“I’m pretty sure of it, judging from the way my foot feels,” said the injured lad.
He was sitting on one of the lower stone steps, and Ned was taking off his shoe and stocking. He had to cut the leather and cloth in order to remove them from around the arrow head which was still sticking firmly into the fleshy part of Jerry’s foot. The latter bore the pain bravely, though he had to grit his teeth to keep from yelling as Ned’s hands came in contact with the stone, moving it in the tender wound.
“Git away from heah!” ordered the negro leader. “This is our property an’ we don’t want nobody heah!”
“You’ll have to wait until I fix up this lad’s foot,” insisted the professor.
The negroes had gathered around their leader and seemed as if about to advance on the professor and the three boys. They were an ugly looking lot.
“Look out for trouble,” said Ned in a low tone. “I wish we’d brought our guns. Bob, can you shoot straight?”
“Don’t do any shooting,” advised the scientist. “They are too many for us and it would only make them more savage to fire on them. I must try other measures.”
The professor endeavored to argue with the colored men, but they insisted that the travelers must leave the place at once. There were greedy eyes taking in every detail of the dress of the party and the sight of the boys’ watch chains excited a cupidity that boded no good. The professor saw that their position was a dangerous one.
“I think we had better get out of here,” he said. “Can you walk, Jerry?”
One look at his foot showed that it would be out of the question. Even with the arrow head removed it would be a task, and the professor dared not extract the weapon, as, while he was doing so the negroes might rush on them. Probably the worst that would happen would be robbery, but the travelers were in no humor to be despoiled of their possessions.
“We’ll have to carry him,” said Ned. “You and I can manage it, Mr. Snodgrass. Bob can act as an escort with the gun, and when we are in the boat you can attend to Jerry.”
This was voted the only feasible plan. Jerry’s foot was not bleeding much, as the arrow in the wound prevented a heavy hemorrhage. Still the lad was weak from the pain.
“Are yo’ uns goin’ to git out of heah?” demanded the leading negro again, and he advanced menacingly.