THE CAPTURE OF THE 'MOST' BEAUTIFUL MAIDEN.
The ride was a most furious one and there was not the ghost of a
chance, had the sun been at the meridian, of overtaking those
fleet-footed beasts. When they were many miles beyond the old
farm-house the Captain pulled rein and waited for his son to gain
his side.
'What has been your luck? I think that it has been good.'
'I am thinkeen the same myself. I eased him of half what he has.'
Then the Convert entered into a careful detail of the robbery, the
circumstances of which my reader already knows. When he was ended the
robber chief extended his hand.
'Well-done, boy; this is worth all the house-breaking we have had
since we came to the swamp.' As he said these words he turned half
towards Murfrey, who, despite his jealousy, and his anger at the
remark, was, nevertheless radiant as he contemplated his share of the
booty.
'You have done bravely, and like a man. I do not think that your
loyalty will be any more called in question.' Another sidelong glance
at the glowering bully; but he uttered never a word.
'You never boast, my son, and you never bully,' the Chief went on;
'but when a delicate measure and an important one is on hand, you are
to be trusted. There is no other man in my band in which I can place
such faith.' Still another malignant glance at the ruffian with the
dogged face. But that villain was bent upon keeping his temper and
holding his tongue; and he rode along in glum silence.
'By the Eternal,' shouted the robber chief, 'if slur is ever again
put upon you, I will shoot the coward who offers it.' It did almost
seem as if the Captain were courting a quarrel with his ally. But he
really was not. In the intensity of his satisfaction his imagination
went back to all the indignities that had been put upon his son--whom
he really loved--by Murfrey; and he remembered how patiently it had
all been borne.
'Hush, father!' The Lifter said, putting his hand upon the chief's
arm. 'We all try to do the best we can. It would spoil everything if
we quarrelled now.'
To this the chief agreed; but he had made up his mind that there
should be no more persecution of his son.
The money was divided upon the return of the band to the camp, the
Captain taking a double share, one going to Murfrey, one to Rev. Mr.
Jonas, a half to the old woman, and a fourth to each of the girls.
'I have reserved half a share for you, sir,' the Captain said,
addressing Roland, who had been a spectator of the division,
'although you have not chosen to give us any assistance in our
enterprises.'
Roland arose.
'I have to thank you for your offer; but you must know that its
acceptance is impossible.'
'Well, be it as you say. I think The Lifter is entitled, then, to
this extra amount, for the skill and cool-headedness that he has
displayed in the matter.'
The sum that fell to the robber chief was a few shillings short of
3,000 [pounds] stg.
Several days passed away, during which there were many slight snow-falls
in the wood. The snow, it may be added, was always kept removed
from the covering of that portion of the tunnel over which the
intruder must pass before he could reach the open-air rendezvous of
the robbers.
One evening, as Roland sat in his room reading, Nancy entered with
fight tread, and took her seat beside him.
'I think that the chief will soon require your services.'
'How comes this?'
'To-morrow I think he sets out upon the expedition of which you have
already heard some mention. The girl is to be brought here to-morrow
night; and he believes that you can assist him in two ways, first by
turning your knowledge of the district to be visited to account: and
second, by acting as a decoy for the young lady.'
'I shall die before he force me into such a work.'
'As I expected. Of course you will refuse, and he will rave and
rage. See to it that you are armed, for he would shoot or stab you as
he would a dog when he finds that you thwart him in a matter that he
has so much at heart.'
'I shall be prepared, Nancy. When do you think he will make his
request?'
'I should judge to-morrow morning.'
'Nancy, it seems to me that the time is not far away when we shall
escape from this pit of infamy. If it lie within my power this girl
shall be saved from her odious abductor. We can depend upon The
Lifter--you of course will not flinch.'
'So far from flinching,' the girl replied, 'I should be delighted to
lay down my life in helping you in the noble resolve which you have
formed.'
'Be it so, then. Can you use firearms?'
'I can; indeed since a child I have been expert with pistols. I know
what you can do; The Lifter is brave at the proper time, and you will
not find me useless. I think that we need not despair.'
'Still, it will be five against two.'
'Oh, to-morrow is Sunday, and the Rev. Mr. Jonas is to preach at the
Don. In fact he is holding a series of revivals there, and will not
be back before Tuesday next.' Then she bade our hero good-night.
The next moment The Lifter entered. He corroborated what Nancy had
told, and declared his willingness to join Roland.
He may try to shoot you to-morrow morneen when you refuse; but
remember you will have a friend standeen by your side who can shoot
too.'
Thank you, and God bless you, my _friend_,' Roland said, giving
his hand to the robber. It was the first time that he had ever used
such a term toward the outlaw. The poor outcast felt that one word,
'friend,'--uttered as it had been with such peculiar emphasis--more
than any other experience in his whole chequered and evil life. His
face quivered with emotion, and his eyes became moist with tears.
Yes, that word strung his nerves up to cords of steel, and set a seal
upon his resolutions that nothing upon earth could move.
The morning broke cheerfully enough. Troops of shining white clouds
held themselves shyly aloof in the liquid blue sky. The ice upon
Silent Lake gleamed and sent out radiating lines of light, fine as
the threads of a spider's net. Troops of blue jays went in silly
procession from tree to tree, and some of them came about the camp of
the robbers and began feasting upon the morsels of fish and meat
scattered around. Roland was early astir; and he saw the sun through
the pines, its face seeming as if covered with blood. This was not an
auspicious sign; and little as our hero was given to belief in omens,
he could not help being impressed by the spectacle.
But when the great orb got above the tops of the trees its face
changed from quivering crimson to brass; and with the change the
foreboding passed from the mind of our hero.
'How my beautiful Aster used to glory in the spectacle of the setting
or rising sun,' he thought. 'I have ridden through York [now of course
Toronto, AUTHOR] when the whole west was a mass of crimson fire; and
once grasping my hands pointing to cloud-specks in the arc of red, she
said, "_See the spots. They look like drops of blood_," while her
beautiful eyes grew larger and shining with poetic fervor. Alack-a-day!
I wonder if I shall ever see my love again?'
His reverie was ended by the appearance of Nancy, and immediately
afterwards of Silent Poll, both of whom busied themselves preparing
breakfast.
When that meal was ended the chief sauntered about smoking, and at
last stood before Roland.
'I have to talk seriously with you this morning,' he said, in a tone
that was intended to be conciliatory as well as authoritative.
Roland had placed his back against the trunk of a large pine, with
his hand--carelessly, as it would seem--in his hip pocket, and he
looked the chief steadily in the face, as he replied:
'I am ready to hear what you have to say.'
'It is soon said, I purpose now to bring all those plans of mine to
fruition. There is a young woman whom I purpose carrying here to-night.
I do not know anything about the interior arrangements of the
house, nor of the habits of the family. But you may sometime have met
the lady, and could therefore help my plan. Will you consent to do
this?'
The look of mingled indignation and scorn upon Roland's face was
simply beyond description when he heard this barefaced and monstrous
request.
'So far is such an act from me,' he replied, looking into the eyes
of the libertine robber, 'that I refuse to discuss a proposition so
odious and full of infamy.'
'That is your answer?'
'Aye, it is.'
'Dog! is it for this that I have spared you?' and he drew hastily
from his sheath a knife with a long, keen blade, and raised it.
But Roland was equally as quick as the desperado; and holding his
pistol in the very face of the robber, he said:--
'Move that hand, villain, if you dare!' and as he said these words
he moved gradually back, for Murfrey was coming towards him.
The chief saw that there was no glory for him in such a scene as
this. He lowered his arm, and beckoned Murfrey back to his place.
'I was in a rage,' he said, looking at our hero,' because you refused
this favour; but I did not mean to strike.' His looks, however, as he
spoke, belied the declaration. 'I will need you,' he said, nodding to
The Lifter; 'and you come, of course,' to Murfrey. Roland said
nothing, but sat apart, his weapon in his pocket, ready for immediate
use. But he did not need it, as the three robbers speedily left the
den and passed out into the wood.
As the evening fell that day, the robbers, disguised as three log-choppers,
with axes upon their shoulders, approached a large, comfortable
and rather imposing residence. In this house, to judge from the
cautious looks of the party, dwelt the object of the expedition.
How to obtain the girl was the problem that now presented itself.
At first it was proposed that The Lifter should go in and enquire
the distance to Sloan's tavern, a well-known rendezvous for lumbermen
in the neighbourhood. But this plan was rejected. These desperate men
would have no hesitation in boldly forcing their way into the house
with axes uplifted, but the girl might not be there; and the
enterprise, for the future, would be rendered more difficult.
The robbers, as has been said, were standing in a group among a
pine-clump that stood a couple of perches from the road. In this same
clump stood two horses saddled and one harnessed to a sled. The
latter was the chiefs horse, and of course the vehicle was intended
for carrying away the prize. While the villains stood together,
planning a way out of the dilemma, the jingle of sleigh-hells was
heard upon the road leading down to the dwelling.
'Suppose she should be in this,' exclaimed the chief. 'Let us down
to the roadside. I know the old chap's pair, a dappled gray and a
chestnut.' By the roadside they posted themselves, the sleigh moving
swiftly along to the merry tune of the bells, made far more merry by
'the icy air of night.'
The moon was nearly full, but while it waded through the heavy
cloud-masses half the world was dark. It would seem that Diana ought
to keep her fair, chaste head in nubibus when any of her maidens
stand in danger. But she has often been known to suddenly illuminate a
dark place, and show the assassin a victim.
On the memorable night which I am describing she must have been in
one of her heartless fits. Perhaps she was thinking of some of
Endymion's flirtations with the rosy-cheeked mountain lasses, when
ranging among the pastoral hills. Be this supposition correct or not,
just as the approaching sleigh reached a hundred paces of the gate by
which the robbers were concealed, a flood of moonlight burst upon the
road.
'The very pair, by heavens!' exclaimed the Chief, excitedly. 'Three
persons; she is there, too!' The sleigh had now reached very near the
roadside; and one of the men jumped out to open the gate.
'You attend to him,' the Chief whispered to Joe; 'you gag the girl's
mouth with this handkerchief,' to The Lifter; 'Come.'
The robbers rushed out and Murfrey felled his man to the ground with
a blow of his axe-handle. The chief pinioned his man and stopped his
mouth, not before he had cried out twice:
'Highwaymen! Help!'
The Lifter was not so dexterous in his work, for the girl gave
several shrieks before he succeeded in stopping her mouth. At first
he had not the heart to bind this beautiful girl, who looked at him
with such frightened, appealing eyes. But in spite of the hesitation
on The Lifter's part, the terrible business was despatched with
wonderful swiftness. The chief seizing the girl in his arms bore her
lightly as if she were an infant to his own sled, and placed her upon
it, holding her there with one arm, while with the other he held the
reins; then giving the word to his followers, the band was speedily
flying over the frosty road towards their lair. When they reached the
edge of the swamp, the dawn was breaking in chilly, silver streaks,
and the robbers dismounted.
'Why am I torn away from my home?' the girl asked as soon as the
bandage was removed from her mouth. 'Where are you taking me?'
'To my home, to be my bride,' the robber replied, bending suddenly
down to kiss her. But she evaded his polluting lips, and stood
looking from one to the other of the rest for help. The Lifter turned
away his head; for he was sick and sore at heart.
'Now, my dear girl,' the Chief said, 'we have to get to my home
immediately. It lies in yonder bush. Will you walk, or shall we be
obliged to carry you. I do not care to take my horses to the wood.'
'God have mercy upon me! God have mercy upon me!' was all that the
unfortunate girl could say.
'Do not lament so. You will not find me such a tyrant.'
But despair had now chilled her heart. She did not hear the words he
spoke, and looked about her bewildered and helpless.
'We had better be moving, Miss,' Murfrey said, walking to her side;
for it was arranged that the Captain should stay behind to blind the
track made by the single sled, and, with the deaf-mute, put pursuers
on the wrong scent. He was very skilful at this sort of thing and the
rest were not. Hence his remaining behind.
The captive did not seem to hear the words addressed to her, but
stood there most hopeless and _distrait_ in the opening dawn,
tears streaming out of her beautiful eyes.
Murfrey turned away for a moment to speak with his leader as to what
he ought to do. This gave The Lifter who was standing near an
opportunity to whisper in her ear, for he had drawn quite close to
the girl.
'Fear not! I am your friend. Another captive at home. He will help
to release you. I'm forced _now_ to act like this. Fear not! and
don't speak.' She looked into his face, and by the earnest, anxious
gleam in his eye, she felt instinctively that he told the truth.
'Why should he tell falsehoods about it?' she mused, they can carry
me whether I want to go or not.'
'Come,' The Lifter said, and meekly she followed him.
'This augurs bad for you at the beginning,' Murfrey said with a
chuckle. 'Your son seems to have the inside track already. She is
following him tamely as a poodle.' 'He's the devil at coaxing,' the
robber replied. 'You can't tell _what_ yarn has prevailed with
her. Be off now, and take good care of my pretty bird. Don't you
think she's a beauty; a what 'ill I call her? a Diana! yes, that must
be her name. Now go and take care of Diana of the Swamp.' The chief
had become jocose; for here was the lovely prey safe within the
toils. A minute later he called.
'Here, Joe' and Murfrey came. 'If you get a chance to make an end of
that d--d fellow Gray, do so. I do not, want the two to begin
coddling. He does not know her, I suppose, but if she found him with
his handsome face, bad luck to it, likewise a captive, it would be
"love at first sight" with a vengeance.'
'If the thing is possible, rely upon me.' Then the ruffian sped away
through the woods.
When Roland arose that morning The Lifter came to him.
'The hour is come,' he said, 'if you are to save the girl.'
'Is she here?' he asked with astonishment,
'Yes; she is now upstairs among the women. Nancy is trying to give
her some comfort. O, she is so beautiful and innocent lookeen that it
pains my heart to see her here.'
'Rely upon me. Here she will not remain if you be true. I swear it
before the God who made me,' and he fell upon his knees while he made
the oath. Then he arose. 'I will send Nancy to you, though I think
she is also ready for a start.' In a moment Nancy was beside Roland.
'Is the hour come?' she asked with the slightest tremor in her
voice; but it was not a tremor of fear. She was simply quivering at
the thought of freedom.
'It is. The chief is absent, and we may reach the road before he
enters the bush. Joe, I learn, is sleeping.'
'Yes, but the shriek of a mouse will awaken him.'
'I am prepared for that ruffian. Silent Poll and her mother we must
gag.'
Both then ascended into the upper air, and Roland stepped quickly
forward to see the intended victim of the libertine outlaw. She was
sitting with her head upon her hands, and the tears were still
streaming from her eyes.
'All merciful heaven, it is Aster!' and looking up, the poor girl
saw her lover. She had only power to rise and throw herself into his
arms, when she swooned there.
'Water, quick,' and he stretched her upon a lounge and dashed
several handfuls upon her beloved face. She speedily revived, and
opening her glorious eyes looked again upon her lover. But she seemed
unable to realize it She believed indeed that her reason had forsaken
her or that it was all a dream.
'Is it you, Roland,' she exclaimed, taking his hand. 'Where is this,
and what are you doing here.'
'This, Aster, my love,' he replied, 'is a robbers' den. This is the
head-quarters of the miscreants of Markham Swamp. On the day of the
duel I was captured and brought hither, and watch has since been kept
upon me. I resolved many timed to leave and endeavour to reach the
United States, till the feeling over my crime had subsided.'
'What do you mean?' Aster enquired, laying her hand with its crooked
little finger upon his.
'The duel, of course.'
'Why, haven't you heard? Why, he recovered from his wound.'
'Merciful heaven, then I am free to stand up among my fellow men, in
my own place again! No; they told me nothing of it, though the
villainous chief must have heard, for nothing passes without his
cognizance.'
During this conversation the hag looked as if the world was coming
to an end, that such language should be used by the upstart in the
very midst of her stronghold.
'Poltroon,' she shouted to The Lifter, why do you not strike him
down?'
'That is all over now,' Roland said, suddenly seizing the old woman
and forcing a handkerchief into her mouth. This act was the signal
for The Lifter, who at the same moment accorded similar treatment to
Silent Poll. Roland bound the old woman, and The Lifter secured the
young one.
'Granny,' The Lifter said, bending down to her ear, 'I am going to
leave and to try to be an honest man. I shall watch constantly in the
papers for news of your hangeen. As for you,' stooping down to the
ear of Silent Poll, 'I believe the devil will carry you off before
the gallows gets you. I know you must always have been a great
favourite of his.'
Silent Poll replied by spitting in his face.
'Are you ready, my friends?' Roland said, looking at his confederates.
'Yes, yes,' both had answered.
'Come, my darling,' giving his arm to Aster, 'we go from this spot:
these two are faithful; but there will be some hot work before we get
out.'
She only replied by a fervent pressure of his arm and a glance of
proud confidence in her lover.
'What is this?' thundered a hideous voice. 'Where going? Where off,
Lifter?' This was Murfrey, with rage, hate and apprehension written
in his face.
'I am away from the bush forever. If nothing better happens, Joe,
I'll give myself up to the law.'
'And where are you off, Nancy?'
'To seek an honourable life. In a way, I leave this place stainless,
and I go to give myself back to my father.'
The terrible oaths that this foiled ruffian swore, I could not
repeat here. He resembled a devil fresh from the infernal regions.
His flaming eyes were turned anxiously along the path, expecting the
captain; then he drew near with a brace of pistols in his belt.
'Nancy,' our hero said, 'you lead off with the lady and we shall
cover your retreat. Keep a sharp look-out ahead.'
Blinded with rage, Murfrey drew forward, hastily raised his pistol
and fired. The ball grazed Roland's cheek and left a pink streak
across it. But he had no sooner fired than Roland discharged his
weapon, and with a loud cry the robber drew his remaining pistol with
his left hand, our hero's shot having broken the right arm a little
below the shoulder. 'Put down your pistol or I will shoot you without
mercy,' Roland thundered; but the fellow was insane with rage, pain
and disappointment, and heeding not the warning, he took new aim upon
Roland. But he had not time to fire before he fell, shot in the leg.
'On now,' cried Roland, 'we have only one other to deal with'.
Aster, with Nancy leading, made slow way through the deep snow and
tangled bushes. Nancy had a quick ear and an eye of unusual
sharpness, and this was well; for about three hundred yards distant,
she saw the robber captain coming towards her.
'This way, miss, this way,' she whispered to Aster. 'We shall keep
in shelter of that duster of cedars yonder. The robber chief comes
this way.' Aster followed her guide without question; but she turned
her head every few minutes to look for Roland. He was now far in the
rear, but he was following the lead of the girls by their tracks.
Suddenly Roland and the chief found themselves face to face. The
robber's brows grew dark as the night.
'What is this,' he demanded of his son.
'We are both leaveen the place.'
The villain was simply struck dumb with amazement. When he did
speak, he asked,
'Where is Murfrey?'
'We just have been disableen him.'
'Where are my mother and Poll?'
'We have just done gaggeen them.'
'Where is Nancy; where is the young lady?'
'They are cleareen out of the swamp.'
'Hell and--' he did not finish his pious ejaculation, but felt for
his pistol. It was not there; and he gave a cry like a baulked lion.
'Here's at you,' looking at our hero who just then remembered that
he had no charge left in his pistol; and like a jaguar he sprang at
Roland's throat. But this brutal robber had no child now in hand; our
hero was slight, but his sinews were elastic and reverberant; and
they were as enduring as twisted steel. A fair hold was taken on
either side, and it was a nice test of the respective powers of the
combatants.
The robber was the heavier man by far, but the activity and the
skill were upon the other side.
'I would put a pistol to his head,' the Lifter said,' but bad as he
be he is my father.' There is no need to describe the _rencontre_,
further than to say that After about a minute's fierce strife the
chief vent down and Roland's knee was planted in his breast.
'Cords now,' he cried to the Lifter.
'I'll help to do the bindeen,' The Lifter replied cheerfully, and he
did so. When his father was bound he stood before him and thus spoke:
'Father, I leave you to the mercy of the laws which you have all your
life been a breakeen. I will try to get out of the country and go to
the States; there I hope to become an honest man. I do not think that
I deserve to suffer, because in breakeen the law I did not know I was
do'een wrong. You deserve to suffer because you broke them knoween it
was evil, and you brought me up to break them, which was worst of all.
So I leave you, capteen. In a little while the law will come here and
catch you. I will not cry when I hear of your swingeen.' The unfilial
convert then joined Roland and the two quickening their pace soon
overtook Nancy and Aster.