“Here, Pomp,” I said; “you keep close to me, and carry my gun.”
The sun was shining brilliantly over the river; now it began to shine in the wood all over Pomp’s smooth black skin, out of his dark eyes, and off his white teeth, as he shouldered the piece, now the very embodiment of pride.
We had not far to go, and as we went on and found everything as we had left it, and no signs of enemy, the shrinking feeling which had haunted me, and made me fancy I saw a living savage behind every great tree, passed away, and I strode on till we reached the clearing where Morgan and I killed the rattlesnake, and there the same shrinking feeling attacked me again, for it was here that we had long back made our first acquaintance with the enemy.
My eyes met Morgan’s, and he was evidently thinking the same thing as he gave me a nod.
“No rattlesnakes here to-day, sir,” he said, and he smiled meaningly, “not of any sort. Shall I go first?”
“No,” I said, rather unwillingly, for I felt that I ought to lead; and, taking the firelock now from Pomp, I went toward the path leading through the forest trees to our larger clearing where the house and garden stood.
“Mass’ George let Pomp go firs and see if any-boddy dah,” whispered the boy.
“No,” I said; but Morgan turned to me quickly, as Pomp looked disappointed.
“Why not let him go on? He’ll creep through the trees like a snake, and get there and back unseen if there’s danger.”
“Nobody see Pomp if him hide.”