I had not long to wait. The unconscious birds wheeled lower and lower, and at length one alighted on the earth. Its companion had not time to join it before the rifle cracked, and laid the beautiful creature lifeless upon the grass.
The other, frighted by the sound, rose higher and higher, and then flew away over the tops of the cypresses.
Again I shouldered my venison; and carrying the bird in my hand started homeward.
My heart was full of exultation. I anticipated a double pleasure — from the double pleasure I was to create. I should make happy the two beings that, of all on earth, were dearest to me — my fond mother, my beautiful sister.
I soon recrossed the savanna, and entered the orangery. I did not stay to go round by the wicket, but climbed over the fence at its lower end. So happy was I that my load felt light as a feather. Exultingly I strode forward, dashing the loaded boughs from my path. I sent their golden globes rolling hither and thither. What mattered a bushel of oranges?
I reached the parterre. My mother was in the verandah; she saw me as I approached, and uttered an exclamation of joy. I flung the spoils of the chase at her feet. I had kept my promise.
"What is that? — a bird?"
"Yes the king vulture — a present for Virgine. Where is she? Not up yet? Ha! the little sluggard — I shall soon arouse her. Still abed and on such a beautiful morning!"
"You wrong her, George; she has been up on hour or more. She has been playing; and has just this moment left off."
"But where is she now? In the drawing-room?"
"No; she has gone to the bath."
"To the bath!"
"Yes, she and Viola. What — "
"O mother — mother — "
"Tell me, George — "
"O heavens — the alligator!"
Chapter Nine
The Bath
"Yellow Jake! the alligator!"
They were all the words I could utter. My mother entreated an explanation; I could not stay to give it. Frantic with apprehension, I tore myself away, leaving her in a state of terror that rivalled my own.
I ran towards the hommock — the bath. I wait not to follow the devious route of the walk, but keep straight on, leaping over such obstacles as present themselves. I spring across the paling, and rush through the orangery, causing the branches to crackle and the fruit to fall. My ears are keenly bent to catch every sound.
Behind are sounds enough: I hear my mother’s voice uttered in accents of terror. Already have her cries alarmed the house, and are echoed and answered by the domestics, both females and men. Dogs, startled by the sudden excitement, are baying within the enclosure, and fowls and caged birds screech in concert.
From behind come all these noises. It is not for them my ears are bent; I am listening before me.
In this direction I now hear sounds. The plashing of water is in my ears, and mingling with the tones of a clear silvery voice — it is the voice of my sister! "Ha, ha, ha!" The ring of laughter! Thank Heaven, she is safe!
I stay my step under the influence of a delicate thought; I call aloud:
"Virgine! Virgine!"
Impatiently I wait the reply. None reaches me; the noise of the water has drowned my voice!
I call again, and louder: "Virgine! sister! Virgine!"
I am heard, and hear:
"Who calls? You, Georgy?"
"Yes; it is I, Virgine."
"And pray, what want you, brother?"
"O sister! come out of the bath."
"For what reason should I? Our friends come? They are early: let them wait, my Georgy. Go you and entertain them. I mean to enjoy myself this most beautiful of mornings; the water’s just right — delightful! Isn’t it, Viola? Ho! I shall have a swim round the pond: here goes?"
And then there was a fresh plashing in the water, mingled with a cheerful abandon of laughter in the voices of my sister and her maid.
I shouted at the top of my voice:
"Hear me, Virgine, dear sister! For Heaven’s sake, come out! come — "
There was a sudden cessation of the merry tones; then came a short sharp ejaculation, followed almost instantaneously by a wild scream. I perceived that neither was a reply to my appeal. I had called out in a tone of entreaty sufficient to have raised apprehension; but the voices that now reached me were uttered in accents of terror. In my sister’s voice I heard the words:
"See, Viola! O mercy — the monster! Ha! he is coming this way! O mercy! Help, George, help! Save — save me!"
Well knew I the meaning of the summons; too well could I comprehend the half-coherent words, and the continued screaming that succeeded them.
"Sister, I come, I come!"
Quick as thought, I dashed forward, breaking through the boughs that still intercepted my view.
"Oh, perhaps I shall be too late! She screams in agony; she is already in the grasp of the alligator?"
A dozen bounds carried me clear of the grove; and, gliding along the embankment of the turtle-crawl, I stood by the edge of the tank. A fearful tableau was before me.
My sister was near the centre of the basin, swimming towards the edge. There stood the quadroon — knee deep — screeching and flinging her arms frantically in the air. Beyond, appeared the gigantic lizard; his whole body, arms, hands, and claws clearly traceable in the pellucid water, above the surface of which rose the scaly serrature of his back and shoulders. His snout and tail projected still higher; and with the latter he was lashing the water into white froth, that already mottled the surface of the pond. He was not ten feet from his intended victim. His gaunt jaws almost touched the green baize skirt that floated train-like behind her. At any moment, he might have darted forward and seized her.
My sister was swimming with all her might. She was a capital swimmer; but what could it avail? Her bathing-dress was impeding her; but what mattered that? The alligator might have seized her at any moment; with a single effort, could have caught her, and yet he had not made it.
I wondered why he had not; I wondered that he still held back. I wonder to this hour, for it is not yet explained. I can account for it only on one supposition: that he felt that his victim was perfectly within his power; and as the cat cajoles with the mouse, so was he indulging in the plenitude of his tyrant strength.
These observations were made in a single second of time — while I was cocking my rifle.
I aimed, and fired. There were but two places where the shot could have proved fatal — the eye or behind the forearm. I aimed for the eye. I hit the shoulder; but from that hard corrugated skin, my bullet glinted as from a granite rock. Among the rhomboid protuberances it made a whitish score, and that was all.
The play of the monster was brought to a termination. The shot appeared to have given him pain. At all events, it roused him to more earnest action, and perhaps impelled him to the final spring. He made it the instant after.
Lashing the water with his broad tail — as if to gain impetus — he darted forward; his huge jaw hinged vertically upward, till the red throat showed wide agape; and the next moment the floating skirt — and oh! the limbs of my sister, were in his horrid gripe!
I plunged in, and swam towards them. The gun I still carried in my grasp. It hindered me. I dropped it to the bottom, and swam on.
I caught Virgine in my arms. I was just in time, for the alligator was dragging her below.
With all my strength, I held her up. It needed all to keep us above the surface. I had no weapon; and if I had been armed, I could not have spared a hand to strike.
I shouted with all my voice, in the hope of intimidating the assailant, and causing him to let go his hold. It was to no purpose: he still held on.
O Heavens! we shall both be dragged under — drowned — devoured -