"Ah! home let him speed, for the spoiler is nigh!
Why flames the far summit? Why shoot to the blast
Those embers, like stars from the firmament cast?"
CAMPBELL'S "_Lochiel_."
As Arundel left the hostelry, whither he had returned after his
snap-chance, he observed the figure of a man, whom he had seen several
times during the day, standing at a distance in the street. Unless his
suspicions had been excited, he would probably have paid no attention
to the circumstance; but, in the present condition of his mind, he
could not avoid connecting the man's frequent appearance with himself.
It seemed, indeed, as if his motions were watched, though why, he knew
not. In order to satisfy himself whether it were so, he stopped when
he reached the edge of the forest, and, concealing himself, waited for
the purpose of ascertaining whether he were followed; but, after
remaining some time without seeing any person, he concluded that he
must be mistaken, and more leisurely resumed his walk.
The day had been one of exceeding warmth, which circumstance, in
connection with the excitement he had passed through, produced an
exhaustion that indisposed the young man to exertion. In consequence
of this, it was at a slow pace he proceeded, imagining any haste
unnecessary, and esteeming it a matter of indifference at what hour he
reached his destination. Hence it happened that the evening was
considerably advanced before he had passed over half the distance
which he had to go. He had advanced as far as the spot where he
encountered the panther, and was thinking of his peril then, and of
Sassacus, when he suddenly found himself surrounded by a number of
armed men, one of whom demanded his piece. Arundel instantly
recognised in the man who spoke, and appeared to be the leader, the
Assistant Spikeman; and, suspecting mischief wherever he was
concerned, and indignant at being stopped, refused to deliver up the
gun. The refusal was useless, for it was forthwith wrested violently
from his hands, after a struggle, in which he gave and received some
unimportant hurts.
"What means this outrage, Master Spikeman," demanded Arundel, "on one
in the king's peace, and quietly about his own business?"
"We desire your company," replied Spikeman. "It is out of our abundant
affection therefor that we have been so bold, and in consideration of
the motive, we pray you to pardon the offence."
"This is insulting one who is unable to defend himself," answered the
young man; "but be sure, Master Spikeman, that for this, and other
like favors, a day of bitter reckoning will come."
"Spare thy threats, beardless boy," said the Assistant, "and know that
what I do is not without warrant. Thy wisdom consists in submission,
for thou seest we have a force thou art unable to resist. But I may
not waste further words. Place the prisoner in the middle; watch him
closely; treat him well, if submissive; but should he attempt escape,
shoot him down. Forward!"
After these orders, the men started on, taking Arundel with them, who
entertained no purpose of flight, even though a favorable opportunity
should present itself.
If he had doubted at first whither the party were directing their
steps, the doubt was soon dissipated, and he became sure that it was
to the habitation of Sir Christopher. Meanwhile, he had been turning
over in his mind his observations through the day, and became
satisfied that he had been watched, and that the band by which he had
been captured was sent after him, and, by taking a course somewhat
different from his own, and hastening their speed, had succeeded in
throwing themselves in front, so as to cut him off from the Knight's
house, whither they rightly judged he was going. The determination was
obvious, he thought, that, for the present, there should be no
communication between Sir Christopher and himself.
Rapidly and in silence the party pushed on, until they came to the
small clearing surrounding the Knight's house. Here they halted, and
Spikeman placed his men around the open space so as completely to
surround it, with orders for half or their number to advance
simultaneously toward the centre, while the others remained in the
shadow of the wood. The manoeuvre was so skilfully executed, that it
was impossible for any one within the house to escape--the men
composing the circle, meeting at the same moment at the centre.
The deep silence of the night was first interrupted by the noise the
Assistant made on the door with the handle of his dagger.
"Who is there?" inquired the drowsy voice of one as if just awakened.
"A person demanding admission," answered Spikeman.
"I know that, else would you not be knocking. Very well; abide a
moment till I don some clothing and I will open, when we will become
better acquainted."
Accordingly, in a few moments the door was opened, and Spikeman, with
half a dozen men, rushed into the house, leaving the others to guard
the exterior. Philip Joy (for it was he) was instantly seized, and
ordered to tell where the Knight was to be found.
"It is easier to ask questions than to get answers," said Philip. "For
me, I never could speak plain till I had been awake a half hour or
so."
"Sirrah!" cried Spikeman, sternly; "trifle not, or I will have thee
scourged within sight of the gates of death. Answer--where is Sir
Christopher Gardiner?"
"An' I knew I would not tell thee," replied Philip. "Make no ugly
faces at me, Master Spikeman, for it is of no use. Look for yourself,
an' you like."
"He cannot avoid us, if he be in the house," said Spikeman, turning
away. "Here, Ephraim," he added, addressing one of the men; "come thou
with me. We will waste no more words with this fellow, but see whither
this door leads."
"Stop!" exclaimed Philip; "it is the passage to the chamber of the
Lady Geraldine."
"Forward! Ephraim," cried Spikeman; "we cannot be delayed in this way.
Heed not his clamor."
By the light of the tallow candles, which they had brought with them,
the two proceeded, in spite of the remonstrances of the soldier. The
door admitting into the larger apartment of the lady, and into which
we were introduced at our first acquaintance with her, was open, but
the inner door to her own private chamber was barred. A slight
rustling was heard within, as they listened, as of one putting on
clothing.
"We have tracked the fox to his den," whispered Spikeman. "Open
instantly," he added, aloud, "or we will burst in the door."
"Who are ye," inquired a woman's voice, "who, in the dead of night,
assail the rest of innocent folk?"
"Open at once," cried Spikeman, impatiently, "or we will tear down the
house."
"I will not open," said the voice. "That were to assist you in your
lawless proceedings. I may be murdered, but will lend no aid to my
murderers."
"Silly woman," said the Assistant, who felt unwilling to resort to
violence with a woman, believing that his prey was perfectly secure
within--"silly woman, we are no murderers. I require thee, by
authority of the Commonwealth, to unbar the door."
"Ye cannot be officers of the State," answered the woman, "else would
ye not proceed thus rudely. Ye are robbers and assassins."
"We must not stand here trifling," said Spikeman. "Throw thyself
against the door, Ephraim, and burst it in, since we are resisted."
His companion, accordingly, endeavored, by flinging the whole weight
of his person against the barrier, wherein he was assisted by his
superior, to break it down; but in vain, the stout planks defeating
all their efforts.
"Bring an axe, quickly!" cried Spikeman. "We will try the virtue of
steel blows."
Under the repeated strokes of the axe, wielded by brawny arms, the
strong door presently fell with a crash into the room, and stepping
over its fragments, the assailants stood in the presence of the
occupants. By a taper, which was burning on a small table, the
apartment was sufficiently lighted to make all objects visible, though
indistinctly.
The dimensions of the room could not exceed a square of twelve feet.
The sides, which rose to a height of perhaps eight feet, were hung all
around with a black cloth, and overhead the same covering was
extended. The furniture consisted of only a chair or two, and of the
table above mentioned. In the centre stood the tall form of sister
Celestina, clothed in garments as black as the drapery which
surrounded her, and holding by the hand, the little Indian girl
Neebin. Without stopping to notice them, Spikeman and Ephraim
immediately commenced searching, with drawn rapiers, behind the
hangings. The cloth, on being withdrawn, exposed to view nothing but
unhewn logs, and a recess of a few feet, containing a rude couch.
During the search, which was soon completed, the lady remained
standing, with the little girl by her side, viewing the proceedings in
silence, and with an air of offended dignity.
"What seek ye?" she demanded, when, with looks of disappointment, the
men desisted. "Tell me, that I may render you that assistance whereof
ye seem to stand in need."
"Madam," answered Spikeman, "where is Sir Christopher Gardiner? It is
him we seek."
"And is it in my sleeping apartment, audacious wretch, that you expect
to find him?" exclaimed the lady. "Your question is a greater insult
than your violence."
"Madam," replied the Assistant, "it behooves you to be careful of your
language. Ephraim," he added, turning to his companion, "do thou
inquire without, whether the Knight be taken. He may have leaped from
the window."
Upon Ephraim's departure, Spikeman again addressed the lady.
"Madam," he said, "I know that the work wherein I am engaged is
ungracious. Sad is the necessity which compels me to invade the
retirement of a lady whom I hold in all honor and respect, and who has
it in her power to make our whole Commonwealth her grateful debtors."
"Speak quickly, sir," said the lady, "that I may the sooner be rid of
your intrusive presence."
"You know me not, madam, nor my kind intentions, else would you not
indulge this scorn."
"If to break open the house of a defenceless woman at midnight, to
batter down the door of her chamber, to intrude therein, and to insult
her, besides, with base suspicions, be your kindness, what must be
your cruelty?"
"Necessity, madam--necessity must be our excuse. We will have Sir
Christopher Gardiner, dead or alive. Judge by the importance which we
attach to his capture, how great will be our gratitude, and the reward
of him who shall enable us to lay hands on the traitor."
"He is no traitor, base slanderer. Thou hadst never dared to utter
these injurious words in his presence."
"I would he were in presence," said Spikeman, sternly, "and you would
soon be convinced of the contrary. But more plainly, madam. Let me
entreat you, for your own sake, to disclose the hiding-place of this
man, and to deliver to me his papers, for only by so doing can you
escape severe and dreadful punishment."
A deeper pallor overspread the pale face of the lady, but recovering
herself she said--
"If I understand thee aright, thou dost seek to make me an accomplice
of thy crime."
"It is no crime, but an acceptable deed, to deliver a criminal to
justice, to suffer for his deserts. On such conditions, and on such
only, can I promise immunity for thyself."
"Justice! I trust not the justice of a State, where such as thou bear
rule. Ye know not the meaning of the word. Sacred heaven! what would
you have me do? Betray into your toils an innocent man, that I may
avoid, I know not what consequences! Infamous tempter, I spurn thee!
And know, that were I capable of such inexpressible shame, I could not
commit it. I know not where is Sir Christopher."
But, evidently, Spikeman placed no confidence in the denial. He strode
across the room, as though reflecting on some subject, and then
stepping up to the lady, bent over, and whispered some inaudible words
into her ear.
"It is false. Holy Virgin!" she exclaimed, forgetting herself in the
excitement of feeling, "must I bear this? Leave me! leave me! Rid me
of your hateful presence! The room is full of horrid shapes since you
came in."
"Ha! madam," cried Spikeman, "you have betrayed yourself. I have your
secret, and will find means to force you to speak the truth, ere I am
quit of you," and scowling malignantly, he left the apartment.
The excitement which had hitherto sustained the lady, seemed now to
desert her, and she sunk upon a seat. Sobs broke from her bosom, and
tears, which she vainly tried to restrain, streamed down her cheeks.
"O, holy Virgin," she murmured--"immaculate lady, whose heart was
pierced with so many sorrows, help me to bear my own. This is the
sorest trial of all. Without thy preventing grace, divine Mary, I
shall sink under it. Intercede with thy dear son for me."
The little Indian girl, who, during the whole time while Spikeman
remained, had stood by the lady's side, showing no apprehension
whatever, but listening attentively to every word, and following each
motion with her keen eyes, now kneeled down by the lady, and looking
into her face, said--
"Do not cry, lady. Owanux have not found the book with the pretty
pictures, nor the man with the sweet face, with his eyes shut, and his
head falling on one side, upon his shoulder, who makes Neebin feel
like crying when she looks at him; and Sir Christopher is gone away,
so that they cannot catch him."
"Dear Neebin," said the lady, "thine are timely words of consolation.
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings," she added, looking up, "dost
thou ordain strength. I will be grateful for these mercies, nor allow
a weakness to overcome me again."
The lady now, with more care, adjusted her garments, which, when
wakened by the noise made at the entrance of the band into the house,
she had hastily thrown on, and smoothed down the hair that, without a
curl, lay on her temples. She paid the same attention to Neebin, and
then, crossing her hands, sat down to await what should follow.
"Has any thing been heard or seen of him whom we seek?" demanded
Spikeman of a soldier, as he entered the room wherein he had left Joy.
"Nothing, so please you," answered the man; "and Philip here says that
our search will be bootless, for that he is not in the house."
"A fine soldier thou, and a shrewd," said Spikeman, contemptuously,
"to trust what a prisoner may say! Call me Lieutenant Venn."
The soldier went out, and presently returned with the lieutenant.
"Hast thou discovered nothing on thy watch on the outside?" inquired
Spikeman.
"We invested the building so closely," answered Venn, "that had a
mouse attempted to run away, we had seen and captured it; but no sound
has broken the silence, nor aught met our sight."
"Has the whole interior been thoroughly searched?"
"But short time does it require to unshell the kernel of a nut like
this," returned the officer, looking round; "and Cowlson reports to me
that everything in it, save in the woman's quarters, (which his
modesty did not permit him to search,) is as well known to him as the
contents of his own cabin."
"I fear that the principal object of our undertaking is defeated,"
said Spikeman, with a look, of disappointment.
"Yea," said the officer, "the prey hath escaped even as a bird from
the snare. What is to be done now, seeing that Sir Christopher is not
to be found?"
Spikeman did not hesitate, for he had been considering the course to
be adopted in the contingency, and he therefore promptly answered--
"We have not entirely failed. We have at least the woman, and
important information may be obtained from her. The hope of working
her deliverance, or of making terms with us on her account, may also
induce the Knight to put himself in our power."
"I like not," said Venn, "a foray, whose achievement is the making
prisoners of Miles Arundel, of honest Philip, and of a sorrowful-looking
woman. Meseems it redounds but little to the credit of a file of twenty
men."
"I understand not," continued Spikeman, as though the remark failed to
reach him, "by what means the man was apprised of our design. Or it
may be, that, by mere chance, he is absent; for some evil purpose,
doubtless. It will, however, avail him nothing, for sooner or later he
must fall into our net. I have lingered in the hope that he might
return and be caught by the men on the margin of the wood--a hope I
give not up yet, and, therefore, perhaps it were better to wait
awhile."
"I pray you, sir," said Lieutenant Venn, "to do me a pleasure in one
thing. Delay not our departure until it be so late that the sun is
risen when we enter Boston. I confess to some shame on account of this
night's work, and desire that what was begun in darkness may be ended
in like manner."
"What fanciful follies be these?" said Spikeman. "Art thou degraded by
any service which promotes the interests of the Commonwealth?"
"Nevertheless, be it a fanciful folly or grave wisdom, I will take the
liberty to iterate the request, and will hold myself indebted if it be
granted."
"Surely," said Spikeman, "it is a light thing, and because you wish
it, it shall be done. Call in the men from the margin of the clearing,
and we will begin preparations for return."
Let no surprise be felt at the character of the conversation betwixt
the superior and inferior officer, and at the influence exercised by
the latter over the former. The men under the command of the Assistant
for the occasion were not regular soldiers but ordinary citizens;
liable, it is true, to be called out at any moment to do military duty
whenever an exigency arose, but without being subject to any very
strict discipline. The most of them were voters, and hence a source of
power, and therefore to be courted by any one ambitious of political
distinction. Such an one was the Assistant, and he stood in about the
same relation to his men that a modern militia captain, who is
desirous of civil office, does to his company of soldiers, and who,
through fear of giving offence and so losing the object of his
aspirations, is obliged to relax the strictness of military rule.
On receiving the order, Lieutenant Venn started off to execute it,
and, as soon as he was gone, Spikeman took Ephraim Pike aside.
"Ephraim," he said, "the badger may lie hid in some cunning place of
concealment in the house, and after all laugh at our simplicity at our
departure without him."
"That can hardly be," said Pike. "The house has been thoroughly
searched, and I would pledge my life the Knight is not in it."
"Verily thou mayest be right, yet is there a possibility of mistake.
Ephraim, with our hands on the plough, we will not look back. We must
burn this nest of hornets, and should the Knight of the Melice be
burned with it, there will be no harm done."
"I suppose," said Ephraim, rather sulkily, "this is a service you want
to put on my shoulders, but an' you wish to burn the house, you can
burn it yourself."
"That can I not do," answered Spikeman. "The thing must be done
secretly, so that it may appear the consequence of some accident. Were
I to absent myself I should be missed, but thou canst do it without
suspicion."
"And suppose it done, what then?" asked Pike.
"Thou shalt have a gold piece for that which costs thee but little
trouble and no risk."
"How shall it be done?"
"I will presently take all the inmates of the cabin with us on our
return. After we have gone a few rods, do thou retrace thy steps and
fire the building, and hurry back immediately."
"But should I be missed?"
"There is little probability of that; but thou knowest me, Ephraim,
and can be certain that I will be able to account satisfactorily
therefor should it happen."
"Yea, I do know thee," said Ephraim to himself, "for as cunning a one
as Beelzebub himself; but thou hast never failed me, and I will trust
thee yet again. I will do the thing," he said aloud, "since thy mind
is set thereon; but it rubs mightily against the grain."
"Thou shalt not repent it," replied Spikeman. "We are in some sort
confederates, and our fates are so interwoven that thy fortunes depend
on mine."
With these prophetic words the Assistant left his coadjutor, and
returning to the apartment of the lady, requested her to prepare
herself and the Indian child to accompany him. She made no reply, and,
on his departure, sat some little time pondering what it became her to
do; after which, she rose and prepared some articles of clothing.
Spikeman soon re-appeared, and directing one of his soldiers to carry
the clothing, begged the lady to follow him. This she did without
objection, holding the girl by the hand, and appearing indifferent to
all that happened. She found Arundel and Joy, with a number of strange
persons, in the largest room of the building, preparing for departure.
The countenances of the two men expressed the indignation which they
felt, but they were obliged to content themselves with the offer of
such services, as their situation permitted. This the lady graciously
acknowledged in a few words, but seemed more inclined to indulge in
her own private thoughts than to encourage any conversation. They all
left the house together, and, when in the open air, were committed to
the special guard of half a dozen of the party, who composed the
centre; and, in this order, led by Spikeman, the cavalcade commenced
their march. They had proceeded at a slow pace, on account of the
females, and in silence, broken only by an occasional question and
answer, for perhaps half an hour, when one of the men observed that
either the moon had risen or the morning was breaking.
"There is no moon, Cowlson," said a soldier; "nor, according to my
reckoning, can it be much past midnight. The light ye see comes from
the North; and, an' it were winter, I should think it was the shooting
of the Northern lights."
"These be no Northern lights, nor Southern, nor moon, nor morning,"
said another. "An' it be not a fire, my name is not Job Bloyce."
"How can it be a fire?" said Ephraim Pike, who had contrived to join
the band without his absence being noticed, after accomplishing his
purpose. "There is nothing in that direction but the house we just
left, and sure it cannot be that."
"I know not," said Spikeman. "It may be the work of the desperate man
whom we failed to take, and who has done the deed, in order to throw
disgrace in some sort on us."
"That is a strange supposition," said Lieutenant Venn. "A man would
hardly be likely to destroy his own property."
"Not without some malicious design, I grant ye; but that were motive
sufficient with Sir Christopher. Besides, what is it he would burn up
but a heap of old logs, whose whole value could scarcely exceed ten
pounds?"
By this time the fire had gained such an ascendancy over the building,
as to throw a light which could no longer be mistaken, and all were
satisfied that it must proceed from the habitation of the Knight. The
majority of the men adopted, without reflection, the idea thrown out
by the wily Assistant, but there were others who were unable to
satisfy themselves as easily.