[Ill.u.s.tration: "Never had he tasted such a heavenly banquet."]
"This is a peaceful place," said Cardross, narrowing eyes watching the lake through the haze of his pipe. "I almost hate to disturb it with a gun-shot; but if we stay here we"ve got to eat." And, turning toward the guides" table where they lounged over their after-dinner pipes: "Coacochee, my little daughter has never shot a wild turkey. Do you think she had better try this evening or go after the big duck?"
"Pen-ni-chah," said the Seminole quietly.
"He says, "turkey-gobbler,"" whispered Shiela to Hamil; ""pen-nit-kee"
is the word for _hen_ turkey. Oh, I _hope_ I have a chance. You"ll pair with me, won"t you?"
"Of course."
Cardross, listening, smiled. "Is it yelping or roosting, Little Tiger?"
"Roost um pen-ni-chah, aw-tee-tus-chee. I-hoo-es-chay."
"He says that we can roost them by and by and that we ought to start now," whispered the girl, slightly excited. "Dad, Mr. Hamil has never shot a wild turkey--"
"Neither have I," observed her father humourously.
"Oh, I forgot! Well, then--why can"t we all--"
"Not much! No sitting in swamps for me, but a good, clean, and easy boat in the saw-gra.s.s. Gray, are you going after ducks with me or are you going to sit with one hopeful girl, one credulous white man, and one determined red man on a sh.e.l.l heap in a bog and yawn till moonrise?
Ducks? Sure! Well, then, we"d better be about it, my son."
The guides rose laughing, and went about their duties, Carter and Bulow to clean up camp, Eudo Stent with Cardross, senior and junior, carrying guns and sh.e.l.l cases down to the landing where the boats lay; and Shiela and Hamil to mount the two fresh led-horses and follow the Seminole into the forest.
"Shame on your laziness, dad!" said Shiela, as Cardross looked after her in pretended pity; "anybody can shoot ducks from a boat, but it takes real hunters to stalk turkeys! I suppose Eudo loads for you and Gray pulls the triggers!"
"The turkey you get will be a water-turkey," observed Cardross; "or a fragrant buzzard. Hamil, I"m sorry for you. I"ve tried that sort of thing myself when younger. I"m still turkeyless but wiser."
"You"d better bring Eudo and let us help you to retrieve yourself!"
called back Shiela.
But he refused scornfully, and she waved them adieu; then, settling in her stirrups, turned smilingly to Hamil who brought his horse alongside.
"Dad is probably right; there"s not much chance for us this way. But if there is a chance Little Tiger will see that we get it. Anyway, you can try the ducks in the morning. You don"t mind, do you?"
He tried to be prudent in his reply.
CHAPTER XII
THE ALLIED FORCES
Through the glades the sun poured like a red searchlight, and they advanced in the wake of their own enormous shadows lengthening grotesquely with every stride. Tree trunks and underbrush seemed afire in the kindling glory; the stream ran molten.
Then of a sudden the red radiance died out; the forest turned ashy; the sun had set; and on the wings of silence already the swift southern dusk was settling over lake and forest. A far and pallid star came out in the west; a cat-owl howled.
At the edge of an evil-looking cypress "branch" they dismounted, drew gun from saddle-boot, and loaded in silence while the Indian tethered the horses.
Then through the thickening twilight they followed the Seminole in file, Hamil bringing up the rear.
Little Tiger had left turban, plume, and leggings in camp; the scalp-lock bobbed on his head, bronzed feet and legs were bare; and, noiseless as a cypress shadow in the moonlight, he seemed part of it all, harmonious as a wild thing in its protective tints.
A narrow tongue of dry land scarcely three inches above the swamp level was the trail they followed. All around tall cypress trees, strangely b.u.t.tressed at the base, rose pillar-like into obscurity as though supporting the canopy of dusk. The goblin howling of the big cat-owl pulsated through the silence; strange gleams and flashes stirred the surface of the bog. Once, close ahead, a great white bird, winged like an angel, rose in spectral silence through the twilight.
"Did you see!" she breathed, partly turning her head.
"Good heavens, yes! What was it; the archangel Michael?"
"Only a snowy heron."
The Seminole had halted and laid his hand flat on the dead leaves under a gigantic water-oak.
"A-po-kes-chay," he whispered; and Shiela translated close to Hamil"s ear: "He says that we must all sit down here--" A sudden crackle in the darkness stilled her voice.
"Im-po-kit-chkaw?" she asked. "Did you hear that? No-ka-tee; what is it?"
"Deer walk," nodded the Seminole; "sun gone down; moon come. Bimeby roost um turkey. Li-kus-chay! No sound."
Shiela settled quietly on the poncho among the dead leaves, resting her back against the huge tree trunk. Hamil warily sank into position beside her; the Indian stood for a while, head raised, apparently gazing at the tree-tops, then, walking noiselessly forward a dozen yards, squatted.
Shiela opened the conversation presently by whispering that they must not speak.
And the conversation continued, fitfully in ghostly whispers, lips scarcely stirring close to one another"s ears.
As for the swamp, it was less reticent, and began to wake up all around them in the darkness. Strange creaks and quacks and croaks broke out, sudden snappings of twigs, a scurry among dead leaves, a splash in the water, the far whir of wings. There were no insect noises, no resonant voices of bull-frogs; weird squeaks arose at intervals, the murmuring complaint of water-fowl, guttural quack of duck and bittern--a vague stirring everywhere of wild things settling to rest or awaking. There were things moving in the unseen ooze, too, leaving sudden sinuous trails in the dim but growing l.u.s.tre that whitened above the trees--probably turtles, perhaps snakes.
She leaned almost imperceptibly toward him, and he moved his shoulder close to hers.
"You are not nervous, Shiela?"
"Indeed I am."
"Why on earth did you come?"
"I don"t know. The idea of snakes in darkness always worries me....
Once, waking in camp, reaching out through the darkness for the water-bottle, I laid my hand on an exceedingly chilly snake. It was a harmless one, but I nearly died.... And here I am back again. Believe me, _no_ burnt child ever dreaded the fire enough to keep away from it.
I"m a coward, but not enough of a one to practise prudence."
He laughed silently. "You brave little thing! Every moment I am learning more and more how adorable you are--"
"Do men adore folly?"
"Your kind of folly. Are you cold?"
"No; only foolish. There"s some sort of live creature moving rather close to me--hush! Don"t you hear it?"