CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.
A LURKING PERIL.
In obedience to the order which had despatched them, the twowell-trained bloodhounds of the overseer tore on till they were about tobound upon the prisoners, when a sharp, shrill whistle arrested theirrush on the instant, and they stopped, growling fiercely, their whiteteeth menacing, and their eyes red, as with a smouldering fire.
The next moment a different note was blown from a distance, a shrill,chirruping note which made the dogs turn and bark. Then one of them setoff at a steady trot, while the other, as if its duty were done,approached Nic in the most friendly way, with its tail waving from sideto side.
The whistle chirruped again, and the dog gave vent to a sharp bark, asmuch as to say, "All right, I'm coming--" and bounded after itscompanion.
"Well, we're out of that job, Master Nic. I did wonder at that dogcoming at you zo fierce."
"Set at me, Pete," said Nic quietly, "and education was stronger thannature. Keep on working now, and pray let me do my hoeing myself."
Pete grunted, and was silent, as he chopped away with his hoe till ahorn was blown up at the house, when the tools were shouldered, and, hotand weary, the two companions trudged back to their barrack, to partakeof their evening meal together, Humpy Dee and his party sitting quitealoof, for the feud was stronger than ever.
From that day a change seemed to have come over Nic. It was partly dueto the feeling of returning health, but as much to his growing belief inPete's sincerity, and to the conviction that under the fellow's roughshell there was an earnest desire to serve him and help him to escapefrom his terrible position.
The despondency to which he had given way seemed cowardly now, and asthe days rolled on he worked as one works who is determined to make thebest of his position. All the same, though, he joined heart and soulwith Pete in the plans made for getting away.
Drawn closer together as they were now, the subject was more and morediscussed, and in the long talks they had in whispers of a night, theycould not help dwelling on the difficulties they would have to encountereven if they did manage to escape.
"But we will, Master Nic; you zee if we don't. They both talk aboutshooting us, and that zets me up. I don't want to hurt anybody; butwhen a man zays he's going to fire at me as if I was a wild beast, Idon't feel to mind what I do to him. Don't you be downhearted; we shalldo it yet."
"But," said Nic, "it is the getting taken in a ship if we manage to findour way to the coast."
"If we find our way? We've on'y to get that boat. The river will showus the way down to the zea; and as to getting away then, all we've gotto do is to try and find a ship that wants men."
"They will not take us, Pete; we shall be looked upon as criminals."
"Not if the skipper wants men," said Pete, laughing softly. "Long as aman can work hard, and is strong, and behaves himself, he won't ask anyquestions."
The time went on, and there seemed to be no likelihood of any captainasking questions; for in spite of keeping a sharp watch, neither Nic norPete could obtain the information they wanted. The boat seemed todisappear in the most mysterious way after being used by the settler orhis overseer, and Nic grew more and more puzzled, and said so to hiscompanion.
"Yes, it gets over me zometimes, Master," said Pete; "but one has nochance. You see, there's always people watching you. It aren't as ifit were on'y the masters and the dogs, and the niggers who are ready todo anything to please old Zaunders; there's old Humpy Dee and theothers. Humpy's always on the lookout to do me a bad turn; and he hatesyou just as much. He's always thinking we're going to get away, and hemeans to stop it."
"And this all means," said Nic, with a sigh, "that we must be content tostay as we are."
"Don't mean nothing o' the kind," said Pete shortly. "It's a niceenough place, and there's nothing I should like better than staying herea bit, if we could go about the river and swamp and woods, fishing andshooting, and hunting or trapping; but one gets too much zun on one'sback, and when it's always chopping weeds with a hoe, and the weeds growfaster than you can chop, one gets tired of it. Pretty country, MasterNic; most as good as home, only zun is a bit too warm."
Nic sighed.
"That's 'cause you wants to write letters and get 'em sent, Master Nic,I know; but don't you worry 'bout that. You can't send letters herelike you do at home, so it aren't no use to worry about what you can'tdo. Worry 'bout finding the boat, dear lad; that's better thanletters."
"I have worried about it," said Nic, "but it is of no use till we get achance to go and wander about to try and discover where it is kept."
"And that the skipper and old Zaunders won't let us do, you zee," saidPete quietly. "They're a wicked pair, both on 'em. Might let us loosea bit on Zundays; but not they. Zunday and week-days all the zame.They've got us, and they mean to have their penn'orth out on us. Neverthought as I should have all my strength turned into sugar for some oneelse to eat. There, work away; old Humpy's watching us, and he'll goand tell the skipper we're hatching eggs."
Nic smiled, for his companion's good temper and patience werecontagious, but he could not repress a sigh from time to time as hethought of home; and the beauty of the country, the waving fields oftasselled Indian-corn or beautiful sugar-cane, with the silver riverbeyond, the glorious slopes leading up to the distant blue mountains,and the gloomy, green, mysterious attraction of the swampy forestenhancing its attractions to an explorer, did not compensate for theabsence of liberty, though Nic was fain to confess that the plantationwould have been a glorious place for a few months' visit.
The blacks were not friendly, as Nic soon found; but he attributed it tothe stern orders they had received; but now and then one or another madea little advance, by offering, on the sly, fish or flesh in the shape ofbird or 'possum which he had caught or trapped during the moonlightnights. For Saunders seemed to pay no heed to the black slaves slippingaway of a night on some excursion.
"'Nuff to make a man wish for a kettle o' tar, or a pot o' black paint,"said Pete one day. "What for, sir? Just to put on a coat of it, andchange the colour of one's skin. They'd treat us better than they do.Makes me wish I was a nigger for a bit, so long as I could wash whitewhen I got away."
"Master Nic," said Pete one night when they were alone in their bunks,"I aren't going to share that bit o' 'possum."
"What bit of 'possum?" asked Nic, as he lay listening to the low murmurarising from where Humpy Dee was talking to his fellow-prisoners, whowere all chewing some tobacco-leaf which the former had managed tosecrete.
"Why, you know; that bit old Zamson give me, wrapped up in one o' thembig leaves."
"Oh yes; I had forgotten. Eat it, then; I don't mind."
"Likely, aren't it?" grumbled Pete. "Good as it smells, for them blackfellows do know how to cook a thing brown and make it smell nice. Can'tyou zee what I mean?"
"No."
"Want it for the dogs. I'm going to slip off after that boat as soon asit's a bit later."
"Impossible, Pete. Don't try; you'll be shot at. There is sure to beone of the blacks outside the door with a musket."
"Let him stop there, then. I aren't going by the door."
"How, then?"
"Climb up here to where I've got a couple o' them split wooden tiles--shingles, as they call 'em--loose."
"But you can't climb up there."
"Can't I? Oh yes, my lad. There's them knot-holes, and I've got somepegs cut as fits into 'em, ready to stand on. I can get up easyenough."
"But the dogs?"
"Well, I smuggled a knife and sharpened it up, and it's tied to my legin a sheath I made out of a bit o' bamboo cane."
"But it would be madness to fight the poor brutes, and the noise wouldbring out Saunders with a gun."
"Just what I thought, my lad," said Pete, laughing softly; "so I went onthe other tack this month past."
"I don't understand you, Pete."
"I'll tell you, then, my lad," said Pete softly.
"I made up my mind toget you back to the old country, and the on'y way to do it seems to beto make friends."
"Make friends?"
"That's it. Way that big dog, Gripper, took to you zet me thinking. Ifhe was zet at you he'd lay hold, 'cause he's been taught to obey orders.He wouldn't want to, no more than a soldier might want to shoot a man;but if it was orders he'd do it. Well, I've thought a deal about themdogs, and dogs is dogs--eh, Master Nic?"
"Of course," said the young man, smiling to himself.
"And dogs has got zweet tooths, Master Nic; on'y the sugar they likes isa bit o' salt."
"You mean you wanted that piece of roast 'possum to give the dogs ifthey came at you."
"That's right, Master Nic. If old Zaunders was shouting 'em on, theywouldn't take no notice of the meat; but if he waren't there they'd befriends at once, and eat it. So I'm ready for 'em if they comes afterme."
"And you're going to try if you can find where they keep the boatto-night?"
"_Sn-n-n-ork_!" said Pete, pinching his arm, and as the deep, low,snoring went on, Nic grasped the reason.
For there was a faint rustling of the dry corn-leaves, which stopped,and went on again in the utter darkness, while beyond it the low murmurof talking continued.
"The talking kept on to cover Humpy's movements," thought Nic. "He hasheard us, and is coming to listen."
Pete snored again, moved uneasily, and began to mutter in a low tone:
"Couldn't throw Humpy Dee?" he said. "Let you see. Better wrastlerthan him. _Snore--snurrk_!"
The rustling ceased, and then went on again.
"Where's that there moog o' zyder, lads?" muttered Pete in a dull,stupid way. "Where's the huff-cap?"
Then he smacked his lips, and said "Hah!" softly, turned himself over,yawned, and began to snore, keeping it up steadily, while the rustlingwent on; but it sounded now as if the man who made it was retiring.
Nic listened, with every nerve on the strain, while Pete kept on thesnoring, and a minute later he made out clearly enough that Humpy Deehad returned to his companions, and distinctly heard the change in theconversation, as the man whispered the result of his investigation.
Pete's snore was lower now, and sounded as if it would last; but it didnot, for the next moment Nic was conscious that his comrade was leaningover him; a pair of lips touched his ear, and a voice whispered:
"He thinks he's clever, but we can be too sharp for him."
"Don't talk any more," whispered Nic softly, "or he'll come back."
"Right," said Pete, and the snoring recommenced. And as Nic lay therein the darkness, thinking over his companion's words, and feeling thatit would have been madness to have made any attempt to leave thebarrack-like shed, with watchful enemies both within and without, andthe certainty in his mind that Humpy Dee's intention was to betray Peteso as to get him flogged for attempting to escape, the snoring went on,with a strange lulling effect. He had toiled hard that day in theburning sunshine, and had lain down after his supper with that pleasantsensation of weariness which comes to the healthy and strong; and he hadbeen feeling a glow of satisfaction and thankfulness for the fullrecovery of all his faculties, when Pete had spoken as he did. It wasnot surprising, then, that the heavy breathing of his companion shouldhave the effect it had, and that, just when he was in the midst ofpleasant thoughts of the possibility of escape, he should suddenly passfrom extreme wakefulness into deep sleep, in which he saw the red cliffsof Devon again, with the sparkling sea, and listened to the soft murmurof the falls low down in the combe. Back home once more.
Then he opened his eyes with a start.
"I've been asleep," he said to himself, as he listened to Pete's heavybreathing; "not for many minutes, though," he mused; and then hewondered and stared, for he could see the cracks and knot-holes of thewooden building against the grey dawn of the rapidly-coming day.
"Why, I must have been asleep for hours and hours!" he mentallyejaculated.
Proof came the next moment that it must have been eight hours at least,for the dull booming bellow of the great conch shell blown by one of theblacks rang out, and Pete started up in his bunk to stare at Nic and rubhis calf softly.
"Had a good night, Pete?" said the lad.
"Tidy," said the man softly; "but one o' the dogs had me by the leg."
"What! Surely you didn't go?"
"Ay, but I did. He let go, though, when he smelt the roast meat. Smeltbetter than raw."
"Pete!" ejaculated Nic, in his surprise.
"Now then, rouse up, all on you," shouted Humpy Dee, "or they'll besending in the dogs for us, and the cat for some one else."
"Oh," thought Nic, as a pang of agony shot through him; "that wretchmust have been on the watch."