Prisoners of Chance Page 11

  CHAPTER X

  A COVERT IN THE CANE

  Our boat was securely hidden amid a thick growth of reeds, whichextended their domain far down the shore, even out into the rivershallows. These reeds sprang quickly back into position as we pressedthrough, leaving no trail for pursuers to follow. Nevertheless, makingall secure on board, and removing from the locker a quantity of biscuitand some smoked meat, we took the further precaution of covering theboat with rushes so as thoroughly to disguise its presence from pryingeyes. Satisfied with the result of these efforts, we clambered up theslight ridge to where we found a small open space, carpeted with softgrass, and sufficiently elevated to permit our looking about above thelevel of the cane, while remaining concealed ourselves.

  Our lodgment was upon a small island, a stream of languidly flowingwater extending between us and the main west shore. This, so far as myeyes could distinguish, did not differ in appearance from our presentabiding place, being composed of low, swampy land, thickly covered witha heavy growth of cane, and exhibiting no sign of human habitation.The sole break to this dull monotony of outline was a narrow fringe oftrees situated farther back, where doubtless firmer soil gave spread totheir roots.

  Northward the eye might trace the slight curve of the bank for miles.It appeared irregular and low, slightly diversified by small, marshyislands, similar to this we occupied, possibly cloven from the mainlandby some eccentricity of current. Occasionally I distinguished openingsinto lagoons, such passages into the low-lying mainland being evidencedby the deeper green of the vegetation bordering them, as well as bywind-twisted trees clinging despairingly to the crooked banks. Eastand south swept the river, so broad our eyes could barely trace the dimpresence of a distant shore. Below, that majestic yellow flood poureddownward unbroken, although De Noyan imagined he perceived distantspars of the Spanish fleet outlined against the blue background of thesouthern sky. This may have been possible, yet to my eyes all wasblank, although I could mark pretty accurately where they should havebeen.

  We indulged in little conversation, reclining on the short grass,partaking of our cold meal. The Chevalier attempted a sorry jest ortwo, yet soon subsided, discovering so unresponsive an audience. Itwas plain to my mind the reflections of Madame were altogether with herfather--lying dead before this hour--and this sad memory darkened eventhe delight of her husband's safety. His affected gayety of manner,and reckless speech, jarred more harshly upon her in this hour thanperhaps ever before in her life. Yet she made a pathetically braveeffort to appear of good cheer, managing to eat with us, although itwas easy to perceive the food choked her, while her eyes were blurredwith tears resolutely held in restraint. It was plain, I say, yet thisis but my thought, for I question whether De Noyan, in his carelessmood, observed her depression. He was of a nature reflecting slightlyon any save himself; past sorrow being quickly forgotten in any presentgleam of sun. As we thus ended this silent meal it occurred to me theymight require slumber more than I, and I expressed my willingness tostand guard while they sought rest. Perhaps my face told a tale ofweariness easily read, for this proposal met immediate resistance.

  "No, no, Geoffrey Benteen," exclaimed Madame impulsively, "what have Idone except sit quietly in a boat, waiting the passing of the hours?You have been through strain and labor which wears out life. It is youwho will lie here upon my wrap, trusting me to call should need arise."

  "Hush, both of you," impatiently burst in De Noyan, rising to his feet,and gazing across the sparkling water. "A watch would have smallvalue. There is no safer spot on all the lower river than this; if theDons discover it, no way of escape exists even were we all awake andready. To remain quiet is all we can do, and how can we accomplishthat better than by going to sleep? _Sacre_! I am a soldier, and notapt to make light of a guard, yet," and he stifled a yawn, "I see nonecessity here, nor could I be more completely played after a night ofdancing at a Creole ball."

  Thus the matter was agreed upon, not altogether to my liking, but Iyielded owing to too great weariness to argue. At first Madameprotested she could not sleep, yet finally consented to lie down. Asto myself my head had scarcely pressed the soft pillow of grass beforeI was lost in slumber.

  A blessing of youth lies in the fact that sleep then truly gives rest.The tired body responds so thoroughly to the gentle touch of slumberthat the latter becomes a magician capable of restoring every facultyto complete power. It was thus I rested motionless, and it was nearlyevening before I stirred, although the sun must have been streamingdirectly across my upturned face for hours. I awoke to perfectconsciousness of our situation, as naturally as ever in a bed at home.Dimly impressed that some unusual noise had aroused me, I immediatelysat upright. This change of posture brought my eyes on a level withthe tops of the cane on either side, and, my face being turnedsouthward, there was outspread before me the full, broad sweep of theMississippi, glinting under the westering sun, so that for a moment itdazzled eyes yet clogged with the heaviness of sleep. Then I perceivedwhat afforded me so severe a shock that I ducked hastily down into mycovert, every faculty instantly alert. Close in against the reeds, asthough skirting the low line of the shore, loomed the black outline ofa large boat.

  Coming bow on toward the place of our concealment, every eye in herwould naturally be scanning the spot where we lay hidden, and I durstnot raise my head again until assured they had passed by. I rolledpartially over to gain view of the others of our own party. Both wereslumbering heavily, Eloise near the western edge of the little grassplot, wrapped within a great shawl so as to leave not even her headvisible, while De Noyan rested within easy reach of my outstretchedarm, breathing so heavily I felt it safer to arouse him, before thatstrange boat should come abreast. It required severe shaking, hissleep being that of sheer exhaustion, yet he proved sufficiently atrained soldier to obey instantly my signal for silence. Nor werewords needed to explain the reason, as by this time the sound of oarswas clearly audible. Suddenly some one spoke, apparently at our veryside. Lying as I was I noticed the shawl pushed hastily down fromMadame's face, her brown eyes gazing questioningly across into my own;yet, with rare self-control, not so much as a limb quivered.

  "I tell you, _padre_, there's nothing along this cursed cane-marsh,"growled a deep rumbling voice in Spanish. "It is a mere bog, in whicha man would sink to his armpits, were he to venture outside the boat."

  "Bog it may be," retorted a sharper, petulant voice, the sound of whichwas oddly familiar, "but I tell you this, Senor, 'tis on this veryshore French gallants come hunting from New Orleans. There is dry landin plenty beyond the fringe of reeds."

  "_Saprista_! there may be, as there may be water in Hell, but I 'llnever tangle my boat amid that mass of cane to make its discovery. Letthe frog-eaters have it, say I; the saints bless them. Come, pull awaysharply, lads, and we'll see what the shore-line looks like above."

  The sound of dipping oars instantly increased in rapidity.

  "You are one pig-headed fool of an officer, Senor," snarled the sharpvoice contemptuously.

  "Mother of God!" roared the other, enraged. "Speak so again, you dogof a French priest, and even your gray robe will not save you fromtasting the mud at the bottom. Do you want to know what I think ofyou? Well, I 'll tell you, you snivelling, drunken singer ofpaternosters--you did more to help that fellow escape than you 'd careto have known. Now you 're trying to hold us back until he has time toget safely away up the river. That's my opinion of you, you snarlinggray-back, and if you dare breathe another word, I 'll give orders tochuck you overboard."

  "Where do you purpose going?" ventured the cowed priest, in a subduedtone.

  "Straight up the stream. That's where your cursed Frenchman hasdisappeared so swiftly, unless the guard at the North Gate shot him, asthey swear to O'Reilly. So sit there quiet, and hold your tongue--youmay command the Devil, for all I care, but I 'm in charge of this boat."

  The sound of angry controversy died away in the distance. Cautiously Ilif
ted my eyes to the level of the cane, and peered over. The Spanishboat, a large one propelled by the vigorous sweep of twelve oars, wasalready a hundred yards above, swiftly stemming the current. Fromtheir gestures I judged the debate yet raged between the gray-robecrouched in the stern, and the big, burly fellow, resplendent in goldlace, standing up and urging his oarsmen to greater exertion. Withinten minutes they rounded the upper point, and when they again appearedwithin vision, the boat was a mere dot floating in the midst of thegolden sunshine, where the setting sun gave a good-night kiss to thevast, sombre river.

  De Noyan's boyish face was aglow with unconcealed amusement as I turnedtoward him.

  "Well, Benteen," he asked, twirling his moustache, and staring afterthem, "what was it the Dons said? _Peste_! I could not make out aword of their lingo, except when the fellows swore."

  I repeated to him the conversation, and he burst into a hearty laugh.

  "Indeed, a sweet-scented Frenchman, that Capuchin priest," he saidcarelessly. "I wonder what has so set the drunken fool against me?"

  "It is not you, Chevalier," I acknowledged, feeling a touch of hisspirit; "it is rather that lad who landed so heavily behind his earlast night, and who ran such a merry masquerade in monk's robe as neverSpanish war-ship saw before. I warrant it is I the holy father seeksso savagely. Faith, it would be pleasant to know how he got out of thepickle in which I left him. 'T is odd the Dons did not use him in yourplace."

  "Ay, that will be the cause, for I did nothing to anger the fellow,except it was to laugh at his prayers, with a joke at the quality ofhis Latin. But Dieu protect you, Monsieur, if ever he gets whip-hand.A revengeful priest is more to be feared than a rabid dog. I stirredone of his breed once at the Cathedral by some wild prank, and carrythe scar of it still. But come, it becomes dusk. Let's break ourfast, and while eating consider the best plan for the night. Eloise,do you awaken refreshed?"

  She came quickly forward, a smile for us both, looking dainty andsweet, although the heavy mass of brown hair appeared somewhatdishevelled from her unaccustomed pillow.

  "I must have been exceedingly tired," she confessed pleasantly, "for Islept with never a dream, and this is my first experience of lyingwithout the covering of a roof. It was all strange and solemn atfirst, with never a sound except the dismal whispering of wind throughthe cane, and the dull murmur of the river. The very, stillness, nodoubt, lulled me to slumber. Nay!" and she sprang hastily forward,taking from my hands the few provisions I was bearing. "That is to bemy part of the work, Geoffrey Benteen, not yours. You will find hardenough task before morning, while there remains so little for me that Irefuse to be robbed of any rights."

  I realized, watching her prepare our scant meal, that she was bravelyendeavoring to appear gay, while her heart remained heavy from memoryof her father. Whether this assumed levity deceived De Noyan I cannotsay--he was of a volatile nature, easily swayed by either smile ortear, and instantly joined responsive to her seeming mood. I left themthus, engaged in pleasant badinage, while seeking some spot where Imight bathe my heated face. It was no small hardship to watch themthus together.

  Seated upon the grass, lingering over the rude repast, we discussed oursituation, seeking to outline vaguely our future plans. De Noyan wasfor keeping close against the western bank as we progressed northward.He had hunted amid the marshes, and remembered sufficiently theformation of the shore-line to be aware that for several leagues itremained thickly skirted by small islands, while numerous bayousoffered secure hiding-places. In this choice I acquiesced, urging alsothat the downward flow of the current would sweep with greater forcealong the opposite shore; besides which the search-boat, just passingus on the way up-stream, would be more likely to return along theeastern bank.

  "There is no reason," I continued, "why we should delay departurelonger. We can keep the boat beneath the shadows of the bank, and evenif the Dons stop to make camp, they would hardly do so without buildinga fire, which would afford ample warning to sheer out into the stream.If they return along this shore--as is unlikely--we should hear theheavy strokes of their oars before they caught the sound of our lighterones. I am for embarking at once."

  This agreed upon, within a half-hour we were pushing slow passagethrough the thick cane, soon finding ourselves once again afloat uponthe broad water, the prow of our boat turned up-stream, while here andthere a dim star winked down upon us between scurrying clouds.