In the Wilds of Florida Part 4

At the back of the house were outbuildings and huts, in which the blacks on the property lived; and the whole of the rest of the island was occupied by an orange grove and garden, in which grew a great variety of vegetables.

"Now you must come down and see the lower regions of our castle," said Carlos, descending the steps.

The ground-floor had but a few strongly-barred windows, opening on the water, which we had not observed on approaching, and a single door into the back of the house. There was a kitchen of large size on one side, and on the other the rooms of the domestics.

"We are not without our dungeon," said Carlos, striking his hand against a strongly-barred door. "A captive would find it a difficult task to get out of this, and it has safely held more than one in its time."

"As soon as Maurice is satisfied with a sight of this gloomy place, I hope that he will come and see the garden," exclaimed Rita, I of course said, "Yes."

Two fine dogs, whose kennels were near the entrance, came up, wagging their tails, and rubbing their noses against my legs, as if to know me again. A short distance to the right were some open sheds serving as stables, in which were several stout horses, generally called mustangs in that part of the world. The girls said that they and their brother frequently rode out on horseback, but that of late they were not allowed to go far from home. Pa.s.sing the huts of the slaves, which for economy of s.p.a.ce were huddled close to the stables, we entered the orange grove.

It was the first I had been in. In all directions ran small aqueducts formed of bamboo, so that the ground might be easily irrigated. The water, my cousins told me, was let on every evening, and while we were there, we saw it trickling along the miniature ca.n.a.ls, and almost instantly the flowers gave forth the most delicious perfume.

"That's what the Spaniards call 'returning thanks,'" observed Juanita.

"It is a pretty idea, is it not?"

Carlos, fancying that I took more pleasure in the society of his sisters, left us, and I had a pleasant stroll round the whole island with my cousins. They showed me that the wild trees I had seen coming up the river were left there merely as a protection to the garden, and I saw that the stockades which surrounded the island were so placed as to prevent any persons landing, and might serve also as an outer fortification to the castle. When we returned to the house, we found supper prepared, and my uncle, accompanied by my father, entered the room.

"Why, papa, you are already better for Uncle Michael's coming," said Rita, giving him a kiss.

"I feel so," answered Uncle Nicholas. "I hope, before long, to be myself again, and be able to show him and Maurice some of the wonders of the country."

The young ladies, mentioning the arrival of the judge, begged permission to ride over the next morning to pay their friend his wife and little Paul a visit.

"You need have no fear of Indians," observed Carlos; "for it is said that the few families which occasionally visited this neighbourhood have moved away west, having probably made up their minds to accept the offers of the government and vacate the country."

When I mentioned our encounter with the Indians in the lagoon, he replied that they were probably a party of hunters who considered that they had a better right to the deer than we had, and that, notwithstanding the apprehensions of the old judge, they would not likely have molested us; besides which, as the place was a long way off, we should certainly not meet with them on our contemplated excursion.

Though my uncle at first offered some objections to the proposal, he ultimately gave his daughters permission to make the excursion.

Tim came into my room before he went to bed, and expressed himself as highly satisfied with his quarters.

"Sure, it's a fine place, Mr. Maurice,--a regular castle. The drawbridge is raised and the portcullis closed, so that a thieving Redskin would find it a hard matter to make his way in. From what I hear, it is not unlikely that before long they'll be trying to drive the whites out of the country."

"I heard very differently at supper," I observed. "My uncle is satisfied they are peaceably disposed, and that there will be no more trouble about them."

"That's because he gets his knowledge from the whites, Mr. Maurice. The n.i.g.g.e.r boys know more of what's going on than they do."

After breakfast next morning we set out on our expedition. Carlos had provided me with a pony like those he and his sisters rode. We were accompanied by Toby, a black boy, who went to hold the horses and make himself useful in any other way, and by Tim, who carried a rifle. I took mine, and Carlos said that he never went out without a brace of pistols and a fowling-piece.

The ground in the immediate neighbourhood of Castle Kearney was part of my uncle's property, and was well cultivated; but we very soon got into the primeval forests, where the woodman's axe had been employed only in cutting a path along which baggage animals could proceed in single file.

The trees were mostly live-oak or pine, amid which grew magnolias and laurels. The ground was very uneven, though from the river it looked level. We had to cross what is called a hummock, which was in reality a depression, but not low enough to be swampy. Here grew huge cabbage-palms, cotton-trees, and scarlet maples, with a dense undergrowth of sumach, hydrangeas, azaleas, and many other shrubs; while from the branches hung in profusion wild-vines, convolvuli of many colours, and numerous other parasites. The path was so narrow, that although we had previously contrived to ride two abreast, we were now obliged to allow one to go before the other. Rita, with whom I had been riding, whipping on her pony, dashed forward, exclaiming,--"I am in my native land; it is my duty to show you the way, Maurice."

Several trees had fallen over the path, which was exceedingly rough.

Her little mustang leaped them, however, with wonderful activity, and mine followed. She had got some distance ahead, when suddenly I heard her utter a cry; her pony stopped short; I saw her clasp her hands as if paralysed with fear. She had cause for alarm. Not five paces off, crawling along the top of a bank, was a huge puma, apparently about to spring upon her. In another instant the monster might have seized her in its paws and carried her into the jungle, where none of us could have followed. I shouted to try and frighten the brute, and endeavoured in the meantime to unsling my rifle; but my pony, alarmed, endeavoured to turn round, and I was compelled to handle my rein to make him go forward: indeed, it would have been difficult to fire without a fearful risk of injuring my cousin. While I was endeavouring to make my horse move forward, and at the same time to unsling my rifle, expecting every moment to see the puma make its fatal spring, I heard a shot, and the animal, leaping into the air, fell over dead close to the pony's feet.

On looking round, I saw that it was a stranger on horseback who had fired the shot.

I made my way up to Rita's side, for I thought she would have fallen, but she quickly recovered herself.

"I was in a dreadful fright, Maurice," she said; "but you saved me from the creature's claws by your timely shot."

"No, it was that person out there," I said, pointing to the stranger, who now, leaping over the fallen trunks, joined us close to where the puma lay.

He bowed politely to Rita, and I now saw by his uniform that he was a military officer. Of course, I thanked him, as did my cousin. On the rest of the party coming up, they joined us in expressing our grat.i.tude.

He laughed as he answered, "I should have been glad to have killed the beast at all events, so pray don't thank me. Let me ask where you are going. I don't think it prudent for ladies to be riding through the country without a large escort."

On hearing that we were going to the judge's, he advised us to hasten on, saying that he was going in the same direction, and would be happy to accompany us. He introduced himself as Captain Norton, and told us that he had received information that a band of Indians was in the neighbourhood, and that he was about to collect a party of volunteers to defend the settlement should they exhibit any hostile intentions.

Hearing this, I proposed to Carlos to return; but he was of opinion that as we had already performed three-fourths of the distance, we should proceed to the settlement, observing that there were plenty of people to defend Castle Kearney, that a sharp look-out was always kept there, and that it was very improbable that the Indians, even if they were intent on mischief, would venture to attack it.

Captain Norton agreed with Carlos; and as Rita had now recovered from her fright, we continued our course as before.

Getting clear of the hummock, we were now in more open ground. In a short time a hut came in sight, then another and another, and we found that we were in the suburbs of Roseville. The huts varied in character, though most were of the roughest description. Some were built of logs placed horizontally one upon another, others were frame erections covered with boards; very few were of a more substantial character. At last several edifices of superior architectural pretensions, having two stories and broad verandas on all the sides, and surrounded by gardens and orchards, came into view.

Captain Norton parted from us at the outskirts of the settlement, saying that he should have to call officially on the judge, and hoped to hear that Miss Kearney had not suffered any ill effects from the alarm she had experienced.

"You need be under no apprehensions on that score, captain," said Rita, laughing; "I am quite myself again, though none the less grateful to you for having saved me from the claws of that hideous creature."

The judge was pacing up and down the broad veranda surrounding his house, while little Paul, with a hobby-horse between his legs, was trotting about, watched over by black Rosa. The judge waved his hand while he shouted indoors to his wife, "Marian, Marian, here come our friends from Castle Kearney." Then taking hold of Master Paul's hand, he ordered Rosa to call the boys to look after the horses.

Mrs. Shurtleff quickly made her appearance, and she and her husband greeted the young ladies as they ran up the steps, and gave Carlos and me a cordial welcome. When the judge heard of Rita's narrow escape, he exclaimed--

"We must have a broad road cut through that hummock. It will not be safe to traverse until that's done. We are all deeply indebted to Captain Norton for his timely shot, and I shall be happy to make his acquaintance if he comes here."

We inquired for Rochford and Lejoillie.

"They went away at daybreak into the forest--the one bent on slaughtering game, the other on collecting objects of natural history.

A clever fellow is that Frenchman, and I have begged him to remain here as long as he can find subjects for scientific research," he answered.

When we told him the object of Captain Norton's visit to Roseville, he laughed, and replied--

"I don't believe the Indians will venture near the place; they know too well the effect of our fellows' rifles. Since I came home, I find that a treaty has been entered into with them. The meeting took place at Payne's Landing, on the Ocklawaha River, and they have agreed, in the course of a few months, to move westward across the Mississippi, where the Creeks and Cherokees are also about to migrate; so that we shall, in a short time, I hope, see the end of all these Indian troubles."

We found that the judge had business to attend to, and Carlos suggested that we should take a stroll through the settlement. We had got some little distance, when my companion pointed out, with a laugh, the chief inn of the place, in front of which, nailed to a tree, hung the sign of "The General Washington." It was a weather-boarded shanty, fixed up in an open s.p.a.ce between several trees, which the builder had not thought it worth while to cut down. From the boughs hung several cages full of birds, while a number of hideous little mongrel dogs ran about, attended by a black boy, who sat on the steps, apparently having nothing else to do than to scratch his woolly pate. As we approached, Captain Norton rode up, and calling to the boy, directed him to summon his master.

"What you want him for, ma.s.sa cap'n?" asked the black.

"I tell you to call him," answered the captain.

"Him fast 'sleep in him hammock now. No want to be 'sturbed."

"Go and call him, whether he is asleep or awake," said the captain, getting angry.

Just then a person, who I had no doubt was "mine host," appeared at the door, though as unlike my notion of what a landlord should be as possible.

"Wal, cap'n, what do you want?" he asked.

"I am sent to require you, and all able-bodied men to turn out armed, for the defence of the country, and of this settlement in particular, against the Redskins, who, we have information, are approaching the place with the intention of attacking it."