Hunting the Skipper Part 77

"BERRY MUCH 'FRAID."

Julius Caesar, after getting over his first fear of the white strangers and a natural dread of the fierce American slaver, whose threats seemed to dominate his life, threw himself bravely into the enterprise upon which he was engaged and proved himself to be an admirable guide, one too with a full knowledge of the risks he ran. He grew more and more confident now of the strength to protect him of the man-o'-war's men, and every now and then, as the party continued its way along what proved to be a carefully constructed tunnel, he stopped short and whispered to Murray to shade the light while he hurried on into the pitchy darkness.

The first time he did this, after laying his black arm across both Murray's and the lieutenant's b.r.e.a.s.t.s, he seemed to be so long gone that the latter expressed it as his belief that he had tricked them and escaped; but this opinion had hardly been whispered in the middy's ear before there was a faint rustling as of bare feet heard, and then, breathing hard, the black was close upon them.

"Come 'long now, ma.s.sa," he said. "Show light now."

Thrice more this was repeated, and then all at once upon their guide's return he exclaimed--

"Ma.s.sa put out light now."

"What for?" said Murray sharply.

"Candle burn all away sure. Wantum go back. All dark."

"But how are you going to light it?" said Mr Anderson.

"July Caesar got lilly bottle o' fire; ma.s.sa Allen lilly bottle, sah."

"But we can't see in the darkness," said Murray.

"Take hol' hand. Caesar show way. See with one hand run along top wall."

Setting aside the seeing, the black soon proved to those who followed him that he could feel his way along the rest of the distance, during which it was quite dark; and he hurried his followers along till the black gloom gradually became twilight, and that increased in power till it became possible to follow the dimly seen figure which went on in front. Then the twilight became a pale green, which grew brighter and brighter till all at once the black stopped short and whispered--

"No make noise. Caesar go first and see Ma.s.sa Huggin gone take Ma.s.sa Allen 'way."

The party stopped and saw the black hurry on for a few dozen yards, and then disappear through what seemed to be a clump of bushes, which pretty well blocked up the end of the pa.s.sage.

"I should like to know what's going to be the end of this," said the lieutenant; "but I suppose we must go on with it now and trust the black, for he seems to be proving himself honest. What do you say, Mr Murray?"

"I feel sure he is," replied the midshipman.

"But his motive? We are almost complete strangers."

"I think he is a faithful servant of the planter, sir, and wants us to save him from danger."

"Yes, that's how it suggests itself to me, Mr Murray, though I can hardly understand such conduct on the part of one of these wretched ill-used slaves towards the oppressor. But there, we shall see."

He ceased speaking, for just then the black seemed to spring through the bushes, and joined them where they were waiting in the tunnel.

"Find Ma.s.sa Allen," said the black, in a quick excited whisper.

"Ah!" cried Murray joyfully, for somehow--he could not have said why--he had begun to feel the greatest interest in the sick man. "Ah! Where did you find him?"

"Ma.s.sa Huggin got um."

"But where is he?"

The black pointed in the direction from whence he had returned, evidently indicating the forest which closed in the end of the tunnel.

"What is he going to do with him?" asked Mr Anderson--"Keep him a prisoner?"

"Kill um," said the black abruptly. "Come! Caesar show um;" and he caught hold of the middy's arm, gave it a tug, and then signed to the others to follow.

"Yes," said the lieutenant sharply; "it seems to me quite time we had a word to say about that. Let him lead on, Mr Murray. I want to have a few more words with our friend Mr Huggins. We must show him that there is a difference of opinion upon this question. Here, you darkie, does Mr Huggins indulge himself much in this kind of sport?"

The black, who was moving off sharply, stopped short, dropped his lower jaw to his breast, and stared vacantly at the speaker.

"What buccra sailor officer say?" he whispered.

"Don't speak in that way," said the lieutenant sharply. "Why don't you speak aloud?"

"Caesar berry much 'fraid ma.s.sa Huggins hear um. Den kill poor n.i.g.g.ah."

"That means, then, that Master Huggins does kill people sometimes?"

"Yes, ma.s.sa often kill pore n.i.g.g.ah when cross."

"Well, look here, my lad; don't you be very much afraid. I want you to show us all you can, for he is not going to kill our friend Master Allen."

"Ma.s.sa Allen friend," said the black, nodding his head sharply. "Ma.s.sa Allen kill pore n.i.g.g.ah? No, nebber. Come 'long."

The man led the way, holding tightly by the middy's arm, and as soon as he had pa.s.sed out of the tunnel, plunged into the dense forest, and threading his way among the trees, followed by the party, whose countenances were glowing with excitement, he carefully avoided every patch of earth which threatened to yield to the pressure of footsteps.

This he kept on for over half-an-hour, when he stopped short and, bending down nearly double, pointed to where, instead of being firm, the way he had selected had suddenly become boggy, mossy, and of a rich green.

"Young officer, look dah," he whispered. "No speak loud. Ma.s.sa Huggin men hear um."

"Well," said Murray, "I am looking _dah_, sir, but there is nothing to see."

"No see? Caesar see. Ma.s.sa Huggin men come 'long. Carry Ma.s.sa Allen, make men foot go down soft. Make mark."

"Perhaps so," said Murray, "but I can see nothing."

"Let him lead on, Mr Murray," said the lieutenant. "I want to get to business."

"Caesar show," whispered the man, and now, walking half doubled and with his hands hanging down, he broke into a trot, closely followed by the party, for another few hundred yards, before stopping short so suddenly that those who followed were on the point of over-running him.

"Ma.s.sa officer look now," whispered the black. "Ma.s.sa no say can't see now."

"No: I can see now," said Murray. "Look here, sir," he whispered, imitating the cautious utterance of the black, as the lieutenant closed up to him.

"Yes," said the officer eagerly; "this is real trail. So many seals impressed in the soft boggy soil; all leading off yonder in a fresh direction after evidently making a halt here. You can make it out, Mr Murray, eh?"

"I can make out the footsteps, sir," replied the lad, "but I can't say I understand them."

"Oh no, of course not," said the lieutenant, "but I suppose our black friend here can. Tell us all about it, what's your name--Caesar?"

"Yes, ma.s.sa," said the black promptly; and he began eagerly to point out the various impressions in the earth, carefully keeping on one side and nearly touching the ground as he bent down.