On the evening of the second day of their pursuit, Dick and Bill found
themselves in the immediate presence of their victim, they having reached
the same inn at which he had already put up for the night. The meeting was
unexpected to them, and at first they feared it might frustrate their
designs; but as they had taken the precaution to throw off their usual
habiliments and character, and to assume the dress and address of
gentlemen, Hadley did not recognize them, though the impression fastened
itself on his mind, that he must have seen them and heard their voices
before, but where and when he could not remember.
The villains, from his musing manner, half suspected that he was trying to
call to mind who they were, and one remarked to the other that they had
better go out and see after their horses; but it was more for the purpose
of consulting about the affair they had in hand than for the good of their
beasts, that they wished to leave the house. When assured that they were
beyond hearing distance, said Bill to Dick:
"Well, we have treed the game at any rate."
"Yes, but I don't see as it signifies much if we have, for we can't keep
him treed, nor bring him down neither, in this place."
"But we know where he is, and that is something."
"I take it, it's but little. What can we do with him?"
"Why, we can get ahead of him and select our place for the next meeting,
and then--"
"How do you know that? We can't tell which road he will take."
"We'll find out, though."
"How?"
"By asking him."
"And exciting his suspicions. Yes, a pretty way of doing, certain."
"Never do you mind; leave that to me; and if we don't know all we want to
know by morning, you may call Bill Mitchel a fool; and the fellow won't
suspect anything, either."
"Well, go ahead, but don't make a fool of yourself, nor spoil the job we
have in hand, neither."
"I'll take care for that; only you be cautious, and don't say too much, and
when you do speak, throw off your rough manners and talk and act like a
gentleman. I am afraid you will forget yourself, and instead of being Mr.
Richard, will act the part of ruffian Dick."
"Never do you fear; 'ruffian Dick' knows what he's about, and you'll see
how handsomely he can act 'Mr. Richard' to-night."
"Very well."
With this understanding between them, they returned to the inn, which, by
the way, was a very primitive establishment, not only in construction, but
also in the character of the entertainment.
Bill worked his card so as to draw Hadley into conversation, and
incidentally, but designedly, remarked that they (himself and his
companion) had passed through C---- two days before.
"Indeed!" said Hadley; "I am well acquainted in C----. Did you hear any
news there?"
"Well, no, not in C----, but a little way beyond the town a horse had been
stolen the night previous, which caused considerable excitement in the
neighborhood."
"How far beyond was it?"
"About five or six miles, I should think."
"Did you learn any of the particulars?"
"Why, yes, pretty much all of them, I think."
"I know pretty much everybody in that region, and it may be that it was
some of my friends from whom the horse was stolen. What was the owner's
name, if you heard it?"
"Mandeville, I think; yes, Mandeville."
"Mandeville! I know him well. Has he any idea who took the horse?"
"I think he _suspects_ some one for the theft--a young man that had been in
the neighborhood, but disappeared the same night of the theft, and no one
knew where he had gone."
"In the neighborhood," repeated Hadley, musingly, as if thinking aloud. "It
must have been the stranger; and yet I thought he was gone some time ago."
"I don't think it was a stranger; they told us his name, but I do not know
whether I can call it to mind or not. Let me see, I think it was Hardy or
Hartly, or some such name."
At this juncture, Dick caught Bill's eye, and gave him a look, as much as
to say: "What the d----l do you mean?--Are you going to excite his
suspicions and send him back home to clear himself from imputation?" And
Bill as plainly replied by looks: "Never do you mind. I'll fix it up
right."
While these magnetic looks were exchanged between the murderous reprobates,
Hadley was engaged in trying to think if there was anybody by either of the
names mentioned in the vicinity where Mandeville lived, but he could
remember no one. All at once the thought struck him that he himself might
be the person accused, and the bare idea that such _might_ be the case sent
the blood to his heart and a cold shudder through his frame.--He was pale
as marble, for a moment, and the rascals saw it. Mastering his emotions, he
inquired calmly:
"The name you heard wasn't _Hadley_, was it?"
"No, that wasn't it. I heard his name mentioned, but they said he had
started for Philadelphia the day before the theft."
At this announcement, in spite of himself, Hadley drew a sigh of relief,
and as he did so Bill gave Dick a knowing look. Hadley replied:
"Perhaps the name was Huntly?"
"That's it!" said Bill; "that's the name; I remember it now."
"I should hardly have thought him capable of such a crime."
"Just what the people said, exactly."
"And to take advantage of the sickness of Mandeville's daughter, at that; I
can hardly believe it of him."
"You talk precisely as his neighbors talked."
"I do not believe he is guilty; no, I am sure he is not. There are others I
would suspect a thousand times of such an act before I would him."
"Well, I am sure I can't tell as to that. But, to change the subject, may I
be so bold as to inquire which way you are traveling?"
"Certainly, sir; I am on my way to Philadelphia."
"I was in hopes you were going the same way as ourselves; perhaps you are;
we are bound for Wheeling, Virginia.--Do you go that way?"
"No, I go by way of Pittsburgh."
"Do you tarry long at Pittsburgh? We may have to go there before we
return."
"No sir. My mother is very sick at her brother's house in Philadelphia, and
I shall hasten to her with all dispatch."
"Then, I perceive, we shall have to part company."
"I am sorry for that, as I should be pleased to have companionship on my
lonely journey."
Having found out all that concerned his purpose, Bill changed the
conversation, and all of them being fatigued with hard riding throughout
the day, the three soon retired for the night. Bill and Dick roomed
together, and when alone the former said:
"Didn't I do it up about the right way, Dick?"
"Better than I expected; but, ---- me, if I didn't think you'd got on the
wrong track once."
"I knew what I was at all the time; but I saw you were scared."
"Well, what's to be done next?"
"We must get ahead of him, and do the thing up while he is crossing the
mountains, as Lieutenant Duffel suggested, and as I told you before."
"We can do that easy enough; but what do you think; shan't we make Duffel
side with us in the Duval affair for putting us to so much trouble?"
"Yes, and that is one reason why I wish to get through with this job as
soon as possible. We must get back in time for the League meeting somehow."
"We'll have to ride like the d----l, then; for the meeting is on Friday
night week."
"Well, we must be there if it is next Friday night, and we must finish our
work before we go."
"I'm with you."
"And then, if Duffel don't assist us to fix Duval, or at least, if he don't
let us have our own way in the matter, we will raise Hadley's ghost before
his eyes, and threaten to 'blow' on him."
"He'll do it."
"He shall do it."
"Well, as that's settled, let's go to sleep."
"Yes, for we have a hard day's ride before us to-morrow."
* * * * *
The shades of evening were gathering over the rugged steeps and deep dells
of the Alleghanies, as two horsemen, leaving the summit of the mountains,
descended to a deep, dark valley, shaded and environed by a dense growth
of pine and other wood, on the eastern slope leading to the Atlantic. As
they entered this dismal looking spot, one of them broke the silence by
remarking:
"This is the place."
"Shall we rob him after he is dead?" inquired the other.
"Certainly. He has a pile about him; and it was for this I was trying, when
he accused me of attempting to rob him, and resenting the accusation
brought on the quarrel, and with it the insult. Yes, I must have his life
and his money, too."
"I'm with you. But hold! What's that? Horses' feet, as I'm alive. He's
coming; we must be quick to our place of concealment."
In the briefest possible time their horses led out of sight of the road,
and hid away among the bushes, while the two murderers took their stand at
the side of the road in ambush, to await the arrival of their victim.
They had only a few minutes to wait, when other two horsemen made their
appearance, and took their stations exactly as they had done, but about a
hundred yards further up the mountain.
"What the d----l does this mean?" inquired one of the other.
"I don't know, unless some others have an eye on the gold, as well as
ourselves."
"That's it, I'll warrant. Good! They may do the murdering, and we'll rush
up in time to secure the booty, by frightening them away. Then we can take
the body to the next tavern, and tell how we came upon the robbers and
murderers, just as they had finished their work.--Good! Let us get our
horses nearer at hand, and be ready to dash upon them."
While the first two villains were preparing for the new phase the affair in
which they were engaged had taken, as they supposed, the two who had
arrived last busied themselves in making ready for some damnable work which
required darkness and that secluded spot to hide it from the sight of man.
We will look after them.
"Well, here we are at last," said Bill to Dick, for it was these that had
arrived last. "How soon will he be here, think you?".
"In a few minutes. When I last saw him, I don't think he was to exceed half
a mile behind us."
"He is coming now. Be sure of your aim."
"Better take that advice yourself."
"I intend to, for I don't want any botch work of the job."
"Think those men have got ahead far enough?"
"Yes, they were more than a mile ahead of us, and they will ride like Satan
was after them through these wild glens."
"Yonder's Hadley!"
"Prepare! put your pistol close to his heart when you fire!"
"All right; do the same."
And the other two concealed villains were equally ready for action.
"There he comes!" said one. "Their attention will be taken up that way now:
let us mount, and as soon as they fire, put spurs for the scene."
"Perhaps they will not use pistols," suggested the other.
"Then, as soon as they strike or spring upon him."
In a few seconds, Hadley came abreast of the villains who were lying in
wait for him.
"Now!" said Bill in a hoarse whisper, and the two at once sprang upon the
lone rider, and fired the contents of their pistols into his breast. He
fell from his seat, with a deep groan. The murderers were about to rifle
his pockets, when they were arrested in their work of robbery by the
approach of the other two horsemen, and seeing their danger, hastened to
mount, and left the scene of their bloody deed, at the top of their horses'
speed. The others pursued for a mile or more, and then returned to look
after the slain man and their booty.
"By heavens, it's not the man!" they exclaimed in a breath, as they knelt
by the side of Hadley.
"As I live, it is our acquaintance of yesterday! Poor fellow, he deserved a
better fate."
"He did, indeed. Let us return his kindness by seeing that he is decently
buried; we owe him this much at least."
"So we do. If I had known it was him he should not have died in this way."
"Shall we go back or forward with him?"
"Forward; it is nearest that way to a hamlet."
"Does he breathe yet?"
"No; he is quite dead."
Gathering up the body of Hadley, they bore it along in silence toward the
nearest habitations of men, some five miles ahead.
The two had proceeded with their burden but a short distance, when they
were suddenly startled by a groan from the wounded man, who they had
supposed was dead. They laid him down carefully, and one of them produced a
flask, from which he poured a little brandy on his lips, and the stimulant
penetrating his mouth, revived Hadley, and this, with the aid of other
restoratives, soon brought him to consciousness. Seeing he was not dead,
his companions now dressed his wounds as well as they could, under the
circumstances. It was soon perceived that they were not of a very dangerous
order. One bullet had struck a button and glanced off, leaving only a
bruise on the breast; the other had penetrated the chest, but not in a
fatal direction. The fall from his horse had stunned Hadley; there was also
a mark on the side of his head, indicating that the horse had struck him
with his foot, adding materially to the effect of the fall. After his
wounds were properly dressed, he was assisted into his saddle, and,
supported by his benefactors, was enabled to ride to the next village,
where he received every attention, and was so far recovered in a week as to
proceed on his journey. His escape was almost miraculous, and seemed a
direct interposition of Providence. On the previous day he had assisted the
two men out of a difficulty before a magistrate, where they were accused of
the crime of setting fire to a man's house on the previous night. It so
happened that they were not guilty of the act as charged, but had passed
the night in question at the same inn with Hadley, who, fortunately for
them, heard of the affair, and went before the magistrate and testified to
the facts in the case, and by so doing cleared them. This kindness,
volunteered on his part, was repaid by the men, as we have seen, though
they were desperate characters, and ought to have been in the penitentiary,
and, as we have noticed, went out to kill and rob some man at whom they had
become offended.
Had not this train of circumstances led to the result we have chronicled,
there would have been but one fate for Hadley, _death_; for even if the
ruffians had left life in him, ere the lapse of three hours he would have
been devoured by wild beasts, a pack of which, howling dismally, and
thirsting for blood, crossed the road where he had lain, and licked up the
few drops that had run from his bosom!
Bill and Dick were pursued, but escaped without the slightest clue to their
whereabouts or identity being ascertained.
Perhaps we had as well remark, at this point, that Hadley's departure was
known to but two personal friends and their families, in the Mandeville
settlement, and by them was to be kept a secret, as he did not wish Duffel,
or any of his supposed companions, to know of his absence until he had been
gone long enough to reach his destination, for he believed Duffel was bad
enough at heart to stop short of no wickedness to carry his ends, and felt
fearful he might send some of his minions to waylay him. How nearly he
guessed the truth! He, however, gave another reason for wishing the fact
kept among his friends and though they thought a little singular of the
request, they acted as desired.
Duffel overheard a part of the conversation between him and a young
friend--hence his knowledge of Hadley's movements. Mandeville did not know
anything about the matter until some time afterward, and this ignorance led
him to suspect Hadley of the theft, as already recorded.
He and Duffel agreed to keep their suspicions to themselves, until they
could get at some tangible evidence to prove Hadley guilty. This exactly
suited Duffel's purpose, as it gave him just the time and advantage he
desired, in order to perfect his own schemes.
How easily a few words would have exonerated Hadley in the eyes of
Mandeville: and had he made a confidant of the magistrate in this second
instance, those words would have been spoken, to his enlightenment, and the
great relief and joy of his daughter. But, by an unfortunate combination of
circumstances, the reverse was the case.