CHAPTER XXIII: AN UNEXPECTED MEETING.
The man had his back turned to him. But at the sight of him, Raynor gave such a start that he dropped his bucket. It fell on the rocks with a loud clatter.
At the sound the man on the rocks turned suddenly. Then he uttered a loud yell and leaped from the boulder. To Raynor’s amazement he began running at top speed away from him.
“Hanged if he isn’t more scared of me than I am of him,� thought the boy in astonishment. All his fear of the unknown man vanished now.
“Hey, there!� he shouted, “don’t run! Stop!�
“Wow-ow!� yelled the fleeing man, and ran faster than ever.
“I want to speak to you!� bawled Raynor, beginning to lose his temper.
“He must be crazy,� he thought, “but I’ll catch him and find out what is the matter with him if I have to chase him all over this island.�
He picked up his bucket and set off after the man. It was hard work over the rocks and uneven ground. But Raynor, who had won several cups as a “miler� at school, soon saw that he was gaining on the other. At length only a few feet separated them.
Suddenly the man gave a yell of piercing quality and tripped over a stone. In a jiffy he was sprawling on the ground. Raynor grasped his club more tightly and rushed upon him.
“What do you mean by running away from me like this?� he demanded, “what’s the matter with you, anyhow.�
“Oh, oh, Mister Ghost, don’ hurt me. Ah didn’ mean no harm by coming on you-all’s island. No, indeed, sah, I didn’. Ah des——â€�
“Pompey, by all that’s wonderful!� cried Raynor with a glad laugh. “Get up, you idiot. I’m no ghost.�
Pompey, for it was the black cook of the Polly Ann, sat up with his eyes as big as saucers.
“Gollyumption, if it ain’t Massa Raynor.�
“Yes, and a fine chase you led me. What was the matter with you?�
“Ah done thought Noddy an’ mahself was alone on dis island. Den ah see yo coming an’ ah thought it was a ghostess. Ah done heard the rattle of chains jes’ as plain!�
“Those weren’t chains. That was my bucket that I dropped. I guess I was as scared as you for a minute because I, too, thought I was alone. But tell me, is Noddy really here?�
“He sholly is.�
“How did you come ashore?�
“In one ob de dories. Dey done didn’ leave us nuffin’ else. I was awakened in de night by de awfullest shoutin’ an’ yellin’. Dey say de ship sinkin’—de ice done punched hole in her. But de boats was crowded an’ dey wouldn’ let me or Noddy on board. We got lef’ behin’ an’ Noddy, he calkerlate that bin as you slep’ in de cabin yo’ mus’ hab been one of the fustest in de boats.â€�
“I guess I slept too soundly,� rejoined Raynor, “but where are you camped?�
“Right ober de top ob dat l’il hill yander. We fin’ a hut dere built by some sealer, an it’s right handy to de spring, too.�
“Come on, we’ll go right over there. By the way, Pompey, have you roamed around the island much?�
“Why yais, dis mawning early I was ober to de udder side. Ah go to look at de Polly Ann cos it wuz dark when we leabed her.�
“Then it was the track of your foot I saw on the shore,� laughed Raynor, much relieved, and he explained to the mystified Pompey the “Robinson Crusoe� incident.
As they neared the hut, Noddy came running to meet them. As he saw who was with Pompey, he broke into an exultant yell.
“Whoopee! Gee, ain’t I glad! Bill, old socks, I thought you wus off in de boats wid Terror an’ dat crew. Come on in an’ tell us all about it.�
Raynor found a cheery fire burning in an old iron stove inside the hut, which was lighted by a ship’s lantern Pompey had had the foresight to bring from the schooner. It looked quite cozy. Pompey soon cooked a good supper and made boiling hot tea, to which they all did ample justice.
Then they all had to tell their stories over again, both the boys and Pompey, too, shouting with laughter over the wild chase the frightened colored man had led Raynor across the island.
“Some day you’ll see a real blown-in-the-panel ghost,� chuckled Noddy, “and then you’ll jes’ naturally lie down and die of scare.�
“Ah seen ghostesses, real ones afore now,� affirmed Pompey with dignity, “ah see two ob dem on board dat Polly Ann. Right den ah knowed dat dat l’il schooner wuz goin’ ter git busted. Yassah.�
It was agreed that in the morning they should all go to Raynor’s camp by boat, and bring his provisions and so forth, round to Camp Hope, as they decided to christen the hut. After the exertions of the day, they were disinclined to sit up late, and having made up a roaring fire, they turned into their blankets, of which Pompey had brought a big supply, and were soon asleep.
It must have been after midnight that the boys were awakened by an appalling yell from Pompey.
“Help! Murder! Help!� shrieked the negro.
“What’s the matter?� shouted the boys.
“Oh, the hants! The hants wid de fiery eyes,� bawled the colored man, burying his head in his blankets and kicking up his heels in an agony of alarm.