Well, you may guess how this raised my spirits. The very fierceness of the woman, her bitter certainty, knocked what little fight I had out of me. I sat dejected, and she silent, until after a while I heard Little and his companion talking outside, and presently the hatch was raised, and a tin dish was shoved in, and a bottle of water. I was at the hatch in a flash, shouting to them, pleading and offering money, which set them into roars of laughter.
"Say, hear that now! Ain't that bully? What about you, Cass — ain't you got a thousand dollars to spare for ifn we let you go? No? Well, ain't that a shame, though? No, my lord, I'm sorry, but truth is me an' George here, we don't need the money anyways. An' I ain't too sure we'd trust your note o' hand, either. Haw-haw!"
And the cruel brute slammed down the hatch and went off, chuckling.
Through all this Cass never said a word, and when we had tried to eat the filthy muck they had given us, and rinsed our throats from the bottle, she went back to her corner and sat there, her bead against the boards, staring into vacancy. Presently the cart started up, and for the rest of the day we jolted slowly over what must have been a damned bad road, while the atmosphere in the cart grew so hot and stifling that I was sure we must suffocate before long. Once or twice I bawled out to Little, pleading with him, but all I got was oaths and obscene jokes, so I gave up, and all the time Cassy sat silent, only occasionally turning to stare at me, but making no reply to my croaks and questions. I cursed her for a black slut, but she didn't seem to hear.
Towards sunset, the cart stopped, and immediately Cassy seemed to come to life. She peered through a crack in the side of the wagon, and then crawled over to me, motioning me to talk in whispers.
"Listen," she said. "You want to escape?"
I couldn't believe my ears. "Escape? I —"
"Quiet, in heaven's name! Now, listen. If I can show you how to escape — will you make me a promise?"
"Anything! My God, anything!"
The great almond eyes stared into mine. "Don't protest too easily — I mean what I say. Will you swear, by all that you believe to be holy, that if I help you escape, you will never desert me — that you will help me, in my turn, to gain my freedom?"
I'd have sworn a good deal more than that. With hope surging through me, I whispered. "I swear — I promise! I'll do anything. No, I'll never desert you, I swear it!"
She stared at me a moment longer, and then glanced towards, the door.
"Soon now they will bring our food. When they do, you will be making love to me — do you understand?"
I couldn't follow this, but I nodded, feverish with excitement. In a whisper she went on:
"When they see us, whatever they say, defy them. Do you understand me? Taunt them, swear at them — anything! Then leave the rest to me. Whatever I do or say, do nothing further."
"What are you going to do? What can I —"
"Quiet!" She started up. "They're coming, I think. Now — over there, where they'll see us."
And as footsteps came round to the back of the cart she sprawled into the middle of the floor, dragging up her dress, and pulling me down on top of her. Trembling, and for once not for the usual reasons, I clung to the pliant body, crushing my mouth down on hers and plunging like mad — gad, as I look back, what a waste of good effort it was, in the circumstances. I heard the hatch flung open, and in that moment Cassy writhed and began to sob in simulated ecstasy, clawing at me and squealing. There was an oath and commotion at the hatch, and then a cry of:
"Tom! Tom! Come quick! That damned Texian feller, he's screwin' the wench!"
More commotion, and then Little's voice:
"What you think you're doin', blast ye? Get offa her, this minute! Get off, d'ye hear, or I'll fill yore ass with buckshot!"
I bawled an obscenity at him, and then there was a rattling at the lock, the door was flung wide, to the gathering dusk, and Little glared in, his piece levelled at me. I decided I had defied him sufficiently, and rolled away; Cassy scrambled up into a reclining position.
"Damn you!" bawls Little. "Don't you never get enough?"
I stayed mum, while he cursed at me, his pal staring pop-eyed over his shoulder. And then Cass, shrugging her shoulders petulantly and moving to display her fine long legs, remarked:
"Why can't you let us be? What's the harm in it?"
Little's piggy little eyes went over her; he licked his lips, still keeping his gun pointed at me.
"Harm in it?" His voice was thick. "You ol' Forster's wench, ain't you? Think you can rattle with everyone you please? Not while I'm around, my gel. You dirty nigger tail, you!"
She shrugged again, pouting, and spoke in a voice very unlike her own.
"Ifn massa say. Cassy don' mind none, anyways. This feller ain't bait for a gel like me — I used to real men."
Little's eyes opened wide. "Is that a fact?" His loose bearded mouth opened in a grin. "Well, think o' that, now. I didn't know you was thataway inclined, Cass — fancy yellow gel like you, with all them lady airs." He was thinking as he talked, and there was no doubting what those thoughts were. "Well, now — you just come out o' that cart this minute, d'ye hear? You —" this was to me— "keep yourself mighty still, lessn you want a bellyfull o' lead. Come on, my gel, git your ass outa that wagon — smart!"
Cassy slid herself to the tail of the cart, while they watched her closely, and dropped lightly to the ground. I stayed where I was, my heart hammering. Little motioned with his gun, and the other fellow slammed and locked the door, leaving me in darkness. But I could hear their voices, plain enough.
"Now, then, Cass," says Little. "You step roun' there, lively now. So — now, you jus' shuck down, d'ye hear?" There was a pause, and then Cassy's new voice:
"Massa gwine ter be nice to Cassy? — Cassy a good gel, please massa ever so much."
"By God, an' so ye will! Look at that, George — here, you hol' the gun! An' make yourself scarce. By gosh, I'm goin' to 'tend to this li'l beauty right here an' now! What you waitin' for, George — you get outa here!"
"Don' I get none o' her, then? Don' I even get to watch?"
"Watch? Why, how you talk! Think I'm a hog, or a nigger, that I'd do my screwin' with you watchin'? Get outa here, quick! You'll get your piece when I'm done. Here, gimme back that gun — reckon I'll keep it by, case her ladyship gits up to anythin'. But you won't, honey, will you?"
I heard George's reluctant footsteps retreating, and then silence; I strained my ears, but could hear nothing through the wagon side. A minute passed, and then there was a sudden sharp gasp, and a thin whining sound half-way between a sigh and a wail, and the sound of it made the hairs rise on my neck. A moment later, and Cassy's voice in sudden alarm:
"Mas' George, Mas' George! Come quick! Suthin' happen to Mas' Tom — he hurt himself! Come quick!"
"What's that?" George's voice sounded from a little way off, and I heard his feet running. "What you say — what happened, Tom? You all right, Tom? What —"
The gunshot crashed out with startling suddenness, near the back of the wagon; there was a scream and a choking groan, and then nothing, until I heard the padlock rattle, the door was flung back, and there was Cassy. Even in the dusk I could see she was naked; she still had the musket in her hand.