Hunting the Skipper Part 81

"But they seem peaceable?"

"Yes, sir, quite; but I can't help feeling suspicious."

"Yes, it is suspicious, but they may not mean harm. I believe in that black Caesar all the same. If I did not I should give the order to retreat at once. There, go back to your men, and keep close up. Take special care not to let the blacks get between you and us."

"There is no need, sir. They hang back to let us all pa.s.s."

"That may be part of their plan to shut us in. But I will go on believing in the fellow till I have good cause to turn upon him, and then it will be very hard if our lads can't keep any number at bay.

There, stand fast till your men overtake you."

Murray halted and let the men march by till Tom May and his messmates joined him; and then as he resumed his place he became aware that the blacks in their rear had increased greatly in number. Short as had been his absence, it was now much lighter, so that it was plain to see that they were being followed by a dense ma.s.s of white-cotton-clothed plantation slaves, all bearing arms of some kind or another, and moving in comparative silence, their bare feet making hardly a sound upon the soft earth.

"They seem to be increasing fast, Tom," whispered Murray, as the sailors tramped steadily on.

"Yes, sir; tidy--tidy," replied the big fellow.

"But they don't seem to mean mischief, Tom."

"No, sir, not yet; but if that was their game they could eat our little lot without salt."

"You don't seem to be a bit alarmed, Tom."

"No, sir; no, sir, only a bit bothered."

"What about--the darkness?"

"Nay, sir; that's getting easier. It's twice as light as it was. I meant about what game's up. We seem to be going on some expedition or another, and I've been trying to settle it down in my mind. Don't think it's a c.o.o.n hunt, do you, sir?"

"No, Tom; they are all too grave and serious for that."

"Yes, sir, but that might be 'cause they don't want to scare the game."

"No; this is no hunt, Tom."

"P'raps not, sir, and I only fancied that's what it might be. No, sir, I don't feel much worried about it--oneasy, you may say. Do you, sir?"

"Well, to be honest, Tom, I don't like to be shut up like this among these blacks. Why, they're growing thicker and thicker!"

"That's so, sir. They're hundreds upon hundreds strong. What does the chief officer think of it?"

"He doesn't say, Tom, but I could see that he felt the need of caution by the order he gave me about keeping close together."

"Oh, he did that, sir, did he? But I say, I wonder what the skipper would say about our being in such a hole."

Murray looked sharply round at the speaker, who to his surprise began to chuckle softly.

"I don't see anything to laugh at, Tom May," said the middy sharply.

"No sir," replied the man; "I s'pose not. There aren't really nothing."

"Then why do you laugh?"

"Couldn't help it, sir. Only you see it does seem such cheek on our part, just a boat and a half's crew and our orficer marching right in here no one knows where, only as it's forest and just as cool as you please, and all these here n.i.g.g.e.rs--reg'lar black thunderstorm of 'em-- shutting us in, and all as quiet as mice. We're not a bit frightened of 'em, but I'll be bound to say as they're scared of us. It do make me laugh, it do; but I s'pose it's because we've got what they arn't, sir-- discipline, you see."

"I think it takes something more than discipline, Tom," said the midshipman. "Our men's pluck has something to do with it."

"Well, sir, I s'pose it has," replied the man. "But look here, how they're standing on each side for us to pa.s.s through. Talk about hundreds, why if it goes on like this there'll be thousands soon."

For the rich red glowing light became stronger and stronger, until at the end of half-an-hour the trees grew more open and the party could make out flame and smoke arising, while the silence of the marching men was at times broken by the crackle of burning wood.

"Well, sir," exclaimed the big sailor, "I can't say as I can make it out yet what game this is going to be, but anyhow we're in for it whatever it is. I say, Mr Murray, sir, these here black African n.i.g.g.e.rs arn't cannibals, are they?"

"Some of them, Tom, I believe."

"Then that's it, sir; they're all gathering up together for a great feed. Over yonder's a big opening like with the fire in the middle of it, and we're in for it now, and no mistake!"

"Oh, nonsense, Tom!"

"Is it, sir? Well, I never see such a turn out o' nonsense before.

It's going to be a feast they're set upon, and it don't seem to me as we're going to have a bit o' room if the first luff makes up his mind to fight. All I can say is that cook me how they please, I'm sorry for the poor beggar of a black who's got to stick his teeth into me. Talk about a tough un, Mr Murray, sir, I'm one," chuckled the big fellow.

"They're gathered together for a big feast, as I said afore, and it's no use to show fight, for there arn't room. They'll squeeze us all up pretty tight before the cooking begins, and that may make a bit o'

difference in the way of being tender, but I shall give some of them the toothache for certain, and I don't think after the feed's over many of 'em'll want to try British tar again. British tar!" repeated the man jocosely. "Wonder whether I shall taste o' best Stockholm tar. I've got pretty well soaked in it in my time."

"Hush, Tom! Here's Mr Anderson waiting for us to join him."

For it had proved to be as the sailor had said. They had been marched into a wide amphitheatre of trees, in the midst of which a tremendous fire was burning brightly, and by its light the English party could make out the long serpentine line of men who were marching into the amphitheatre, which was lined with hundreds upon hundreds of blacks, whose eyes glowed in the firelight, while whenever lips were parted there was the glistening of the brilliantly white teeth.

It was a strangely impressive sight, as the lieutenant said when Murray joined him.

"I don't know even now," he added, "what it signifies. They don't mean harm to us, my lad; but if they did we should have small chance of resistance. It seems to me that they have gathered for some special reason. It is a sort of feast, I suppose."

Murray caught sight of Tom May's eyes fixed upon him, and he closed one eye very slowly and solemnly as he frowned at the midshipman, as much as to say, "There, sir, I told you so!"

"What is your opinion of it, Mr Murray?"

"It looks to me, sir, like a rising of the blacks, for they are all armed."

"Well," said the lieutenant, "they are not rising against us. If they were they would not be so civil. Besides, they have nothing against us to rise about. They can't rebel against those who have come to give them their freedom. Let's go and see what is going on there."

Just then their black guide came forward and stood before them, evidently for the purpose of stopping their progress, for the lieutenant had begun to cross the middle of the wide opening in the woods to where something important was apparently taking place.

"Well, Caesar," said the lieutenant, "what is going on there?"

The black shook his head and looked anxiously from one officer to the other.

"Ma.s.sa not go dah," whispered the man. "Ma.s.sa just look, see, and listen to what Obeah man say."

"Obeah man?"