THE STAMPEDE
"You"re a long time getting here," I observed, as Norris took up the oars.
"Yes," returned Norris. "And we wouldn"t be getting here at all, if those voodoo skunks had had their own way about it."
"Did they give you trouble?" I asked.
"Oh, I guess--yes, some," he said. "But we gave them trouble, eh, Robert?"
Robert acquiesced.
"I reckon they"ll some day be telling their voodoo grand-children how a bunch of white devils came to their island and raised particular--"
"Raised particular "hotel,"" a.s.sisted Ray, who saw that Norris was about to stumble on an impolite word.
We climbed aboard the _Pearl_ and Rufe fed the four while they gave us their tale.
"We got nearly everything loaded onto Carlos" little wagon, and Carlos was going to hitch up the donkey, when those voodoo skunks showed up,"
said Norris. "They didn"t knock on the door or ring the bell, but stood off like the pack of hyenas they are.
"Carlos talked to them. They said we must give up the kids, or they would burn the shack with us in it. I told Carlos: "Tell them that if they don"t clear out right quick some of them will soon be burning in--in--""
"Where Beelzebub tends the ovens and the climate is equable," offered Ray, politely.
"I don"t know how many voodoo there was in the crowd," continued Norris.
"The people from the village came round, too,--I suppose, to see the fun. There were some guns; and those fellows began to get their heads together. I got mad, finally, to see those skunks so cheeky; and I forgot English wasn"t their talk, and called out: "Any of you who don"t want to get into the battle better crawl into your holes!"
"There must have been some that got that, for pretty quick there was a scattering, and only about a dozen or so stayed on. They were the ones who"d come on business, I guess.
"Pretty soon Melie said there were some of the blacks sneaking up toward the wagon, out by the barn. I got to the back door with my rifle, and I blowed the high peaked hat off the nearest skunk--sorry now I didn"t blow his head off. Those fellows didn"t stop to pick up that hat.
"Those cusses in front had begun to move up with their guns ready. But Robert had his little twenty-two ready too; and they hadn"t come far when he let the leader have one in his off hind foot. He limped off howling, and the others suddenly recollected other appointments.
""Now we"ve got to make our start," I said."
"While the audience is wondering what"ll be the next scene," prompted Ray.
"Something like that," admitted Norris. "So we bundled the black babies up, while Carlos. .h.i.tched up the mule. And when we started for the barn, I saw Melie sprinkling some seeds about the ground and back stoop. "What are you planting gra.s.s for?" I said. "You"re not coming back."
"She laughed and said that the voodoo men were barefoot, and the seeds would give them sores that would disable them for weeks. Well, we got started. Carlos drove; Robert went ahead with his rifle, and I followed behind with mine.
"We poked along for about three miles, and no sign of those voodoo cusses. Then Carlos pulled up and waited for me to catch up.
""Well," I said, "do you reckon they"ve given up the fight?" And Carlos said there was a little steep hill about a mile ahead, that the road pa.s.sed round; and he was some afraid the enemy might be laying for us there, and would roll rocks down on us. He said we might avoid the place by a roundabout way through the woods, but it would be hard going, and we"d lose time.
"I called Robert and told him our troubles. "Wait ten minutes," he said, "and then drive up to a couple of hundred yards of the place, and stop till I whistle for you to come on." And then he trotted on ahead. In ten minutes we started. Carlos pulled the donkey to a stop at the right place, and we waited.
"In a minute we heard a howl--then another howl--then a howl every second, for about six howls. Then we heard a stampede in the woods, off to our right.--Better let Bob tell what happened."
"I hurried on ahead till I saw the hill," said Robert. "It was a ridge that ended right at the road, and all covered with the woods. I turned off and climbed to the top of the ridge pretty well back; and I moved toward the road cautiously. Then I saw those black fellows--I guess there was near a dozen--right at the end of the ridge. They had a screen of brush toward the road, but on my side it was all open. They had some big bowlders all ready to push over. I slipped back a little and climbed into a tree. I got a good seat in a crotch, from where the view was good.
"Pretty soon I heard the wagon. And those fellows heard it too. They peeked through the brush, and--"
"And they licked their chops," struck in Ray.
"I had my magazine full," continued Robert, "and I had my peep-sight set. One black"s pants were tight with stooping to look--and I gave him the first little bullet."
"Right on the "_spank_,"" said Ray.
"Yes," continued Robert, "I got the idea from Ray. Well that one let out a howl. And then I peppered the next one in the leg, and he howled.
Another one got it in the shoulder. They were mightily puzzled--not hearing anything--so they couldn"t use their guns. They didn"t wait to look round very long, but hiked out, running by right under my tree.
Before they got away I hit six or seven--some of them limped as they ran."
"When we heard the stampede," said Grant Norris, "we didn"t need Bob"s whistle to tell us to come on. There were no voodoo skunks going to hang back for any more, after all that "whoop-er-up." We got into town without any more accidents, and--"
"That was mighty fortunate for the voodoos," drawled Ray. "But where"s the pickaninnies?"
"Melie here, turned them over to a priest," said Norris. "We lost some time finding him."
Carlos had edged up, and I could see he wanted a word with me. So I led him toward the schooner"s bow; and he told me his news, leaning on the rail.
"Duran, he is in the city," he said.
He had touched on the thing that was in my mind; for during Norris"s and Robert"s recital of their adventures, I was wondering where this white voodoo should be all that while. I was conscious that it was this man--or fiend--that was to continue to be the center and spring of all our interest to the end of the chapter.
"Have you seen him?" I asked.
"No, I have one friend in the city who see him," Carlos said. "He buy new picks, an" he buy pack-straps, for to carry things on thee back, and new rope an" pulleys."
It developed that this friend of Carlos had long been of help to him, in keeping an observant eye on Duran when in his city haunts; and it came out that this friend"s home was on the very street on which Robert and I had first encountered Duran.
"Well, Carlos," I said, "if we are to find this gold mine of yours, we"ll have to keep an eye on Duran."
"Yes," he nodded. "And he kill" my father, an" my brother." And Carlos smiled a smile with his teeth set, and that gave him a sinister look. In spite of the night I could see so much of his face. It was more l.u.s.t for vengeance than love of gold that showed there then.
"I can speak for us all, Carlos," I said; "We will see this thing through. And we all want to see this man brought to justice for his crimes."
"Ah, I glad for to hear you say that!" he said. "Maybe we can find for you much gold. I hope that."
I called the others into conference; and we made plans for our next move. We would turn in at once for a good sleep; and before daylight we would go ash.o.r.e and into the city and pick up Duran"s trail. Carlos"s friend had promised to keep his eye on Duran"s movements, which he had learned to interpret in limited measure.
Before taking to our pallets, on the deck, we bade goodbye to the Cambons, who were to take steamer for home on the morrow. Little Marie made me promise to come to her home some time soon, said she would adopt me for her brother, so that I could have a good mother, too, in the place of the good mother I had lost.
CHAPTER X