Chapter Eighteenth.
"Thus far our fortune keeps an onward courseAnd we are grac'd with wreaths of victory."
"Victory!" shouted Horace, Jr., waving his handkerchief about his head,"victory, and an end to the reign of terror! Hurrah for the brave troopsof Uncle Sam that came so opportunely to the rescue! Come, let us sallyforth to meet them. Elsie, unlock your stores and furnish therefreshments they have so well earned."
"They draw nearer!" cried Arthur, who had been listening intently."Haste! they must be about entering the avenue. They will meet theraiders. Travilla, uncle, shall we make an opening here in ourbreastworks?"
"Yes," answered both in a breath, then, as if struck by a suddenthought, "No, no, let us reconnoitre first!" cried Mr. Dinsmore."Horace, run up to the observatory, take a careful survey, and report aspromptly as possible."
Horace bounded away, hardly waiting to hear the conclusion of thesentence.
"I counsel delay," said old Mr. Dinsmore who was peering through aloophole, "the troops have not entered the avenue, the Ku Klux mayreturn; though I do not expect it after the severe repulse we have twicegiven them; but 'discretion is the better part of valor.'"
"Right, sir," said Mr. Lilburn, "let us give them no chance for a moresuccessful onslaught."
"Oh, yes, do be careful!" cried the ladies, joining them, "don't teardown the least part of our defences yet."
"Have they really fled? Are you all unhurt?" asked Rose in tremblingtones.
"Edward! papa!" faltered Elsie.
"Safe and sound," they both answered.
"Thank God! thank God!" she cried as her husband folded her in his arms,and her father took her hand in his, while with the other arm heembraced Rose.
"We have indeed cause for thankfulness," said Arthur, returning from ahurried circuit of the verandas, "not one on our side has received ascratch. But I have ordered the men to remain at their posts for thepresent."
Horace came rushing back. "I can not understand it! I see no sign oftroops, though--"
"The darkness," suggested his mother.
"Hark! hark! the bugle call; they are charging on the Ku Klux!"exclaimed Arthur, as a silvery sound came floating on the night breeze.
"Oh they have come! they have come!" cried Rosie, clapping her handsand dancing up and down with delight. "Now our troubles are over andthere will be no more of these dreadful raids." And in the exuberance ofher joy she embraced first her mother, then her sister, and lastly threwherself into her father's arms.
"Ah I wish it were so," he said caressing her, "but I begin to fear thatthe sounds we have heard with so much relief and pleasure, were asunreal as Bruno's talking a while ago."
"Oh, was it you, Mr. Lilburn?" she cried in a tone of soredisappointment.
"Ah well, my bonnie lassie, the Ku Klux are gone at all events: let usbe thankful for that," he answered.
"What, what does it all mean?" asked the two young men in a breath,"what strange deception has been practiced upon us?"
"My cousin is a ventriloquist," replied Elsie, "and has done us goodservice in using his talent to help in driving away the Ku Klux."
He instantly received a unanimous vote of thanks, and the young peoplebegan pouring out eager questions and remarks:
"Another time; my work is but half done! I must pursue!" he cried,hastily leaving them to seek an exit from the house.
Elsie hurried away to see if her little ones still slept. All did butlittle Elsie, and she was full of joy and thankfulness that her dearpapa's cruel foes had been driven away.
"Ah, mamma, God has heard our prayers and helped us out of this greattrouble!" she said, receiving and returning a tender embrace.
"Indeed he has, daughter, let us thank him for his goodness, and everput our trust in him. Have you been long awake?"
"It was their dreadful screams that waked me, mamma. I couldn't helpcrying for one man; it seemed as if he must be in such an agony of pain.Uncle Joe says Aunt Dicey and the others threw boiling soap into hiseyes, and all over his face and head. Mamma aren't you sorry for him?"
"Yes, indeed!" and the child felt a great tear fall on her head, restingon her mother's bosom, "poor, poor fellow! he finds the way oftransgressors hard, as the Bible says it is. Now, darling, lie downagain and try to sleep, I think the danger is all over for to-night."
Returning she met her husband in the hall, "I have been to tell Lelandthe good news!" he said; "he is very happy over it. And now, dear wife,go to bed and sleep, if you can; you are looking very weary, and I thinkneed fear no further disturbance. Your grandfather, Mrs. Dinsmore andRosie have yielded to our persuasions and retired."
"And you and papa?"
"Can easily stand the loss of one night's sleep, but may perhaps get anhour or so of repose upon the sofas. But we will keep a constant watchtill sunrise. Arthur and Horace are going up to the observatory again,while the rest of us will pace the veranda by turns."
Morning found the Ion mansion wearing much the appearance of a recentlybesieged fortress. How many of the Klan had lost their lives it wasimpossible to tell, but probably only a small number, as the aim of theparty of defense had been, by mutual agreement, to disable and not toslay; but it was thought the assailants had suffered a sufficientlysevere punishment to deter them from a renewal of the attack. Also Mr.Lilburn's pursuit keeping up the delusion that troops were at hand, hadgreatly frightened and demoralized them. So the barricades werepresently taken down, and gradually the dwelling and its surroundingsresumed their usual aspect of neatness, order, and elegance.
All the friends remained to breakfast, but their presence did notexclude the children from the table.
While the guests were being helped, there was a momentary silence brokenby a faint squeal that seemed to come from under Eddie's plate.
"Mousie at de table!" cried Harold; then "Oh me dot a bird!" as thenotes of a canary came from underneath his plate.
"Pick up your plates and let us see the mouse and the bird," said theirpapa, smiling.
They obeyed.
"Ah, I knew there was nothing there," said Eddie, laughing and lookingat Cousin Ronald, while Harold gazing at the table-cloth in disappointedsurprise, cried, "Ah it's gone! it must have flewed away."
Calhoun Conly, knowing nothing, but suspecting a great deal, and full ofanxiety, repaired to Ion directly after breakfast. Blood-stains on theground without and within the gate, and here and there along the avenueas he rode up to the house, confirmed his surmise that his friends hadbeen attacked by the Ku Klux the previous night. He found them all inthe library talking the matter over.
"Ah, sir! like a brave man and a true friend, you come when the fight isover," was his grandfather's sarcastic greeting.
"It was my misfortune, sir, to be unable in this instance, to follow myinclination," returned the young man, coloring to the very roots of hishair with mortification. "But"--glancing around the circle--"heaven bethanked that I find you all unhurt," he added with a sigh that told thata great load had been taken from his heart. "May I hear the story? I seethe men are tearing down a breastwork and I suppose the attacking partymust have been a large one."
"Not too large, however, for us to beat back and defeat without yourassistance," growled his grandfather.
"Ah, grandpa, he would have helped if he could," said Mrs. Travilla."Sit down, Cal, we are very glad to see you."
His uncle and Travilla joined in the assurance, but Horace and Arthurregarded him rather coldly, and "Cousin Ronald" thought he deserved someslight punishment.
As he attempted to take the offered seat, "Squeal! squeal! squeal!" camefrom his coat pocket, causing him to start and redden again, withrenewed embarrassment.
"O Cousin Cal! _has_ you dot a wee little piggie in your pocket? Let mesee him," cried Harold, running up and trying to get a peep at it; thenstarting back with a cry of alarm, at a sudden loud barking, as of aninfuriated dog, at Calhoun's heels.
Bruno came bounding in with an answering bark; Calhoun thru
sting hishand into his pocket with purpose to summarily eject the pig, and at thesame time wheeling about to confront his canine antagonist, lookedutterly confounded at finding none there, while to add to his confusionand perplexity, a bee seemed to be circling round his head, now buzzingat one ear, now at the other.
He tried to dodge it, he put up his hand to drive it away, then wheeledabout a second time, as the furious bark was renewed in his rear butturned pale and looked absolutely frightened at the discovery that thedog was still invisible; then reddened again at perceiving thateverybody was laughing.
His cousin Elsie was trying to explain, but could not make herself heardabove the furious barking. She looked imploringly at Mr. Lilburn, and itceased on the instant.
Calhoun dropped into a chair and glanced inquiringly from one toanother.
His uncle answered him in a single word, "Ventriloquism."
"Sold!" exclaimed the youth, joining faintly in the mirth. "StrangeI did not think of that, though how could I suppose there was aventriloquist here?"
"An excellent one, is he not? You must hear what good service he didlast night," said Mr. Travilla, and went on to tell the story of theattack and defense.
Elsie and Eddie listened to the account with keen interest. Vi, who hadbeen devoting herself in motherly fashion to a favorite doll, laid itaside to hear what was said; but Harold was playing with Bruno, whoseemed hardly yet to have recovered from his wonder at not finding thestrange canine intruder who had so roused his ire.
Harold had climbed upon his back, and with his arms around his neck,was talking to him in an undertone. "Now you's my horse, Bruno; let's goridin' like papa and Beppo."
The dog started toward the door. "With all my heart, little master;which way shall we go?"
"Why, Bruno, you s'prise me! can you talk?" cried the little fellow ingreat delight. "Why didn't you begin sooner? Mamma, oh mamma, did youhear Bruno talk?"
Mamma smiled, and said gently, "Be quiet, son, while papa and the restare talking: or else take Bruno out to the veranda."
Cousin Ronald was amusing himself with the children. Vi's doll presentlybegan to cry and call upon her to be taken up, and she ran to it insurprised delight, till she remembered that it was "only Cousin Ronaldand not dolly at all."
But Cousin Ronald had a higher object than his own or the children'samusement: he was trying to divert their thoughts from the doings of theKu Klux, lest they should grow timid and fearful.