Old Man Newcome's Escape, Arrest and Conveyance Home--The Colonel's
Plan of Campaign--He Takes Command--Maguffin's Capture by Messrs.
Hill and Hislop--The Richards' Aid Enlisted--Squire as Colonel, and
Mr. Terry, Sergeant-Major--The Skirmish--Harding
Murdered--Wilkinson and Errol Improving the Time--The Young
Incendiary--Mr. Hill Crushes Maguffin.
Everybody grieved for the offtaking of the detective. In the front of
the house, the Squire and the minister, who knew his history, were most
affected; in the back, Ben Toner was the corypheus of grief. An old man
on a couch in an adjoining room heard the news, and, little thinking
that his deposition and confession were safe in the Squire's possession
along with many other documents, rejoiced thereat, and conceived a
heroic project. At first, he thought of enlisting the idiot boy, but had
to give up the idea; for the boy was happy with those whom he knew, and
obstinately refused to go near the old reprobate. Sylvanus no longer
watched him; he was basking in the smiles of Tryphena, and, at the same
time, amusing Monty. There was a passage from the room he was in to the
back of the main hallway, which led into the open air, independently of
the summer kitchen. His coat was gone and his hat, both his boots were
removed, and his wounded leg was bandaged, but he was a tough old
criminal, and a bare back rider from a boy. He slipped off the couch,
and helped himself along by the wall, thankful that his boots were off
and he could move quietly. Still, simple Sylvanus, taken in by the good
old man who loved to have the Bible read to him, neglected his duty.
Newcome gained the hall, the porch, the open air, and, at last, could
hardly believe his good luck to find himself in the stable unperceived.
What a lot of horses were there with nobody to look after them! He saw
one that suited him, a handsome beast he had seen in Collingwood, the
travelling powers of which he knew. To that stall he went, and braced
himself against the partition for a spring, after he had loosed the
halter, and slipped on a bit and bridle. He backed his steed out, turned
in the passage way and made for the door. Another moment and he would be
free. No horse in the stable, even if saddled and bridled, would be able
to overtake him, once he was on the road. But, at the door he met an
obstacle in the shape of a mountain of straw, that caused the horse to
back. The desperate man dug his knees into the flanks of the beast, and
urged it on. Down went the straw mountain, and the luckless Timotheus
beneath it, and Newcome rained a few exultant curses on him, as he
forced his steed; when a well-dressed negro sprang up from nowhere, and,
seizing the rein nearest him, spoke to the intelligent animal, and
backed it to one side. In a moment Timotheus wriggled himself unhurt out
of the litter, and, by main force, pulled the escaped prisoner down;
while Mr. Maguffin remarked that "hoss thieves ain't pumculiah ter no
paht of the habitatable yeth."
Newcome squirmed and fought as well as he was able, but to no avail.
Timotheus was simple and he was clumsy, but he was no weakling. Maguffin
led the horse back into the stable, spread his litter, and replaced the
bridle on the wall. Then he came out quite unruffled, and asked
Timotheus if he would like him to use his new boots on the prisoner, to
which that worthy replied with a grin: "I guess I've pooty nigh parlyzed
his laigs to stop his wrastlin' tricks aready." Sylvanus, in a lucid
moment, remembered his charge, and found the bird had flown. He came
out to look for his Bible-loving friend, dreading the Captain's wrath,
and great was his relief when he found him a victim in the strong arms
of his brother. "Here, Sylvanus, you hold him, so's the Square'll think
t'was you as cotched him," said the unselfish Timotheus. So Sylvanus,
nothing loath, seized the hypocrite, and Timotheus went for the Squire,
while Maguffin looked calmly on, occasionally glancing at his
heavy-soled new boots, as if regretting that there was no immediate call
for their services. The Squire was angry, for he had been kind to the
old sinner; but he saw that the prisoner was an element of weakness in
the house. What was to hinder him escaping again, committing murder,
setting the place on fire? He called up Toner. "Ben," he said, "how long
would it take you to convey Newcome to his home in a farm waggon with a
good team?" "Ef the teeum's smart, I guaiss an houer 'ud do," answered
the prospective son-in-law of the victim. Accordingly a springless
waggon was produced, some straw thrown in, and Newcome securely bound
with ropes, lying flat on his back, with his own coat and a sack or two
put under his head for a pillow. "Timotheus," continued Mr Carruthers,
"you had better go with Ben. Take your guns, both of you, and bring them
back as quick as you can." Off started the ambulance, at first gently
and humanely. When out of sight of the house, Toner grinned at
Timotheus, and Timotheus grinned back at Ben. "It can't be haylped,
Timotheus," remarked the latter in a low tone, "we're bound to git back
airly, ef they's moer guyard mountin' to be did. So here goes, Serlizer
or no Serlizer." The horses were pretty fresh, and they tore along,
enjoying the fun, and answering with their heels to every playful flick
of the whip. The road was rough and hilly; the jolting almost threw the
occupants of the box seat off the waggon that had no springs. Old man
Newcome groaned, and implored Ben, for the sake of Serlizer, to go easy
or leave him on the roadside to die. "Ef you don't laike my teamin',"
said Toner, in a simulated huff, "I'll quit. Here, Timotheus, you had
ought to know them hosses better'n me." Timotheus took the reins, and
cried: "Gerlang, we ain't no time ter lose; rattle the brimstun an'
merlasses old malufacture over the stones, he's ony a firebug as nobody
owns." The delight of The Crew's brother in getting off this new and
improved version of an ancient couplet made him reckless. He and Ben
jumped into the air like shuttlecocks, and seemed to like it. "I heern
say," remarked Toner, while moving momentarily skywards, "I heern tayll
as this here joltin' beats all the piulls and pads as ever was made for
the livyer."
"Yaas," cheerfully responded Timotheus, coming down with a sounding
bump; "myuns is like what the doctor out our way said to fayther wunst.
Says he, 'Saul, your livyer's tawpidd.' So's myun, Ben; it's most tarble
tawpidd. Gerlang, yer lazy, good fer nawthun brutes; poor old man
Newcome won't get home this blessed night, the way yer a-goin'."
The waggon reached the Newcome shanty. The old man was unbound and
lifted out into his own bed. Strong as he was, he had fainted, which his
charioteers were not sorry to see. "He's had an accident, Miss Newcome,"
said Ben to the man's wife; "but he'll soon be all right." Fortunately,
the doctor had done his duty well, and the shaking had failed to loosen
the bandages over the wound. The drivers got into the waggon again and
drove home more gently, exchanging a few words with each other; one
being: "Guaiss old man Newcome's out o' mischief fer one night."
While Bridesdale was being delivered from the presence of one unwelcome
guest, the welcome ones of the front were discussing with the Squire the
programme for the night. He had made out a warrant for the arrest of
Rawdon, should he again have the hardihood to turn up, and otherwise
proposed to repeat the guards of the night before. While the
excursionists were at tea, the colonel and Mr. Terry had been walking
about with an object in view; and the latter gentleman informed his
son-in-law that "the cornel has a shplindid oiday in his moind." Colonel
Morton was requested to favour the company with it, and proceeded to do
so. "From what infohmation I have had fuhnished me by my fellow-soldieh,
Mr. Tehhy, I pehsume you have pehmitted the attacking fohce to select
its own basis of opehations, and have yohselves stood almost entihely on
the defensive. With a small fohce, this is vehy often the only couhse
to puhsue. But, as I now undehstand from reeliable infohmation brought
in, the enemy's fohce of seventeen is reduced by four, while that of the
gahhison is augmented by three--the doctor, myself and my sehvant. Ah,
no; I fohgot you have had one sad casualty, as my niece infohms me, in
the fall of Mr. Nash; which leaves the strength of the gahhison fohteen,
as against thihteen of the assailants. My friend, Mr. Wilkinson, infohms
me that a small detachment of five men, well ahmed, holds a foht some
six miles in the dihection of the enemy. Now, gentlemen of the council
of wah, can we not obtain that this friendly outpost make a divehsion in
conceht with the offensive paht of our ahmy? Send a scout with
instyuctions foh them to occupy the wood neah their foht, and, eitheh
with blank or ball cahtyidge--as you, Genehal Cahhathers, may
dihect--meet the enemy as ouah troops dyive them back, and thus pehvent
them seeking the coveh of the trees against us. This being done, send a
scout, mounted if possible, to guahd against attack from the left; post
pistol sentinels round the buildings, and fohm the rest of the available
fohce into an attacking pahty occupying the strategic point examined by
Mr. Tehhy and me: I allude to the plantation to the reah of the right
wing. Just as soon as the enemy comes up to occupy that position, chahge
them like bulldogs and drive them as fah as possible towahds the road,
and at last bring them undeh the guns of our friendly foht. That, I
think, is bettah than losing heaht by watching all night long and
endangehing the safety of the ladies. Such, gentlemen, is my humble
counsel."
"Hark till him, now, jantlemen; pay attintion till him, all av yeez,"
exclaimed Mr. Terry; "fer 'tis the wurrud av a sowldjer and an
offisher."
"Assume command, Colonel, if you please. We are all ready to obey
orders," said the Squire. "Is that not the case, friends?"
To this the whole company answered "Yes," and Colonel Morton at once
gave his commands.
The garrison was paraded on the lawn, its armament strengthened by two
rifles borrowed in the neighbourhood, of which the Squire carried one
and the lawyer the other. The post office had been cleared out of its
complete stock of powder and shot by Carruthers, early in the morning,
to the no little disgust of the Grinstun man when he went for his mail.
"Volunteehs foh the foht, foh mounted patyol, foh plantation
picket--three!" called out the colonel. Perrowne volunteered for the
first, as likely to have most influence with the Richards. "Blank
cartridge," said the Squire, as he rode away amid much waving of
handkerchiefs. "Oi'm yer picket, cornel," said Mr. Terry, stepping out
of the ranks with his rifle at the shoulder in true military fashion.
"Ef it's a gennelman wot knows riden, sah, and kin fiah a pistol or
revolvah, I respectuously dedercates my feeble servishes," volunteered
Mr. Maguffin, who mounted and patrolled poor Nash's beat, with a
revolver handy; while the veteran ran at a regular double to the far end
of the strip of bush. "The Squiah had bettah take the field, as he knows
the ground and I do not," said the colonel; "I will command the
gahhison. I shall want the captain, the doctah, Mr. Wilkinson and Mr.
Ehhol--four. My deah sistah-in-law can shoot; and so, I believe, can
Miss Halbeht, so we are seven."
"There's Wordsworth for you, Wilks, my boy," Coristine remarked, nudging
his right hand man.
"Corry, my dear fellow, whatever induced you to take that gun?" answered
the dominie, apprehensive for his friend's safety in the field.
"It's no gun, Wilks; it's a rifle. If I only get a sight at Grinstuns,
I'll commit justifiable homicide. Then I wish the Squire would punish me
by sending me down here for thirty days."
"The gahhison will take three paces to the fyont; quick, mahch!"
commanded the colonel.
The four came out in pretty straggling order, and the two ladies named
fell in beside them.
"Now, Squiah, I leave yoah command of five men, which Mr. Pehhowne will
soon augment to six, and Mr. Tehhy to seven, in yoah hands. If I have no
fuhtheh need of a mounted patyol, my sehvant will join the gahhison."
The colonel then left to post his sentries, which he did so judiciously
that three were enough, namely, the doctor, the minister and the
dominie. The ladies kept watch by turns on the front of the house. Soon
a voice was heard at the gate calling for Colonel Morton. The colonel
answered the summons in person. It was Maguffin dismounted, and behind
him came two men, honest farmers apparently, one of whom led the
coloured man's horse, while the other held his fowling piece at the
port, ready for action in Maguffin's rear.
"Maguffin," said the colonel, sternly, "consideh youhself undeh ahhest,
suh."
"I doan need ter hab ter, sah; that's jess wot I is this bressid minit."
"Good evening!" said the two farmers, amiably, and the colonel returned
the salutation. "Good evening, gentlemen! but I feah you have made a
mistake in ahhesting my sehvant."
"When a naygur on a fine beast gallops down on two quiet folk, and
orders them to go back, disperse, and surrinder, and them coming to see
after the safety of their children and friends, the only one thing to
do, if you have your guns along, is to arrest the naygur."
"Do I undehstand, Maguffin, that you ordehed these wohthy people to go
back, dispehse, and suhhendah without any wahhant?"
"And presinted his pistil, too," continued the tall man, who had already
spoken, and who was the coloured man's guard.
"Have you no answah, Maguffin?"
"I fought, Cunnell, I was ter patterole this heah road and repawt all
the folkses I see on or off'n it."
"Yes, repoht to me, as youh officeh, suh."
"Oh, I fought yoh meant to repawt em wif a revolvah, sah."
"I suppose, gentlemen, you will let my sehvant go, when I say I deplohe
his foolish mistake, and apologize foh his insolence?
"To be shure, sir," replied the guard; "give the man his horse,
Annerew."
Maguffin remounted, and, receiving more minute instructions from his
master, returned to his patrol duty.
"We're just coming in to help the Squire, and me to look after my
childer, Tryphena and Tryphosa and Baby Rufus. When the Baby didn't come
back this mornin', I said to his mother, 'Persis' says I, 'I must go and
see the boy.' So here I am. My name is Hill, sir, Henry Cooke Hill, and
this is my neighbour, and some day, perhaps, Rufus's father-in law,
Annerew Hislop"--then in an undertone--"a very dacent man, sir, though a
Sesayder."
"Is that the case?" asked the colonel with eagerness, advancing towards
Andrew. "Were you on ouah side, suh, in the wahah?"
"Naw, naw, surr, I'm no sodjer, but a humble maimber o' the pure gospel
Secession kirk. As the fufty-fufth parryphrase says:--
With heevenly wappons I have focht
The baittles o' the Lord."
"Ah yes, pahdon me my mistake. Come in, gentlemen; the Squiah will be
happy to see you."
Maguffin's captors entered, were warmly greeted by their friends in hall
and kitchen, partook of a hasty supper, and were ready for the
engagement of the night.
Perrowne, who was a good rider, soon made his appearance, reporting that
the Richards were only too glad to make the desired repulse of the evil
crew from their neighbourhood, and, as members formerly of a volunteer
company, understood something of military tactics. The parson also
reported that he had nearly fallen in with the advancing attacking force
of, he should say, twenty men; but, sighting them ahead, he advanced
slowly until he saw them move solidly to his left into the fields, with
the evident intention of coming at the house through the strip of bush.
The villains could not be far off. "Now, Squiah," said the colonel,
"hasten, suh, to join Mr. Tehhy; a few minutes make all the diffehence
in case of an attack."
The Squire had now nine men under his command, including his
father-in-law, for Ben and Timotheus were safely back, having passed the
formidable Maguffin. The other six were Sylvanus and Rufus, Messrs.
Hill, Hislop, Perrowne, and Coristine. All were armed with loaded guns
and rifles; the carbine and the blunderbuss remained to guard the house.
Rapidly they reached the bush which hid them from view, and rejoiced the
veteran's heart with their array.
"Now, grandfather," said Carruthers, "you must get us all into shape."
"Well now, we'll make belave this is a bittillion, an' you're cornel,
an' Oi'm sargint-major. It's ten shtrong we are, an' there's three
roifles an' two double barrels anyhow. You git in the rare, Cornel an'
Mishter Coristine an' Mishter Parrowne an' Ben Toner; the rist av yeez
shtay where yeez are, till I say 'Extind!' thin, tin paces apart for the
front rank, an' tin for the rare rank; but the rare alternatin' wid the
front. Whin Oi say, 'Front rank!' that rank'll diliver it's foire, an'
go on wid its loadin' behind a three, moind! an' so on wid the rare. By
the powers, here the varmints come. Shtiddy min, lishten till me an' be
quoiet--Extind!"
There were some loudly beating hearts at that moment, for the enemy was
in force, and partly armed with guns of some sort. Instead of advancing
across the fields, as the defenders had hoped, they descended to the
creek, in order to find cover from the bushes on its bank, until they
reached the piece of wood. The veteran, telling his command to preserve
its formation, wheeled it to the right, and ordered perfect silence.
Leaving his rifle at his post, he slipped from tree to tree like a cat,
having thrown off his shoes for the purpose. When he returned, the
enemy, moving almost as silently, had entered the bush, but,
anticipating no sentry at that point, had sought no cover. "Shtiddy, now
min," whispered the sarjint-major; "take good aim, Front Rank, Riddy!"
Five guns rolled out a challenge to the invaders, and, before they had
time to seek cover, came, "Rare Rank, Riddy," and his own rifle led the
other four weapons of the second line. "Are yeez loaded, front an'
rare?" asked the ancient warrior; and, satisfied that all were, he put
himself in the front and ordered a charge to outflank the enemy and
hinder them getting away among the bushes. All perceived his intentions,
except, perhaps, the two Pilgrims and Toner, who, however, were borne
along by the rest. Dashing through the creek, part of the force volleyed
the miscreants from there, and drove them into the open, while the
remaining part kept them from seeking refuge in the bush. The Squire's
men had the shelter of the brook alders and willows, now, and, led by
Mr. Terry, in single file, at a rate almost as rapid as that of Rawdon's
retreat, faced now and again to the left to fire, and loaded as they
ran. At last the shelter ceased, and all were in the open, both pursued
and pursuers. "Kape it up," cried the indomitable veteran; "don't give
the murtherin' blagyards a minit's resht!" Up, up the hill, they chased
the said blackguards, until they reached the road. Within the skirting
rail fences the Squire kept his men, faint but pursuing, and firing an
occasional shot to lend the speed of terror to the miscreants' heels. In
an hour from the beginning of the pursuit, the hunted Rawdonites were at
the wild lands on the lakes, and prepared to enter the forest and make a
stand or hide; when Carruthers cried: "Down flat on your faces every
man," and five reports from in front rang through the air. The Richards
were on guard, but either Perrowne had forgotten to tell them about
blank cartridge, or they did not think proper to obey the order. "Come
on a bit farther, lads, till we find where these villains turn in,"
cried the Squire. In another minute the victors combined with the
Richards' party, and chased the thoroughly demoralized Rawdonites, whose
guns and pouches strewed the ground, to a desolate rocky spot beside a
swamp, where felled trees lay in indescribable confusion, over which the
fugitives scrambled in desperate haste for home. The lawyer caught sight
of a figure that he knew, far up the rocky slope, preparing to leap down
from a prostrate trunk resting on three or four others, and aimed his
rifle at it. The Squire threw up the weapon just in the nick of time.
"It's ower gude a death for the likes o' him, Coristine. Gie him time to
repent, an' let the law tak' its coarse. The cunning scoundrel! Even at
the risk o' 's life he wadna let us ken whaur his waggon road is, but
I've a thocht, man, that it's yonner whaur the rock rises oot o' the
swamp." Then the good Squire took off his hat, and thanked God for the
defeat of the evil doers.
Light though the night was, to continue the pursuit would have been the
height of folly. The force was mustered and inspected by the so-called
Colonel Carruthers, and the Sergeant-Major Terry. Including themselves,
it was found to consist of no fewer than seventeen persons, one of whom
was a woman, and the other a lad of about fifteen years of age, Matilda
Nagle and her boy Monty. "I will show you where the road is," she said
to the Squire; "it is hard to find, but I know it. When Stevy tried to
find it, Harding and he put him to sleep, so that I couldn't wake him
up. Harding is asleep now too; I put him, and Monty helped, didn't you,
Monty?"
Carruthers looked, and saw that the woman's right hand and that of the
idiot boy were alike stained with blood. All his own men were safe and
sound, not a scratch on any one of them. The veteran's rapid tactics had
given the enemy hardly an opportunity to return the fire, and had
destroyed their aim from the very beginning. All honour to the
sergeant-major! All had behaved well. Father Hill and his friend Hislop
felt like boys; and while the Sesayder took a fatherly interest in
Rufus, the parent of Tryphena and Tryphosa was pleased with the bearing
of the Pilgrims. Ben Toner's conscience was a little troubled about his
treatment of old man Newcome, but he also had a feeling that he was
getting nearer to Serlizer. The veteran and Mr. Perrowne were filled
with mutual admiration; and Coristine felt that that night's work had
brought to his suit, as an ordinary year's acquaintance could not have
done, the vote and influence of the Squire. The victors gathered up the
spoils of the vanquished, and, by a unanimous vote, handed them over to
the grateful Richards, whom Carruthers and Perrowne warmly thanked for
their timely aid. "It's about time, Squire, we crushed them fellows
out," said father Richards, to which the Squire replied: "If you and
your sons are ready, we'll do it to-morrow as soon as the inquest is
over."
"Boys," asked Richards, "are you fit for a man hunt to-morrer?"
"Fitter'n a fiddle," answered the boys; "then we can go fishin' where we
durn please."
They bade their allies good bye, carrying their spoil with them, and
twelve persons set out for a six-mile tramp home.
"Yeez can march at aise, march aisy, boys," ordered the veteran; and the
party broke up into groups. The woman clung to the Squire, and the boy
to Sylvanus, who had made whittled trifles to amuse him. Mr. Hill
cultivated Timotheus, and formed a high opinion of him. Rufus, of
course, addicted himself to his future father-in-law, the Sesayder. Mr.
Terry thought it his duty to hold out high hopes to Ben in regard to the
rescue of Serlizer; and Perrowne and the lawyer journeyed along like
brothers. There was a light in the post office, and the post-mistress at
the door asked if the doctor had gone home yet, for two wounded men had
sought shelter with her, and told her that one named Harding was lying
down the hill near by. The Squire promised to bring the doctor to the
wounded, and asked his father-in-law and Coristine, as if they were his
nearest friends, to go down and see if they could find the wounded
Harding. They went down and found him, but he was dead, with two of the
Bridesdale kitchen-knives planted in his heart. In part, at least, the
murder of Nash was avenged. They picked the slain assassin up and
carried him to the road, where the post office stood, and deposited the
body in an outbuilding to await the verdict of the morning.
Meanwhile, the dominie was happy; his rival, the parson, his tormentor,
the lawyer, were away, and even that well-meaning Goth, the tired
Captain, was asleep in the guard-room, opposite a half-empty glass of
the beverage in which he indulged so rarely, but which he must have
good. The doctor's lively daughter had left Mrs. Du Plessis to guard the
front of the house, and was talking to her father on his beat, and he
had a suspicion that Mrs. Carmichael was wrapping that cloud again round
the minister's neck. When the battle commenced below, the colonel was
everywhere, directing Maguffin, inspecting the posts, guarding on all
sides against the possibility of the enemy's attack being a mere feint.
All unknown to the rest of the company, Miss Carmichael was up in the
glass-enclosed observatory at the top of the house, without a light,
watching the movements of the hostile ranks beyond the bush, and
inwardly praying for the success of the righteous cause and for the
safety of those she loved. Of course her uncle John was among them, and
the simple-hearted old grandfather of her young cousins, and even, in a
way, Mr. Perrowne, who had behaved bravely, but there was a tall,
unclerical form, which Mr. Terry and the Squire had difficulty in
keeping up with, that her eye followed more closely. Every report of the
lawyer's rifle seemed to press a warm spot on her maiden cheek, and then
make the quick blood suffuse her face, as she thought of the morning and
Mr. Wilkinson. That gentleman was happy on guard at the top of the hill
meadow, for a tall female figure, muffled up slightly as a preventive to
chill from the night dews, came down the path towards his post, eager
for news from the seat of war.
"Be careful, Miss Du Plessis, I beg of you!" implored the dominie;
"heavy firing is going on not far off, and a stray bullet might easily
find its way hither. Permit me to conduct you to a place of safety." So
he led her with grave courtesy within the gate, and placed her on a
garden seat in front of two trees large of bole, and interceptive of
possible missiles. Of course, his own safety was a matter of no moment;
he went out of the gate and to the utmost limit of his watch to gain, by
eye and ear, tidings of the progress of the skirmish, which he returned
every minute or two to report to the anxious young lady. Thus it was
that, when the colonel came to inspect the posts, he found two sentinels
at each, pertaining to different sexes. Returning to his sister-in-law
on the verandah, he explained to that lady the peculiar difficulty of
his position.
"You see, my deah sistah, that this is altogetheh contyahy to militahy
discipline, and I ought to ordeh all undeh ahhest, but, were I to do so,
madam, where would my sentinels come from?" Miss Du Plessis perceived
the difficulty, as she handled the colonel's silver-mounted revolver,
with an air of old practice; and proceeded to ask what her
brother-in-law knew of the young gentleman who was furnishing Cecile
with information of the fight. Thereupon the colonel launched out into a
panegyric of the dominie's noble qualities, imputing to him all that
Coristine had done on his behalf, and a chivalrous Southern exaggeration
of the school-master's learning and expressions of sympathy. "Marjorie
appears to think more highly of the other pedestrian," remarked Mrs. Du
Plessis, to which Colonel Morton replied that Mr. Coristine was indeed a
handsome and excellent young man, but lacked the correct bearing and
dignified courtesy of his friend, and, he should judge, was much his
inferior in point of education. When the tide of battle rolled away to
the right, altogether out of sight and almost out of hearing, the double
sentries were still at their posts, no doubt conversing with all
propriety, but of what, they only individually knew. Even Miss Halbert
did not confide to others the substance of a favourable criticism on Mr.
Perrowne to which she treated her worthy father.
It was between one and two in the morning when the victorious army
returned, and was received with open arms, literally in the case of the
Squire and the veteran, and of Mr. Hill and Rufus in the kitchen,
metaphorically in that of the remaining combatants. Mr. Carruthers
released the doctor, and took him to visit the wounded at the post
office. The minister and the dominie were also relieved, and Mr. Hill
and the Sesayder, at their own request, put in their vacant places;
while Maguffin dismounted, and, being armed with a gun and set in the
doctor's post, constituted a guardian trio with his late captors. Of
course, the warriors and past sentries had to eat and drink in guard
room and kitchen, the latter apartment being more hilarious than it
would have been had the seniors on duty formed part of its company.
There was no old Bourbon for the colonel, but he managed to find a fair
substitute for it, and informed Coristine, in answer to that gentleman's
enquiry, how he happened to arrive so speedily at Bridesdale.
"It was Satuhday, suh, when my sehvant and I ahhived in Tohonto, and I
met my deah sisteh in-law. At once, I sent Maguffin back by rail with
the hohses to Collingwood, giving them Sunday to recoveh from the
effects of the jouhney, tyavel by rail being vehy hahd on hohses. This
mohning, or, ratheh I should say yestehday mohning, Madame Du Plessis
and I went to Collingwood by rail, where my sehvant had secuhed her two
places in the mail caht, and I had the honouh of escohting her to this
pleasant place, and of beholding my chahming niece for the fihst time. I
was indeed vehy fohtunate in ahhiving when I did, to be able to
contribute a little to the secuhity of Bridesdale."
"You are doubtless aware, Colonel, that our enemies of to-night are in
unlawful possession of Miss Du Plessis' property?"
"Suh, you astonish me. As her natuhal guahdian, I cannot, though in a
foheign land, allow that foh a day, suh."
"We think, at least Squire Carruthers thinks, of attacking them in
force, after the double inquest to-morrow."
"Then, Mr. Cohistine, I shall claim the privilege of joining yoah fohce
as a volunteeh. I wish the ground were fit foh cavalhy manoeuvehs, suh."
"We may need a few mounted men, as we hope to discover a masked road."
"That is vehy intehesting, suh. Will you kindly explain to me the
chahacteh of the ground?"
The lawyer told all that he knew of the region, from hearsay and from
personal experience. The supposed masked road, the actual rocky ascent
covered with felled timber, an abatis, as the colonel called it, the
access by water, and the portcullis at the narrows, were objects of
great interest to the old soldier. He enquired as to the extent of the
means of transportation, the probable numbers of the available force,
and other particulars; and, when the weary Squire returned and bade all
good people go to rest, if they could not sleep, in view of past
wakefulness and the morrow's work, he begged, as a perfectly fresh man,
to be excused and left in command of the guard, adding: "I shall study
out a thyeefold convehging attack on the enemy's position, by wateh and
by land, with cavalhy, infantry and mahines." The guard-room company
joined in a laugh at the military joke, after which they dispersed, with
the exception of the Captain, whom it was a pity to disturb, and
Carruthers, who lay down upon a sofa, while the colonel went out to
inspect his posts.
The pedestrians occupied a large, double-bedded room at the right corner
of the house, above the verandah. The dominie was sleeping peacefully,
but the lawyer had not even removed his clothes, with the exception of
his boots, if they may be so called, as he lay down upon his bed to
rest, with a window half open in front of him. Precisely at the moment
when, the night before, he had discovered the incipient conflagration,
there came to his nostrils the smell of unctuous fire. Pocketing his
loaded revolver, he stepped out of the window on to the sloping verandah
roof, off which, in spite of his efforts, he slid heavily to the ground.
At once he was seized with no gentle hands by at least three persons,
who turned out to be Mr. Hill, the colonel, and Maguffin. "Catch that
boy," he cried, as soon as they perceived their mistake, referring to a
juvenile figure that he had seen slipping back towards the meadow.
Sentry Hislop would probably have caught him, but there was no
necessity. The idiot boy was in the arms of his wakeful mother, who,
thinking he was going to Rawdon's quarters, as he probably was,
intercepted him, saying: "Not back there, Monty, no, no, never again!"
So deeply had his unnatural father, with brutal threats, impressed the
lesson of incendiarism upon the lad that, all mechanically, he had
repeated the attempt of the previous night. Fortunately for Coristine's
hands, there was a garden rake at hand to draw out from under the
verandah two kitchen towels, well steeped in coal oil, the fierce flame
from which had already charred three or four planks of the floor. Two
pails of water relieved all apprehensions; but the Squire awoke Sylvanus
and ordered him to take Monty into his room, and, with his companions,
be responsible for his safe keeping. Then, turning to the lawyer, and
laying a friendly hand on his shoulder, he said: "If ye canna sleep, ye
had better come in and tak' the Captain's chair; he's awa til 's bed,
puir man." So Coristine entered the porch, and, as he did so, heard a
voice above say: "No, Cecile, it is not your hero; it is mine again."
"What are thae lassies gabbin' aboot at this time o' nicht?" said the
Squire, harder of hearing. "Gang awa to the land o' Nod, and dinna spoil
your beauty sleep, young leddies." The apostrophized damsels laughed
lightly, whispered a few more confidences, and then relapsed into
silence. John Carruthers had a high opinion of his niece, and said some
very nice things about her, but, so far short did they fall of the
lawyer's standard of appreciation, that he regarded them almost as
desecrations. Still, it was very pleasant to be on such friendly terms
with the Squire of the neighbourhood, the master of hospitable
Bridesdale; and Miss Carmichael's uncle. "A splendid honest fellow," he
said to himself, "as good every bit as Wilks' foreign aristocracy!" From
time to time the colonel looked in upon the pair, and remarked that the
contents of the Squire's decanter pleased him as well as Bourbon or
Monongahela.
When daylight came, the weary sentries were dismissed to the kitchen,
where, under Tryphena's direction, the insane woman took much pleasure
in providing for their creature comforts. The restraints upon Mr.
Maguffin's eloquence being removed, it flowed in a grandiloquent stream.
"Lave the cratur to me, Annerew," whispered Mr. Hill; "lave the nagur to
me, and if I don't flummix and flabbergast his consayted voccabuelary, I
was never a taycher." Then, turning to the coloured gentleman, he
remarked in an incidental sort of way: "Were you ever in the company of
deipnosophists before, Mr. Magoffin, deipnosophists mind! enjoyin' a
gastromical repast?"
Mr. Maguffin's eyes expanded, and his jaw dropped.
"Yoh's got the devantidge ob yoh 'umble sarvant, Mistah Hill."
"It's not possible that a gentleman of your larnin' is ignorant of such
simple, aisy polysyllables as them?"
"I'se afeard yoh's got me this time, sah."
"It stands to raison that there's limits to everybody's voccabuelary,
onless it's a great scholard like Mr. Wilkinson; but I thought, perhaps,
it was for a school taycher you would be settin' up?"
"Oh my! no, Mistah Hill, my edurecation was passimoniously insurficient.
Most all my bettah class language I'se acquied fom clugymen ob de Baktis
pussuasion."
"And they never tayched ye deipnosophist nor gastromical?"
"No, sah, they didn't, I'se humblerated ter confess."
The old schoolmaster looked at Mr. Hislop with a serious expression of
mingled incredulity and commiseration, saying: "Such ignerance, Annerew,
such ignerance!"; and somehow Mr. Maguffin did not see his way to
gathering up the broken threads of conversation.
Timotheus was despatched by the Squire to summon a brother J.P., and the
township constable, in order that immediate action against known
criminal parties might be taken, as well as to notify the farmers
adjacent that they were expected to sit in a coroner's jury. Having made
all necessary legal arrangements, the Squire returned to the colonel,
who, from a memorandum before him, sketched the plan of campaign. He
proposed to put the five Richards as marines under the command of the
Captain to break down the grating between the third and fourth lakes,
and push on to attack the enemy from that side. He wanted four mounted
men armed with revolvers, and with stout sticks in lieu of swords,
fearless horsemen whom he could lead through swamp or over obstacles to
hold the masked road. The remaining body under the Squire, he thought,
might follow the track of the fugitives of the night, and constitute the
main besieging force. As to those who should perform the respective
duties, apart from the persons named, the Squire suggested waiting till
the inquests--which would bring some additions to the local
population--were over. He hoped much from his fellow justice of the
peace, Mr. Walker. Tom Rigby, an old pensioner, and the township
constable, would probably have his hands full looking after the
prisoners. Fortunately, the post office store of ammunition was not yet
exhausted, to say nothing of that contained in various flasks and shot
belts, and in the shape of cartridges. The colonel, apropos of warlike
weapons, bemoaned the absence of bayonets, and warmly advocated a
proposition of the lawyer's, that each combatant should carry, slung
over the shoulder or in such way as not to interfere with the handling
of his gun, a strong stick like those proposed by the commander-in-chief
for his cavalry. Toner and Rufus were immediately roused from their
slumbers, and sent to cut the requisite bludgeons, and drill them with
holes to pass a cord through. Shortly after they had departed on their
errand, the household awoke to life and activity, and, through casually
opened doors, there came the gratifying odours of breakfast in
preparation.