Somelittledistancedownstreamasorry-lookingfigure,whichwashardlyrecognizableasthatofJan,wasflounderingthroughthemudandwatertowardsthebank.
Onthelowersideofthelighterthecanvas,thathadbeenspreadlikeatentovertheafterpart,hadbrokenfromitsfastenings,andwasnowtossingandheavinginamostremarkablemanner.
FrombeneathitcamethesmotheredcriesoftheElmers,whohadbeensuddenlywakenedtofindthemselvesmixedtogetherinthemostperplexingway,andentangledintheirblanketsandtheloosefoldsofthecanvas.
CaptainJohnsonseemedtobetheonlypersonwhohadhiswitsabouthim,andwhowasinaconditiontorenderanyassistance.
Assoonashecouldpickhimselfuphemadehiswaytotheotherendoftheboatanddraggedthecanvasfromoffthestrugglingfamily.
FirstMr.Elmeremergedfromtheconfusion,thenMrs.ElmerandRuthwerehelpedout,andlastofallpoorMark,whohadbeenburiedbeneaththeentirefamily,wasdraggedforth,nearlysmotheredandhighlyindignant.
“It’sameantrick,andIdidn’tthink—”hebegan,assoonashegothisbreath;butjustthenhiseyefelluponthecomicalfigureofJan.
Hewaswalkingtowardsthefire,drippingmudandwaterfromeverypoint,andMark’swrathwasturnedintoheartylaughteratthissight.
AftertheElmershadbeenhelpedupthesteepinclineoftheboat,andwerecomfortablyfixednearthefire,CaptainJohnsonandJan,whosaidhedidn’tmindmudnowanymorethananalligator,tooklight-woodtorchesandsetouttodiscoverwhathadhappened.
AsJanclimbeddownthebankintothemud,andheldhistorchbeneaththeboat,hesawinamomentthecauseoftheaccident,andknewjusthowithadoccurred.
Asthetideebbedthelighterhadbeengraduallylowered,untilitrestedontheuprightbranchesofanoldwater-loggedtree-topthatwassunkinthemudatthisplace.
Thewaterfallinglowerandlower,theweightuponthesebranchesbecamegreaterandgreater,untiltheycouldsupportitnolonger,andonesideofthelighterwentdownwithacrash,whiletheotherrestedagainstthebank.
Jan,whohadbeensleepingontheuppersideoftheboat,wasthrownoutintothewaterwhenitfell,assomeoftheElmersdoubtlesswouldhavebeenhadnottheircanvasshelterpreventedsuchacatastrophe.
Bysunriseasimplebreakfastofbread-and-butterandcoffeehadbeeneaten,andouremigrantswereoncemoreafloatandmovingslowlyupthetropical-lookingriver.
Aboutteno’clockCaptainJohnsonpointedtoahugedeadcypress-treestandingonthebankoftheriversomedistanceahead,andtoldtheElmersthatitmarkedoneoftheboundary-linesofWakulla.
Theygazedatiteagerly,asthoughexpectingittoturnintosomethingdifferentfromanordinarycypress,andallfeltmoreorlessdisappointedatnotseeinganyclearingsorsignsofhumanhabitations.
Itwasnotuntiltheyweredirectlyoppositethevillagethattheysawitsscoreorsoofhousesthroughthetreesandundergrowththatfringedthebank.
AstheBangsplace,towhichthechildrengavethenameof“GoBang”—anamethatadheredtoiteverafterwards—wasacrosstheriverfromthevillage,thelighterwaspoledovertothatside.
Therewasnowharf,soshewasmadefasttoalittlegrassypromontorythatCaptainJohnsonsaidwasonceoneoftheabutmentsofabridge.
Asyettheyhadseennotraceofit,soheavywasthegrowthoftreeseverywhere,exceptattheabutment,whichwasbuiltofstone,coveredwithearthandathicksod.
Fromhereanoldroadledawayfromtheriverthroughthewoods,andupitMr.andMrs.ElmerandCaptainJohnsonnowwalked,MarkandRuthhavingrunonahead.
TheeldershadgonebutafewstepswhentheyheardaloudcryfromRuth,andhurriedforwardfearingthatthechildrenwereintrouble.
“I’vegothim!”shoutedMarkfrombehindsomebushes,andsureenoughtherelayablacksnakealmostaslongasMarkwastall,whichhehadjustsucceededinkillingwithastick.
Mrs.Elmershudderedatthesightofthesnake,thoughherhusbandassuredherthatithadbeenperfectlyharmlessevenwhenalive.
Notfarfromwherethesnakehadbeenkilledtheyfoundaspringofwaterbubblingup,asclearascrystal,fromabedofwhitesand,butgivingforthsuchadisagreeableodorthatthechildrendeclareditwasnasty.
Mr.Elmer,however,regardeditwithgreatsatisfaction,andtoldthemitwasasulphurspring,strongerthananyhehadeverseen,andthattheywouldfinditveryvaluable.
Theyalldranksomeofthewateroutofmagnolia-leafcups;butthechildrenmadefacesatthetaste,andMarksaiditmadehimfeellikeahard-boiledegg.
Apathleadingfromthespringatrightanglestotheroadfromtherivertookthemintoalargeclearingthathadoncebeenacultivatedfield,andonthefarthersideofthisfieldstoodthehouse.
Astheyapproachedittheysawthatitwasquitelarge,twostoriesinheight,withdormerwindowsintheroof,butthatitboremanysignsofageandlongneglect.
Thehousestoodinagroveofgrandlive-oaks,cedars,andmagnolias,andhadevidentlybeensurroundedbyabeautifulgarden,enclosedbyaneatpicket-fence;butnowthefencewasbrokendowninmanyplaces,andalmosthiddenbyadensegrowthofvinesandcreepers.
Inthegarden,rose-bushes,myrtles,oleanders,andcamelliasgrewwitharankanduntrainedluxuriance,andallweremattedtogetherwithvinesofhoneysuckleandclematis.
Thefrontporchofthehousewassorottenandbrokenthat,afterforcingtheirwaythroughthewildgrowthofthegarden,thepartyhadtocrossitverycarefullyinordertoentertheopendoor.
Theinteriorprovedtobeinamuchbetterconditionthantheyhaddaredhope,judgingfromtheoutsideappearanceofthehouse.
Itwasfilledwiththeclose,mustyodorcommontodesertedbuildings,andtheyquicklythrewwideopenallthewindowsanddoorsthatwerenotnailedup.
Onthefirstfloorwerefourlargerooms,eachcontainingafireplaceandseveralclosets,andup-stairswerefourmore,lightedbythedormerwindowsintheroof.
BeneaththisporchMr.Elmerdiscoveredabrickcisternhalffullofdirtywater,whichheknewmustbeveryfoul,astheguttersalongtheroofweresorottenandbrokenthattheycouldnothavefurnishedafreshsupplyinalongtime.
Behindthemainhouse,andsurroundedbylargefig-trees,theyfoundanotherbuilding,inafairstateofpreservation,containingtworooms,oneofwhichhadbeenthekitchen.
Inthehugefireplaceofthiskitchentheyweresurprisedtoseefreshlyburnedsticksandaquantityofashes,whileaboutthefloorwerescatteredfeathersandbones,andinonecornerwasapileofmossthatlookedasthoughithasbeenusedforabed.
Beyondthekitchenweretheruinsofseveralout-buildingsthathadfallenbyreasonoftheirage,orbeenblowndownduringagale.
Havingthusmadeahastyexplorationoftheirnewhome,thepartyreturnedtothelanding,towhichtheirgoodswerebeingunloadedfromthelighterbyJanandthecrew.
LeavingMrs.ElmerandRuthhere,Mr.ElmerandMarkcrossedtherivertothevillagetoseewhattheycouldprocureinthewayofteamsandhelp.
Ofthetwentyhousesinthevillage,manyofwhichwereinamostdilapidatedcondition,onlytwowereoccupiedbywhitefamilies,therestofthepopulationbeingcolored.
Therewerenostoresnorshopsofanykind,theonlybuildingnotusedasadwelling-housebeingasmallchurchverymuchoutofrepair.
Thewhitemenlivinginthevillagewereawayfromhome,butfromamongthecoloredpeople,whoweremuchexcitedatthearrivalofstrangersintheirmidst,Mr.Elmerengagedtwomenandtheirwivestocrosstheriverandgotoworkatonce.
Healsoengagedamanwhoownedateamofmulesandawagon,andwhowouldgooverassoonasthelighterwasunloadedandcouldbeusedtoferryhimacross.
Onitsreturntotheotherside,thecanoewasfollowedbyaskiffcontainingthenewlyengagedcoloredhelp,whoseamazementateverythingtheysaw,andespeciallyatthecanoe,wasunbounded.
Oneofthemenexpressedhiswonderatthelittlecraftbysaying,“Datartrick’ssolight,Ireckonit’sgwineleabdewatersomefineday,an’flyindeyair,likeaduck.”
Mrs.Elmerprovidedthewomenwithbrooms,mops,andpails,andtookthemuptothehouse,wheretheyproceededtoputthelowerstoryinorderforimmediateoccupation.
Mr.Elmerarmedthemenwithaxes,andsoonhadthemengagedinastrugglewiththetangledgrowthinthefrontyard,throughwhichtheycutabroadpathtothehouse.
Whiletheyweredoingthis,Mr.ElmerandJancutandplacedinpositionsometemporarysupportsunderthericketyporches,andMarkwassetworkatthewindows.
Fromtheseheknockedawayalltheboards,lettinginfloodsofblessedsunlight,thatdrovefromtheirsnugretreatsnumbersofbatsandseveralcomicallittleowls.
Oneofthecoloredwomen—“AuntChloeCato,”asshecalledherself,becauseshewasCato’swife—wassentintothekitchentocleanitandtomakeafireinthegreatfireplace.
Shecouldnotexplainthetracesofrecentoccupation,but“’lowed‘tweredeghoses,kasedisyereoleBangplacedonebinhanted.”
“Well,it’llbe‘hanted’nowbytheElmerfamily,”saidMark,whooverheardher,“andthey’llmakeitlivelyforanyother‘ghoses’thatcomeround.”
“Don’tye,now,honeyIdon’tyegofo’tosetupyo’sefagindeghoses,kasedey’spowerfulpernicketywhendey’scrassed,”saidtheoldwoman,whomMark,withhislovefornick-names,hadalreadycalled“OleClo.”
Atnoonallhandsstoppedworktoeatahastylunch,andsoonafterwardsthelighter,beingunloaded,waspoledacrosstheriverfortheteam.
WiththehelpofCaptainJohnsonandhiscrew,whohadagreedtoremainoverthatnight,mostofthehouseholdgoodsweremoveduptothehouseduringtheafternoonandplacedundershelter.
HisnamewasBevil,andhewelcomedtheElmersmostheartily,andsaidthatheconsideredtheircomingasignofbettertimesforthatsectionofthecountry.
HetoldMr.ElmerthattheBangsplaceusedtobeconsideredoneofthefinestplantationsinthecounty,andthatitslandswereasrichnowasever.
Beforenightthelowerstoryoftheoldhouselookedquitecomfortable,andalmosthomelike;andwhenthefamilysatdowntodinner,itwaswiththekeenappetitesresultingfromhardwork.
Thedinnerwasabountifulmeal,largelycomposedofMr.Bevil’sgameandfish;andbeforetheyateitMr.Elmerofferedupaheart-feltthanksgivingforthemerciesthathadbeengrantedthemthusfar,andprayedforablessingontheirnewhome.
ThateveninghearrangedwithCaptainJohnsontostartatdaylightandgowithhislightertothenearestsaw-mill,sixtymilesaway,foraloadoflumberandshingles.
Thetiredhouseholdwentearlytobedthatfirstnightintheirnewhome,andthoughtheirbedsweremadedownonthefloor,theyallsleptsoundly.
AllbutMark,who,aftersleepingforsomehours,wokesuddenlytofindhimselfsittingbolt-uprightinbed,andstaringatthebrokenwindowinfrontofhim,throughwhichafloodofmoonlightwaspouring.
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