A STRUGGLE IN THE DARK
I have seldom been more deeply embarrassed than at that moment. I
knew not what to say or how best to approach this young woman left so
strangely to my protection. The very fact, which I now realized, that
she was both young and fair added some indefinite burden and complicated
the delicate situation. I saw no safety for us but in careful hiding
until Craig could return, a squad of hard-riding troopers at his back.
To permit the girl to venture forward alone through the desolate country
we were in, overrun as I knew it to be by irregular bands whose sole
purpose was plunder, and whose treatment of women had made my blood run
cold as I listened to its recital, was not to be so much as thought of.
Even if, by rare good fortune, she should succeed in safely reaching
the Federal picket post in our front, the men on duty there were just as
likely as not to prove of the same desperate stamp, and every indignity
might be offered her were she to appear alone. Nor could I venture
to accompany her on such a trip, for to do so would but assure my own
capture, and involve months of confinement in Northern prisons, even
were I fortunate enough to escape with life. Wearing as I did the full
field uniform of my rank, it was hardly probable that regular troops
would treat me as a spy, even though caught within their lines; but if
we fell into the hands of guerillas it would be a short shrift indeed.
There was no help for it, and but one way out, disagreeable as that
might prove to my lady. She stood there before me, motionless and silent
as a statue, exactly where she had alighted when the Sergeant took her
horse, and it seemed to me I could plainly read righteous indignation in
the indistinct outline of her figure and the haughty pose of her head.
To her at that moment I was evidently a most disagreeable and even hated
companion, a “Rebel,” the being of all others she had been taught to
despise, the enemy of all she held sacred. “Could any good thing come
out of Nazareth?”
Well, unpleasant as was the task, it had to be done, so, mustering
my courage for the ordeal as I never had to do in time of battle, I
advanced toward her, hat in hand. She never so much as glanced about
at the sound of my footsteps, nor deigned by the slightest motion to
acknowledge my presence. So intense, indeed, was her evident sense
of indignity that it awoke within me something akin to anger at her
unreasonableness, and for the moment I clinched my teeth to keep back
the hot words burning upon my tongue. Then I smiled grimly with the rare
humor of it, and became myself once more.
“The time has come when it becomes my duty to look after your comfort
and safety,” I said, striving to disguise all self-consciousness. “Every
moment we delay now merely increases the danger of our remaining here.”
“I imagine I might very easily dispense with any further care on your
part.”
Her reply nettled me, and I answered with an earnestness which she could
neither ignore nor check: “Possibly you may think so, but if you do it
is merely because of your utter ignorance of the disorganized conditions
which prevail in these mountains. Your pride is almost ridiculous under
all the circumstances. You have no just cause to feel that I am forcing
myself unnecessarily upon you. Our being compelled to take you in charge
has proven as disastrous to us as to you. Personally I can say that
nothing will relieve me more than to be able to place you uninjured into
the care of your own people. I would willingly assume great risks to
that end. But while you remain here and in my care, I shall perform my
full duty toward you as though you were my own sister. Now please listen
to me, and I assure you I shall speak nothing for the mere purpose of
alarming you, but simply that you may better comprehend the facts which
must influence our present relationship. I have sent forward Sergeant
Craig with the message especially intrusted to me for delivery, and
thus, if it fail to reach its destination, I have laid myself open to
the charge of a grave military crime. In doing this I have not only
perilled my own future, but the lives of my comrades and the faith of
my commander. Yet I have deliberately chosen to do so because I feel
the impossibility of leaving you here unprotected, and because I was
unwilling to trust you alone with my companion. I made this choice,
remember, without in the least knowing whether you were young or old,
worthy of respect or unworthy. I did it because you were a woman, alone
and without friends. Whether you spurn my protection or not will make
no difference; I shall simply continue to do what I may on your behalf
until you are again in the hands of those you trust.”
“But why may I not go to them now?”
The question was impetuous, but the voice sounded more gentle. My words
had at least pierced her armor.
“Simply because I dare not permit you to traverse these roads alone,” I
said soberly. “The mountains all about us, deserted as they now appear,
are filled with wandering bands of desperate and hunted men whose
tenderest mercy is death. Any rock may be the hiding-place of an outlaw,
any dark ravine the rendezvous of as wild a gang as ever murdered for
plunder. For months past--yes, for years--the two great armies have
scouted these hills, have battled for them, and every forward or
backward movement of the contesting lines has left its worthless horde
of stragglers behind, until with guerilla and bushwhacker, fleeing
conscript and deserter, it has become such a meeting-place of rascality
and crime as to be a veritable hell on earth.”
“But the Sergeant said there was a Federal picket post at the crossing
of the White Briar.”
Her voice trembled as she spoke.
“He merely supposed there would be; but even if it were true, we have no
positive means of knowing that the men stationed there would be of the
regular service. Doubtless these thieving, murdering bands--such as
that headed by Red Lowrie, of whom you may have heard--are sufficiently
organized to keep patrols posted, and may, indeed, be utilized at times
by both armies for that purpose. Were you to go to them you might be
simply walking into a den of wolves.”
“But could you not go with me?”
I smiled at the naive innocence of her query.
“I wish you to feel that I have never thought so much about my own
danger as about yours,” I returned quietly. “But would it be a pleasure
even to you to behold me swinging from the limb of a tree, hung as a spy
without trial, merely because I ventured to walk with you into a Federal
camp?”
I could see her eyes now resting full upon me, and much of the hardness
and doubt seemed to have gone out of them as she scanned my uncovered
features in the dim light. I scarcely think I was ever considered a
handsome man even by my friends, but I was young then, frank of face,
with that about me which easily inspired confidence, and it did me good
to note how her eyes softened, and to mark the perceptible tremor in her
voice as she cried impulsively:
“Oh, no! Not that!”
“Your words yield me new heart,” I replied fervently, determined, now
that the ice was partially broken, to permit no excuse for its again
forming, “for if you but once fully realize our situation you will
certainly feel that I am merely endeavoring to perform my plain duty. I
know not how I could do less without forfeiting entirely your respect.
Now one thing more--please banish from your thought the idea that you
are in any way a prisoner; forget, if possible, the color of my uniform,
and think of me simply as an officer of equal rank and standing with
those you know in your own army,--one who stands ready, if need arise,
to protect you with his life; as glad to serve you as if he wore the
blue instead of the gray.”
I believed for a moment my words had appealed to her nobler nature;
that she would outstretch to me her slightly uplifted hand and surrender
utterly. But it was only for the moment; whatever wave of emotion may
have moved her to the gesture, it was as suddenly swept aside by a
return of the old proud, impetuous spirit.
“I will, of course, bow to the inevitable, sir,” she said, “and
shall endeavor to adapt myself to the requirements of my unfortunate
situation. May I venture to inquire what you now propose to do?”
I confess to experiencing a quick feeling of resentment as I turned to
scan the dim surroundings, not knowing at the moment how best to answer
her. Who was this girl, that she should continue to bear herself as a
disdainful queen might toward the very meanest of her subjects? Was I so
far beneath her, even in the social scale, as to warrant such assumption
of superiority? No, I felt that this was not the cause of her cold
suspicion, her proud, unapproachable bearing. Undoubtedly it arose from
the manner in which she had fallen into our hands, the strangeness and
delicacy of our situation, the knowledge that I was a “Rebel” in arms
against her people. These were the things which had reared such a
barrier between us. She but resorted to what was apparently her only
available weapon of defence. Well, of one thing, and that the most
important, I was now assured--there would occur no further struggle on
her part; if not fully resigned to the situation, she at least realized
the necessity of obedience to my will. This was much; but now what could
I do with her?
To the right of where we stood the ground sloped rapidly downward until
the dense darkness at the foot of the steep defile shrouded everything
from view. The descent appeared rocky and impracticable, and I could
distinguish the sound of rapid water far below. On the opposite side
stood a dense wood, the outer fringe of trees overhanging the road,
and through the waving leaves the moonlight checkered the ground with
silver, while the dense mass beyond seemed to flow back up the steep
side of the mountain, thick with underbrush. Just below us, and possibly
fifty feet from the highway, I could perceive a small one-story log
cabin, as silent, gloomy, and deserted to all outward appearance as were
the sombre woods of which it formed a part.
“There seems small choice,” I said, speaking as cheerfully as possible.
“But I propose to investigate the log hut yonder, and learn if it may
not afford some degree of shelter.”
She glanced furtively in the direction pointed out, and her eyes
mirrored the sudden fear that swept into them.
“Oh, no!” she cried impulsively, “I could never venture into that
horrible place.”
It did, indeed, look uncanny enough in its black loneliness, a fit
abiding place for ghost and goblin damned; but I was not inclined to
yield to superstitious dread.
“Certainly not,” I answered, “until after I have investigated it.
Perhaps it may prove more attractive within than without, although,
I confess, from here it appears gloomy enough to discourage any one.
However, if you will rest here, in the shadow of these trees, I will
soon discover whether it has inmates or not.”
She followed me in silence across the road to the spot designated, but
as I turned to leave her seated upon the grass, and well protected from
prying eyes, she hurried quickly after me, and in her agitation so far
forgot herself as to touch my sleeve with her hand.
“Oh, please do not leave me here alone. I am not naturally timid, yet
everything is so gloomy I cannot stand it. Let me go with you, if you
must go!”
“Most assuredly you shall if you desire,” I returned heartily. “But
really there is not a particle of danger in this, for if the house were
inhabited its occupants would have been aroused long ago. Follow just
behind me, and we shall soon solve the mystery.”
There appeared before us a dim, little-used path leading in among the
trees, and following its erratic curves we were soon before the cabin,
which grew ever more uninviting as we drew near. As I paused a moment
before the closed door, in order that I might listen for any possible
sound within, I could hear her quick breathing, as though the terror of
the moment had driven all else from her mind.
“Do not feel frightened,” I said, seeking to reassure her. “There is
nothing here more terrifying than a vacant house, doubtless long since
deserted. We shall discover nothing more formidable within than a rat or
two.”
The wooden latch yielded readily enough to my pressure, and pushing wide
open the door, which creaked slightly upon its rusty hinges, I stepped
across the puncheon threshold onto the hard earthen floor. There was no
window visible, and the slight reflection of moonlight which crept in
through the doorway scarcely revealed the nature of that dark interior.
I could dimly perceive what I believed to be a table directly in front
of me, while certain other indistinct and ill defined shadows might
be chairs pushed back against the wall. At least this room was without
occupants; yet it was with every sense alert that I entered, pressing
slowly past the table toward where I felt the fireplace would naturally
be, knowing that my companion was yet with me, her hand clutching my
arm.
“Oh!” she cried sharply in terror, “what was that?”
It was something certainly,--a deadened, muffled, shuffling sound
directly in our front, followed by a strange noise of scraping, as if
with a dull knife on wood.
“Wait here.” I said sternly. “Probably it is nothing more dangerous than
a rat.”
I felt my way carefully around the table, a revolver ready in my hand.
There was nothing to be found there,--nothing, indeed, in the room;
for from my new position I could look backward and distinguish in the
moonlight the details of that simple, squalid interior. I ran my
hand along the rough logs of the further wall. Ay! here was a break,
doubtless a door; and groping along the crack I found the latch.
There was no longer any noise audible, and I drew the door inward, never
dreaming of danger. Suddenly, with a fierce, wild spring out of the
dark, a huge body hurled itself directly at my throat, striking with
such headlong impetus that I went backward as if shot, crashing against
the table, then to the floor, dropping my weapon as I fell. There was
no noise, no sound, while for an instant, with strength of sheer
desperation, I held back the snapping jaws that breathed hot fire into
my very face. With a bound backward of its great body the beast jerked
free from my grip, and the next instant had sunk its dripping fangs,
deep and hard, into the flesh of my shoulder. As the intense pain shot
through me, my right hand, driven with all the force I could muster,
caught the monster once, twice, full in the throat, but tighter and
tighter those clinched jaws locked, until it seemed as if every bone
between them must be ground to powder. Even as I grasped the lower jaw,
seeking vainly to wrench it loose, I heard the girl scream in sudden
afright.
“Quick!” I gasped desperately. “Get my revolver there on the floor, and
use it--but for God's sake keep down; don't let the brute see you.”
She must have heard, but there was no response, although her crying
ceased. Yet my own struggle to rid myself of that crushing weight and
those iron jaws drowned all other sounds, drove all other thoughts from
me. I doubt if what I now record occupied a minute; but God protect
me from ever having to experience such another minute! I continued to
struggle in desperate hopelessness with single hand, in vain endeavor to
wrench loose that awful grip upon my shoulder. Every movement I made was
an agony, an inexpressible torture, but the very intensity of pain kept
me from faintness, as the maddened beast tore deeper and deeper into the
quivering flesh. With knee bent double beneath me I succeeded in turning
partially upon one side, lifting the entire weight of the animal as
I did so; but no degree of force I could exert would loosen those
set jaws. There was no growling, no savage snarling, no sound of any
kind,--just that fierce, desperate, silent struggle for life in the
darkness. Every muscle of my body began to weaken from the strain, my
eyes blurred, faintness swept over me, I felt my brain reeling, when
there burst a vivid flash of flame within a foot of my face, singeing
my forehead; then followed a deafening report, and the huge brute sprang
backward with a snarl of pain, his teeth clicking together like cogs of
steel. Then he stiffened and fell prone across me, a dead, inert weight,
pinning me breathless to the floor.
For the moment I could do no more than lie there helpless, gasping for
breath, scarce conscious even of my deliverance. Then, as sufficient
strength returned for action, I rolled the body of the dead brute off
me, and lifting myself by aid of the wall against which my head rested,
looked about. Two broken chairs overturned upon the floor, and the
shapeless, huddled body of my late assailant, alone spoke of the
violence of that deadly struggle; but the cabin was yet full of smoke,
and I could perceive the figure of the girl leaning against the frame of
the open door, the revolver still grasped in her hand. Her posture was
that of a frightened deer, as her terror-filled eyes sought the dark
interior.
“It is safely over,” I said weakly, for my breath yet came to me in
gasps. “The brute is dead.”
“And you are not killed!” Shall I ever forget the glad ring in her
voice?--“Oh, thank God! thank God!”
The sound of these eager words yielded me a fresh measure of life.
“Believe me, I certainly do,” I said as cheerfully as possible, “and I
thank you also as His instrument; but if you would keep me from fainting
away like a nerveless woman, I beg you come here.”
I could mark her coming across the narrow streak of moonlight, moving
toward me as a frightened bird might, startled at everything, and
passing as far from the lifeless mass on the floor as the small space
would allow. As she bent anxiously over me her face was so in shadow
that I could distinguish nothing of its features.
“What is it? Are you indeed severely hurt?”
“Not seriously, I think, yet I have lost some blood, and am in great
pain. There is brandy in the inner pocket of my jacket, but I am unable
to move my arm in order to reach it. Would you endeavor to draw the
flask out?”
I felt her bend over me, her soft breath coming almost in sobs upon my
face, as with trembling fingers she undid the buttons of my trooper's
jacket and extracted the small flat flask I had been thoughtful enough
to store away there.
The fiery liquid seemed to put new blood into my veins, and with it
there returned all my old-time audacity, with that intense hopefulness
in which I had been trained by years of war and self-reliance.
“Ah! now I feel I am myself once more,” I exclaimed cheerily. “Things
are surely not so bad after all. At least we have a roof over our heads,
and another day in which to live.”
I felt her shudder.
“Oh, please do not make light of it,” she whispered. “It is so like some
horrid dream, and I am trembling yet.” I put my hand upon hers, and it
was not withdrawn.
“I trust you realize,” I said, “that I am neither thoughtless nor
ungrateful. Years of war service make one careless of life, but I know
it was your shot that saved me. You are a brave girl.”
Her overtaxed nerves gave way at my words, and I knew she was crying
softly. The sobbing was in her voice as she strove to speak.
“Oh, no, I am not; you do not guess how great a coward I am. I scarcely
knew what I was doing when I fired. That horrid thing--what was it?”
“A huge mastiff, I imagine; one of the largest of his breed. But
whatever it may have been, the beast is dead, and we have nothing more
to fear from him.”
“Yet I tremble so,” she confessed, almost hysterically. “Every shadow
frightens me.”
I realized that no amount of conversation would quiet her nerves so
effectively as some positive action; besides, I felt the hot blood
constantly trickling down my arm, and realized that something needed
to be done at once to stanch its flow, before weakness should render me
equally useless.
“Do you think you could build a fire on the hearth yonder?” I asked. “I
am afraid I am hardly capable of helping you as yet; but we must have
light in this gloomy old hole, or it is bound to craze us both. Take
those broken chairs if you find nothing better.”
She instantly did as I bade her, moving here and there about the
room until she gathered together the materials necessary, but keeping
carefully away from where the dead dog lay, until in a brief space of
time the welcome flame leaped up in the wide black chimney, and cast its
red glare all over the little room. The activity did her good, the light
flooding the gloomy apartment yielded renewed courage, and there was a
cheerier sound in her voice as she came back to me.
“The great ugly brute!” she exclaimed, looking at the form in the centre
of the floor.
“He was certainly heavy enough to have been a bear,” I replied,
clinching my teeth in pain, “and sufficiently savage.”
I viewed her now for the first time clearly, and the memory will remain
with me till I die. How distinctly that entire picture stands forth with
the mist of all these years between! The low-ceiled room, devoid of
all furniture save of the rudest and most primitive kind; the bare logs
forming the walls, unrelieved in their rough ugliness, except as here
and there sundry unshapely garments dangled from wooden pegs; the rough
deal table, with a few cheap dishes piled upon one end of it; the dead
dog lying across the earthen floor; and over all the leap of 'ruddy
flame as the newly kindled fire gathered way, leaving weird shadows
here and there, yet steadily forcing them back, and flooding the whole
interior with a cheery glow.
She had flung aside the blue and yellow cloak which, during the long
hours of our night ride had so completely shrouded her, and stood before
me dressed in some soft clinging stuff of a delicate brown color, so cut
and fashioned as to most become her rounded, graceful form. About her
neck a narrow strip of creamy lace was fitted, the full throat rendered
whiter by the contrast, while at her wrists a similar ornament alone
served to relieve the simple plainness of her attire. The flaming fire
lighted up her face, making it seem to flush with the dancing glow,
which sparkled like diamonds in her eyes, and touched with ruddy light
the dark, dishevelled hair. Hers was a young, fair face,--a face to love
and trust forever, yet with a pride in it, and a certain firmness also
that somehow was good to see. All this I noted with one quick upward
glance, and with a sudden thrill of the heart such as I had never known
before.