THE "DARK PASSAGE"--THE THEFT.
On the appointed night, the two ruffians, Bill and Dick, repaired to the
"dark passage," according to arrangement, and with daggers and pistols (the
latter only to be used in case of necessity, as the report of firearms
might lead to detection,) awaited the arrival of their victim. About nine
o'clock, the sound of horses' feet, approaching at a rapid gait, gave them
to understand the hour of their deadly work was at hand. Taking their
stand, one on either side of the road, they silently awaited the horseman's
coming.
It was a dismal place, a low, wet valley, densely shaded and overgrown by
trees, whose thick foliage scarcely admitted a single sunbeam to penetrate
to the earth beneath. This gloomy passage was about half a mile in extent,
and at its dark center the villains had posted themselves. Their plans were
all fully matured, even down to the minute details. They were both to
spring out and seize the horse by the bridle; then, while Bill held the
animal, Dick was to strike the fatal blow to the heart of the rider. Not a
word was to be spoken. As the man entered the passage, his pace was
slackened, and he kept his eye about him, as if in fear of an attack. When
within about a hundred yards of the concealed assassins, Bill whispered to
his companion across the road:
"Now, Dick, make sure work of it; let the first blow tell the tale, while
it silences his tongue!"
"Never fear for me; take care of your own part, and I'll do the same by
mine," was Dick's reply.
In a few seconds, the horseman came abreast of the ambuscaders, both of
whom sprang out at the same moment, and seizing the bridle-reins, checked
the horse so suddenly as to throw him back on his haunches, to the imminent
peril of the rider, who was nearly thrown from his seat. In a moment, the
glittering blade of steel was at his breast. Just then, the moon broke
through a rift in the clouds, and being directly in a line with the road,
shone fully on the group and into the face of the traveler.
"By Jove! it's the wrong man!" exclaimed Dick, as he lowered his blade and
looked at Bill inquiringly.
"So it is!" said Bill; and then, addressing the stranger, continued: "Beg
pardon, sir, for our interruption. We have mistaken you for a notorious
villain, thief, and robber, who was to pass this way to-night, and who, as
the laws are too weak to protect us, we have determined to punish
ourselves. The fact is, these, horse-thieves must be dealt with, and that
speedily, too, or there will be no such thing as safety for our stock. For
our parts, we have resolved to defend our property at all hazards, and
others will have to do the same thing, or keep nothing of their own, for
these thieves are banded together, and they are so numerous, and some of
them so respectable, it is impossible to convict them before a jury; they
swear each other off. Hope you will not think evil of our plans."
"To tell the truth, gentlemen, (for I take you to be gentlemen in
disguise,) there is too much reality in what you say. I fear we shall have
to take the law into our own hands, for these depredators are becoming so
numerous and bold, there is no telling to what length their wickedness may
run. These thieving operations _must_ be stopped, cost what it may; but it
seems to me this is a bad place to commence the work; it looks too much
like secret murder. When I have recourse to the last resort in defense of
my property it will be upon my own promises, and while the villains are in
the act of crime."
"That is doubtless the best method in all ordinary cases; but the rascal
whom we were expecting to pass this way to-night is too cunning to be
caught at his work. He is well known to be guilty, and has more than once
been arrested and tried; but always with the same result; his friends have
sworn him clear; and now, we've sworn he shall go free no longer."
"Well, be careful, and don't kill the wrong man."
"We'll take care. Excuse the manner in which our introduction was made."
"Certainly, gentlemen, certainly; but don't miss your man again."
"We'll not."
"Good night."
"Good night, and a pleasant journey for you."
The man rode on and was soon out of hearing. He was the more easily
deceived as to the character of his assailants, because he knew that the
sentiments they expressed were held almost universally by the honest
portion of the community, and already several thieves had been shot at,
some of whom were known to have been wounded, though not fatally. The
miscreants knew this state of public feeling, and hence their ruse. When
the man was beyond hearing, Bill said, exultingly:
"Didn't I wool the fellow's eyes beautifully?"
"It was well done, Bill, well done--the best job you ever bossed. But say,
do you know the man?"
"No, not from the devil."
"Well, sir, it's 'Squire Williams, sure's I'm a living son of my mother!"
"'Squire Williams?"
"Yes, it is. I've known him ever since I had such hard work to get off from
him; I tell you, when I thought of the trial, I felt mightily like payin'
him off for his advice on that occasion, after I was cleared; but, think's
I, it won't do."
"It's well you come to that conclusion; we don't want over one dead man on
our hands at once. But say, what shall we do?"
"Wait a while longer for that Hadley, and if he don't come, then go to meet
Duffel."
This suggestion was accordingly acted upon. After remaining nearly three
hours longer for their victim, who came not, they repaired to the place of
rendezvous, to report to their employer and superior, and finish up the
other branch of the night's business.
Arrived at the spot, they found Duffel pacing up and down in a state of
impatience and disquietude. So soon as he was cognizant of their presence,
he inquired:
"How now? What has kept you so late? Is all right?"
"If your honor will take breath a moment between the questions, we will
endeavor to answer them," replied Bill.
"Well, proceed. Did you do the job?"
"No, not exactly as laid down in the bill, but--"
"What! did you let him go?"
"Why, no, your honor, we didn't let him go, for the very good reason that
he didn't give us a chance to show him so much mercy."
"How?"
"You see the fellow didn't come himself, but sent a substitute!"
"The deuce, he did! How's that?"
"That's what we can't tell; we only know, that instead of young Hadley, we
came within an ace of killing 'Squire Williams!"
"'Squire Williams!"
"Yes, sir. He came along at the precise hour that should have brought the
other, and it being too dark to distinguish one man from another, or from
old Nick for that matter, we fell on to him, and but for the merest chance
would have finished him."
Here the enactment of the early part of the evening was rehearsed in full.
"It is well you got off so easily, and I must give you credit for your
ingenuity; but I am exceedingly sorry the bird we were after has escaped.
However, as that cannot be helped or amended just now, we will proceed with
the rest of our work."
"What hour of the night is it?"
"About one o'clock; and that reminds me of the fact that we will not have
time to take all the stock to-night; we shall, therefore, confine our
operations to a single item--the taking of Mandeville's horse."
"Mandeville's?"
"Yes; why not?"
"I thought your honor was playing for another stake in that quarter?"
"And if I am?"
"Why, I just thought it was a queer way of gaining the old gentleman's good
will--that thing of taking his horse."
"Not so queer as you might think for."
"Oh! I remember now; excuse me; this Hadley was to be made the scapegoat;
you were to get a horse and have the blame of the theft thrown on a rival,
whose non-appearance should condemn him. I see it all now, though I did not
perceive this delicate undercurrent in the plan of affairs. Lieutenant
Duffel against the world, I say!"
"Silence! Dick, you are familiar with Mr. Mandeville's premises, I
believe?"
"Yes, tolerably so."
"Well, I want you to bring Tom here in about half an hour; and do the job
up nicely, too."
"I'll try, sir."
"You must _do_ it. Be quick; it is going to rain soon, and we must get him
away before the tracks will show; but don't so much as disturb the sleeping
grasshoppers by your noise."
"All right."
"Go now, and be here again in the shortest possible time. Bill and I will
arrange matters for future operations while you are gone."
Dick hastened away to do the bidding of his master, and Duffel communicated
to Bill the following piece of intelligence:
"I was very much in hopes the whole of our plan for to-night would succeed,
though I heard that in the evening which caused me to have misgivings on
the subject. I learned that Hadley received intelligence that his mother
and uncle were both sick and not expected to recover.--They live in
Philadelphia: the uncle, his mother's brother, a bachelor, by the way, with
whom she is living, is reputed wealthy, and, it is said, has willed his
property to young Hadley. The news of these events was brought to him
yesterday, and he made immediate preparations to go east, but did not
expect to get off until this morning. I presume, however, he must have
started yesterday in the after part of the day; but be this as it may, I
wish you and Dick to follow after him, and don't fail to finish him somehow
and somewhere. If you could only manage to get ahead of him and waylay him
at some point in the mountains, it would be the best place for you to do
the deed and conceal the commission of the act."
"Yes, if he should be alone."
"Which will most likely be the case, at least a portion of the time. But
should no such opportunity occur, or should you fail to get beyond him on
the way, you must watch for him in the city; follow him as closely as his
shadow, and in some dark alley, or at some unseasonable hour, put him out
of the way."
"Exactly."
"You understand that this _must_ be done, do you?"
"If Lieutenant Duffel says so."
"Well, I do say so, most emphatically. I am more anxious than ever to have
him settled, since this new phase of affairs has come up."
"I understand; but when are we to start?"
"Early in the morning. We will find out as soon as possible whether he
started yesterday; then you must show yourselves for a little while, as was
before determined; and as soon afterward as possible be off. Be sure to get
on the right track, and don't lose it."
"Never fear on that head. We will follow him as the lion does his prey."
"Well, I leave the matter with you; see that you acquit yourself as a good
soldier. Give Dick such instruction as may be needed.--Here he comes."
Dick rode up on the horse he had stolen, and they all immediately repaired
to the swamp, where the scheme of villainy had been planned, in the middle
of which the horse was concealed for the present, as they were unable to
take him further then without incurring great risk of detection.
The next morning after mingling awhile with the indignant crowd of
citizens, who were collected together on hearing of the theft, and pouring
out invectives on the "villain of a thief" in no measured quantity, the two
ruffians, Bill and Dick, set out on their errand of death? Learning that
Hadley had started the previous afternoon, they followed after him on two
of the fleetest horses in the possession of the clan.
It might be well enough to remark, that in those early days most of the
traveling was done on foot or on horseback.