NELLY TO THE RESCUE.
She never, never failed a friend,
And never feared a foe.--NICHOLL.
Help was at hand. There came a sound as of the rushing of tiny feet, and
suddenly the little Skye terrier rushed into the cavern, and with joyous
barks darted upon her mistress's bed; but instantly these barks of joy
were changed into a howl of rage and pain, as she sprang at the throat
of the robber, and closing her teeth upon his windpipe, hung there like
"grim death."
With a yell of agony, the giant threw up his hands and seized the dog,
to tear her off; but Nelly held fast. He might have torn her in two, but
he could not have made her let go her hold upon his throat. He raised
his huge fist to brain her.
"DON'T hurt the dog," cried Sybil, starting up and seizing his arm; her
palsy of terror dispelled by her love for her faithful little
four-footed friend.
"DOWN, traitor and coward!" shouted another voice.
And all started and looked around to recognize the robber captain
standing before them, with a pistol levelled straight at the head of his
lieutenant.
"Call this brute off, then. She's cutting my throat with her cursed
teeth. Call her off, I say, or I'll wring her in two, like a worm,"
gurgled the half-strangled monster, as he shook off the clasp of Sybil,
and seized the little dog.
"DROP YOUR HAND, you villain, or I'll shoot you where you stand!"
thundered the captain, cocking his pistol.
The bully instantly obeyed.
"Come, Nelly! dear Nelly!" called Sybil, sinking to a sitting posture on
the side of her bed.
The obedient little terrier immediately let go her hold, and leaped down
into her mistress' lap, and with barks of delight began to lick her
hands and face.
Sybil, utterly overcome by the rapid events and conflicting emotions of
the last few minutes, burst into a passion of tears, as she clasped the
little creature to her bosom.
"Madam," said the robber captain--suddenly changing his whole manner as
he turned towards the lady, took off his hat, and subdued his voice to
its softest and smoothest tones--"Madam, I will relieve you of the
presence of this ruffian; and to-morrow I will make such amends to you,
for this insult, as may lie in my power."
Sybil did not and could not answer him. She only clasped her little dog
closer to her heart and wept.
"And now, sir," said the captain, sternly, wheeling around upon his huge
lieutenant, and pointing to the outlet of the grotto, "go before me out
of this! This crime must be accounted for at another time and place."
The crestfallen monster slouched out of the cavern, followed by his
captain, who turned once more, at leaving, to say:
"Rest in peace now, lady. You shall no more be disturbed. And I will
send Gentiliska to stay with you."
"Oh thanks! thanks! do so! pray do so!" said Sybil, eagerly.
When she was left alone with her little dog, she fell to caressing and
fondling her, as with all her heart and soul.
"Oh, Nelly! darling Nelly! what a little heroine you are! But how did
you come here, Nelly?" she inquired, holding the little creature's curly
head between her hands, and gazing down into its soft brown eyes. "How
did you find me, Nelly?"
Nelly lapped her lady's cheek, and then jumped down and ran to the
outlet of the cavern, and then ran back and jumped again into her lady's
lap.
"Oh, yes, Nelly dear, I understand. You came that way and found me here.
But that tells me nothing. How did you know I was here, little doggy?"
Poor little Skye terrier! She knew that a question was asked her, and
she tried her best in her eloquent dumb way to answer it. And while she
was jumping off and on her mistress' lap, and whining and caressing, the
cavern door was darkened once more, and Gentiliska entered.
"Oh, I am so glad you have come! Be quiet, Nelly, darling; that's a
girl, you know," exclaimed Sybil, speaking first to her visitor, and
then to her little dog, who seemed inclined to make some hostile
demonstrations against the supposed enemy.
"Why, what dog is that?" inquired Gentiliska, her mouth and eyes wide
open with amazement.
"She is _my_ dog, my dear, darling, devoted, brave little Nelly,"
replied Sybil, piling on the complimentary adjectives. And I leave it to
any reader of mine if Nelly did not deserve them all.
"But--how on the face of the earth did she come here?" gasped
Gentiliska.
"She didn't come on the face of the earth, but through the bowels of the
earth. So she says, and I never knew her to tell a falsehood."
"But--how came she to trace you here?"
"Ah! that's just what I have been inquiring of her, and she has been
trying to explain to me. You know these four-footed friends of ours have
a good deal of difficulty in communicating with us--through _our_
stupidity, bless you, not theirs. _They_ can understand _us_ a great
deal better than _we_ can comprehend _them_. Nelly knows very well what
I ask her, and she answers my question; but I don't in the least
understand what she says."
"But--when did she come? You know that."
"She came in the nick of time to fly at Moloch's throat and hold him
till Satan came to deliver me."
Here the girl burst into a peal of laughter that almost offended Sybil,
who gravely inquired:
"What is the matter?"
"I am laughing at your hallucination that Satan came to deliver you."
"What do you mean?" inquired Sybil, surprised and displeased at the
girl's untimely mirth.
"Why, you goose," laughed Gentiliska, "don't you know, can't you see,
that Satan is a hundred times worse and a thousand times more dangerous
than Moloch? I tell you that Captain 'Inconnu' came to your cave on the
same errand that brought his lieutenant here. Only, as he happened to be
the last comer, and as he found the other here, he chose to take credit
as your deliverer! Bosh! your little dog saved you. No other under
Heaven did!"
"How do you know these facts?"
"By watching. You know when I left you?"
"Yes; go on."
"As I was returning to my own den, I saw a shadow pass before me, and
then I knew that we had been tracked to this place, but whether by Satan
or Moloch, or any other one of the band, I could not tell. By the time I
had crept back to the entrance of the large cavern, the spy must have
regained his place, for they were all at the table as I had left them."
"Why then did you not return to me, since you knew that my place of
concealment was discovered?" inquired Sybil, reproachfully.
"Because I could do you better service by staying outside and watching,
which I did. About an hour ago, as I sat watching and listening in my
own den, I heard a stealthy step, and peeping out, I saw the huge form
of Moloch stealing towards your retreat. I stepped out silently, and
stole softly after him, with the full intention of running back, giving
the alarm, and raising the whole band, in case my suspicions should be
true, that he intended to harm you. Of course I could not have helped
you at all, if I had been in here with you. He wouldn't have let me pass
out to have roused the men. He would have brained me on the spot, and
had you at his mercy, do you see?"
"Yes, yes, I see. Oh, Heaven! deliver me from this dreadful place!"
sighed Sybil.
"All in good time. I followed Moloch, until I saw him take the little
turn that led to your den. Then I turned and fled, or was about to fly
to rouse the men to your rescue, when I saw the graceful figure of Satan
gliding towards me. As in that half-darkness I had recognized Moloch
only by his huge form, so now I knew Satan only by his graceful, gliding
motions. I drew back into a crevice of the rock, and waited until he had
passed me and taken the same turn towards your den. And then I knew that
you were quite safe. Either of these men alone would have been fatal to
you; but together they were perfectly harmless. But just then I heard a
dog bark, where never a dog had barked before. I stole after Satan
towards the entrance of this place, and hid myself to listen to the fun.
I heard the row. Oh, wasn't Captain 'Inconnu's' righteous indignation
fine? At length I heard Satan order Moloch to leave the place, and then
I heard him tell you that he would send me to stay with you. Then I
thought it was about time for me to leave, and I stole away and fled as
fast as I could towards my own den. And when I got there I covered
myself up in my bed and feigned sleep, when the gallant captain came to
call me. So here I am."
"Oh that Heaven would deliver me from this dreadful place!" repeated
Sybil.
"All in good time, as I said before. And now I think you had better try
to sleep. The little dog will watch us and give the alarm, in case any
other daring marauder should venture to intrude on us," counselled the
girl.
"Sleep! I have scarcely slept a whole night since I was forced to leave
my home. Sleep! the best sleep I have had has been more like swooning,
and has befallen me in the day-time. I cannot sleep."
"Well, then, please to be quiet while I sleep. I'm fagged out with all
this," said Gentiliska, throwing herself down on the mossy floor of the
cave, and settling herself comfortably to rest.
Meanwhile Sybil sat with her tired little dog lying on her lap. She was
too wretched to think of resting, too anxious to think of anything but
escape. Nothing that could happen to her in the outer world seemed so
appalling as the dangers that surrounded her here. And while her
companion slept soundly, Sybil racked her brain for means of escape.
People before now, chained in dungeons and weakened by imprisonment,
have nevertheless contrived to burst their fetters and break through
bolts and bars, and press through guards, and effect their freedom. And
here was she, a captive certainly, but neither fettered nor locked up,
nor guarded except by one sleeping girl. Why could she not make good her
escape? What should hinder her, if only she knew how to find her way out
of this labyrinth?
In her restlessness and distress, she groaned and lifted her hands to
her head.
Her little dog immediately woke up, and in quick sympathy climbed up to
her bosom, and whining, licked her face.
A sudden inspiration filled the soul of Sybil, and directed her course.
"If this poor little four-footed friend of mine, with nothing but her
instinct and her affection to guide and sustain her, if _she_ contrived
to find me, hid away as I was from all human help, surely _I_, with my
higher intelligence and greater powers, should be able to find my way
out of this labyrinth with her help."
Saying this to herself, Sybil tenderly caressed her little dog, then
lifted it to her bosom, wrapped Beatrix Pendleton's camel's hair shawl
closely around her, and went to the entrance of the cavern through which
little Nelly had entered.
Here she paused for a moment to listen. All was silent except for the
deep breathing of Gentiliska, that only proved how profound was the
sleep of the girl.
Then she caressed her little dog again, saying in a low voice:
"_Lyon_, Nelly! Where is _Lyon_?"
The little Skye terrier pricked up her ears and whimpered.
Then Sybil was sure that Nelly understood her words.
"Let us go find _Lyon_, Nelly; _Lyon! Lyon! Lyon!_" said Sybil, setting
the little dog down and harking her on by the way she had come.
Nelly remembered where she had left "Lyon," and so with a glad bark she
leapt forward and ran on as fast as the tortuous nature of the dark
subterranean passage would permit her to do; pausing now and then to
rest herself, and to allow her mistress time to overtake her.
"Poor, dear little faithful Nelly! don't run so fast. You were tired
almost to death when you came in from your first journey, and now you
set out immediately on this the moment I ask you to do it; but abate
your zeal, dear little friend, or you will not be able to hold out to
the end," said Sybil, sitting down and caressing her little dog while
they both rested.
When they re-commenced their journey, they found the passage growing
narrower, darker, and more tortuous than before. They were compelled to
move slowly and cautiously.
Sybil had already recognized the natural underground road by which she
had been brought to the robber's cave; but she did not know this portion
of it. So she supposed that she must have been brought through it while
in that state of unconsciousness into which she had fallen from terror
on first being seized by the masked and shrouded forms of the men who
had carried her off. She therefore hoped that she was near the outlet of
the subterranean passage.
But where that outlet might be, she could not guess. The last she
remembered before falling into that swoon of horror, was the vault of
the Haunted Chapel. The first she saw, on recovering herself, was the
middle of the subterranean passage. But whether that passage had started
from the vault, or whether the men had carried her any distance over the
upper earth, before descending into it, she had no means of knowing or
surmising. She must wait for the revelation at the end of this
underground road.
The end was fast approaching. Far ahead, a little, dim dot of gray light
kept dodging right and left before her eyes, following as it were the
abrupt turning of the passage. It drew nearer, nearer, and now at last
it was before her.
The little dog that had been trotting beside her mistress, now sprang
past her and began to dig away at the hole with her paws.
Sybil stooped down, and peered through it. By the early light, of the
now dawning day, she discerned a section of a foundation wall, that she
felt sure must be a part of the old vault under the Haunted Chapel.
The little dog now jumped through the hole, and turned around and pawed
and whimpered, as if inviting and expecting Sybil to follow her.
She understood the situation well enough now. She knew that this small
hole was the entrance from the underground passage into the vault, and
that it must have become partly filled up by the falling in of the
bricks and mortar at the blowing up of the church. She went to work to
try to remove the obstructions. It was a work of more time and toil than
of real difficulty. With her delicate hands she began to take away the
broken stones, timbers, and plaster, until she pulled out a short,
narrow piece of plank, which she immediately began to use as a tool to
dig away the refuse. A half an hour's hard work cleared her way into the
vault. She passed in, and once more saw the dome of heaven above her
head.
Little Nelly jumped around her with delighted barks, and then ran up the
broken walls of the vault, and turned around and looked at her and
barked, as if to say:
"This way! this way!"
But the irregularities in the dilapidated wall, that furnished a sure
foothold for Nelly's little feet, would not serve her mistress's turn.
So Sybil looked about the place, and cast around in her mind to consider
how she should contrive to reach the upper ground. She soon saw the way,
but she had to rest before she could commence a new work. So she sat
down and called the dog to her, and both remained quiet for about ten
minutes. And then Sybil arose and went to work, and piled up the bricks
and stones, until she had raised for herself a rude stairway half up to
the top. By these, at some little risk of life and limb, she climbed out
of the vault, and found herself standing on the edge of a heap of
rubbish, which was all that remained of the old Haunted Chapel.
Here again she sat down to look around her. The sun was just rising from
behind the mountain, and tinging all the wintry scene with the golden
hues of autumn. Though it was a clear, cold, frosty morning, Sybil was
perspiring from her late hard work, so she drew her heavy shawl around
her shoulders to protect her from a chill while she rested. The little
terrier, who had leaped up after her mistress, would not rest, but
continued to jump about and bark, as if to testify her joy and triumph
in a work accomplished. Every leap and bark said as plainly as tongue
could have spoken the words:
"I have found her, and brought her back! I knew I could! I knew I could!
I have done it at last! I have done it at last!"
"I know you have, Nelly dear, and I love you better than anybody in the
world except Lyon! But now I want you to help me to find Lyon, Nelly!
_Lyon! Lyon!_" said Sybil, holding the little terrier's face between her
hands and gazing into its loving brown eyes.
Nelly jumped away at her bidding and ran all over the place snuffing
zealously for some moments, and then finding herself clearly at fault,
ran back and whimpered her disappointment on her mistress' lap.
"You have lost trace and scent of Lyon! Oh, Nelly! Nelly! what shall we
do? Venture back boldly to Black Hall? Run right in the teeth of the law
officers, and be snapped up by them?" sighed Sybil.
Nelly understood "a horror in the words, if not the words," and howled
dismally.
Just at that moment a halting step was heard approaching, and a sad
voice sighing:
"I sorter can't give her up! No, I can't! Ef she did bite me, it wa'n't
outen malice to me, but outen dewotion to the mistess--on'y to make me
drap her down, so she could go back to dis vault and wait for her
mistess, which I do expect she have starved to death by dis time! But
I'll see. Nelly. Nelly!"
Sybil's heart leaped with joy at recognizing the voice of her faithful
servant Joe. And Nelly jumped forward with a cry of delight to meet him.
"So you is here yet in dis supernumerary speer. Thank my Marster in
Heaven for dat!" exclaimed Joe, stooping painfully, while he leaned upon
his crutch, to lift the little dog to his bosom. "But who dat young
o'man, Nelly?" continued Joe, whose eyesight was none of the best,
pausing abruptly and staring at Sybil, who was completely disguised by
the large India shawl and the red merino gown, both of which were
entirely opposite to her usual style of dress.
Joe hobbled towards the supposed stranger cautiously.
"Don't you know me, dear old Joe?" inquired Sybil, dropping the shawl
from her head and rising to her feet.
"_Ah-h-h-ah!_" yelled Joe in a prolonged howl of horror at what he took
to be a ghost!
And then, as he could not run away, he dropped dog and crutch, fell flat
upon his face and roared for mercy.
Sybil and her little dog both tried to soothe and reassure him--Sybil by
repeating to him over and over again that she was alive and well, and
that there was nothing whatever to fear at that moment; and little
Nelly, by running around him and trying to poke her nose under his face
to find a place to kiss or to lick.
But Joe for a time was perfectly inaccessible to reason; and Sybil, in
discouragement, left him to recover himself alone, while she went and
sat down at some distance to wait the issue of the event.
After a little while Joe slowly lifted up his head, and cautiously
glanced around, whispering:
"Is she gone?"
"No," answered Sybil, sharply; "I am not gone! I am sitting here waiting
for you to come to your senses!"
Joe, who after the first glimpse had not dared to look upon the ghost,
now ventured from this safe distance to steal a glance. The glance grew
into a gaze, and then he spoke:
"Miss Sybil--"
"Well, Joe?"
"Is it you?"
"Yes, it is I."
"But is you alibe?"
"Yes, I'm alive."
"Is you sure?"
"I am hungry and mad! That should make me sure."
"--Mad 'long o' me, Miss Sybil?"
"Yes; mad with you for being such a fool!"
"But I thought you was a ghostess!"
"Bosh! you haven't as much sense as little Nelly!" exclaimed Sybil,
affecting more anger than she really felt.
"But an't you dead?" mysteriously inquired Joe, gazing at the pale face
of his mistress, now very pale indeed through all that she had suffered.
"An't you really dead, Miss Sybil?"
"Not much, Joe."
"But wan't you robbed and murdered by them riporate willains?"
"Neither the one nor the other, Joe! I am safe and sound, and have my
money and jewels still about me."
"But--wan't you reducted?"
"I was _ab_ducted, Joe; but not harmed! It is a long story, Joe. I
cannot tell it now, because I want to know about my husband. Is he
safe?"
"Yes, Miss Sybil, he's all right now! only grieving arter you! 'cause
everybody beliebes as you perished in the blowing up of the old chapel.
Lord! where was you all the time? Did Nelly find you?"
"Yes, Nelly found me; but--"
"Lord! the sense of that little thing!"
"--But tell me about my husband! Where is he!"
"He is at Capping Pendulum's, a doing very well now."
"Doing very well _now_! That means he has been doing badly lately! Has
he been ill?" exclaimed Sybil, in breathless anxiety.
"No, Miss Sybil; but he was in the old Haunted Chapel when de debbil
blowed it up."
"Oh, good heavens!" cried Sybil, clasping her hands, and unable to speak
another word.
"Don't be scared! he wasn't hurt not to speak of; only stunned and
bruised a bit. And he's all right now. On'y grievin' of hisse'f to
death, which is perfec'ly nateral, you see. Goodness knows as I myse'f
hasn't eat a meal's wittels, nor likewise sleeped a wink o' sleep, since
gone you's been! And oh! how I thank my Heavenly Marster as has 'stored
you to us once more alive and well!" cried Joe, hobbling towards Sybil,
sinking at her feet, and giving way to his feelings in a burst of sobs
and tears.
Sybil raised him up, and then noticed for the first time how lame he
was.
"It's nothin' to speak on, Miss Sybil. On'y a sprained ankle. I can get
on well enough with a crutch. And here I am as willin' and _able_ to
sarve you as ever," said the poor fellow, earnestly.
"Thanks, dear Joe! I want you, if you can, to go with me to my husband
immediately."
"But, Miss Sybil, honey, you look so pale and weak and wore out. Better
stay here while I go and get a conweyance."
"No, no, no, Joe! It would take you too long, and I cannot wait. I can
walk," said Sybil, impatiently rising and drawing the shawl up over her
head, for she had no hat or bonnet.
"Name o' de Lord, then come on, honey," replied Joe, who knew it would
be useless to oppose his mistress when she was fully bent on any
purpose.
They set out together, picking their way slowly over the heaps of
rubbish that filled the churchyard and lay between them and the narrow
path leading through the thicket to the river road.
Little Nelly followed faithfully at their heels.