"Tie big 'tone to um head first, ma.s.sa?"

"What!" roared the overseer, so sharply that the black jumped to his feet. "What do you mean?"

"Make um go to de bottom, sah, and neber come up no more."

"Bah! you grinning black idiot. Didn't you tell me he was alive?"

"Yes, sah; quite 'livo, sah."

"Drop him in the boat, then, and hurry about it, or we shan't get up to the farm before the tide turns. There, four of you take him; and you below there, ease him down. Don't let him go overboard again, if you want to keep whole skins."

The men seized the heavy figure by the hands and legs, and bearing it quite to the edge, lowered it down to the others, room being made at the bottom of the boat, where it was deposited with about as much ceremony as a sack of corn. Then, in obedience to another order, the blacks descended, and the overseer stepped down last, to seat himself with his back to the dogs; while the smith and his a.s.sistant once more took up their guns and their places as guards. Then the boat was pushed off.

Four of the blacks seized the oars, the boat's head swung round, and the next minute, with but little effort, she was gliding rapidly up the muddy stream.

It was dangerous work to begin talking, but as Nic sat there in silence, with his head growing clearer, and gazing compa.s.sionately at the prostrate figure, two of the prisoners put their heads together and began to whisper.

"Close shave for old Humpy," said one. "Think he'll come round again?"

"Dunno; but if he does, I'm not going to help in any more games about going off. This job has made me sick."

"He won't want you to; this must have pretty well sickened him if he comes to."

"Mind what you're saying. That there black image is trying to hear every word."

"He can't understand. But I say, the gaffer didn't know how it happened, after all. Thought it was an accident."

"So it was," said the other man, with a grim smile, "for old Humpy.

Here, Pete, old man, how are you now?"

Pete looked at the speaker in wonder, then nodded, and said quietly:

"Bit stiff and achey about the back of the neck."

"Mind shaking hands, mate?" said the man in a faint whisper.

"What for?" said Pete sourly.

"'Cause I like what you did, mate. It was acting like a man. But we're not friends over that other business of splitting on us about the salmon."

"Better wait a bit, then, my lad," said Pete. "It aren't good to shake hands with a man like me."

"But I say it is," said the other with emphasis. "The way you went overboard with them heavy irons on, to try and save young master here, sent my heart up in my mouth."

Nic, who had sat listening moodily to the whispered conversation, suddenly looked up in a quick, eager way.

"Say that again," he whispered huskily.

"Say what agen?"

"Did Pete Burge jump in to save my life?"

"Course he did--like a man."

"Oh!" gasped Nic, turning to look Pete wonderingly in the face.

"Silence there!" roared the overseer savagely. "Do you think you've come out here for a holiday, you insolent dogs?"

At the last words the three animals behind the speaker took it to themselves, and began to bark.

"Down! Quiet!" roared the overseer, and the barking of the dogs and his loud command came echoing back from a wood of great overhanging trees, as the boat now pa.s.sed a curve of the river.

Nic glanced at the overseer, then to right and left of him, before letting his eyes drop on the swiftly-flowing river, to try and think out clearly the answers to a couple of questions which seemed to be buzzing in his brain: "Where are we going? How is this to end?"

But there was no answer. All seemed black ahead as the rapidly-coming night.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

IN ALLIGATOR LAND.

As the night grew darker, and Nic sat in the forepart of the boat in his drenched clothes, which at first felt pleasantly cool, and then by degrees grew colder until he shivered, his head grew clearer and he became more himself. He was able to grasp more fully his position and how hardly fate had dealt with him.

It was clear enough now; he had been sent off in that terrible blunder as one of the salmon-poachers; and he was there, sold or hired to one of the colonists, to work upon a plantation until he could make his position known to some one in authority, and then all would be right.

He felt that it would be of no use to appeal to this brutal slave-driver who had him and his fellow-unfortunates in charge. What he had to do was to wait patiently and make the best of things till then.

His head was rapidly growing so clear now that he could piece the disconnected fragments of his experience together, few as they were, and broken up by his sufferings from the injuries he had received; and, as he sat there in the darkness, he became more calm, and rejoiced in the thought that he was growing stronger, and would, without doubt, soon be fully recovered and able to act. Till then he made up his mind to wait.

When he had arrived at this point he began to think about his position in connection with the rough ne'er-do-wells who were his companions. He shivered involuntarily at the thought of being in such close touch with men of this cla.s.s; but he softened a little as he dwelt upon the fact that, bad as he was, Pete Burge had behaved bravely, and that he had to thank him for twice-over saving his life. He might have said three times, but he was unaware of the patient attention he had received from the man during the feverish hours produced by his contusions and wound.

But, still, there was a feeling of revulsion which made him shrink from contact with one whom he felt to be the cause of all his sufferings, and he hardened himself against the man more than against the others.

Then, with a sigh of relief, he cast all thoughts of self away, after coming to the conclusion that, as soon as his father realised what had happened, he would never rest till the authorities had had him found and brought back, even if a ship was purposely despatched.

For this thought was very comforting. He had only to wait, he felt, little thinking that the old Captain was lying in peril of his life from the genuine trouble which had come upon him, as he mourned over the loss of the son whom he believed to be dead, and for the recovery of whose body he had offered a heavy reward to the fishermen.

For he said to Solly, "One of these days they will find him cast up on the sh.o.r.e."

It was very dark; the cloudy sky seemed to be hanging low over the heads of those in the boat, as the men rowed on till the overseer made a change in his crew; the four blacks who had been rowing taking the places of those who had been guards and steersman, while the rowers took the muskets in turn.

The fresh crew pulled steadily and well, and the boat glided on along the winding river, whose banks grew more and more wooded until they seemed to be going through a thick forest, whose closely-growing trees formed dense, high walls, above which there was a strip of dark, almost black, sky.

Then another change was made, just when Nic was suffering from a fresh anxiety; for after he had proved to himself, by kneeling in the boat and touching him, that Humpy Dee was alive and regaining consciousness, his companions had suddenly grown very quiet, and the dread had a.s.sailed Nic that the man was dead, for he had been left to take his chance as far as the overseer was concerned; and when twice-over the prisoners had begun to trouble themselves about their comrade's state, Nic setting the example by kneeling down to raise Humpy's head, a stern command came from the stern of the boat, and this threat:

"Look here, you fellows; if I hear any more talking or shuffling about there I shall fire."

Nic felt that the man would act up to his threat; but after a time, when a groan came from Humpy, the whispering and movements recommenced in the efforts made to succour the sufferer.

"I don't speak again," roared the overseer; and Nic started and shuddered, but felt fiercely indignant the next moment as he heard the ominous _click_! _click_! of a pistol-lock from out of the darkness astern.