CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
HUMPY DEE'S LITTLE THREATS.
However much he might have been disposed to make a fresh appeal on hiscompanion's behalf, Pete had no opportunity; for, upon the boat beingrun alongside of a roughly-made wharf, he and the others were hurriedout and marched away to a kind of warehouse, and the care of them handedover to some people in authority, by whom they were shut-in, glad of thechange from the broiling sun outside to the cool gloom of the interior,lit only by a grated window high up above the door, from which the raysstreamed across the open roof, leaving the roughly-boarded floor indarkness.
After a few minutes the eyes became accustomed to the gloom, and the menseated themselves upon the empty chests and barrels lying about, Petesecuring one for Nic, who sat down mechanically, with his head thrownback so that he could gaze at the light. Pete contented himself withthe rough floor, where he half-lay, listening to his companions inmisfortune, half-a-dozen yards away, as they talked over their positionand wondered where they were to go--to a man keeping aloof from Pete,the traitor they accredited with bringing them to their present state.
The men were better informed than Pete had been, his stay in companywith Nic and the dislike in which he was held by his old companionshaving kept him in ignorance of facts which they had picked up from thesailors. And now Pete gradually grasped in full that of which he hadpreviously only had an inkling--that the pick of the prisoners had beenreserved for man-o'-war's-men, those who were considered unsuitablehaving been reserved for handing over to the colonists. This was inaccordance with a custom dating as far back as the days of Cromwell, theProtector being accredited with ridding himself of troublesome prisonersby shipping them off to the plantations as white slaves, most of themnever to return.
"Well," said Humpy Dee aloud, in the course of conversation, "I supposeit means work."
"Yes," said another; "and one of the Jacks told me you have to hoesugar-cane and tobacco and rice out in the hot sun, and if you don't doenough you get the cat."
"If any one tries to give me the lash," growled Humpy, "he'll getsomething he won't like."
"They'll hang you or shoot you if you try on any games, old lad," saidanother of the men.
"Maybe, if they can," said Humpy, with a laugh. "Perhaps we may be toomany for them. I mean to take to the woods till I can get taken off bya ship."
"Ah, who knows?" said another. "I aren't going to give up. Place don'tlook so bad. See that river as we come up here?"
"Of course," growled Humpy.
"Well, I dare say there'll be salmon in it, same as there is at home."
"Tchah!" cried Humpy; "not here. This is foreign abroad man. You'llget no salmon now."
"Well, any fish'll do," said another of the men. "The place don't lookbad, and anything's better than being shut down below them decks.'Nough to stifle a man. I know what I'm going to do, though, along withthem as like to join me."
"You're going to do what I tells you," said Humpy Dee sourly; "I'm goingto be head-man here; and if you don't you'll find yourself wishing youhadn't been born."
The man growled something in an undertone, and Humpy made an offer athim as if to strike, causing his companion in misfortune to flinch backto avoid the expected blow.
"Look here, boys," said Humpy; "if every one here's going to try to dothings on his own hook we shall do nothing, so what you've got to do isto stick by me. We're not going to be sold here like a gang o' blackslaves."
"But we are sold," said the man who had shrunk away.
"Never mind that; we're not going to work, then," said Humpy. "We'regoing to slip off into the woods, get to that there river, and dosomething better than spear or bale out salmon. We're going to take thefirst boat we see and get round to the coast, and then keep along tillwe find a ship to take us off."
"Well, that's what I meant," said the other man.
"Then you'll be all right," said Humpy.
So far, without paying attention, Pete had heard every word, and hisblood began to course faster through his veins at the thought ofescaping and helping Nic back to his friends; but, though he strovehard, not another word reached his ears; for Humpy leaned forward andbegan speaking in a hoarse whisper, his companions bending towards him,as he said with a peculiar intensity:
"We've got to get back home, lads, and not stop here to rot in the sunto make money for whoever's bought us; but there's something to dofirst."
"What?" said one of the men, for Humpy Dee had stopped and sat in thegloom, glaring savagely at the farther side of the place.
"Wait, and you'll hear," was the reply; and there was another pause,during which Nic uttered a low, weary sigh, and let himself fallsideways, so that his head sank in Pete's lap, and, utterly exhausted,he dropped off to sleep.
"You know how it all was," Humpy went on at last. "I aren't going toname no names, but some 'un was jealous-like o' me, and wanting to takethe lead always; and, when he found he couldn't, he goes and blabs tothe young master yonder. Well, we're not going to take him back--we'venot going to tell him how we're going to do it."
"Have told him. Spoke loud enough," said the man who had received therebuff.
Humpy leaned towards him, and with a peculiar, savage air, said in ahusky whisper:
"Look here, mate; there's only room for one to lead here. If you aren'tsatisfied you can go and sit along with them two and sham sick, likePete Burge has all through the voyage."
"Well, don't bite a man's head off," said the other. "Who wants tolead?"
"You do, or you wouldn't talk like a fool. Think I'm one, mates?--thinkI'm going to do as I said, and let him go and blab, so as to get intofavour here? That's just what I don't mean to do."
"Then what are you going to do?" said his fellow-prisoner; but for a fewmoments Humpy only glared at him without speaking. At last, though, hewhispered:
"I mean for us to go off together and get free; and as for some oneelse, I mean for us all to give him something to remember us by afore wego."