"What in the world did you do that for?" asked Sam.
"Um. Injun got eyes. Sam got no guns. Sam need um. Injun git um. Injun "list agin. Big-hat-red-coat-white man give Injun "nother gun. Injun "list six, seven times, git guns for boys."
"But we don"t want any guns, Thlucco."
"Um. Injun no fool. Sam Jackson man. Injun know. Sam Jackson man. Boys Jackson men. Sam find out things, boys go tell Jackson. Bob go first.
Um. Injun no fool. Injun Jackson man. Injun git guns, heap."
"But what can we do with them when you get them, Thlucco?"
"Um. Injun no fool. May be red coat men spy Sam. Sam caught. Sam want guns. Um. Injun no fool."
Sam saw that it was useless to prolong the conversation. Thlucco was stolidly bent upon doing as he pleased, and the only thing for Sam to do was to take care to conceal the guns from the observation of anybody who might happen to visit the camp.
Thlucco went to town every day and enlisted anew, only to desert with his gun each time. Finally he enlisted twice in one day, and the next day three times, bringing to Sam a gun for each enlistment. By the end of the week Sam had an armory of ten new rifles, with a store of ammunition for each. Thlucco could not count very well, and it required a good deal of persuasion on Sam"s part to induce him to stop enlisting. He was persuaded at last, however, that there were more than enough guns in camp to arm the whole party, and then he consented to remain away from the town.
On the evening of the sixth day of their stay in the fishing camp, the boys were just sitting down to their supper of fried fish, when a familiar voice said:--
"I think you might make room for me."
"Bob Sharp back again, as sure"s we"re here!" exclaimed Billy Bowlegs, and all the boys rose hastily to greet their comrade.
CHAPTER XIX.
SAM SEEKS INFORMATION IN THE DARK.
"Why, Bob, old fellow, how are you?"
"You don"t mean to say you"ve got back agin?"
"How"d you find it in the woods?"
These and a dozen other questions were asked while poor Bob"s hand was wrung nearly off.
"Now, see here," said Bob, "I can"t answer a dozen questions at once.
Besides, I"ve got despatches for the Captain."
"Have you?" asked Sam. "Let me have them, then."
Bob handed Sam an official looking doc.u.ment, which was merely an acknowledgment of his service, a request that he should not abate his diligence, and an instruction to use his own discretion in the conduct of his expedition. Then followed questions and answers innumerable, and the boys learned that General Jackson was in Mobile, without an army, and likely to be without one until the Tennessee volunteers should arrive.
Supper over, Sam quietly informed the boys that he was going into the town, and that he could not say when he should return.
"What"re you a goin" to town this time o" night for?" asked Sid Russell, who was strongly prejudiced against staying awake a moment later than was necessary after the sun went down.
"I"ve laid some plans to get some information," replied Sam, "and I"m going after it," and with that he jumped into the boat, with only Tom for company. In truth, Sam had been in search of the information that he was going after for several days, and he had reason to hope that he might get it on this particular night.
He had already learned that several of the British vessels, now lying in the bay, had sailed away some little time before, and that they had returned on the night before Bob"s arrival. He knew that their voyage must have had some connection with the plans they had laid for operations against the American coast, and he thought if he could discover the nature and purpose of this recent expedition, it would give him a clew to their projects for the future. To accomplish this he had taken many risks while the ships were away, and he was now going to try a new way of getting at facts.
He sailed his boat up to the town, and before landing, said to Tom:--
"When I"m ash.o.r.e, you put off a little way from land and lie-to for an hour or so. When I want you, I"ll come down here to the water"s edge and whistle like a Whip-Will"s Widow. When you hear me, run ash.o.r.e. If I don"t come by midnight, go back to camp, and march at once for Mobile."
"Why can"t I lie here by the sh.o.r.e till you come. You"re going into danger and may need me."
"First, because there are ruffians around here who might put you ash.o.r.e and steal the boat; but secondly, because I don"t want to excite suspicion by having our boat seen around here at night. It"s so dark that n.o.body can recognize her if you lie-to a hundred yards from sh.o.r.e. I"m going into danger, but you can"t help me."
Avoiding further parley, Sam jumped ash.o.r.e, and walked quietly up into the town, through the main street, until he came to a house built after the Spanish model, with a rickety stair-way outside. Up this stair-way he climbed, and when he had reached the top he pushed the door open and entered. He found himself in a dark pa.s.sage, but by feeling he presently discovered a door. As he opened it he said:--
"It"s a dark night."
"Is it dark?" answered a voice from within.
"It is very dark."
All this appeared to be merely a pre-arranged signal, for it had no sooner been uttered than the owner of the voice within, who seemed satisfied of Sam"s ident.i.ty, struck a light, with flint and steel, and carefully closed the door.
The man was apparently a dark mulatto, and his hair was matted about his head as if with some glutinous substance.
"You sent me this note?" asked Sam.
"Yes, I gave it to the Injun. He said you"d help me."
There was a brogue in the man"s voice, very slight,--too slight, indeed, to be represented in print,--and yet it was perceptible, and it attracted Sam"s attention. Perhaps he would scarcely have noticed it but for the fact that all his senses were keenly on the alert. He was not at all sure that he was acting prudently in visiting this man.
He had no knowledge whatever of the man, except that Thlucco had somehow found him and arranged a meeting. Thlucco had brought Sam a sc.r.a.p of dirty paper, on which were traced in a scarcely legible scrawl, these words:--
"Your man must say, "It"s a dark night!" I"ll say, "Is it dark." We will know each other then."
In delivering this note, with directions as to the method of finding the man, Thlucco had said:--
"Injun no fool. Injun know m"latter man. M"latter man tell Sam heap.
Sam take m"latter man way."
By diligent questioning, Sam had made out that this man had knowledge of affairs in the British camp which he was willing to sell for some service that Sam could do him.
Sam was not sure of Thlucco. His knowledge of the Indian character did not predispose him to trust Indian professions of friendship, and he strongly suspected treachery of some sort here. He thought it possible that this was only a scheme to entrap his secret and himself, and he had gone to the conference determined to be on his guard, and in the event of trouble, to use the stout cudgel which he carried as vigorously as possible.
"If we are to talk," he said to the man, "you must come with me."
The man hesitated, afraid, apparently, of treachery.
"I do not know you," he said, "and the Indian may have lied."
"Listen to me," said Sam in reply, "I do not know you, and the Indian may have lied to me. Yet I have trusted myself here in the dark. You must trust something to me. Go with me, and when we have talked together for an hour, if you wish to return here, I pledge you my word of honor, as a gentleman"s son, to bring you back safely. If you will not go with me, we may as well part at once. I positively will not say another word, I"m going. Follow me in silence, or stay here, as you please."