At last came the order for a fresh change of rowers, and four of the captives went climbing over the thwarts, with their irons clanking and striking against the seats as they took their places, all being men who had been accustomed to the handling of an oar.
Nic took advantage of the noise to sink upon his knees beside Humpy in the bottom of the boat to try if he could not do something for him; he was no longer the hated, brutal ruffian, but a suffering fellow-creature. As Nic felt about in the dark he found that the man had somehow shifted his position and slightly rolled over, so that his face was partly in the water which had collected for want of baling; and doubtless, in his helpless, semi-insensible state, but for Nic"s efforts, Humpy Dee"s career would after all have been at an end.
It was only a fresh instance of how strangely we are all dependent upon one another, and the way in which enemies perform deeds which they themselves would previously have looked upon as impossible. And without doubt big, brutal Humpy Dee would have stared in wonder, could he have opened his eyes in daylight, to see what took place in the pitch-darkness--to wit, the feeble, suffering young man, whom he had struck down and tried to drown in the Devon salmon-pool, kneeling in the wash-water, making a pillow of his knees for his companion"s rough, coa.r.s.e head.
Still, for hours this was Nic"s position, while the boat was rowed by the white slaves along the winding river, until another change was made, the blacks taking the oars, when Pete, being the first of the rowers to come back to his seat, found what had taken place, and insisted upon relieving Nic of his task.
"On"y to think of it, zur," he said; "on"y to think o" your doing o"
that, and you so bad!"
Nic said nothing, but had to be helped back to his seat, the position he had occupied having cramped him; and then once more he sat gazing at the great black wall opposite to him as the blacks sent the boat along, till suddenly, about midnight, there was heard a deep bark from somewhere ash.o.r.e.
The three dogs, which had been curled up asleep, sprang to their feet and answered in chorus, when another chorus rose from the right and came nearer and nearer. Then the black wall on the same side dropped away, and amidst the baying of the great hounds the boat"s speed was slackened, and it was turned into a narrow creek. Here the oars were laid in, and progress was continued for about a hundred yards by a couple of the blacks poling the boat along towards a light which suddenly appeared, the bearer hailing and coming alongside to begin talking to the overseer.
It was dark enough still; but another lanthorn was brought, the prisoners were ordered to step out, and were then marched to a barn-like place, where, as they entered a door, Nic felt the soft rustling of Indian-corn leaves beneath his feet.
"In with you, boys," cried the overseer; and the three dogs, and the others which had saluted them, scampered in. "Watch "em, boys, and give it to them if they try to get away. There, lie down."
The man held up the lanthorn he had taken as he spoke, and Nic saw that seven of the great hounds settled themselves in a heap of leaves close to the door, while quite a stack was close to where he was standing with his companions.
"There"s your bed, my lads," cried the overseer. "You heard what I said. Lie down, all of you, at once. There will be a sentry with a musket outside, and you can guess what his orders are."
The man strode out; the door was banged to, there was the noise of a big bar being thrown across and the rattling of a padlock, followed by the clink of fetters as their wearers lay down in the heap of sweet-smelling corn-stalks and leaves; and for a few moments no one spoke.
Nic had sunk down in the darkness, glad to be in a restful posture, and began to wonder whether Humpy Dee had been carried in by the blacks, for he had been one of the first to leave the boat, and had seen hardly anything by the light of the lanthorns.
"Poor wretch!" he sighed. "I hope he is not dead."
Just then one of the other men said, in the broad Devon burr:
"Zay, lads, bean"t they going to give uz zum"at to eat?"
"Brakfus-time," said another. "Zay, Humpy, how is it with ye? Not thuzty, are you? Oughtn"t to be, after all that water."
"I"m going to make zumun pay for all this," came in the man"s familiar growl. "Why didn"t you get hold o" me and pull me in? Zet o" vools.
Had your chance; and we might ha" got away."
"Why, it was all your fault," said another. "We was waitin" for you.
What did you go and stop zo long under water for?"
"Did I?" said Humpy confusedly.
"Course you did. We was too good mates to go and leave you behind."
There was a heavy bang at the door, as if from the b.u.t.t of a musket, and the dogs leaped up and began to growl.
"Lie down, boys," cried a thick voice, the words sounding as if spoken through a big keyhole. "An" I say, you chaps, look heah; de ma.s.sa say you make a row in dah I got to shoot."
"All right, blackie," said one of the prisoners; "don"t shoot.
Good-night, boys. I"m going to sleep."
Just at that moment Nic started, for there was a snuffling noise close to him, the leaves rustled, and he felt the hot breath of one of the dogs on his face.
But it was a friendly visit, for the great brute turned round two or three times to trample down the dense bed of leaves, and settled itself into a comfortable curve, with its big head upon the poor fellow"s chest, making Nic wonder whether it was the dog which had been friendly before.
He risked it: raising his hand, he laid it gently between the animal"s soft ears, and there was a low muttering sound that was a big sigh of satisfaction, not a growl; and Nic felt as if the companionship of the dog was pleasant in his terrible loneliness and despair. It was warm and soothing, too, and seemed like the beginning of something hopeful-- he knew not what. Then he began to think of home, and a sensation of prayerful thankfulness came over him as he felt that his head was growing clearer. The next minute all trouble, pain, and weariness were forgotten in a deep and dreamless sleep.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.
REACHING THE PLANTATION.
A deep growl and a loud burst of barking roused Nic Revel from his deep sleep, free from fever, calm and refreshed, to lie listening to the dogs, wondering what it all meant.
The sun was up, and horizontal rays were streaming in between ill-fitting boards and holes from which knots had fallen consequent upon the shrinking of the wood. There was a feeling of cool freshness in the air, too, that was exhilarating; but for a few moments Nic could not make out where he was.
Then the slight confusion pa.s.sed away, as he heard the rustling of leaves, and turned to see his companions stirring and yawning, while at the same moment a dog"s great head was b.u.t.ted at him as if its owner were a playful sheep, and it then drew back, swinging its tail slowly from side to side.
The next minute the heavy bar was swung down, the great padlock rattled, and the door was drawn open, to let in a flood of light, followed by the two blacks who had fitted on the irons, but who now bore a huge loaf of bread and a pitcher of water; while two more blacks, each shouldering a musket, closed in behind them, to stand as if framed in the doorway.
"Heah, jump up," cried the big smith. "Make has"e; eat your brakfas"
"fore you go to de boat."
As he spoke he turned an empty barrel with its head upward, banged the loaf down upon it, drew a knife from its sheath in his belt, and counted the prisoners over with the point of the blade. He then drew a few imaginary lines upon the top of the loaf, paused to rub his woolly head with the haft, looking puzzled and as if cutting the loaf into as many pieces as there were prisoners bothered him, and ended by making a dash at his task.
He cut the loaf in half, then divided it into quarters, and went on working hard as he made these eighths, and finally sixteenths.
By this time the top of the barrel was covered.
"Now, den, "tan" in a row," he cried importantly.
The men scowled, but they were hungry, and obeyed, the black sticking the point of his knife into the chunks he had cut, and handing a piece to each in turn, beginning with Humpy Dee, who did not seem any the worse for his immersion, and ending with Nic.
After this he began again with Humpy, went down the line again, and had begun for the third time when it suddenly struck him that there would not be enough to go round, and he s.n.a.t.c.hed the piece back.
Humpy Dee uttered a furious growl, and made a step forward to recover it; but the big black presented the point of the knife at him and shouted:
"Ah, what dat? You back, sah, "fore set de dog at you."
Humpy growled like one of the beasts, and resumed his place in the line, and the black went on calmly dividing the remaining pieces, distributed them, and called up the dogs to catch what remained.
The water was then pa.s.sed round, the blacks went off leaving the sentries in position, and the prisoners sat amongst the Indian-corn leaves, to eat their breakfast ravenously enough.
Before they had finished, the barking of the dogs announced the coming of the overseer, who came in, whip in hand, to run his eye over his prisoners, nodding his satisfaction as he saw that he was not going back minus any of them, and went out again.
Then, as Nic sat eating the remainder of his bread, the entry was darkened a little, and he saw a couple of women peer in--one a middle-aged, comely body, the other a young girl.
There was a pitying expression upon their faces; and, obeying a sudden impulse, Nic stood up to go to speak to them, for it seemed to him that his chance had come. But at his first movement Humpy Dee leaped up, with his fetters clinking, to intercept him, a sour look upon his face, and the frightened women ran away.