"We're all armed," continued the speaker, who seemed to have some
authority over the others. "It is useless for you to resist--you had
better give up!"
"Damn them!" cried another and a rougher voice; "don't waste talk on
them. Let's fire the tree, and smoke 'em out; that moss 'll burn, I
reckon!"
I recognised the voice that uttered this inhuman suggestion. It came
from Bully Bill.
"I have no intention of making resistance," I called out in reply to the
first speaker. "I am ready to go with you. I have committed no crime.
For what I have done I am ready to answer to the laws."
"You shall answer to _us_," replied one who had not before spoken; "_we_
are the laws here."
There was an ambiguity in this speech that I liked not; but there was no
further parley. The skiffs and canoes had suddenly closed in around the
tree. A dozen muzzles of pistols and rifles were pointed at me, and a
dozen voices commanded the negro and myself to get into one of the
boats.
From the fierce, determined glances of these rough men, I saw it was
death or obedience.
I turned to bid adieu to Aurore, who had rushed out of the tree-cave,
and stood near me weeping.
As I faced round, several men sprang upon the buttress; and, seizing me
from behind, held me in their united grasp. Then drawing my arms across
my back, tied them fast with a rope.
I could just speak one parting word with Aurore, who, no longer in
tears, stood regarding my captors with a look of scornful indignation.
As they led me unresistingly into the boat, her high spirit gave way to
words, and she cried out in a voice of scorn--
"Cowards! cowards! Not one of you dare meet him in a fair field--no,
not one of you!"
The lofty spirit of my betrothed echoed mine, and gave me proof of her
love. I was pleased with it, and could have applauded; but my mortified
captors gave me no time to reply; for the next moment the pirogue in
which I had been placed shot out through the branches, and floated on
the open water of the lake.