Nic said nothing, but began to walk on towards the house by his companion"s side, anxiously watching the two women the while, in the full expectation that they would retreat and shut the door against their visitors.
But neither stirred, and the fugitives were half-way to the house, when suddenly there was a growl and a rush.
"Knives, Master Nic," cried Pete, for three great dogs came charging from the back of the low shed which had given the slaves shelter on their journey up the river. The dogs had evidently been basking in the sunshine till they had caught sight of the strangers, and came on baying furiously.
Nic followed his companion"s example and drew his knife, feeling excited by the coming encounter; but before the dogs reached them the two women came running from the door, crying out angrily at the fierce beasts, whose loud barking dropped into angry growls as they obeyed the calls of their mistresses--the younger woman coming up first, ap.r.o.n in hand, to beat off the pack and drive them before her, back to one of the out-buildings, while her mother remained gazing compa.s.sionately at the visitors.
"Thank you," said Nic, putting back his knife. "Your dogs took us for thieves. We are only beggars, madam, asking for a little bread."
"Have you--have you escaped from up yonder?" said the woman, sinking her voice.
"Yes," said Nic frankly. "I was forced away from home for no cause whatever. I am trying to get back."
"It is very shocking," said the woman sadly, as her daughter came running up breathlessly. "Some of the men they have there are bad and wicked, and I suppose they deserve it; but Ann and I felt so sorry for you when you came that night months ago. You seemed so different."
"You remember us, then?" said Nic, smiling sadly.
"Oh yes," cried the younger woman eagerly. "But they are hungry, mother. Bring them up to the house; I"ve shut-in the dogs."
"I don"t know what your father would say if he knew what we did," said the woman sadly. "It"s against the law to help slaves to escape."
"It isn"t against the law to give starving people something to eat, mother."
"It can"t be; can it, dear?" said the woman. "And we needn"t help them to escape."
"No," said Pete; "we can manage that if you"ll give us a bit o" bread.
I won"t ask for meat, missus; but if you give us a bit, too, I"d thank you kindly."
"Bring them up, mother," said the girl; "and if father ever knows I"ll say it was all my fault."
"Yes; come up to the house," said the elder woman. "I can"t bear to see you poor white men taken for slaves."
"G.o.d bless you for that!" cried Nic, catching at the woman"s hand; but his action was so sudden that she started away in alarm.
"Oh mother!" cried the girl; "can"t you see what he meant?"
The woman held out her hand directly, and Nic caught it. The next moment he had clasped the girl"s hands, which were extended to him; but she s.n.a.t.c.hed them away directly with a sob, and ran into the house, while the mother bade the pair sit down on a rough bench to rest.
The girl was not long absent; but when she returned with a big loaf and a piece of bacon her eyes looked very red.
"There," she said, setting the provisions before them; "you"d better take this and go, in case father should come back and see you. Don"t, please, tell us which way you"re going, and we won"t look; for we shouldn"t like to know and be obliged to tell. Oh!"
The girl finished her speech with a cry of horror; for how he had approached no one could have said, but the planter suddenly came up with a gun over his shoulder, and stood looking on as, with a quick movement, Pete s.n.a.t.c.hed at the loaf and thrust it under one arm.
"Hullo!" said the man quietly as he looked from one to the other; "where are the dogs?"
"I shut "em up, father, so as they shouldn"t hurt these two poor men."
"An" s"pose these two poor men wanted to hurt you; what then?"
"But they didn"t, father," said the girl, as the mother stood shivering.
"They were hungry, and only wanted something to eat."
"Yes, that"s right, master," said Pete stoutly. "We shouldn"t hurt no one."
"Let"s see," said the planter; "I"ve seen you both before. My neighbour brought you up months ago."
"Yes," said Nic firmly; "but he had no right to detain us as slaves."
"Humph! S"pose not," said the planter, glancing sharply from one to the other. "So you"re both runaways?"
"We are trying for our liberty," replied Nic, who was well upon his guard; but the man"s reply disarmed him.
"Well, it"s quite nat"ral," said the planter, with a chuckle. "Hot work hoeing the rows, eh? Took the boat, I s"pose, and rowed down?"
"Yes," said Pete gruffly.
"Hungry too, eh?"
"Yes," said Pete again.
"Course you would be. Quite nat"ral. They"ve give you a bit to eat, I see. Well, then, you"d better come and sit down out o" the sun and eat it, and then be off, for your overseer won"t be long before he"s down here after you. He"s a sharp un, Master Saunders, aren"t he?"
"Yes; he"s sharp enough," said Pete quietly.
"He"ll be down after you with his dogs, and then, if he catches you, there"ll be a big row and a fight, and I don"t want nothing o" that sort, my lads. Come on, and bring your bread and meat in here.--Ann, my gal, get "em a pitcher o" cool, fresh water."
"Yes, father," said the girl; and, as the planter turned off to lead the way, Nic caught the la.s.s"s eyes; for she began to make quick movements of her lips, and her eyes almost spoke as she pointed towards the river and signed to them to go.
Nic gave her an intelligent nod, and followed Pete after the planter into the great, barn-like place which had been their prison for the night when they were there before; but as he pa.s.sed the door he noticed the great wooden bar turning upon a bolt, and fully realised that the girl"s signs were those of warning, for treachery was meant.
"Nice and cool in here," said the man. "Sit ye down on the corn-husks there. My gal will soon be back with the water; and I wouldn"t be long, if I were you, in case Master Saunders should come down the river, for when he asked me if you two was here I couldn"t tell a lie about it, could I?"
"No," growled Pete. "That would be a pity."
"Ay; it would. But he"d know you was both here by the boat. Where did you tie it up?"
"Just at the bottom there, by the trees," said Nic, to whom these words were addressed.
"Ah, "tis the best place," said the man, halting by the door, and standing aside to make room for the young men to pa.s.s. "In with you.
It"s better than being in the hot sun. Seems a bit dark; but it"s cooler to have your dinner there. Well," he continued, "why don"t you go in? The dogs are not here."
"Because it looks like a trap, sir," said Nic firmly. "Do you want to shut us up there, and keep us prisoners till your neighbour comes?"
"Yes, I do," cried the planter fiercely as he stepped back, and with one motion brought down and c.o.c.ked his piece, which he presented at the young man"s breast. "In with you both, or I"ll shoot you like dogs!"
He raised his gun to his shoulder and drew the trigger; but it was too late. Nic had sprung forward, striking up the barrel; and, as the mother and daughter shrieked aloud from the house door, there was a sharp report, which set the dogs baying furiously from the shed in which they were fastened.