CHAPTER XII.
WHERE THE POINTER WAS.
"Yes, sar, I'm goin' to raise a furse here now, an' I won't be longabout it, nuther. They think I don't amount to nothin' in this yerehouse, but I'll show 'em that I do. Pap bein' away, I had oughter bethe man of the family, an' that leetle Dave shan't crowd me outen theplace, nuther. When he comes back to-night his eyes'll stick out so'ta feller could hang his hat onto 'em. You hear me?"
This was the way Dan Evans talked to himself, as he sat on the benchin front of the door, gazing after his mother and David, as theywalked down the road toward General Gordon's. He was greatly enragedover his failure to steal his brother's ten dollars, and reallythought David had been guilty of a mean piece of business in puttinghis money where it would be safe.
"He hain't went off with that thar shootin'-iron on his shoulder furnothin'," thought Dan. "He's goin' huntin' with them Gordon fellers,and he'll have a nice time an' get somethin' good to eat, while Imust go without my dinner, dog-gone it, kase thar hain't nobody hereto cook it fur me. They don't take half so much notice of me as theywould if I was a pinter dog!"
Dan sat on the bench for half an hour or more, now and then lookingdown the road as if he were waiting for something, and all the whilehis mind was occupied with such thoughts as these. At last the sightof Don Gordon's canoe, which suddenly appeared in the lake, broughthim to his feet and sent him behind the cabin in great haste. It didmore. It recalled to him the fact that his father had told him tosteal that same canoe and bring it to Bruin's Island, together withseveral necessary articles that were to be purchased at Silas Jones'sstore. Dan had not once thought of this since he saw David at thelanding with ten dollars in his hand, and heard the grocer tell himthat his credit was good for six months; but he thought of it themoment he saw the canoe with the hounds curled up in the bow. Hiseyes were sharp enough to see that Don carried his rifle in hishands, and that a heavy shot-gun, which Dan knew belonged to GeneralGordon, leaned over Bert's shoulder. Godfrey's prediction was aboutto be fulfilled. Don was going back to the island to shoot the bearwhich had frightened him and his brother the day before. The thoughtmade Dan almost frantic. He jumped up and knocked his heels together,slapped his hands, dashed his hat upon the ground and made otherdemonstrations indicative of a very perturbed state of mind.
"Pap's in fur it now, an' so am I," said he, in an excited whisper."He'll get his jacket wet swimmin' the bayou to get away from themfellers, if they give him the chance, an' I'll get mine dusted with ahickory, kase I didn't fetch that canoe up thar. I jest wish I knowedwhat to do."
Dan, almost ready to cry with vexation and alarm, watched the canoeuntil it turned into the bayou and passed out of his sight, and thenwent back to the bench and sat down to think about this newdifficulty in which he found himself, and to find a way out of it ifhe could. His father would be compelled to hunt up a new hiding-placenow--there was no way to prevent that--and in order to leave theisland he would probably be forced to swim the bayou, for he wouldhave no time to build a raft. That would, of course, make him angry,and he never could breathe easily again until he had takensatisfaction out of somebody. That somebody Dan knew was certain tobe himself, unless--
"I'll fix him," thought the boy, his face clearing up, as a brightidea came into his mind. "I'll take him the pinter. I was goin' tohide him in the woods somewhar, but pap kin take keer on him as wellas not. Don'll pay a dollar or two to get him back, an' I'll give theole man half. But fust, I must go down to the landin' an' buy themshoes an' tobacker; an' while I'm thar, I'll jest say a good wordto Silas fur myself. I'm a nobody about this yere house, am I? Davewouldn't give me them ten dollars to keep fur him, an' now I'll takesomethin' outen his pocket without sayin' a word to him."
Dan shook his head in a very wise and knowing manner, and went intothe house after his rifle. He did not take it because he expected tofind any game while he was on the way to the landing, but because hehad fallen into the habit of carrying it with him everywhere he wentand felt lonely without it.
Knowing that Don and Bert were not at home, Dan did not go aroundthrough the fields to avoid the General's barn, as he usually did,but boldly followed the road. There were a few idle men hanging aboutthe store, as there almost always were, but none of them appeared tobe doing any trading, and the grocer was ready to attend to Dan'swants at once. The boy bought the articles his father wanted, andhaving pocketed his change, cleared his throat, preparatory to sayinga good word for himself.
"Mr. Jones, if you please, sar, Dave done sent me down here thismornin' to ax you would you give me somethin' fur myself, if youplease, sar--some shoes an' sich like."
"Certainly," replied the grocer, readily, and Dan was surprised tosee that he held out his hand as if he expected to receive something.
"I hain't got no money," said Dan.
"That makes no difference. I don't want any money from David."
"Then I'll take a pair of them amazin' fine lookin' shoes ofyour'n--number nines, please, sar."
"All right. Hand out the order."
"Sar!" exclaimed Dan, opening his eyes.
"Why, if David doesn't come here himself and tell me to give you thethings, he must send a written order."
"Dave, he done told me to git 'em," faltered Dan.
"I don't doubt it; but in order to have things straight, you go homeand get an order for such things as you want and I'll give them toyou."
Dan gathered the articles which he had purchased for his father underone arm, took his rifle under the other, backed slowly away from thecounter and went out of the store. He wasn't quite so smart as hethought he was. His shoes and stockings, and the ammunition for hisrifle, which he thought he was going to get for nothing, were likelyto cost him something after all. It was an easy matter to cheatconfiding fellows like Don and Bert, who were much more familiar withGreek than they were with the way business was conducted, but it wasnot so easy to deceive a man like Silas Jones. Dan was surprisedand disappointed, and of course as angry as he could be. He walkedrapidly along the road with his bundles, under his arm and his rifleon his shoulder, and it was not until he reached home and had sunnedhimself for a few minutes on the bench in front of the door, that hecooled down so that he could think the matter over. But he couldthink to no purpose even then; and after resting a few minuteslonger, he arose and went into the cabin.
He walked straight to the "shake-down" which he and his brotheroccupied, and drew from under the head of it a piece of rope he hadplaced there the night before. With this in his hand he came outagain, and after looking up and down the road, to make sure thatthere was no one in sight, he went around the building to the kennelwhere Don's pointer was confined. The animal came out to meet him,and Dan did not send him back with a kick, as he usually did. He tookoff his collar, and having tied the rope about his neck, buckled thecollar again and threw it on the ground, hoping in this way to giveDavid the impression that his charge had liberated himself. He thenled the dog to the high rail fence which surrounded the lot, assistedhim to climb over it, and left him there in the bushes, while hereturned to the bench after his rifle and bundles. These secured, heclimbed the fence himself, picked up the rope and hurried into thewoods, the pointer trotting along contentedly by his side.
Dan thought he knew just where to go to find his father. The latterwould, of course, be on the lookout for his son, and it wasreasonable to suppose that he would remain somewhere in the vicinityof the island; so Dan followed the course of the bayou, taking careto keep so far away from it that he would not be discovered by anyone who might chance to be passing in a boat, and when he hadapproached close enough to the island to hear the voices of the younghunters and the sound of their axes, he tied the pointer to a tree,deposited his bundles on the ground near by, and with his rifle fora companion crept through the bushes to see what they were doing.
There was no one in sight when he first reached the bank of thebayou, but in a few minutes Bert and David came out of the cane witha rope in
their hands. There were several logs scattered about thebeach, and David made the rope fast to one of them and he and Bertdragged it into the cane. While Dan was wondering what they weregoing to do with the log a twig snapped near him, and he turnedquickly to find his father almost within reach of him.
"Halloo, pap!" said Dan, jumping to his feet and backing into thebushes.
"Whar's the tobacker?" demanded Godfrey, in a subdued tone of voice.
"I've got it. You ain't mad, be you, pap?"
"I ain't so scandalous mad now, but if I could have got my fingersinto your collar about the time I was a shiverin' in my wet clothes,I'd a played 'Far'well to the Star Spangled Banner' on your back witha good hickory, I bet you!"
"'Kase if you be mad 'tain't my fault," continued Dan. "I tried mylevel best to steal the canoe, but couldn't do it. It was locked uptighter'n a brick. I tried to get ten dollars fur you too, pap, but Icouldn't do that nuther; so I brung Don Gordon's pinter along. Swumthe bayou, I reckon, didn't you?"
"I didn't walk acrosst, did I? In course I swum it."
"Your clothes ain't wet!"
"No, 'kase I went back in the woods an' built a fire an' dried 'em.Le's go back thar now, so't we kin talk. We don't want them fellersto hear us."
"What be they doin' over thar, anyhow?" asked Dan.
"They're buildin' a bar trap, looks like. They'll be sartin to ketchone too, 'kase thar's a bar comes thar a'most every night. If I had aboat they wouldn't get much good of him arter they do ketch him."
Dan handed his rifle to his father and went back after the pointerand his bundles; and when he came up again Godfrey led the way towardhis temporary camp. He was gloomy and sullen, and there was anexpression on his face which Dan did not like to see there, for itmade him fear that a storm was brewing. But after they had been a fewminutes in the camp, and Godfrey had filled his pipe and smoked awhiff or two, the scowl faded away and Dan began to breathe easier.
"I've put you in the way to make a dollar, pap," said he, as soonas the soothing effects of the tobacco began to be perceptible. "Ifyou'll take that pinter an' keep him till I call fur him, I'll giveyou half of what Don pays me to get him back."
"I seed you bringin' the dog an' I knowed what you was up to,"replied his father. "But Don don't get him back fur no dollar, I tellyou. That animile is wuth fifty dollars anyhow, an' if Don wants himagin he'll have to plank down five dollars."
"Whew!" whistled Dan. "We're gettin' rich, ain't we? Now, pap, thar'syour shoes an' stockin's, an' thar's the change Silas give me. Youkin put it with what you've got left of your twenty dollars, an'when----O, laws!"
Dan jumped to his feet, opened his mouth and eyes and looked at hisfather in the greatest astonishment. Something he had said seemed toproduce a wonderful effect upon Godfrey. His pipe dropped from hislips, the color all left his face and after sitting silent andmotionless for a moment, he gave utterance to a loud yell, sprang tohis feet and strode about the camp as if he were almost besidehimself.
"What's the matter of you, pap?" Dan ventured to inquire, as soon ashe could find his tongue.
"I hain't got no money at all no more!" Godfrey almost shouted."That's what's the matter of me. It's over thar on the island wharthem fellers is!"
"No!" gasped Dan.
"But I say, yes, it is too!" exclaimed Godfrey. "You see," he added,controlling himself with a great effort, "when I fust seed themfellers comin' up the bayou the sun was kinder shinin' on the water,an' it blinded me so't I thought it was you. I was jest goin' tospeak, when I seed thar was three fellers in the boat; an' afore Icould ax myself what that meant, one of the hounds that Don had withhim set up a yelp. I knowed that meant business, an' it skeared meso't I didn't think of nothin' only how to get off'n that thar islandwithout bein' diskivered. I got off all right, but I left my money inthat thar holler log, an' I never thought of it till this blessedminute."
"Mebbe they won't find it," said Dan.
"Wal, that's a comfortin' thought," returned his father, sighingheavily, as he picked up his pipe, "but luck's agin me. It allers is.Other folks can get along smooth an' easy, but I can toil an' slavean' slave an' toil till--jest look at me," added Godfrey, rising tohis feet again and turning slowly about, so that Dan could have afair view of him. "Ain't this a purty fix fur a man to be in whoowned niggers an' cotton, by the acre only a little while ago? That'sjest what makes me 'spise them Gordons."
"An' that's what makes me 'spise that Dave of our'n," exclaimed Dan."He's gettin' richer every day. He's got ten dollars in greenbackmoney now, an' I done heard Silas Jones tell him that his credit wasgood at the store for six months."
Godfrey opened his eyes when he heard this, and so interested was hein the story Dan had to tell that he forgot his troubles for the timebeing. He seated himself again, and while he was refilling his pipeDan gave him a history of what had happened at the store, and toldhow David had come by the ten dollars. He also described the mannerin which he had tried to obtain possession of it, and told how he hadfailed in his attempt to induce Silas to give him a pair of shoes onthe strength of David's credit. This led to a long discussion betweenthe father and son, during which various plans were laid and one ortwo things determined upon which will probably be revealed in duetime. Dan paid strict attention to all his father said, but he wasglad when the interview was over. Godfrey was almost beside himselfwith fury. Having been unfortunate himself he was enraged to learnthat anybody else was prosperous; and when he heard of David's goodluck he looked and acted so savagely that Dan began to fear for hisown personal safety. He started for home as soon as he could find anexcuse for so doing, and it was not until he was out of sight andhearing of his father's camp that he began to breathe easily.
Dan did not go directly home. He was in no hurry to meet his brother,for he was afraid the latter might have something to say to him aboutthe pointer. He roamed through the woods, and having shot a fewsquirrels, built a fire and roasted and ate them. He stayed in hiscamp until the sun went down and it began to grow dark, and thenshouldered his rifle and reluctantly turned his face toward thecabin. He did not find his brother there, but he came in shortlyafterward, and then Dan found that he had been borrowing trouble, forDavid never said a word to him about the pointer. He told his motherof the loss, and of course she sympathized with him, and offeredevery explanation except the right one. The thief opened his eyes andlooked surprised while they were talking, but neither of them paidany attention to him; and Dan, muttering angrily to himself that hewas nothing more than a crooked stick about that house any way,undressed and went to bed.
Dan passed the next day in his usual idle and shiftless manner. Hesaw David go up to General Gordon's, and would have been glad to knowwhat sort of work he was doing up there, and how much he was toreceive for it. He did not find out that day, but he did the next,and the discovery made him feel like a new boy.
Growing tired of staying by himself, Dan thought he would go down tothe landing, hoping that he would find a shooting-match going onthere, or that a steamer would come in, bringing a stranger or twofor him to stare at. The weather was raw and chilly, too, and Dan'sbare feet were blue with the cold. He must have a pair of shoes andstockings; and since he couldn't get them in any other way, a portionof the money he had hidden in that hollow log in the woods must bebrought into use. Dan took out the necessary amount, and groanedwhen he looked at the small sum he had left.
As soon as the sun had warmed the air a little, Dan shouldered hisrifle and set out. He did not follow the road, as he did before, forthat would take him past the General's barn, and Don and Bert were athome now. He went around through the fields; and it was while he wassitting on a log near General Gordon's fence, watching the onlysquirrel he had seen since leaving home, that he accidentally learnedwhat it was that took David over to Don's house so regularly everymorning, and kept him there all day. He first heard the creaking ofwheels and the sound of voices, and they came from the General'sfield, which was not more than twenty feet distant, a
nd which wasconcealed from his view by the thick bushes that lined the fence. Danrecognised the voices, and his first impulse was to jump up and taketo his heels. His next was to stay where he was until the wagonpassed by, and this he did; for he was in an excellent hiding-placeand no one could have found him without taking pains to look for him.
The wagon came nearer, the voices grew louder, and presently Danheard the shrill notes of a quail directly in front of him and juston the other side of the fence. He paid no attention to the sounduntil the wagon was brought to a stand-still in front of the thicket,and somebody, after working his way into the bushes, called out in acheery voice:
"Here's the first instalment of your hundred and fifty dollars,David!"
These words made Dan so excited that he almost betrayed his presenceby letting his rifle fall out of his hands. He cautiously raisedhimself to a standing position on the log, and looking through thetops of the bushes, listened intently to catch every word that wassaid.