第74章

"Dar was not no room for it, Miss Lucy.We can make tea berry well in do kettle.""So we can.I forgot that.We shall do capitally."The kettle was not long in boiling.Chloe produced some spoons and knives and forks from the basket.

"Spoons and forks are luxuries, Chloe," Vincent said laughing.

"We could have managed without them."

"Yes, sah; but me not going to leave massa' s silver for dose villains to find."Lucy laughed."At any rate, Chloe, we can turn the silver into money if we run short.Now the kettle is boiling."It was taken off the fire, and Lucy poured some tea into it from the canister, and then proceeded to cut up the bread.A number of slices of bacon had already been cut off, and a stick thrust through them, and Dan, who was squatted at the other side of the fire holding it over the flames, now pronounced them to be ready.The bread served as plates, and the party were soon engaged upon their meal, laughing and talking over it as if it had been an ordinary picnic in the woods, though at times Vincent's face contracted from the sharp twitching of pain in his shoulder.Vincent and Lucy first drank their tea, and the mugs were then handed to Dan and Chlce.

"This is great fun," Lucy said."If it goes on like it all through our journey we shall have no need to grumble.Shall we Chloe?""If you don't grumble, Miss Lucy, you may be quite sure dat Chloe will not.But we hab not begun our journey at present; and I spec dat we shall find it pretty hard work before we get to de end.But nebber mind dat; anyting is better dan being all by ourselves in dat house.Terrible sponsibility dat.""It was lonely," the girl said, "and I am glad we are away from it whatever happens.What a day this has been.Who could have dreamed when I got up in the morning that all this would take place before night.It seems almost like a dream, and I can hardly believe"-and here she stopped with a little shiver as she thought of the scene she had passed though with the band of bushwhackers.

"I would not think anything at all about it," Vincent said."And now I should recommend your turning in, and getting to sleep as soon as you can.We will be off at daybreak, and it is just twelve o'clock now."Five minutes later Lucy and her old nurse were snugly ensconced in their little bower, while Vincent and Dan stretched themselves at full length on the other side of the fire.In spite of the pain in his shoulder Vincent dozed off occasionally, butt he was heartily glad when he saw the first gleam of light in the sky.He woke ban.

"Dan, do you take the kettle down to the river and fill it.We had better have some breakfast before we make our start.If you can't find your way back, whistle and I will answer you."Dan, however, had no occasion to give the signal.It took him little more than five minutes to traverse the distance that had occupied them half an hour in the thick darkness, and Vincent was quite surprised when he reappeared again with the kettle.Not until it was boiling, and the bacon was ready, did Vincent raise his voice and call Lucy and the nurse.

"This is reversing the order of things altogether," the girl said as she came out and saw breakfast already prepared."I shall not allow it another time, I can tell you.""We are old campaigners, you see," Vincent said, "and accustomed to early movements.Now please let us waste no time, as the sooner we are off the better."In a quarter of an hour breakfast was eaten and the basket packed, and they were on their way.Now the bright, glowing light in the east was sufficient guide to them as to the direction they should take, and setting their face to the south they started through the forest.In a quarter of an hour they came upon a little stream running through the wood, and here Vincent suggested that Lucy might like a wash, a suggestion which was gratefully accepted.He and Dan went a short distance down the streamlet, and Vincent bathed his face and head.

"Dan, I will get you to undo this bandage and get off my coat; then I will make a pad of my handkerchief and dip it in the water and you can lay it on my shoulder, and then help me on again with my coat.My arm is getting horribly painful."Vincent's right arm was accordingly drawn through the sleeve and the coat turned down so as to enable Dan to lay the wet pad on the shoulder.

"It has not bled much," Vincent said, looking down at it.

"No, sah, not much blood on de shirt."

"Pull the coat down as far as the elbow, Dan, and bathe it for a bit."Using his cap as a baler, Dan bathed the arm for ten minutes, then the wet pad was placed in position, and with some difficulty the coat got on again.The arm was then bandaged across the chest, and they returned to the women, who were beginning to wonder at the delay.