cut up on board. We were returning forthe other, when a number of figures, bursting out of the forest, rushedtowards us; some running to intercept the deer wounded by Lejoillie,others bounding along in the direction of the one I had shot. A glanceshowed us that they were red men, with feathers in their hair, theirleathern dresses ornamented with coloured beads and cloth.
"Shove off!" cried my father. "These fellows don't look very friendly;and it will be as well to be out of their reach, until we see whattemper they are in."
Doing as he directed, we pulled the boat a short distance away from theshore, when the Indians, lifting the deer, carried it off, casting alook of triumph behind them.
"Sure, that's pretty impudent, to carry off our game before our veryeyes!" exclaimed Tim. "You'll be afther shootin' them, captain, won'tyou?"
"I should certainly be sorry to shed blood for a deer," answered myfather; "but we will show them that they do not escape from our want ofthe means to punish them." And lifting the rifle he had just reloaded,he sent a shot which struck a tree a considerable distance beyond theIndians. Observing it, they redoubled their speed, and were soon beyondour reach. We had, however, secured one deer, which would afford usmore venison than we could use.
On our return, Lejoillie shot a number of birds of various species,being highly satisfied with his morning's sport. Disregarding theneighbourhood of the Indians, he set up the birds on reaching theschooner, and began drawing them as rapidly as he could.
The judge seemed greatly surprised at the appearance of the Indians, andtheir behaviour. "I thought that they had all beat a retreat from thispart of the country," he observed. "It is fortunate that they did notcatch you, for they are treacherous fellows, and would probably havetaken your scalps, as well as your rifles and ammunition; and if theycould have got hold of the boat, they would have boarded the _GreatAlexander_, and to a certainty put us all to death."
Mrs. Shurtleff looked dreadfully frightened, and hugged her boy as thejudge spoke.
"I cannot believe that the noble Indians would have been guilty of sobarbarous an act," exclaimed Rochford. "They probably considered thedeer their own, and that they were justified in carrying it off."
"Wait, my dear sir, till you have seen more of these red-skinnedgentlemen before you pronounce an opinion," said the judge; and Rochfordwas silent.
We lost no time in cutting up the deer, and had some of the venisonsteaks for breakfast. Soon after, a light breeze enabled us to getclear of the creek, and once more to continue our course up the mainstream.
The judge talked a good deal about the Indians. "The Redskins requireto be kept in order," he remarked. "They will not, however, dare toface white men who show a bold front, as our settlers are sure to do ifattacked." I did not forget the judge's remarks. Before long we wereto have fearful proof of the mistaken character of his views.
It was some time past noon when we came in sight of several huts orshanties scattered along the shore, with a store or two, a chapel ofunpretending architecture, and a few other public buildings, which thejudge pointed out as the commencement of a city. Soon afterwards,running into a small bay, we hove-to before a house of superiorpretensions, with a veranda round it, backed by an orange grove, avegetable garden and orchard on one side, and plantations of varioussorts on the other. It was the judge's home. He warmly pressed myfather and me to accompany him on shore, Rochford and Lejoillie havingaccepted the invitation he had given them. But my father, eager, as Ibefore remarked, to reach my uncle's house, declined promising, however,if possible, to visit him on a future day.
CHAPTER THREE.
FIRST VIEW OF MY UNCLE'S HOUSE--THE LANDING--MY COUSINS--WE ARE SHOWNOVER CASTLE KEARNEY--IN THE ORANGE GROVE--A PLEASANT WALK--MY UNCLE'SHEALTH--PROPOSED VISIT TO JUDGE SHURTLEFF--A FLORIDA HUMMOCK--RITA ANDTHE PUMA--A TIMELY SHOT--CAPTAIN NORTON--SHALL WE TURN BACK?--ARRIVALAND RECEPTION AT ROSEVILLE--THE JUDGE ON INDIAN TROUBLES--THE CHIEF INNOF THE SETTLEMENT--CAPTAIN NORTON AND THE BLACK--AN AGREEABLE EVENING--ASTRANGE DISAPPEARANCE.
"There's where Nicholas Kearney lives," observed the skipper, pointingto a small island off the left bank of the river, towards which we weresteering. "I'll send the boat on shore, gentlemen, with you and yourtraps, and will heave the schooner to until she returns. As we shall beup to the spot in a short time, the sooner you are ready the better."
I looked eagerly ahead, but at first could distinguish only a wood ofcabbage-palms and pines towering above the shrubbery of magnolias andlaurels. As we got nearer, I caught sight of the roof of a house on theinner side of the island. We had enough to do, however, in getting ourtraps into the boat, which was hauled up alongside. The schooner washove-to, and two blacks stepping in to pull, we wished the skipperfarewell, and shoved off.
"I trust you may find your brother better than you expect, captain," hesaid, as he waved his hand.
We had some little distance to go, as we had to row to the western orinner side of the island, where the captain told us we should find theonly landing-place. As we approached, our astonishment was considerableon seeing the style of house inhabited by my uncle and his family. Itwas a building of considerable pretensions, erected on piles close tothe edge of the water, above which it rose with a somewhat sombre andgloomy aspect. Not a window could be seen on the lower story, and theonly entrance, which had the appearance of a gateway, with a portcullis,looked towards the mainland, to which access was obtained by adrawbridge, lowered and raised by two heavy chains. A broad veranda ranround the building above the ground-floor, on which the windows,unusually narrow, opened. From the part of the veranda above theentrance of the gate, projected the muzzles of two ship's guns,commanding the approach to the house on the opposite side. The windowsof the upper story were exceedingly small, and seemed intended to serveas loopholes for musketry, as well as to afford light to the rooms. Thebuilding was entirely surrounded by a strong palisade of stout timber;and besides this, there was, along the edge of the water, an outer lineof defence of the same character, pierced here and there with loopholes.Altogether, it had the appearance of a regular fortress of the oldendays; though, if attacked by an enemy possessing cannon, it could nothave afforded protection to its garrison for a single hour. But it waswell calculated to resist an attack from Indians, even if armed withmusketry.
"How are we to get in?" asked my father. "Stop, massa cap'n, meholloa," said one of the rowers. "Hi dare, Pedro Manoel, one ob youniggers dare. Some gen'lemen come to see padrone; hurry up an' let demin."
Instead of a black, a youth appeared on the balcony with a rifle in hishand; but seeing us, he waved his hand, and quickly disappeared.
In a short time a small wicket in the palisade, which we had not beforenoticed, was opened, and the same youth appeared, and pointed to somesteps by which we could reach it.
"Who are you?" he asked, as we got up.
"My son and I have come to visit my brother, Nicholas Kearney," said myfather.
"What! are you Uncle Michael, to whom my father wrote some time back?"exclaimed the youth. "He'll be very glad to see you, for he has beendoubting whether you would come." And the speaker, who was, as Irightly conjectured, my cousin Carlos, turning round, shouted up apassage, when several blacks came rushing down, and forthwith beganassisting Tim and me in landing our traps.
Dismissing the boat with a present to the crew, we followed Carlos upthe dark passage which led into the interior of the building. Onreaching the upper floor, we had abundance of light.
"I'll tell my father of your arrival," said Carlos. "It might agitatehim too much if you walked in without being announced. In the meantime,you will find my mother and sisters in yonder room. As the windows lookup the river, they did not perceive your arrival.--Go and tell theladies that Captain Kearney and his son have arrived," said Carlos toone of the blacks, who appeared to be a butler or major-domo.
By this time I had been able to observe my young cousin. His figure wassmall but well built, his features regular, his compl
exion and blackhair showing his Spanish descent. He seemed to be wonderfullyself-possessed, and his manners were those, as far as I could judge, ofa well-bred young gentleman. That Carlos might have time to prepareUncle Nicholas for our arrival, we followed the servant into thesitting-room.
"Who do you say?" asked a voice in Spanish, as the black announced us.
The man had time to repeat what he had said before we advanced. Onentering the room we saw three ladies, the eldest one with aspinning-wheel by her side, the other two, evidently my young cousins,busily plying their needles.
On hearing our names, the two girls, jumping from their seats, hurriedforward to meet us, exclaiming, "Uncle Michael!--Cousin Maurice!" and asthey did so, they