When I discovered that I had stalked a dead man as the hunter stalks the
living deer, I was seized with a cold chill, and an icy sweat formed
upon my brow. My muscles, after so much tension, relaxed as if I had
received some sudden and mortal blow, and I fell into a great tremble.
But this did not last long. I trust that I am not a coward, and I
quickly regained possession of my limbs and my faculties. Then I turned
to the examination of the dead man. He had been shot through the head,
and I judged that he had been dead a good two hours. A stray ball must
have found him as he lay there watching for the enemy and with his rifle
ready. I thought I could still trace the look of the watcher, the eager
attention upon his features.
I left him as he was, on duty in death as well as in life, and hurried
through the grass, still hoping to reach the Americans in the valley
beyond, in time.
A second thought caused me to stop. I knew that in the rush and hurry of
the fight our horses must have broken from the men, and perchance might
yet be wandering about the woods. If I could secure one, it would save
much strength and time. I began to look through the woods, for I had
little fear of interruptions now, as I believed that everybody except
the dead and myself had left the pass. My forethought and perseverance
were not without reward, for presently I found one of the horses,
saddled and bridled, and grazing peacefully among the trees. He must
have been lonely, for he whinnied when he saw me, and made no effort to
escape.
I sprang into the saddle, and was soon riding rapidly into the farther
valley. The slope was not so steep as that up which I had come with the
British, and the woods and the underbrush grew more scantily. There was
sufficient light for me to see that I would soon be on cleared ground,
where I could make good speed and perchance find the object of my search
quickly.
There was increase to my joy when my horse's foot rang loud and clear,
and, looking down, I saw that I had blundered into a good road. It led
straight away down the valley, and, with a quickening gait, we followed
it, my good horse and I.
The night brightened somewhat, as if to keep pace with the improvement
of my fortune. I could see fields around me, and sometimes caught
glimpses of houses surrounded by their shade-trees. From one of these
houses a dog came forth and howled at me in most melancholy tune, but I
heeded him not. I rode gayly on, and was even in high enough mood to
break forth into a jovial song, had I thought it wise. Such was my glee
at the thought that I had left the British, had cast off my false
character, and was now about to reassume my old self, the only self that
was natural to me, and take my place among the men with whom I
belonged.
It was shortly after this that my horse neighed and halted, and, had not
my hand been firm on the reins, he would have turned and looked behind
him. I urged him forward again, but in a few moments he repeated the
same suspicious movement. This caused me to reflect, and I came to the
conclusion that some one was behind us, or my horse would not have acted
in such fashion. I pulled him to a stand-still, and, bending back, heard
with much distinctness the sound of hoof-beats. Nor was it that only;
the hoof-beats were rapid, and could be made only by a horse approaching
with great speed. Even in the brief space that I listened, the
hoof-beats of the galloping horse became much more distinct, and it was
evident to me that if I did not put my horse to his own best speed, or
turn aside into the fields, I would be overtaken. But I had no mind
either to follow the difficult route through the fields or to flee from
a single horseman. My loaded pistol and my sword were in my belt; and,
while I did not wish to slay or wound any one, it did not seem becoming
in me to take to flight.
I eased my grasp on the bridle-rein and took my pistol in my hand. Then,
twisting myself round in my saddle, and watching for the appearance of
my pursuer, if pursuer it were, I allowed my horse to fall into a walk.
I knew I would not have long to wait, for in the still night the
hoof-beats were now ringing on the road. Whoever it was, he rode fast
and upon a matter of moment. Presently the figure of the flying horse
and rider appeared dimly. Then they grew more distinct. The rider was
leaning upon his horse's neck, and as they rushed down upon us I saw
that it was a woman. Great was my surprise at the sight.
My first impulse was to rein aside, but when the woman came within
twenty feet of me she raised her face a little, and then I saw that it
was Mary Desmond, the Tory. Even in that faint light I could see that
her face was strained and anxious, and I was struck with a great
wonderment.
I turned my horse into the middle of the road, and she was compelled to
rein her own back so suddenly that he nearly fell upon his haunches.
"Out of my way!" she cried. "Why do you stop me?"
"I think you will admit, Miss Desmond," I said, "that the meeting is
rather unusual, and that surprise, if nothing else, might justify my
stopping you."
"Why is it strange that I am here?" she demanded, in a high tone. "Why
is it more strange than your presence here at this time?"
"I am riding forward to join a detachment of the American army which I
believe is encamped not much farther on," I said.
In reassuming my proper American character I had forgotten that I still
wore the British garb.
"Why are you doing that?" she asked, quickly and keenly.
"I wish to take them a message," I replied.
"Who are you, and what are you?" she asked, abruptly, turning upon me a
look before which my eyes fell,--"you whose garb is English and speech
American."
"Whatever I am at other times," I replied, "to-night I am your servant
only."
"Then," she replied, in a voice that thrilled me, "come with me. I ride
to warn the Americans that they are threatened with destruction."
"_You!_" I exclaimed, my surprise growing. "_You_ warn them! _You_, the
most bitter of Tories, as bitter as only a woman can be!"
She laughed a laugh that was half of triumph, half of scorn.
"I have deceived you too, as I have deceived all the others," she said.
"But I should not boast. The part was not difficult, and I despised it.
Come! we will waste no more time. Ride with me to the American army, if
you are what you have just boasted yourself to be."
Her voice was that of command, and I had no mind to disobey it.
"Come," I cried, "I will prove my words."
"I know the way," she replied. "I will be the guide."
We galloped away side by side. Many thoughts were flying through my
head. I understood the whole story at once, or thought I did, which
yielded not less of satisfaction to me. She was not the Tory she had
seemed to be, any more than I was the Briton whose uniform I had taken.
Why she had assumed such a _rôle_ it was not hard to guess. Well, I was
glad of it. My spirits mounted to a wonderful degree, past my ability to
account for such a flight. But I bothered myself little about it.
Another time would serve better for such matters.
The hoof-beats rang on the flinty road, and our horses stretched out
their necks as our pace grew swifter and we fled on through the night.
"How far do we ride?" I asked.
"The American encampment is four miles beyond," she said. "The British
force is coming down on the right. Pray God we may get there in time!"
"Amen!" said I. "But, if we do not, it will not be for lack of haste."
We passed a cottage close by the roadside. The clatter of our horses'
hoofs aroused its owner, for in those troublous times men slept lightly.
A night-capped head was thrust out of a window, and I even noted the
look of wonderment on the man's face; but we swept by, and the man and
his cottage were soon lost in the darkness behind us.
"It will take something more than that to stop us to-night," I cried, in
the exuberance of my spirits.
Miss Desmond's face was bent low over her horses neck, and she answered
me not; but she raised her head and gave me a look that showed the
courage a true woman sometimes has.
We were upon level ground now, and I thought it wise to check our speed,
for Miss Desmond had ridden far and fast, and her horse was panting.
"We will not spare the horse," she said. "The lives of the patriots are
more precious."
"But by sparing the former we have more chance of saving the latter," I
said; and to that argument only would she yield. The advantage of it
was soon seen, for when we increased our speed again the horses
lengthened their stride and their breath came easier.
"Have you heard the sound of arms?" she asked. "Surely if any attack had
been made we could hear it, even as far as this, in the night."
"I have heard nothing," I replied, "save the noise made by the galloping
of our own horses. We are not yet too late."
"No, and we will not be too late at any time," she said, with sudden
energy. "We cannot--we must not be too late!"
"How strong is the American force?" I asked.
"Strong enough to save itself, if only warned in time," she replied.
We came to a shallow brook which trickled peacefully across the road.
Our horses dashed into it, and their flying hoofs sent the water up in
showers. But almost before the drops could fall back into their native
element we were gone, and our horses' hoofs were again ringing over the
stony road.
Before us stretched a strip of forest, through the centre of which the
road ran. In a few moments we were among the trees. The boughs overhung
the way and shut out half of the moon's light. Beyond, we could see the
open country again, but before we reached it a horseman spurred from the
wood and cried to us to halt, flourishing his naked sword before him.
We were almost upon him, but on the instant I knew Belfort, and he knew
me.
"Out of the way!" I cried. "On your life, out of the way!"
"You traitor! You damned traitor!" he shouted, and rode directly at me.
He made a furious sweep at my head with his sabre, but I bent low, and
the blade circled over me, whistling as it passed. The next moment, with
full weight and at full speed, my horse struck his, and Belfort's went
down, the shriek from the man and the terrified neigh from the horse,
mingling as they fell.
With a snort of triumph, my horse leaped clear of the fallen and
struggling mass, and then we were out of the forest, Mary Desmond still
riding by my side, her head bent over her horse's neck as if she were
straining her eyes for a sight of the patriots who were still two miles
and more away.
"You do not ask me who it was," I said.
"I know," she replied; "and I heard also what he called you."
"'Tis true, he called me that," I replied. "But he is in the dust now,
and I still ride!"
We heard musket-shots behind us, and a bullet whizzed uncomfortably
near. So Belfort had not been alone. In the shock of our rapid collision
I had not had the time to see; but these shots admitted of no doubt.
"We will be pursued," I said.
"Then the greater the need of haste," she replied. "We cannot spare our
horses now. There is a straight road before us."
No more shots were fired at us just then. Our pursuers must have emptied
their muskets; but the clatter of the horses' hoofs told us that they
were hot on the chase. Our own horses were not fresh, but they were of
high mettle, and responded nobly to our renewed calls upon them. Once I
took an anxious look behind me, and saw that our pursuers numbered a
dozen or so. They were riding hard, belaboring their mounts, with hands
and feet, and I rejoiced at the sight, for I knew the great rush at the
start would tell quickly upon them.
"Will they overtake us?" asked Mary Desmond.
"It is a matter of luck and speed," I replied, "and I will answer your
question in a quarter of an hour. But remember that, come what may, I
keep my word to you. I am your servant to-night."
"Even if your self-sought slavery takes you into the American lines?"
she asked.
"Even so," I replied. "I told you my mission, though you seemed to
believe it not."
With this the time for conversation passed, and I put my whole attention
upon our flight. My loaded pistol was still in my belt, and if our
pursuers came too near, a bullet whistling among them might retard their
speed. But I held that for the last resort.
So far as I could see, the men were making no attempt to reload their
muskets, evidently expecting to overtake us without the aid of bullets.
I inferred from this circumstance that Belfort, whom I had disabled, had
been the only officer among them. Otherwise they would have taken better
measures to stop us. Nevertheless they pursued with patience and
seemingly without fear. By and by they fell to shouting. They called
upon us to stop and yield ourselves prisoners. Then I heard one of them
say very distinctly that he did not want to shoot a woman. Mary Desmond
heard it too, for she said,--
"I ask no favor because I am a woman. If they should shoot me, ride on
with my message."
I did not think it wise to reply to this, but spoke encouragingly to her
horse. He was panting again, and his stride was shortening, but his
courage was still high. He was a good horse and true, and deserved to
bear so noble a burden.
Presently the girl's head fell lower upon the horse's neck, and I called
hastily to her, for I feared that she was fainting.
"'Twas only a passing weakness," she said, raising her head again. "I
have ridden far to-night; but I can ride farther."
The road again led through woods, and for a moment I thought of turning
aside into the forest; but reflection showed me that in all likelihood
we would become entangled among the trees, and then our capture would be
easy. So we galloped straight ahead, and soon passed the strip of wood,
which was but narrow. Then I looked back again, and saw that our
pursuers had gained. They were within easy musket-range now, and one of
the men, who had shown more forethought than the others and reloaded his
piece, fired at us. But the bullet touched neither horse nor rider, and
I laughed at the wildness of his aim. A little farther on a second shot
was fired at us, but, like the other, it failed of its mission.
Now I noted that the road was beginning to ascend slightly and that
farther on rose greater heights. This was matter of discouragement; but
Miss Desmond said briefly that beyond the hill-top the American
encampment lay. If we could keep our distance but a little while now,
her message would be delivered. Even in the hurry of our flight I
rejoiced that the sound of no fire-arms save those of our pursuers had
yet been heard, which was proof that the attack upon the Americans had
not yet been made.
The road curved a little now and became much steeper. Our pursuers set
up a cry of triumph. They were near enough now for us to hear them
encouraging each other, I could measure the distance very well, and I
saw that they were gaining faster than before. The crest of the hill was
still far ahead. These men must be reminded not to come too near, and I
drew my pistol from my belt.
As the men came into better view around the curve, I fired at the
leader. It chanced that my bullet missed him, but, what was a better
thing for us, struck his horse full in the head and killed him. The
stricken animal plunged forward, throwing his rider over his head. Two
or three other horsemen stumbled against him, and the entire troop was
thrown into confusion. I struck Miss Desmond's horse across the flank
with my empty pistol, and then treated my own in like fashion. If we
were wise, we would profit by the momentary check of our enemies, and I
wished to neglect no opportunity. Our good steeds answered to the call
as well as their failing strength would permit. The crest of the hill
lay not far before us now, and I felt sure that if we could but reach
it, the British would pursue us no farther.
But when I thought that triumph was almost achieved, Miss Desmond's
horse began to reel from side to side. He seemed about to fall from
weakness, for, of a truth, he had galloped far that night, and had done
his duty as well as the best horse that ever lived, be it Alexander's
Bucephalus or any other. Even now he strove painfully, and looked up the
hill with distended eyes, as if he knew where the goal lay. His rider
seemed smitten with an equal weakness, but she summoned up a little
remaining strength against it, and raised herself up for the final
struggle.
"Remember," she said again to me, "if I fail, as most like I will, you
are to ride on with my message."
"I have been called a traitor to-night," I said, "but I will not be
called the name I would deserve if I were to do that."
"It is for the cause," she said. "Ride and leave me."
"I will not leave you," I cried, thrilling with enthusiasm. "We will yet
deliver the message together."
She said no more, but sought to encourage her horse. The troopers had
recovered from their confusion, and, with their fresher mounts, were
gaining upon us in the most alarming manner. I turned and threatened
them with my empty pistol, and they drew back a little; but second
thought must have assured them that the weapon was not loaded, for they
laughed derisively and again pressed their horses to the utmost.
"Do as I say," cried Miss Desmond, her eyes flashing upon me. "Leave me
and ride on. There is naught else to do."
But my thought was to turn my horse in the path and lay about me with
the sword. I could hold the troopers while she made her escape with the
message that she had borne so far already. I drew the blade from the
scabbard and put a restraining hand upon my horse's rein.
"What would you do?" cried Miss Desmond.
"The only thing that is left for me to do," I replied.
"Not that!" she cried; "not that!" and made as if she would stop me.
But, even while her voice was yet ringing in my ears, a dozen rifles
flashed from the hill-top, a loud voice was heard encouraging men to
speedy action, and a troop came galloping forward to meet us. In an
instant the Englishmen who were not down had turned and were fleeing in
a panic of terror down the hill and over the plain.
"You are just in time, captain," cried Miss Desmond, as the leader of
the rescuing band, a large, dark man, came up. Then she reeled, and
would have fallen from her horse to the ground had not I sprung down and
caught her.