Fighting for the Right Part 31

The negro's argument was logical, and Christy admitted its force, and expressed his willingness to pay the price demanded.

"Five dollars for de boat, ma.s.sa, and ten dollars for tellin' de whole truf," added Quimp.

"All right, my man," added the lieutenant.

"Yes, sar; but I want de money now, sar," said Quimp, extending his hand to receive it; and Christy thought he was very sharp for one in his position.

"I will pay you when you have imparted the information," he replied; and, for some reason he could not explain, he was not satisfied with the conduct of the negro.

He was altogether too shrewd for one who appeared to be so stupid. The expression of cunning in his face told against him, and perhaps it was this more than anything else that prejudiced the officer. He took it for granted that he should have to take the boatman off to the Bellevite with him, and that it would be time enough to pay him on board of the s.h.i.+p.

"Dat won't do, ma.s.sa!" protested Quimp earnestly. "What you tink?

Suppose dar is a steamer in de bay loaded wid cotton, all ready to quit for somewhar. Do you tink, ma.s.sa, I can go on bord of her wid you? No, sar! Dis n.i.g.g.e.r lose his head for sartin if dem uns knows I pilot you to dat steamer. You done got two eyes, ma.s.sa, and you can see it for sh.o.r.e."

"But I can protect you, Quimp," suggested Christy.

"No, sar! All de sojers in de Yankee camp could not save me, sar. De first man dat sees me will knive me in de heart, or cut my froat from one ear to de oder!" protested Quimp more earnestly than before, though he manifested no terror in his words or manner.

"Very well, Quimp; I will pay you the money as soon as we see the steamer or other vessel, and then a.s.sist you to make your escape,"

replied Christy. "I will go a step farther, and pay you for the boat now; but I will not pay you the ten dollars till you show us a vessel."

While the negro was scratching his head to stimulate his ideas, the officer handed him a gold sovereign and a s.h.i.+lling of English money, provided for his visit to Bermuda and Na.s.sau, which made a little more than five dollars.

"I don't reckon a gemman like you would cheat a poor n.i.g.g.e.r," said Quimp, while his eyes were still glowing with delight at the sight of the money in his hand.

"Certainly not, my man," replied Christy, laughing at the idea. "Just as soon as I get my eye on the steamer of which you speak, I will pay you the ten dollars in gold and silver."

"I don't know much about dis yere money, ma.s.sa," said the boatman, still studying the coin.

"The gold piece is an English sovereign, worth about four dollars and eighty-five cents; and the silver coin is a s.h.i.+lling, worth very nearly a quarter of a dollar; so that I have paid you over five dollars."

"Yes, sar, tank you, sar. Cap'n Stopfoot fotched over some ob de money like dat from Na.s.sau, and I done seen it."

"But I can't stop to talk all day, Quimp," continued Christy impatiently. "If you are going to do anything to earn your ten dollars, it is time for you to be about it."

"Yes, sar; I will told you all about it, ma.s.sa."

"No long yarns, my man!" protested the officer, as Quimp seated himself in the stern sheets as though he intended to tell a long story.

"Yes, ma.s.sa; told you all about it in a bref. De wind done blow fresh from de norf-west for t'ree days; dat's what Ma.s.sa Cap'n Stopfoot say,"

Quimp began.

"No matter what Captain Stopfoot says!" Christy interposed. "Tell me where the steamer is, if there is any steamer in the bay. We will stop the foot and the mouth of Captain Stopfoot when we come to him."

"Well, sar, if you don't want to har dis n.i.g.g.e.r's yarn, he'll shet up all to onct," replied Quimp, standing on his dignity.

"Go on, then; but make it short," added Christy, finding it would take less time to get what he wanted out of the negro by letting him have his own way. "Wind fresh from the north-west for three days."

"Yes, sar; and dat pile up de water so de tide rise six or eight inches higher," continued Quimp, picking up the clew given him. "High tide in one hour from now, and de Reindeer was gwine out den for sh.o.r.e. Dat's de whole story, ma.s.sa, and not bery long."

"All right, Quimp. Now where is the Reindeer?"

"Ober de oder side ob long key, ma.s.sa. Dar's more'n four fadoms ob water under dis boat now, and twelve feet 'tween de two keys," added the boatman, whose tongue was fully unlocked by this time.

The crew of the cutter were directed to give way, and the negro pointed out the channel which led inside the keys.

CHAPTER XXVIII

THE SURRENDER OF THE REINDEER

Christy looked over the side of the boat, and saw that the water was quite clear. The channel, which lay in the middle of the bay, had four and a quarter fathoms of water at mean low tide, according to the chart the officer had with him. He had brought several copies of the large chart with him from New York, and he had cut them up into convenient squares, so that they could be easily handled when he was on boat service. But his authority gave no depth of water on the shoal sands.

In a short time the boat came to the verge of the channel, and Christy directed the bowman to stand by with the lead, with which the boat was provided. The first heaving gave three and a half fathoms, and it gradually decreased at each report, till only two fathoms and a quarter was indicated, when the boat was between the two keys, the southern of which Quimp called the long key, simply because that was the longest in the bay, and not because it was a proper name.

"Now, Ma.s.sa Ossifer, look sharp ober on de starboard side," said the negro.

"I don't see anything," replied Christy.

"No, sar, not yet; but look ober dat way, and you see somet'ing fo' yore t'ree minutes older, ma.s.sa."

Christy fixed his gaze on the point of the long key, beyond which Quimp intimated that the steamer would be seen.

"Now, Ma.s.sa Ossifer, fo' yore two minutes nearer glory, you'll see de end ob de bowsprit ob de Reindeer," added Quimp, who was beginning to be somewhat excited, possibly in expectation of receiving his ten dollars; and perhaps he was regretting that he had not demanded twenty.

"How big is that steamer, Quimp?" asked the officer of the cutter.

"Fo' hund'ed tons, ma.s.sa; dat's what Cap'n Stopfoot done say, kase I never done measure her. He done say she is very flat on her bottom, and don't draw much water for her size," replied the negro. "Dar's de end ob de bowsprit, ma.s.sa!" he exclaimed at this moment.

"Way enough, c.o.c.kswain!" said Christy sharply. "Stern all!"

The headway of the cutter was promptly checked, and she was set back a couple of lengths, when the order was given to the crew to lay on their oars.

"W'at's the matter, Ma.s.sa Ossifer? Arn't you gwine no furder?" asked Quimp.

"I have seen enough of the Reindeer to satisfy me that she is there; and I have stopped the boat to give you a chance to make your escape,"

replied Christy. "I don't want you to lose your head for the service you have rendered to me."

"Dis n.i.g.g.e.r can't get away from here, ma.s.sa," replied the boatman, looking about him. "A feller can't swim a mile when de water's full ob alligators. Dem varmints like n.i.g.g.e.rs to eat jus' as well as dey do white men."

Christy had his doubts about there being alligators of a dangerous size in the bay, though he had seen small ones in other bays of the coast; but he was willing to admit that Quimp knew better about the matter than he did. It was a hard swim to any other key than the long one, to which the cutter was quite near. He could land the negro on that key, but he would reveal the presence of the boat to the people on board of the Reindeer, and they would burn her rather than have her fall into the hands of the Union navy.

"I can land you on the long key, Quimp," suggested the officer.

"No, sar! Can't go there; for Cap'n Stopfoot sartainly cotch me dar,"