CHAPTER XXIV
THE RESCUE
The sight that had so suddenly shocked Major Dale and his helpers wasindeed appalling.
Within the secret room they had found a man, not a ghost nor a demon, buta sick, almost helpless old man--the once popular Captain Mayberry.
At a glance it was plain he was in hiding in the wretched place, and thesurroundings showed he had food and some of life's necessities withinreach, although the very rats, whose presence were painfully evident, musthave enjoyed a keener advantage in the mansion, once proud of the name"Mayberry."
Frightened almost into convulsions, the decrepit old man fell back into acorner, his eyes glaring with the unmistakable gleam of insanity, and histeeth chattering terribly.
A stove, barely alive with heat, served to shelter him from the intruders,for he managed to get behind the old piece of iron, and there crouched andshuddered.
"Come, come!" said Major Dale as quickly as he could command his voice."Don't you know me? Look! I'm Dale--of the Guards--come to save you, Cap.We have no wish to frighten you!"
"Save me!" hissed the old man. "Go away! I'm crazy--crazy!"
"Not a bit of it," answered the major, stepping nearer to the stove. "Comealong. We are snowbound, and had to come in uninvited."
Assured that the specter was a man and nothing more nor less, Tom hadhurried back to reassure the girls. Nat turned his attention to old Abe,and, between scolding and explaining, finally succeeded in quieting thecolored man's fears. But the major kept close to the lunatic--for such hetook Captain Mayberry to be.
"And don't you remember me?" he kept asking, satisfied that a gleam ofrecognition did pass over the wrinkled face that now peered out into theglare of the lamp from the Fire Bird. "Come! We are hungry, and you aretoo, I'll wager. Let's have mess. Rations are plenty to-night."
Crawling like some animal, the old man was finally persuaded to come outfrom behind the stove.
Major Dale laid his hand on the arm of Captain Mayberry.
"GO AWAY--I'M CRAZY, CRAZY!"--_Page_ 220.]
"Just out here," directed the major, leading the trembling one. "You see,we have taken possession of your house. Tell me how you feel? How youare?"
Major Dale wanted him to talk, both to quiet the girls' fears and todetermine his actual state of mind. But Captain Mayberry's speech was veryslow, and decidedly confused.
"I--guess--I'm all right--now," he managed to utter. "Where's--Jane?"
"Jane? Oh, yes, Jane," repeated the major. "That's your sister, MissPumfret?"
"Was--not now. She locks me up--leaves me to die!"
"Oh, now, come. Isn't it Jane who brings you things to eat?" asked themajor, venturing a guess. "Why, didn't she send--the coal--and the bread?"
"Yes, yes," answered the old man, "but she will not let me go. She droveme crazy. Yes, and I'm crazy now."
"Not a bit of it. Here, sit down on this seat," and Major Dale motioned toTom. "This young man will stay by you to keep you company while we preparethe mess. Perhaps you will show us how to get water? And have you any wayof lighting up?"
A look of intelligence crossed Captain Mayberry's face. He shuffled overto a corner, and actually pressed a button.
The chandeliers poured out a flood of electric light.
"Jane did that," he muttered. "She likes light."
"Well, I'll be hanged!" exclaimed Tom.
"And I'll be jiggered!" added Nat.
"The poor old man!" whispered Dorothy, venturing to take a step towardhim. "And to think we were afraid of him!"
"Were!" remarked Tavia significantly. "I'm just scared to death this veryminute. Suppose he screams again?"
"What if he does?" Dorothy whispered back. "Surely he has more cause tofear us than we have to fear him. I'm going to--help--with things."
Abe stood with wide-open mouth surveying "the ghost."
Tom and Nat had brought the relief supplies from the wagon--old Abe'sstrongest carry-all--which had successfully weathered the snowdriftsbetween Tanglewood Park and The Cedars.
"It's stopped snowing," announced Nat cheerfully. "Guess we will be ableto make it all right by daylight."
"Fall in! fall in!" called the major, making a place for Captain Mayberryon the end of the seat that served as table and chairs collectively.
It was a queer meal--but a delightful one.
The relief that Major Dale brought was not in food alone.
"And there's the coffee!" he announced. "Will one of you boys just letthat stand on the stove in the captain's private room?"
Tom jumped to comply. He readily found the means of lighting the secretroom, and soon found other conveniences, such as water and cookingutensils.
Captain Mayberry had not forgotten how to eat. He was "almost human," asNat whispered to Dorothy.
"Here, guard!" called the major. "Fetch that coffee. Help yourself." Thisto the captain. "We eat according to rank this time."
Captain Mayberry seemed to smile. He took the cup of coffee--then theothers raised their cups to drink a toast.
"To the Guards!" proposed the major. "Long life and happiness to the lastof them!"
It was a strange sight--the cracked and broken cups that Tom had securedin the captain's quarters raised to drink the honored toast!
"And a merry Christmas to Captain Mayberry!" called out Dorothy.
Old Abe dropped his cup--spilled his coffee. He looked down ruefully atthe puddle on the floor.
"Any mo'?" he asked. It was the first word he had spoken since he enteredthe house.
Tom refilled the cup.
"Take care of that," he cautioned Abe. "It's about all."
"What time?" asked the major, addressing Nat.
"Four! Would you believe it? It will be daylight soon."
"Glad of it," replied the major. "We can't leave here any too quickly. Ithas cleared, you say?"
"Beautifully," answered Nat; "and the sun to-morrow will be a 'ringer' forthe moon to-night. I'll bet it will be one of those dazzling days--"
"Likely," agreed the major. "We must take Mayberry back with us," he saidin a low voice. "Poor old chap! To think that I should find him--and insuch a pitiable condition!"