthe other men said. "These blacks have been told that every white mustbe killed. It is easy enough to work these fellows up into a frenzy, butit is not so easy to calm them down afterwards."
"No, I am quite aware of that, Christophe, and that is why I did notpress the search to-day, and why I was not sorry to find that they hadgot away."
"You see, we have arranged that when the whites are all killed I am tomarry madame, that Paul is to take the young one, and that we are todivide the place equally between the three of us."
"If the negroes will let us," the one called Monti said. "I expect theywill want to have a say in the business."
"Yes, of course, that is understood. No doubt there will be trouble withthem, and there is no saying how things will turn out yet. At any ratewe will make sure of the women. I have gone into this more for the sakeof getting the girl than for anything else."
"We have made a good beginning everywhere, as far as we have heard, butyou must remember that it is only a beginning. Even suppose the whitesof the town do nothing, and I fancy we shall hear of them presently,they will send over troops from France."
"They can do nothing against us up in the mountains," Christophe saidscornfully.
"That may be," the other said quietly; "but at any rate there are theblacks to deal with. They have risen against the whites, but when theyhave done with them we need not suppose for a moment that they are goingto work for us. Luckily, here it has been the order that no slave is tobe flogged without Duchesne's approving of it, and the result is that weare for the present masters of this plantation, but we have heard thatat some of the other places the overseers as well as the whites havebeen killed. The order has gone through the island that all the whites,including women and children, are to be killed, and if we were to comeacross the women when we have forty or fifty of the blacks with us Idon't think there would be a chance of our saving them. These negroesare demons when their blood is up. They know, too, that they have gonetoo far to be forgiven, and will believe that their safety depends uponcarrying out the orders faithfully. It seems to me that we are in arather awkward fix. If we don't take the blacks out to-morrow we sha'n'tfin
d them, if we do take them out they will be killed."
"We ourselves may find them," Paul said.
"Yes; and if you do, they will have that English lad with them."
"We can soon settle him," Christophe growled.
"Well, I don't say we couldn't; but you know how he fought that hound,and there was a report two days ago, from the town, that they haveattacked the Red Pirate's stronghold, taken it, and destroyed his fourships. I grant that as we are three to one we shall kill him, but one ortwo of us may go down before we do so. Now, I tell you frankly that as Ihave no personal interest in finding those two women, I have no idea ofrunning the risk of getting myself shot in what is your affairaltogether. Any reasonable help I am willing to give you, but when itcomes to risking my life in the matter I say, 'No, thank you.'"
The others broke into a torrent of savage oaths.
"Well," he went on calmly, "I am by no means certain that the Englishboy would not be a match for the three of us. We should not know wherehe was, but he would see us, and he might shoot a couple of us downbefore we had time to draw our pistols. Then it will be man against man;and I know that girl has practised shooting, so that the odds would bethe other way. Now, I ask you calmly, is it worth it?"
"What do you propose, then?" Paul asked sulkily, after a long silence.
"I say that we had better wait till we can get hold of some of theseblacks; a little money and a little flattery will go a long way withthem. We can tell them that we have private orders that, although mostof the whites have to be put to death, a few are to be kept, among themthese two. We shall elect a president and generals, and it is right thatthey should have white women to wait on them, just as the whites havebeen having blacks. That is just the sort of thing that will take withthese ignorant fools. Then with, say, ten men we might search the woodsthoroughly, find the women, and hide them up somewhere under yourcharge; but we must go quietly to work. A few days will make nodifference. We know that they can't get away. The men of the plantationslower down have undertaken to see that no whites make their way into thetown. But it will not do to hurry the negroes, they are sure to beeither sullen or arrogant to-morrow. Some of them, when they get overtheir drink, will begin to fear the consequences, others will be sotriumphant that for a time our influence will be gone."
"That is the best plan," Christophe said. "You have the longest head ofus three, Monti. For a time it will be necessary to let the blacks havetheir own way."
Nat, while this conversation went on, had been fingering his pistolindecisively. His blood was so fired by the events of the day, and thecertainty that hundreds of women and children must have been murdered,that he would have had no hesitation in shooting the three mulattoesdown. Indeed he had quite intended to do so, in the case at any rate ofPaul and Christophe, when he learned their plans; the advice, however,of the other, who was evidently the leading spirit, decided him againstthis course. It was unlikely that he would be able to shoot the three,for at the first shot they would doubtless knock the candle over;besides, it was better that they should live. Evidently they would insome way persuade the great mass of the negroes not to troublethemselves to search the wood, and some days must elapse before theycould get a party together on whom they could rely to spare the womenand take them as prisoners.
If they did so, and, as they proposed, put them in some hut in charge ofPaul and Christophe, he would have a fair chance of rescuing them, if hesucceeded in getting away at the time they were captured. At any rate,if they carried out their plans they would have some days' respite, andhe could either take Madame Duchesne and Myra a good deal further intothe hills, or might even be able to get them into the town.
The mulattoes now began to talk of other matters--how quickly theinsurrection would spread, the towns that were to be attacked, and thesteps to be taken--and he therefore quietly made off, and waited forDinah at the place agreed on. It was not long before she arrived withher first load.
"I am here," he said as she came up. "Now, what can I do? I had bettercome and help you back with the other things. We can carry them in thehand-barrow."
"Yes, sah. I'se got dem all together, de tings we talked of, and tree orfour blankets, and a few tings for de ladies, and I'se taken two ob debest frocks I could find in de huts. I'se got de wine and de food in abig basket."
"All right, Dinah; let us start at once, I am anxious to be back againas soon as possible."
In ten minutes they returned with all the things. The basket of wine andprovisions was the heaviest item. The clothes and blankets had been madeup into a bundle.
"Me will carry dat on my head," Dinah said, "and de barrow."
"No, I can take that, Dinah, that will balance the basket; besides, youhave that great jug of water to take. Now let us be off."
After twenty minutes' walking they approached the spot where the ladieswere in hiding, but it was so dark under the trees that Nat could notdetermine its exact position; he therefore whistled, at first softly andthen more loudly. Then he heard a call some little distance away. Hewent on until he judged that he must be close, and then whistled again.The reply came at once some thirty yards away.
"Here we are, Myra," he said; "nurse is with me."
An exclamation of delight was heard, and a minute later he made his waythrough the bushes.
"Mamma is awake," the girl said, "but she does not always understandwhat I say; sometimes I cannot understand her, and her hands are as hotas fire. I am glad Dinah is here."
"You can't be gladder'n me, mam'selle. I hab brought some feber medicinewid me, and a lantern and some candles."
"Would it be safe to light the lantern?" Myra asked.
"Quite safe," Nat said; "there is no chance whatever of anyone comingalong here; besides, we can put something round the lantern so as toprevent it from being seen from outside. You have brought steel andtinder, I hope, Dinah?"
"Of course, marse, lamp no good widout; and I hab got sulphur matches,no fear me forget them."
"Give them to me, Dinah, I will strike a light while you attend to yourmistress."
Dinah poured some water into a cup and then knelt down by MadameDuchesne.
"Here, dearie," she said, "Dinah brought you water and wine and tings toeat. Here is a cup of water, I am sure you want it. Let me lift you upto drink it."
She lifted her and placed the cup in her hands, and she drank it offeagerly.
"Is that your voice, Dinah?" she said after a pause.
"Yes, madame; I'se come up to help to take care ob you. Marse Globercome and tell me whar you were, so you may be suah that me lose no time,just wait to get a few tings dat you might want and den start up."
"I think I am not very well, Dinah."
"Jess a little poorly you be. Bery funny if you not poorly abter sichwicked doings. Now de best ting dat you can do is to go to sleep and notworry."
"Give me another drink, Dinah."
"Here it is, dis time a little wine wid de water and a little 'tuff tomake you sleep quiet. Den me double up a blanket for you to lie on andput anober over you, and a bundle under your head, and den you go tosleep firm. No trouble to-night; to-morrow morning we go on."
Madame Duchesne drank off the contents of the cup. She was made ascomfortable as circumstances would permit, and it was not long beforeher regular breathing showed that the medicine that Dinah hadadministered had had the desired effect.
"Now, Myra," Nat said, "we will investigate the contents of the basket.I am beginning to get as hungry as a hunter, and I am sure that you mustbe so too."
"I am thirsty," the girl said, "but I do not feel hungry."
"You will, directly you begin. Now, Dinah, what have you brought us?"
"Dere am one roast chicken dar, Marse Glober. Dat was all I could getcooked. Dere are six dead ones. I caught dem and wrung their necks jestbefore I started. Dey no good now. Dere is bread baked fresh dis morningbefore de troubles began, and dere is two pine-apples and a big melon."
"Bravo, Dinah! You have
got knives?"
"Yes, sah, four knibes and forks."
"We could manage without the forks, Dinah, but it is more comfortablehaving them. Now we will cut the chicken up into three. It looks a finebird."
"I'se had my dinner, sah; no want more."
"That is all nonsense, Dinah," he said. "I am quite sure that you didnot eat much dinner to-day, and you will want your strength to-morrow."
Dinah could not affirm that she had eaten much, and indeed she hadscarcely been able to swallow a mouthful in the middle of the day. Themeal was heartily enjoyed, and they made up with bread and fruit for theshortness of the meat ration.
"Now you two lie down," Nat said after they had chatted for an hour. "Iam accustomed to night watches and can sleep with one ear open, but I amconvinced that there is not the slightest need for any of us keepingawake. When the lantern is out, which it will be as soon as you liedown, if all the negroes came up into the woods to search for us Ishould have no fear of their finding us."
Dinah, however, insisted upon taking a share in watching, saying thatshe was constantly sitting up at night with sick people.
Finding that she was quite determined, Nat said: "Very well, Dinah. Itis ten o'clock now. I will watch till one o'clock, and then you canwatch till four. We shall be able to start then."
"It won't be like light till five. No good start troo wood before that.I'se sure to wake at one o'clock. I'se accustomed to wake any hour so asto give medicines."
"Very well, Dinah; I suppose you must have your way."
Myra and the nurse therefore lay down, while Nat sat thinking over theevents of the day and the prospects of the future. He had said nothingto the negress of the conversation that he had overheard, as on the wayfrom the house they had walked one behind the other and there had beenno opportunity for conversation, and he would not on any account haveMyra or her mother know the fate that these villains had proposed forthem. He wondered now whether he had done rightly in abstaining fromshooting one of them, but after thinking it over in every way he came tothe conclusion that it was best to have acted as he did, for theyclearly intended to do all in their power to save mother and daughterfrom being massacred at once by the negroes.
"Even if the worst comes to the worst," he said to himself, "they havepistols, and I know will, as a last resource, use them againstthemselves."