CHAPTER XIV.
It was some weeks after the funeral of Gideon Fairfax, that Bacon,attracted by the genial warmth of a summer day, sauntered out for thefirst time, in company with his friend Dudley, to seek the usual_rendezvous_ of the young Cavaliers. Scarcely were they seated in theTap of the "Arms," before Philip Ludwell hastily entered, touched hiscastor formally to Bacon and Dudley, and handed to the former a note,fastened with a silken cord, and sealed with the arms of the House ofBerkley. Bacon cut the cord and read the note, without changingcountenance, and then handed it to Dudley, who had no sooner perused itscontents, than they both arose, retired to a private room, and calledfor pen, ink and paper. The latter soon returned with an answer, sealedin like manner, and handed it to Ludwell, who again formally bowingretired. The first ran thus:
Jamestown, June --, 16--. To Nathaniel Bacon, Esq.
SIR--I seize the first moment of your appearance in public, restored to health, to demand the satisfaction due for the grievous insult put upon me, on the night of the Anniversary Celebration, in presence of the assembled gentry of the Colony. All proper arrangements will be made by my friend Ludwell, who will also await your answer. I have the honour to be your most obedient servant,
FRANCIS BEVERLY.
Bacon's answer was no less courteous and explicit.
Berkley Arms, June --, 16--. To Francis Beverly, Esq.
SIR--Your note by the hands of Mr. Ludwell was this moment received. Your challenge is accepted. To-morrow morning at sunrise I will meet you. The length of my weapon will be furnished by my friend Dudley, who will convey this to Mr. Ludwell, as well as make all other arrangements on my behalf. I have the honour to be, yours, &c.
NATHANIEL BACON.
The following morning at sunrise, two parties of Cavaliers landed fromtheir boats at a secluded inlet, on the southern extremity of HogIsland, immediately opposite the city, but screened from view by thedepth of the overshadowing forest. A surgeon with his assistant soonfollowed.
The two parties exchanged formal but courtly salutations, andimmediately proceeded to the business of their meeting. A levelgrass-plot, firm under the pressure of the foot, and sufficientlycleared for the purpose, had long been set apart as the battle ground onsimilar occasions, and was now easily found.
When all the parties were arrived at this spot, the seconds proceeded tomeasure the swords in presence of their principals. This of course was amere formality required by the usages of the times, as the length of theweapons was already known and settled between themselves.
The two young Cavaliers about to engage in deadly strife, were perhapsas nearly matched in skill and courage as any that could be found in theColony. Both were in the daily practice of the foils, as a matter ofeducation no less than of amusement. Both were impetuous by nature, andrash in their actions, and both came upon the field longing forvengeance in requital of wrongs which each supposed he had received atthe hands of the other.
Beverly was in the enjoyment of ruddy health, and buoyant animalimpulses, but his antagonist was pale, thin, and evidently labouringunder depression of spirits, as well as feebleness of body. To a hasty,and superficial observer, this state of the parties would have seemeddecidedly unfavourable to the latter; but it is very questionablewhether the high health and robust strength of Beverly were not morethan counterbalanced by the subdued but steady composure evinced by hisantagonist, the result of long confinement and depletion.
With a slight inclination of the head in formal salutation, eachadvanced a foot and crossed his blade with that of his antagonist. Theeyes of each were instantly riveted upon his enemy, with the steady anddeadly ferocity of two wild beasts of prey. The pause continued a fewmoments, as if each were striving to measure the hatred of the other; afew rapid and skilful thrusts and parries were exchanged, and thenanother interval of suspense and inactivity ensued. The next effort waslonger and more fiercely contested, and the intentions of each in thisuncomplicated warfare were more readily distinguished. Beverly was ateach successive trial becoming more and more ferocious, while hisantagonist was as evidently acting on the defensive, if not attemptingto disarm him. This now apparent intention of the latter, might be thenecessary result of his present comparative debility, of policy--aimingto take advantage of his opponent's impetuosity, or of his promise toVirginia. But from whatever cause it sprung, Dudley thought it a mosthazardous experiment to depend upon disarming so skilful a swordsman,and was accordingly under the most lively apprehensions for the fate ofhis friend. These were not however of long continuance, for at the nextonset, Beverly, forgetting himself for a moment, as he impetuouslyflashed his weapon in deadly and rapid thrusts, cried, "Ha, Sir Bastard,have at your coward's heart." In the next instant Bacon's sword piercedhis body--his eyes glared wildly for an instant, his sword fell fromhis powerless hand, and as Bacon withdrew the weapon, Beverly uttered agroan and fell prostrate upon the earth.
Bacon stood listlessly wiping his sword-blade upon his handkerchief, hiseyes abstractedly fixed upon the fallen youth, like one without thoughtor reason, or rather so deeply buried in thought as to be almostunconscious of the scene before him. His thoughts were upon his promiseto Virginia, to act only upon the defensive. This he had interpreted farmore literally than the fair girl herself had designed, and it was hisintention so to act throughout the struggle, had not his patience andforbearance been overcome by the taunting exclamation of his adversary,just preceding the last fatal onset.
All the circumstances passed rapidly through his mind, until hismeditations settled into the most poignant regret; not a littleaggravated when Beverly opened his eyes, and held up his hand to Bacon,feebly exclaiming, "Bacon, forgive me; I wronged you both first andlast. I see it now when it is too late, but it is never too late to askforgiveness for an injury." Bacon grasped his hand, and flung himselfprostrate at his side in an instant. "Before God, Beverly, it was not myintention, when I came to the field, to do this deed; my whole effort atfirst was to disarm you. Forgiveness lies with you, not with me. I havedone you an irreparable injury, yours was but the result of thoughtlessimpetuosity, for which I as freely forgive you, as it was hastily andheedlessly offered. May God forgive us both."
The surgeon and his assistant now interfered in the prosecution of theirprofessional duties. While these were in progress, all parties weresilent in breathless attention; not a change of the doctor's countenanceescaped them. At length he arose, and deliberately wiping and replacinghis instruments in their case, walked thoughtfully some paces from thewounded youth.
Bacon dared not follow to ask the fate of his patient, but Dudley, withbreathless eagerness pursued his footsteps, and demanded to know in fewwords his fate. "Life or death, Doctor?" he hastily exclaimed, as if heexpected an answer in like short and expressive terms.
"Ours is not one of the exact sciences as to prognostication," said Dr.Roland. "The wound extends from the anterior part of the thorax."
"Don't tell me about the thorax, doctor, tell me whether there is lifeor death?"
"The pleura and the right lobe of the lungs have been wounded,consequently there will be great inflammation succeeding, both from thepleuretic and pulmonary excitement. These are the unchangeable laws ofthe animal economy, and will not yield were the son of Charles himselflying before us."
"O damn the animal economy. Can't you say in one word, life or death?"
"No, I cannot, Master Dudley. All I can say at present is, that it is myhope and belief, if properly managed, that he will not die from thehemorrhage, and that his chance of life depends upon his weathering outthe inflammation mentioned."
"There is a reasonable hope then! Thank you, doctor, thank you; may Godsend that his life be spared." Uttering this fervent ejaculation hejoined his companions, who now held a consultation as to the mostjudicious plan of removing the wounded youth. One proposed that heshould remain at a cottage upon the island; but the surgeon decided t
hathe might be removed in a boat to the city as easily as he could becarried to the cottage. He was accordingly extended upon a rude litter,and deposited in the most convenient boat, upon such a bed as they couldhastily construct of cloaks and bushes.
They had scarcely emerged from the shrubbery overhanging the margin ofthe river, when a rustling noise was heard, similar to that made by theflight of a large flock of birds, and in the next instant a shower ofIndian arrows fell harmless in the water, succeeded by an astoundingyell of twenty or more savages, indistinctly seen through the dense fogrising from the stream. Their light bark canoes, of variegated colours,could scarcely be distinguished as they rode upon the waves like hugeaquatic birds. The savage warriors were standing perfectly erect,notwithstanding the motion of the waves and the vigorous exertions ofthose squaws who officiated at the oar and helm. Bows were alreadystrung in their hands, and they were again in the act of leveling themupon the party, when Bacon, seizing a duck gun from the bottom of theboat, fired into the midst of the foremost canoe. Three huge paintedwarriors leaped into the water and yelled and struggled for an instantbefore they sunk to rise no more. Another discharge of arrows, andanother shot from Bacon's weapon, with like success, considerably dampedthe ardour of the pursuit. Bacon and his party had in the mean timeurged the boat containing Beverly and the surgeon far ahead and out ofreach of their missiles, while they protected their retreat. Havingsuffered the enemy to come within striking distance, he was now enabledto see that they were Chickahominies, and readily comprehended theirmotives. He was himself the object of their pursuit. They had watchedhis movements for the purpose of avenging the death of their chief andhis followers. So prompt and efficient, however, was the defence of theparty sought, that after a few harmless flights of arrows, and a fewreturns from the firearms of the white party, they hastily retreated,and in a short time their canoes were only seen like distant specks onthe circumscribed horizon, as they scudded away before the risingvolumes of vapour for fear the dawning day should betray them and theirhostile attitude to the notice of the citizens.
As Bacon and Dudley stepped upon the shore in front of the palisade, theother party having landed and disappeared before their arrival, theystood to gaze over the water for an instant to ascertain whether any ofthe savages yet lingered upon the scene. The fog was rapidly rising fromthe water, so that their line of vision was uninterrupted for somedistance over the bay between the islands.
They could just perceive their late enemies doubling the southern pointof the island upon which they stood, and were about to retire, supposingall further apprehension from that quarter at an end, when theydiscovered the dim outlines of some one upon the southern end of theisland, making signals with a white handkerchief. They immediately andsilently moved along the shore, under cover of the palisade, until theycame within such a distance of the object which had attracted theirattention, that they could discern who it was themselves, at the sametime remaining undiscovered. It was Wyanokee! Her appearance at thisearly hour and solitary place, and her equivocal employment, producedthe greatest astonishment and mortification in the mind of Bacon. Untilthis moment he would have pledged his life for her truth and fidelity.Ever since the encounter with the Indians, he had been wondering in hisown mind, how they had pursued him so exactly to the secret place oftheir rendezvous. Now he recollected that Wyanokee had passed throughthe gallery of the State House on the preceding evening, where Dudleyand himself were practising. She might have overheard some of theirconversation. Her presence at such a place had excited a momentarysurprise at the time, but it all passed over, under the usual idea thatWyanokee was every where. She often glided about like a spirit, yet noone knew whither she was going, or the purpose of her movements. "Can itbe possible," said Bacon to himself, "that Wyanokee has beentreacherous?"
All these corroborating circumstances, together with her presentattitude, answered in the affirmative. Notwithstanding the strongconviction of this unwelcome fact which now settled on his mind, hecould not believe her deliberately bent on his destruction. He had seenher exhibit many noble traits of character in trying situations.Besides, she was somewhat under his protection, and we are alwaysinclined to love those whom we have served. She was also Virginia'spupil, and the latter was proud of her as such, and he himself had felta sort of complacency at the progress of the maiden under her tuition.His imagination had often dwelt upon her imaginary perfections, as somany reflected beauties from Virginia's guileless heart and cultivatedmind. No, he could not believe her thus meanly treacherous. Some nativeimpulse must have been roused, some secret spring of her long hidden anddormant nature, must have been touched. Her savage ideas of patriotismhad fired her to revenge the death of her nation's chief.
Notwithstanding these palliating suggestions which rose in his mind onthe doubtful attitude in which he had detected her, his reflections wereby no means pleasing, as he locked his arm in Dudley's, and retiredfrom the shore. Every thing seemed to him to conspire against hishappiness. First, there was the old and ever present cause of solicitudein relation to his own origin, the doubtful nature of which had been theremote cause of the unhappy rencounter of the morning. Then there wasthe new attitude in which he was placed towards Virginia, by the deathof her father, together with the tantalizing, partial revelations of theanonymous letters and gold locket, which that event had thrown into hispossession, with the thousand surmises, half formed hopes, andresolutions resulting from them. Upon the whole, however, he could notbut feel, in the midst of these various depressing circumstances, thathis chance for success in an application for the hand of Virginia wasgreater with the widowed lady of the murdered Fairfax than it would havebeen were he alive. He knew the high position in which he stood in thatlady's favour. He knew her contempt for worldly show, pomp andcircumstance--he had always known it, but now he knew something of thecause in the revelations of her own history. He knew that she had boldlyindulged the first predilections of her own young heart at the expenseof her father's and her brother's favour; and his hopes were strong,that when he should present himself before her in something of a likeattitude, as an applicant for the hand of her fair daughter, her ownrecollections would rise up before her in his favour. That there wouldbe difficulties to surmount, and prejudices to subdue, he knew fullwell. That Sir William Berkley would exert his power to the utmost, toprevent such a consummation he also knew; but the consent of Mrs.Fairfax once gained, he resolved to brave the opposition if he could notsubdue the prejudices of the Governor.
The unhappy business of the morning would in all probability hasten thecontending elements to a crisis. The Governor would soon know of themeeting and its result; he would in all probability inquire into thecause of the quarrel, and his shrewd insight into the motives of humanaction would very soon discover that there were hidden impulsesoperating, which caused the insult to be given, and kindred ones in theopposite party which rendered the offence so much the more heinous andunpardonable. In short, he would discover that there was a lady at thebottom of the whole affair; and that this lady was his own fair niece;and that the two gentlemen who had just contended in deadly strife, wererivals for the possession of her favour. Such being the process ofreasoning in the Governor's mind, Bacon knew him too well to supposethat he would delay the matter long before he endeavoured to bring it toa conclusion. Indeed he believed (and the reader knows how truly) thathis excellency already saw the advantages of the connexion as vividly ashis nephew apprehended the sterling qualities of the lady. Such beingthe case, the result of the morning's meeting, if it did not provefatal to his rival's life, would in all probability precipitate thematter at once to an issue. The Governor would no sooner ascertain thatBeverly was out of danger than he would take the business in his ownhands, and how he would manage it, and what means he would take toaccomplish his ends, Bacon's personal experience in other matters fullytaught him. He resolved therefore to be beforehand with him, to presenthis own claims first, to attempt to conciliate the lady of his latepatron, before her ea
r had been poisoned by the violent abuse which heknew would be heaped upon him, as well as by contempt for his origin.But could he imbrue his hand in the blood of his rival and then presentit for acceptance? Could he precipitate his claims before the family intheir present melancholy state?
These were the subjects of his reflection, as the two youths entered thegates of the city,--and here another difficulty arose; if he shouldimmediately present himself before the family, the news of the meetinghaving preceded him, even without broaching the subject before alludedto, would not the feelings excited in the mind of Virginia and hermother be unfavourable to his claims? Then again, should he leave rumourwith her hundred tongues to explain to the maiden the reasons which hadinduced him to accept the challenge from her kinsman, would not hiscause be still more prejudiced? Finally, therefore, after taking allthese things into consideration, he came to the conclusion that it wasbest to wait some favourable news from his wounded rival beforepresenting himself, or in case of the worst result, to absent himselffrom the city altogether for a time.
Accordingly the youths bent their footsteps to Dudley's lodgings, thereto await intelligence concerning Beverly. It is hardly necessary toremind the reader that duelling in that day, so far from beingconsidered criminal, was the sole test to which all differences betweengentlemen were submitted. The influence of the custom has been handeddown, variously modified by the circumstances of the times, from onegeneration to another, until it has reached our own.