CHAPTER XX.
THE ALARM AND THE PURSUIT.
"Corporal of the guard! corporal of the guard!" shouted the sentinelin the passage to the chambers, "corporal of the guard! corporal ofthe guard!"
The subaltern flew up the narrow stairway that led to the room of theprisoner, and demanded the meaning of the outcry.
The soldier was standing at the open door of the apartment, looking inwith a suspicious eye on the supposed British officer. On observinghis lieutenant, he fell back with habitual respect; and replied, withan air of puzzled thought:
"I don't know, sir, but just now the prisoner looked queer. Ever sincethe preacher has left him, he don't look as he used to do--but,"gazing intently over the shoulder of his officer, "it must be him,too! There is the same powdered head, and the darn in the coat, wherehe was hit the day we had the last brush with the enemy."
"And then all this noise is occasioned by your doubting whether thatpoor gentleman is your prisoner or not, is it, sirrah? Who do youthink it can be else?"
"I don't know who else it can be," returned the fellow, sullenly; "buthe has grown thicker and shorter, if it is he; and see for yourself,sir, he shakes all over, like a man in an ague."
This was but too true. Caesar was an alarmed auditor of this shortconversation, and, from congratulating himself upon the dexterousescape of his young master, his thoughts were very naturally beginningto dwell upon the probable consequences to his own person. Thepause that succeeded the last remark of the sentinel in no degreecontributed to the restoration of the faculties. Lieutenant Mason wasbusied in examining with his own eyes the suspected person of theblack, and Caesar was aware of the fact by stealing a look through apassage under one of his arms, that he had left expressly for thepurpose of reconnoitering.[117]
[Footnote 117: surveying the situation with his eye.]
Captain Lawton would have discovered the fraud immediately, but Masonwas by no means so quick-sighted as his commander. He therefore turnedrather contemptuously to the soldier, and, speaking in an undertone,observed:
"That anabaptist, methodistical, Quaker, psalm-singing rascal hasfrightened the boy with his farrago[118] about flames and brimstone.I'll step in and cheer him with a little rational conversation."
[Footnote 118: medley.]
"I have heard of fear making a man white," said the soldier, drawingback, and staring as if his eyes would start from their sockets, "butit has changed the royal captain to a black!"
The truth was that Caesar, unable to hear what Mason uttered in a lowvoice, and having every fear aroused in him by what had alreadypassed, incautiously removed the wig a little from one of his ears, inorder to hear the better, without in the least remembering that thecolor might prove fatal to his disguise. The sentinel had kept hiseyes fastened on his prisoner, and noticed the action. The attentionof Mason was instantly drawn to the same object; and, forgetting alldelicacy for a brother officer in distress, or, in short, forgettingeverything but the censure that might alight on his corps, thelieutenant sprang forward and seized the terrified African by thethroat; for no sooner had Caesar heard his color named than he knewthat his discovery was certain, and, at the first sound of Mason'sheavy boot on the floor, he arose from his seat and retreatedprecipitately[119] to a corner of the room.
[Footnote 119: with haste.]
"Who are you?" cried Mason, dashing the head of the man against theangle of the wall at each interrogatory. "Who are you, and where isthe Englishman? Speak, thou thunder-cloud! Answer me, you jackdaw, orI'll hang you on the gallows of the spy!"
Caesar continued firm. Neither the threats nor the blows could extractany reply, until the lieutenant, by a very natural transition in theattack, sent his heavy boot forward in a direction that brought it indirect contact with the most sensitive part of the negro--his shin.The most obdurate heart could not have exacted further patience, andCaesar instantly gave in. The first words he spoke were:
"Golly! Massa, you t'ink I got no feelin'?"
"By heavens!" shouted the lieutenant, "it is the negro himself!Scoundrel! where is your master, and who was the priest?"
While he was speaking as if about to renew the attack, Caesar criedaloud for mercy, promising to tell all he knew.
"Who was the priest?" repeated the dragoon, drawing back hisformidable[120] leg and holding it in threatening suspense.
[Footnote 120: exciting fear.]
"Harvey, Harvey!" cried Caesar, dancing from one leg to the other, ashe thought each member in turn might be assailed.
"Harvey who, you black villain?" cried the impatient lieutenant, as heexecuted a full measure of vengeance by letting his leg fly.
"Birch!" shrieked Caesar, falling on his knees, the tears rolling inlarge drops over his face.
"Harvey Birch!" echoed the trooper, hurling the black from him andrushing from the room. "To arms! To arms! Fifty guineas for the lifeof the peddler spy--give no quarter to either. Mount! Mount! To arms!To horse!"
The first impulse of Henry was, certainly, to urge the beast he rodeto his greatest speed at once. But the forward movement that the youthmade for this purpose was instantly checked by the peddler. Henryreluctantly restrained his impatience and followed the direction ofthe peddler. His imagination, however, continually alarmed him withthe fancied sounds of pursuit.
"What see you, Harvey?" he cried, observing the peddler to gazetowards the building they had left with ominous interest; "what seeyou at the house?"
"That which bodes us no good," returned the peddler. "Throw aside themask and wig; you will need all your senses without much delay. Throwthem in the road. There are none before us that I dread, but there arethose behind who will give us a fearful race! Now ride, CaptainWharton, for your life, and keep at my heels."
The instant that Harvey put his horse to his speed, Captain Whartonwas at his heels urging the miserable animal he rode to the utmost. Avery few jumps convinced the captain that his companion was fastleaving him, and a fearful glance thrown behind informed him that hisenemies were as speedily approaching.
"Had we not better leave our horses?" said Henry, "and make for thehills across the fields on our left? The fence will stop ourpursuers."
"That way lies the gallows," returned the peddler; "these fellows gothree feet to our two, and would mind the fences no more than we dothese ruts; but it is a short quarter to the turn, and there are tworoads behind the wood. They may stand to choose until they can takethe track, and we shall gain a little upon them there."
"But this miserable horse is blown already," cried Henry, urging hisbeast with the aid of the bridle, at the same time that Harvey aidedhis efforts by applying the lash of a heavy riding-whip he carried;"he will never stand it for half a mile farther."
"A quarter will do; a quarter will do," said the peddler; "a singlequarter will save us, if you follow my directions."
Somewhat cheered by the cool and confident manner of his companion,Henry continued silently urging his horse forward. Soon the captainagain proposed to leave their horses and dash into the thicket.
"Not yet, not yet," said Birch in a low voice; "the road falls fromthe top of this hill as steep as it rises; first let us gain the top."While speaking, they reached the desired summit, and both threwthemselves from their horses, Henry plunging into the thick underwood,which covered the side of the mountain for some distance above them.Harvey stopped to give each of their beasts a few severe blows of hiswhip, that drove them headlong down the path on the other side of theeminence, and then followed his example.
The peddler entered the thicket with a little caution, and avoided, asmuch as possible, rustling or breaking the branches in his way. Therewas but time only to shelter his person from view, when a dragoon ledup the ascent, and on reaching the height, he cried aloud:
"I saw one of their horses turning the hill this minute!"
"Drive on; spur forward, my lads," shouted Mason; "give the Englishmanquarter, but cut the peddler down, and make an end of
him."
"Now," said the peddler, rising from the cover to reconnoitre, andstanding for a moment in suspense, "all that we gain is clear gain;for, as we go up, they go down. Let us be stirring."
"But will they not follow us, and surround the mountain?" said Henryrising, and imitating the labored but rapid progress of his companion;"remember they have foot as well as horse, and, at any rate, we shallstarve in the hills."
"Fear nothing, Captain Wharton," returned the peddler with confidence;"this is not the mountain that I would be on, but necessity has mademe a dexterous pilot among these hills. I will lead you where no manwill dare to follow."