Nic Revel Part 41

"That's zo, Master Nic. But by-and-by, when the zun gets hot and you're a bit tired, we'll get ash.o.r.e zomewhere to break off a few good leafy boughs and make a bit of a shelter in the stern of the boat, zo as you can lie down and have a zleep."

"Or you, Pete."

"When it's my turn, Master Nic. We'll take watch and watch, as the zailors call it, zo as to keep the boat going till we get aboard a s.h.i.+p.

I zay, how far do you make it to the landing-place where we come aboard the boat?"

"I can't say, Pete," replied Nic. "I was in such a confused state that I have lost all count."

"And I aren't much better, zir. You zee, we landed and slept on the road, and that took up time; but I've allowed us three days and nights as being plenty to get down to the zea; and that means tying up to the bank when the river's again' uz--I mean, when we come to where the tide runs, for we should knock ourzelves up trying to pull this heavy, lumbering old boat against the stream."

Nic nodded, as he kept on looking anxiously astern; but he said nothing, and they rowed steadily on.

"Zay, Master Nic," said Pete suddenly.

"Yes."

"Getting hot, aren't it?"

"Terribly."

"Well, I can't zay that, zir, because the zun aren't s.h.i.+ning now on a zlave's back; it's on a free man's, and that makes all the differ. But what are you thinking about?"

"The possibility of seeing another boat coming round the bend of the river."

"It's unpossible, zir. The gaffer hadn't got no other boat to come in.

I believe we was the only other planters up the river, and that there'll be no boat till we come to the places where we stayed of a night, and it's a zight nearer the zea. I keep on thinking, though, a deal."

"What about--our escaping?"

"Nay. It's very queer, Master Nic, and I s'pose it's because I'm zo empty."

"Thinking of food, Pete?" said Nic sadly.

"Yes, Master Nic. More I tries not to, more I keeps on 'bout veal-pie, cold zalmon, and zyder."

"Ah yes, we must contrive to get some provisions after a bit."

They rowed on in silence for some time, with the sun gathering power and beating down upon their heads, and flas.h.i.+ng back from the surface of the river, till at last Pete said suddenly:

"We must run the boat ash.o.r.e close to those trees, Master Nic, or we shall be going queer in the head for want of cover."

"Yes; I feel giddy now, Pete. Do you think we could tie a few leaves together for hats?"

"You'll zee, my lad," said the man. "I could do it best with rushes, but I'll work zomething to keep off the zun."

The boat was run in under the shade of a tree whose boughs hung down and dipped in the running stream; and as Pete laid in his oar he glanced down over the side and saw fish gliding away, deep down in the transparent water.

"Zee um, zir?" said Pete.

"Yes; there are some good-sized fish, Pete."

"And either of 'em would make uz a dinner if we'd got a line."

"And bait, Pete."

"Oh, I'll manage a bait, Master Nic. Dessay they'd take a fly, a beetle, or a berry, or a worm, but I aren't got neither hook nor line.

I'm going to have one, though, zoon, for the way I'm thinking o' cold zalmon is just horrid. I could eat it raw, or live even, without waiting for it to be cooked. These aren't zalmon, but they're vish."

Nic said little, for he could think of nothing but the overseer coming into sight with musket and dogs, and his eyes were constantly directed up the river.

But Pete took it all more calmly. He had dragged the boat beneath the shade of the overhanging tree, secured it to one of the boughs with the remains of the rope, several feet having fortunately been pa.s.sed through the ring-bolt to lie loose in the bottom; and while Nic kept watch he roughed out something in the shape of a couple of basket-like caps, wove in and out a few leaves, and ended by placing them before his companion.

"They aren't very han'some, Master Nic," he said, "but they'll keep the zun off. What do you zay now to lying down and having a nap while I take the watch?"

"No, no," cried Nic excitedly; "let's go on at once."

"I'm ready, Master Nic, but, if you could take both oars, I've been thinking that I could cut off one sleeve of my s.h.i.+rt, loosen and pull out the threads, and then twissen 'em up into a sort o' fis.h.i.+ng-line, paying it over with some of the soft pitch here at the bottom of the boat, so as it would hold together a bit."

"And what about a fish-hook?" asked Nic.

"Ah, that's what bothers me, master. I've been thinking that when we get on into that great big marsh of a place where the river runs through the trees we might stop and vish, for there must be plenty there, or else the 'gators wouldn't be so plentiful. I did zee one big fellow, close to the top, in the clear water where it looked like wine. I thought it was a pike as we come up, and I felt as if I should like to try for him; but how to do it without a hook's more than I can tell.

But we must have zomething to eat, Master Nic, or we shall be starved, and never get away after all."

"Go on making your line," said Nic thoughtfully. "I'll row."

As Nic took both oars Pete unfastened the piece of rope, and the boat began to glide along with the stream, while the latter burst into a low and hearty laugh.

"On'y think o' that now, Master Nic. There's no need for me to spoil my s.h.i.+rt when there's a vis.h.i.+ng-line half-made, and a hook waiting to be finished."

"Where? What do you mean?" cried Nic excitedly. "Why, here in the bows, lad. I've on'y got to unlay this piece o' rope--it's nearly new-- and then I can twist up yards o' line."

"But the hook, man--the hook?"

"There it be, Master Nic--the ring in the bolt. I've on'y got to zaw it through with my knife, bend it to get it out, and then hammer one part out straight, ready to tie on to the line, and there you are."

"But--"

"Oh, I know; it won't be as good as a cod-hook, because it won't have no point nor no barb, but I'll tie a big frog or a bit o' zomething on to it, and if I don't yank a vish out with it afore night I never caught a zalmon."

Nic winced a little at the word "salmon," but he kept his thoughts to himself and went on rowing; while Pete set to work with such goodwill that he soon had plenty of the rope unlaid, and began to plait the hempen threads into a coa.r.s.e line, which grew rapidly between his clever fingers. But many hours had pa.s.sed, and they were gliding through the interminable shades of the cypress swamp before he prepared to saw at the ring.

It was Nic who made the next suggestion.

"Pete," he said quickly, "why not take the head off the pole? It is very small for a boat-hook, and it is quite bright. There's a hole for you to fasten the line to, and a big pike-like fish might run at it as it is drawn through the water."

"Of course it might, lad. Well, that is a good idea. Why waren't I born clever?"

Pete set to work at once, and after a great deal of hard work he managed to cut away the wood from the nail-like rivet which held the head on to the shaft, after which a few blows sufficed to break the iron hook away, with the cross rivet still in place, ready to serve as a hold for the newly-made line.