until Monday, I made inquiries of the landlord as to the route I
was to take, and the nature of the roads between H---- and the town
of N----, which I desired to visit. My host, a shrewd, bright-eyed
little man of forty, and a former resident of New Hampshire, lowered
his brows, and assumed a dubious look as he listened to me; and, on
my asking for an explanation of this change of countenance, informed
me that, had I money of any amount about my person, I had better look
to the availability of my pistols, and pay particular attention to
the company I might fall in with; for, within the past two years,
a number of travellers had been relieved of their possessions, and
two of them murdered on the roads I should be under the necessity of
passing over. The country being sparsely settled, the officers of the
law had been unable to trace the perpetrators of these acts of felony.
I listened to these details with much uneasiness, for, on leaving
Boston, I had, by an acquaintance, been intrusted with a package of
three hundred dollars, to deliver to Judge Perry, of N----, to meet
some payments becoming due on a purchase of pine lands; in addition,
I had upon my person some means of my own, the loss of which would
indeed be a calamity of a serious nature, as I was too far away from
friends to avail myself of their good services. I assumed an air of
ease, however, which I was far from feeling, and left my loquacious
friend, laughing defiance at all the dangers of the way. I had been
unable to obtain a conveyance at anything like a reasonable rate;
therefore, as the weather was so charming, had determined to undertake
the journey of seventy miles on foot, trusting to obtain a ride from
such travellers I might chance now and then to meet going westward.
For two days, I pressed cheerfully forward, being kindly welcomed to
a supper and bed in the cabin of the settlers. The roads were rough,
and at places illy defined, and I was often at fault as to my route;
this, and want of practice as a pedestrian, made my progress slow.
As the evening of the third day drew near, I judged I must still be
some twenty or twenty-five miles from my destination. I was ascending
a hill over the worst road that I had yet encountered. The dwarf pine
clothed the whole declivity, and rendered the approaching night more
gloomy than it would have been in the more open country. I was greatly
fatigued from my long day's walk, and, coming to a large boulder that
had evidently rolled from the higher ground above, I seated myself
to gain strength, and lifted my hat to let the wind cool my heated
forehead. Down, far away to my right, I could hear the gurgling and
splashing of a torrent, while the sough of the breeze among the pines
made a weird music that added somewhat to a depression that had been,
for the last hour, gradually stealing over me. The romantic visions
I had formerly entertained of nature in her solitary moments had
all departed, and I longed for the companionship of man. Some five
miles back, I had been at fault as to my route; but, trusting to good
fortune, had taken the road I was now upon. As I sat meditating, I all
at once recollected that I had been cautioned, by a man of whom I had
inquired, against taking the way that led to the hills; for, by so
doing, I should go astray. Undecided as to whether it would be better
to retrace my steps, or go on, in hopes of finding a lodging for the
night, I had arisen, and was hesitating which way I should turn, when
I heard the tramp of horses' hoofs, and down, from the higher ground
on my left, rode two men.
"The obscurity had become so great while I had lingered, that I could
form but an indefinite idea as to their characteristics. The foremost,
mounted on a dark-bay horse, was slightly built, and evidently young.
His felt hat was so slouched over his face that all I could note was,
that he wore beard and mustache long, both of intense blackness.
"His companion was a much more powerful man, and sat upon the
roan mare he bestrode in a careless manner; his face, also, was
hidden by an equal amount of hair, and, in addition, warm as was
the weather, his neck was muffled in a large woollen comforter. My
presence evidently took them by surprise, for they abruptly checked
their horses, and the younger man pulled sharply upon the bridle,
half-turning his steed, and seemed about to retrace the way he had
come, without greeting me. He, however, recovered his self-possession,
and with a 'Good-evening, stranger,' continued on until he was at my
side. I was truly thankful at this encounter, for I felt my doubts as
to my movements would now be solved. In a few words, I stated that
I had wandered from the road I should have taken, and asked their
assistance to set me right. The younger man seemed to labor under
restraint, and spoke but little; the other, however, offered to show
me the way, and stated they were going in the direction I desired to
pursue. They spoke in a manner and used language that convinced me
they were men of superior culture from those one might expect to
meet in the wild and sparsely settled district in which I was now
travelling.
"'We have no time to spare, if we would get out of these pine-lands
and beyond the river-ford before the darkness becomes troublesome,'
said the larger man, as he urged his horse to a quick walk along the
road up the hill. 'You had best follow me, while my companion can
bring up the rear.'
"Without hesitation, I acted upon his suggestion, as I was anxious to
reach a place of rest. 'You should consider yourself highly honored
to be so escorted and guarded from the dangers of the road,' said
my guide, as he half-turned in his saddle, with what I then thought
a jocular, but have since recalled as a sinister, laugh. 'Have you
any valuable property about you, that you can feel grateful for the
convoy?' Without a thought of the wisdom of silence on this point, I
answered: 'More than I should care or can afford to lose, for I am
a thousand miles from home, and among strangers.' The next moment
I felt as if I could have bitten out my tongue for its imprudence;
for flashing upon me came the remembrance of the landlord's tales
of robbery and violence. We had turned from the main road to the
right, into a narrower track, and were descending the hill toward
the river, as I judged; for each moment the noise of its waters were
more audible. In a brief time after my last remark, I felt that the
horseman behind me was pressing closer than was needful, and I partly
stepped from the path, intending to let him pass; for I instinctively
felt I would rather have them both in front. As I did so, I almost
unconsciously placed my hand upon my revolver. The younger man stooped
from his saddle as he came abreast of me, and, speaking in a cold,
hard tone, exclaimed, 'My good fellow, we will take charge of your
watch and money.' He leaned forward as he spoke, as if to grasp my
collar. At the same moment he who rode in front leaped to the ground,
and turned toward me. I saw my danger in an instant, and, quickly
drawing my pistol, fired at the head of my nearest foe. The flash
of the powder gave me a more distinct view of his face than I had
yet had. As he recoiled from me, I noticed a peculiar droop of the
left eyelid, and heard the expression, 'My God, I am hit!' At the
same moment a crushing blow descended upon my skull, and a thousand
stars seemed falling around me, and all was blackness. My return to
consciousness was occasioned by a sudden contact with cold water, and
I awoke to find myself struggling in the midst of a rushing torrent.
Instinctively I grasped at a support, comprehending my situation in
an instant. I had been hurled by my assailants into the stream we had
been approaching, and they undoubtedly supposed that I was beyond
the chance of recovery. The moon was not yet up, and I could discern
nothing except the general outlines of the banks of the stream, which,
rising high on each side, showed me I was at the bottom of a ravine.
It was many minutes ere my efforts were crowned with any degree of
success; at last, as I was hurled along, my hands came in contact
with the drooping bough of a tree, and, weak as I was from the blow
I had received and the benumbing effect of my immersion in the icy
current, the principle of self-preservation enabled me to put forth
almost superhuman strength, and to retain my hold on this anchor of
hope.
"After many abortive attempts, I succeeded in dragging myself up, as
it were out of the jaws of death, upon the rocks which composed the
banks of the stream. As soon as I felt I was safe from the danger of
a watery grave, my strength left me, and I fell back almost utterly
devoid of life. My head felt as if a thousand triphammers were at
work upon it; a deadly sickness came over me, and I found that I was
relapsing into insensibility. By a great effort, however, I overcame
this lethargy, and crawled on my hands and knees up over the piled-up
rocks and bare roots of trees, until I found myself upon the soft moss
and dead leaves beyond. Here I lay for a long time, slowly recovering.
On an examination of my person, I found my watch and purse gone, as
well as the money-belt containing the three hundred dollars in gold
with which I had been intrusted. But what I felt to be a more severe
loss than all else was a valuable diamond ring, that had once been
my dead mother's, and given to me by her in her last illness. Some
hundred and fifty dollars in bank-bills and a letter of introduction
to Judge P----, placed two days before in one of my boots, had escaped
the search of the highwaymen. None of my bones were broken; but a
frightful swelling upon my head proved the force of the blow dealt
me, evidently from the loaded handle of a riding-whip. The pain was
intense, and, not knowing how serious might be the injury I had
received, I determined to seek some shelter while I was yet able to do
so. I cannot describe the agony I endured in the next three or four
hours. Though weak and suffering, I succeeded in finding by accident
a narrow by-path, or trail, leading through the forest, and continued
on, shivering with cold, and frequently obliged to throw myself upon
the ground, in order to gain strength and rally my wandering senses.
The moon came up, and my knowledge of the time of its rising proved
to me that I must have been insensible and in the hands of the two
ruffians for at least two hours. I was now in a level country once
more, having left the hills behind me, and, as the moon rose higher in
the heavens, I could distinguish my surroundings without difficulty.
I stumbled along the path I was treading, faint and ill, and at last,
as I began to think I could go no further, came to a clearing, and,
at my left, beheld a rough log-house among the charred stumps of the
trees. I reached the door, and, after many efforts, awakened the
sleepy inmates. A good-natured face greeted my sight, as a bushy head
was protruded from a narrow window at my right, and a kindly voice
asked, 'What is wanted?' Each instant growing fainter, I was hardly
able to articulate; and, before I could explain my position, I sank
insensible upon the threshold. When I say that it is almost three
weeks since that occurrence, and that from then until now I have
not been in the open air, you will understand how desperate was the
illness that followed. My honest host and his good wife have watched
over me as if I had been a son instead of a stranger; and to their
tender nursing I owe my recovery, for no physician has seen me. Far
away from any settlement, upon one of the least frequented cross-roads
in the wild section in which they dwell, sometimes weeks would elapse
without a wayfarer passing their humble abode. Now, once more, I am
able to arise and sit in the sunshine; and I hope soon to be in a
condition to seek out the authors of my sufferings. As I have lain on
my bed, too weak to move, I have thought much, and, strange as it may
appear, I feel an innate conviction that I shall not only discover the
two men who endeavored to murder me, but that I shall also recover
the property I have lost. The reason that I entertain this opinion is
this: The very fact of my long insensibility after the blow upon my
head, and the subsequent disposal of my body by casting it into the
mountain torrent, all go to confirm me in my belief that they thought
me dead. Consequently, having no fear of my reappearance, they will
not seek to conceal themselves, or seek refuge from detection by
flight. The old lady (whom I have found a great gossip), I presume,
thinks it a 'God-send' my being here; for she can now give vent to her
loquacity; and, were it not that this letter was already frightfully
long, I would quote some of her decidedly original remarks for your
entertainment. I accounted for the plight I was in by stating that I
had missed my footing in the darkness, and fallen into the stream,
striking my head upon a projecting rock as I descended. At night when
my host has returned from his labor, I have gleaned from him a full
description of the country for miles around, and find that I can reach
N---- in a day's ride, and that it is one of the most noteworthy
places this side of Detroit. As soon as I dare, I shall proceed there,
and my next letter will undoubtedly be mailed from that point. I shall
not tell you that I wish I had remained in Boston; for to do so would
be useless and foolish. I am now desirous of going forward to the
accomplishment of the object I first had in view when I left you, but
shall remain, however, in this part of the country, both to regain my
health and strength, and to seek out and punish my assailants." #/
/# "MY DEAR W----: When I finished my last epistle, I little thought
I should allow six weeks to elapse before I again took up the thread
of my story; but, my mind and time have been so fully occupied, that
I must crave your indulgence. It is now the latter part of July, and
as you know, at this season of the year one does not feel disposed to
be loquacious. That you may fully comprehend my position, however, I
must be somewhat more minute in my descriptions than I could wish to
be. The sun was near its setting on as lovely a day as I have ever
seen, when I approached the house of which I am still an inmate. The
kind-hearted man who had given me shelter and care during my illness,
brought me to the village of N----, and seemed to regret parting
from me. I walked up the pretty street towards a large, white house
standing upon an eminence at its termination, which had been pointed
out to me as the residence of Judge Perry. As I paused at a gate
leading into the finely-kept grounds, I could, without an effort of
the imagination, fancy that I was once more in dear New England, for
all evidence of newness seemed to have been obliterated. I turned
and looked back upon the scene; the cottages quietly nestling amid
a multitude of shade-trees, now clothed in their loveliest garments
of green; far away the encircling hills, and, a little to my left, a
pretty stream creeping down the valley, its waters turned to molten
silver by the glance of the sinking sun. While lost in revery I
had not noticed the approach of an elderly gentleman, who now came
forward, and placed his hand upon the latch of the gate at which I
was standing, at the same time greeting me with the remark of 'A
delightful ending to as beautiful a day as one need wish for.' I
responded, eulogizing both the weather and scenery. Whilst speaking, I
took cognizance of my companion, and felt sure, from the descriptions
I had received, that I was addressing the owner of the residence;
and he, in answer to my inquiry, answered in the affirmative, and
said, 'You are Mr. James H---, I presume. I have been expecting you
for some time, having received a letter from my friend in Boston,
advising me of your intention of visiting me. I heartily welcome you,
and trust that on further acquaintance we shall be mutually pleased
with each other; but I am keeping you here at the gate, when I should
show you truer hospitality by inviting you within.' I accepted his
courtesy and was soon in a pleasant bed-chamber, where I made such
a toilet as my limited means afforded. As I descended the stairs in
response to the summons of the supper-bell, I felt the awkwardness
of my position; placed as I was, without a suitable wardrobe, in a
family of such evident social standing. Trusting soon to remedy this
deficiency, I entered a large apartment at the left, and found my
entertainer ready to lead me to the supper-room. I made some excuses
as to my appearance, which he turned off with a jest, and, opening
a door, ushered me to the well-spread table. As we came forward, a
young lady arose from beside an open window, where she had evidently
been awaiting us, and I was introduced to my entertainer's only
daughter. You have frequently bantered me on my stoical indifference
to female beauty. And now, when I tell you that she whose hand I
took was one of the most lovely of women, you will not have occasion
to make allowance for undue enthusiasm. I shall not here attempt to
describe her, further than to say, she was a blonde, with glorious
eyes and a wonderful wealth of hair. Her voice was music itself,
and her every movement denoted the grace of a well-bred lady. As
we seated ourselves at the table, I regained my self-possession,
which had been disturbed at this unexpected vision of loveliness. We
chatted cheerfully as we partook of the tea and toast, and I soon
felt as if with friends of long standing. When the repast ended, the
daughter lovingly placed her hand on her father's arm to detain him,
and my eyes encountered upon it a jewelled ring that flashed like a
thing of life in the lamplight. Could I be dreaming? For an instant
my brain whirled and I grew giddy, for I had discovered that which
I so much prized, and had lost,--the last gift of my dead mother.
This ring, from the peculiarity of its construction, and the antique
setting of the stones, I could not mistake, and yet I could in no
wise account for what I saw. One glance at that lovely face, whose
every line spoke of innocence, was enough to drive away all suspicions
as to her complicity with the men who had sought my life. I cannot
detail to you the incidents of that evening; for, short as has been
the time since, I have forgotten them. I was as one in a maze, and
talked mechanically, and only awoke to a recollection of what courtesy
demanded, when Judge Perry remarked 'that as I was evidently much
fatigued, and not yet in my usual health, they would allow me to
retire.' I sat at my chamber window gazing out on the moonlit valley
until long after midnight, but I could illy appreciate the beauty of
the scene. I was seeking to arrange some plan of action by which I
might trace up this first clew to a discovery I now felt most certain.
At last, wearied with fruitless thought, I determined to await the
course of events, and to trust to time for additional light.
"The next few days were agreeably occupied in forming a more intimate
acquaintance with Helen Perry and her father. I put forth what powers
of pleasing nature has endowed me with, and my success seemed complete.
Ere long I was on such terms of friendship with them as I desired;
and then I learned from Helen that she had lost her mother many years
before,--soon after their emigration from Eastern New York to their
present home. I had thus far passed the time each day until two or
three o'clock with the judge in his office, after which I wandered
with Helen in the tasteful grounds surrounding her home, or upon the
low-lying hills beyond. Her education had not been neglected, and her
reading had been extensive. Thus we could converse upon the merits of
the literature of the day, and in such topics discovered we had kindred
tastes. She was ever frank and cheerful; and, short as had been our
acquaintance, my heart was beginning to beat faster at her approach,
and each morning, as I awoke, I looked eagerly forward to the hour that
would find her disengaged from household duties, and with leisure to
devote to me.
"Once or twice the judge spoke of an absent friend, a Doctor Wentworth,
in a manner which caused me some uneasiness; for, as he did so, he
cast upon Helen a good-natured, sly glance that meant much, and always
produced a blush upon her sweet face. It was after dinner on Tuesday,
that we came out upon the lawn to inspect a rose-bush, which Helen
wished transplanted, when her father remarked,--
"'By the way, my dear, I received a letter from Edward this morning,
and he tells me he shall be here to-day; so, as in duty bound, and like
an ardent lover, I presume he will at once fly to you. I should advise
that you forego your accustomed ramble, and remain at home to welcome
him. I have no doubt our guest will be pleased for one day to escape
the task of following you as an escort.'
"By the terrible sinking of my heart that these words occasioned, I
knew in an instant that I loved her; and, half-glancing at her as I
turned away (with difficulty hiding my emotion), thought I saw the
bright flush upon her animated face dying away, and a deadly pallor
taking its place. I dared not remain and listen to her reply, and
therefore wandered on past the summerhouse in which I had passed so
many pleasant hours with her, until my steps were stayed upon the
bank of the stream whose waters had now no music to my ears. I had
heretofore been unconscious of the hopes that had gained access to my
heart. Day by day I had, as it were, allowed my purposes to slumber.
Her charms had bound me a willing captive, and all unwittingly I had
cast aside thoughts of the future, and forgotten that the life of
inaction in which I was indulging could not last. I had found ample joy
and occupation in watching the play of her expressive features, and in
listening to the words that came from her lips. After my first few
hours of astonishment and wonder at the discovery of my stolen ring
upon her hand, I had ceased, even when alone, to dwell upon the mystery
connected with it. Now I was brought back to a remembrance of all I had
vowed to do as I lay ill and suffering in the rude log cabin of the
settler. It was long before my calmness returned, and my heart ceased
to beat wildly. The afternoon had waned as I turned back towards the
house and friends I had so abruptly left. It was in a more collected
frame of mind that I ascended the steps, and entered the parlor. I am
sure that, on encountering those there assembled, not the quiver of a
muscle betrayed the agitation I felt. Helen was half-reclining upon
a sofa, and leaning upon its back was the form of a tall and rather
slightly-built man. She started up as I entered. Could it be that a
brighter light beamed in her eyes as they encountered mine? I knew not,
for the judge, who was seated near, was prompt to rise also, and said,--
"'Mr. Palmer, we are glad of your return. Both Helen and myself were
beginning to fear you had been spirited away. Allow me to make you
acquainted with Doctor Wentworth. Doctor Wentworth, Mr. Palmer, our
guest. I trust that you will learn to value the hour that brings you
together.'
"I looked the physician full in the face, as I took his hand. The sun,
streaming in through the western windows, fell full upon his features,
bringing out every line in a marvellous manner, and distinctly exposing
their play, as he acknowledged my greeting. The countenance was one to
attract the attention, and yet not pleasant to look upon. His forehead
was high and fair; hair and mustache black as night, chin smoothly
shaven and dimpled, and yet the eye repelled me. As I looked at him,
I had an unaccountable impression that we had met before, but I could
not tell where, or why it seemed as if the circumstances attending
it had been of a disagreeable nature. As, after the first words of
conversational politeness, he turned to Helen, I had a few moments
for reflection, and suddenly flashed upon me the recollection of the
scene in the wood,--the man leaning from his horse to grasp my collar,
the tones of his voice, the momentary glance I had of his face as I
fired my pistol at him, and the peculiar droop of his right eye that I
had noticed. Could it be possible? Had I gained one more clew to the
mystery? Was the man before me the would-be assassin? No! no! I was mad
to indulge such a thought. This physician, the friend of Judge Perry,
a gentleman, and evidently, from the judge's own words, the accepted
suitor of his daughter, could be no vulgar highwayman; and yet, as
he maintained a brisk conversation with Helen, and allowed me full
opportunity for close observation, the more convinced did I become that
he was the man. As she raised her hand, I saw the gleam of the diamond
upon it. At last the chain of evidence for me was complete. What so
natural as that her lover should present this to her? I thanked God
that I was to be made the instrument by which she was to be rescued
from such a marriage. I forgot my own private desire for vengeance.
My love for her--this beautiful and innocent girl--was of so true a
nature, that every other consideration was subordinate to the one for
the furtherance of her welfare. By a powerful effort I controlled my
feelings, and assumed an air of ease that I could not feel.
"The doctor was all animation, and talked at a rapid rate, while I
thought I had never seen Helen so dull. 'By the way, doctor,' remarked
the judge, after we had left the tea-table and entered the parlor,
'have you recovered from the accident you met with a few weeks ago?
Pistol-shots are anything but pleasant reminders, and you had a narrow
escape.' I was gazing directly at him while the judge spoke, and for an
instant, even as a summer breeze would ruffle a placid lake, a frown
gathered upon his brow, and was gone. 'I am as well as I could wish
to be,' was the answer, 'and have almost forgotten the occurrence.'
Pleading a dull headache, I retired to my chamber at an early hour.
I wished to be alone, that I might take counsel with myself as to
the course I ought to pursue, in order to bring this scoundrel and
his associate to justice. The longer I dwelt upon the matter, the
more convinced I became that my proper course was to make the judge
my confidant. He was of years' experience and discretion, and also
a deeply interested party, through his daughter's connection with
Wentworth.
"I slept but little that night, and was in the grounds, when my host
came out for a stroll in the morning air. I knew that it would yet be
an hour before the breakfast-bell would ring; therefore, after speaking
of the beauties of the morning, I took his arm as if for a promenade,
and said, 'If you can spare me some thirty or forty minutes, and will
come where we can by no possibility be overheard, I will tell you
what I know is of vast importance to you.' He looked surprised, but
acceded to my request at once, recommending the arbor already in view
as a desirable place for private conversation. We seated ourselves,
and, with but few preliminary remarks, I gave him a full account of my
adventures since leaving Detroit. He did not once interrupt me; but, as
I proceeded, his face became more and more ashen, until, as I concluded
by denouncing the doctor as one of my assailants, it was as white as
that of a corpse.
"For a minute after I had ceased speaking he remained silent; then,
drawing a long breath, he seemed to regain command over himself, and
said: 'I can but believe all that you have told me, for there are many
circumstances, with which you are evidently unacquainted, that go to
corroborate your story. Can you remember the day of the month upon
which your murder was attempted?'
"'The twenty-second,' I replied.