CHAPTER VII.
CHARLEY HAS A NARROW ESCAPE.
"I AM not the boss of this outfit," said the Missourian, with a smile."I do what I am told to do. Rooney and McGill ordered me to pile thewood on that side, so I've been doing it. I reckon Rooney and hispartner figured it out that they would get a little more rest that way.Let's have a look at the mules, if you can spare the time."
"Sure," said Charley gladly. "I want to get in touch with every part ofthe business as soon as possible."
"I always build them a corral whenever we make a new camp," observedthe Missourian, as he led the way to the pen where he kept the mules."Hold on!" he shouted, as Charley stooped to pass under the bars. "IfPansy and Violet don't just happen to like your appearance, they arelikely as not to kick the soul out of you."
Charley withdrew in haste. "My, but they are beauties for mules."
"Finest team I've handled," declared the teamster, with a grin. "Ikinder like to have them a little savage with everyone. It keepsstrangers from fooling with them. They have life and plenty of sense.I could not do my work with a poor team of mules. This work is terribleon animals."
"And on men, too, I guess," Charley agreed. "I want to say thathereafter your wages will be $2.00 per day as long as we satisfy eachother. Now, how is your work? How much wood have you got ahead for themachine?"
"Not much," admitted the teamster ruefully; "perhaps enough for a dayand night, if the machine runs like it usually does."
"That's not enough," Charley said decidedly. "There should be at leasta week's wood ahead all the time. In case a mule gets sick, or goeslame, don't you see that the machine would have to lie up until wecould get another team? It looks to me like this dredging businessis like links in a chain. If any one man, from teamster up, fails todo his part in the work, why, the whole machine has got to go out ofbusiness until the defect can be made good."
"I'm doing my best," the teamster protested. "Most of my wood has tobe cut and hauled over a mile to the machine, and the route I have totake to get to it is generally a winding one, for I have to pass aroundall ponds and bog holes. It takes careful driving to avoid bogging downyour team and losing it."
"Well, then there is one weak link we have got to strengthen rightaway," said the lad cheerfully. "I will not be back from town until dayafter to-morrow, but, when I come, I will bring a good man to help you.He can do the wood chopping while you do the hauling; meanwhile, keepon with your work, so as to get ahead while the machine is idle to-dayand to-morrow. Another thing I would mention is that I want to getthings so systematized that it will not be necessary to do but littlework on Sunday. I want that as a day of rest for all hands, so far aspossible."
The lanky Missourian reached out and grasped Charley's hand. "I'm rightwith you, lad, clean up to the hilt. You've got the right ideas. A bodyof men will do as much in six days as in seven, besides being morecontented, healthy and cheerful."
"Well, I must get back to camp. I've got several things to see tobefore I start for town," Charley said.
"Hold on!" yelled the teamster, as the boy was turning away. "For God'ssake don't move your feet!"
Startled, Charley looked down. In moving forward he had placed hisright foot squarely upon the head of a huge snake, while his left footwas lying across the reptile's big body. It was only by summoning allhis self-control that the lad kept from jerking impulsively aheador to one side, a course which would surely have resulted in instantdeath. In fact, death was threatening as it was. The boy could hardlyretain his position as the powerful reptile began to twist back andforth beneath his feet. Luckily, where he stood the ground was soft,and the parts of the snake upon which he stood were deeply imbedded inthe soft sand, but, even with that in his favor, it was only a questionof seconds before the repulsive reptile wriggled free. Charley drew hisautomatic and fired down at the huge, writhing, black body between hisfeet. The first shot penetrated the middle of the snake, and, firingslowly and carefully, Charley cut roughly through the middle of thesnake's body. As its struggles grew less, the lad leaped far ahead andlooked back. The snake was still struggling vigorously, but, with itsbody nearly severed, it could do nothing but swing its head viciously.
"You did that pretty neat, lad," said the teamster cheerfully. "I wasafraid you would try to jump. You've shore got pluck."
Charley grinned. "It was simply a bad case of being too scared tomove. Well, let's climb on the wagon and get back to camp. Say," hecontinued, as the teamster whipped up the mules he had harnessed upwhile talking, "do you have many of those moccasins out here?"
"Not many right here," grinned the driver, "but on these strips of pinelands there is not supposed to be any. I suppose our crew kills fromtwenty to twenty-five a week. Sometimes we kill them all curled up niceand comfortable in our bunks. But, pshaw! that ain't nothing to the dayit will be five or ten miles farther out. I drove out there once andit's a sure bet the wheels and mules' hoofs killed over a hundred goingand coming."
"Whew!" Charley whistled, "that's not very pleasant to hear, but, herewe are at camp, and I've been too excited over this trip to ask yourname."
"It's Jim Canody--'Languid Jim' they generally call me," grinned theteamster.
"You can go back to work, then, Jim," said Charley. "Do your best, andI'll have a good man to help you soon. Drive in by the cook tent andI'll jump off there."
"Well, Chris," he inquired, "how are you getting on?"
The little negro grinned. "Dis ain't going to be no cinch, MassaCharles," he said. "Cooking and cleaning up for twenty-five men isgoin' to be a mighty big job for one small nigger. 'Sides, if youwork a night crew hit means a whole lot more work putting up midnightlunches. Dat's a lot of extra work."
"I see you have got to have an assistant," Charley agreed.
"Dat's so," acquiesced Chris, "but he's going to be mah helper, and Iwant to pick him out."
"Give me a description of the kind of help you want, and I'll try toget it," Charley grinned.
Chris reflected. "I'd like a nigger jes' 'bout my size," he saidmusingly. "'Cause he won't be noaccount 'less I can make him do as Itell him. I'd like him to be a yellar nigger, too. 'Cause a yellarnegro is much more timid, and shows de dirt much quicker dan acoal-black nigger. Hit's a lot moah easy to keep him clean. Dis niggerdon't want no noaccount nigger trifling around dat he can't lick."
Charley grinned. "I'll try to get you one like you wish. Now, I wantyou to make up a list of everything you need for the next sixty days."
"Golly! Massa Charles," exclaimed the little negro. "I can't do dat,noways. I might figure out what it would take to feed one man, butI can't calculate on twenty-five men for sixty days. Dat's too bigfiguring for one little nigger."
"Well, just figure on one man for thirty days," said Charley, amused,"and I'll figure on the other twenty-four men."
"Golly," exclaimed Chris, "youah sure got a head on you, Massa Charles.I don't see at all how's you going to figure dat out."
"Get out your list," said Charley, "and some time I'll tell you howto do it. Don't put down any fancy thing--only just what will makesubstantial hearty grub, like rice, pork, beans, coffee, salt, cannedmilk, sugar, flour, dried fruits, macaroni, and, I guess, canned meats,until we get out to the hunting ground. Hurry up, now, and get up thatlist. It's time I was going now."
Leaving Chris to his strenuous labors of figuring out what one mancould eat in thirty days, Charley gave a few instructions to theCaptain about cleaning up the camp, and then sauntered over to theengineers' tent. With only a "Hello" he threw open the flap. BullyRooney, half-dressed, rose up from his cot and jerked a rifle from itsslings.
"Better put that down," Charley advised him. "Before you could getthat thing into action I could riddle you with my automatic." Rooneyreluctantly obeyed.
"Now, I didn't come in here for a row," the lad continued. "I camein to tell you that the car is ready for town. I'm going to leave infifteen minutes. Better hustle and get your things together."
"I ain't going," said Rooney sullenly. "I've been working by the month,and I've got to have a month's notice or an extra month's pay."
"You are going. We will not have you on the ground--and that's pat,"Charley declared. "If you and your partner stay on, we will see thatyou eat none of the company's grub. You can just stay here and starve,for all we care. Make up your mind quick--five minutes of that fifteenminutes have gone."
"We'll go," growled Rooney, "but let me tell you, young fellow, we willsue you as soon as we strike town."
"That's good," said Charley, with cheerfulness. "We have got nothing tolose, because you've got no legal grounds for a suit; besides which,I don't believe either you or McGill dare to go to court. I reallybelieve that neither of you dare face the showing up of the foul thingsyou have done on this job. Now you both get a move on you. If you arenot ready when starting time comes I'll leave you and bring out thesheriff to move you when I come back."
Before the time arrived to go, McGill and Rooney were stowing theirhastily packed luggage in the car, and the negroes, with their fewtattered belongings, were trying to find a place for themselves in thecrowded truck. Then, with Charley at the wheel, the truck was headedaround for Jupiter, and they were off.