OUR HOMESTEAD--MY SISTER AND LILY LOST--ANXIETY OF THE BLACK NURSE--WE
SET OFF TO TRY AND FIND THEM--FOLLOWING UP THE TRAIL--TRACKS FOUND--DIO
PUSHES AHEAD--ON THE SHORES OF THE LAKE--APPEARANCE OF A CANOE--WE
DETERMINE TO TAKE THE OCCUPANTS PRISONERS--THE CAPTURE--ROSE ACTING AS
GUARD--THE WHITE MAN SECURED--I RECOGNISE AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE--THE WAY
WE TREATED HIM--SEARCHING ALONG THE LAKE SHORE, WE COME UPON AN
ENCAMPMENT--OVERHEAR THE CONVERSATION--OUR PRESENCE DISCOVERED--EFFECTS
OF THE WAR-WHOOP--FLIGHT OF THE PARTY WITH DIO--THE MIDNIGHT PURSUIT--AN
UNLOOKED-FOR REINFORCEMENT--RELEASE OF THE BLACK--OUR PRISONERS--LYNCH
LAW--A VILLAINOUS PLOT REVEALED--WE ARRIVE AT SMILING VALLEY FARM.
We were approaching the farm with our packages of skins and meats; Dio
and I had hurried on ahead, as I was anxious to inform my father of the
intelligence we had received from the Indian. The house, perched on the
side of a hill, was already in sight, and very picturesque it looked,
with the stream flowing below it, and backed by ranges of mountains
towering one beyond the other, the more distant capped by eternal snows.
Evening was approaching, but the sun still tinged the eastern slopes
and the summits of the tall trees with a ruddy glow, when we caught
sight of a person running towards us.
"Why! dat is Rose?" exclaimed Dio; "what she want?"
As she got near us I saw that her countenance exhibited unusual alarm
and anxiety.
"What's the matter?" I asked.
Panting from her exertions and the long run she had had, she was at
first unable to reply.
"De young ladies! de young ladies! you seen dem? Dey went out long dis
path, and have not yet come back. Oh, dear! oh, dear! can anything have
happened to dem?"
On hearing this I became alarmed, for as we had not met the girls, it
was very certain that they had taken some other path. Rose further said
that they had been absent for some hours, though they had promised to
return early in the afternoon. She confessed that she had not told my
mother or Biddy, and she was the only person in the house who knew of
their having intended to go farther than usual.
Grizzlies, wolves, panthers, and prowling Indians instantly flashed
across my mind; still I hoped that even before this they might have
returned home by some other way.
Dio, who was evidently far more alarmed than I felt, suddenly, without a
moment's warning of his intention, darted away through some thick
brushwood to the eastward, exclaiming, "Me find 'em! me find 'em!"
As he disappeared in the wood, I fancied I saw him stoop and wave a
handkerchief, but the light was uncertain, and I thought I must have
been mistaken. My first impulse was to follow Dio, but on looking back,
I saw Mr Tidey coming along the path in the distance, and I reflected
that our object was far more likely to be attained by getting him to
accompany me, as, should we discover the direction taken by Kathleen and
Lily, we might follow up their trail together, and be more likely to
rescue them, if they had, a was possible, been captured by Indians. Mr
Tidey was naturally very much alarmed at the tidings I gave him.
"We will set off at once and send Rose back to let our friends know the
way we have gone," he observed, as we hurried towards the spot where the
black woman was standing. On nearing the place, however, we found that
she had gone after Dio, and we accordingly ran on in the same direction.
It was some time before we overtook her, and we then in vain
endeavoured to persuade her to go back.
"No!" she exclaimed. It was her fault, as she should have accompanied
them, and return home without them she would not.
As valuable time would be lost in persuading her to do what we wished,
we allowed her to accompany us. We soon had to regret this, as we were
frequently compelled to assist her, but we had now gone so far that it
would have been cruel to leave her behind. We shouted as we went on, to
Dio, but his voice did not reply. That we were on his trail was
certain, for we could see the twigs, which he or some one else had
broken off, but whether the girls had gone in the same direction, we
were doubtful. At length we came to a spot where we discovered the
marks of several feet. Mr Tidey stopped, and, stooping down, examined
them minutely.
"The marks are those of moccasins!" he exclaimed. "Indians must have
been here, and if so, it is too probable that the dear girls may have
fallen into their hands. Even the worst savages cannot intend to harm
them, but may hope to obtain a ransom, or perhaps when we set off to try
and recover them, they may expect to cut us off in detail, or to attack
the farm when most of the defenders are away, with a better chance of
success. We must be cautious, therefore, as we proceed, but still I
hope we can defeat their object."
"Though Indians may have been here, we have no proof that they have
taken Kathleen and Lily prisoners," I observed.
We had not gone far, perhaps ten paces, after I made this remark, when
Rose, darting towards a bush, picked up from beneath it a small piece of
ribbon, which she at once pronounced to be part of the tie of Lily's
large straw hat. This settled the question, though how she managed to
tear off the string so as to leave it as an indication of the direction
they had taken, it was difficult to say. Was it done on purpose, or had
it been torn off in a struggle she might have made to escape. One thing
was certain. We must continue the pursuit. We hoped every instant to
overtake the black, but we were now afraid of shouting, lest the Indians
should hear us, and be warned of our approach. On and on we went. The
sun had set, and darkness shrouded the lower part of the forest. In a
few minutes the moon, still almost at the full, rose and enabled us to
see our way as well as in daylight, accustomed as we were to be out at
night; at the same time it was difficult to distinguish the trail which
had hitherto guided us. We had been going for some time in the
direction of the lake, the western edge of which extended along the base
of the mountains. It was fed by streams descending from them. Although
not a broad lake, it reached a long way to the southward, and I began to
fear that should Indians have carried off the girls, they might have
embarked on the lake, and if so, our chances of overtaking them were
small indeed. I now regretted that I had not waited to communicate with
Uncle Denis before we had started. He would probably have gone on to
the farm, and, having obtained horses, set off with a strong party,
which by proceeding along the eastern side of the lake, might have
headed the people, whoever they were, who had committed the outrage. We
were satisfied, however, that there were not many of them. They would,
however, should we come up with them, have a great advantage over us,
for we could not venture to fire at them for fear of wounding their
captives, whereas they might blaze away at us with impunity. I said
something of this in effect to the Dominie.
"If they are Indians, they are not likely to have fire-arms," he
remarked, "and I cannot fancy that white men would have any object in
carrying off the dear girls."
Fast as we were going, Dio must have gone faster, for still we saw
nothing of him. Whenever we slackened our pace, Rose exclaimed--
"Go on, Massa Tidey, go on Massa Mike, no stop for me, I keep up, me got
wind now!"
Her eagerness enabled her indeed to exert herself in a way she could not
otherwise have done. At length we caught sight of the water between the
trees, and in a few minutes we were standing on the shore of the lake.
The moon shed her bright light on the calm surface of the beautiful
sheet of water, enabling us to see a great distance along it. At one
side rose the mountains, on the other the banks were fringed with trees
of magnificent growth, except here and there, where grassy glades came
down to the edge of the water, or points jutted out, forming sheltered
bays and nooks, which might conceal those of whom we were in search. We
stood for some minutes straining our eyes, in the expectation of seeing
a canoe gliding rapidly away from us, but not a speck could we
distinguish on the unruffled bosom of the lake. We searched about to
try and discover any signs of a canoe having touched the shore, but we
could find nothing to indicate that one had been there. That we had not
lost the trail, however, we felt nearly certain. We had now to decide
what probable direction the fugitives had taken; it was not likely that
they would have gone towards the mountains, and indeed, on further
search, we found that the wood in that direction was almost
impracticable. Not a single clear track or opening through it could we
discover, while to the left, people could easily have made their way
either close to the shore, or a short distance from it.
We accordingly advanced in that direction, moving with the greatest
possible caution, so that we might have a chance of discovering the
marauders before they would be aware of our approach. The Dominie went
first, I followed, and Rose brought up the rear, for nothing would
induce her to return.
"If you fight, I fight too, so dat we get back de young ladies!" she
exclaimed in a determined tone, and possessing herself of a thick stick
which lay on the shore of the lake, she trudged on after us.
We trod as carefully as we could, keeping ourselves as much as possible
concealed by the trunks of the trees and brushwood. Sometimes we had to
get down close to the lake when we could discover no other way through
the wood. The Dominie was trying to find a path between the trees when
I heard Rose exclaim--
"Hist! Massa Mike, dare come canoe ober de water!"
I called to Mr Tidey, who stopped, and, sheltering ourselves under the
shadow of the trees, we looked in the direction Rose pointed. There,
sure enough, was a canoe skimming lightly over the moonlit waters. She
appeared to be of large size, though I could only see two paddles going.
We watched eagerly to know to what part of the bank she was directing
her course. Twice it was altered, as if the people in the canoe were
uncertain where to land. At length they paddled on towards the very
spot where we had first struck the lake.
"There are only two of them, and we shall be able to tackle the fellows,
whoever they are," whispered the Dominie to me; "they are connected with
those who carried off the little girls, and have probably come to meet
them; there is no time to be lost, follow me," and he led the way back
by the path we had come.
We could occasionally get a glimpse of the canoe, which came slowly on.
She was of large size, and there were to a certainty but two paddlers.
I could hear poor Rose behind me panting and puffing as we hurried
along; still she persevered, prompted by her desire to help us.
We reached a thick clump of bushes, close by the spot towards which the
canoe was directing course, and, crouching down, we remained concealed,
waiting until the Dominie should give the signal for action. What he
intended to do I could only guess, as it would have been imprudent to
have spoken, lest our voices should be heard, though the splash of the
paddles prevented the sound we made in passing along from reaching the
ears of the people in the canoe. Of course we could easily have shot
the two men, but as we had no proof of their being enemies, such an act
would have been unjust. They shoved in carefully, for fear of knocking
the bows against any logs or branches beneath the surface, and then one
of them stepped out. As he stood up, with the moonlight pouring full
upon him, we saw that he was a white man, with a broad-brimmed hat, a
brace of pistols in his belt, and a rifle in his hand. The other person
was an Indian, who, after his companion had secured the canoe by a rope
to the trunk of a sapling, remained seated, as if waiting his return.
The white man looked about him, but did not appear to discover the signs
of our having been there. It was a wonder, however, that he did not see
us, probably his eyes were dazzled by the bright moonlight. Had the
Indian landed, there could be little doubt that he would have perceived
us, though we all three sat as motionless as the objects around.
The white man whistled shrilly several times, but receiving no response
to his signal, he began to make his way in the direction from whence we
had first come, as if he expected to meet his associates. I was
doubtful whether the Dominie would follow and attempt to seize him, or
would wait until he had got out of hearing and then endeavour to capture
the Indian. This would not be a very easy undertaking, unless he was
less watchful than is usually the case with his people. At last the
Dominie touched my arm as a signal to me to be prepared for instant
action; he then began to creep cautiously forward, so as to get round
the bush and close to the canoe, before making the rush which would
indicate our presence. I imitated his example, and had no doubt that
Rose was creeping after us. Should the Indian possess a rifle, he would
probably have time to fire it and recall his companion to his
assistance, even if he failed to hit either of us; and at all events he
would cry out, and we must master him quickly to be in time to deal with
the other man, who would not probably stand on ceremony about using his
weapons. On we crept: I could hear my own heart beating, and expected
every moment that the Indian would discover us. Presently we saw him
stand up in the attitude of listening, as if he had heard some
suspicious sounds; his eyes were directed towards the very spot where we
were concealed, but the thick bushes prevented a gleam of light falling
upon us. He was evidently on the alert, and the difficulty of seizing
him was increased. He looked round, but appeared to have discovered
nothing. It was important to master him without delay, before the
return of the white man, when we should have two people to deal with
instead of one.
Again the Dominie began to creep forward; careful as he was, the Indian
must have heard the noise, for he again stood up with a bow in his hand
ready to shoot. Seeing nothing, he drew in the painter and stepped on
shore, advancing a few paces and gazing round him, peering towards where
we were crouching down. Should he discover us, he would have time to
shoot and afterwards bound away out of our reach. Presently we heard a
sound as if some creature, if not a human being, was passing through the
forest at a short distance on the farther side of where he stood; he
turned his head as if satisfied that it had caused the sounds he had
heard, and with his arrow on the string he advanced a pace or two, as if
searching for the animal. As we could not expect a more favourable
moment for our purpose, the Dominie and I simultaneously sprang forward.
With one bound we were upon the Indian, before he had time to turn and
defend himself. The Dominie seized him by the neck, and striking his
legs we brought him to the ground, when Rose, as he opened his mouth to
cry out, thrust into it the handkerchief she had torn from her head. He
struggled violently to free himself, but as the black woman was also as
strong as a man, we were able to hold him down until she had secured my
handkerchief round his legs. The Dominie and I then fastened his arms
behind him, turning him over with very little ceremony. So effectually
had Rose gagged him that he was beginning to grow black in the face from
suffocation, but we were unwilling to withdraw it, lest he should shout
out and warn his companion of what had happened. Lest the latter should
hear us, we also did not speak above a whisper.
"The sooner we place our prisoner at a distance from this the better,"
said the Dominie, and with the assistance of Rose, we lifted him up and
carried him almost to the point we had reached when we at first saw the
canoe.
He allowed himself to be carried unresistingly along, but we were not
deceived by this, as we knew perfectly well that he was but waiting an
opportunity to get free. We now thought that we could with prudence
take the gag out of his mouth, to try and learn from him what object he
and his companion had in view, though we had little doubt about the
matter. Mr Tidey made signs that if he cried out, it would be the
worse for him. Rose then carefully pulled out the handkerchief. Not a
word, however, could we elicit from him; he seemed to suppose that we
were going to put him to death, and, stoically resigned to his fate,
nothing we could say had any effect.
"Perhaps he doesn't understand English," observed Mr Tidey; "and as he
has not his hands at liberty, he cannot make signs; our only safe
course, however, is to treat him as an enemy, and keep him bound. Rose,
we will leave him under your charge, while we go back and try and tackle
his companion. You will not let him escape?"
"No, massa, no fear ob dat," answered Rose, stuffing the handkerchief
back into the Indian's mouth, "if he try to move, I soon make him keep
quiet."
As the white man might be returning, we hastened back to be ready for
him. I suggested that we should haul up the canoe, and knock a hole in
her, to prevent the stranger, should he escape us, from getting off; but
Mr Tidey thought that she might be of use to us, and advised instead
that we should hide the paddles, which would answer the purpose equally
well.
We listened as we drew near the spot where the canoe lay, but we could
hear no one approaching. Without hesitation, therefore, drawing her to
the bank, I stepped into her, and searched about to ascertain what she
contained. I soon discovered several pieces of rope, a basket of
provisions, and a bottle of rum. It was possible that the Indian's
apparent stupidity had arisen from his having drunk a portion of the
latter. The rope confirmed us in our belief that the men in the canoe
had come for the purpose of making a prisoner of some one or other.
Bringing the rope and paddles, I returned on shore. Scarcely had we
hidden them in the bushes than, hearing footsteps approaching, we
hurriedly concealed ourselves. Presently the white man we had before
seen emerged from the gloom of the trees. We saw him looking towards
the canoe.
"What can have become of the rascals?" he exclaimed with an oath,
speaking to himself.
He was advancing towards the canoe, expecting probably to find the
Indian asleep within her, when Mr Tidey and I sprang so rapidly on him,
that before he had even time to turn round, we had him stretched on the
ground, the Dominie holding him tightly with one hand on his throat and
the other on his right arm, while I held down his left arm and presented
one of his own pistols, which I drew from his belt, at his head.
"You know best if this is loaded; and, if it is, should you make the
slightest resistance, I will shoot you," I said in a firm tone.
"Who are you, villains, who dare thus attack a free and independent
citizen?" exclaimed the stranger, following the inquiry with a volley of
abuse.
"Keep a civil tongue in your head and answer the questions we put, or
you may have to repent it," said the Dominie. "Why did you come here?"
"I came to look after a rascally black who escaped from his owner, and
you will be sorry for having interfered with me in my lawful business."
"We are ready to take the consequences," answered Mr Tidey. "Before we
set you free, we intend to learn whether your story is true; so submit
quietly, or we shall be obliged to resort to more violence than we
wish."
While we were holding down the man, I examined his countenance, and was
sure that he was one of those who had so outrageously attacked our
house, I therefore felt no compunction at the way we were treating him.
Had he shown any courage, he might possibly have freed himself, but we
managed--not without some difficulty--to lash his arms behind him, and
to bind his legs so that he could move neither hand nor foot.
"The best thing we can do with him is to place him in the canoe, and let
him remain there until we have discovered the little girls, for, depend
upon it, his companions have carried them off, probably with the
intention of holding them as hostages until we deliver up Dio," observed
Mr Tidey.
We had also another reason for keeping him a prisoner, to which,
however, Mr Tidey did not allude in his presence. Without loss of
time, we partly dragged and partly lifted him up to the canoe, into
which we tumbled him without much ceremony.
"If you attempt to struggle, you'll kick a hole in the canoe and go to
the bottom, my friend; so I would advise you to keep quiet," said the
Dominie.
The man only answered with a volley of oaths, but no further information
could we draw from him. We therefore left him to his own reflections,
while we hastened back to Rose, whom we found seated by her prisoner.
"He stay berry quiet," she said, "an' me no tinkee he run 'way."
"That may be, but we will secure him as we have done his companion,"
said Mr Tidey, producing a piece of rope which he had brought with him
from the canoe; and, dragging the Indian to a tree, we lashed him so
securely to it, that we believed with all his cunning he could not set
himself free.
"Now let us continue our search for the little girls and Dio," said the
Dominie; "depend upon it, they cannot be far off. Probably they are
somewhere near the shores of the lake, and if we approach their captors
cautiously, we may master them as we have the other man."
I suggested that we should paddle round the shores of the lake in the
canoe, and as they were probably expecting her arrival with two men in
her, they would not suspect who we were until we got close up to them.
The Dominie, after a little consideration, agreed to my proposal.
"What are we to do with Rose?" he asked.
"She can lie down at the bottom of the canoe, and assist in keeping our
prisoner quiet, unless she will consent to remain behind," I observed.
"No, no, me go with massa!" she exclaimed.
As she might be useful, Mr Tidey agreed to her going. We hurried back
once more to the canoe, and, lifting in Rose, placed her in the bows
near the head of our prisoner, in a position which would enable her
speedily to tighten his gag, should he attempt to cry out. We then,
taking the paddles, commenced our voyage, I sitting in the bows, Mr
Tidey in the stern. We paddled in towards every opening which was
likely to afford a spot for camping, but no object could we see besides
the tall trees rising up above the water. We had gone some distance,
and I had begun to fear that those we were in search of had moved off
from the shores of the lake, and that we might have a long march to come
up with them, should we discover the direction they had taken, when I
perceived a more ruddy tint on the surface of the lake than that
reflected by the silvery moon.
"There must be a fire somewhere near the shore," I whispered, "people
are encamped there, depend upon it; how shall we proceed?"
"We will land close in here, and then try to steal upon them unobserved,
so as to reconnoitre them first. If there are too many people to
master, we must wait until some of the party fall asleep, and then try
to surprise them. One at least is sure to be on guard; we must knock
him over and then spring on the rest. We shall be able to judge better
when we ascertain how matters stand," observed the Dominie.
As he spoke he turned the head of the canoe to the shore, which we soon
reached. Rose had crammed the handkerchief tight down into the mouth of
the prisoner, or he would to a certainty have betrayed us. Even now I
was afraid that we might have been seen, but no hail reached us. Making
as little noise as possible with our paddles, we soon reached the beach,
and, making a sign for Rose not to follow us, we landed, leaving her in
charge of the canoe. We both crept forward as cautiously as any Indians
could have done. As we approached the fire we heard the sound of
voices, and by getting a little nearer we could hear what was said.
"I wonder that fellow Jowl hasn't found us out yet," observed one of the
speakers; "we shall have a long tramp for it if he doesn't appear very
soon, and the captain and his people will be down upon us. Now that
we've got the black, I wish that we had let the girls alone, they'll
only cause trouble, for old Bracher won't know what to do with them."
"We'd better leave them, then, to shift for themselves, they'll find
their way home somehow or other; it matters little to us if they don't,"
answered another.
"But they'll betray the whereabouts of our train to the captain, and
he'll be after us with his people and demand satisfaction. If he proves
the strongest, he'll carry off the black, about whom we have had all
this trouble, into the bargain," observed the first.
"If he comes at all, it will give old Bracher an opportunity of shooting
him, that's what they'd like to do better than anything else," remarked
a third.
The men continued talking on the same subject, but they had said enough
as to the girls being carried off. From it I gathered that Mr Bracher
was travelling eastward with a waggon train, probably having failed in
the west, and that, finding himself in the neighbourhood of our new
location, he had despatched a party to try and recapture Dio, but that
meeting Kathleen and Lily, they had made prisoners of them with the
intention of keeping them as hostages until the slave was delivered up.
I also ascertained that Dio had fallen into their hands, and that
consequently my sister and Lily were of less value in their sight than
would otherwise have been the case.
Although we heard but three persons speaking, there might be many more,
but this we could only determine by getting nearer to the camp. I made
a sign to Mr Tidey to remain quiet while I crept forward. I stopped
whenever there was a pause in the conversation, and stole on when the
sound of the voices would prevent them from hearing any noise I might
make. My fear was that they might have with them some Indians who would
be much more likely to discover me than they were. At length a clump of
bushes alone intervened between me and their camp-fire. Carefully
raising my head, I looked through an opening, when I saw four men seated
on the ground, with their rifles by their sides. A short distance off
lay Dio, with his arms bound behind him and secured by a rope to a tree.
Still farther was a rude hut formed of branches, beneath the shelter of
which, I had no doubt, Kathleen and Lily were resting. So far the men
had shown some humanity. To recover the "captives" it was evident that
we must use stratagem rather than force. We could scarcely expect to
overcome four well-armed men, even should we first succeed in setting
Dio at liberty. We might, however, easily shoot two of them, and then
spring upon the other two, but as I felt that we should not be justified
in so doing, I was about to retire and tell Mr Tidey what I had seen
when one of the men started up, exclaiming--
"I saw some one watching us through the bushes."
I was conscious that the glare of the fire had for a moment fallen on my
face. All hope of our surprising them was lost. I heard some one
approaching behind me.
"Whoop!" whispered Mr Tidey; "we will try what effect terror will
produce."
Raising our voices, we imitated, with some effect, the terrific Indian
war-whoop, dropping on the ground as we did so, to avoid a shower of
bullets aimed at us.
"Get hold of the black, and let us be off!" cried one of the men; "we
must not have had our expedition for nothing."
Before we could regain our feet, one of the fellows cut the rope which
held Dio, and, seizing him by the neck, dragged him along across the
glade on the opposite side of which the whole party disappeared, passing
close to the hut in which we guessed that Kathleen and Lily were
confined. Had we before been inclined to fire, we were less willing to
do so now, for fear of wounding either the girls or poor Dio, who was
placed as a shield by the man who was dragging him along. Our first
impulse was to run and rescue the dear ones who had caused us so much
anxiety. They shrieked out, overcome with terror, as they heard us
approaching, until my voice reassured them. By the light of the fire
which streamed into their hut they saw who we were. A few words served
to calm them, and make them understand what had happened, and in another
minute Rose came running up, unable to restrain her anxiety, she having
heard the firing, and fearing that we might be killed or wounded.
"We must not let Dio be carried off if we can help it!" I exclaimed.
"Come on, Mr Tidey; let us pursue the fellows, and perhaps they'll grow
tired of dragging him along, and set him at liberty."
"Yes, yes, Massa Tidey, you go 'long, me take care ob de little girls.
See dar' is rifle, me fight for dem if anybody comes!" exclaimed Rose.
Sure enough one of the men in his terror had left his rifle behind him.
We should thus find only three armed antagonists, unless he had also
pistols. At all events, without stopping to consider the risk we ran,
we rushed on, again and again uttering a war-whoop. It had only the
effect, as far as we could judge, of expediting the movements of the
fugitives. Unfortunately the moon became obscured by clouds, and
increased the difficulties of our progress.
I began indeed to fear that, after all, we should be baffled, and I knew
the sad fate which awaited Dio, should he be carried back to his former
master. We had two prisoners, to be sure, but I felt very certain that
Mr Bracher would not give up his slave for the sake of recovering them,
indeed he would be well aware that we could not keep them in captivity.
Several times I thought we were on the point of overtaking the men, but
on each occasion they managed to elude us. Whether they still fancied
that Indians were following them, we could not tell. Possibly they
might have guessed that we were white men, though they could not tell
the number of our party, and at all events did not think it worth while
to hazard a conflict, now that they had obtained the object of their
expedition. How far off Silas Bracher's train was encamped we were
uncertain, but we knew that the men could not possibly reach it, if it
was on the usual route, until some hours after noon, indeed they could
not get out of the wood bordering the lake, until daylight.
"Can you go on, Mike?" asked Mr Tidey.
"I will until I drop, and I don't feel at all inclined to do that just
yet," I answered.
"Then let us continue the pursuit, but we'll not whoop again, so that we
may possibly come upon them when they least expect it."
The forest was tolerably open, and had it been daylight, we should have
been able to see to a considerable distance. I several times took a
glance towards the east, and at length I saw the dawn breaking through
an opening in the trees. Our only fear was that the fugitives might
have turned aside, and that we had passed them. This, however, was not
likely to be the case. The light increased, and just we got near the
edge of the forest, we caught sight of the four men still dragging on
poor Dio.
I don't know what we might have been tempted to do. I saw Mr Tidey
more than once raise his rifle, and I confess I was merely waiting for a
fair shot at one of the fellows, in spite of the risk of wounding Dio,
when my eyes fell on a party of horsemen galloping along from the
northward, having apparently skirted the edge of the forest.
The Kentuckians saw them also, and knowing that if the horsemen were in
pursuit of them, further flight would be useless, halted and appeared to
be consulting what to do. In another minute I recognised my father and
Uncle Denis leading the party. Our friends dashed forward at the
fellows. My father was just in time to knock down one of them who had
presented his pistol at the black's head, and I fully expected that the
four men would be killed on the spot. I saw Dio, however, holding up
his hands to protect them, while he explained apparently what had
happened. We now showed ourselves, and, hurrying forward, assured my
father of the safety of Kathleen and Lily.
"You may go, then!" he exclaimed, turning to the Kentuckians, who now
appeared thoroughly cowed, "and tell Silas Bracher, should he again
venture to send any of his men to capture this honest negro, they will
be more severely dealt with than you have been."
The fellows, without a word of thanks, moved sulkily away towards the
south, at a much slower pace than they had hitherto been going. Three
of our men now got off their horses, to allow Mr Tidey, Dio, and me to
mount, and we rode on through the forest as fast as we could go, until
we reached Rose and her two charges; the little girls, having recovered
from their fright, had fallen asleep in their bower, while the black
nurse sat watching over them.
I had almost forgotten our prisoners, when Mr Tidey exclaimed, "We
mustn't let the Indian and that fellow in the canoe starve to death,
which they certainly will unless we release them."
"They can do no further harm if set at liberty, though they deserve a
pretty severe punishment," said my father. "Where are they?"
"Not far off, and if some of you will come with me, we will send them
about their business, with a warning that, should they again attempt to
play such a trick, they will not escape so easily," observed the
Dominie.
Martin Prentis, I, and two of the men, at once set off with Mr Tidey.
We first made our way to the canoe, where we found our prisoner groaning
with pain, for, by endeavouring to release himself, he had only
tightened the cords with which his arms and legs were lashed. We took
him out of the canoe, and from the expression of abject terror exhibited
in his countenance, I suspected that the fellow believed he was then and
there to undergo the penalty of `Lynch law,' for he looked up at the
bough of a tree above his head, as if he expected immediately to be
triced up to it. I never saw a man so crestfallen.
"Now, my fine fellow, you know what you deserve," said the Dominie, as
Martin and the other men placed him on his feet. "You were employed by
a greater rogue than yourself; but as you have failed in your
undertaking, we do not want to be hard on you, and if you will tell us
the intentions of your master, we will set you at liberty. But, if
not--," and Mr Tidey pointed to the bough overhead.
"I'll give you all the information you require," exclaimed the man,
trembling. "Bracher had sworn to be revenged on you for sheltering his
runaway slave, and was determined to get hold of him if he could. He
had heard that you were located in this neighbourhood, and he sent a
party with orders to capture the black at all costs."
"That doesn't excuse them for carrying off the young ladies, and
frightening us well-nigh out of our wits, on their account."
"I had no hand in that matter," said our prisoner. "I suppose that by
getting hold of them our people thought that they could force you to
come to terms about the nigger."
"Probably," observed Mr Tidey; "but what were your orders, should you
fail to recover the black? Remember, we have your Indian guide in our
hands, and if you do not speak the truth, we shall be able to learn what
we want from him."
"I will tell you everything," answered the man, as the Dominie again
glanced up at the overhanging bough. "Silas Bracher has come to grief,
and being compelled to sell up, is moving westward with a pretty
good-sized party whom he has persuaded to accompany him. We heard on
our way that Captain Loraine was located in the neighbourhood. Mr
Bracher managed, somehow or other, when we got near this, to make
friends with one of the chiefs of the red-skins, who, bribed by the
promise of a case of whisky and some fire-arms, undertook to attack
Captain Loraine's farm as soon as a good chance of success should offer.
The chief, you'll understand, was to bide his time and to bring Silas
word directly he had done the work."
"And when is the attack to be made?" asked Mr Tidey.
The man protested that he could not tell, but concluded that it would
not long be deferred, probably not more than a week or two, before the
train could have got to any great distance, indeed he had an idea that
some of their people were to be employed in assisting the Indians.
Mr Tidey, though he cross-questioned the man, could elicit no further
information of importance. We therefore conducted him to my father,
who, after charging him to keep his own counsel, and not let Silas
Bracher know the information he had given, told him that he was at
liberty to return to his friends.
Great indeed was his look of astonishment. He not only promised that he
would say nothing to Silas Bracher on the subject, but that he would
separate himself from him and his party, and join some other emigrant
train on the first opportunity. We watched him until he disappeared in
the forest, though, judging by the pace he went, we suspected that he
was in no great hurry to join his companions.
"We have now to look after the Indian," said Mr Tidey, "and as we shall
pass not far from the spot where we left him, we will learn what he has
to say for himself, and send him about his business."
As we were anxious to get home as soon as possible, to relieve my
mother's mind of anxiety, we lost no time in setting off. My father
took up Kathleen and Uncle Denis Lily before them, and, after some
persuasion, Rose consented to allow herself to be lifted and placed in
front of Dio's saddle. Mr Tidey and I, with Martin, pushed on ahead,
that we might without delay set at liberty the unfortunate Indian, who
was less to blame than his white employers. On reaching the spot,
however, we could nowhere see him. We searched about in every
direction. It was evident that by some means or other, he had been set
at liberty. Whether he had himself cast loose the lashings, or whether
anybody else had liberated him, we could not discover, for although
there were the marks of several feet on the ground, they might have been
ours. As there was little probability that the Indian would have
remained in the neighbourhood, we soon abandoned the search and rejoined
the party.
It was late in the evening when we approached the farm, and recollecting
the threatened attack by the Indians, I felt more anxiety than I can
express, lest during our absence, they should have carried out their
project. Great therefore, was the relief to my mind when I saw Biddy
running down the hill to welcome us, followed by my mother to whose
charge we soon committed Kathleen and Lily.