CHAPTER XVI.
"Away! away! the covey's fled the cover; Put forth the dogs, and let the falcon fly-- I'll spend some leisure in the keen pursuit, Nor longer waste my hours in sluggish quiet."
The soldier passed the remainder of the night in the heavy sleep of abacchanalian, and awoke late on the following morning, only when arousedby the entrance of his servant. When the customary summons had inducedthe captain to unclose his eyelids, he arose in his bed, and afterperforming the usual operation of a diligent friction on his organs ofvision, he turned sternly to his man, and remarked with an ill-humorthat seemed to implicate the innocent servant in the fault which hismaster condemned:
"I thought, sirrah, that I ordered Sergeant Drill not to let a drumsticktouch a sheepskin while we quartered in the dwelling of this hospitableold colonel! Does the fellow despise my commands? or does he think theroll of a drum, echoing through the crooked passages of St. Ruth, amelody that is fit to disturb the slumbers of its inmates?"
"I believe, sir," returned the man, "it was the wish of Colonel Howardhimself, that on this occasion the sergeant should turn out the guard bythe roll of the drum."
"The devil it was!--I see the old fellow loves to tickle the drum of hisown ear now and then with familiar sounds; but have you had a muster ofthe cattle from the farmyard too, as well as a parade of the guard? Ihear the trampling of feet, as if the old abbey were a second ark, andall the beasts of the field were coming aboard of us!"
"'Tis nothing but the party of dragoons from----, who are wheeling intothe courtyard, sir, where the colonel has gone out to receive them."
"Courtyard! light dragoons!" repeated Borroughcliffe, in amazement; "andhas it come to this, that twenty stout fellows of the ----th are notenough to guard such a rookery as this old abbey, against the ghosts andnortheast storms, but we must have horse to reinforce us? Hum! Isuppose some of these booted gentlemen have heard of this South CarolinaMadeira."
"Oh, no, sir!" cried his man; "it is only the party that Mr. Dillon wentto seek last evening, after you saw fit, sir, to put the three piratesin irons."
"Pirates in irons," said Borroughcliffe, again passing his hands overhis eyes, though in a more reflecting manner than before: "ha! oh! Iremember to have put three suspicious looking rascals in the black-hole,or some such place; but what can Mr. Dillon, or the light dragoons, haveto do with these fellows?"
"That we do not know, sir; but it is said below, sir, as some suspicionshad fallen on their being conspirators and rebels from the colonies, andthat they were great officers and Tories in disguise; some said that onewas General Washington, and others that it was only three members of theYankee parliament, come over to get our good old English fashions to setthemselves up with."
"Washington! Members of Congress! Go--go, simpleton, and learn howmany these troopers muster, and what halt they make; but stay, placemy clothes near me. Now, do as I bid you, and if the dragoon officerenquire for me, make my respects, and tell him I shall be with him soon.Go, fellow; go."
When the man left the room, the captain, while he proceeded with thebusiness of the toilet, occasionally gave utterance to the thoughts thatcrowded on his recollection, after the manner of a soliloquy.
"Ay! my commission to a half-pay ensigncy, that some of these lazyfellows, who must have a four-legged beast to carry them to the wars,have heard of the 'south side.' South side! I believe I must put anadvertisement in the London Gazette, calling that amphibious soldierto an account If he be a true man, he will not hide himself under hisincognito, but will give me a meeting. If that should fail, damme, I'llride across to Yarmouth, and call out the first of the mongrel breedthat I fall in with. 'Sdeath! Was ever such an insult practised on agentleman and a soldier before? Would that I only knew his name! Why,if the tale should get abroad, I shall be the standing joke of themess-table, until some greater fool than myself can be found. It wouldcost me at least six duels to get rid of it. No, no; not a trigger willI pull in my own regiment about the silly affair: but I'll have a crackat some marine in very revenge; for that is no more than reasonable.That Peters! if the scoundrel should dare whisper anything of the mannerin which he was stamped with the breech of the musket! I can't flog himfor it; but if I don't make it up to him the first time he gives me achance, I am ignorant of the true art of balancing regimental accounts."
By the time the recruiting officer had concluded this soliloquy, whichaffords a very fair exposition of the current of his thoughts, he wasprepared to meet the new comers, and he accordingly descended to thecourtyard, as in duty bound, to receive them in his proper person.Boroughcliffe encountered his host, in earnest conversation with a youngman in a cavalry uniform, in the principal entrance of the abbey, andwas greeted by the former with:
"A good morning to you, my worthy guard and protector! here is rare newsfor your loyal ears. It seems that our prisoners are enemies to the kingin disguise; and, Cornet Fitzgerald--Captain Borroughcliffe, of the--th,permit me to make you acquainted with Mr. Fitzgerald of the --th lightdragoons." While the soldiers exchanged their salutations, the old mancontinued: "The cornet has been kind enough to lead down a detachment ofhis troop to escort the rogues up to London, or some other place, wherethey will find enough good and loyal officers to form a court-martial,that can authorize their execution as spies. Christopher Dillon, myworthy kinsman, Kit, saw into their real characters at a glance; whileyou and I, like two unsuspecting boys, thought the rascals would havemade fit men to serve the king. But Kit has an eye and a head thatfew enjoy like him, and I would that he might receive his dues at theEnglish bar."
"It is to be desired, sir," said Borroughcliffe, with a grave aspect,that was produced chiefly by his effort to give effect to his sarcasm,but a little, also, by the recollection of the occurrences that were yetto be explained; "but what reason has Mr. Christopher Dillon to believethat the three seamen are more or less than they seem?"
"I know not what; but a good and sufficient reason, I will venture mylife," cried the colonel; "Kit is a lad for reasons, which you know isthe foundation of his profession, and knows how to deliver them manfullyin the proper place; but you know, gentlemen, that the members ofthe bar cannot assume the open and bold front that becomes a soldier,without often endangering the cause in which they are concerned. No, no;trust me, Kit has his reasons, and in good time will he deliver them."
"I hope, then," said the captain carelessly, "that it may be found thatwe have had a proper watch on our charge, Colonel Howard; I think youtold me the windows were too high for an escape in that direction, for Ihad no sentinel outside of the building."
"Fear nothing, my worthy friend," cried his host; "unless your menhave slept, instead of watching, we have them safe; but, as it will benecessary to convey them away before any of the civil authority canlay hands on them, let us proceed to the rear, and unkennel the dogs. Aparty of the horse might proceed at once with them to----, while weare breaking our fasts. It would be no very wise thing to allow thecivilians to deal with them, for they seldom have a true idea of thenature of the crime."
"Pardon me, sir," said the young officer of horse; "I was led tobelieve, by Mr. Dillon, that we might meet with a party of the enemy insome little force, and that I should find a pleasanter duty than thatof a constable; besides, sir, the laws of the realm guarantee to thesubject a trial by his peers, and it is more than I dare do to carry themen to the barracks, without first taking them before a magistrate."
"Ay! you speak of loyal and dutiful subjects," said the colonel; "and,as respects them, doubtless, you are right; but such privileges arewithheld from enemies and traitors."
"It must be first proved that they are such, before they can receive thetreatment or the punishment that they merit," returned the young man,a little positively, who felt the more confidence, because he had onlyleft the Temple the year before. "If I take charge of the men at all, itwill be only to transfer them safely to the civil authority."
"Let us go and see the prisoners," cried Borro
ughcliffe, with a view toterminate a discussion that was likely to wax warm, and which he knewto be useless; "perhaps they may quietly enroll themselves under thebanners of our sovereign, when all other interference, save that ofwholesome discipline, will become unnecessary."
"Nay, if they are of a rank in life to render such a step probable,"returned the cornet, "I am well content that the matter should be thussettled. I trust, however, that Captain Borroughcliffe will considerthat the --th light dragoons has some merit in this affair, and that weare far short of our numbers in the second squadron."
"We shall not be difficult at a compromise," returned the captain;"there is one apiece for us, and a toss of a guinea shall determine whohas the third man. Sergeant! follow, to deliver over your prisoners, andrelieve your sentry."
As they proceeded in compliance with this arrangement, to the buildingin the rear, Colonel Howard, who made one of the party, observed:
"I dispute not the penetration of Captain Borroughcliffe, but Iunderstand Mr. Christopher Dillon that there is reason to believe one ofthese men, at least, to be of a class altogether above that of a commonsoldier; in which case, your plans may fall to the ground."
"And who does he deem the gentleman to be?" asked Borroughcliffe--"aBourbon in disguise, or a secret representative of the rebel congress?"
"Nay, nay: he said nothing more; my kinsman Kit keeps a close mouthwhenever Dame Justice is about to balance her scales. There are men whomay be said to have been born to be soldiers; of which number I shouldcall the Earl Cornwallis, who makes such head against the rebels in thetwo Carolinas; others seem to be intended by nature for divines, andsaints on earth, such as their graces of York and Canterbury; whileanother class appears as if it were impossible for them to behold thingsunless with discriminating, impartial, and disinterested eyes; to whichI should say, belong my Lord Chief Justice Mansfield, and my kinsman,Mr. Christopher Dillon. I trust, gentlemen, that when the royal armshave crushed this rebellion, his majesty's ministers will see thepropriety of extending the dignity of the peerage to the colonies, as ameans of reward to the loyal, and a measure of policy to prevent furtherdisaffection; in which case I hope to see my kinsman decorated with theermine of justice bordering the mantle of a peer."
"Your expectations, my excellent sir, are right reasonable; as I doubtnot your kinsman will become, at some future day, that which he isnot at present, unhappily for his deserts, right honorable," saidBorroughcliffe. "But be of good heart, sir; from what I have seen ofhis merits, I doubt not that the law will yet have its revenge in dueseason, and that we shall be properly edified and instructed how toattain elevation in life, by the future exaltation of Mr. ChristopherDillon; though by what title he is to be then known, I am at a loss tosay."
Colonel Howard was too much occupied with his own ex-parte views ofthe war and things in general, to observe the shrewd looks that wereexchanged between the soldiers; but he answered with perfect simplicity:
"I have reflected much on that point, and have come to the opinion,that as he has a small estate on that river, he should, cause his firstbarony to be known by the title of 'Pedee.'"
"Barony!" echoed Borroughcliffe; "I trust the new nobles of a newworld will disdain the old worn-out distinctions of a hackneyeduniverse--eschew all baronies, mine host, and cast earldoms and dukedomsto the shades. The immortal Locke has unlocked his fertile mindto furnish you with appellations suited to the originality of yourcondition and the nature of your country. Ah! here comes the Cacique ofPedee, in his proper person!"
As Borroughcliffe spoke, they were ascending the flight of stone stepswhich led to the upper apartments, where the prisoners were stillsupposed to be confined; and, at the same moment, the sullen, gloomyfeatures of Dillon were seen as he advanced along the lower passage,with an expression of malicious exultation hovering above his darkbrow, that denoted his secret satisfaction. As the hours passed away theperiod had come round when the man who had been present at the escapeof Griffith and his friends was again posted to perform the duty ofsentinel. As this soldier well knew the situation of his trust, he wasvery coolly adjusted, with his back against the wall, endeavoring tocompensate himself for his disturbed slumbers during the night, when thesounds of the approaching footsteps warned him to assume the appearanceof watchfulness.
"How, now, fellow!" cried Borroughcliffe; "what have you to say to yourcharge!"
"I believe the men sleep, your honor; for I have heard no noises fromthe rooms since I relieved the last sentinel."
"The lads are weary, and are right to catch what sleep they can intheir comfortable quarters," returned the captain. "Stand to your arms,sirrah! and throw back your shoulders; and do not move like a crab, or atrain-band corporal; do you not see an officer of horse coming up? Wouldyou disgrace your regiment?"
"Ah! your honor, Heaven only knows whether I shall ever get my shoulderseven again."
"Buy another plaster," said Borroughcliffe, slipping a shilling into hishand; "observe, you know nothing but your duty."
"Which is, your honor----"
"To mind me, and be silent. But here comes the sergeant with his guard:he will relieve you."
The rest of the party stopped at the other end of the gallery, to allowthe few files of soldiers who were led by the orderly to pass them, whenthey all moved towards the prison in a body. The sentinel was relievedin due military style; when Dillon placed his hand on one of the doors,and said, with a malicious sneer:
"Open here first, Mr. Sergeant; this cage holds the man we most want."
"Softly, softly, my Lord Chief Justice, and most puissant Cacique," saidthe captain; "the hour has not yet come to empanel a jury of fat yeomen,and no man must interfere with my boys but myself."
"The rebuke is harsh, I must observe, Captain Borroughcliffe," said thecolonel, "but I pardon it because it is military. No, no, Kit these nicepoints must be left to martial usages. Be not impatient, my cousin; Idoubt not the hour will come, when you shall hold the scales of justiceand satisfy your loyal longings on many a traitor. Zounds! I couldalmost turn executioner myself in such a cause!"
"I can curb my impatience, sir," returned Dillon, with hypocriticalmeekness, and great self-command, though his eyes were gleaming withsavage exultation. "I beg pardon of Captain Borroughcliffe, if, in mydesire to render the civil authority superior to the military, I havetrespassed on your customs."
"You see, Borroughcliffe!" exclaimed the colonel, exultingly, "the ladis ruled by an instinct in all matters of law and justice. I hold itto be impossible that a man thus endowed can ever become a disloyalsubject. But our breakfast waits, and Mr. Fitzgerald has breathed hishorse this cool morning; let us proceed at once to the examination."
Borroughcliffe motioned to the sergeant to open the door, when the wholeparty entered the vacant room.
"Your prisoner has escaped!" cried the cornet, after a single momentemployed in making sure of the fact.
"Never! it must not, shall not be!" cried Dillon, quivering with rage,as he glanced his eyes furiously around the apartment; "here has beentreachery! and foul treason to the king!"
"By whom committed, Mr. Christopher Dillon?" said Borroughcliffe,knitting his brow, and speaking in a suppressed tone: "dare you, or anyman living, charge treason to the --th!"
A very different feeling from rage appeared now to increase theshivering propensities of the future judge, who at once perceived it wasnecessary to moderate his passion; and he returned, as it were by magic,to his former plausible and insinuating manner, as he replied:
"Colonel Howard will understand the cause of my warm feelings, when Itell him that this very room contained, last night, that disgrace to hisname and country, as well as traitor to his king, Edward Griffith, ofthe rebel navy."
"What!" exclaimed the colonel, starting, "has that recreant youth daredto pollute the threshold of St. Ruth with his footstep? but you dream,Kit; there would be too much hardihood in the act."
"It appears not, sir," returned the other; "for though in
this veryapartment he most certainly was, he is here no longer. And yet from thiswindow, though open, escape would seem to be impossible, even with muchassistance."
"If I thought that the contumelious boy had dared to be guilty of suchan act of gross impudence," cried the colonel, "I should be tempted toresume my arms, in my old age, to punish his effrontery. What! is it notenough that he entered my dwelling in the colony, availing himself ofthe distraction of the times, with an intent to rob me of my choicestjewel--ay! gentlemen, even of my brother Harry's daughter--but thathe must also invade this hallowed island with a like purpose, thusthrusting his treason, as it were, into the presence of his abusedprince! No, no, Kit, thy loyalty misleads thee; he has never dared to dothe deed!"
"Listen, sir, and you shall be convinced," returned the pliantChristopher, "I do not wonder at your unbelief; but as a good testimonyis the soul of justice, I cannot resist its influence. You know, thattwo vessels, corresponding in appearance to the two rebel cruisers thatannoyed us so much in the Carolinas, have been seen on the coastfor several days, which induced us to beg the protection of CaptainBorroughcliffe. Three men are found, the day succeeding that on whichwe hear that these vessels came within the shoals, stealing through thegrounds of St. Ruth, in sailors' attire. They are arrested, and in thevoice of one of them, sir, I immediately detected that of the traitorGriffith. He was disguised, it is true, and cunningly so; but when a manhas devoted his whole life to the business of investigating truth,"he added, with an air of much modesty, "it is difficult to palm anydisguise on his senses."
Colonel Howard was strongly impressed with the probability of theseconjectures, and the closing appeal confirmed him immediately in hiskinsman's opinion, while Borroughcliffe listened with deep interest tothe speakers, and more than once bit his lip with vexation. When Dillonconcluded, the soldier exclaimed:
"I'll swear there was a man among them who has been used to the drill."
"Nothing more probable, my worthy friend," said Dillon; "for as thelanding was never made without some evil purpose, rely on it, he camenot unguarded or unprotected. I dare say, the three were all officers,and one of them might have been of the marines. That they had assistanceis certain, and it was because I felt assured they had a force secretedat hand, that I went in quest of the reinforcement."
There was so much plausibility, and, in fact, so much truth in all this,that conviction was unwillingly admitted by Borroughcliffe, who walkedaside a moment to conceal the confusion which, in spite of his ordinaryinflexibility of countenance, he felt was manifesting itself in hisrubric visage, while he muttered:
"The amphibious dog! he was a soldier, but a traitor and an enemy. Nodoubt he will have a marvelous satisfaction in delighting the rebelliousears of his messmates, by rehearsing the manner in which he poured coldwater down the back of one Borroughcliffe, of the --th, who was amusinghim, at the same time, by pouring good, rich, south-side Madeira downhis own rebellious throat. I have a good mind to exchange my scarletcoat for a blue jacket, on purpose to meet the sly rascal on the otherelement, where we can discuss the matter over again. Well, sergeant, doyou find the other two?"
"They are gone together, your honor," returned the orderly, who justthen re-entered from an examination of the other apartments; "and unlessthe evil one helped them off, it's a mysterious business to me."
"Colonel Howard," said Borroughcliffe, gravely, "your precioussouth-side cordial must be banished from the board, regularly with thecloth, until I have my revenge; for satisfaction of this insult is mineto claim, and I seek it this instant Go, Drill; detail a guard for theprotection of the house, and feed the rest of your command, then beatthe general, and we will take the field. Ay! my worthy veteran host, forthe first time since the days of the unlucky Charles Stuart, there shallbe a campaign in the heart of England."
"Ah! rebellion, rebellion! accursed, unnatural, unholy rebellion, causedthe calamity then and now!" exclaimed the colonel.
"Had I not better take a hasty refreshment for my men and their horses?"asked the cornet; "and then make a sweep for a few miles along thecoast? It may be my luck to encounter the fugitives, or some part oftheir force."
"You have anticipated my very thoughts," returned Borroughcliffe. "TheCacique of Pedee may close the gates of St. Ruth, and, by barringthe windows, and arming the servants, he can make a very good defenceagainst an attack, should they think proper to assail our fortress;after he has repulsed them, leave it to me to cut off their retreat."
Dillon but little relished this proposal; for he thought an attempt tostorm the abbey would be the most probable course adopted by Griffith,in order to rescue his mistress; and the jurist had none of the spiritof a soldier in his composition. In truth, it was this deficiency thathad induced him to depart in person, the preceding night, in quest ofthe reinforcement, instead of sending an express on the errand, Butthe necessity of devising an excuse for a change in this dangerousarrangement was obviated by Colonel Howard, who exclaimed, as soon asBorroughcliffe concluded his plan:
"To me, Captain Borroughcliffe, belongs, of right, the duty of defendingSt. Ruth, and it shall be no boy's play to force my works; but Kit wouldrather try his chance in the open field, I know, Come, let us to ourbreakfast, and then he shall mount, and act as a guide to the horse,along the difficult passes of the seashore."
"To breakfast then let it be," cried the captain; "I distrust not mynew commander of the fortress; and in the field the Cacique forever! Wefollow you, my worthy host."
This arrangement was hastily executed in all its parts. The gentlemenswallowed their meal in the manner of men who ate only to sustainnature, and as a duty; after which the whole house became a scene ofbustling activity. The troops were mustered and paraded; Borroughcliffe,setting apart a guard for the building, placed himself at the head ofthe remainder of his little party, and they moved out of the courtyardin open order, and at quick time. Dillon joyfully beheld himself mountedon one of the best of Colonel Howard's hunters, where he knew thathe had the control, in a great measure, of his own destiny; hisbosom throbbing with a powerful desire to destroy Griffith, while heentertained a lively wish to effect his object without incurring anypersonal risk. At his side was the young cornet, seated withpractised grace in his saddle, who, after giving time for the party offoot-soldiers to clear the premises, glanced his eye along the few fileshe led, and then gave the word to move. The little division of horsewheeled briskly into open column, and the officer touching his cap toColonel Howard, they dashed through the gateway together, and pursuedtheir route towards the seaside at a hand-gallop.
The veteran lingered a few minutes, while the clattering of hoofs was tobe heard, or the gleam of arms was visible, to hear and gaze at soundsand sights that he still loved; after which, he proceeded, in person,and not without a secret enjoyment of the excitement, to barricade thedoors and windows, with an undaunted determination of making, in case ofneed, a stout defence.
St. Ruth lay but a short two miles from the ocean; to which numerousroads led, through the grounds of the abbey, which extended to theshore. Along one of these paths Dillon conducted his party, until, aftera few minutes of hard riding, they approached the cliffs, when, postinghis troopers under cover of a little copse, the cornet rode in advancewith his guide, to the verge of the perpendicular rocks, whose baseswere washed by the foam that still whitened the waters from the surgesof the subsiding sea.
The gale had broken before the escape of the prisoners; and as the powerof the eastern tempest had gradually diminished, a light current fromthe south, that blew directly along the land, prevailed; and, though theocean still rolled in fearful billows, their surfaces were smooth, andthey were becoming, at each moment, less precipitous and more regular.The eyes of the horsemen were cast in vain over the immense expanse ofwater that was glistening brightly under the rays of the sun, which hadjust risen from its bosom, in quest of some object or distant sail thatmight confirm their suspicions, or relieve their doubts. But everythingof that description ap
peared to have avoided the dangerous navigationduring the violence of the late tempest, and Dillon, was withdrawing hiseyes in disappointment from the vacant view, when, as they fell towardsthe shore, he beheld that which caused him to exclaim:
"There they go! and, by heaven, they will escape!"
The cornet looked in the direction of the other's finger, when hebeheld, at a short distance from the land, and apparently immediatelyunder his feet, a little boat that looked like a dark shell upon thewater, rising and sinking amid the waves, as if the men it obviouslycontained were resting on their oars in idle expectation.
"'Tis they!" continued Dillon; "or, what is more probable, it is theirboat waiting to convey them to their vessel; no common business wouldinduce seamen to lie in this careless manner, within such a narrowdistance of the surf."
"And what is to be done? They cannot be made to feel horse wherethey are; nor would the muskets of the foot be of any use. A lightthree-pounder would do its work handsomely on them!"
The strong desire which Dillon entertained to intercept, or rather todestroy, the party, rendered him prompt at expedients. After a moment ofmusing, he replied:
"The runaways must yet be on the land; and by scouring the coast, andposting men at proper intervals, their retreat can easily be prevented;in the mean time I will ride under the spur to----bay, where one of hismajesty's cutters now lies at anchor. It is but half an hour of hardriding, and I can be on board of her. The wind blows directly in herfavor; and if we can once bring her down behind that headland, we shallinfallibly cut off or sink these midnight depredators."
"Off, then!" cried the cornet, whose young blood was boiling for askirmish; "you will at least drive them to the shore, where I can dealwith them."
The words were hardly uttered, before Dillon, after galloping furiouslyalong the cliffs, and turning short into a thick wood that lay in hisroute, was out of sight. The loyalty of this gentleman was altogetherof a calculating nature, and was intimately connected with what heconsidered his fealty to himself. He believed that the possession ofMiss Howard's person and fortune were advantages that would much morethan counterbalance any elevation that he was likely to obtain by therevolution of affairs in his native colony. He considered Griffith asthe only natural obstacle to his success; and he urged his horse forwardwith a desperate determination to work the ruin of the young sailorbefore another sun had set. When a man labors in an evil cause, withsuch feelings, and with such incentives, he seldom slights or neglectshis work; and Mr. Dillon, accordingly, was on board the Alacrity severalminutes short of the time in which he had promised to perform thedistance.
The plain old seaman, who commanded the cutter, listened to his talewith cautious ears; and examined into the state of the weather, andother matters connected with his duty, with the slow and deliberatedecision of one who had never done much to acquire a confidence inhimself, and who had been but niggardly rewarded for the little he hadactually performed.
As Dillon was urgent, however, and the day seemed propitious, he atlength decided to act as he was desired, and the cutter was accordinglygotten under way.
A crew of something less than fifty men moved with no little of theircommander's deliberation; but as the little vessel rounded the pointbehind which she had been anchored, her guns were cleared, and the usualpreparations were completed for immediate and actual service.
Dillon, sorely against his will, was compelled to continue on board, inorder to point out the place where the suspecting boatmen were expected,to be entrapped. Everything being ready, when they had gained a safedistance from the land, the Alacrity was kept away before the wind, andglided along the shore with a swift and easy progress that promised aspeedy execution of the business in which her commander had embarked.