Part 9 (1/2)

After protesting and begging for some time in vain, Hubert jumped down from the log and hurried back to camp. By the time he had told the story to Ted and July, the witless snake-charmer himself appeared unhurt.

”Lem me tell you one thing, Hubut,” cautioned July: ”you let dat Billy hoe his own row. Play wid him roun' dis camp, but don't go foolin' long wid him in dese woods. He ain't got good sense, and he'll git you in trouble sho's you born.”

”He ought to be in a sanitarium,” said Ted.

”Look yuh, Billy,” cried July, as the half-wit approached, ”ain't you got no better sense'n to prodjick wid a rattlesnake dat-a way?”

”What made you tell?” asked Billy reproachfully of Hubert.

”Dat snake goin' to bite you an' kill you,” July warned urgently.

”Don't you fret,” said Billy, giggling. ”Son knows me.”

Ted was reminded of the old saying that Providence takes care of fools and drunken men, but he also spoke in rebuke and warning, whereupon the disgusted Billy took himself off.

”Cap'n Ted, you want to go fis.h.i.+n' wid me dis mawnin'?” asked July, and the boy promptly accepted the invitation.

The negro explained that Buck Hardy was willing for Ted to go if Hubert would stay around the camp and play with Billy. Apparently it was not as yet thought advisable to permit the two boys to go off on an excursion together, but no danger of attempted flight on the part of either was feared while they were separated.

”I don't want to 'play with Billy,'” protested Hubert indignantly. ”But you go ahead, Ted, if you want to. I'll stay around camp. I want to look over that old paper and then take a nap. I'm sleepy--after last night.”

So July got ready his fis.h.i.+ng tackle and bait, and Ted followed him down to the landing. They took the smallest boat and, paddling and poling, slowly made their way against the usual obstructions toward a small lake in the flooded jungle to the right of the great marsh or ”prairie.”

After nearly an hour of hard work they reached their destination and threw out their lines, baited with wriggling worms, which, according to July, the black ba.s.s or ”trout” often took ”as fas' as you kin throw in.” This morning, however, they appeared to be less hungry, and the fishermen waited some time for even a ”bite,” talking in low voices the while. During the hour that followed Ted caught one three-pounder and July landed two others not quite as large. July considered this very poor luck and complained that the catch was not ”half a mess.” It was time to return to camp, however, and they reluctantly drew in their lines.

As they were following the boat-trail back to the island, Ted, who had brought his gun, stood up now and then and looked searchingly around, hoping to see something to shoot. In this way he caught sight of a flock of ducks swimming about in a little open pool to their left. He was quick to fire both barrels, the shock almost causing him to lose his equilibrium and tumble overboard. And when, with a great splas.h.i.+ng and fluttering the flock rose, three ducks were left floating on the water.

The boy shouted in his delight.

”We'll have enough duck, if not enough fish,” he said.

”If we kin git 'em,” said July doubtfully.

A hard struggle resulted in bringing the bateau only within about twenty feet of the spot, and there it stalled, the crowding obstructions being apparently insurmountable. July reluctantly gave up, declaring that they would have to let the ducks ”go.” But tenacity of purpose was one of Ted's chief characteristics and he would not give up. His hunter's pride demanded the game and, besides, he insisted that it would never do to permit so much good food to be wasted.

It was a warm spring day, and, putting his hand into the water, Ted found it to be only agreeably cool. His decision was instantly made: he would have those ducks if he had to swim for them. Deaf to July's urgent warnings of the danger of alligators, moccasins, and what not, he stripped to his shoes, and stepped out of the boat, surprised to find the water deeper than he had expected.

In addition to standing trees and shrubs of many sorts and sizes, the flooded swamp at this point was crowded with sunken logs, dead branches and here and there a dense growth of flags. But Ted, wading, slipping, falling, swimming, and battling manfully with the various difficulties, finally reached the goal and held in his grasp a foot of each of the three floating ducks. It was only when he turned to come back with his prizes that he became seriously embarra.s.sed. He then stumbled, fell, and, as if his feet were caught or entangled in the sunken obstructions, failed to regain his upright position. His head even disappeared under the water, and it looked to July as if he had been drawn under by some unseen force.

Fortunately the bateau, now lightened of a part of its load, drew less water, and could be forced forward with less difficulty. Exerting all his powers, the terrified negro made rapid headway and came to the rescue in time. While the struggling Ted still managed to hold his breath, he was seized, drawn out of the water, and lifted over the side of the boat, laughing as he kicked from him a ma.s.s of swamp weeds and mossy rotting branches in which his feet had been entangled. His body showed several red scratches, and he knew he had had a narrow escape, but he had succeeded and was happy.

”I got 'em!” he shouted triumphantly. Then, sobering, he gratefully thanked the negro for his timely intervention and listened in a becoming manner to the scolding his recklessness invited.

”Git on your clothes quick,” urged July. ”I was most scared to death, you see me so. I wouldn't 'a' had you drownd-ed for a thousand dollars.

Mr. Hardy sho would tan my hide if I was to take you back to camp drownd-ed. He think a heap o' you, Cap'n Ted. Dem yuther white mens all time complainin' 'bout you, but he shut 'em up an' tell 'em he sho aim to stan' by you.”

”I think he's just fine--if he is in with a bad crowd.”

”He sho is de bes' man o' de whole bunch.”

”Maybe he didn't understand that he could have volunteered freely and enlisted in some branch of the service before he was drafted,” suggested Ted. ”That's the only way I can explain it.”