John Lawler barricaded his place as strongly as he could for the night;
and then, with loaded gun and rifle by his side, he awaited the return
of the messengers. He felt that there was not much cause for fear; but
he determined to watch and wait.
Soon after reaching the hospitable place, Mrs Lee had sunk back in her
chair, faint and exhausted.
It was anxious work for the master of the house, watching alone, with
the knowledge that a terrible danger might at any time come upon his
home. As the darkness came on, sounds, heretofore passed unnoticed,
seemed to have an ominous import. Each time a dog barked the watcher
started, and tried to pierce the distant gloom, seeing in every tree an
enemy, and a lurker behind every bush.
After a while, watching in the silence, he started; for his wife had
stolen to his side, begging to be allowed to stay with him, since Mrs
Lee slept heavily, and she feared to be alone.
John Lawler tried to persuade her to go; but not energetically. And
then the couple watched on, shivering at every sound, until there came,
from a distance, the tramp of a horse, at a slow weary pace; and at last
one of the settler's own beasts made its way into the yard, and then
into the familiar stable by the side.
Lawler went out, to find that the animal was saddled and bridled; but on
leading it into the yard, he found that it halted on one of its
forelegs.
"Must have fallen lame," he muttered; "and Sam has gone on, thinking the
poor brute would find its way back."
Another hour's watching, and then came again the slow pacing of a horse;
but this time there was a man leading it; and upon his coming up, Lawler
heard that the horse had stumbled in the dark, fallen, and thrown his
rider heavily, the poor fellow having been hardly able to make his way
back to the station.
Then came more watching, hour after hour, till daylight began to chase
away the dim shadows of night.
John Lawler's spirits rose as the sun sent its warm rays once more over
the brightened earth; but he shuddered as he thought that perhaps that
night the home that he had been years in winning from the wilderness
might become a blackened ruin.
Hour after hour passed but no gathering party of neighbours clustered
round; and though Lawler climbed from time to time the hill behind his
house, there was no sign of Sam.
After all these hours, surely, he thought, some neighbours might have
come down to his help. Supposing that his place had been attacked, it
would have been by this time a heap of blood-stained ashes. His brow
knit as he watched, here for enemies, there for friends, with none to
meet his eye, and the lines on his brow told the inquietude of his mind.
At last, maddened with anxiety, he summoned his wife, had the two lamed
beasts and Mr Meadow's pony brought out, and prepared to mount the two
women, and flee farther inland, to where there were friends.
"I'd stop and fight to the last gasp for my bit of property, Nell," said
Lawler to his wife, "if it wasn't for you and the child."
"No, no; let's go," she replied, as if fearing that he might stay.
The few arrangements being made, the little caravan had prepared to
start, when a cheery shout from the men made Lawler shade his eyes, and
his heart leapt up as he saw two mounted men, each carrying a gun, come
cantering up.
"Hallo!" exclaimed one. "Just off out--pilgrimage to Egypt, eh? And
Mrs Lee, too! How are you all? Bad job, though; for we wanted a rest
and feed for the horses. S'pose we can have that all the same?"
John Lawler laid his hand upon the saddle of the speaker, and looking
wonderingly in his face, he said:
"What! didn't the news reach you last night?"
"News?" echoed the other.
Lawler drew him down, and whispered in his ear, so that the drooping
woman upon the horse should not hear again of the horrors that had
devastated her home.
"Good God!" exclaimed the new-comer. "But have you sent out for help?"
"Yes," said Lawler; "three messengers. One miscarried; and I've had no
news yet of the others."
A short conference was held as the new-comers, with darkened brows,
learned more fully the state of affairs, and discussed it with John
Lawler--earnestly, too, since each had a stake in the district, and knew
full well that his might be the next turn to suffer as had suffered the
family of Martin Lee.
Five minutes after, Lawler's wife was clinging to him, begging that, for
the child's sake, he would accompany her to a place of safety; but
although torn to the heart, the settler held firm. In a short
consultation, it had been decided to let the women proceed, accompanied
by Lawler's crippled man, while the three remained to garrison the
little farm, and cover the retreat of the fugitives, agreeing that, if
hard pressed, they could but follow them.
"We must stay and help one another," said Lawler gloomily. "You attend
to poor Lee's wife; we'll see if we cannot save his child."
"But could not he stay?" said his wife piteously, as she pointed to the
man.
"Would you have your husband turn coward, Nell?" Lawler said gently.
"Should we not say that man was contemptible who kept back from us in
time of need? Be a woman! There will be help soon; and it would never
do now for neighbours to come at my asking, and find me gone. Half an
hour ago it was different, and there was good excuse; now there is
none."
Mrs Lawler uttered no complaint; only one sob rose from her breast as
she hung on her husband's neck; and then, with the man leading the
horses, the party passed slowly out of sight.
"Heaven be praised!" said one of the new-comers. "One seems free to act
now."
After a little consideration, it was determined that nothing better
could be done than for one of the party in turn to act as scout, and
watch the ravine leading towards the Gap, the only way by which danger
could approach; while the others patiently waited the succour that was
expected.
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