XII
I found the door, and D'ri flung our "duds" into the darkness thatlay beyond it. Then he made down the ladder, and I after him. Itwas pitch-dark in the cellar--a deep, dank place with a rank odorof rotting potatoes. We groped our way to a corner, and stoodlistening. We heard the tramp of horses in the dooryard and theclinic of spurs on the stone step.
"Ah, my good woman," said a man with a marked English accent, "haveyou seen any Yankees? Woods are full of them around here. No?Well, by Jove! you're a good-looking woman. Will you give me akiss?" He crossed the floor above us, and she was backing away.
"Come, come, don't be so shy, my pretty woman," said he, and thenwe could hear her struggling up and down the floor. I was climbingthe ladder, in the midst of it, my face burning with anger, andD'ri was at my heels. As the door opened, I saw she had fallen.The trooper was bending to kiss her. I had him by the collar andhad hauled him down before he discovered us. In a twinkling D'rihad stripped him of sword and pistol. But it was one of the mosthopeless situations in all my life. Many muzzles were pointing atus through the door and window. Another hostile move from eitherwould have ended our history then and there. I let go and stoodback. The man got to his feet--a handsome soldier in the fulluniform of a British captain.
"Ah, there's a fine pair!" he said coolly, whipping a leg of histrousers with his glove. "I 'll teach you better manners, my youngfellow. Some o' those shipwrecked Yankees," he added, turning tohis men. "If they move without an order, pin 'em up to the wall."
He picked up his hat leisurely, stepping in front of D'ri.
"Now, my obliging friend," said he, holding out his hand, "I'lltrouble you for my sword and pistol."
D'ri glanced over at me, an ugly look in his eye. He would havefought to his death then and there if I had given him the word. Hewas game to the core when once his blood was up, the same old D'ri.
"He would have fought to his death then and there ifI had given him the word."]
"Don't fight," I said.
He had cocked the pistol, and stood braced, the sword in his righthand. I noticed a little quiver in the great sinews of his wrist.I expected to see that point of steel shoot, with a quick stab,into the scarlet blouse before me.
"Shoot 'n' be damned!" said D'ri. "'Fore I die ye'll hev a hole ertew 'n thet air karkiss o' yourn. Sha'n't give up no weepon tillye've gin me yer word ye 'll let thet air woman alone."
I expected a volley then. A very serious look came over the faceof the captain. He wiped his brow with a handkerchief. I couldsee that he had been drinking.
"Ah, I see! You have an interest in her. Well, my man, I want noshare in your treasures. I accept the condition."
Evil as was the flavor of this poor concession, D'ri made the bestof it.
"She's an honest woman for all I know," said he, handing over theweapons. "Ain't a-goin' t' see no ledy mishused--nut ef I can helpit."
We gave ourselves up hand and foot to the enemy; there was no wayout of it. I have read in the story-books how men of great nerveand skill have slaughtered five to one, escaping with no great lossof blood. Well, of a brave man I like to believe good things. Myown eyes have seen what has made me slow to doubt a story ofprowess that has even the merit of possibility. But when there areonly two of you, and one without arms, and you are in a corner, andthere are ten pistols pointing at you a few feet away, and as manysabres ready to be drawn, I say no power less remarkable than thatof God or a novelist can bring you out of your difficulty. Youhave your choice of two evils--surrender or be cut to pieces. Wehad neither of us any longing to be slashed with steel and boredwith bullets, and to no end but a good epitaph.
They searched the cellar and found our clothes, and wrapped them ina bundle. Then they tied our hands behind us and took us along theroad on which I had lately ridden. A crowd came jeering to thehighway as we passed the little village. It was my great fear thatsomebody would recognize either one or both of us.
Four of our men were sitting in a guardhouse at the British camp.After noon mess a teamster drove up with a big wagon. Guards cameand shackled us in pairs, D'ri being wrist to wrist with me. Theyput a chain and ball on D'ri's leg also. I wondered why, for noother was treated with like respect. Then they bundled us allinto the wagon, now surrounded by impatient cavalry. They put ablindfold over the eyes of each prisoner, and went away at a livelypace. We rode a long time, as it seemed to me, and by and by Iknew we had come to a city, for I could hear the passing of manywagons and the murmur of a crowd. Some were shouting, "Shoot thed--d Yankees!" and now and then a missile struck among us. Thereis nothing so heartless and unthinking as a crowd, the world over.I could tell presently, by the creak of the evener and the strokeof the hoofs, that we were climbing a long hill. We stoppedshortly; then they began helping us out. They led us forward a fewpaces, the chain rattling on a stone pavement. When we heard thebang of an iron door behind us, they unlocked the heavy fetter.This done, they led us along a gravel walk and over a soundingstretch of boards,--a bridge, I have always thought,--throughanother heavy door and down a winding flight of stone steps. Theyled us on through dark passages, over stone paving, and halted us,after a long walk, letting our eyes free. We were in blackdarkness. There were two guards before and two behind us bearingcandles. They unshackled us, and opened a lattice door of heavyiron, bidding us enter. I knew then that we were going into adungeon, deep under the walls of a British fort somewhere on thefrontier. A thought stung me as D'ri and I entered this black holeand sat upon a heap of straw. Was this to be the end of ourfighting and of us?
"You can have a candle a day," said a guard as he blew out the onehe carried, laying it, with a tinder-box, on a shelf in the wall ofrock beside me. Then they filed out, and the narrow door shut witha loud bang. We peered through at the fading flicker of thecandles. They threw wavering, ghostly shadows on every wall of thedark passage, and suddenly went out of sight. We both stoodlistening a moment.
"Curse the luck!" I whispered presently.
"Jest as helpless es if we was hung up by the heels," said D'ri,groping his way to the straw pile. "Ain' no use gittin' wrathy."
"What 'll we do?" I whispered.
"Dunno," said he; "an' when ye dunno whut t' dew, don' dew nuthin'.Jest stan' still; thet's whut I b'lieve in."
He lighted the candle, and went about, pouring its glow upon everywall and into every crack and corner of our cell--a small chamberset firm in masonry, with a ceiling so far above our heads we couldsee it but dimly, the candle lifted arm's-length.
"Judas Priest!" said D'ri, as he stopped the light with thumb andfinger. "I 'm goin' t' set here 'n th' straw luk an ol' hen 'n'ile up m' thinker 'n' set 'er goin'. One o' them kind hes t' keep'is mouth shet er he can't never dew ho thinkin'. Bymby, like esnot, I 'll hev suthin' t1 say et 'll 'mount t' suthin'."
We lay back on the straw in silence. I did a lot of thinking thatbrought me little hope. Thoughts of Louison and Louise soon led meout of prison. After a little time I went philandering in thegroves of the baroness with the two incomparable young ladies. Iwould willingly have stood for another bullet if I could have hadanother month of their company. The next thought of my troublescame with the opening of the iron door. I had been sound asleep.A guard came in with water and a pot of stewed beef and potatoes.
"Thet air's all right," said D'ri, dipping into it with a spoon.
We ate with a fine relish, the guard, a sullen, silent man with arough voice that came out of a bristling mustache, standing by thedoor.
"Luk a-here," said D'ri to the guard as we finished eating, "I wantt' ast you a question. Ef you hed a purty comf'table hum ont'other side, 'n' few thousan' dollars 'n the bank, 'n' bosses 'n'everything fixed fer a good time, 'n' all uv a sudden ye foundyerself 'n sech a gol-dum dungeon es this here, what 'u'd you dew?"
The guard was fixing the wick of his candle, and made no answer.
"Want ye t' think it all over," said D'ri. "
See ef ye can't thinko' suthin' soothin' t' say. God knows we need it."
The guard went away without answering.
"Got him thinkin'," said D'ri, as he lighted the candle. "He canhelp us some, mebbe. Would n't wonder ef he was good et cipherin'."
"If he offered to take the two thousand, I don't see how we'd giveit to him," said I. "He would n't take our promise for it."
"Thet ain' a-goin' t' bother us any," said D'ri. "Hed thet allfiggered out long ago."
He gave me the candle and lay down, holding his ear close to thestone floor and listening. Three times he shifted his ear from onepoint to another. Then he beckoned to me.
"Jest hol' yer ear there 'n' listen," he whispered.
I gave him the candle, and with my ear to the floor I could hearthe flow of water below us. The sound went away in the distanceand then out of hearing. "After a while it came again.
"What does it mean?" I asked.
"Cipherin' a leetle over thet air," said he, as he made a longscratch on the floor with his flint. Then he rubbed his chin,looking down at it. "Hain' jest eggzac'ly med up my mind yit," headded.
We blew out the light and lay back, whispering. Then presently weheard the coming of footsteps. Two men came to the door with acandle, one being the guard we knew.
"Come, young fellow," said the latter, as he unlocked the door andbeckoned to me; "they want you upstairs."
We both got to our feet.
"Not you," he growled, waving D'ri back. "Not ready fer you yet."
He laid hold of my elbow and snapped a shackle on my wrist. Thenthey led me out, closing the door with a bang that echoed in thefar reaches of the dark alley, and tied a thick cloth over my eyes.
"Good luck!" D'ri cried out as they took me away.
"For both," I answered as cheerfully as I could.
They led me through winding passages and iron doors, with thathorrible clank of the prison latch, and up flights of stone till Ifelt as lost as one might who falls whirling in the air from agreat height. We soon came out upon a walk of gravel, where Icould feel the sweet air blowing into my face. A few minutes moreand we halted, where the guard, who had hold of my elbow, rang abell. As the door swung open they led me in upon a soft carpet.Through the cloth I could see a light.
"Bring him in, bring him in!" a voice commanded impatiently--adeep, heavy voice the sound of which I have not yet forgotten. Theguard was afraid of it. His hand trembled as he led me on.
"Take off the blindfold," said that voice again.
As it fell away, I found myself in a large and beautiful room. Myeyes were dazzled by the light of many candles, and for a little Ihad to close them. I stood before two men. One sat facing me at ablack table of carved oak--a man of middle age, in the uniform of aBritish general. Stout and handsome, with brown eyes, dark hairand mustache now half white, and nose aquiline by the least turn,he impressed me as have few men that ever crossed my path. A youngman sat lounging easily in a big chair beside him, his legscrossed, his delicate fingers teasing a thin mustache. I noticedthat his hands were slim and hairy. He glanced up at me as soon asI could bear the light. Then he sat looking idly at the carpet,
The silence of the room was broken only by the scratch of a quillin the hand of the general. I glanced about me. On the wall was alarge painting that held my eye: there was something familiar inthe face. I saw presently it was that of the officer I had foughtin the woods, the one who fell before me. I turned my head; theyoung man was looking up at me. A smile had parted his lips. Theywere the lips of a rake, it seemed to me. A fine set of teethshowed between them.
"Do you know him?" he asked coolly.
"I have not the honor," was my reply.
"What is your name?" the general demanded in the deep tone I hadheard before.
"Pardon me," said the young man, quietly, as if he were now wearyof the matter, "I do not think it necessary."
There was a bit of silence. The general looked thoughtfully at theyoung man.
"If your Lordship will let me--" he went on.
"My dear sir," the other interrupted, in the same weary andlethargic manner, "I can get more reliable knowledge from othersources. Let the fellow go back."
"That will do," said the general to the guard, who then covered myeyes and led me back to prison.
Lying there in the dark, I told D'ri all I knew of my mysteriousjourney. My account of the young man roused him to the soul.
"Wha' kind uv a nose hed he?" he inquired.
"Roman," I said.
"Bent in at the p'int a leetle?"
"Yes."
"And black hair shingled short?"
"Yes."
"An' tall, an' a kind uv a nasty, snookin', mis'able-lookin' cuss?"
"Just about the look of him," I said.
"Judas Priest! He's one o' them sneks et tuk me when you wasfightin' t' other feller over there 'n the woods."
"Looks rather bad for us," I remarked.
"Does hev a ruther squeaky luk tew it," said he. "All we got t'dew is t' keep breathin' jest es nat'ral 'n' easy es can be till wefergit how. May fool 'em fust they know."
I had a high notion, those days, of the duty of a soldier. Myfather had always told me there was no greater glory for anybodythan that of a brave death. Somehow the feeling got to be part ofme. While I had little fear of death, I dreaded to be shot like afelon. But I should be dying for my country, and that feelingseemed to light the shadows. When I fell asleep, after much worry,it was to dream of my three countrymen who had fallen to theirfaces there by the corn. I awoke to find the guard in our cell,and D'ri and he whispering together. He had come with ourbreakfast.
"All I want," D'ri was saying, "is a piece of iron, with a sharpend, half es long es yer arm."
He made no answer, that big, sullen, bull-dog man who brought ourfood to us. When he had gone, D'ri lay over and began laughingunder his breath.
"His thinker's goin' luk a sawmill," he whispered. "Would n'twonder ef it kep' 'im awake nights. He was askin' 'bout thet airtew thousan' dollars. Ef they 'll let us alone fer three days, we'll be out o' here. Now, you mark my word."
"How?" I inquired.
"Jest a leetle job o' slidin' downhill," he said. "There's a bigdrain-pipe goes under this cell--t' the river, prob'ly. He saysit's bigger 'n a barrel."
We saved our candle that day, and walked up and down, from wall towall, for exercise. Our hopes were high when we heard footsteps,but they fell suddenly, for, as we listened, we could hear thetramp of a squad of men. They came to our cell, and took usupstairs, blind-folded as before, to a bath-room, where theuniforms, discarded the day of our capture, were waiting for us,newly pressed. Our bath over, they directed us to put them on.They gave us new hats, for our own had been lost the night of thewreck, covered our eyes, and led us through many doors and alleysinto the open air. It was dark, I knew, for as we entered acarriage I could see dimly the glow of a lantern hanging over thewheel. The carriage went away swiftly on a level road. We satknee to knee, with two men facing us, and not a word was spoken.We could hear hoofs falling, the rattle of bit and rein, the creakof saddle-leather on each side of us. We must have gone a longjourney when the carriage halted. They pulled us out roughly andled us up three steps and across a deep veranda. A bell rang, adoor swung open, a flood of light fell on us, filtering to oureyes. Entering, we could feel a carpet under us, and took a dozenpaces or more before they bade us halt. We heard only thelow-spoken order and the soft tread of our feet. There was a deadsilence when they removed our fetters and unbound our eyes. Wewere standing in a big and sumptuous drawing-room. A company ofgentlemen sat near us in arm-chairs; there were at least a score ofthem. Round tables of old mahogany stood near, on which wereglasses and packs of cards and wine-bottles. The young man who satwith the general and answered to "your Lordship" was approachingme, hand extended.
"Glad to see you; sit down," he said in the same quiet, languid,forceful tone I had
heard before.
It was all very odd. The guards were gone; we were apparently asfree as any of them.
"I shall try to make you comfortable," he remarked. A servantbegan filling a row of glasses. "We have here wine and wit and allthe accessories, including women. I should introduce you, but Ihave not the honor of your acquaintance. Let it suffice to saythese are my friends" (he turned to those who sat about), "and,gentlemen, these are my enemies," he added, turning to us. "Let ushope they may die happy."
"And with a fighting chance," I added, lifting the glass withouttasting it.
D'ri sat, his brows lifted, his hands in his pockets, his legscrossed. He looked curiously from one to another.
"Horton," said his Lordship, as he sat down, leaning lazily on thearm of his chair, "will you have them bring down the prisoners?"
The servant left the room. Some of the men were talking togetherin low tones; they were mostly good-looking and well dressed.
"Gentlemen," said his Lordship, rising suddenly, "I'm going to turnyou out of here for a moment--they're a shy lot. Won't you go intothe library?"
They all rose and went out of a door save one, a bald man of middleage, half tipsy, who begged of his "Ludship" the privilege ofremaining.
"Sir Charles," said the young man, still lounging in his chair ashe spoke, in that cold, calm tone of his, "you annoy me. Go atonce!" and he went.
They covered our faces with napkins of white linen. Then we heardheavy steps, the clank of scabbards on a stairway, the feet ofladies, and the swish of their gowns. With a quick movement ourfaces were uncovered. I rose to my feet, for there before me stoodLouison and the Baroness de Ferre, between two guards, and, behindthem, Louise, her eyes covered, her beautiful head bent low. Icould see that she was crying. The truth came to me in a flash ofthought. They had been taken after we left; they were prisonersbrought here to identify us. A like quickness of perception hadapparently come to all. We four stood looking at one another withno sign of recognition. My face may have shown the surprise andhorror in me, but shortly I had recovered my stony calm. Theladies were dressed finely, with the taste and care I had so muchadmired. Louison turned away from me with a splendid dignity andstood looking up at the wall, her hands behind her, a toe of oneshoe tapping the floor impatiently. It was a picture to remember alifetime. I could feel my pulse quicken as I looked upon her. Thebaroness stood, sober-faced, her eyes looking down, her fan movingslowly. His Lordship rose and came to Louise.
"Come, now, my pretty prisoner; it is disagreeable, but you mustforgive me," he said.
"Come, now, my pretty prisoner; it is disagreeable,but you must forgive me."]
She turned away from him, drying her eyes. Then presently theirbeauty shone upon me.
"Grace au ciel!" she exclaimed, a great joy in her eyes and voice."It is M'sieur Bell. Sister--baroness--it is M'sieur Bell!"
I advanced to meet her, and took her hand, kissing it reverently.She covered her face, her hand upon my shoulder, and wept insilence. If it meant my death, I should die thanking God I knew,or thought I knew, that she loved me.
"Ah, yes; it is M'sieur Bell--poor fellow!" said Louison, comingquickly to me. "And you, my dear, you are Ma'm'selle Louise."
She spoke quickly in French, as if quite out of patience with thepoor diplomacy of her sister.
"I knew it was you, for I saw the emerald on your finger," sheadded, turning to me, "but I could not tell her."
"I am glad, I am delighted, that she spoke to me," I said. Idesired to save the fair girl, whose heart was ever as a child's,any sorrow for what she had done. "I was about to speak myself.It is so great a pleasure to see you all I could not longer enduresilence."
"They made us prisoners; they bring us here. Oh, m'sieur, it isterrible!" said the baroness.
"And he is such a horrible-looking monkey!" said Louison.
"Do they treat you well?" I asked.
"We have a big room and enough to eat. It is not a bad prison, butit is one terrible place," said the baroness. "There is a bigwall; we cannot go beyond it."
"And that hairy thing! He is in love with Louise. He swears hewill never let us go," said Louison, in a whisper, as she cameclose to me, "unless--unless she will marry him."
"Ah! a tea-party," said his Lordship, coming toward us. "Pardonthe interruption. I have promised to return these men at nine. Itis now ten minutes of the hour. Ladies, I wish you all a very goodnight."
He bowed politely. They pressed my hand, leaving me with suchanxiety in their faces that I felt it more than my own peril,Louison gave me a tender look out of her fine eyes, and the thoughtof it was a light to my soul in many an hour of darkness. She hadseemed so cool, so nonchalant, I was surprised to feel the tremorin her nerves. I knew not words to say when Louise took my hand.
"Forgive me--good-by!" said she.
It was a faint whisper out of trembling lips. I could see her soulin her face then. It was lighted with trouble and a nobler beautythan I had ever seen. It was full of tenderness and pity andthings I could not understand.
"Have courage!" I called as they went away.
I was never in such a fierce temper as when, after they had goneabove-stairs, I could hear one of them weeping. D'ri stood quietlybeside me, his arms folded.
"Whut ye goin' t' dew with them air women?" he asked, turning tothe young man.
"I beg you will give me time to consider," said his Lordship,calmly, as he lighted a cigarette.
There was a quick move in the big tower of bone and muscle besideme. I laid hold of D'ri's elbow and bade him stop, or I fear hisLordship's drawing-room, his Lordship, and ourselves wouldpresently have had some need of repair. Four guards who seemed tobe waiting in the hall entered hurriedly, the shackles in hand.
"No haste," said his Lordship, more pleasantly than ever. "Standby and wait my orders."
"D' ye wan' t' know whut I think o' you?" said D'ri, looking downat him, his eyes opening wide, his brow wrinkling into long furrows.
"I make a condition," said his Lordship: "do not flatter me."
"Yer jest a low-lived, mis'able, wuthless pup," said D'ri,
"Away with them!" said his Lordship, flicking the ashes off acigarette as he rose and walked hurriedly out of the room.