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Mass' George: A Boy's Adventures in the Old Savannah, a novel by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 51 |
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_ CHAPTER FIFTY ONE. Our party was cheering loudly as I got up in time to see the Indians in full flight toward the forest, and a strong force of men in pursuit, stopping and kneeling from time to time to fire on the retreating savages, who did not attempt to make a stand. For some minutes I could not understand what it meant, nor who our rescuers were, but directly after the word ran round from mouth to mouth--"Spaniards--Spaniards!" and I turned to see a large ship lying in the river as I ran back to our defences, and past the dead and wounded, to bear my father the news. "One enemy to save us from the other," said my father. "Well, better to fall into the hands of civilised people than savages. In this case it will be prison, in the other it would have been death." "But shall we have to give up to them?" I said. "In our helpless state I am afraid so, unless the General and Preston hold that we are Englishmen still. Oh, if I could only get to their side, and join in the council!" "Hannibal carry capen," said the great black, who in strict obedience to his orders was at my back. "Can you?" cried my father, eagerly. Hannibal smiled and took my father up as easily as if he had been a child, starting to carry him just as Morgan came up. "Stop!" said my father; "let me go in a more dignified way if I can. Here, Morgan, pick up one of these fire-locks. Hannibal, my man, set me down again;" and, after giving his orders, Morgan and the black each took hold of one end of the firelock, holding it across him, and my father sat upon it, supporting himself by passing his arms through those of his bearers, and in this fashion he reached the group at the gap in the fence. Here an earnest conversation was going on, while the Spaniards were still in full pursuit of the Indians, chasing them right into the forest, and their shots growing more and more distant. "Ah," cried the General, as my father reached the group, "I am glad you have come, Bruton. I feel bound in our present strait to take the opinion of all. We are terribly shaken in our position; there are many wounded, and the question we debate is, whether now we surrender quietly to the Spaniards, or make one more bold stand." "What does Colonel Preston say?" said my father, quietly. "Fight, sir," cried the colonel, fiercely, "as long as we can fire shot or lift an arm; but the majority are for giving up. What does Captain Bruton say?" My father was so weak that he could not stand alone, but his eyes were bright still, and he drew back his head as he looked round. "First let me hear what others have to say." One of the settlers took a step forward. "That we have fought like men, sir, but it is too much to attempt more. We have failed in our attempt to establish this colony, so now let us make the best terms we can with the Spaniards, and try to get back home. Come, Captain Bruton, you are terribly hurt; you have done all you can. Speak out now, sir, like a brave man, who wishes to save further slaughter. You agree with me?" Every eye was turned on my father, who, in spite of his quiet ways, had gained enormous influence, and even the General seemed to look at him anxiously as he spoke. "I quite agree with you, sir, that we want peace, and to return home; but this is home--this country that we chose and obtained the King's charter to hold, and to defend against all comers. The Spaniards' descent has been most fortunate; but when they come back and arrogantly order us to surrender, there is not surely an Englishman here who will give up? I say No. We have our defences nearly perfect still, and half an hour to repair this breach. Ammunition in plenty; provisions still for quite a siege. Who says surrender? Not I." There was a cheer at this, and the General laid his hand on my father's shoulder, crying-- "No one says surrender. Quick, men! Work!" He issued his orders sharply; they were readily obeyed, and in a very short space of time the gap in the palisade was filled with board, plank, and barrel from the central defence that had been so hotly contested that morning. The barrels were stood up on end and filled with earth, and by the time the Spaniards' firing had ceased, and they were returning, our men were posted here and there; and our weakness being hidden, we presented a formidable appearance to the Spanish force, as it marched back, and without coming near our weakest part at the back, formed up at a short distance from the well-manned gates. Quite a hopeful feeling seemed to have come over men who had been in despair a short hour before, as the ladies and women were put in the enclosure, busy, with the black people, obeying the surgeon's orders. For it was felt that if another encounter took place, it would only be after due warning, and then that we had ordinary enemies to contend against, not the savages, who had received a severe enough lesson to perhaps check further attack. A strong desire too was manifested to make the best of things in our enemies' sight, and stores were attacked, rations served out, and every man who was wounded was disposed to treat it lightly. I cannot explain it, but I know now that in the reaction, all felt as I did--ready to forget pain, weariness, and the peril through which we had passed. We knew that another enemy had come; but though he had driven off the savages, he did not seem at all formidable; and the blacks in their quick, childlike way, taking their tone from us, were soon laughing and chattering, as they made fires, fetched water, and busied themselves about the camp as if nothing unusual was the matter. After seeing my father comfortably lying down and refreshed, I left him to go and find out what was going on in front of the gate, where Morgan was one of the little party on guard. As I went up to him he stared at me curiously, and I looked at him, each of course thinking of our encounter, and it appeared to me as if it was something that had occurred a long time ago, and that I ought not to refer to such a horror--at least not till some time in the future, when we could speak of it calmly, as of some adventure of the past. The change in his aspect was striking as I spoke, his face lighting up; and he looked like the Morgan of old, as I said, quietly-- "What are the Spaniards doing?" "Smoking, some of 'em, Master George," he said, eagerly. "And some of 'em's eating and drinking; and, look you, the big Dons are all together yonder having a sort of confab. Think it'll come to a fight with them, sir?" "I don't know. But hasn't any one been up to the gate or brought a message?" "No, sir, and they don't seem to be in any hurry. Look!" He made way for me to look over the gate at the little force, which lay about half-way between us and their boats at the river-side, while about a couple of hundred yards away lay their ship, with the Spanish flag blown well out by the breeze. The men were standing or lying down, and, as far as I could see, no one had been hurt in their encounter; in fact it had been confined to firing upon the retreating savages. They were taking matters very coolly, all but their leaders, who were evidently holding a council before deciding on their next step. "Strikes me, Master George," said Morgan, "that they're thinking that winning one little battle's enough work for the day, and I shouldn't be much surprised if they went back on board. They don't want to fight us, only to frighten us away." "Think so?" I said. "They attacked the Indians very bravely." "Don't see much bravery in a hundred men firing at a lot of savages who are running away. They never expected to find us all ready for them in a stout stockade, with every man Jack of us standing to arms, in full fighting rig, and with our war-paint on." He said this last meaningly, and I shuddered as I thought of what I had seen. "Well, I must go back," I said. "My father is anxious to know." "Yes, of course sir. Then you go and tell him what you've seen, and that I say I don't think they mean fighting; but that if they do, it won't be till after they've had a good parly-parly, and asked us first whether we mean to go." Just then there was a burst of talking close by us, and a laugh; the officer in command gave an order or two, and a couple of the men leaned over and held out a hand each. Then there was a bit of a scramble, and a curly black head appeared above the gates. The next moment its owner was over, and had dropped down, caught sight of us, and run up. "Why, Pomp!" I said; "I had forgotten you." "What for send Pomp out to boat and no come? Pomp dreffle tire, and come back." "I say I had forgotten you." "Ah, Pomp no forget Mass' George," he replied, reproachfully. "Eh? Lil fire--two lil fire--twent lil fire," he cried, excitedly. "'Mell um cook suffum. Come 'long, Mass' George, I dreffle hungly." I led the way in and out among the busy groups, where, chattering over the fires they had lit, the blacks were making bread or cooking, and every now and then I had to catch hold of Pomp's arm and half drag him along, so great was the interest he took in what was going on; for he evidently felt no modesty or shrinking about making his presence known. I soon had my father fully acquainted with the state of affairs, and while I was talking to him, Colonel Preston came to sit down upon an upturned barrel, and talk for a time about the state of affairs. _ |
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