Mass' George

I s.h.i.+vered a little at the mention of the powder, and tried to tell him what I had heard, but somehow the words would not come, and soon after as he dropped asleep I went down into the open s.p.a.ce about the block-house.

To reach it I had to pa.s.s the powder, which still lay covered as before, and it seemed to me that some fresh place might be found for it, since if the Indians began to send their fiery arrows into the camp again, one might fall there, and the destruction talked of befall us at once.

But a little thought told me that if arrows came now, they would be aimed at men and not at buildings. There was nothing more within for the fire to burn, so I went in and walked round the pile of smouldering ashes, and tried to recall the scene of the previous night, and the position of the magazine. But it was rather hard to do now, there being nothing left by which I could judge, and I was going on, when I caught sight of something which made me alter my course, and walk softly up behind where Pomp was busy with a shovel at the edge of a great heap of smouldering ashes.

"What are you doing?" I said.

"Eh? Ma.s.s' George 'top bit and see."

"No, I can't stop," I cried. "What are you doing with that shovel?"

"Dat to 'c.r.a.pe de fire up. You no see? Pomp bake cake for de capen."

"What?"

"Oh yes. Plenty cake in de hot ash. Hot bread for um. 'Top see if um done."

He looked up at me and laughed as merrily as if there was no danger near.

"Ma.s.s' George see more Injum?"

"No," I said. "They are in the forest somewhere."

"Pomp like roace all de whole lot. Come burn fellow place down like dat. Ah, you don't want come, sah! Hah, I pob you in dah lil soft wet dab ob dough, and now you got to come out nice cake all hot."

He felt about in the fine embers with the shovel, and directly after thrust it under something invisible, drew it out, blew off a quant.i.ty of glowing ash, tossed his find round and brown up in the air, caught it again on the shovel, and held just under my nose a hot, well-cooked bread-cake, showing his teeth the while, as he exclaimed triumphantly--

"Dah!"

"Bread," I said, mechanically.

"Nice hot cake, sah, for de capen, and Pomp got fibe more juss done.

Dat one for capen, one for Ma.s.s' George, one for Pomp fader, one for Pomp. How many dat make?"

"Four," I said, in the same mechanical way.

"Four, and den dah two more for a-morrow mornin'."

"Oh, Pomp," I said, "how can you think of such things now!"

"Eh? Cos such boofle fire, and Pomp know where de barl ob flour. Ma.s.s'

George not glad to

I shook my head, but the boy was too busy fetching out his loaves, and soon had the whole six, well-cooked and of a delicate creamy-brown, beside him ready to be replaced in a little heap on the shovel.

"Dah!" he said; "now go take um home ready for tea."

"Why, Pomp," I said, sadly, "suppose the Indians come, what then?"

"What den? Dey 'tupid 'nuff to come, we shoot dem all, sah. Pomp don't fink much ob Injum."

"Do you think they'll come to-night?"

"Pomp done know. 'Pose so."

"You think so, then?"

"Yes, Ma.s.s' George. Injum very 'tupid. Come be shot."

Evening was coming on so fast that it would soon, I felt, be put to the proof, and followed by the boy with his cakes balanced on the shovel held over his shoulder, I went back to our apology for a tent.

My coming in awoke my father, and he sat up wincing with pain, but trying hard directly to hide his sufferings from me.

"Give me your hand," he said. "I must get out now and help."

I gave him my hand, and he rose, but sank back with his eyes half closed.

"No," he said, sadly; "I have no strength. Go out and see what preparations are being made, and--"

"Here is Colonel Preston, father," I whispered.

It was he, but he was not alone, for the General was with him, and both exclaimed loudly against my father attempting to move, but stayed both of them some time discussing the position, and asking his candid opinion about certain things which they had done for strengthening the defences, and they ended by proposing that I should accompany them as a sort of aide-de-camp, and bear messages to and fro.

I followed them, and was soon after going with them from post to post, to see that the men were well supplied with ammunition; and I could not help noticing that in spite of all they had gone through, they looked rested and self-reliant; quite ready in fact for a fresh encounter with our hidden foe.

For as the setting sun turned the plantations and edge of the forest to ruddy gold, all was perfectly calm, and for aught we could see there was no sign of an enemy. In fact to judge from appearances the Indians might have departed finally to their home, satisfied with the harm they had done.

As night fell all fires were extinguished, and we then commenced our dreary watch, every one feeling that the attack was coming, but how soon or from what quarter it was impossible to say.

CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT.

I pa.s.sed the early part of that night now seated in the darkness by my father, now stealing away when I believed him to be asleep, and joining Morgan, who was acting as one of the sentries, and had kept Pomp by his side so as to make use of his keen young eyes, which seemed to see farther through the darkness of the night than those of any one else in the camp.

And as I stood at Morgan's side I could not help thinking of the great change that had taken place. Only a few hours before the fort was crackling and blazing, huge logs splitting with a loud report, and wreaths of fire and smoke circling up into the lurid sky, while all within the enclosure was lit up, and glistened and glowed in the intense light. Now all was gloom, depression, and darkness--a darkness so thick that it seemed to me as if the Indians had only to come gently up and select the place to climb over and then carry all before them.

I was tired and despondent, and that made me take, I suppose, so dreary a view of my position, as I waited for the enemy's advance. And yet I think my despondency was warranted, for I felt that if the Indians attacked they would carry everything before them; and if they did I could not doubt the determination of Morgan and his companions. And there I found myself standing beside the man who was ready to put a light to the powder and send everything into chaos--for that he would do it in the emergency I felt sure.

I had been backwards and forwards several times, and was standing at last gazing over the fence in silence, trying to convince myself that some objects I saw in the distance were bushes and not Indians, when Pomp suddenly yawned very loudly.

"Hus.h.!.+" whispered Morgan, sternly.

"Pomp can't help um. So dreffle tire."

"Then keep a sharp look-out, and try if you can't see the Indians."

"Pomp did, but eye got blunt now. Why not go look for Injum?"