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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 58690 ***
+
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+
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+
+
+
+
+
++-------------------------------------------------+
+|Transcriber's note:                              |
+|                                                 |
+|Obvious typographic errors have been corrected.  |
+|                                                 |
++-------------------------------------------------+
+
+
+
+
+FOR THE LOVE OF LADY MARGARET
+
+[Illustration: Lady Margaret Carroll _Frontispiece_]
+
+
+
+
+FOR THE LOVE OF
+LADY MARGARET
+
+_A Romance of
+the Lost Colony_
+
+BY
+WILLIAM THOMAS WILSON
+
+[Illustration: Decoration]
+
+CHARLOTTE, N. C.
+STONE & BARRINGER COMPANY
+1908
+
+
+COPYRIGHT, 1908
+BY STONE & BARRINGER COMPANY
+
+
+THE QUINN & BODEN CO. PRESS
+RAHWAY, N. J.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+CHAPTER                                PAGE
+    I. THE END OR THE BEGINNING           7
+
+   II. I HAVE AN OFFER                   16
+
+  III. WE TAKE THE MERCHANT              28
+
+   IV. THE ISLAND ELDORADO               39
+
+    V. THE CAVE                          52
+
+   VI. THE PLOT THICKENS                 71
+
+  VII. THE PHANTOM                       81
+
+ VIII. I DICE FOR A LIFE                 91
+
+   IX. THE LAST REVEL                   105
+
+    X. THE BLACK FLAG GOES UNDER        120
+
+   XI. THE GREAT ARMADA                 137
+
+  XII. MY LADY                          162
+
+ XIII. I SAIL FOR VIRGINIA              185
+
+  XIV. CROATAN                          202
+
+   XV. THE SEARCH FOR THE LOST COLONY   221
+
+  XVI. A WILD DIANA                     239
+
+ XVII. THE DEATH OF DENORTIER           258
+
+XVIII. MY LORD TAKES HIS DEPARTURE      278
+
+  XIX. THE JOURNEY'S END                295
+
+
+
+
+FOR THE LOVE OF LADY MARGARET
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+THE END OR THE BEGINNING
+
+
+And so this was the end? Well, no matter--I had lived my little
+day--had played my part. The bell had tapped; the curtain had fallen;
+and so the scene must end. How many of those who had seen the little
+game played out, and had applauded the actor, would remember after the
+lights were out and the house was dark? I had passed from Heaven to
+Hell in four short hours--four hours!
+
+My new white trunks, with the gray doublet, were on the bed, where I
+had laid them out. I had planned to wear them to Lady Wiltshire's ball
+to-night.
+
+The guests were just beginning to arrive--Raleigh, with the gallant air
+and courtly mien; Lord North, with his stupid and insufferable egotism;
+Francis Bacon, the austere and brilliant, and the Viscount James Henry
+Hampden, who would, in my absence, promptly take possession of Lady
+Margaret Carroll.
+
+Ah, my lady! wouldst thou give one thought to me when I had passed out
+of thy life forever? Wouldst thou, like the rest, move on without one
+sigh, thine eyes fixed upon the moving figures about thee, forgetful
+that there was wont to be another by thy side, who was now gone for
+aye? Would one tear fall from those beautiful eyes which I had looked
+into so often within the last two years?--years that seemed so short
+to me to-night, as I looked back over them, and thought of the golden
+hours, which had once gleamed so bright and happy before me, but now
+lay so far behind, lost in the moldering ashes of the forgotten past.
+
+It seemed like long years since I had received that short note from my
+father, with its few curt lines, saying that our paths must separate;
+that I had disgraced the family; that he had borne with me till flesh
+and blood could stand no more, and henceforth I would be as a stranger
+to him.
+
+Life indeed seemed black to me! Past my first youth (I was thirty-two),
+brought up to do nothing except to enjoy myself, with an ample income,
+which my father, Lord Richmond, had always supplied--what wonder that I
+felt as if the anchor had indeed slipped, and that I was adrift at the
+mercy of the wind and tide.
+
+I might, it was true, drift on for a few weeks on credit, and borrow
+from my friends, but I had no mind to do that. Whatever my faults, and
+they were many and grievous, I had at least lived like a gentleman, and
+had nothing on that score to reproach myself with.
+
+I did not wish to run deep into debt, and cause honest tradesmen to
+lose their just dues because they had trusted to my honor. No; whatever
+came, I would not do that. I would face the situation fairly and
+squarely--would work out as best I could my own salvation, without fear
+or favor from any man.
+
+The old lord, my father, had always disliked me; I remember as a boy
+how he never had a kind word for me. My older brother, Richard, was his
+favorite, and Richard had never lost an opportunity to prejudice him
+against me.
+
+My brother, as a little boy, had always treasured up all my mistakes
+and punishments at school, and when he returned home, would recount
+them to my father with a grave face, so that he would have the pleasure
+of hearing him reprove me, which I believe that Richard delighted in.
+
+What wonder was it, when I finished school, that I chose, after a year
+or two in the Irish campaign, to return and remain in London, rather
+than journey down to the grim old castle, built by the third Lord
+Richmond during the reign of Stephen, and live there with my father and
+Richard.
+
+My mother had been dead for years. From out of the dim memories of my
+childhood I see her arise--a gentle, sweet-faced woman, who loved her
+family and her home more than all else. She died when I was young, and
+there remained of the family only my father, Richard, and myself.
+
+This sudden fury of my father's was Richard's work, I had no doubt. He
+had played on my father's old hatred for me, and had fanned it by his
+hints of my extravagance and wildness, until it had burned into a flame
+ready to sweep all before it. Well, they could go their own way now,
+and I would go mine. Henceforth they should not be troubled with me.
+
+I walked over to my window, and looked down upon the crowd, as it
+surged to and fro along Cheapside. Many parties of richly clad gallants
+hurried along, bound for the playhouse and the rout.
+
+On the opposite side of the street, amidst the throng, I descried
+Bobby Vane, in his new plum-colored cloak, as he hastened to my Lady
+Wiltshire's ball. I followed him with my eyes, until the torch of his
+linkboy was lost in the crowd.
+
+The night was hot and sultry, and to me, exhausted by my painful
+thoughts, the room seemed insufferably close and stifling. Hardly
+knowing what I did, I picked up my coat and hat, and passed out into
+the street.
+
+How long I walked, or where, I know not. The faces about me on the
+street I saw dimly, as though in some dream--indistinct, faint, which
+on the morn comes to the mind in broken fragments. Thou knowest that
+such thoughts, such faces, have passed before thine eyes, but when and
+where thou canst not tell.
+
+I strode on rapidly, looking neither to right nor left, not knowing
+or caring whither I went; glad that I was occupied, and not sitting
+idle, tortured with painful thoughts of the morrow. Many I passed thus,
+some of whom stopped to look back at me as I left them behind in my
+rapid walk. Some sound of their conversation came to my ears as they
+whispered after me.
+
+I was coming now into the less frequented part of London, where I did
+not remember to have ever been before. The crowd upon the streets
+was smaller here, and was of the poorer class, mostly laborers and
+tradesmen, and the sight of a well-dressed stranger must have created
+some sensation in their minds. They said naught to me, however, and I
+passed on.
+
+I had halted at a corner to let a cart pass by, and moved by some
+impulse of the moment, I now looked back. A man stood by a house a
+few feet away, and as he caught my look he shrank against the wall,
+as though to conceal himself from my sight. I had seen him before--a
+short, squat man, with a dark bronzed face, and thick black hair
+sprinkled with gray. He was dressed in the garb of a well-to-do
+tradesman, but there was an indescribable something in his appearance
+or manner, I know not exactly what, that suggested the sea to me. It
+may have been his walk, rolling and clumsy, or the slits in his ears,
+which showed where once there had been ear-rings, that made me think of
+a seaman.
+
+I had seen him several times within the last few days, hanging around
+the corners near my apartments, as though watching for someone. Once
+on coming down my steps, I ran full into his arms as he stood on the
+landing, and as I disengaged myself, he glanced keenly into my face as
+though to fix it in his mind, and with a word of apology passed on. It
+seemed as though he followed my footsteps, for half an hour later, on
+passing a fruit stand near the Thames, I had seen him gazing intently
+at me through the lattice.
+
+And now the same man was just behind me, and when I glanced at him,
+innocently enough, he shrank back as though to avoid my look. Could it
+be that he dogged my steps, and for some purpose of his own wished to
+keep me in sight? I knew not why he should do so. I had no enemy in the
+city, who would go to so much trouble on my account. But it was worth
+looking into, and so I turned into an alley, and stepping quickly into
+a dark doorway, I waited.
+
+A few moments, and footsteps sounded on the pavement, and the figure
+of my pursuer, for pursuer he undoubtedly was, came in sight. Pausing
+at the entrance of the lane, he looked cautiously into it, no doubt
+pondering where I could have disappeared so suddenly. The moonlight
+shone full in his face as he stood there, and from my hiding place I
+could see every sinister feature, as like a baffled hound he sought to
+rediscover the lost scent. An instant thus he stood, as if undecided;
+then silently he stole into the dark alley, and passing the doorway
+where I stood melted away in the gloom.
+
+Waiting a few minutes where I was, I stepped down, and turning strode
+out of the lane and back to the corner whence I had come only a moment
+ago. Congratulating myself on the fact that I had shaken this spy, I
+resumed my walk. Through strange twisted streets, overhung with gabled,
+many-windowed houses; by dark shops, now closed for the day; and along
+ill-paved crooked lanes I strode, engaged with my own thoughts, as
+black and gloomy as my surroundings.
+
+What was I to do? Turn my back upon London and all my friends, and one
+bright lady, more than all the rest to me? I could not remain among
+those where once I held high sway, the chief amidst the gay throng--now
+poor, despised, forsaken, stripped of my rank and means, for I had been
+dependent upon the old lord, my father, for all that I had. Monthly he
+had sent to me through a London bank, a good round sum in shining gold,
+which I had promptly sown to the four winds.
+
+The life of a gentleman of leisure in the reign of Elizabeth was no
+cheap thing, I can tell thee. There were many new doublets, made of
+silk and satin, of varied colors and shapes, which were ever changing,
+even as a maid blushes--and as readily. There were the routs and
+balls; playhouses where the painted actors strutted and declaimed;
+the dice games in the evenings at the houses of the noble ladies who
+entertained, where we threw for the golden coin, stacked high upon the
+table, until daylight peeped in at the closed shutters, and shone upon
+the flushed, haggard faces and disheveled hair of the lords and ladies.
+Then there were our servants, many and skillful; our horses and hounds;
+our wines and dinners; our banquets and routs--all the most elegant. No
+wonder the sovereigns melted from our purses as snow before a summer
+sun.
+
+Those were brave old days in London town, when we laughed and idled
+around, free and happy as the larks. Naught to do save enjoy ourselves;
+naught to think of save the color of some fair lady's eyes. Sweet,
+happy days--but gone forever!
+
+Even now, when my hair has grown as white as the driven snow and my eye
+is dim and feeble, I think of them sometimes with a smile. I would give
+all of worldly fame and fortune I possess, if, for one brief moment, I
+could feel again the bounding blood of youth pulse through my withered
+veins, and my bent form could straighten with the old proud fire, and
+my step be as light and care-free as of yore; if in my ears could ring
+the sound of those dear voices--Walter Raleigh's ringing laugh, Bobby
+Vane's piping tones--and if those true and tried friends--many of whom
+are scattered east and west, some of whom sleep the last, long, quiet
+sleep--could be gathered with me as of yore in the great room about the
+roaring fire of the Mermaid Inn.
+
+A great bar of light loomed ahead of me across the narrow street, and
+as I drew nearer I heard the sound of shouting and carousing, the clink
+of glasses, and the deep roars of laughter of the drinkers. Evidently
+some crowd held high carnival to-night, bent on feasting and frolic.
+
+Nearing the latticed window, I peered in. It was a low room in a
+tavern, its ceiling black with smoke and age. A great log fire
+roared up the wide fireplace. Around a long table in the center of
+the room was seated what looked to me like the crew of some foreign
+ship--swarthy-faced, with earrings hanging from their ears, and
+cutlasses and swords buckled around their waists--they seemed none too
+good for any wild deed of crime and plunder.
+
+There were some twenty-five or thirty of them, who, flagons in hand,
+sat about the table, telling many strange tales of the unknown regions
+of the Spanish Main, and motioning to the waiters, who ran frantically
+to and fro, filling the ever empty glasses. They were plainly the
+terror and admiration of the other guests, who, huddled together in
+a corner near the chimney, leered and whispered at their boisterous
+conduct and wild appearance.
+
+I looked in at them for a few moments, aroused from my thoughts by the
+extraordinary spectacle. It was doubtless the crew of some foreign
+merchant vessel, probably a Spaniard, who, returning from a long voyage
+to the West, and touching at London, had chosen this night to celebrate
+their return to civilization.
+
+As I peered in, a door at the rear of the room opened, and there
+advanced rapidly into the room my pursuer, whom I had but just
+outwitted a few brief moments ago in the alley. Hot and breathless
+he stood there, as though he had just emerged from some race, and I
+chuckled when I thought what a chase I must have given him.
+
+He crossed the room to where the foreign seamen drank and feasted;
+bending over two, who sat at the head of the table, he placed his
+hands upon their shoulders, and whispered a few words in their ears.
+Instantly they rose, and putting on their caps, followed him out
+through the rear door, deaf to the taunts and entreaties of their
+comrades to "drink one more glass."
+
+[Illustration: "He Placed His Hands upon Their Shoulders"]
+
+The seamen cried out in Spanish, a tongue which I understood, and their
+conversation, mostly about their voyages, was carried on in that same
+language. But they talked only of such things as seamen were wont to
+do; so turning away from my station, I retraced my steps toward my room.
+
+Why had this man come so quickly into this place, and whispering to two
+of the seamen, gone out as silently and speedily as he had appeared?
+Plainly he was known to these men, for they had shouted at him, and two
+had followed him out without a word. Where? Was it in pursuit of me?
+And if so with what motive? Perhaps they meant to capture me, and exact
+a ransom from my doting father, and at the thought, I smiled bitterly
+to myself. Ah! a kingly ransom would he pay for my return. Long would
+he grieve, together with the saintly Richard, should I vanish from his
+ken.
+
+To reach this place was easier than to find my way back through the
+long labyrinth of turns and corners, of cross streets and alleys.
+Retracing my steps, I wended my course through a maze of dark lanes,
+and had almost despaired of ever finding my way home, when turning I
+saw two men, who seemed to be engaged in an earnest discussion, and
+quickening my steps, I approached them, inquiring, as I did so, whether
+they could direct me to Cheapside.
+
+The taller turned quickly at the sound of my voice, and stood looking
+down at me. He was wrapped in a great cloak, and I only saw, bent upon
+me, the flash of a pair of cold black eyes. "Turn the first corner to
+the right," he answered, with a slight foreign accent. "That will take
+thee straight to it," and he turned again to his companion as though
+eager to be rid of me.
+
+With a brief word of thanks I passed on, but had gone only a few steps
+when I heard a loud oath, and wheeling about saw one of the men draw
+his sword and make for the other, who seemed to be surprised and
+dismayed by the sudden attack.
+
+The sword flashed in the moonlight, and I barely had time to dash
+back, and running in between them to catch it upon my own, which I had
+hastily drawn, else the luckless victim had departed this flesh in a
+twinkling.
+
+With another loud cry, the assailant made a hasty pass at me, and we
+closed. Even in the moonlight I was struck with the unusual beauty
+of the face--its long aquiline nose, and keen hawk eyes. The hat had
+fallen from his head, and his jet black hair shone like the wing of a
+raven.
+
+I had small time to observe these things, however, for he pressed me
+with the fury of a demon, now thrusting with the point, then cutting at
+me with the blade. I had on merely a light rapier, more for dress than
+work, while he was using a heavy service sword, and I began to realize
+that this could not last much longer, for he would beat me down by the
+strength of his arm, as with all his swordsmanship he pressed upon me.
+
+I was bleeding from several slight wounds where he had touched me,
+for he was undoubtedly the finest blade with whom I had ever crossed
+swords--I, Thomas Winchester, accounted one of the best swordsmen of
+the North Country; backward, backward he was pressing me, and I could
+see the evil look on his face, as he steadily pushed me to the wall.
+
+How much longer the unequal fight would have lasted, I know not. I had
+abandoned all hope and given myself up for lost, when the gentleman to
+whose rescue I had come, and who had stood by in the meantime as if
+dazed, suddenly drew his sword and came to my assistance.
+
+Together we rushed upon my tall assailant with all our skill and force,
+but try as we would, we could never cross the gleaming hedge of steel,
+with which he seemed ringed about. Now he would meet my ally's blade
+and beat him back, and when I rushed upon him, thinking to take him
+unawares, I would meet that impenetrable wall of fire, and would be
+forced to retreat again. It seemed more than mortal man could endure,
+but his dark, gleaming eyes showed no change; and it looked as if we
+would have both been held at bay, had it not been for an unlooked for
+and unforeseen circumstance.
+
+In meeting the attack of my friend, for I knew not what else to call
+him, the tall stranger's foot slipped, and he fell at full length
+on the pavement. We both rushed forward quickly, eager to disarm so
+dangerous a foe, when raising himself on his elbow, he drew a little
+silver whistle from his breast, and blew one sharp, long blast.
+
+Immediately it seemed as if the whole street were alive with men. They
+looked as if they sprang from the very pavements. My friend was seized
+before he could turn to meet the new foe, and a dozen or more sprang
+upon me. The first, a burly ruffian armed with a cutlass, I ran through
+the body with my rapier, but as he fell, he dragged my weapon out of my
+hand, and before I could disengage it from his body, the others were
+upon me.
+
+I had one glimpse of a mass of dark, bronzed faces, evil and leering;
+then there was a noise as of many waters in my ears--I seemed to be
+falling, falling, and I knew no more.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+I HAVE AN OFFER
+
+
+I seemed to be back at Richmond Castle. I could see the great green
+lawn and the dove-cot with its pigeons. Old Dennis, the gardener, was
+speaking to me, "Mister Thomas, it's glad I am to see thee back." My
+hound came running forward to lick my hand, and I could feel the fresh
+breeze of the country, so different from the hot, feverish air of
+London, upon my face. A great peace fell upon me--I was at home.
+
+The scene changed; I was at Lady Wiltshire's ball. I could see the
+brilliantly lighted rooms, the eager, joyous faces about me. There
+was the young débutante, unaffectedly pleased and amused; the bored,
+tired rake, weary of the game. Yonder comes my Lord Leicester, followed
+by his crowd of satellites, and with him my Lady Wiltshire and her
+beautiful ward, the Lady Margaret Carroll, surrounded by a little
+coterie of admirers.
+
+I could see the light as it fell upon her beautiful brown hair, turning
+every thread into gold, as rich and pure as any mined from the far
+fabled land of the Indies in the days gone by, and the deep violet of
+her eyes, like the azure blue of the sky on a summer day, with not a
+cloud to disturb or ruffle it. As she turned her head, I could see the
+rich full throat, white as the driven snow, and the lovely rose color
+upon her cheek--that fair cheek, the envy and despair of many a titled
+beauty.
+
+I could hear the whispers of the Viscount James Henry Hampden, who
+stood beside her; and while he fanned her with the pretty jeweled fan
+and poured out a stream of small talk, it was a sight for gods and men.
+It was more than mortal man could bear, and stretching out my arms, I
+called to her, "Margaret!" She turned her dark blue eyes upon me, and
+as she did so faded from my sight.
+
+I seemed to be wandering in a vast and limitless desert, no vegetation
+was in view, and I could see nothing but the hot, burning sand. I was
+thirsty, but though I searched far and wide, I could find no water to
+cool my burning tongue. But as I looked toward the horizon, I saw a
+beautiful, cool oasis; the fresh, green trees seemed to beckon me on. I
+struggled through the terrible heat and sand, and finally as I reached
+it, it vanished, and I awoke.
+
+My first sensation was one of pain. I raised my hand to my head. It was
+bandaged, as was also my left arm; and on attempting to turn on the
+bunk where I lay, a sudden pain seized me, which turned me faint and
+sick.
+
+I lay perfectly still for some time, gazing at the ceiling above me--so
+different from my own apartments. My eyes were met with the sight of
+plain, unpainted pine boards, the rough, unfinished wood broken and
+defaced in places, as though dented by some heavy article coming into
+violent contact with it.
+
+I also became conscious of a rocking, tossing motion, as if caused by
+the rolling of a vessel upon the open sea, and while wondering where I
+was, I dropped off into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.
+
+I was awakened by someone shaking me roughly by the shoulder, and on
+looking up, I perceived the man who had dogged my steps on last evening
+standing over me, with a platter in one hand, upon which there was some
+salt beef and ship biscuits, and a candle in the other.
+
+He, on perceiving my rueful countenance, broke out into a loud peal of
+laughter.
+
+"Here, my fine fellow, eat whilst thou mayst!" he cried. "Perchance a
+day may dawn when thou canst not."
+
+"Where am I?" I exclaimed weakly.
+
+"Eat and ask no more questions," he replied. "Our captain will see thee
+after thou hast eaten."
+
+Without more words I fell to upon the food, and notwithstanding that it
+was rough fare, I managed to make a good meal of it. My head had ceased
+to pain me, and while my arm still throbbed and ached, I was beginning
+to feel like myself again.
+
+I thought of my encounter with the tall stranger of the night
+before--at least I supposed it was the night before; for although the
+room in which I was confined was without windows or openings of any
+kind, and was dark save for the candle, I had seen a gleam of light, as
+the sailor had opened the door. He was a short, bronzed fellow, with
+bold, dark eyes, and a sullen face, garbed in the rough clothes of a
+seaman.
+
+I fumbled in my pocket, and finding a sovereign, drew it out, and
+extended it to him.
+
+"My man, I would ask thee a question. Wilt answer it?"
+
+At the sight of the gold, the face of the seaman changed. His dark
+sullen look was replaced by one, which, if not of delight, plainly
+indicated that he was pleased, and he extended his hand, with a rough,
+uncouth bow.
+
+"Anything that I know, I will answer, your honor," he said.
+
+"Well, then, where am I?" I asked.
+
+The man did not answer, and looking at his face, I saw that he seemed
+to hesitate between a desire to answer, and fear to do so.
+
+"Come now, didst not thou say that thou wouldst answer my question?" I
+cried.
+
+"Thou art on the ship 'Betsy' of London," he answered sullenly; and
+picking up his empty platter (for I had almost demolished the salt beef
+and bread), he strode out of the room before I could stop him, and I
+heard the heavy bolts turn, as he secured the door.
+
+I had discovered on looking around the room while eating, that I was in
+a common sailor's cabin, the windows of which were boarded, so as to
+exclude all light from the room.
+
+Groping my way in the dark, as best I could, I crossed over to the
+other side of the cabin, and began to feel with my right hand along the
+side of the room for the boards, with which the window had been planked
+up. But I was still weak and dizzy, and after a few minutes' work, I
+was compelled to sink down on the floor to rest, and while I lay there,
+I heard the sound of footsteps outside the door.
+
+The heavy bar creaked; the door swung open; and I was gazing into the
+face of the tall stranger, with whom I had fought upon the streets of
+London. The same high forehead, aquiline nose, thin, cruel lips, and
+jet-black eyes and hair. He wore a plum-colored doublet, with dark
+fawn trunks and hose, and had about him that ease and grace which mark
+the gentleman.
+
+In truth, he would have passed as a handsome gallant, had it not been
+for the cruelty and sensuality of his face. I have never been able
+to determine what feature it was that gave him that air of sinister,
+reckless cruelty. Analyzing his face, no one single member gave it that
+expression, but the combined effect was that of a man who had never let
+any fear or scruple come between himself and his desire.
+
+He stood in the doorway a moment in silence, a candle in his hand,
+looking upward; then closing the door, he advanced into the room, and
+with a bow and smile, addressed me as I sat upon the floor, speaking in
+English, but with a pronounced accent:
+
+"I trust that Sir Thomas Winchester will pardon this rude abode, and
+this somewhat unceremonious treatment. I assure him that nothing but
+the most urgent necessity is to blame for it."
+
+"If thou wilt have the goodness to tell me where I am, how I came here,
+and by whom and what authority I am detained in this place?" I said
+angrily, for the Richmond blood, which had never brooked opposition,
+and which had been the pride and curse of my race, was up now, and was
+boiling in my veins.
+
+"One thing at a time, my dear sir," he replied, and seating himself
+on a stool near the rude table on which he had placed the candle, he
+motioned me to a seat upon the other side of the room.
+
+But my temper was aroused, and by a shake of the head I declined the
+proffered seat, at the same time indicating my desire that he should
+answer my questions.
+
+"In the first place," he replied, "thou art on the brig, 'Betsy,'
+two days out from London. In the second place, as doubtless thou
+rememberest, thou didst attack me on the street of London, without any
+just cause, and wouldst have slain me, hadst thou had thy way. On my
+men coming up, thou wert unfortunately struck on the head, and being
+senseless, wert brought on board this ship. In the third place, thou
+art detained on board this vessel by me, and by my authority," and he
+looked down coolly upon me, as I sat upon the floor.
+
+"Who art thou," I exclaimed, rising to my feet, "that thou shouldst
+detain me?"
+
+My heat produced no noticeable effect upon him; with an evil smile he
+calmly replied, "The Count DeNortier."
+
+In a flash I knew into whose hands I had fallen--DeNortier, the Spanish
+adventurer and pirate, whose boldness and cruelty had been the talk of
+London two years ago.
+
+He had taken a Portuguese merchant vessel, bound from Lisbon to the
+West Indies, and fearful tales had been told of the way in which he had
+tortured the men and women. After taking everything of value from the
+ship, he had cut the throats of those who remained alive, and scuttling
+the ship, had sailed away. The ship, however, had not sunk immediately,
+and two days later was found by a Spanish vessel, and from a dying
+sailor the news of the tragedy had been heard.
+
+Since that day, from time to time, had come news of some further
+devilish act, until the whole of Europe knew and feared this human
+fiend.
+
+But I was a man. I could meet death like a gentleman, and if this
+desperado expected me to flinch, he would be disappointed. So unmoved,
+I awaited further explanation.
+
+The Count, seeing that I was unaffected by his name, continued:
+
+"Thou wouldst perhaps know why I had thee brought aboard, and I will
+satisfy thy curiosity. I am in need of men--not puppets, but men. When
+thou wert overpowered upon the street of London, I knew thee to be a
+man, and had thee brought aboard this ship, not knowing who thou wert.
+Since bringing thee aboard, I have discovered thy name and reputation.
+Several of thy countrymen are with me. Come with us. I have lost my
+lieutenant, and thou shalt have the place. What more couldst thou
+desire? Gold, wine, the wealth of the broad seas at thy command, a
+climate the finest in the world, a life of stir and enterprise, which
+would appeal to thee. Is there more that thou couldst wish?" And
+leaning back upon his stool against the wall, he looked at me with his
+cold black eyes.
+
+For a moment the audacity of the scheme amused me. I, a gentleman, to
+become a wild sea rover; to roam the sea knowing no law or God save
+that of my captain? It was ridiculous and laughable.
+
+The Count perceived the look of covert amusement upon my face.
+
+"Laugh not, my friend--I am in earnest!" he exclaimed slowly and
+deliberately. "Weigh my offer well before thou refusest," and he looked
+at me grimly.
+
+And now the tempter rushed upon me, and whispered--why not? Thou art
+cut off from thy friends and people, and left an outcast upon the
+earth, with no home or friends. Why not? To roam the wide seas with
+none to say thee nay; free as a bird that wings its way among the
+clouds, far above the path of weary mortals; gold, the wealth of the
+seas at thy command. Why not?
+
+All the demons of hell assailed me to bear me down. I had no one to
+mourn for me, or grieve that I should take such a course. To live the
+bold, free life, though but a day--were it not better than to stand a
+pariah among men? What matter the morrow? We could live the night with
+song and laughter, and if with the morn came the pale spectre to hold
+us to a grim account, we would at least have the consolation of knowing
+that for one brief night we had lived.
+
+I had almost accepted his offer, forgetting all honor and manhood,
+forgetting all those higher, nobler things. I had turned to DeNortier,
+and had opened my mouth to close with his proposition. Already his
+eye had brightened at the prospect of securing a bold assistant and
+lieutenant.
+
+And even as I turned there flashed into my mind the thought of a fair
+maiden, with clear, blue eyes and gold-brown hair, into whose pure soul
+there had never come one unworthy thought; and I could see with what
+scorn those eyes would be turned upon me, as one who had disgraced his
+birth and rank and the honored name he bore.
+
+No, come what might, I would endeavor to be as she would have me.
+Cut off from her by an impenetrable barrier, I would yet live as a
+gentleman should, and would pursue my solitary path throughout the long
+night until the morn.
+
+"Thou hast my answer," I said. "I will not join thee."
+
+The pirate's face had changed, and had grown dark with anger. Although
+he endeavored to conceal his wrath, his eyes sparkled with rage, and
+his hand played with the hilt of his sword.
+
+"Thou hadst best reconsider my offer," he said in a low, fierce voice.
+"We have a short way of dealing with those who thwart us."
+
+"I have decided," I replied. "I am willing to abide by my decision."
+
+He arose to his feet, and stood looking at me a moment; then picking
+up his candle, he left the room. The bolt turned in its socket; his
+footsteps died away; and I was left to my own meditations.
+
+They were far from pleasant; afloat on the seas in the hands of a man
+who knew no law save his own will; shut off from all help, I was indeed
+in a not-to-be-envied position.
+
+My thoughts turned to London. What did my old friends think had become
+of me? What did Bobby Vane think? Good old Bobby! How many times had we
+explored the city by moonlight. How many escapades we had had together,
+in the ten years we had been in London. We had been more like brothers
+than friends.
+
+And then there were a score of others, boon companions, with whom I had
+laughed and drank and feasted; had frequented the playhouses, and seen
+the puppet shows with their tinsel and glitter. What did they think of
+me--or care?
+
+Well, it was the way of the world. We have our little day, our little
+jest, our little song, and then the night falls, and shuts out the
+last faint gleam of the setting sun. As travelers who pass upon the
+road, we meet--a moment's greeting; then the journey is resumed, and we
+disappear in the deepening gloom. And so thinking I fell asleep.
+
+Then passed long uneventful days and nights, during which I saw only
+the sailor who had first brought my meals, and who had told me his
+name was Herrick. Three times a day he brought my food, and stood by
+me, sullen and morose, while I ate. When I finished, he would take the
+platter and candle and leave me, locking the heavy bolt behind him. All
+my efforts to draw him into a conversation proved vain; he would not be
+drawn out, or answer any of my questions.
+
+My health began to suffer from my close confinement, and I had almost
+given up all hope of ever seeing again the blue skies of heaven. I
+could still feel the rocking and tossing of the vessel, and sometimes
+could hear the shouts of the men, but outside of this, I was as much
+dead to the world as if I had been buried.
+
+It was about the twentieth day, I reckoned, after my conversation with
+DeNortier, when I heard footsteps approaching the door of my prison at
+an unwonted hour; as only a few minutes before the grim Herrick had
+brought my meal--whether breakfast, dinner, or supper, I did not know.
+
+The heavy lock groaned; the door opened, and Herrick stood outside.
+
+"Come," he said, "thou art wanted on deck," and candle in hand, he
+waited for me.
+
+The candlelight threw into relief his grim, dark features; his broad,
+flat nose and coarse, rough mouth; sparkled on the earrings in his
+ears; gleamed on his cutlass, which was suspended from his waist by
+a broad leather belt--altogether it was a picture for some ancient
+master, as he stood in the doorway.
+
+Picking up my tarnished hat, I passed up the ladder and stood on the
+deck of the ship.
+
+The vessel lay motionless upon the water. About the deck there
+clustered a group of rough sailors--English, by their costume and
+language, some thirty or more.
+
+On the other side of the vessel there stood about fifty of the most
+villainous-looking men I had ever seen--the ruffians whom I had noticed
+in the alehouse in London--of every clime and nationality, their faces
+stamped with all manner of vice; they were a crew repulsive enough to
+make men shudder.
+
+Between these two groups there stood DeNortier, and a broad, squat man,
+whom, from his dress and deportment, I surmised to be the master of the
+ship.
+
+A few ship-lengths distant there lay another vessel, long, low, with
+the hull painted a dull black. Many culverins protruded their frowning
+mouths from her dark sides; her decks were crowded with men. From her
+mast there flew a black flag, and as I gazed at it the folds opened
+wide to the wind, and I saw upon its face the skull and crossbones of
+the sea rover.
+
+From the vessel was putting out a boat filled with men, which was
+making for the ship on which I stood.
+
+The voice of DeNortier fell upon my ears at this moment.
+
+"Well, honored sir, I trust that thou hast had a pleasant trip."
+
+I turned to him as he stood beside me looking at my face, with a
+sinister smile on his own.
+
+"Pleasant trip!" I cried. "Yes--as the sufferings of the damned are
+pleasant, such pleasure have I had."
+
+He shrugged his shoulders, then came close to me, and spoke in a lower
+tone:
+
+"Thou hast in thy power to change it. Would it not be better to be a
+leader among those merry men yonder--to have the treasure of the world
+at thy command--than to languish out a miserable existence in some foul
+prison, shut out from the world; or perhaps to die by the thumbscrew
+and the torture?"
+
+"Better," I replied, "perhaps--but answer one question."
+
+"What is it?" he asked.
+
+"Why dost thou detain me here?"
+
+"I have told thee once," he answered; "it is not necessary to repeat
+it."
+
+"Granting that," I said; "in case of my refusal, what dost thou intend
+to do with me?"
+
+"I shall take thee with me to my rendezvous; shall keep thee until
+thou dost change thy mind. If thou wilt not join us after a reasonable
+time--why, dead men tell no tales." And as he said this, his black eyes
+narrowed to a mere slit.
+
+He gazed at me a moment, then, turning his back, walked to where the
+pirates, whose boat had arrived, were scrambling aboard the vessel.
+
+I was about to follow him, when my attention was attracted to two
+seamen who came up the companionway, bearing between them a man. They
+came forward to where I stood alone, and as they neared, I looked at
+the burden in their arms. It was not--could not be? Yes, it was the
+gentleman to whose rescue I had come on the street of London, and to
+whom I owed my present situation.
+
+The confinement had told on him, great hollows were under his eyes,
+his cheeks were wan and thin; no wonder I looked at him twice before I
+knew him. The seamen brought him forward to where I stood, and there
+deposited him, as though he were a bundle of goods.
+
+I believe he did not know me when he raised his eyes blankly to my
+face, but as he looked at me a moment, the light of recognition crept
+into them, and he held out his hand in greeting, with a smile.
+
+"Pardon me, that I did not at first know thee, but thou must remember
+that I only saw thee a moment in the moonlight, when we were both
+engaged, and this cursed imprisonment has so worked upon me, that I
+hardly believe I would know my own mother, could I see her."
+
+I laughed at the energy with which he spoke, and after grasping his
+proffered hand, sat down beside him.
+
+"Dame Fortune has played us a scurvy trick," I said, "but perhaps the
+wheel may turn. I am Thomas Winchester, Kt., of London. Pray, whom have
+I the honor of addressing?"
+
+He bowed. "I well know Sir Thomas Winchester by reputation, and am
+glad to know in person so redoubtable a gentleman," he answered. "Thou
+wert in Ireland some years ago with Sir Philip Sidney. Permit me to
+introduce Captain Henry Steele, at thy service."
+
+Steele? Steele? Where had I heard that name before? Ah, yes, it all
+came back to me. I remembered Philip Sidney's recounting, at the old
+Mermaid Inn, over a pipe of the fragrant Virginia tobacco, the tale of
+how this man Steele had swam across a river in the Low Country, during
+the campaign with Spain, and had traveled ten miles through a country
+swarming with the enemy, where capture meant certain death, to carry
+dispatches to a besieged fortress.
+
+I remembered the crowded room; the cloud of blue tobacco smoke, through
+which peered the eager, interested faces of the listeners; remembered
+the applause which the tale evoked; and Francis Drake's "By God! 'twas
+a gallant deed, sir."
+
+No wonder was it that I wrung his hand, glad to have so sturdy a
+warrior with me. Short, erect, strongly built, with a face that bespoke
+courage and determination, his was a noble spirit, and one calculated
+to invite confidence and trust.
+
+"And now let me thank thee for thy assistance in that fight on the
+street of London," he said. "The gods only know what I would have done
+without thy arm, for I have never before seen such swordplay in mortal
+man."
+
+"Tell me," I inquired, "how thou didst come to get into a difficulty
+with thy assailant?"
+
+And then, in a few short words, he told me that he had just returned
+from the Low Country a few days before, where he had been engaged in
+the noble fight that the Netherlands were waging against their Spanish
+oppressors. He had spent the early part of the night at a tavern with
+some of his friends, and was returning to his lodgings, his head heavy
+with wine, when he was stopped on a corner by DeNortier, who held up a
+sparkling ring, set with a precious stone, and asked him if he had lost
+it. He stepped nearer, to look at the gem; the man struck him in the
+face, and then, drawing his sword, had rushed at him.
+
+The rest I knew. Then he requested me to tell him where he was, and I
+told him all that I knew. I had barely finished, before I saw DeNortier
+approaching us.
+
+"Well, gentlemen," he said, "the boat awaits you."
+
+I looked around--I had no weapon, neither had Steele. We were both weak
+from our long confinement, and were surrounded by the cutthroats whom
+DeNortier had brought with him from London. Resistance seemed useless,
+so gathering up my faded cloak, and assisting Steele, who was very
+feeble, I followed DeNortier to the boat.
+
+For a moment I hesitated at the ladder, which led down to the little
+craft, but the pirate, as if divining my purpose, had placed his whole
+force at the entrance. Grim and cold they stood, weapons in hand.
+Bowing to the inevitable, we went down the ladder into the boat, and
+were rapidly rowed over to the pirate vessel.
+
+The men who manned the craft were like those I had seen on the "Betsy,"
+wild and reckless, and were dressed in fantastic costumes. They were
+also heavily armed.
+
+On attempting to address one of them, I was immediately silenced by
+Herrick, who seemed to be in command, and who growled out that if I
+wanted to save my neck, I had best hold my tongue. Taking the polite
+suggestion, for the remainder of our trip I held my peace, and we
+neared the vessel in silence.
+
+Reaching the pirate, we were immediately carried down the cabin way
+into a large bare room, with a rough bunk in one corner, and only a
+rude table together with a chair or two. The window of this room was
+enclosed by an iron grating. Here Steele and myself were left alone.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+WE TAKE THE MERCHANT
+
+
+Ten days more passed; but they were not so dull and tedious as those I
+had spent heretofore. Both Steele and myself were rapidly improving in
+health, under the cheering influence of our mutual companionship and
+conversation.
+
+We passed the days in recounting our mutual adventures; he telling of
+his experience in the Low Country; the many hairbreadth escapes that he
+had met with at the hands of the Spaniards; of the struggles that the
+people of Holland were passing through in their fight for freedom, and
+how many gallant Englishmen had drawn swords in their cause. He also
+asked me something of my Irish campaign with Sidney many years ago,
+when I was but a light-hearted lad, before I had ever gone to London
+and lost the sweetness and freshness of my youth in that great city of
+fashions and society.
+
+I would tell him of the gayeties of London of which he knew little; of
+the nobles and ladies of fashion, and their empty, care-free, butterfly
+existence.
+
+I told him of a great play which I had seen, when the little man,
+Shakespeare, had played a noble tragedy before the crown, and tried
+to give him some idea of the great lighted house with its audience of
+nobles and fair ladies.
+
+Steele's eyes flashed, as I tried to depict the play, and the
+enthusiasm of the people as they saw some noble scene.
+
+"It must have been grand!--grand! lad," he cried. "I would give five
+years of my existence to live such a life, be it only for a day."
+
+I also told him of my father's dismissal, for Steele's was a fine and
+generous nature, which invited confidence; and he agreed with me that
+Richard must have had a hand in it.
+
+We also talked of the golden Virginia, which Raleigh was determined
+to make into a great, vast empire; and discussed its wild, ferocious
+tribes, and its mines of gold and gems. So passed ten days.
+
+We had exhausted all plans for escaping; none seemed feasible. Were we
+to overpower our jailer, our condition would not be bettered; and so
+being surrounded by a shipload of pirates, and with no means of escape,
+we mutually agreed to wait until land was reached before making an
+attempt to free ourselves.
+
+On the eleventh morning, just as we finished our breakfast, Steele went
+to the grating to look out, and as he did so, uttered an exclamation.
+
+"Look!" he cried, pointing out upon the sea.
+
+I ran over to the window, and following his finger, saw far away on
+the horizon a dark speck, which Steele asserted was a ship. Even as we
+looked we heard a hoarse order in Spanish, a language I am familiar
+with. It was DeNortier's command to the pirates to put about in the
+direction of the distant vessel.
+
+All the morning long we followed that dark speck upon the water,
+gaining little by little, until about two of the evening we had gotten
+well in sight of her. She was a great galleon, bearing the yellow flag
+of Spain, her decks crowded with men, women, and children, who pointed
+and gesticulated at us.
+
+Slowly, steadily, we drew nearer, nearer, until within a few yards of
+her. I could see the soldiers trying to drive the women and children
+down below. Suddenly we came about; I heard the hoarse word of
+command, and then like a peal of thunder from a clear sky, the pirates
+discharged their culverins into the galleon.
+
+The slaughter was fearful. Men, women, and children were mowed down;
+and the screams of the wounded and dying rang loud and clear in our
+ears. Men ran hither and thither upon the decks. A few of the soldiers
+returned the fire of the pirates, but they seemed paralyzed with terror.
+
+Slowly our vessel came around in the wind, and discharged another
+broadside--and yet another, the musketoons of the pirates keeping up
+an incessant fire all the while. The deck of the galleon literally
+ran blood. Of the many who had thronged the vessel but a few minutes
+before, barely one-half were alive.
+
+The others lay huddled into great heaps--some dead, others grievously
+wounded, many praying, others screaming with pain. An officer, his
+steel helmet gleaming, ran to and fro, trying to get the men in
+order--but in vain.
+
+They seemed utterly beside themselves with fright, and abandoning the
+culverins, from which they had never fired a shot, the gunners ran
+down the hold; while the remainder of the men stood as if dazed by the
+destruction which the pirates had wrought.
+
+As we looked on, sick at heart, and wishing but for some weapon, that
+we might strike one blow for the galleon, we heard the door behind us
+open, and old Herrick, a grin of delight upon his face, came into the
+cabin.
+
+"The captain wishes you to come on deck," he informed us.
+
+We followed the old ruffian in silence up the companionway, and stood
+upon the deck. A few dead and wounded pirates lay about us.
+
+DeNortier, sword in hand, stood by the mast, two or three of his
+lieutenants around him. He gave us a dark look and said, "Gentlemen,
+you will accompany me to yonder ship."
+
+I merely inclined my head in token of our assent.
+
+The boats were gotten out, and crowded with the pirates, made their way
+to the stricken vessel. As we drew nearer, we saw that the slaughter
+was even worse than it had appeared from the deck of the ship.
+
+Here lay the body of a fresh young girl; there that of a grizzled old
+sailor; here a soldier in his armor, musketoon in hand; there a young
+child, his chubby arm under his head, as if asleep and dreaming; there
+a negro, dark and scowling. It was a horrible sight.
+
+We climbed on deck, and immediately DeNortier ordered a squad of
+sailors to throw the dead bodies overboard; another to divide the
+prisoners--the men into one group, the women and children into another.
+
+Steele, who had been examining a culverin that stood near him,
+touched me on the sleeve. I turned and looked at the gun to which he
+pointed--it was spiked and useless. We looked at another--spiked too.
+
+The culverins had all evidently been disabled by some trusty ally on
+the ship. This accounted for the fact that they were never fired. I
+turned sick at the thought of such treachery, which had cost so many
+human lives, and so much blood and carnage.
+
+And now we noticed that the pirates had stood all the men, who were
+left alive, by the side of the rail, their hands bound behind them.
+DeNortier advanced in front of the silent line.
+
+"My men," he cried in Spanish (most of the men were Spaniards), "who of
+you wish a merry life, plenty of wine, gold in abundance, and a good
+ship under you, to roam the wide blue seas? Any who prefer that to a
+watery grave, step forward."
+
+There were about one hundred men left; some twenty stepped forward; the
+rest stood firm and unyielding. Some of their faces were pale; a few of
+them were wounded; some had wives and children in far-off Spain, who
+would watch for their coming in vain. The suns would wax and wane; the
+hair of the watchers would fade slowly into the white of the winter
+snows; their children would grow up, live their little day, and lie
+down in the arms of the great angel, "Death"--but still they would not
+come. Not for them was a grave beneath the sunny skies of Spain, with
+the mourners to weep about their lifeless clay--theirs was a watery
+grave, lonely and deep, beneath the ocean's brine.
+
+"I will give you one more chance," the pirate said. "Step forward, and
+your lives are saved--if not, overboard you go."
+
+I have never admired the Spaniard as a race; but at this moment I felt
+a thrill of admiration and respect for those men, most of them bronzed
+and battered veterans, who could look into the face of death and meet
+him unafraid and undismayed.
+
+The captain raised his hand; but I could not see them go down without
+one effort to save them. I sprang forward, as did also Steele.
+
+"Count," I cried, "thou canst not mean to throw them overboard?--thou
+dost not mean to do that?"
+
+"Why not?" he said coolly. "They are of no use to me, if they will not
+join me. I cannot keep them as captives. What other course is open to
+me?"
+
+"Unbind them," I said; "give them the ship and let them go. Better
+starvation upon the seas, than such a death as this."
+
+"What? And let them bring down a swarm about my ears? Hardly!" he
+sneered. "I was not born yesterday, brave sir." Then raising his voice
+he shouted, "Herrick, seize them!"
+
+The sturdy Herrick and a score of others rushed upon us. The struggle
+was brief; we were unarmed, and two against a score, for many others of
+the pirates had rushed to the assistance of their companions.
+
+I felled some two or three of my assailants to the floor, and Steele
+did the like, but flesh and blood could do no more. We were seized,
+bound hand and foot, and deposited like two logs on the floor of the
+deck to await the destruction of the captives.
+
+The prisoners, with their hands bound and tied together, could only
+dumbly watch the struggle, which was to decide their fate.
+
+As the pirates, after securing us, turned to their captives to put the
+brutal sentence of their captain into execution, the prisoner who stood
+at the end of the line next us, and who wore a long white beard, which
+flowed down over his armor, turned to us and cried in English:
+
+"We thank you, noble sirs, for your gallant struggle in our behalf.
+May the blessings of the Holy Virgin be with you forever! May you ever
+remember that you have stood up manfully for those who could not help
+themselves; and may the memory of this deed be as water to the thirsty
+traveler in the desert. Farewell! may the benediction of God be ever
+with you."
+
+As he finished, the pirates rushed upon them. I had been a soldier
+in Ireland, and had looked unmoved on many a bloody field, but this
+slaughter of men, bound hand and foot, was more than I could see
+unmoved. A moment of brief struggle; I turned my head aside; there
+was a thud, as man after man struck the water--then silence. I looked
+again; they were gone; only the pirates, laughing and jeering among
+themselves, remained.
+
+And now the burly Herrick appeared, leading by the sleeve a girl,
+dark, slender, petite, with a complexion like a wild rose, and great
+glorious black eyes. Truly she was a beautiful sight, though she shrank
+back in affright from the admiring eyes of DeNortier.
+
+"By the Holy City! Here is a find!" he cried. "Herrick, thou shalt be
+made a bishop, and wear a miter; I swear it shall be so."
+
+The rascal bowed, a leer upon his face.
+
+"I thought that this would please thy Excellency," he said.
+
+"I have long searched the broad blue seas for a bride--what need to go
+further? Here is a pearl from the Antilles, a very jewel of the West.
+Bid Father Francis stand forth, and make us one."
+
+The girl stood as though frozen into stone, during this conversation,
+as if dazed by the terrible scene through which she had passed. But as
+DeNortier motioned a seaman to find the priest, whom he called Father
+Francis, the full horror of the situation seemed to burst upon her,
+and breaking away from the grasp of old Herrick, she threw herself at
+DeNortier's feet, in a torrent of tears.
+
+"Señor! Señor!" she cried, "for the love of God, have mercy! Hast thou
+no soul? Hadst thou a mother? For her sake I implore! Kill me if thou
+wilt, but do not do this act; 'twill be a stone about thy neck, to drag
+thee down to the bottomless pit."
+
+The Count smiled and touched her with his hand.
+
+"Rise up, fair one," he said; "thou shalt be queen of the tropic
+isles, and share my throne. Thou shalt have slaves to answer thy beck
+and call; thy slightest wish shall be my law. Dry those tears; Father
+Francis shall tie the wedding knot--and then, ho! for the fragrant isle
+where we shall reign."
+
+The girl sprang to her feet, her eyes flashing.
+
+"Dog!" she cried, "rather would I die than be the wife of such as thou!
+Rather would I let the crows pick the flesh from my bones, than to
+submit to such an outrage! Knowest thou not that I am the Donna Maria
+DeCarnova, the daughter of the Duc DeCarnova? The blood of kings and
+princes runs in my veins. Kill me, if thou wilt, but do not compel me
+to be thy wife."
+
+The Count laughed--such a laugh as the damned might have uttered, as
+they gloat in the regions of the Inferno over a soul that is lost.
+
+"Donna," he said, "save thy pretty blandishments, until after the
+priest hath finished with us. Thou mightst as well try to climb into
+the clouds of Heaven as to move me, after my mind has been made up. My
+wife thou shalt be, whether thou dost desire it or not. Prepare thyself
+for the wedding."
+
+I could stand this scene no longer; for, from where I lay, bound and
+tied, I could see and hear all that passed. The agony of the girl
+touched me to the heart. I have seen much of the evil side of life; but
+all the scenes of sin and sorrow have made me unable to turn a deaf ear
+to the cry of suffering, agonizing humanity.
+
+Naught had I to live for, disowned and spurned by my own father; cut
+off by an impenetrable barrier from all I knew and loved, what did
+there remain for me? What mattered a few short days? I could not ask
+the Lady Margaret Carroll to share such a life as this--would not let
+her do so, even were she willing.
+
+The Spanish girl was young, wealthy, beautiful; life held much, meant
+much to her; stretched out rich and wonderful before her eyes. I would
+let the maiden go. I was a soldier and a gentleman, and death's cold
+hand had been near me too often on the fields of Ireland to fear him
+now.
+
+"Steele," I said, "I am past my youth; have seen the best in life; have
+drunk deep of the golden cup. The maiden is young and lovely. I will
+exchange myself for the girl. DeNortier may do what he wishes with me,
+if he will but let the maid go free. Good-by, old friend--God bless
+thee! We have been together but a small space as time goes, yet I have
+learned to love thee. When thou returnest to England in the days to
+come, thou wilt bear my devoirs to Lady Margaret Carroll, and tell her
+that I was ever unto death her loyal knight. That I died as became a
+soldier and a gentleman--my last thoughts were of her. Farewell!"
+
+I could not see his face, for they had bound and thrown me with my back
+to him; but in a moment he spoke, his voice husky with emotion:
+
+"Truly, my friend, thou art the bravest gentleman that it has ever
+been my good fortune to know. I would I could persuade thee from this
+deed."
+
+"Thou canst not," I answered. "My mind is fixed and immovable."
+
+"Then fare thee well!" he answered, "and God be with thee. If ever
+I come to England, I will search out the Lady Margaret Carroll, and
+deliver thy message, though I be compelled to walk through England
+barefoot to do so."
+
+"So be it," I replied, and I called loudly for DeNortier.
+
+The Count came forward to where I lay bound, his face dark with anger,
+his eyes flashing; plainly the Spanish girl had not left him in the
+best of moods.
+
+"What wouldst thou have?" he cried. "Speak quickly, my time is short."
+
+"Count," I answered, "thou art a soldier, and sometime a gentleman.
+Release the maid; swear to me that thou wilt furnish her a safe conduct
+to Spain; let my friend, Steele, go with her as escort, and thou mayst
+do what thou wilt with me."
+
+"Art thou mad," he said, "that thou proposest such a thing? Art thou
+flesh and blood, that thou shouldst pass through such torture as I can
+devise? Granting that thy life should be of enough value to me that I
+should release the maid, of what benefit would that be to me? What is
+the maid to thee, that thou shouldst give thy life for her?"
+
+As I lay there, a verse of Scripture passed through my mind, learned
+long years ago, at my mother's knee. I had not thought of it for
+twenty years, but it came clear and fresh to my mind, as if learned on
+yesterday. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his
+life for his friends." Hardly knowing what I did, I repeated these few
+words, more to myself than to him. They were so short, and yet so full
+of meaning.
+
+The loving face of my mother came back to me as of old, when kneeling
+at her feet, I would repeat my simple prayers. Much had I learned since
+then, more of sin and evil than of good; yet many things, that I had
+lisped long years ago, would come back to me at unexpected moments,
+like rich gold buried for a season, and but awaiting the spade of the
+miner to uncover the yellow ore. Dear patient one, thy toil was long
+and weary, but perhaps thou builded better than thou dreamed.
+
+DeNortier burst into a peal of laughter at the words. "This is the
+best yet!" he shouted, stamping his feet with glee. "The devil turned
+priest! I had as soon expected old Herrick to don the cassock."
+
+I answered him: "The maid is naught to me, yet I would not see her
+young life blighted. Swear to me on the crucifix that she shall go
+unharmed, with my friend as an escort; that thou wilt send them to some
+Spanish port, and I am content. Let it be said that thou didst one good
+deed in all thy career of blood and crime; perhaps it will avail thee
+much, at the last grim moment."
+
+He still stood looking at me. "Thou art a strange and perverse man,
+that thou wouldst give thy life for an unknown maid, but the humor of
+the thing appeals to me. I, too, am strange, and have my whims and
+fancies. So be it; the maid shall go free with thy friend to see her
+safe. I have another vessel, which meets me in a day or two; they shall
+go on that, and thou canst take her place."
+
+"One last word," I said, "thou canst take my life if thou wilt, but
+thou canst not make me stoop to play the knave. A gentleman I was born,
+and by God's help, a gentleman I will die."
+
+A bitter smile played around his mouth for a moment. "So be it," he
+said, and turning, he called: "Francis! Francis! where art thou?"
+
+"Here, thy Excellency," cried a voice; and from out of the group
+of pirates, there waddled towards us the large, stout figure of an
+Englishman, clad in the gown of a priest; a man on whose rubicund face
+the mellow juice of the grape had stamped its seal. The nose red and
+swollen, the cheeks puffed and bloated, the watery eye, all told the
+tale of his vice as plainly as if it had been spoken in words.
+
+He came forward, a smile of triumph upon his face. "Ah! thy
+Excellency," he cried, as he came nearer, "did I not do my work well?
+Not one culverin to answer thee with, and all at the risk of my life.
+Was I not nearly discovered several times? I would not go through the
+like again for a mine of gold, freshly dug from the virgin soil."
+
+"Thou shalt be well requited for thy pains," DeNortier replied. "In
+the meantime, hast thou a cross?"
+
+"Most assuredly," he answered; "the servant hath ever the tools of his
+calling," and he plucked from under the folds of his cassock a little
+iron cross, and held it out to the Count.
+
+"Swear upon it," I said, "that by the bones of thy ancestors, by the
+body of Jesus, by all the fears of perdition, thou wilt deliver the
+maiden, with Captain Steele, safe and unharmed, into the hands of her
+friends. If thou failest to do so, may a thousand curses weigh down thy
+soul."
+
+"I swear it," he said sullenly, kissing the cross, and returning it to
+the priest.
+
+"And thou foul imp of Satan," I cried to the priest, "the first time I
+get but a chance, I will run my sword through thy traitor heart; and
+this I swear."
+
+"Bold words, brave sir," he answered. "Strange words from a dying man.
+I will heed them more, when thou art more able to perform thy threat,"
+and with a leer at me, he hobbled after DeNortier, who had gone forward
+to acquaint the girl with the fact that she was free.
+
+As he told her that she was at liberty, and would be placed in the
+hands of her friends in a few days, and that I had taken her place, she
+ran forward to where I lay, and threw herself at my feet.
+
+"Oh, Señor!" she cried, "thou must be a blessed saint in disguise."
+
+"No saint, maiden," I answered, "only a weak, erring man."
+
+"But thou canst not mean that thou wilt stay among these dreadful men,
+and let me go back to my home? I cannot let thee do that; thy blood
+would be upon my hands."
+
+"No," I answered, "I am in the hands of God; thou canst do no good by
+remaining here. I am in the power of these men already, and can be in
+no worse position. Perhaps," I said, speaking in a lower tone, "thou
+canst bring succor, and thus assist me."
+
+"I will," she answered quickly, "though I be compelled to go to the
+King himself. Have no fear, I will send back as soon as I reach my
+friends, and rescue thee." And before I could prevent her, she had
+caught my hand, and pressed it to her lips.
+
+Herrick and a party of his men came forward at this moment, and with
+his accustomed sneer, he bowed.
+
+"I am sorry to interrupt this touching scene, but orders thou knowest
+must be obeyed," and with that two of his men picked me up and carried
+me forward. Passing the group of weeping women and children, huddled
+together near the companionway, they carried me in a small boat over to
+the other vessel and down below to my old prison. I was alone this time
+though; unbinding my hands, they left me.
+
+Two days later DeNortier summoned me to come on deck. At some little
+distance there lay a small vessel; and on its deck, leaning upon the
+rail, stood two figures--one I knew for Steele, and the other was the
+Spanish maiden.
+
+Even as I looked, the ship got under way; I waved my hand at them,
+and they replied. They still waved at me as far as I could see them.
+Smaller, smaller, smaller the vessel grew, until she dwindled to a mere
+speck upon the water; finally I could discern it no longer--the ship
+was gone. And thus I saw them no more.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+THE ISLAND ELDORADO
+
+
+DeNortier now allowed me to come and go upon the ship as I chose; only
+the ever present Herrick dogged my footsteps every minute of my waking
+time, and dutifully locked me in at night. I was at a loss to account
+for this sudden liberty; perhaps the pirate thought that he was now in
+his own dominion; perhaps he no longer feared me, and so allowed me
+this much of freedom. I knew not the reason, nor did I ponder over it,
+so long as he allowed me to roam the decks unmolested.
+
+It was on the fourth day after we had parted from the little vessel on
+which Steele and the maiden had left us, that I heard the watchman on
+the mast call, "Land! Land!" It was about seven in the morning when I
+heard the cry, and hastily dressing myself, I rushed on deck. There to
+the west of us, loomed up what appeared to be an island, and a couple
+of hours' time brought us to it.
+
+It was a beautiful spot; any sort of land would have been welcome after
+the long, weary voyage, but such a land as this was doubly so. Long,
+feathery trees fringed the water's edge; tropic flowers, wondrous,
+many-hued, bloomed everywhere; strange birds, their plumage gorgeous
+and brilliant, flitted from tree to tree, and filled the air with their
+songs; fruits, luscious and tempting, hung from the trees and lay upon
+the ground; everywhere profusion and plenty seemed to reign.
+
+No wonder that this lovely spot had been chosen by the pirate for his
+home; such a place as this was an earthly paradise, with the needs of
+existence already supplied. The climate was soft and balmy, and though
+it must have been about the middle of November, the air was as warm and
+pleasant as a May morning.
+
+The voice of DeNortier sounded at my elbow: "Welcome, Sir Thomas!
+Welcome to Eldorado!"
+
+"And so this is Eldorado?" I said. "Long have I searched for Eldorado;
+I had not looked to find it here."
+
+"Fate plays us many strange tricks," he answered, his eyes upon the
+island.
+
+"Where is this Eldorado?" I inquired.
+
+"It is near the coast of Cuba," he answered, "which is only a few
+leagues distant. I discovered it several years ago on one of my
+expeditions. It is safe and pleasant, out of the track of stray ships,
+and here, when home from my voyages, I reign as though I were a king."
+
+The ship had fired a culverin some moments ago, and now, in answer to
+the signal, a long canoe put off from the shore and came rapidly toward
+us.
+
+We watched it come forward in silence, and as it drew nearer, I saw
+that the men who filled the boat were the wild Indians, like the savage
+Manteo, whom I had seen in London--and yet not like him. Like him
+in the bronze color of their skin, in their black, glittering eyes,
+and long, coarse hair; yet not like him, for they wanted the rugged
+strength of his face, wanted the martial pose of his bearing and the
+freedom of his glance.
+
+They were not clad in skins, as had been Manteo, but wore jerkins
+of some cotton material, their legs and arms bare. Upon their feet
+were fastened light sandals. Evidently, by their countenances and
+deportment, they did not belong to the warlike tribes which roamed the
+virgin forests of Virginia, but were a gentler type of that race.
+
+In a few minutes their light boat touched the ship, and one, who seemed
+to be the leader, ran forward to where DeNortier stood, and dropping on
+one knee, spoke some words in a soft tongue which I did not understand.
+
+The Count answered him in the same language, and turning to me, told me
+that I might go ashore.
+
+"One thing, Count," I said, detaining him as he turned to leave, "when
+am I to recover my sword? I am strangely ill at ease without the
+tapping of the blade against my knee, and care not to go among yonder
+barbarians without a weapon."
+
+He looked at me in some surprise. "Thy sword? Of what use is a sword
+to a captive? Swords are for the free. As for yon Indians, thou couldst
+drive them before thee with a lash. But thou shalt have thy sword upon
+one condition. Give me thy word of honor as a gentleman that thou wilt
+not attempt to escape while upon this island, and thou shalt be free to
+come and go as thou dost please."
+
+I pondered a moment. Escape was not possible, even should I break forth
+from my prison, for the boundless ocean stretched between me and land.
+So he should have my word of honor for the present; should a favorable
+opportunity for escape present itself, I could retract my word.
+
+"Thou shalt have my word of honor for the present," I said. "Should I
+see proper to change my mind, thou shalt be informed."
+
+A sardonic smile was upon his face. "Dost thou think that I am a child,
+to bring thee here, and then let thee escape? Suit thy own fancy; when
+thou seest fit to retract thy promise, I shall secure thee well. As for
+thy sword--Francis! come hither."
+
+The priest, who had hovered near during this brief conversation, drew
+closer to us.
+
+"Go into my cabin, and bring my gold-hilted Toledo blade," DeNortier
+commanded.
+
+The rogue turned, and walked toward the cabin. In a few minutes he
+returned, bringing with him a splendid gold-hilted sword.
+
+The Count took it from him, and drawing the long, bright blade from its
+sheath, turned to me with a bow.
+
+"Allow me to present thee with this sword in lieu of thine own, which
+was unfortunately lost the night thou wert brought on board. It is of
+the finest steel, and, I am sure, could be in the hands of no more
+gallant gentleman."
+
+I bowed in reply, as I took the sword from him.
+
+"I thank thee," I said, "and hope that it will not be dishonored in my
+hands."
+
+"I am sure it will not," he answered. "But it is time that we were
+on shore," and he walked forward to where the canoe lay. Together we
+descended the ladder and stepped into the boat.
+
+The natives bent their muscles to the task; the paddles flew, and the
+canoe passed rapidly through the water to a spot which seemed suited
+for landing, and where a little throng of the Indians, both men and
+women, together with a few of the pirates, awaited us.
+
+The canoe grated upon the beach, and treading our way through the
+crowd of Indians, who stood with bent heads as we passed by, we took a
+well-beaten path which led through the trees, and after about fifteen
+minutes' brisk walking turned a corner and passed into a broad, level
+savannah, carpeted with long luxuriant grass.
+
+A long, low building stretched to the left, rough and unpainted; while
+to the right there arose a splendid mansion, many-windowed, with broad,
+white pillars--stately and magnificent it stood, looking like a pearl
+among swine.
+
+The Count noticed the surprise depicted upon my face.
+
+"Be not dismayed," he said. "It is but my poor home; for though shut
+off in some sense from the world, I yet manage to enjoy some of the
+good things of the flesh. The world has contributed to my comfort and
+the furnishings of yonder house. Italy has given us of her sculpture
+and painting; England, our furniture and tapestry; Spain, our wine
+and goblets; from Venice have come our carpets and tableware; the
+Netherlands have given us linen and clothing; from Portugal have come
+our gold and silverware. I have managed to make my brief stays here not
+unpleasant. Yonder is the barrack for the men," he said, pointing to
+the rough, unfinished building, which stood to the left.
+
+As we came nearer to the mansion, one of the Indians, detaching himself
+from the group of servants on the steps, ran forward to greet his
+master. As he reached us, he caught DeNortier's hand and carried it to
+his lips, crying out a few words in the same musical language which the
+native who first came aboard the vessel had spoken.
+
+The pirate answered in the same tongue, and turning to me, said:
+
+"Thou seest that I have something human in me after all; these poor
+dogs worship the very ground that I walk upon."
+
+Resuming our steps, we passed on into the house. When within, I stood
+amazed at the elegance of its furnishings; the floor carpeted in
+some soft material into which the feet sank as we walked; the walls
+covered with elegant tapestry; the chairs and other furniture, massive
+and splendid; on pedestals stood the choicest statuary of the masters
+of Italy; from the walls there hung paintings, costly and exquisite;
+and the perfume of sweet-scented flowers filled the rooms. Wealth and
+culture seemed to reign supreme.
+
+This might be the palace of some noble in far-off England or Spain,
+a man of wealth and refinement, but not the home of a reckless,
+blood-thirsty pirate, devoid of conscience or soul, his head resting
+insecurely upon his shoulders--for so unmerciful and terrible had been
+the cruelty of DeNortier that, if captured by any civilized nation, his
+neck would pay the penalty of his crimes. No wonder I was amazed.
+
+The Count had thrown himself upon a velvet couch, which stood near the
+center of the great room into which he had led me. Stretching out his
+hand he touched a little silver gong, which stood upon a pedestal near
+his elbow. A soft-footed attendant stood noiselessly in the doorway. A
+word in that same unknown language, and the servant disappeared.
+
+A moment later he reappeared, a bottle and two goblets in his hand.
+Drawing up a small table, he pushed another soft couch opposite me as I
+stood gazing around the room, and silently passed out of the apartment.
+
+"Be seated, sir," the Count said. "Drink one glass with me. This wine,"
+he continued, filling a golden goblet and holding it up to the light,
+"was intended for his Catholic Majesty, the King of Spain. I took it
+from a galleon near the coast of Cuba, a year ago, after a bitter
+fight. Little thinks his Majesty that to-day we drink it." And he
+poured a glass for himself, his goblet matching mine.
+
+"Come, Sir Thomas, let us lay aside all enmity for a few brief moments,
+and drink one glass together. I give thee a toast which thou canst not
+refuse," he cried, rising to his feet, and holding out the glass at
+arm's length--"Her Royal Majesty, the Queen of England!"
+
+[Illustration: "Her Royal Majesty, the Queen of England"]
+
+"The Queen!" I rejoined, rising. "May her glory never wane or fade!"
+
+"Amen to that," the pirate said, and we both sank back upon our couches.
+
+"Where, pray, didst thou find these rich treasures which adorn thy
+mansion? If all be of the same quality as the wine we have just drank,
+thou art well named King of Eldorado."
+
+He glanced around the room before replying, and then answered, speaking
+slowly and clearly:
+
+"Some of these things I took from vessels upon the seas; some I
+obtained when I raided the South American coasts, the spoils of
+monasteries and cathedrals; some I bought in Europe and sent in
+merchant vessels, which I met as I did the 'Betsy' and transferred to
+my own ship. It has been the work of several years, but it is well
+worth the price. Some day, when I tire of war and bloodshed, I shall
+come back here, and pass the remainder of my life in this lovely spot,
+with the song of the bird and the odor of the rose. Allow me to fill
+thy glass." And he poured me out another goblet, and refilled his own.
+
+"And now as we talk," I said, "what of myself? Of what advantage am I
+to thee? Why not release me and let me go back to England?"
+
+"Release thee? No; my dear sir, not yet. Did I not give up a Spanish
+maiden, a jewel of the West, to have the pleasure of thy company?
+Wouldst thou deprive me of it so soon, and bought with such a price?
+Cruel! Cruel!" and he laughed again.
+
+"But of what advantage am I here to thee? I am not gold; thou canst not
+melt me into shining coin."
+
+"No," the pirate answered, looking at me narrowly, "I cannot melt
+thee--but there are other things. I offered thee a place beneath me, to
+be my right-hand man----"
+
+"Which I refused," I interrupted. "Dost thou take me for a child, one
+day to refuse an offer, the next to accept it? I credited thee with
+more wisdom."
+
+A dark look had spread over the sea rover's face, accentuating the thin
+lips and dark overhanging brows. His eyes glittered; he reminded me of
+a snake as it rears back to strike its victim.
+
+He spoke thickly: "Thou canst not say that I have not done my best to
+save thee from thy own folly. Join me, thou art safe; refuse me----"
+and he shrugged his shoulders. "Thou hast powerful enemies, wouldst
+thou refuse an ally?"
+
+He had drank several glasses to my one. Twice, during our
+conversation, had the soft-footed native replaced with full bottles the
+empty ones upon the table, as DeNortier finished them.
+
+I waited until the Indian disappeared before I spoke.
+
+What meant the pirate, when he said powerful enemies? Might not this
+explain my abduction and detention in this place? I would see whether
+he would not say more, under the generous influence of the wine.
+
+"Is that so?" I answered. "I know not what thou meanest by powerful
+enemies; such a thing as that might change my resolution."
+
+But he would not be drawn out. Evidently alarmed by what he had said,
+he arose unsteadily from the couch.
+
+"Think on what I have said," he replied, as he turned toward the door;
+"perhaps thou mayest yet come with me." And turning a deaf ear to all
+my endeavors to detain him, he walked out of the door, bidding me
+remain where I was.
+
+I still reclined on the couch after DeNortier had passed out of the
+room. I was tired, my limbs ached, and the wine had produced a pleasant
+torpor which sapped my energy.
+
+What meant the pirate when he said that I had powerful enemies? Could
+it be that my father or Richard had taken this method to get me out of
+the way? Not my father, certainly; he hated me, it is true, but he was
+too much of the aristocrat to stoop to such work as this. He had cast
+me off forever, but what motive could he have for condemning me to the
+life of an exile? No; whoever it was behind the scene, it could not be
+my father.
+
+Richard, then? It was more like him, for he had always been wont to do
+his dirty work under cover of darkness, and was none too good for such
+a trick. But where was the motive? He was the eldest son; the estate
+and title would fall to him at my father's death; he stood near my
+father's heart, while the old lord despised me. Why should he wish to
+do this deed, which might come to light and ruin him? No, I did not
+think it was Richard. He would have put a dagger in my back, and so
+been rid of me, once and forever. He would never have had me kidnaped
+and carried out of England.
+
+There only remained the Viscount James Henry Hampden. It might be that
+his was the master hand that worked the wires; but I could not believe
+he would do such a deed. He might wish to get so dangerous a rival out
+of the way, but why in such a manner as this? He was a soldier; would
+it not be more likely that he would have picked a quarrel with me, and
+fought it out as a gentleman? But there came to my mind the threat he
+had made, that Margaret should be his in spite of Heaven and Hell.
+
+Rumor had it that he had done strange deeds in the Low Country--things
+that would not bear the light of day. Tales were told of a house in
+which some Spanish prisoners were confined, which was burned by his
+command, cooking them alive in its ruins.
+
+Yes, it might be his work. At the thought I ground my teeth together,
+and my hand sought the hilt of my sword. There was no one else I could
+think of who had any motive for keeping me out of England. I would keep
+my eyes open, and perhaps the plot would thicken; in the meantime I
+would watch and wait.
+
+Woe to whomsoever had done this deed; for whoever it was, I would never
+rest until I had punished him. The world was too small to hold both of
+us; one must pass out should we meet face to face. With these thoughts,
+I caught up my hat, and walked out upon the broad veranda.
+
+Without, dusk was just beginning to fall. The men were struggling up
+from the vessel bringing their booty, the spoils of the ships they had
+rifled, and their rude songs floated up to me. The natives, men, women,
+and children, were running to and fro, their arms loaded with small
+articles.
+
+A little apart from the men stood a small group, composed of DeNortier,
+Herrick, Francis, and one of the Indians. Even as I looked, they
+separated--the Count and the Indian going toward the barrack, Herrick
+going down the path toward the landing place, and the priest coming
+toward me.
+
+As he drew nearer I could see his fat, evil face, with its watery eyes,
+looking like some bloated monster of the deep. He called to me as he
+drew closer, the habitual leer upon his face:
+
+"How does my lord stand the fatigue of his travel? I trust that he has
+not been greatly inconvenienced by our rude accommodations."
+
+I answered calmly, having my own reasons for not angering the man;
+perhaps he knew something of the plan to detain me here, and who stood
+behind it.
+
+"Not greatly fatigued," I said, "and yet tired. Come inside and have a
+glass of the wondrous wine of the Count."
+
+The pale eye lit up, his tongue protruded from his lips, as I have seen
+a dog's at the sight of a bone, and he glanced hastily around him. Only
+a few men were in sight, busy at work around the barrack.
+
+Coming nearer he spoke in a low voice: "I will take one glass with
+thee, noble sir; only one glass, to celebrate thy safe arrival."
+
+"Come into the house, then," I said. Retracing my steps to the room
+which I had just left, I threw myself upon one of the divans, motioning
+him to take the one opposite.
+
+He did so, at the same time catching up the bottle of wine from the
+table and looking at the seal. A smile broke over his face, as he saw
+the rich amber fluid.
+
+"The wine of the King of Spain!" he cried. "How camest thou by this?"
+
+"The Count opened it," I answered. "Drink!" And taking the bottle from
+his unwilling hands, I poured out a brimming glass.
+
+Catching it up, he put it to his lips; then held out the empty glass to
+me.
+
+"Wine!" he cried, "that warms the cockles of the heart as old age
+creeps on; that turns life's cheerless existence into gold. Wine, the
+curse of youth; the friend of middle life; the staff of old age--the
+great alchemist that turns the dull, gray hours into sunshine. Ah, I
+drink to him who first discovered wine!" And he drained the second
+goblet, though somewhat slower than the first, as if to taste each drop
+of the precious fluid.
+
+Upon finishing this glass, a thought seemed to strike him, and he held
+up the golden goblet to the light; for while we sat, the same noiseless
+servant lit the candles that stood in the golden candelabras which hung
+upon the walls, and the great room was bathed in a flood of light.
+
+"Ah! this goblet," the priest resumed, "well do I remember it; taken
+by the impious son of Holy Church from the Cathedral at Cartagena. I
+implored, but my anguish availed nothing." And the great tears rolled
+down the fat cheeks of the rascal, whose face was fast settling into
+the cunning of intoxication.
+
+The two great goblets he had drunk in rapid succession--and I surmised
+that he had been celebrating before now the safe return of the
+vessel--had almost overcome him. Although his head was like a stone,
+from constant, excessive drink, yet even a stone can be worn away by
+continual dripping.
+
+His eye rested on my goblet which I had not filled, for I needed a
+clear head to pump the rascal. Suspicion struggled for a moment upon
+his face.
+
+"Why dost thou not drink?" he said. "It is nectar for gods and men."
+
+"Thou forgettest," I replied, "that I have already drunk with
+DeNortier, and my head will stand no more at present."
+
+Suspicion died out of his eyes, and in its place there appeared a look
+of gentle merriment.
+
+"Ah! you boys! You boys!" he chuckled. "Wait until thou hast reached
+my years; then thy head will be stronger; thou wilt learn wisdom."
+Solemnly shaking his head, he poured another brimming goblet and slowly
+drank it down.
+
+"Such trinkets as these," he went on, still holding the massive goblet
+in his hand, "should belong to the faithful servants of Mother Church,
+to reward them for their constant prayer and vigil," and he fetched a
+great sigh, that caused the very candles on the wall to flare. "See the
+carving upon the sides of the goblet--a miter and robe. Who knows that
+I may not wear the miter?" His face brightened at the thought, and he
+looked at me inquiringly, a drunken smile upon his face.
+
+"A miter would surely become so pious a man," I said, "who spends his
+days and nights in vigil and fastings."
+
+His head had fallen to one side; his red cheeks shone in the
+candlelight; the bald pate; the hair white around the edges; his
+cassock ruffled and disheveled--surely he was a sight to make the gods
+weep.
+
+I judged that the moment was ripe to broach the subject. I looked
+cautiously around--not a soul was in sight but the drunken priest. I
+leaned forward.
+
+"Why not?" I said. "Why not? My uncle, thou knowest, is an
+Archbishop, a few words spoken in his ear by one whom he loves, and
+presto--Francis, Bishop of the Holy Catholic Church!"
+
+I leaned back and watched the effect of this announcement upon him. A
+look of avarice replaced that of drunken wisdom, and bending, he placed
+his head upon his hands, looking up at me. His eyes swam with the
+liquor he had drunk. I saw plainly that he was hesitating. He sat thus
+for a moment; then looking at me broke the silence:
+
+"Sayest thou so? Would I had known this before; rather had I burnt my
+right hand to the stump, than to have helped to bring thee here," and
+he broke into sobs, the tears running between his fingers and mingling
+with the little puddle of wine upon the table. "My last chance gone,"
+he gurgled, "gone!--gone!"
+
+"No," I continued, still watching narrowly his face, "thou hast only to
+say one word, and the place is thine."
+
+"What?" he cried, looking up, a smile swiftly replacing the tears. "But
+no; promises are easy to make, hard to keep. How do I know that thou
+canst fulfill that which thou dost now promise?"
+
+I hesitated; the time had come for me to play my last card. Months
+before, I had found one night on the streets of London a ring, large,
+peculiar, strange, with a miter carved upon the soft gold. I had
+carried it to a jeweler, thinking that I might possibly find the owner.
+He, being a Catholic, and high in the church councils, had told me that
+it was a ring of state of some bishop; whose he did not know. I had
+kept the ring, not finding the owner, and now drew it from my finger,
+where I had worn it, holding it out to Father Francis.
+
+He took it in his fingers, and gazed at it. A look of amazement came
+over his face, and he looked up, the ring still in his hand.
+
+"What is it that thou wouldst ask? I will answer it," he said, bending
+nearer to me, our heads almost meeting over the table, his flushed face
+touching mine.
+
+"Who is it that is at the bottom of this plan to kidnap and detain me
+here?" I asked.
+
+He would have answered--a moment of hesitation--he opened his mouth,
+and I bent forward eagerly to catch the answer.
+
+Suddenly a look of horror came over his face; he was gazing up, the
+expression upon his countenance such as I have seen in the eyes of a
+bird, charmed by the baleful gaze of a snake.
+
+The voice of DeNortier at my elbow broke the silence. "My dear sir, I
+object to thy asking such pointed questions," he said.
+
+I arose to my feet, and turned around. DeNortier, sober now, stood near
+me, a look of almost devilish anger upon his face. Near him stood the
+grim Herrick, sword in hand. They had entered the room just in time to
+scatter my plans to the four winds--just at the moment when victory was
+in sight.
+
+"And so thou didst think to wring my plans from my servants," the
+pirate continued, his face white with rage. "Thou didst try all thy
+art upon me, and I, unsuspecting, almost fell a victim. Then when thou
+failed on me, thou attempted to pick from yonder drunken sot the secret
+of thy detention. This is the work of a gentleman."
+
+"And so is that of a jailer," I replied, angered at the gibe. "It is
+the work of a gentleman to kidnap a man, struck senseless in the street
+by one of thy ruffians, and detain him here against his will. I count
+it no sin to fight the devil with fire," and I drew my sword, and stood
+on guard.
+
+He drew his sword also, and for a moment I thought that he would cross
+with me, but he hesitated--then sheathed it.
+
+"Another time, sir," he said. "Believe me, it is only for important
+reasons, which I cannot explain, that I do not satisfy thee now. Ah!"
+he said, as I laughed aloud in scorn, "thou dost laugh. It is an old
+saying and a true one, that 'He laughs best who laughs last.' Have no
+fears, I will satisfy thee, but the time is not yet ripe. Herrick, take
+yon drunken sot out of here."
+
+The sailor strode to the door and called. At the sound two natives
+entered. He motioned to the priest, who had fallen asleep upon the
+table, and whose stentorian snores shook the very goblets. Picking him
+up between them, they carried him out of the door.
+
+The Count stood looking at me after the priest had been removed from
+the room; the anger had died out of his face, and a look of grim humor
+had replaced it. Finally he spoke:
+
+"It was a fortunate thing for thee, Sir Thomas, that I came in when I
+did; a little more, and thy head would have rested on an uneasy pillow."
+
+But I was tired; tired of the enigmas and puzzles; tired of wearying
+my brain with unfruitful guessing. I cared not whether he laughed or
+frowned, so I merely inquired whether my room was ready, and made known
+my wish to retire.
+
+"Certainly," he answered, and touching the silver gong again, he spoke
+to the native. Then turning to me he said, "José will show thee thy
+room. Good-night, and pleasant dreams," and with a bow he threw himself
+upon the great couch.
+
+"Thanks," I answered.
+
+Following the Indian, I was shown up a noble stairway, through the
+splendid hall into a large room, where my guide left me, after lighting
+the candle in a great silver stick, the spoil of some cathedral, I
+doubted not.
+
+As he went out, I heard the key turn in the lock, and I was left alone.
+I glanced around the room. It was furnished like the one downstairs;
+was smaller certainly, and had a bed instead of the luxurious couch.
+
+I walked over to the window, through which beamed the splendid tropic
+moon, and drawing aside the curtain, I saw that the window, the only
+one in the room, had an iron grating over it. I was fastened in
+securely, no doubt of that.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+THE CAVE
+
+
+I had been on the island three months, and as yet had found no clew as
+to why I was kept there, or who was responsible for my detention.
+
+I was free in a sense. I wandered all around the country, and had
+visited the native settlement, some five miles from the mansion, as I
+called DeNortier's palatial home; had tramped over the island, which
+was about fifteen miles square, and had seen about all that there was
+to see upon it.
+
+But I had not been able to discover where the adventurer kept the
+treasure which he took from the vessels that he scuttled. I knew that
+the galleon on which the Donna DeCarnova had been, carried treasure for
+the Spanish crown; knew that he had taken many other ships laden with
+gold.
+
+My life went on much as usual. DeNortier had been gone for two months,
+but I saw no change in my condition; the servants were at my beck and
+call, always ready to wait upon me. I spent my days in roaming over the
+island, my nights in exploring the great house.
+
+Somewhat discouraged I was, as I wended my way homeward this February
+evening. The air was fresh and balmy, despite the fact that it was
+winter and the people in England were huddled over the fires, and were
+wrapped in their great-coats and furs. I had spent the day hunting, and
+two natives who trotted in front of me carried the spoils of the day, a
+lordly stag; a third Indian carried my musketoon.
+
+The last three months had been spent profitably in a way; the time had
+been passed in the open air, and my muscles were like steel. I could
+spend the whole day in the chase, and at night be fresh and untired. I
+had also devoted a good deal of my time to learning the language of the
+Indians, and had gotten such a fair idea of it that I could carry on an
+intelligible conversation.
+
+But I was low-spirited and downcast. Would I ever see England
+again--and Margaret? At the thought I groaned aloud, and the sound
+caused the Indians to look back at me.
+
+Shouting to them to go on, I quickened my footsteps and followed
+faster. They were rapidly getting out of speaking distance, and
+breaking into a long, swinging trot, they turned in among some trees,
+and were lost to my view.
+
+I resumed my train of thought. What did Margaret think had become
+of me--or did she care? England I would fain see again, but more
+than England, more than all else, I longed for a sight of her whom
+I worshiped, as the heathen worship the sun. She was my sun. As the
+captive longs for a sight of the sun, when shut up for weary months in
+some deep dungeon far below the prison walls, so I longed for one sight
+of the Lady Margaret Carroll, and with it I would have been content.
+
+What had become of Steele and the lovely Spanish maiden? Were they safe
+in Spain, or had the pirate but cozened me with his promise, and were
+they not now in some prison like my own? If Steele had reached England
+safely, had he delivered my message to my lady? What would she say to
+such a greeting as that? These and many other thoughts filled my mind,
+as I walked briskly on to overtake my carriers.
+
+Descending a steep hillock overgrown with brush and undergrowth, I
+saw far below me, some one hundred yards away, the mansion, from the
+windows of which the light streamed down and brightened up the dusk
+below--for it was beginning to grow dark.
+
+I had almost reached the foot of the hill, when I stopped. The dull
+murmur of conversation caught my ear, and I looked around me; there
+was no one in sight. Where could the sound come from? It was near
+me somewhere. I turned, and retraced my steps a few feet, the voice
+becoming plainer. Stepping cautiously, for I did not know what I was
+running into, I peered around.
+
+The noise seemed to come from the ground beneath me. A thick hedge
+of bushes was at my elbow, and from this the sound proceeded. Softly
+pushing them aside, I looked behind them. Below me I could see a light;
+that was where the people were, evidently, and talking in English.
+
+I crawled under the bushes, and found myself in a low cave. Quietly
+moving forward, I looked down. The soft dirt on which I stood came
+abruptly to an end, and a sheer fall of fifteen feet was directly
+beneath me.
+
+Sitting together, facing each other, a candle between them, were
+Herrick and the old priest, Father Francis. Herrick was talking, and I
+bent forward to hear what he said.
+
+"Yes, the captain has gone forward to meet him now. They will come back
+together."
+
+"A curse on them both!" Francis replied. "What do we care whether they
+come back or not?" and he leaned forward to peer at Herrick; but the
+pirate's face was inscrutable. He straightened back with a sigh, and
+looked up to where I lay.
+
+"It is a shame," the priest went on, "to keep so gallant a gentleman
+here in this hole. If he loves the maid, let him have her, and be
+hanged to him."
+
+"Thou wilt sing a different tune, when I tell the Count what thou hast
+said," Herrick answered, and he leaned back calmly against the rock.
+
+"Hell and the furies!" cried the old rogue, his face white with terror.
+"Thou wouldst not tell what I have said in jest?"
+
+"Why not?" answered the sailor. "I could get a handful of gold for it."
+
+"Herrick," the priest implored, his face ashy with fright, "ask what
+thou wilt. I will do anything, if thou wilt but keep secret what I have
+said to thee here, only in jest," and he arose, a look of terror awful
+to behold upon his face.
+
+"Well, I will keep silent," the pirate answered, seemingly enjoying the
+fright of his companion, "but only upon one condition, which I will
+tell thee in a moment. But what said thou awhile ago?--that the Count
+was half-crazy. Why dost thou say that?"
+
+Francis hesitated; then he answered: "Did I not see him walk the floor
+in agony only a few days ago, and cry out as if in pain? Would a man in
+his senses do that, thinkest thou?"
+
+"It may be that he has something upon his mind that thou dost not know
+of," the sailor replied, his face grim and stolid.
+
+The priest smiled, his wrinkles deepening. "Or perhaps it is more
+likely this devil of an Englishman that he has upon his hands. A
+thousand fiends fly away with them both to perdition!" the priest
+continued, his face flushing with anger. "Betwixt them, I am 'between
+the devil and the deep blue sea.' The Count swears that he will burn me
+alive, if I so much as intimate to this fellow what I know about his
+imprisonment; the Englishman will kill me if I do not tell. Between
+them I do not know what to do," he finished in a wail of agony.
+
+Herrick still looked at him unmoved. I thought I could even discern,
+from where I lay, a faint trace of irony about his mouth.
+
+"And thou wouldst have lost thy head," he rejoined, "if we had not come
+upon thee in the nick of time, one night three months ago."
+
+"What wouldst thou have?" Father Francis cried. "The fool had me
+fuddled with wine, and offered one a king's ransom. What could I do?"
+
+The seaman shrugged his shoulders. "What matter! It is done. We saved
+thee--and now what other strange thing hast thou seen the Count do
+lately? Thou art like a cat, creeping silently about the house, thy paw
+in the cream of all."
+
+"The Count sighs for some lady love," the priest continued
+deliberately, eying his companion, to see what effect this announcement
+would have upon him. "Why, even on the night I tell thee of, did I not
+hear him call out once, twice, 'Margaret! Margaret!'" and he chuckled
+to himself in glee at the thought.
+
+I started in my hiding place, and a lump of dirt dislodged itself and
+rolled down to where the villains sat. They started; Francis sprang to
+his feet in terror.
+
+"What is that?" he cried, and he peered uneasily up to where I crouched.
+
+His companion kept his seat unmoved.
+
+"Art thou a fool," he said, "to be scared out of thy wits by a clod
+of dirt falling? Thou art even as if thou hadst seen a ghost," and he
+laughed at his ally's fright.
+
+The priest resumed his seat, still gazing up to where I lay.
+
+"I fancy Sir Thomas Winchester is after me in every breeze I hear," he
+muttered, as he reseated himself.
+
+"Calm thy mind," the seaman rejoined. "He is safe at his supper long
+ere this, dreaming over the king's wine," and he grinned.
+
+"What foolishness is this? The Count yearning for some fair lady!
+Dost thou take me for a schoolboy, that I should believe this? Did he
+pine for some maid, he would bestir himself and take her; quietly, if
+possible--if not, then by force. Faith! thou little knowest him, if
+thou thinkest he would pine over any maiden."
+
+"All the same, comrade, I saw him wring his hands, with my own eyes,
+but three short months ago, and cry out, as I have told thee, the name
+Margaret. Who could this Margaret be, if not a lady?"
+
+All this time I was craning my neck to catch every word that was
+uttered, my mind in a tumult. Why did the Count cry Margaret? There was
+but one Margaret--pure, innocent, sweet. As soon would I have expected
+a worm to raise his eyes to the far-distant stars, as that this
+bloodstained villain should raise his evil eyes to her--so far above
+him.
+
+And yet would this not explain my detention? Perhaps the pirate
+expected to lure Margaret from her home, and bring her here to torture
+me with the sight of her in his arms, before he should make away with
+me.
+
+Yes, it was like him. He would exult in such exquisite anguish as this,
+and at the thought I ground my teeth together, and felt for the hilt of
+my sword. Happen what might, this should not come to pass. Rather would
+I, with one swift blow, put an end to her misery, and fall upon my own
+sword, than to witness such a scene as this--death would be a boon
+beside it.
+
+Perhaps DeNortier was even now returning with her on his ship, that
+evil smile upon his face as he thought of my anguish and his triumph.
+He had been gone three months; and I had heard one of the men say only
+the day before, that the Count would return now almost any time.
+
+I bent forward again; they had resumed their conversation.
+
+"And now," said Herrick, "I will tell the price of my silence. Answer
+the question that I ask, and the grave shall be no more silent than
+I; refuse, and I will go to DeNortier immediately upon his arrival,
+and tell him what thou hast said to me. Thou hast thy choice," and he
+looked carelessly at the other, as though he would not give a farthing
+which course he pursued.
+
+Father Francis was moistening his white lips with his tongue. "Thou
+knowest I must answer," he said sullenly. "Why trifle with me? What is
+thy question?"
+
+"Who is it behind this plot to keep Sir Thomas Winchester here?"
+Herrick asked quietly, and leaning back, he gazed up at the wall of the
+cave above him.
+
+His companion was trembling with fear. "'Tis as much as my life is
+worth to tell thee!" he cried excitedly. "I durst not! Anything but
+this--anything! I implore thee to ask me some other question. Herrick,
+I have been thy friend; have stood by thee through thick and thin, when
+others would have forsaken and left thee to thy fate. For God's sake!
+ask not this of me. Dost thou remember Gromas? Did I not save thy life
+there, when the very breath of thy body hung by but a thread, and I
+could have slain thee with a word? For the sake of this spare me!" And
+with clasped hands he looked at the other.
+
+"It is as much as thy life is worth not to tell me," boldly answered
+the adventurer. "Rememberest thou the tender mercies of our
+captain--the Indian burned alive at the stake; the mutineer crucified;
+the slave branded with red-hot irons; the----?"
+
+"Hush!" cried the poor priest, his eyes almost starting from their
+sockets. "Thou makest my very blood run cold. Lean forward, and I will
+whisper it in thy ear--the very walls have ears in this place."
+
+Herrick leaned forward, his eyes sparkling. The priest bent over
+to whisper to him. In my eagerness to hear, I leaned forward
+further--further over the edge of the ledge, and Dame Fortune, with a
+twist of her wheel, turned the propitious fates aside. For even as I
+bent forward, my ears strained to catch the slightest whisper, the soft
+earth under me gave way, and in a perfect avalanche of dirt, shrubbery,
+and rocks, I rolled down into the camp of my enemies.
+
+With a yell--shrill, loud, and piercing, which rang through the cave
+like the blast of a trumpet, the priest sprang up. With one spring like
+a wild goat, he was upon the ledge from which only one short moment ago
+I had fallen. I heard him tear through the bushes, and run down the
+hill outside, as though the furies were after him. The sound died away
+in the distance--he was gone.
+
+But the other rogue was of sterner mold. With an oath, he whipped out
+his cutlass, and was upon me as I was rising from the ground. Well it
+was that I had on my light steel breastplate, for the blade, coming
+viciously down, struck full upon it, and glanced off harmlessly, or I
+would not have been here to tell the tale. In an instant I had drawn my
+sword and was on guard.
+
+"I have against thee a goodly account to settle, Master Herrick," I
+said. "The night wanes, and we must to business."
+
+"Aye," he cried, "I will rid the world of one rascal," and he pressed
+upon me, thrusting, cutting, striking with such fury that, had my blade
+not been a good one, it would have broken sheer off, from the very
+force of the blows.
+
+I let him come on, contenting myself with parrying his thrusts, for by
+and by I knew that he would exhaust himself, and then I would force
+from him the secret of my imprisonment; for the priest had whispered it
+into his ear before I had rolled down upon them.
+
+Of Father Francis I had no fear. He would not bring help to his
+comrade. No, I knew him too well to think that he would fail to protect
+himself. It was to his interest that Herrick should be silenced, now
+that he knew so much, and he was too shrewd not to know what was best
+for his own interest.
+
+So I held my own, and let him exhaust himself with his fruitless
+efforts. Back he came upon me, striking down blow after blow with his
+blade, any one of which, had it gone home, would have split me like a
+herring. I could have run him through at any moment, for he left his
+whole breast exposed in his insane fury; but I merely waited, calmly,
+coolly meeting every thrust, parrying every cut with a wrist of steel.
+
+Five minutes passed, and the smile which at first had been upon his
+face died away. The great beads of sweat began to gather upon his
+forehead, as he saw his every trick and maneuver met easily, without an
+effort; and how fresh I was, and knew that he was rapidly exhausting
+himself.
+
+Another little trick he tried, but I read what was coming in his eyes,
+even before he thrust, and met him, parried his blade, and thrusting
+back, laid open his cheek--the first time that I had drawn blood.
+
+Then slowly I began to advance towards him, thrusting faster, faster,
+faster--surrounding him with a flaming wall of steel, which, try as he
+might, he could not penetrate. Backwards--backwards I pressed him.
+
+It was a grim, weird scene. The white, bare walls of the cave lit up by
+the gleam of one little candle; the shadows coming and going upon the
+sides, as the air from above flared the wick of the candle. Now we were
+in the light; now in darkness.
+
+The wind was rising outside; already it wailed and moaned, like the
+souls of the lost. There was not a sound to break the stillness that
+reigned throughout the cave, save only that--for we had fought in grim
+silence--only the sound of our feet upon the stones, as we moved and
+turned hither and thither, and the quick panting of our hot breath.
+
+There, within the walls of the cavern, we fought out the last hard
+battle, that sooner or later, in some guise or other, comes to all of
+mortal flesh; that grim, silent struggle in darkness and agony, and in
+that despair that wrings the heart, as we run the last race, with Life
+in the balance, and the specter, Death, holding in his fleshless hand
+the scales.
+
+I could feel his presence that night, as he stalked about us, his
+garments almost touching us, as we struggled to and fro--shut off from
+the world, with only the feeble rays of one little candle. Life seemed
+far away and unreal; Death seemed near and omnipresent.
+
+Strange thoughts crossed my mind, as I cut and thrust at the grim
+pirate. I recalled how my mother had looked, twenty years ago, as she
+lay in state in the great hall at Richmond Castle. My years seemed to
+fall from me as a mantle, and I was again the little boy, innocent and
+fresh, as, holding my nurse's hand, I looked down upon the cold, waxen
+features of one whom I had known and loved.
+
+I remembered the thrill of fear--or was it only dread of the
+unknown?--that filled my mind, as I looked upon the change that had
+been wrought by the hand of the great destroyer. The calm, serene
+features, lovely with a beauty not of earth; with that look of majesty
+which death brings to the face of mortals, as they lie wrapped in the
+embrace of the last foe.
+
+It is as if he would erase the lines and wrinkles that sorrow and care
+had wrought--which the toil and pain of this cold sphere had imprinted
+upon that patient face--and instead would imprint upon its calm
+lineaments that great mystery which none but the immortal can know.
+
+It all came back to me, and I could remember how I had turned away in
+the throes of my first real grief. Ah! many since then had old "Time"
+brought me, but none so bitter as the first.
+
+Strange thoughts to think, as I pressed the sea rover back nearer the
+wall.
+
+Ah! I had him--but he sprang nimbly aside, and my blade passed under
+his arm.
+
+I had forgotten my scheme to spare his life; the blood thirst was upon
+me; the blood of the fighting Richmonds was up. Angered by the long
+fight, angered at myself that I had not slain him when I had a chance,
+I pressed him harder and harder, with no thought but to run him through.
+
+And now his back was against the wall; he could retreat no further.
+He turned in despair, as I have seen some hunted thing do when driven
+to its lair; as I have seen some lone wolf when brought to bay by the
+hunters, and hope has fled, determined to strike one last blow, and
+then if need be, to go down with its face to its foes, and its teeth
+clinched in the throat of some good hound.
+
+The adventurer sprang at me in such fury that I was compelled to give
+back a pace or two, or be cut to pieces. But his strength was gone; he
+was exhausted--the end had come.
+
+I know not at that last moment, whether I would have spared his life--I
+cannot tell; but Fate, who ever stands patiently at our side, awaiting
+a favorable opportunity to interfere, took the matter out of my hands.
+For even as I drew back to end the matter by one home thrust, my feet
+slipped upon the stone and I stumbled.
+
+With a cry, he thrust full at my breast, a blow that would have
+finished me; but he was too much exhausted to strike true. The blade
+slipped between my arm and my shoulder, and caught for an instant--it
+was enough. Recovering myself, I made one good lunge. He had on no
+armor, and the blade striking him full in the breast, right above the
+heart, passed entirely through his body and stood out a foot behind his
+back.
+
+With a shout, he threw up his hands and dropped like a log, the force
+of the fall wrenching the blade from his body. I stood holding the
+dripping sword in my hand, and looked down at him, as he lay upon the
+floor. A slight shudder passed over his body; one deep, long sigh came
+from his lips--and then he lay motionless.
+
+That figure, which but a short moment before had been animated with
+hatred and thirst for my life, was now powerless to help or hurt me.
+Only a moment ago he had been a man, with a man's soul; had loved and
+sorrowed; had rejoiced and mourned; had toiled and striven--now he was
+but a lump of senseless clay. He had fought a good fight; he had his
+faults, but he was a man. Peace to his ashes!
+
+Picking up what remained of the candle from the floor, I walked back
+further into the cave. It seemed to me to be the work of nature; and at
+the further end a long, dark passageway led deeper into the earth.
+
+I hesitated a moment, as I peered into it. Then I listened, but could
+hear nothing, so I plunged boldly into the tunnel, the candle in my
+left hand, my drawn sword before me in my right, its red blade still
+dripping. Stopping I wiped the blood off upon my kerchief, and passed
+on down the narrow way.
+
+Where it led I did not know; nor with what secret traps it was filled.
+It might be that I would learn the mystery of my captivity at the end;
+it might be that I would meet with such a fate as Herrick.
+
+Probably this tunnel led to some place where the pirates gathered to
+discuss the plans for their expeditions and forays; or it was possible
+that DeNortier had his treasure concealed somewhere within its dark
+depths, and even now these two men whom I had seen had been sent to
+watch it. I must be careful, or I would walk full into the pirates'
+arms.
+
+I had walked perhaps a hundred feet, when I stopped. Two paths diverged
+here--one to the right, the other to the left; both yawned dark,
+gloomy, and mysterious before me. I had long since passed out of the
+natural part of the cave, and this was plainly the work of man, for I
+could see upon its sides the mark of the pick and shovel.
+
+Both ways looked alike to me. Hesitating a moment, I drew a coin from
+my pocket. If the Queen's head fell uppermost, I would go to the right;
+if the reverse, to the left. I tossed the coin into the air and bent
+over it as it fell. It had fallen upon its face, and turning to the
+left, I passed on down the path about one hundred and fifty feet more.
+
+I stopped again. Before me, shining down from the top of the rock
+overhead, a few yards away, there gleamed a light. Moving cautiously
+forward, I blew out my candle, and in a moment came upon a flight of
+stone steps. Looking up, I could see that what had appeared to me to be
+a light was simply an opening in the wall above me, which led into a
+lighted room.
+
+Ascending the steps, I stood in the bed-chamber of DeNortier. I had
+never been in it before. It was the only room in the house, so far as I
+knew, that I had never entered; but the door was always fastened when I
+tried it, and I could find no key that would fit the lock.
+
+Heavy tapestry lined the walls, and as I stood in the room I was
+concealed from view by the embroidered arras, which hung directly in
+front of the trap-door, hiding it from the sight of the occupants of
+the chamber.
+
+The floor was of polished wood, as was the rest of the house, and
+bending down I closed the aperture through which I had come, noting
+as I did so how cunningly it fitted into the wood, so as to be
+indiscernible to the eye.
+
+A thought struck me. I had best leave the trap-door ajar; it might be
+that those who had left it open might wish to go through it again. It
+would arouse suspicion were it found closed. Bending down I endeavored
+to again open the door, but in vain. It was evidently worked by some
+secret spring, and desisting from the vain attempt, I peered through
+the hangings into the brilliantly lighted room.
+
+The same golden candelabra suspended from the wall; the same heavy,
+elegant furniture and luxurious couches; the same soft rugs and skins
+upon the floors; even the identical odor of flowers, tropical and
+sweet-scented.
+
+Upon a little table stood a bottle of that same delicious nectar that I
+had drunk before; even the very golden goblets were there, from which
+DeNortier and I, and also Father Francis, had sipped the amber juice.
+
+I had not tasted such wine as that since the fat priest had drunk with
+me, that night which had proved so near his undoing. DeNortier had
+sailed the next day, where, I did not know; the burly Francis I had not
+seen since, until this evening in the cave; only Herrick, the grim,
+with a few hardy ruffians, had remained behind.
+
+I had already stepped into the room, thinking to let myself out of
+the door and into the great hall, when the soft thud of approaching
+footsteps caused me to dodge back behind the friendly tapestry. A key
+grated in the lock; the door swung open, and I heard the tread of
+footsteps across the threshold.
+
+The key turned again, and the voice of DeNortier broke the silence.
+"Come, my dear Lord, thou art safe here. Be seated, pray."
+
+The noise of some heavy article being pushed over the floor, and I
+could hear them throw themselves upon the couches.
+
+Only one man with the Count, whom, I did not know. I had only heard him
+growl out a brief "Thank thee," as he took the proffered seat. A man
+of rank, too, evidently, for DeNortier had said, "My Lord." What did a
+noble in this part of the world? English, too, by his voice. I had as
+soon expected to see an elephant here as an English lord.
+
+The stranger spoke. "Where is our prisoner?" he said in a low, clear
+voice. "I care not to meet him during my brief stay here."
+
+Where had I heard that voice before? It sounded as familiar to me as
+my own. In London, surely, but I could not for my life remember whose
+it was. Could I but peer out from my hiding-place without detection, I
+would soon find out who the visitor was.
+
+Carefully, very carefully, I drew aside a fold of the arras and looked
+out. There facing me and looking down at DeNortier, who sat opposite, a
+grin of pleasure upon his face, sat the Viscount James Henry Hampden.
+The same piercing gray eye, dark brown hair and pointed beard; the same
+nose and broad, wide mouth; the same cold, hard expression upon his
+face. As though he were at Lady Wiltshire's ball, instead of upon a
+wild island in the unknown Western seas, he sat there, gay and careless.
+
+So this was the explanation that I had sought so long. He should pay
+dearly for this deed. I had a heavy reckoning against him, but it could
+wait for a while. Perhaps I would learn something of interest to me
+to-night.
+
+Luckily this part of the room (I was in the furthest corner) was in the
+shadow, for the tapestry hung some six or eight inches from the wall,
+and I could move stealthily behind it without being seen from the room.
+
+But the Count was speaking. "No fear of that, my Lord. I inquired from
+one of the servants as I came in, and he informed me that our prisoner
+had not returned from a long hunt. He is probably sleeping in the hut
+of some native to-night. Have no fear--he cannot hear of thy arrival."
+
+And now he proceeded to fill one of the golden goblets with wine;
+pushing it toward Hampden, and filling another for himself, he said,
+"Let us drink a toast in this rare old wine. What shall it be? I await
+thy pleasure," and he rose to his feet and bowed.
+
+The Viscount hesitated; for a moment he sat as if undecided. But the
+wine he had drunk before had mounted to his head, and he too arose to
+his feet and extended his glass.
+
+"I give thee a toast!" he cried, his colorless cheek warming. "One
+for gods and men! Drink with me to the fairest of earth's mortals,
+as divinely beautiful and as innocent as an angel; one upon whose
+slightest word all London hangs--to the Lady Margaret Carroll!" And he
+drained the great golden goblet in a draught.
+
+"The Lady Margaret Carroll!" rejoined the sea rover, lifting the goblet
+to his lips. "May she be the bride of the bravest gallant!" and he too
+drained his cup to the dregs.
+
+The Viscount still stood staring at him as the Count finished his cup
+and set it upon the table. "Yes," said he finally, with a frown, "may
+the bravest man win her." And following the example of DeNortier, he
+resumed his reclining position upon the couch.
+
+"And now, my Lord," the adventurer continued, "how long since is it
+that thy noble uncle died, and thou didst come into the possession of
+the title and estate?"
+
+"Only a bare two months ago," answered Hampden, with a growl. "I
+thought the old fool would never die. He hung on to the estates and
+title as though he thought that he could carry them in his doublet
+with him, when he passed out of this world. I had thought that I would
+finally have to end his sufferings with my dagger, but he at last saved
+me that trouble. The Saints be praised!"
+
+With a devout sigh at the thought of such sin and wickedness, he put to
+his lips the goblet that the Count had refilled, and drank off half of
+its contents with a gulp. Then putting it down once more on the table,
+he continued:
+
+"I had been here long since had it not been for that; but from day to
+day I kept waiting for the old Lord to die. Each day we thought would
+be his last, but he held on for months," and looking up at the golden
+candelabra, he sighed again.
+
+"And what effect had the titles and estates upon thy lady love?" asked
+DeNortier, with a slight smile. "Surely, Lord Dunraven, the possessor
+of an ancient title and lordly estates, would be a fit mate for any
+lady, barring none. Even the Queen would not stoop did she unite her
+fate with so noble a line."
+
+Lord Dunraven frowned blackly. "It is true many a titled lady would
+be proud to be Lady Dunraven, wife of one of the greatest noblemen of
+England, but the foolish girl is as obstinate as a donkey. She would
+have none of it; told me she would be my friend ever, but I could never
+hope for more. The foul fiend fly away with such a friend!" he cried,
+his anger, stimulated by the rich wine, arising at the thought.
+
+"I believe that she loves this Sir Thomas Winchester, so I had thee to
+bring him here."
+
+My heart gave a great bound of joy as I heard this. Was it possible
+that Lady Margaret Carroll, courted and admired, with the choice of
+England's nobility before her, herself the bearer of a proud name, and
+with great estates, did she--could she--love and remember a gentleman
+spurned by his own family, penniless, an outcast from his home? Was she
+true to me, or was it only maidenly coyness, but used to heat my lord's
+passion, that she repulsed him thus?
+
+"If I cannot win, he shall not!" and rising to his feet, Dunraven began
+to pace the floor.
+
+The pirate's face wore a serious air, and fingering the goblet before
+him, he spoke to Lord Dunraven, who was tramping restlessly to and fro.
+
+"If thou fearest that, my Lord, why not say the word? A dagger in the
+back, and thy rival would be out of thy way forever."
+
+"No," Dunraven said, stopping for a moment his aimless walk. "No;
+I reserve him for a more exquisite torture than that; he would not
+suffer--a blow, and he would be out of his misery. But to see her in
+my arms, his successful rival, to have her cry to him for aid, and he
+bound helpless, unable to do aught but writhe in impotent agony--agony
+which wrings the soul--ah, my friend! that would be revenge indeed,
+such as I long for. Watch over him carefully. I would not have him come
+to harm for an earl's ransom. Curse him! How I hate him! When I can
+bring him to such a fate as this I shall be content, and not until then
+will I rest."
+
+"And what are thy plans?" DeNortier asked, his hands still fingering
+listlessly the massive goblet.
+
+The other looked at him keenly with his cold gray eye. "Can I trust
+thee?" he asked suspiciously.
+
+The adventurer laughed sardonically. "Thou hast trusted me thus far,"
+he answered. "Have I played thee false in aught that thou askest me
+this?"
+
+"Forgive me," replied the Viscount. "Forgive me--but there hangs so
+much at stake that I fear to trust myself. Listen, and thou shalt learn
+my plans and purpose," and drawing up a heavy chair to the table, he
+seated himself.
+
+Filling up another goblet of wine, and drinking it down as though it
+were a thimbleful, he resumed:
+
+"The lady will not yield to me. I will give her but one more chance to
+freely and of her own will become my bride. If she still refuses to
+consent, then," a frown, dark and ominous, passed over his face, "I
+will by some ruse obtain possession of her and by force carry her on
+board one of my ships. Then, ho for Eldorado!"
+
+"Yes," he said, noticing the look of astonishment upon the Spaniard's
+face, "Sir Thomas Winchester shall behold her my bride. When he has
+suffered enough to satisfy me, I will put him out of the way. We will
+stay here until my lady becomes reconciled, and then we will sail back
+to England and home," and his eyes, so cold and gray, lighted up with
+delight and pleasure as he surveyed the face of the other.
+
+His companion did not at once speak, but sat in silence. "And all
+this," he finally said musingly--"all this toil and blood and sweat for
+one woman, when a score as beautiful stand at thy elbow. Truly did some
+wise man say, 'What fools we mortals be.'"
+
+"Ah!" answered Dunraven, rising from his chair, "thou hast not seen the
+Lady Margaret Carroll. Didst thou but lay eyes upon her, thou wouldst
+wonder no longer, for she is the daintiest slip of mortality that ever
+graced this cold gray earth. Man, half London is wild over her!"
+
+"It may be so," DeNortier replied, yawning behind his hand. "I would,
+for my part, prefer some less lovely maid who would be won more easily,
+and without all this labor."
+
+"_Tendit ad astra!_" cried my lord. Then bending across the table,
+"Thou shouldst see this lady. Did I not fear that she would entangle
+that black heart of thine in her golden tresses, I would take thee in
+disguise with me to London, and show thee this wondrous beauty."
+
+"No fear of that," rejoined DeNortier, a grim smile of amusement upon
+his countenance. "Would the lady prefer a worn old warrior, his neck
+resting uneasily upon his shoulders, to a noble of England, handsome,
+rich, accomplished?" and he drummed his fingers restlessly upon the
+table, his legs sprawled out before him.
+
+"Thou flatterest me, my friend, and underratest thyself. The lady
+would look twice before she refused thee." And Dunraven looked at his
+companion.
+
+Truly they were a striking pair as they sat together beneath the
+candlelight, and thou couldst have searched Europe, and not have found
+their match for comeliness and martial bearing. Dunraven, with his
+broad shoulders, his striking face, his proud pose, dark brown hair
+and beard; the Spaniard, more slender, but quicker, more agile, his
+jet-black hair and beard gleaming like the wing of a crow in the light.
+
+They were a dangerous couple. DeNortier was the leopard, restless,
+cunning, lurking ready to spring at a moment's warning--not so big
+as his bulky companion, but with muscles of steel; Dunraven, bigger,
+heavier, clumsier, but more powerful--the bear. Woe to the creature
+that he locked in his iron arms; he would crush the life from him, even
+as a vise.
+
+They both now sat silent and motionless, wrapped in their own thoughts,
+neither breaking the deep silence that reigned in the room.
+
+Quick steps sounded upon the floor outside. A loud rap upon the door,
+and then another.
+
+"What is it?" DeNortier cried, springing to his feet and catching up
+his sword, which lay upon the floor beside him.
+
+"The sentry swears that he saw the gleam of the moonlight upon a sail,
+captain," a gruff voice answered.
+
+"The fiends!" cried the adventurer. Then turning to Dunraven, who had
+risen to his feet, he whispered rapidly, "Down the stairs into the
+passageway--quick! Wait for me there; I will join thee as soon as I
+can," and he stepped forward to unbolt the door.
+
+Hampden dashed behind the tapestry. "Where?" he cried. "What
+passageway?" and he looked at the floor about him.
+
+"I forgot," DeNortier answered, "that thou dost not know the secret."
+
+Crossing the room and pushing aside the tapestry, he knelt a moment
+upon the floor and pressed his hand against it. There was a quick
+click, and slowly the trap door rose. Hampden sprang through it. I held
+my breath, my unsheathed sword in hand. Surely they must see me; but
+no, they were too much engaged.
+
+DeNortier sprang up as soon as the trap door yawned open, and rushing
+over to the door, unlocked and opened it. It slammed to behind him,
+and he ran down the hall, the sailor following.
+
+In an instant I was through the opening beside me, sword in hand. My
+enemy was in my grasp. We would fight out the quarrel below, with none
+but the dead to interrupt us. One of us would come out perhaps; he
+would have the field to himself; however it ended, the matter would
+be settled. If my lord fell, I would have the ground to myself; if he
+triumphed, it would not disturb me; if I fell beneath his sword, it
+could not matter to the dead.
+
+At the sound of my footsteps, he, not knowing who it was that followed,
+quickened his own. The dim light through the trap door died out, and we
+were treading in total darkness. Guided by the sound of his feet, I ran
+on after him. I had no wish to fight under DeNortier's chamber; some
+one might hear and interrupt us. I would wait until we got further on
+into the cavern, where we would be undisturbed.
+
+Several minutes passed; I judged that we were out of hearing, and
+raising my voice shouted: "Why hurry, my Lord? The night is young yet,
+and we have much to settle between us. Wait for me but a moment, and I
+will join thee."
+
+I heard him stop in the darkness.
+
+"Ha!" he said, "speak of the devil and we hear his wings. So that was
+thou who ran down after me into this black hole; thou must have been
+behind the arras and have heard all that I said. Well, no matter, dead
+men tell no tales," and he laughed, a ring of menace sounding in it.
+
+I thrust out in the darkness before me with my sword; he could not be
+far away, by the sound of his voice--but my blade only struck against
+the wall, the steel ringing as though struck by a hammer. I heard his
+footsteps move on down the tunnel.
+
+"Stop!" I cried, "I have long wished to settle several small matters
+with thee. If thou wilt but wait for me an instant, we will go out
+into the moonlight, and there we will cross blades and fight out our
+difference."
+
+"Why should I fight thee?" he answered, his voice coming from in front
+of me. "The game is mine; did I wish thee knifed, a dozen men stand
+ready to do it at my command. Why should I risk my life? I do not wish
+to kill thee, for I reserve thee for a more delicious fate," and his
+laugh, low and smothered, floated back to me.
+
+"Dog!" I cried, my anger getting the best of me--anger at the
+taunt--anger that my sword could not reach him. "Boast not, 'there be
+many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip.' I may not win my lady but thou
+at least shalt not have her. Rather would I see her dead than meet such
+a fate."
+
+"When thou beholdest her resting peacefully upon my breast, my arms
+around her, my lips pressed close to hers, then, and not till then,
+will I be content. Fear not. Only a few months, and thou wilt behold
+her mine. Till then--adieu!" and his footsteps moved again. Then
+silence.
+
+With a curse I rushed on down the dark passageway, prodding with my
+sword the walls, cutting the darkness in front of me wildly. Like a
+madman I dashed on until, cracking my head upon the projecting stone, I
+staggered back, fell at full length upon the floor, and so was checked
+in my mad career.
+
+Getting on my feet again, I called. No answer. "Dunraven!" I cried,
+"Where art thou?" But only the echo of my own voice answered me. He was
+gone, as though the darkness had swallowed him up to protect him from
+my wrath. Truly the devil had taken good care of his own.
+
+I resumed my way on down the cavern, for a gleam of light had caught
+my eye, far in front of me. I drew cautiously nearer; it was the moon
+shining down at the mouth of the cave, which I had entered a few brief
+hours ago.
+
+Stumbling over the body of Herrick as it lay where he had fallen, I
+scrambled up the embankment, pushed aside the bushes, and stood once
+more in the open air. Far below me lay the mansion, its lights shining
+out into the darkness as though to welcome me back once more to life
+and hope. Descending the hill, I made my way down to it.
+
+It was midnight when I stood again on the broad veranda between the
+great white pillars. No one was in sight, and passing into the hallway
+I ascended the stairs to my own room.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+THE PLOT THICKENS
+
+
+The next day after the death of Herrick I set out again for the cavern,
+determined to find out, if possible, whether Lord Dunraven still lurked
+in its dark recesses; and also to follow the right-hand tunnel to its
+termination, for it might be that it led to some place from which I
+could escape.
+
+I strode up the hill again, and before pushing through the hedge which
+screened the mouth of the cave, I turned and looked about me. There was
+no one in sight, and so bending my head, I brushed aside the bushes
+and entered. Lighting the candle which I had brought with me, I peered
+around. The body of Herrick was gone; evidently someone had removed it
+since last night.
+
+I passed rapidly down the passage, until I reached the place where the
+two paths diverged. I took the one to the right, and with my candle
+over my head made my way down it. There was nothing unusual about the
+tunnel, it loomed about me much as had the other. Its sides and floor
+were of white stone which gleamed in the candlelight.
+
+I had probably gone about two hundred feet when there came a sudden
+gust of wind which blew my candle out. Now I was at a loss to account
+for this, as it felt more like an artificial gust than a natural one;
+more as if someone with a great fan had created a breeze. Fumbling
+about, I found my flint and steel which I always carried with me, and
+striking it, I relit my candle and looked around. There was no one in
+sight, and so pausing an instant, I started on my way again.
+
+I had barely taken a couple of steps when there came a second blast of
+wind, as sudden and unexpected as the first, and my candle was blown
+out again, as silently and quickly as it had been before. Exasperated
+by this recurrence I angrily struck another light, and as I did so the
+candle was snatched from my hand, and a low mocking laugh ran through
+the tunnel; sinister and cold it sounded in my ears, and at the noise I
+shrank back.
+
+I am not a superstitious man (I have seen too much of the world for
+that), but the flint and steel as I struck it, had lit up the cave
+around me for an instant with a flash of light, and it was at that
+instant that the candle had been caught from me. It had been no human
+hand that had done this, for I could see distinctly around, and naught
+had touched my hand; only as I looked had the candle fallen from my
+fingers.
+
+Again and again I struck the flint and steel, and peered wonderingly
+about me. There was no trace of the candle anywhere, only the bare,
+cold walls of the cave could I see, as I stood with white face and
+shaking hands.
+
+The accents of a voice, stern and low, from I knew not where, fell upon
+my ears: "Go back! Go back! And if thou wouldst live, come not again to
+this place."
+
+A sudden shiver passed over me, and my knees knocked together with
+terror; there was a grandeur and majesty in the tones that I had heard
+in no earthly language. It was as though I listened to the voice of a
+god. A sudden dread fell upon my soul as I stood there, and the craven
+"Fear" which I had never known before in all my life, on the fields of
+Ireland, or in great London, smote me with his cold hand.
+
+Gone were my manhood and courage now, and I became as some old withered
+hag, crouched in the chimney by the fire. With a yell I turned and fled
+down that silent cavern, as though grim Death himself were at my heels.
+Twice I dashed into the wall in the darkness and fell, screaming at the
+top of my voice, thinking that the fiends had me for sure; but I was up
+again in an instant, and with another wild yell had resumed my flight.
+
+My reason had forsaken me for the moment, and I was as though a madman.
+I fancied I could see white figures, with outstretched hands and
+glaring eyes, awaiting me at every step. Screaming and yelling I rushed
+on, and never once did I slacken pace, until in front of me I saw the
+light streaming through the undergrowth at the entrance.
+
+Dashing up the embankment, I tore through the bushes and out into the
+open air again, where I cast myself flat upon the ground and sobbed
+with thankfulness for the sunlight, the calm blue sky above me, and the
+fresh air beating upon my face.
+
+It must have been a ruse of DeNortier's to frighten me from the cave,
+fearing that I would discover some of his secrets or perhaps his buried
+treasure; and if it were a trick, it served his purpose well, for
+never, from that day to this, have I put foot again in that cavern. Not
+for a barrel of gold would I tread again its dark recesses and feel
+that thrill of horror at the sound of that solemn voice. I sometimes
+now at night awake trembling with fear, thinking I hear once more in my
+ears those calm, majestic tones, the like of which I have never heard
+again from the lips of man.
+
+An hour after I had rushed from the cavern I was standing on the porch
+of the mansion, watching the ocean as it roared and chafed against its
+sandy prison, as though it were some caged thing striving to be free.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Two weeks had flown by since I had listened to Lord Dunraven's voice in
+DeNortier's chamber. Two weeks in which I had waited, my nerves keyed
+up to the highest pitch, for the next move from my enemies; but no
+sound came.
+
+My lord I had not seen since that night when he had disappeared in
+the cavern. It was as though he had vanished forever; but I knew that
+somewhere behind the scene he was watching and waiting for the time
+to ripen, so that the curtain could rise for the last scene in the
+tragedy. DeNortier had said naught to me, though he must have known of
+Herrick's death, and of the fact that I now had discovered the secret
+of my captivity. He still came and went as heretofore.
+
+I heard the sound of footsteps behind me and turning I saw one of the
+Indian attendants, called José.
+
+"What is it, José?" I asked, speaking in his own tongue.
+
+"The Señor wishes to talk with thee," he answered. "Even now he waits
+in the great room," and so saying he disappeared into the house.
+
+So the next move had come after all. I would be very watchful and
+silent, and so thinking, I passed into the hall and back to the great
+room where DeNortier awaited me.
+
+He was seated there in one of the huge chairs, his head buried in his
+hands, and did not hear me as I entered.
+
+"What is it, Count?" I asked.
+
+I had not seen him in several days, and the change in his appearance
+startled me; it was so different from his accustomed look.
+
+"Art sick?" I asked, "or what is it that ails thee?"
+
+He answered slowly and lifelessly. "I have even now a throbbing
+headache. But be seated, there is something of importance that I would
+speak to thee of."
+
+Seating myself near him, I waited in silence to hear what he would say.
+
+"Thou wilt remember that a few months ago I freed a beautiful Spanish
+girl at thy request. At that time thou didst tell me that I might do
+with thee what I would, if I but freed the maid. Is this not true?"
+
+"It is true," I answered. "But at the same time I told thee that I
+would do nothing unworthy of an English gentleman. Thou dost remember
+that too?"
+
+"Distinctly," he replied. "What I now ask of thee is nothing that would
+stain the honor of even the most scrupulous. 'Tis but a simple thing.
+If thou wilt sign the paper that I shall hand to thee in a moment, then
+not only wilt thou have kept thy promise to me, but in addition thou
+shalt be set at liberty, with the sum of five hundred pounds to speed
+thee on thy way. Come, 'tis a generous offer, and one worthy of thy
+acceptance."
+
+"Where is the paper?" I asked. "Let me but see that, and I will then
+tell thee in a few moments whether I will sign it or not."
+
+The Count reached his hand within his doublet and drew out a long stiff
+paper. He looked me full in the eye, and I could see the excitement
+upon his face, try as he would to conceal it.
+
+"Do nothing rash," he said in a hurried tone. "Believe me or not, I
+wish thee well, and would grieve to see thee come to harm. Be cool,
+and weigh well what thou doest; for after thou hast once chosen, thy
+decision cannot be revoked. On one side liberty, on the other side
+imprisonment and perhaps death," and he coughed dryly behind his hand.
+"Choose which thou wouldst have," and he extended the paper to me.
+
+I took it in my hand and breaking the seal, held it up to the
+candlelight. What paper could it be, that would be worth such a price
+as this?
+
+"This indenture made and entered into this the twenty-fifth day of
+February, 1587, A.D. and in the reign of our Sovereign
+Queen----" I glanced on further down. "Between Thomas Winchester, Kt.,
+of the City of London, England, party of the first part, and James
+Henry Hampden, Lord Dunraven, of the city and county aforesaid, party
+of the second part. Witnesseth: that for, and in consideration of the
+sum of five hundred pounds to me in hand paid----"
+
+A long string of legal phrases followed, all jargon, and without
+meaning to me.
+
+" ... Said party of the first part, doth hereby relinquish, release,
+assign and transfer all the right, title, interest or pretension,
+which he may have or possess, to and in the hand of the Lady Margaret
+Carroll, of Riverdale, England. And the said Thomas Winchester, Kt.,
+doth hereby promise and bind himself not to have any communication by
+any means whatsoever with the said Lady Margaret Carroll, and doth
+further bind himself not to set foot in England for the space of fifty
+years from the date hereinbefore set out; and to reside abroad during
+the whole of that time."
+
+I had seen enough. Tearing the document into a thousand fragments, I
+scattered them to the four winds, before the astonished Spaniard could
+rise from his chair.
+
+Then turning to him, my voice hoarse with anger, I cried:
+
+"And thou hast the hardihood to present such a paper as this to me
+to sign? On guard and defend thyself," and drawing my blade, I stood
+waiting for him to rise.
+
+But the Count did not move from his seat nor turn even so much as an
+eyelash.
+
+"Strike if thou wilt," he replied calmly. "I will not defend myself,"
+and he sat still and motionless where he was.
+
+I could not murder him in cold blood, and he would not budge to raise
+a finger in his own behalf. Sheathing my sword I leaned over the table,
+and speaking slowly and distinctly, my face almost touching his own, I
+said:
+
+"Go back and tell thy master that I spurn his offer as I would himself,
+were he not too much of a coward to be here in person, instead of
+sending thee as a tool in his place." And turning on my heel, without
+so much as another look at him, I strode away and out of the house.
+
+A storm was brewing upon the sea. Already the dark, heavy clouds hung
+over us, and a calm, deep, ominous silence seemed to brood over earth
+and sky, as though the storm god gathered every nerve and sinew, and
+crouching low, poised himself for one great effort that would carry
+terror into the hearts of men.
+
+Passing down the steps of the house, I made my way out to the sea. My
+mind was in a chaos of thoughts and doubts, and I longed for the storm
+and struggle of the tempest.
+
+The pale twinkling stars above me were vanishing one by one behind the
+storm clouds; cold and silent they looked down on me from their great
+heights, as they had gazed upon so many of the storm-tossed children of
+men. Generations and ages had passed away since they had seen the first
+mortal upon the earth. What mattered it to them that poor sin-cursed
+humanity lived and died; had their loves and hates; their friends and
+foes; their good days and their bad ones; lived their little span, and
+then crept away to make room for others who would take their places.
+
+A sense of my own littleness crossed my mind. Out here with nature,
+stripped of all the gloss and glitter of civilization; alone, without
+that sense of security which comes to us when we are huddled with
+our fellows; a single atom upon the troubled sea of life--my own
+perplexities seemed to dwindle, and a feeling of peace swept over my
+care-worn spirit.
+
+The storm was about to burst; great white-capped billows surged up,
+like the serried ranks of the foe ready to charge. The roar deepened
+and increased to a perfect thunder which seemed to shake the very
+earth. The sea lashed and whipped itself into a foaming caldron; the
+winds howled like the spirits of the departed; and the great black
+clouds seemed to almost touch the very sea. A flash of lightning
+forked, many-tongued, sprang athwart the sky, and a burst of thunder
+peeled forth like the roar of a score of culverins.
+
+One lone bird, solitary and forsaken, beat forward before the
+approaching gale. Such was my life I thought, as I watched him struggle
+against the wind. Why must I ever be the storm petrel, sport for the
+wind and wave, borne on, ever on, before the tempest, by the resistless
+force of the blast.
+
+My old friends sat in London to-night with lights and cheer. The old
+Mermaid Inn rang with song and jest as they passed the cup, and smoked
+the fragrant weed that had been brought back from the golden Virginia.
+I could almost hear the hoarse tones of Francis Drake as he spun out
+some long-winded yarn; could hear the deep-chested laugh of Raleigh;
+and the yell ring out as Bobby Vane struck up some light-hearted ditty,
+and the others with a roar joined the chorus.
+
+Theirs was a pleasant, easy way, smooth to the foot, bright with the
+garlands of flowers and the companionship of their fellows; mine was a
+solitary, lonely road, rough and stormy, with no friend to help or aid
+me. I must walk high up above the crowd, walk as best I might, this
+untrod path until morn. So be it. I would not murmur at what fate held
+in store for me. Come what might, I would at least play my part with
+what courage I possessed.
+
+A slight sound seemed to come from the darkness about me. I bent
+forward and listened. Someone was evidently approaching, making his way
+toward the mansion. I could hear the quick crunch of the sand under
+the advancing feet, though the night had grown inky black and I could
+distinguish no figure in the gloom. Throwing myself flat upon the sand,
+I waited for the coming traveler.
+
+The sound came nearer and passed where I lay, invisible in the night.
+Just as it moved swiftly by, there was a blinding flash of lightning,
+illuminating the darkness with dazzling brilliancy, and throwing into
+relief the stout form of Father Francis, as with head bent down to
+avoid the force of the wind, he stood motionless, his back to me,
+waiting for the crash of the thunder to die away. What was the priest
+doing here, at this time of night and in such a gale? It must be
+something of importance that called him forth, for he loved his own
+ease too well to sally out in the storm and tempest without good cause.
+
+Like a flash I sprang to my feet, drawing my sword as I did so; and
+as he stood there motionless, before he could turn, I was upon him.
+Catching the weapon by the blade, I brought the heavy hilt upon his
+head, and with a dull thud, he fell to the ground.
+
+Kneeling beside him, I ran my hand over his garments as he lay there.
+Perhaps he had some paper or message that he was carrying, which would
+be of use, could I but discover it. Ah! I touched a square oblong
+package in the folds of his cassock, and running my hand on the inside,
+I drew it out. They were papers most probably, tied up securely, with
+a fold of canvass around them. Was there aught else there? I searched
+thoroughly, but could find nothing further, though I felt over every
+inch of his robe.
+
+As I straightened myself up the storm broke, and a perfect torrent of
+rain poured down upon me. Hastily sheathing my sword, I left the priest
+where he was, and made for the house in a run, the package clutched in
+my hand. Had it not been for the light that streamed from the windows,
+I would never have found it in the darkness; but I reached the porch,
+after a brief dash of a few minutes, the wind tugging and fighting at
+my heels as if to impede my progress, loath to see me escape from its
+fury.
+
+Hastily slipping the bundle in my doublet, I stepped upon the veranda
+and passed into the hall. DeNortier, pale and distraught, was standing
+in the door, surveying with lusterless eye the storm.
+
+"'Tis an awful gale," he said, on perceiving me. "See the surf," and he
+pointed out to where the great waves pitched and tossed below us.
+
+"Terrible," I answered. "The wind roars like the culverins of a fleet."
+
+Passing him, I made my way up to my own room. Lighting the candle and
+fastening the door, I looked around me. All was quiet and silent, and
+going to the window, I drew the curtain across it. Then seating myself
+under the light, while the storm howled and roared outside, I cut the
+fastenings and opened the package.
+
+Drawing out a paper, I looked at it. It was a brief account of the
+coming of Hampden to the title and estate of his uncle, written by
+someone evidently well acquainted with the state of affairs which
+existed.
+
+But it was of no interest to me, and laying it aside, I picked up the
+next one. An account of the disappearance of Sir Thomas Winchester. "He
+had been murdered, most probably by robbers.... A great loss to London
+society. A diligent search has been made for him, but as yet without
+avail...."
+
+I threw it aside with a smile. Evidently this was Dunraven's work, for
+though no name was signed to the paper, I had no doubt that he was the
+author. My lord wished it thought that I was dead, and most likely at
+that moment, with a solemn face, he was engaged in searching for my
+remains. If ever man had been fitted by nature to play two parts with
+consummate ease and skill, it was Dunraven.
+
+Several other papers I saw; seemingly a diary of every movement of
+mine, and also of DeNortier's, from day to day, setting out the
+minutest instances of our lives, as though we ourselves had penned it.
+
+The rest seemed to be the same; all but the last, a small, dainty
+billet, precisely penned, in a flowing hand, to the Viscount James
+Henry Hampden. I had seen that writing before; a faint odor as of
+some sweet flower yet clung to the paper. I had oft smelt just such a
+perfume, sweet, delicate. There was only one whom I knew, around whose
+dainty figure there lingered such an odor as this. Opening it with a
+hand which despite my efforts trembled, I read the few brief lines it
+contained. Only an acceptance to a ball, written months before, and
+signed with the name--Margaret Carroll.
+
+Yet there, in that brilliantly-lighted room, in a far-away island,
+separated from her by leagues of rolling water, I pressed that
+sweet-scented billet to my lips, and forgetting all else, was happy.
+Thrusting it into my doublet, there next my breast, where I could feel
+the quick pulsing of my heart's blood against it, I arose to my feet.
+
+Replacing the other papers in the oilcloth, I looked around the room.
+Where should it be concealed? I could not keep it about my person, that
+was out of the question. My eye fell upon a heavy chest against the
+wall, and moving it I pushed the papers under the bottom; they could
+stay there at least, until I could find a better place.
+
+I was weary, and throwing myself, dressed as I was, upon the bed, I
+dropped off to sleep.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+THE PHANTOM
+
+
+And now I am about to recount an occurrence so strange and unearthly
+that I have sometimes since doubted whether it was not the creation of
+my own fancy; whether or not I really saw what I am about to relate.
+I can offer no reasonable hypothesis that would account for such a
+physical impossibility--something that we are taught to sneer at--I can
+only say with others who have trod before us: "There are more things in
+heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamed of in thy philosophy." I
+can only set down in black and white what really took place, as best I
+can.
+
+I know not how long I slept, whether one hour or five; I only know that
+I was awakened by that peculiar sensation which thou hast felt in thy
+sleep, when conscious that someone is gazing intently at thee. Rubbing
+my eyes, I looked around the room.
+
+The storm clouds had passed away as rapidly as they had come, and the
+moonlight, streaming through the window, bathed the whole room in a
+flood of light, and lit it up as brightly as could the noonday sun.
+
+There, standing cold and grim and gray near the bed, some six or eight
+paces away, clothed in a coat of antique armor, leaning upon his
+great bloody sword, his eyes fixed sternly upon me, was the figure of
+Geoffrey Winchester, first Lord Richmond.
+
+There is a tradition in the family, handed down from father to son,
+from generation to generation, which runs somewhat like this: When
+William the Conqueror landed in England, he brought with him from
+Normandy a certain stout, sturdy, and gallant gentleman--this same
+Geoffrey Winchester--whom he held in high esteem for his stout arm and
+undaunted courage.
+
+At the great battle of Hastings, the death-blow to so many noble
+Saxon scions of great families, this gentleman, Geoffrey, bore himself
+with great valor. Twice was William beaten to his knees by the furious
+assaults of the desperate Saxons, and twice did Geoffrey come to the
+rescue, and with his great two-handled sword clear a path around the
+King.
+
+And so after the battle was over, William had called the Norman to him,
+and had asked him what he would have, telling him that he should have
+what he willed, even to the half of his kingdom. And Winchester had
+answered, so the legend ran, that he cared not for earthly honors, but
+he would that he might be able to come to the rescue of those of his
+own blood, when in some danger from their foes.
+
+The King, struck by the strangeness of his request, had called to him a
+pious bishop who had fought by his side that day, and recounted to him
+what the soldier would have.
+
+The holy man of God had turned to Geoffrey Winchester, and bidding him
+kneel, had prayed to the God of Battle that he grant the request of
+Winchester's heart, and then blessing him, had said: "Thou hast chosen
+wisely. So be it. In the ages to come, when thou hast long crumbled
+into the dust, still thou shalt have the power to appear once to those
+of thine own blood when they are in sore distress, and warn them of
+danger. Go thou in peace."
+
+And so it had been from that day. When Richmond Castle was sacked
+during the troublous times of Stephen's reign, the phantom had appeared
+to warn the third Lord Richmond, who had escaped barely in time to
+save himself. In the reign of Richard Coeur de Lion, John Winchester,
+sixth Lord Richmond, who accompanied the King on his crusade to the
+Holy Land, saw this vision, which told him not to embark on the vessel
+that was to carry the host across the Mediterranean Sea. He did as the
+spectre had cautioned, and though his companions jeered at him for his
+craven heart to fear a dream of the night, still he stood firm, and the
+ship had gone down with all her crew on board. And so on down the ages.
+My grandfather, fighting the Scots upon the frontier, was warned by the
+gray Geoffrey to ride for England without delay. He waited for naught,
+but mounted and dashed away post-haste; an hour later the camp was
+sacked and burned by the wild Highlanders, and the whole company put to
+the sword.
+
+Once, and only once, he had appeared, sooner or later, to each of the
+blood of Winchester, and in their hour of direst need had warned them
+of their danger.
+
+True to the story, he stood before me to-night, just as he had stood
+when the bishop had blessed him at the battle of Hastings, the great
+dents still in his armor, his huge sword dripping with blood. There
+was no mistake; I had often seen his picture, when I had been but a
+child at the castle, and it had made an impression upon me. There was
+something wild, but yet noble, that I could never forget, in that bold,
+dark eye, the broad, high forehead, prominent, curved nose, and mouth
+set in its stern mould.
+
+And now as I lay gazing at him the marrow almost froze in my bones;
+the cold, damp sweat stood out in great beads upon my forehead; my
+very hair seemed to rise on my head; my tongue clove to the roof of my
+mouth; I could not speak.
+
+For a moment he stood thus, looking down at me, while his dark
+piercing eyes seemed to read the very secrets of my bosom. And then he
+spoke--or was it but the beating of my own heart? "Up! Be vigilant!"
+For an instant I saw him standing there, and then--there was only
+the moonlight as it cast the moving light and shadow upon the wall
+opposite. He was gone.
+
+Springing up, with trembling hand I found my flint and steel, and lit
+the candle. Carefully I searched every nook and cranny of the broad
+room--there was nothing here; no one but myself.
+
+Whatever there was to fear was plainly outside, and I knew not what
+to guard against, nor how to prepare myself for the danger that even
+now approached me; for I had no doubt that the specter spoke truth.
+He had never deceived one of my name yet, and deep down in my heart,
+I felt--yes, I knew--with a conviction unmistakable, that I stood
+to-night in perhaps the greatest peril of any which I had yet faced.
+
+Blowing out the candle and drawing my sword, I took my seat in the
+darkest corner of the room, and waited--I knew not for what. I sat
+there an hour; no sound floated up from the silent house, nothing
+stirred; only the moon, pale and calm, shone down into the window. What
+meant the warning? Did danger imminent and portentous threaten me? I
+could draw no other meaning from the vision; and if so, where and how
+did it approach? I could only wait.
+
+This much I knew, that whenever the first Lord Richmond had appeared to
+any of my house, on down through the ages, he had ever warned of some
+great peril, which, but for his appearance, would have proven the end
+of him to whom he spoke.
+
+An hour I sat there, silent and motionless, my drawn sword in my
+hand, and then--I had almost persuaded myself that I had dreamed of
+the spectre, and turned to go to bed when lo! I heard a slight sound.
+It was as if someone had halted near me, I knew not exactly where,
+and stopped to listen. Then a click, and from the shadow of the room
+opposite, as though from out the solid wall, there stepped a man.
+Slowly, silently, he crept forward; quietly, softly, as though he
+feared to breathe, he crossed the room and drew near the bed. Then as
+he stood beside it, he straightened himself, raised his hand high, and
+as he drew back to strike I saw something glitter in the dim light.
+
+Dropping my sword, I sprang forward with one bound, and caught him
+by one hand on his throat, the other clutching the arm that held the
+dagger. A short struggle, and I felt him grow limp under my iron grasp,
+for I held his throat like a vise. Carrying him forward in my arms to
+the window, and laying him down on the floor, I peered into his face.
+It was the fat priest.
+
+I waited patiently, the dagger that he had dropped clasped in my
+hand. It was a long, sharp blade, and had it not been for my ghostly
+visitant, I would even now sleep that sleep that knows no waking.
+
+A long sigh from the priest; he was coming to his senses. Sitting up,
+he looked around him, and catching sight of me as I stood opposite, the
+dagger in my hand, he cowered back against the wall, and covered his
+face with his hand.
+
+"Listen," I said, bending toward him. "One sound, and I will run
+this dagger into that craven heart of thine. If thou dost fail to
+answer one question of mine, I shall say no word, but I will kill thee
+where thou sittest. Take away thy hand from thine eyes, and answer me
+quickly, as I put the questions to thee. Dost hear?"
+
+Father Francis had jerked his hands from his face like a puppet figure,
+and now he sat by the window, his ruddy face all white and ghastly in
+the moonlight. "What wouldst thou have?" he moaned.
+
+"Who sent thee here?" I asked. "Answer me quickly and truly, or into
+the nether world thou goest," and I flashed his dagger in his face.
+
+"In the name of Heaven!" he cried in alarm. "Good Sir Thomas, brandish
+not the dagger about me so recklessly; should it but slip and strike
+me, I would be done for this world," and he shrank back against the
+wall.
+
+"It would but serve thee right," I answered grimly. "Thou deservest no
+better fate. Answer me as I tell thee," and I pricked his fat arm with
+the point of the weapon.
+
+With a loud howl of pain, he rubbed the injured spot vigorously.
+
+"No one sent me," he said sullenly. "Didst thou not strike me down
+but a few short hours ago, without cause or provocation, as I walked
+peaceably along the shore, and then take from me papers that concerned
+thee not? Am I a man, that I should bear such treatment as this
+quietly? My head rings yet from the blow," and he raised his hand to
+his forehead, where there was a great swollen place as large as an egg.
+
+"Thou liest," I answered coolly. "Speak truly; one last chance I give
+thee, and if thou dost fail to answer, thy soul shall go out to join
+that of thy comrade Herrick," and I made as if to stab him.
+
+The ruse succeeded admirably.
+
+"Stop!" he cried. "Stop! Wouldst thou murder me? I will answer truly,
+if thou wilt but give me time. It was DeNortier."
+
+"And so thou wouldst creep upon a man and slay him unawares, while he
+sleeps. Is that all the manhood that remains in thee? I would not soil
+my hand with such carrion as thou art. Though thou dost richly deserve
+death, yet thou shalt go unharmed this once; but remember this, if
+thou dost cross my path again I will slay thee as I would a serpent,
+calmly and without compunction. Go! And tell thy master that he should
+do such work as this like a man; not hire such scum to do that which
+he fears to attempt himself. But stay a moment," I said, as the priest
+scrambled to his feet, and began to slink toward the door. "Give me
+that ring of mine which thou wearest upon thy finger." And I held out
+my hand for it.
+
+Slowly he drew it from his pudgy finger, and dropped it into my
+outstretched palm.
+
+"And another thing, how camest thou into the room? Show me but that,
+and thou shalt go unharmed." And catching him by the collar, I dragged
+him across the floor to the corner where I had seen him first.
+
+With a growl he raised his hand, and touched the wall with his finger.
+Immediately a panel slipped back and disclosed an opening in the solid
+wood.
+
+I turned to him. "Go!" I said, pointing to the door, "before I forget
+myself and run thee through. No--not through the panel, but out yonder
+door."
+
+He waddled back across the room, and turning the key in the lock,
+opened the door. Stopping on the threshold, he looked back at me as I
+stood by the open panel. A smile was upon his fat countenance--a smile
+of triumph.
+
+"Be not so sure that thou wilt explore yon passage to-night, my Lord,"
+he cried in glee. "The battle thou knowest is not ever to the strong;"
+and as he said this the secret door in the wall slid to with a snap,
+and with a loud laugh, even as I sprang towards him, he slammed the
+door of the room and the bolt turned in the lock. He had touched some
+secret spring outside, that closed the aperture in the wall.
+
+Long I stood there on the floor listening, but I heard no sound. The
+house was as though all were wrapped in slumber.
+
+Crossing to the window, I looked out; along the sand outside there was
+passing the figure of a man. I did not have to look twice to know who
+it was; short, thick, and clumsy, it could be none other than Father
+Francis.
+
+He halted, and I saw another man step forward to meet him. They were
+too far away for me to recognize who the stranger was; wrapped in a
+great cloak, he stood close to Francis and they seemed to be engaged
+in an earnest conversation, for they would turn and point towards the
+mansion as they talked, and I saw the priest double in a loud fit of
+laughter.
+
+At the sight a bitter smile crossed my lips, for I surmised that he was
+relating how he had outwitted and trapped me.
+
+I turned my head; footsteps soft and slow were coming down the hall,
+and at the sound I crossed over to the door, and beat upon it with the
+hilt of the dagger. The steps stopped outside.
+
+"What is it, Señor?" said the low voice of one of the Indian
+attendants, called José.
+
+"Open, José," I whispered. "'Tis I, Sir Thomas."
+
+A moment of silence. "I dare not, Señor," he whispered. "What would the
+Count say?"
+
+"Open," I pleaded, "and thou shalt have a fine piece of gold with the
+face of the great mother across the water on it."
+
+An instant, and then the key grated in the lock; the door swung open,
+and the face of the native peered in.
+
+"I know not what the lord would say, did he know that I had done this,"
+he muttered, trembling.
+
+"He need not know of it," I replied. "Not unless thou dost tell him,
+for I most assuredly will not;" and tossing him a coin, I stopped only
+long enough to pick up my sword, which lay in the corner where I had
+dropped it.
+
+Rushing quickly down the stairs and out of the house, I dashed toward
+the place where I had seen the priest and the stranger a few minutes
+before. The sky had clouded again, and it was evident that we were
+to have another storm; for in this changeable climate one moment the
+weather would be fine, and the next the heavens would be darkened by
+the heavy clouds.
+
+I made my way cautiously down the path and followed the couple who,
+several hundred yards ahead of me, were walking slowly by the side of
+the water, seemingly deep in confab. Quietly and stealthily, keeping
+some distance behind, I followed them, gradually drawing nearer all the
+while. Never once did they look behind, as with heads bent, they walked
+steadily on.
+
+Suddenly I saw them stop, and I threw myself flat upon the sand. They
+were evidently discussing something of more than ordinary interest. Who
+could the priest's companion be? I could not tell from this distance.
+
+They had seated themselves upon the bench, and at the sight, I crawled
+cautiously up to where the rough, uneven sand lay heaped back from the
+water, and began to worm my way, flat on my stomach, towards them.
+'Twas slow work, for I had to move at a snail's pace lest I should
+startle the twain, so engrossed in their conversation.
+
+Minutes passed; I was getting nearer to them now, when there rang out
+a splash from the sea, and peering gradually up, I saw a boat, manned
+by four seamen, approaching rapidly the spot where the priest and his
+companion awaited them. Turning my head, I could see that I was within
+a few yards of them; but I did not care to run into their hands with
+the boat approaching, so I lay quiet where I was.
+
+Nearer it drew, until within a few yards of the land; then one of the
+sailors hailed. Father Francis answered; and the boat grated upon the
+sand, while the men rested on their oars in silence. As they did so, a
+stray moonbeam came out from behind the clouds and fell full into the
+face of the tall stranger, who had arisen and was about to step into
+the boat. It was Lord Dunraven.
+
+For a moment I lay still; and then, reckless of the seamen, thinking
+only of the way that he had slunk from me in the cave, of his plans
+against Margaret, and how he would wrest her away from her friends and
+home if he could, I arose to my feet.
+
+"And so Lord Dunraven is afraid to walk in the day, and slinks
+about under cover of darkness to meet his hired assassins!" I cried
+ironically. "Such bravery as this is worthy of thee, and deserves
+commendation."
+
+At the sound of my voice he had turned toward me, his foot upon the
+stern of the boat.
+
+"Ah, Sir Thomas!" he said, "did I not have other plans on foot, I would
+meet thee here, and once and for all settle all matters of difference
+between us; but mighty reasons, which I have already stated to thee,
+forbid me from doing so. Should I by any mischance fall by thy sword,
+it would be a shame that the loveliest lady of England should weep out
+her eyes in sorrow at my untimely fate. Even now I go back to England
+to her kisses. I trust that thy stay upon the island may not prove
+unprofitable, and should time hang heavy on thy hands, perchance thou
+mightst amuse thyself with the thought of the bright lady in my arms.
+Farewell!" And he stepped into the boat.
+
+"Dog!" I cried, rushing forward, "wait but one moment, and thou shalt
+hold no lady in thy foul arms again."
+
+The priest, who had stood quietly on the sand, intending I suppose to
+see my lord off, at the first sound of my voice had pushed by Dunraven
+and sprang into the boat. Now as I ran forward, he cried:
+
+"Wouldst thou wait for him? He is a fiend in disguise. Did I not lock
+him up, and has he not broken loose? Push off!--for the love of God
+push off!" his voice rising to a shriek as I neared them.
+
+The boatmen needed no second bidding; plainly they feared the cold
+steel in my hand, for in a twinkle they had pushed off, and bent their
+backs to the oars with a will. When I reached the spot where my lord
+had stepped on board, they were fifty feet or more from me.
+
+I hesitated for one moment, sorely tempted to spring into the surf and
+swim after them; but angered as I was, calm common sense came to my
+rescue. I was burdened with my steel breastplate and sword, and could
+not overtake the light boat manned by four sturdy seamen; even though
+I should, it would mean certain death to me. Six men to one, and he in
+the water; so I stood and watched them pull away.
+
+Oh for a musketoon! I could have picked off my lord, as he sat in the
+stern facing me, as easily as I would a hare.
+
+And even as I stood there upon the shore, biting my lips with rage to
+see them so easily glide out of my reach, my lord arose, and sweeping
+his hat from his head, bowed. "Adieu!" he said. "May thy dreams be
+pleasant. I shall remember thee to my lady," and he took his seat with
+a smile upon his face.
+
+The boat dwindled down into a speck upon the water; still I stood there
+silent. Dunraven seemed ever to escape me, as I had my hand upon his
+throat. What meant he when he said that he returned to England? Did he
+speak truth, or was it but some lie to throw me off his track while he
+remained here to watch my movements?
+
+Was the priest his spy kept here but to watch me, and perhaps the
+Spaniard also, and report all that we did or said? It seemed so from
+the diary that I had read. Perhaps Dunraven distrusted the Count as
+much as he did me, and was keeping an eye on us both.
+
+I was beginning to think that he had good reason to fear the Spaniard,
+for had not the priest said in the cave to his companion Herrick that
+he had seen DeNortier walk the floor in agony, and cry out "Margaret!
+Margaret!"
+
+I knew something of the Count by this time, and realized that he was a
+dangerous foe. Instead of one rival, it began to look as if I had two.
+Perhaps I might be able to join forces with DeNortier, and thus outwit
+Dunraven; then I could settle with the adventurer later. But where had
+the Spaniard seen Margaret? Echo answered "where?"
+
+And so musing I retraced my steps towards the mansion, my head bent low
+in thought. The wind was rising again, and we would have a great storm
+if this but kept up for the night.
+
+It was nearly day when I stood again in my own room. Something hung and
+dangled from the window, swinging to and fro in the rising wind, and
+knocking against the side of the house. My God! It could not be!
+
+Rushing to the window, I drew through the grating the rope that hung
+outside; and there, his face bruised and disfigured, with gaping
+tongue, a great cut in his breast, hung the body of José, the servant
+who had released me from the room only a short while before. Cold,
+stiff, and lifeless he hung, and there, kneeling by his lifeless body,
+I swore that if God gave me health and strength I would pursue and
+punish the fiend who had done this deed.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+I DICE FOR A LIFE
+
+
+It was noon before I awoke; a terrific storm was raging outside, and
+the sea was white with foam. Dressing rapidly, I made my way to the
+great dining hall. Often had I eaten there, sometimes alone, and
+sometimes with DeNortier, for when he was not on the island I ate
+alone; the men always kept to their barrack, and never came to the
+house save on some errand. They were uniformly respectful to me; they
+had evidently had orders from the captain to be so, and they knew him
+too well to dare to disobey his commands. I, of course, had naught to
+do with them, save occasionally to ask them some question.
+
+DeNortier supplied me with all that I needed. One evening when I
+returned from a stroll, I had found a new doublet and hose in my room;
+at another time a new feather for my hat. I had several times found
+small sums of money upon my table, and appreciated that delicate sense
+of honor which realized how I must feel, and did not roughly force what
+I needed upon me.
+
+DeNortier was seated at the table alone, eating a slice of venison.
+
+"Welcome!" he said in a cordial tone. "This venison is excellent," and
+he took a great bite as he glanced up at me.
+
+There was no trace of the pallor and wildness of the night before in
+his manner; now self-composed, alert, calm, he was himself again.
+
+Seating myself opposite him, I helped myself to the meat.
+
+"Count, I have a grievance to lay before thee," I said.
+
+"What is it?" he inquired. "Have any of the men failed to show thee the
+proper respect? If so, thou hast but to speak, and I will know how to
+punish them."
+
+"No, it is not that," I answered. "I find this morning the body of
+one of the natives swinging in front of my window. Who has done this
+deed?" and I looked intently at him.
+
+His voice was cold as he replied: "He was a mutinous rogue, and even
+dared to disobey my orders. The safety of my plans--the safety of us
+all--depends upon the rigidity of the discipline which I maintain. Did
+I but loose the reins, even for a moment, the men would break out of
+all bounds, and our heads would pay the penalty; so I punished him as
+he deserved."
+
+"No need to hang him to my window, if thou didst!" I cried. "Thou hast
+done many deeds of bloodshed and sin, but as I live I shall have thy
+life for this!" and I struck the table with my fist a loud blow.
+
+"It is a warning, Sir Thomas," he drawled, "'a word to the wise is
+sufficient.' As for thy sword, put it up. I will not fight thee now;
+I told thee once before, that I could not cross swords with thee just
+yet. Have no fear, I will meet thee; thou hadst best save thy wind and
+thy sword too, for thou wilt need them;" and he drummed upon the table
+with his fingers, unconcerned, though I stood within two feet of him,
+my sword in hand, and could have run him through before he could have
+saved himself.
+
+"Dost thou call thyself a gentleman?" I asked bitterly, "and hire a
+cutthroat to slay a man, whom thou fearest to meet thyself?"
+
+A dull red flush covered the Count's face, his eyes glittered like a
+trapped beast.
+
+"What meanest thou?" he growled hoarsely. "Explain thyself, for I know
+not what thou referrest to."
+
+"I refer to last night, when Father Francis tried to knife me by thy
+command while I slept," I answered. "Oh! thou art a noble of Spain to
+do such work as this; and then fear to meet the man thou didst try to
+have murdered. I would disgrace myself by crossing swords with such as
+thee."
+
+"Have a care," he growled, his face swollen with anger, "have a care
+lest I forget myself and run thee through. As for the priest, I swear
+to thee that I know naught of that which thou sayest, until thou didst
+tell me of it but a moment ago. This much I will say to thee, that I
+never yet feared man or devil. I have ever done my work in the open,
+have never stooped to such tricks as this, and were it not for a matter
+that I cannot explain I would fight thee now, and forever rid myself of
+thee."
+
+"Save thy breath for one who will believe thee," I answered. "As for
+myself, I believe naught that thou hast said." And picking up my hat, I
+left him there, his face hot and red with rage, and walked out upon the
+porch.
+
+Looking out I saw two sailors coming up the path, leading a youth
+between them. He was a stranger, young, handsome, with a sunny brown
+eye, long yellow locks, a frank, open face, and could not have been
+more than twenty years at most. As he came nearer I saw him glance at
+me.
+
+"What hast thou here?" I asked one of the men.
+
+He answered, respectfully enough: "A young gentleman, sir, who was
+washed ashore last night from the brig that went down. We kept him in
+the barrack, for he was half drowned, although to-day he is as bright
+as a cricket, and is the only soul that came ashore alive out of the
+ship."
+
+"Art thou English?" I asked the youth.
+
+"Yes," the young fellow replied, looking at me out of his frank eyes.
+"In whose hands am I?"
+
+"Ask those who are better acquainted than myself," I replied. "The
+Count is in the dining hall, my men."
+
+"Come," said one of the sailors, and they led him in to where DeNortier
+sat.
+
+I watched him as they carried him into the hall; his was a fresh, young
+face, virile and strong, a captive too, like myself, and I naturally
+felt an interest in his fate. Turning, I passed back into the dining
+hall, where the Count, silent and moody, still sat.
+
+He was questioning the lad when I entered.
+
+"What is thy name?" he asked, speaking in English.
+
+"Oliver Gates," the boy replied in the same tone, his head held high.
+
+"What art thou doing in these strange seas?" the other said.
+
+"I was page to my Lord Lamdown," the lad answered brightly; "but I had
+grown tired of the soft, idle life, and being an orphan, with none of
+kin in England, I embarked with Captain Jones as a gentleman adventurer
+for the coast of Cuba to trade with the natives. We had gotten this
+far and all seemed well, until last night the storm arose, and the ship
+went down."
+
+"Where am I?" continued the boy, as DeNortier sat silent in the great
+chair, his head bent in thought, as though forgetful of all around him.
+
+At this question the pirate stirred, and raised his eyes to the
+handsome face of the lad.
+
+"I could best answer that question by telling thee into whose hands
+thou hast fallen," he said, with a frown. "I am the Count DeNortier."
+
+Oliver started, a look of fear crossed his face.
+
+"What!" he cried. "Not DeNortier the pirate?"
+
+"The same," answered the adventurer, unmoved by the other's alarm.
+
+"I am in need of recruits," he continued. "Thou dost seem a likely
+strippling, wilt thou come with us? Thou shalt be my right-hand man,
+with thy pockets full of gold, and sword in hand thou wilt be the envy
+and admiration of all the maids in London," and he laughed, a grim look
+of mirth upon his face.
+
+But the lad stood determined.
+
+"I will not come," he said firmly, "though thou dost slay me. I was
+raised in the family of, and have served, a nobleman; thinkest thou
+that I would disgrace my training like this? To roam the seas with a
+band of cutthroats, and finally to swing 'twixt heaven and earth, a
+rope around my neck?"
+
+The answer seemed to fan the smoldering rage of the Count into a flame.
+With an oath, he caught up his sword which lay upon the table, and drew
+it from its sheath.
+
+"Choose!" he cried. "Either thou shalt join me without more words, or
+prepare to meet thy doom; for as certain as thou dost stand there, I
+will run thee through if thou dost not join me."
+
+The boy threw back his head, his cheeks were pale, but his look was
+high and unflinching.
+
+"Strike," he said, "if thou wilt, for I refuse to join thee."
+
+The Spaniard raised his sword, but leaning over I caught the hilt with
+my hand and held it.
+
+"Ruffian!" I cried. "Wouldst thou slay the youth? He is but a child."
+
+A slow, evil look was upon his face; for a moment his anger mastered
+him.
+
+"Twice hast thou crossed my path to thwart me," he growled. "Take care,
+there shall be no third time." Then drawing back, he sheathed his sword.
+
+"I will dice with thee for the lad's life," he said suddenly. "If thou
+dost win, he is thine to do with what thou wilt; if thou shouldst lose,
+then he is mine. Wilt cast with me?"
+
+I hesitated a moment; then turning to the boy, who stood gazing with
+wide-open eyes upon us, I cried:
+
+"Art thou content that we should dice for thy life, or wilt thou have
+none of it?"
+
+His face was pale, but he answered me quickly: "I am content; better
+that I should die, than be in the hands of such as he."
+
+"So be it," I answered. "Where are the dice?"
+
+Turning to the corner, he drew from a chest the dice, and a little
+round box, and with those in his hand, moved to the table.
+
+"Wilt thou throw first?" he asked, "or shall I?"
+
+"No," I answered; "do thou throw. I will follow thee."
+
+It was a strange scene in that great room. The rough seamen gathered
+around the table watching, eager to see which way the dice would fall;
+the boy, Oliver Gates, as he stood behind me, watching the dice in the
+Count's hand--his life the stakes for which we gamed. DeNortier, a dark
+scowl upon his face, fingering coolly the box in which the dice lay,
+ready to cast without a tremor the little squares on which depended
+a human life; myself, with face as white as the boy's, as I thought
+of the great load which rested upon me, and of how much depended upon
+"Chance," the blind goddess.
+
+DeNortier stood opposite me, only the little light in his dark eyes
+betraying his excitement. I watched his hand narrowly while he shook
+the dice in the box, preparing to throw. I have often thought of that
+scene since, and wondered if I fully appreciated its solemnity as I
+watched the Spaniard, and yet I was oppressed by the thought that a
+human life lay in my hands, either to be lost or to be gained; but as
+the lad had said, better that he should die than to live a captive in
+the pirate's hands and at his mercy.
+
+He threw, and with a rattle the dice rolled out upon the table. For a
+moment I feared to look, and then summoning all my courage, with an
+effort I looked at the dice--double fours--could I beat that?
+
+I saw the look of triumph in DeNortier's eyes, plainly he thought that
+he had won; and there as I stood with the box in my hand, I sent up one
+fervent prayer to whatever gods there be, to fight for me in that hour,
+and guide the dice aright.
+
+Raising my hand I tossed, and they rolled down upon the table and over
+to the further side. I bent over them with eyes that feared to behold
+the result, and I could hear the quick, deep breathing of Oliver Gates
+behind me, as with beating heart he awaited to hear his fate. The two
+seamen were bending over the table with eager faces. I straightened
+myself up--five and four.
+
+"The day is mine, Count," I said triumphantly.
+
+"Yes," he answered, "thou hast it; the fates are propitious. Beware!
+they will not be ever at thy side;" and turning from me he passed out
+of the room. The men followed, leaving me alone with Oliver.
+
+"Thy life is safe," I said to him, "and thou shalt be my page. Wilt
+enter my service?"
+
+"Who art thou?" he asked. "It seems as if I had seen thy face before,
+yet I know not where."
+
+"Sir Thomas Winchester, of London," I answered.
+
+"I recognize thy face now," he said. "Oft have I seen thee in London,
+but thou art changed," and he hesitated.
+
+"Say that I have grown older," I replied. "Nay, do not deny it. I know
+that I have grown older, and that the gray is beginning to fleck my
+hair; hadst thou been through what I have the last six months, thy hair
+would be gray too."
+
+"What doest thou here?" he asked, his eyes fixed still upon my face.
+"Thou hast not joined these ruffians, and become one of them?"
+
+"The saints forbid!" I answered quickly. "I am a captive here even as
+thou art." And then I related in a few words all I wished him to know
+of my kidnaping and detention upon the island.
+
+He listened intently, a look of wonder upon his face.
+
+"And why does my Lord Dunraven hound thee thus?" he cried. "What motive
+has he, that he should detain thee here?"
+
+"Lad," I answered, a bitter smile upon my face, "thou art young yet,
+and hast much to learn; when thou growest older thou wilt know what
+a man will do for the love of a maid. Dost know the Lady Margaret
+Carroll?"
+
+"Aye," he answered, "the loveliest lady in England; as well ask me if I
+know my master."
+
+"Then," I answered, "is there need to look further than the lady for a
+cause?"
+
+A look of understanding came into his face.
+
+"I see," he said, "and wonder no longer. A lady so fair would tempt a
+man to risk his soul, could he but win her."
+
+"But thou hast not answered my question; wilt be my man and enter my
+service? I have need of such a one here, and when I come to my own
+again, thou shalt not regret it."
+
+"Yes," he answered, a look frank and true upon his open face. "I owe
+my life to thee. I am thy man, for better or for worse, and here is my
+hand on it," and he stretched out his hand to me.
+
+I reached out and grasped it, a mist before my eyes. 'Twas the first
+friendly hand I had clasped since Steele had sailed away and left
+me weary months before, and I knew what it meant to be alone and
+friendless among bitter foes.
+
+"Thou shalt not rue it," I said.
+
+And thus Oliver Gates entered my service. He was a treasure, that boy;
+he fell to and cleaned my muddy clothes and boots, polished my rusty
+breastplate, mended the rents in my ragged doublet, and was ever at my
+elbow, ready to serve me.
+
+He had cleaned the musketoon which I carried, and one morning I came
+suddenly upon him, his eyes fixed upon the sight, the weapon at his
+shoulder.
+
+"What art thou doing?" I asked in surprise, seeing no one at whom he
+pointed.
+
+He lowered the gun, a look of confusion upon his face.
+
+"I was but wishing that my Lord Dunraven walked below," he answered,
+"and I would soon rid thee of him forever;" and he looked up into my
+face.
+
+I was strangely touched by his thoughts of me, for I had grown to love
+him well, with his frank and merry ways, ever with a song upon his
+lips, ever busy with thoughts of my comfort and welfare.
+
+"Lad," I said, "I know not what I would do without thee."
+
+A tear came into his eye, and rolled down his rosy cheek; he tried to
+speak, but could not, and turning, hurried from the room.
+
+Sometimes at night as we sat together in my room under the candlelight,
+I would have him to tell me of London, and what my friends did there,
+of himself, and of his life before he sailed on his ill-fated voyage.
+
+I learned that my old comrade Drake had sailed for the Spanish Main
+in search of gold; that Bacon was busy with his law; Raleigh was in
+high favor with the Queen, and seemed at present to be the favorite;
+Bobby Vane he did not know. The Lady Margaret Carroll was the toast of
+London, happy, gay, light-hearted; rumor had it that she would soon
+become the bride of the Lord Dunraven, who, devoted, gallant, and
+attentive, was ever her constant shadow, and since I had vanished so
+mysteriously from London, he had no rival of importance.
+
+Of me, London had gossiped for a few days; the tale of my
+disinheritance had been the talk of the town, and followed so soon by
+my disappearance had created quite a sensation, and a dozen different
+stories had been circulated by way of explanation. Some said I had
+committed suicide; others that I had gone to the Low Country to assist
+the Dutch; still others that I had joined the freebooters and become a
+sea-rover.
+
+It had furnished sensation for the ladies and gentlemen of fashion,
+as they gathered under the evening candles and sipped their tea, but
+other things came to engage their attention; what cared they if one
+poor gentleman, stripped of his position and fortune, lived or died? I
+had passed from their world forever, and so with a jest upon their lips
+they had flitted to some new topic.
+
+Only a few friends had made an effort to find some trace of my fate.
+Bobby Vane and Raleigh had indeed searched, but could find no clue. It
+was as though the earth had swallowed me up.
+
+Oliver Gates loved me, I believed. He followed me about like a dog;
+had searched the island for Father Francis and Dunraven, and was ever
+vigilant to track the Spaniard in hope that he would discover some
+trace of my lord, but in vain.
+
+Dunraven and Father Francis I had never seen since they left the island
+that stormy night in the boat. Sometimes I thought they had gone down
+in the gale, but they were too wicked to die like honest men. No, I
+believed they were alive, perhaps in England, engaged in plots to
+abduct my lady, and at the thought I would pace the floor and wring
+my hands. At such times Oliver was a boon to me. He would sing some
+ballad of the olden days, when a knight, brave in his armor, and with
+his waving pennant, would ride out to do battle for his lady love; and
+at the sound of his rich, mellow voice, the care and sorrow would fade
+away from my heart, and I would forget myself and all my woes.
+
+So the time passed, and spring had come; the sun shone brightly, and
+its beauty had tempted me out of the house. All was light and merry
+beneath the morning light; the birds were singing, and all earth seemed
+to lie quiet and peaceful, as though weary of toil and labor, and
+resolved to take holiday for one brief day.
+
+Oliver I had not seen for several minutes, and I strolled down the
+lane that led to the little settlement of the natives. A few of them I
+met as I walked down the path, and with a word of greeting, they had
+stepped aside to let me pass.
+
+I kept steadily on my way, my head bent, thinking of old England and
+wondering if I would ever see it again. The grass was green and fresh
+there, the spring flowers were beginning to bloom, and in the fields
+the sod lay upturned to the sun. The fresh scent of the turf struck my
+nostrils. Ah, this was England! It held naught for me, perhaps only
+scorn and hatred; still my heart yearned for the Old Country like that
+of the exile condemned to some prison, far from his home. It was where
+my eyes had first beheld the light, and it was there, when I finished
+my weary journey and life's brief sorrows were over, that I wished
+to rest quietly beneath its green turf, where naught of the world's
+turmoil and strife could reach; safe from all harm, with only the
+silent stars to shine down upon me, I would sleep with my fathers.
+
+I was coming into the group of bark huts; only one old woman was
+visible, her form bent nearly double with age, her hair snow white,
+her eyes sunken, her face weather-beaten as though by many a storm.
+Crouched by one of the low entrances she sat, her eyes fixed upon me.
+There was that look of knowledge, of understanding, in them, which
+comes only with extreme age; the look of one who has tasted of all
+life's secrets, and who has known all that it contains.
+
+I paused beside her, struck by the look of withered age upon her face,
+and by her snow-white hair; for I had never seen a native with white
+hair before.
+
+"What is thy age, old crone?" I asked her, in the native tongue.
+
+She did not stir, only her sunken eyes were fixed upon my face, and
+then, in a voice cracked and broken, she replied:
+
+"Neulta has seen the suns of one hundred and four summers, and still
+she remains; those whom she knew in her youth have long since gone from
+among her people."
+
+One hundred and four years old! She was mad; but still she was
+extremely old, her face showed that.
+
+I knew the name too; often when the servants at the mansion had lost
+aught, or anything had mysteriously disappeared, they would go to
+Neulta, and she would tell them where to find the missing article.
+Strange to say, when they had looked where she directed, they would
+always discover the missing thing.
+
+Wonderful stories were told of her superhuman powers by the natives. It
+was said that DeNortier always consulted her before embarking on his
+voyages; that she had foretold to Herrick, months before, that he would
+meet death by the hand of a tall stranger, alone in a cavern; he had
+laughed at her, but lo! it had been even as she had said. The Indians
+swore by Neulta, and regarded her as a goddess.
+
+I had scoffed at the tales told me by the dead José and the other
+servants; had told them that the old hag had stolen the things herself,
+and did but tell them where they were hidden that she might increase
+their faith in her, but I could never persuade them that I spoke truth.
+Some thought of the idle tales crossed my mind as she told me her age.
+
+"Thy mind wanders," I answered. "It is not possible; tell me something
+that I can believe."
+
+The old woman sat still and motionless, then she answered: "Before the
+Señor's father came into this world I was a middle-aged woman. When the
+Señor dies I will still be here; for I hold the magic power handed down
+from my people, who dwelt on this island long before these miserable
+natives whom thou now seest about thee had landed in this place. Ah,"
+she continued, rising to her feet at the thoughts of the past, "they
+were a race of men! These are but cattle, who are fitted to wait upon
+the white man. But why do I talk thus?" she muttered, seating herself
+again. "My people have vanished, and I alone remain.
+
+"The Señor does not believe me; he thinks that I dream. Let the Señor
+but come into my hut here, and I will show him things which are not of
+this world. Does he wish to behold whom he thinks of? But follow me and
+he shall see what he wots not of. Come!" and she hobbled to the door of
+the hut and threw it open.
+
+I hesitated; she was mad doubtless, but I was in no hurry. I had naught
+to engage my mind; perhaps she might amuse me. It might be that this
+was but a trick of DeNortier's to lure me into this hut and then put me
+out of the way; for that was a scheme worthy of his master mind.
+
+The old crone stood in the doorway, looking at me.
+
+"Ah! the Señor fears," she croaked. "Afraid of an old woman, alone and
+unarmed," and she cackled in glee.
+
+My mind was made up; stepping upon the threshold, I pushed the door
+wide open and entered. The old woman closed the door, and I was in
+total darkness. She moved about in the dark, until presently she
+struck two hard stones together, and going to where three great torches
+of light-wood were fastened in the wall, she lit them.
+
+Immediately the room became brightly illuminated, and I looked around.
+There was nothing in the hut; only a rough pile of leaves in the
+corner, which served as a bed, and a rough stone bench in the center of
+the room, together with a little wooden chest.
+
+Going to the chest, she raised the lid, calling as she did so to me,
+"Let the Señor seat himself upon the bench."
+
+I did so, and watched her movements, until finally she drew an article
+from the chest, and turning, held it out to me. I took it in my hands,
+and glanced down to see what she had given me. It was a polished disk
+of silver, perhaps a foot in diameter, curved and embossed with strange
+and barbarous shapes. I had seen naught like it in all my travels.
+
+"How camest thou by this?" I asked sternly.
+
+The old woman, her back to me, was groping again in the box. "Let not
+the Señor be troubled," she said dryly, "for the mirror was handed down
+to me from my fathers, who dwelt here in the days of yore. It is mine;
+be not uneasy on that score."
+
+And then from the box she drew a little stone image of a man,
+grotesquely shaped, with great staring eyes, and with a cold, sinister
+expression upon his carved face. She set it on the floor in front of
+me; as I looked at it, the face reminded me of someone whom I had seen.
+Yes, the same hard, cold look and hawk nose of Lord Dunraven; I was
+struck by the resemblance, for rough, uncouth as the image was, it
+resembled my lord.
+
+The old crone had sprinkled a yellow powder in front of the idol, and
+had lit it, and now she was kneeling in front of the image, crooning a
+low savage song, her eyes, keen and piercing through the smoke, fixed
+upon me. I rose in disgust. Was I a fool, to sit through such mummery
+as this?
+
+She called to me even as I stirred, "Let not the Señor arise; but a
+moment, and he will behold a sight upon the mirror such as he has never
+seen before. Let him wait but a moment, and gaze upon the disk."
+
+There was something in that look, eager, commanding, fixed upon me,
+that I could not resist. I resumed my seat.
+
+"I will remain but a moment," I said. "Quick with thy foolery, I am
+wearied and would go."
+
+"Look upon the glass!" she shrieked. "Look!"
+
+I looked down carelessly at the mirror in my hand. Unaccountably,
+marvelously, there was something dim, misty, and hazy, growing
+upon the polished disk; more and more distinct it became, until
+wonder of wonders, I looked into the violet eyes of Lady Margaret
+Carroll!--there, lovely, beautiful, divine, she gazed at me, gowned
+for some ball, a flower in her hair, the soft curved neck encircled by
+a chain of precious stones, her lovely dimpled chin, and little mouth
+curved as though laughing at its own red beauty. For a moment I looked
+at her, and then I was gazing at the vacant glass in my hand.
+
+I sprang to my feet. "Hag!" I cried, "what trick is this? Beware how
+thou triflest with me."
+
+The voice of the crone floated across to me through the smoke.
+
+"No trick," she mumbled; "'tis but the magic of the great white spirit.
+Would my lord behold his rival? Look!"
+
+And there upon the silver disk, with his brave, true eyes upon me,
+shone the face of Bobby Vane.
+
+"'Tis false!" I cried. "False! He would not act thus."
+
+"Wonder not," replied the crone. "Stranger things than this have
+happened; men would betray all for love of such a maid;" and she
+muttered something to herself. "Wouldst behold how thy friend conducts
+himself in thy absence with thy lady-love? Behold!"
+
+And there upon the glass I saw my lady and Bobby. They were at some
+dance or merry-making, for I could see dimly the moving forms around
+them. Suddenly they turned and passed out into a moonlit garden, and
+seated themselves in the shadow of some thick trees. I saw Bobby lean
+forward nearer that beautiful face; saw him whisper something into that
+little shell-like ear; saw the smile upon her face; and then, reaching
+out his hand, he took one of Margaret's in his own, and bent down as
+though to kiss her, looking into her beautiful blue eyes all the while.
+
+It was more than flesh and blood could stand. With an oath, I cast the
+mirror far from me, and throwing the cowering crone a coin, strode out
+from the miserable hut into the free air of heaven.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+THE LAST REVEL
+
+
+March, 1588, was here; I had been restrained of my liberty since the
+sixteenth day of September, 1586, Oliver and myself had made many
+schemes for our deliverance, but they had all come to naught. We could
+not cross the mighty sea without a vessel; there was nothing but frail
+canoes here--light, fragile, they would suffice for a brief sail, but
+they could never live through the thousands of miles of water that
+rolled between us and England.
+
+I had spent a great deal of my time in fencing and shooting with the
+lad, until now I felt that I could hold my own against DeNortier
+himself. My wrist was of steel, and my strength had grown enormously
+with my exercise in the open air; I could hit a small coin at thirty
+yards with a musketoon. Oliver, who knew nothing of a sword when he
+landed, had become a fairly good swordsman under my training, and was
+getting so that he could bring down the wild fowl on the wing with the
+gun.
+
+Returning from a long stroll one evening and going up to my room, I
+found Oliver engaged in holding up to the light a splendid new doublet
+of light gray silk. It was a beautiful garment, and he was so occupied
+in admiring it that he did not hear me come into the door.
+
+"What hast thou there, lad?" I asked. "Thou must have at thy disposal
+the shops of London, that thou shouldst have such a doublet as that.
+Faith, not but thou dost need one! That thou hast on now is almost in
+rags."
+
+The boy turned to me, his face aglow.
+
+"Ah, Sir Thomas! thou mayest laugh, but it is full time that we had
+some new garments. I have mended the one that thou hast on, until I
+fear that not a piece of the original cloth remains," and he broke into
+a merry, ringing laugh. "But the doublet that thou jeerest at is for
+thee. I have a new lilac one," and turning, he lifted it from a chair
+and held it up for my inspection.
+
+"What means such prodigality?" I asked in astonishment. "What scheme is
+on foot?"
+
+"The men hold high revelry to-night," he answered. "Pepin, who came
+up only a few moments ago, brought us each an entire outfit of new
+clothing, and told me that the Count sails to-morrow with all his men;
+that on his return he would resign command to one of his crew, and
+depart for the great region from whence he came, to return here no
+more. I asked him whether we were to go with the Count on his cruise
+to-morrow, and he replied yes, that only the natives would remain
+behind. He told me also that the Count DeNortier bade us dress in these
+new garments, and be at the board to-night to join in the feast."
+
+The candles had been lit. Slowly, with the lad's help, I dressed myself
+in the silks and laces; it had been long since I had been garbed as
+fitting my birth and station. The clothes brought back to me my old,
+useless, happy life in far-away London, and the thought of the gayety
+and pleasure of days gone by, when I had softly spoken into the dainty
+ears of fair ladies the little useless whispers that went to make up
+their lives; had moved among the gay throng, the petted plaything of
+society. It had been sweet while it lasted, but it had passed from me.
+
+Oliver had buckled on my gold-hilted sword, and given me a last touch.
+
+"Thou art prepared, Sir Thomas," he cried, with a grand air and a
+sweeping bow. "And though thou mayest jeer at me if thou choosest, I
+will say to thy face, that thou art a goodly sight. Would that the fair
+ladies of London might see thee to-night; it would create a sensation,
+I can tell thee."
+
+"Nonsense, boy!" I replied. "I have grown too old and rough to be a
+pleasant sight for a lady. She would want some fawning tailor's model,
+sweet-scented and delicate, and not a rude man such as I am."
+
+But, nevertheless, pleased by his light flattery, I stepped forward to
+where one of the great mirrors hung and glanced at myself. Was this the
+silent, rough man, clad in his faded doublet, his sword in hand, ready
+at a moment's notice to defend himself from the foes who sought his
+life?
+
+There looked back at me from the mirror the figure of a man, clad in
+splendid silks, a rich collar of lace about his neck, elegantly and
+richly dressed; his hair, in which the gray threads were beginning
+to shine, was combed back and fell upon his shoulders. The little
+pointed beard which he wore, was flecked with gray here and there; and
+his face, tanned and brown, was one which seemed created to command.
+The deep lines of suffering had purified and ennobled the face never
+handsome; the youth and gayety were gone from it, never to return, but
+'twas stronger, deeper, better than it had been in the old days. The
+light hazel eyes, with that look of understanding that only sorrow
+brings, were more sympathetic and kinder than they had been of yore.
+
+Yet as I looked at myself in the glass, and saw the gray threads in my
+hair and beard, I felt to-night as though I had reached the summit of
+the hill of life, and was beginning the long descent down the other
+side. Yes, to-night I realized that I was beginning to be an old man,
+with the best in life behind me.
+
+I knew not what the night or morrow held in store for me, but the
+struggle and toil and suffering of the last year had taught me
+patience; the fire of youth had burned out, and I would wait, and the
+morrow would tell.
+
+Oliver had already dressed himself; young and comely he stood there,
+and I, for the moment, envied him his youth and buoyancy.
+
+Together we descended the stairs, and passed into the great dining
+hall; both of the large sliding doors between the dining and front room
+had been thrown back, and now there was but one immense room.
+
+The candlelight that night streamed down on a strange and motley crew.
+Down the great room there ran three long tables; around them there sat
+the entire crew of the ship, clad in the silks and satins of the nobles
+of Europe; with fine collars of lace and gold about their bronzed
+throats; their long hair perfumed and scented; their faces those of
+every nationality. It was a scene such as I have never witnessed before
+or since.
+
+At a small table placed at the head of the room sat DeNortier,
+stroking his black beard. He arose as we entered.
+
+"Welcome!" he cried. "Welcome to the last revel! Gentlemen, to-morrow
+we sail for the Spanish Main; who knows how many of us will ever
+return? Come, be seated here with me," and he motioned us to seats at
+his table.
+
+There was only one vacant chair left; he noticed my glance at it.
+
+"An old friend, detained by important business; he will not be here
+to-night. I am sure that thou must regret it," and he grinned at me.
+
+"It is perhaps best that he did not come," I answered. "The night air
+possibly would not agree with him;" for I guessed that he referred to
+Dunraven.
+
+He did not answer me, but beat upon his table for silence. The hubbub
+and noise ceased, and he arose to his feet, goblet in hand.
+
+"My men," he said, "we go on a voyage long and perilous; I know not how
+many will meet with us again. When we return, I leave thee forever;
+Davis shall take my place, and be thy chief. I shall return to the Old
+World and dwell in peace. But before we drink to our voyage, I have
+one toast that I will give thee in honor of our guest, the Englishman.
+I give thee the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth of England!--may her years be
+full of glory and happiness!"
+
+The men had arisen to their feet, glasses in hand; many of them were
+Englishmen, and, degraded and besotten as they were, they still felt
+a love for old England and a pride in the achievements of her Queen,
+whose name and fame rang around the world. As DeNortier ceased, there
+arose a shout that made the very candles upon the wall flicker in their
+sockets; once, twice, thrice it rose and fell, like the deep beat of
+the surf upon the beach--then it died out.
+
+I arose to my feet, cup in hand.
+
+"My men," I said, "I thank thee in the name of the Queen for thy
+courtesy, and would give thee in return--King Philip of Spain!"
+
+The Spaniards drank it with a cheer, but it was nothing like the shout
+that had greeted the name of Elizabeth.
+
+Then there were toasts of every sort and kind; the noise at the long
+tables arose to an uproar as some toast was drank of more than usual
+interest.
+
+I glanced down the tables where the men sat, for we took no part in
+their merriment, but sat at our own table, quiet and composed. There
+were the spoils of many a galleon upon the board; goblets and drinking
+cups of gold and silver; candlesticks and vessels from the monasteries;
+richly embroidered altar cloths spread the long tables; and the heavy
+carved chairs of the priests seated the pirates at their revel. Behind
+the tables the natives, soft-footed and silent, filled the glasses as
+oft as they were emptied.
+
+Without the night, quiet and silent, brooded; within the lights, the
+laughter, the song--revelry held high carnival. To-morrow they would
+sail, and who knew how many would return? They would feast to-night;
+what mattered the morrow, which might hold for them the halter? But
+to-night--ah, yes!--to-night was theirs, and the night was young yet;
+fill up again.
+
+A tall fellow, his face flushed with the wine he had drunk, was roaring
+out a wanton love song, his fellows keeping time to the tune with
+their glasses upon the board. He finished amidst a storm of cheers and
+applause. Far down the table one of the men had already fallen forward
+upon the board, overcome by the wine that he had poured down.
+
+A feeling of anxiety came over me; what were not the rogues capable of,
+when later in the night they should be crazed by the liquor that they
+had drunk, with nothing to hold them in check except the fear of their
+chief, and he was but one man, no matter how resolute and determined?
+What could he do against two hundred and fifty drunken, crazed
+wretches, hardened to every scene of misery and woe, who feared neither
+God nor man? Would they not, when they had reached the pitch of frenzy,
+turn upon Oliver and myself, and vent their fury upon us? For myself, I
+cared not, but I feared for the boy.
+
+DeNortier must have seen the thought upon my face as I turned to him,
+for he spoke immediately.
+
+"Have no fear," he said. "I have often had such revels before, and no
+harm came of it; my men know my hand too well to attempt to anger me."
+
+"For myself, I fear not," I answered. "My only fear was for the boy; I
+would not have him harmed." And I turned my head to look at Oliver, who
+with wide eyes was surveying the scene before him.
+
+"Thou needst not worry," he replied; "he is as safe as though he were
+in his father's house."
+
+"Where is the priest?" I asked. "It is strange that he is not here. I
+would have thought that he would be the first to come."
+
+The Count smiled. "I looked to see him here too," he answered, "but
+perhaps he would not come for fear that thou wouldst kill him. He fears
+thee as though thou wert the foul fiend himself," and he finished with
+a laugh.
+
+"He has good cause to," I said grimly. "If I had but given him his
+deserts, he would have been now where no revelry could disturb him."
+
+"He is a strange fellow," DeNortier said musingly, as though half
+to himself, stroking his pointed black beard. "I picked him up in
+London, five years ago; he had been expelled from the monastery for
+drunkenness, and was adrift without chart or compass, when I discovered
+him. But he has well requited me for my trouble, for he is a useful
+fellow, and true as steel to me."
+
+I looked at him; it might be that I could win him to my side, or if I
+could but make him distrust Dunraven, it would be a good night's work.
+
+"Be not so sure of that," I answered.
+
+He started and peered at me, a look of suspicion upon his face.
+
+"Why dost thou say that?" he cried. "Dost know aught of what thou
+speakest?"
+
+I leaned back in my chair, and regarded him with a cold smile.
+
+"Am I a child, that I speak of what I know not of?" I said.
+
+The look of suspicion deepened upon his face; then there came another,
+a look of anger.
+
+He spoke: "Show me some proof of that which thou sayest, Sir Thomas;
+not that I doubt thy word, but this is a matter of importance that thou
+talkest of, and not to be lightly decided."
+
+"And of what advantage will this be to me?" I asked. "Why should I go
+to the trouble, if it is to be of no benefit to me?"
+
+He answered me, speaking slowly:
+
+"It is of more importance than thou mayest think; thou art held here
+by my power; did I but say the word thou shouldst go scot-free. Would
+that be of advantage to thee? Could I think that the fat rogue played
+me false, I would soon settle his fate. But why should he do that? It
+would not be to his advantage, and he knows too well where his bread
+lies to cut his own throat. His hopes are all based upon me; take me
+away, and they fall to the ground. No, thou art mistaken, it could not
+be so."
+
+"Thou hast forgotten that Dunraven is rich and powerful; that he has
+gold in abundance to reward his servants and tools. He wishes to keep
+an eye upon thee, as well as myself. Perhaps he thinks that thou
+mightst become a dangerous rival to him, or mightst be tempted to play
+him false. What better spy could he choose on us both than Father
+Francis?" I gazed at him, a smile of triumph upon my face.
+
+He brought down his fist upon the table with a blow that made the
+glasses ring.
+
+"Show me the proof!" he cried--"but the proof, and then I shall know
+how to act."
+
+"Oliver," I said, turning to the boy, "go up into my room; move that
+heavy chest which stands next the wall, and bring down to me the bundle
+of papers that thou findest behind it."
+
+He arose, and ran lightly from the room. I sat quietly in my seat, and
+gazed at the Spaniard.
+
+"What effect will this have upon my detention?" I asked. "Wilt thou
+free me?"
+
+"I shall know better how to answer when I see the papers," he replied
+hoarsely.
+
+The noise at the tables had redoubled. One of the seamen had brought
+out a couple of flutes and was urging a short, squat sailor to give
+them the sword dance. After much pressing by his friends, and after
+drinking off a couple of glasses of wine, "only to steady his nerves a
+bit," as he informed them, he announced that he was ready to begin.
+
+A space was cleared in the middle of the room, and in it a dozen
+swords were fastened, blades upward. The man had taken off his shoes,
+and stood in his stocking feet, his eyes covered with a cloth.
+
+The flute struck up a wild, barbarous air, and springing into the midst
+of the swords he began to dance, while the men crowded eagerly around
+him. Up he went, turning, twisting, whirling, all the while chanting a
+low savage tune, now leaping to the right, now to the left, but always
+alighting in the space, perhaps four inches in width, that lay between
+each sword. Now advancing, now retreating, always evading the perilous
+blades with a skill that was marvelous to me, when I thought of the
+cloth over his eyes.
+
+A loud burst of music; he had finished, and was untying the bandage
+from about his face, midst the cries, "Well done!" of his companions.
+
+And now the outer door opened, and from the darkness outside an Indian
+appeared, leading by a rope a tame bear. Often had I seen the animal
+about the native settlement. He was a huge, clumsy, good-natured brute,
+and as he stood in the middle of the room sniffing the air, his little
+eyes blinking in the light, his head rolling from side to side, he
+looked anything but dangerous. His master had taught him to wrestle,
+and as the animal stood erect on the floor, I saw one of the seamen
+stripping off his doublet to struggle with him.
+
+The Indian untied the rope from about the brute's head.
+
+"The Señor had best treat him gently to-night," he said in his native
+tongue to the sailor as he advanced, "for he has been in an ugly humor
+all day, and it has been only within the last few moments that I have
+been able to approach him."
+
+I remonstrated with DeNortier.
+
+"The man had best not wrestle with the bear to-night," I said. "The
+Indian says that he is in an ugly humor, and he might do the sailor a
+harm."
+
+The Count shrugged his shoulders.
+
+"The brute does not look dangerous," he answered. "I have seen him
+around here for more than a year, and never have I known him to do any
+mischief."
+
+I looked at the beast again; truly he did not look dangerous. To-night
+he seemed the same good-humored giant that he had ever been; only he
+was a little restless, perhaps the light and the unaccustomed crowd
+made him so. He was a tremendous fellow, standing six feet or more on
+his hind legs, and with his long curved paws, he could tear a man to
+pieces as if he were a leaf, should he become infuriated.
+
+The sailor was ready, and advanced to meet the bear. He was as fine
+a specimen of mankind as the brute was of the animal creation--tall,
+broad-shouldered, with big corded arms, upon which the great muscles
+stood out like the ivy upon some gigantic oak. He might well have stood
+for a statue representing the brute strength of man.
+
+The beast did not seem disposed to meet his antagonist, and it was only
+by repeated blows with his stick that his master could persuade him to
+advance toward the seaman, and then he did so very unwillingly.
+
+The sailor threw his arms around the unresisting animal, and bore down
+his great weight upon him; with a crash they went down, the man upon
+the bear. The pirate arose lightly in an instant, but the beast lay
+still, as if stunned by the fall. Angered by the easy overthrow of his
+pet, the native brought down his heavy stick with a dull thud upon
+the bear. With a hoarse growl, he sprang to his feet, his little eyes
+flashing fire, his tongue protruding from his teeth.
+
+"Do not approach him!" I cried out to the sailor.
+
+But he, flushed with his easy victory and by the wine he had drunk, and
+goaded on by the cheers of his fellows, would not listen to me. With an
+oath he sprang forward, wrapped his arms about the brute again, and now
+followed a terrible struggle.
+
+The bear had wound his paws around the assailant's body, and to and fro
+they moved, each endeavoring to throw the other. Twice, incredible as
+it may seem, the man had put forth all of his bull strength, and the
+bear had tottered--had almost fallen--but each time he had recovered
+himself, and had borne the man back again. Both times the men had
+raised a cheer as the bear had staggered, and each time silence had
+fallen upon them as the brute had hurled back their favorite.
+
+And now they were both becoming exhausted by the fury of the struggle.
+The great drops of sweat stood out upon the head and arms of the man,
+his shoulders heaved with the effort--but he was game; the little eyes
+of the brute had grown dull and glassy, he was plainly tired. It was
+time for the thing to stop. I had already opened my mouth to DeNortier,
+to ask him to put a stop to this, when the end came.
+
+The brute had almost ceased to struggle, and his victorious antagonist
+was bending him backwards, when suddenly the bear stepped upon one of
+the swords, which still lay edge upwards upon the floor, where the
+dancer had left them. With a grunt of anger he straightened himself,
+his eyes flashed fire; plainly his brute mind in some way connected his
+assailant with the pain. In an instant he tightened his grasp about
+the man's body, tighter, tighter, tighter; and even as a score sprang
+forward to drag him from his prey, there was a dull crunch, and the man
+bent double, fell limp and lifeless to the floor, crushed to death in
+the terrible paws of his foe.
+
+For an instant the beast stood there erect, his eyes upon the man as
+he lay at his feet; then a dozen blades leaped from their sheaths,
+and the seamen were upon him. The light flashed upon their swords for
+an instant--then the beast fell, pierced in a dozen places, and a
+convulsion passed over him.
+
+The Indian, in a torrent of tears, threw himself upon his body.
+"Pepin!" he moaned, "they have killed thee--Pepin, speak to me."
+
+The dying beast opened his eyes, as though called back to life by the
+voice of one whom he loved; a low grunt of pleasure came from him as
+he recognized his master. Raising his muzzle, he rubbed it against the
+Indian's face; then the head fell back upon the floor, a low whine, and
+he lay still.
+
+The seamen had gathered around the body of their companion, who lay
+upon the floor where he had fallen. One of their number, who possessed
+some knowledge of medicine, knelt beside him; rising, he shook his head
+sadly. "He is dead," he said in a low voice.
+
+DeNortier had arisen, and following him, I passed down to where
+the sailor lay. The face of the man was stern and set, as he had
+looked when he was wrestling with the animal. He had had no time for
+preparation; as he lived, so had he also died. We looked at him for a
+moment. Only a few brief minutes before he had been among us, in the
+prime of his magnificent manhood; now he lay there cold and stiff, fit
+food for the worms and foul reptiles of the earth.
+
+Turning to the pirates, the Count ordered them to remove both the man
+and the beast, and he made his way back to his seat without so much as
+another glance. I lingered a moment where the Indian lay upon the body
+of the animal, his arm locked about its rough head. Here was love, deep
+and deathless.
+
+The rough sailors were removing the body of one whom they had eaten and
+caroused with, one who had faced death with them many a time, a comrade
+and friend, and yet they knew no such love as this. True they stepped
+softly and spoke in low voices, but that was out of their awe for the
+unknown; of that cold hand which had beckoned to one with whom they had
+feasted to leave the board, and he could but obey.
+
+But the poor untaught savage loved the wild beast whom he had trained
+and fed. His love was something higher, finer, nobler than they could
+know; and treading softly, I stood by his side with uncovered head and
+dropped a coin beside him. But he did not move, and quietly I passed
+back to where DeNortier sat.
+
+Some wise man hath said truly that "in the midst of life we are in
+death." He was one who knew of the secrets of the soul, had drank deep
+of the wine of understanding, and who realized how uncertain is our
+brief hour.
+
+They had carried out both the sailor and the bear, together with the
+Indian, who had refused to leave his pet, when the door opened and
+Oliver appeared, the package in his hand.
+
+"I would have returned sooner," he panted, as he extended it towards
+me, "but the chest was heavy, and I had much work to move it; for the
+package had slipped under the bottom, and it was some time before I
+could discover where it lay."
+
+"Why didst thou not call for aid?" I asked, as I cut the cord with
+which it was secured.
+
+"It was not necessary," he answered, his eye upon me; plainly he
+thought that I had some reason for remaining behind.
+
+"Here is the proof," I said, as I turned to the Count and laid the
+bundle of papers upon the table.
+
+It contained the diary and all the notes, save that of my lady, which
+had lain next my heart ever since I had discovered it. He took the
+package, and opening it, began methodically to read the papers.
+
+Oliver and myself had resumed our seats, to await the result of
+DeNortier's investigation. I glanced down the long tables; the men had
+taken their seats, but, hardened as they were, the tragedy had cast a
+gloom over their spirits, and they sat in silence, drinking deeply of
+the wine, only speaking softly among themselves. Their silence, deep
+and unbroken, was a strange contrast to the mirth and turmoil that only
+a few minutes before had rung through the room.
+
+There is something in silence that oppresses the mind; we can bear the
+noise and roar with a good grace, but silence is a quality that strikes
+dismay within the breast of man. To-night, as I gazed upon these silent
+men, I felt a thrill of something pass over me--'twas not fear, it was
+more like dread, that foe I had seldom experienced since I came to
+man's estate. They were dangerous thus; in the feasting and revelry
+they had not had time to plot, but now they were silent and had the
+opportunity.
+
+I was now aroused by Oliver, who caught my sleeve.
+
+"What is it?" he whispered. "Why have the men grown so silent?"
+
+I whispered to him what had happened.
+
+"Awful," he murmured, as he covered his face with his hands, "I am glad
+that I missed the sight."
+
+The pirate had spoken not a word since he had taken the papers. Slowly,
+carefully, he glanced over them one by one, but now he had finished.
+With an oath, he threw them from the table.
+
+"Thou didst speak truth, Sir Thomas," he said. "He is false!--false as
+hell! And I trusted him, and believed him devoted to me. All the while
+he played spy upon me, and reported every motion to his master, Lord
+Dunraven. He shall pay dear for this," he continued, his voice rising,
+"for I will hang him as high as Haman. "Thou art free," he said,
+looking at me, "both thou and the lad. We will join forces against my
+lord, fool that he is to think he could deceive me thus; but I will
+settle with him, once and for all. Come," he continued, "this is to
+be thy last night here. Thou art free--free as the wind. To-morrow we
+will talk of plans to outwit Dunraven, and to punish this dog, the
+priest--but to-night we will drink. Fill up thy glass, both thou and
+the lad. Here is confusion to Lord Dunraven, and success to all his
+foes!"
+
+"I drink that toast with a good grace," I said, and I drained the
+brimming goblet, as did Oliver also.
+
+And now the men had resumed their revelry. They had drunk deep, several
+of them had fallen under the table, and their fellows, flagons in hand,
+were now roaring out right lustily the chorus of a drinking song. Many
+of the glasses had been overturned, and the wine ran in little rivulets
+over the costly covering of the table; but with their faces lit up with
+mirth, they heeded it not. Their voices rose to a yell that deafened my
+ears; then died out--they had finished the song.
+
+DeNortier was drinking deep; fooled in his most trusty man, and
+chagrined and vexed, to hide his anger he had poured down goblet after
+goblet of the wine. It was in vain I tried to check him; he was deaf to
+all my words of warning, and heard me unmoved, as without a moment's
+hesitation he kept up his debauchery. Although his head was as marble,
+it would have been more than human if the wine had not begun to tell on
+him. He said nothing, but silently drank again and again, as though he
+were an automaton.
+
+I had sipped my wine sparingly, as had also Oliver; for I knew not how
+the drunken debauchery would end. I could not withdraw as yet, but as
+soon as DeNortier lost consciousness, as he was sure to do in a few
+moments if he kept up his mad course, I had determined to take Oliver,
+and barricade ourselves in our room, where we would be safe until the
+men became sober and the Count was himself.
+
+And now a whisper circulated among the pirates, who, keyed up to a
+drunken frenzy by the wine they had drunk, were but looking for someone
+to vent their insane rage upon, and were ripe for any mischief. I had
+heard the whispered word: "What do these Englishmen as the guests of
+our captain? Let us bind them, and string them up to the nearest tree.
+They are intermeddlers, and have no business in our midst." I heard a
+burly ruffian whisper this to his neighbor, and saw him pass it on,
+until now it had gone around the table, and all eyes were turned to me.
+
+They had seen me practice with the sword, and shoot with the musketoon;
+plainly they hesitated before attacking so formidable a foe. But all
+they needed was a few more glasses to nerve them up to the work; then,
+careless of consequences, they would rush upon Oliver and myself and
+overpower us by sheer force of numbers.
+
+The time had come for me to retire; for DeNortier was asleep, and could
+take no offense when he found out later what I had done. Bending over,
+I whispered to the lad to rise and leave the room.
+
+The Count stirred at the sound of my low tones; his head had fallen
+upon the table and he was wrapped in a drunken sleep, but even as we
+moved to rise, he staggered to his feet, his eyes red and bloodshot.
+
+"Up, every man!" he cried to his crew. "Up and drink one last toast
+with me! Fill high the goblets! It is the last that we shall drink
+together, and the best."
+
+Habit is near akin to nature; and the habit of obedience brought every
+one of these drunken brutes to his feet, cups in hand. There, lurching
+and tipsy, they stood.
+
+The Count had filled his goblet high, and as he did so his eye fell
+upon us where we sat.
+
+"Up, my noble ally!" he cried. "I give a toast that thou canst not
+refuse. Why sittest thou silent? Up, I say!"
+
+Whispering to Oliver to rise, I stood up, cup in hand. We would leave
+when we had drunk this toast, as it would take only a few minutes, and
+I did not care to offend the Count.
+
+He waited, swaying to and fro, until we had arisen, and then, steadying
+himself against the table, he looked around.
+
+It was a wild and ungodly sight. One of the great tables had fallen
+with a crash, and the wine ran down the room in a stream, and over the
+pirates, as they lay in sodden slumber upon the floor. Some of the
+candles had burned down to the sockets and gone out; the blood was
+clotted upon the floor where the man and bear had fallen and died. The
+chairs lay strewn all about the floor; and the ruffian crew laughed in
+drunken glee as they swayed, goblet in hand. DeNortier, drunken and
+solemn, gazed at me, as he reeled opposite. Oliver and myself were the
+only sober men in the room.
+
+"I give thee a toast," he repeated, a strange smile upon his face. "A
+lady, the fairest and loveliest upon the earth! My bride--for I am
+soon to wed," he continued, not noticing the drunken exclamations of
+surprise which came from the men, "and the lady is the most beautiful
+in England. Drink! Drink to the noble bride!--drink to the Lady
+Margaret Carroll!"
+
+I leaned forward, and before he could stir, I gave him a blow with my
+fist, which sent him sprawling backwards upon the floor. A loud cry
+from Oliver, and turning quickly, my eyes fell upon the priest, Father
+Francis, who had entered, and stood by one of the great tables in the
+room.
+
+Even as I turned, he caught up one of the heavy gold drinking cups
+and hurled it full at me. I attempted to dodge it--but too late; with
+a crash, it struck me upon the forehead, and I went down, as though
+cuffed by the very hand of Hercules himself.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+THE BLACK FLAG GOES UNDER
+
+
+The cold morning light shone through the windows and lit up the room
+about me. It fell upon the walls, all spotted and stained with wine;
+upon the overturned tables and the golden goblets, which lay here and
+there upon the floor; upon the figures of the pirates, as they snored
+where they had fallen among the chairs in last night's bout.
+
+I was lying flat upon the floor where I had been struck down by the
+goblet thrown by the priest. Putting my hand to my head, I felt a great
+bruise upon my forehead, which was clotted with blood. Sitting up upon
+the floor, I gazed around me; the Count was nowhere to be seen, nor was
+Oliver.
+
+A sound at the door caught my ear, and I looked toward it--ye gods, did
+my mind wander? There standing sword in hand, looking into the room,
+his men behind him, stood my old acquaintance and sometime friend, Sir
+Francis Drake.
+
+"Francis!" I joyfully cried, "Francis!--thou here?"
+
+He started, a look of surprise upon his face.
+
+"I could swear that I had heard that voice before," he muttered to
+himself, his eyes glancing down upon the fantastic scene upon the floor
+until it fell upon me, as I sat up among the slumbering pirates, still
+weak and faint from the blow that the sneaking priest had dealt me.
+
+He looked at my face a moment--that gayly dressed gallant, with the
+bloodstained ruff and sober face, where had he seen him before?
+
+A look of recognition came into his eyes.
+
+"'Fore God!" he shouted in sudden joy, "it is Sir Thomas Winchester!"
+Then throwing up his hands sorrowfully, he cried: "Then it is true!
+Would to God I had not seen it!" and he turned his face away, as
+though to shut me from his sight.
+
+"What's true?" I exclaimed, disappointed and alarmed at the change in
+his countenance, and painfully I staggered to my feet and faced him.
+
+"That thou hast joined these pirates," he answered. "The report was
+circulated in London after thy disappearance, but thy friends would not
+credit such a tale. Never would I have believed it, had I not seen thee
+with mine own eyes," and he finished with a groan.
+
+"Art thou so easily persuaded to think ill of one whom thou didst once
+believe in and trust?" I answered coldly, for in truth I was grieved
+and wounded that he should so readily think this of me. "Shame on
+thee, Sir Francis! Is it the part of a man to convict on such slight
+testimony and without a hearing? A few idle words of an empty brain,
+and thou wouldst turn thy back forever upon me, and tarnish the good
+name of a man of noble family, and one whom thou didst once love," and
+I looked at him indignantly.
+
+"Slight testimony," he replied bitterly. "What wouldst thou call
+overwhelming then, if this is but slight? Lo! I look into the hall
+where the ruffians held their drunken feast last night, and I find thee
+here on the floor with them. Yes, by the saints, thou hast on the very
+sword of Sir Samuel Morton, who sailed away two years ago to search for
+gold on the coast of Peru, and who never returned. It was rumored that
+he was slain by the hand of Count DeNortier. I cannot be mistaken, for
+oft have I seen the sword in London. It is of a curious design, and
+thou couldst search the world over and find no other like unto it," and
+he pointed to the gold-hilted sword that lay at my side.
+
+A young gallant had entered the room behind Drake, and now stood
+regarding me with a supercilious air.
+
+"He even wears the gray silk doublet of Sir Samuel!" he lisped
+breathlessly. "Thou didst see it at the Queen's palace, Sir Francis,
+when Sir Samuel appeared in it that night for the first time, and how
+the doublet was praised for the beauty of the cloth and the shape of
+the garment. As for the sword, there are a dozen gentlemen here who can
+swear to it."
+
+He was a dainty creature, this gentleman who had spoken, slender,
+wiry, with a colorless face, and little black beard; his doublet and
+hose all of the latest cut, and made of the finest material. He might
+have just stepped out of some London coffee-house instead of a ship
+commanded by the rough soldier Drake.
+
+I turned my face towards Drake with a bitter look of scorn.
+
+"If thou believest not the word of a gentleman, ask some of these men,"
+I said. "Even they, besotted as they are, have left in them some sparks
+of justice; they will tell thee that I was held a prisoner here against
+my will and had naught to do with their adventures," and I seated
+myself in one of the carved chairs.
+
+"A likely story indeed for one to believe!" the gallant behind Drake
+cried out shrilly.
+
+"Peace, Sir James Mortimer!" said Sir Francis. "Prick one of yonder
+snoring rogues with thy sword, and see what he will say about the man.
+In truth I am loath to believe ill of one, who, when I knew him, ever
+bore himself gallantly and nobly. But we will see," and he seated
+himself, with a sigh.
+
+His men were moving about the room, picking up the weapons from the
+floor and binding the prostrate pirates hand and foot.
+
+Suddenly I remembered I had not seen DeNortier nor Oliver. Where were
+they; had harm befallen the lad?
+
+"Sir Francis," I said, "there is a lad here, who has been a fellow
+captive with me. I should grieve if aught had befallen him, and I do
+not see him here. Hast thou seen a tall, fair, smooth-faced lad, with
+golden hair?"
+
+"Aye," he answered, "we caught him outside with drawn sword, after the
+fat priest who guided us here. Faith! It is well that we came when we
+did. A moment--and then the bulky rogue had been in paradise, for the
+lad had caught and was about to slay him."
+
+So it was Francis who had betrayed the pirates; this would account for
+his long absence. He was probably dickering then with Drake to deliver
+his comrades into the Englishmen's hands, and what better time could he
+choose than when they drank and caroused? 'Twas an idea worthy of such
+a rogue, and even as I thought of it the door opened and Father Francis
+glided in.
+
+He leered at me in the old way.
+
+"How is the noble sir this fine morning?" he cried. "Ah, he will sail
+no more the blue seas to scuttle the rich galleons! 'Tis a pity, but
+all good things must cease," and he heaved a mock sigh, with a rueful
+countenance.
+
+"Priest," said Drake, "listen, and answer me truly. What part did Sir
+Thomas Winchester take in these enterprises of which thou dost speak?"
+
+I interrupted him.
+
+"It is useless to question this rogue, for I have no more bitter enemy
+than he is. Why, he even tried to murder me as I slept."
+
+The priest still looked at me, a smile upon his face, the look of a cat
+as he plays with a mouse in his paws. Here was a triumph, golden and
+pleasant, surpassing all his dreams--and revenge was sweet. He had long
+waited for such a moment as this; had lain awake at night to plot how
+he would achieve it, and now the time had come.
+
+He spoke deliberately, the words coming slowly from his lips:
+
+"Ah, Sir Francis! the gentleman does not like me. Oft have I
+remonstrated with him at his deeds of blood, but he turned ever a
+deaf ear to me. I implored him, when in cold blood he slew Sir Samuel
+Morton, to spare his life, but he would not. I saved from his foul
+clutches a beautiful Spanish maid that he had marked out for his
+prey, and since then he has hated me with the fury of a demon. Have I
+not many a time prayed for him until morning? Prayed that the light
+might break into his darkened soul, and that he, even then, would
+return again into the bosom of Mother Church; but he would have none
+of it. I forgive thee freely for all the threats and curses that thou
+hast heaped upon this weak head of mine, and would fain refrain from
+testifying against thee, but duty, Sir Thomas--my duty will not allow
+me to shrink from this painful task," and he groaned piously. "Ah!
+how I have longed to stop thee in thy career of blood and crime, and
+now, through my prayers, I have been made the humble instrument of thy
+overthrowal. Sir Thomas, I have implored, but thou didst drive me from
+thee. Truly the wicked have fallen into the pit that they digged," and
+he cast up his eyes with a look of patient suffering, beautiful to
+behold, upon his features.
+
+"Peace, thou ruffian!" I cried, "or as I live, I will beat out thy
+brains with the hilt of my sword," and I made as though to rise.
+
+With a loud yell he rushed through the door.
+
+A group of gentlemen had entered, and now stood around Sir Francis as
+he sat at the small table, his fingers idly drumming upon it, and his
+eyes upon my face. As they gathered around him, I saw several that
+I knew. There was Sir William Stone, old and bald; Henry DeGarner,
+with his disdainful air; Captain Martin Lane in his armor; the little
+coxcomb, Sir James Mortimer; Peter Graham, and some six or eight other
+gentlemen--men whom I did not know--who looked at me coldly, and
+whispered among themselves.
+
+The pirates had been dragged to their feet; their hands were tied
+behind them, and they now stood in a long line against the wall.
+
+Sir Francis turned to them.
+
+"What of the Englishman, Sir Thomas Winchester?" he inquired. "Did
+he engage in the expeditions with thee, or did he remain here as a
+captive?"
+
+They raised a loud shout.
+
+"He is the ringleader," they cried as though with one voice. "Did he
+not slay Sir Samuel Morton?" one cried, midst the approval of his
+fellows. "He wears his doublet now!" another shouted. "And his sword!"
+roared another. "He knew no mercy!" screamed a burly villain in a green
+doublet. "He would have taken the Spanish maid had not the priest
+dissuaded him," said another.
+
+Drake turned to me; his face had hardened.
+
+"What more couldst thou ask, Sir Thomas? They corroborate the priest in
+every detail with one accord. Here is evidence enough to hang an angel
+of light."
+
+Then turning to old Sir William Stone.
+
+"Take them out, Sir William," he cried; "stand them up against the
+wall, and shoot them down. As for thee, Sir Thomas, thou shalt go back
+with me to England, and let the Queen pass upon thy fate."
+
+"One word," I said, "there is among them the lad Oliver Gates; he is
+but a boy, fresh and innocent, and has had naught to do with these
+deeds of which the ruffians speak. I would not that he should suffer
+harm."
+
+"He is safe," he answered, "and shall go back to England with thee.
+Hast thou the lad secured outside, Sir William?"
+
+"Aye," rejoined the grim old soldier. "And now right about, you
+rogues." And he marched them outside, surrounded by his men.
+
+We sat in silence a few minutes--a volley of shots, and they had passed
+into eternity, the lie fresh upon their lips.
+
+This was the priest's work that the men should testify against me.
+Dunraven had doubtless planned the scheme, and had through Francis
+paid these men to swear against me, telling them, not indeed that they
+would fall into the hands of Drake, but had arranged so that whatever
+happened they would swear away my life.
+
+They had seen the priest in favor, their promise had come back to their
+minds, and they thought--or perhaps he had promised beforehand--that at
+all events he would save their lives; and so they had spoken as he had
+commanded them. The end had come, before they could retreat.
+
+Drake glanced up as the sound of the musketoons died away.
+
+"Hast thou aught to say for thyself?" he asked.
+
+"Simply that I am innocent," I answered. "I have been a captive here
+for months, and have had naught to do with the forays of these men. The
+priest is my enemy; these men swore as they did by his command. If thou
+dost not believe me, ask the boy Oliver Gates."
+
+I said naught of Dunraven, for I knew that if I did it would simply
+make my tale seem the more incredible; and, too, I said naught of my
+adventures, for I saw that he would not believe me. I would save that
+for the ear of the Queen herself.
+
+Sir James Mortimer leaned over to Drake, and murmured:
+
+"Thou dost remember that the priest warned us of the lad, that he was a
+sworn henchman of this man.
+
+"True, Sir James," Drake answered; then turning to me, "Thou surely
+dost not expect me to believe this, Sir Thomas?"
+
+I arose and bowed.
+
+"In that event, I wait only to be shown the room in which I am to be
+confined," I said.
+
+Unbuckling my sword, I laid it sheathed upon the table.
+
+"Can I leave it in thy hands until I claim it again?" I asked. "I have
+endeavored to keep the blade bright and spotless since I have worn it.
+Some day, when I have cleared myself from this false charge, I will ask
+it back from thee."
+
+He bowed his head gravely.
+
+"When thou askest for it again, it shall be thine. I pray God that
+thou mayst be innocent of this charge, but----" and he shook his head
+gloomily.
+
+And so between two men I passed up the great stairs and into the room
+which I had left last night; the star of the pirates had waned and set
+for aye, and the isle was now in the power of the English. Events had
+transpired quickly, but still I was a prisoner. The door closed, and I
+heard the key turn in the lock.
+
+Someone ran forward from the corner of the room--it was Oliver, his
+face radiant with delight.
+
+"It is thou!" he cried. "I had not thought to see thee again," and he
+almost embraced me in his joy.
+
+I put forward my rough hand and stroked his yellow curls, as though he
+were a babe and I his mother.
+
+"Ah, lad, we are still prisoners," I said mournfully.
+
+"Yes," he replied, "but we are both alive, and that is more than I
+had hoped for at one time. When the priest felled thee with the cup,
+I whipped out my sword and ran at him. He turned and fled out of the
+door with me at his heels; catching his foot on a stone, he tripped
+and fell. I was upon him before he could arise. Another moment--and
+it would all have been over. When lo! these men arose from the ground
+around us, where they had been lying, and overpowered me. Tying my
+hands, they took my sword away, and bringing me up to this room, guided
+by the priest, they unbound and left me. I did not know what had become
+of thee, and was almost mad with anxiety when thou, too, wert brought
+in."
+
+"What of DeNortier?" I asked. "He was not below when Drake took the
+hall."
+
+The lad grinned at me.
+
+"I left him on the floor, where thy buffet had sprawled him, for he was
+as though dead when I ran after the priest."
+
+"He must have recovered himself and escaped," I said. "He is as
+slippery and cunning as a fox, and doubtless he lies hidden in some of
+his secret caves about here."
+
+"What was the volley that I heard but a minute ago?" he asked.
+
+I seated myself upon a chair, and crossed my legs comfortably.
+
+"'Twas the death of the pirates. Drake sent them out and put an end to
+them in short order."
+
+"And then we will both be set free!" he cried. "Why do they keep us
+here?"
+
+"The fates fight against us," I answered. "The priest has sworn, and
+the men, bought by him, have corroborated his statement, that I was the
+ringleader of the pirates; that I slew Sir Samuel Morton, and I know
+not what else. To bear them out, it seems that the clothes I have on
+and the sword that I wore belonged to Morton. They all recognize them,
+and have persuaded Drake that I am guilty," and I arose and began to
+pace the floor.
+
+"Infamous!" the boy cried indignantly. "But I will tell them the
+truth," and he arose.
+
+"It is useless," I replied sadly. "The priest has told them that thou
+art a boon companion of mine, and they will believe naught that thou
+wouldst say. In truth it begins to look like the halter. I care not
+for myself, for I have run my race, but thou art young and thy life
+lies before thee. I would mourn should harm befall thee. It may be that
+Drake will free thee, and I will see what can be done."
+
+The lad had risen, and stood facing me, his eyes flashing fire.
+
+"And dost thou think that I would take my own life, when thou dost lose
+thine? I owe mine to thee--dost think that I would leave thee?"
+
+The moisture stood in my eyes as I looked at him. When all others had
+deserted me, he had stood faithful and true; there was left some drop
+of balm in existence while it held such souls as this, few though they
+be.
+
+"I shall not drive thee away," I said smilingly, "for I am but too glad
+to have thee with me."
+
+An hour--two--and then the door opened, and Stone entered.
+
+"Sir Francis wishes to see both of you," he said.
+
+We followed him down into the room where Drake sat alone. He motioned
+us to chairs.
+
+"Sir Thomas," he said, "dost thou, on the honor of a gentleman, know
+where the plunder of DeNortier is hidden? If either of you will but
+tell me, you shall have a liberal share, and so can perhaps buy your
+liberty from the Queen."
+
+"Sir Francis," I answered, "I know naught of it; none but the Count
+knew where it was concealed."
+
+"And he has escaped," he muttered. "I regret that I must leave without
+finding the gold, but time is precious. It may be that this fellow
+will bring a swarm about our ears, did I but linger here a day. The
+Spaniards would be but too glad of an excuse to repay me for the blows
+that I have struck them before now, and we have but one ship. No, we
+must go," and he arose.
+
+"And now, gentlemen, give me but your word, that you will not attempt
+to escape, and you shall be free to come and go without a guard."
+
+"Thou hast it," I answered; "that is if Oliver assents," and I looked
+at the boy.
+
+"Aye," he said, "if Sir Thomas gives the word, so will I."
+
+Drake walked over to the window and looked out, his back towards us.
+
+The lad plucked my sleeve.
+
+"Look," he whispered, "everything of value has been taken by these
+vandals."
+
+I glanced around me; it was true. The gold and silver goblets, the
+candlesticks of precious metal, the draperies and statues, the
+paintings and ornaments, even the very skins and rugs upon the floor
+were gone. Naught but the heavy furniture remained. I doubted not that
+they would take that, did they but have a way to carry it on the ship.
+I glanced through the open door, it was the same in the other room;
+even as I looked, I saw the men descending the stairs, bringing the
+booty from above and stripping the hall as they passed through.
+
+Drake had made a clean job of it, yet even now he mourned because he
+could not discover the treasure of DeNortier. He turned from the window.
+
+"'Tis a pity that thou dost not know where the treasure is hidden," he
+said. "The gold would have more weight with Elizabeth in freeing thee,
+than would the innocence of Saint George himself," and with these words
+he waited silently a moment to see what effect they would have upon me.
+
+But I stood cold and unmoved, and growling out indistinctly a word or
+two, which I could not understand, he picked up his hat and strode away.
+
+I felt a touch upon my arm; looking around, I saw Father Francis behind
+me.
+
+"Dog!" I shouted, "and dost thou think to slink here thus to taunt me,
+and after thou hast sworn away my life?" and with a threatening look, I
+lifted my clenched fist.
+
+"Hush!" he whispered, drawing nearer to me, his face grave and serious.
+"I have something of importance for thy ear alone. Come but into the
+next room. What! And when thy very life hangs in my hands, and I can
+save thee at a word? I offer to say that word even now for thee, and
+set thee and the lad free." And he pointed to Oliver, who upon seeing
+the priest had turned his back, and was gazing intently out of the
+window.
+
+"Thy life is thine own, to throw away as thou choosest," he continued,
+"but the boy, so young and innocent--wouldst thou send him to his
+death? His blood would be upon thy head."
+
+I hesitated, it would take but a moment after all, and I would save
+Oliver if I could.
+
+"I will listen to thee," I finally replied, "but look thee--beware how
+thou dost trifle with me. Thou shalt pay dearly for it, if thou doest
+so," and I looked at him threateningly.
+
+"I do not seek to trifle," he answered. "I talk but business for thee
+alone. Come!" and he crossed into the next room.
+
+Hesitating I followed, and seated myself in a chair opposite him,
+which the plunderers had left.
+
+"Out with it!" I cried impatiently. "Say quickly what thou wouldst and
+waste no time about it!"
+
+"A moment," he mumbled, "only a moment. Dost know this handwriting?"
+And running his hand into the folds of his robe he brought out a paper
+and held it out to me.
+
+Did I know it? Would I know my own heart beats, as they throbbed within
+my breast? I knew that delicate flowing hand. Did not there lie next my
+heart at that moment a yellow paper in the same writing?
+
+I took it in my hand, and looking at its address a moment, broke the
+seal and opened it. It was addressed to Lord Dunraven, and ran as
+follows:
+
+
+     LONDON, ENGLAND.
+     NOV. 15, 1587.
+
+     LORD DUNRAVEN,
+     London, England.
+
+     MY DEAR LORD:
+
+     I received thy note only a few moments ago and make haste to
+     answer it. I have thought over thy flattering offer, in which
+     with vows of eternal love thou askest me to be thy wife. Thou
+     dost not know how much this means to a woman. Man has much else;
+     love in his life plays but a little part, and if he should be
+     disappointed, he has his estate, his business, and his friends. He
+     can sail the wide seas, and with his sword carve out for himself
+     a name and fortune. But a woman, if she mistakes the tinsel for
+     pure gold--ah! hers is a wrecked and miserable existence; there
+     is naught but sorrow left for her. I wonder if thou dost realize
+     this, James? That I am putting into thy hands, trustingly and
+     unafraid, my life, my love, my all? Dost thou appreciate the
+     gravity of this step that I am taking? I am afraid that thou dost
+     not, but I will hope, and try to believe that thou wilt come to a
+     future realization of all that this must mean to me, and that thy
+     love will ever be all that thou sayest it is. And so my answer
+     is--yes. Good-night,
+
+     MARGARET.
+
+
+I looked at the paper in my hands; from it there floated that subtle
+odor that so often heralded the approach of my lady. I could not
+mistake that delicate perfume, nor the paper, for there were the dainty
+initials intertwined at the top of the sheet--M. C. Yes, it was in her
+handwriting--it was hers! Every letter seemed branded into my brain
+with a hand of fire. My head swam. So this was the last blow; cast off
+and spurned by my family; kidnaped and detained in captivity; my life
+in hourly danger--so that when I lay down at night I knew not whether I
+would awake again--scorned and distrusted by my friends; condemned to
+die as a pirate, alone, friendless--my sun about to set in disgrace and
+despair.
+
+Yet I could bear all these things, sustained by my love and trust
+for her when all else failed. She was to me as the North Star to the
+storm-tossed mariner, ever calm, serene, lovely--what though she
+gleamed far away and distant, I could yet see her in memory and guide
+by her my tempest-tossed bark.
+
+When that light failed, then indeed I was adrift without chart and
+compass, at the mercy of the winds and waves. This was the last drop
+that filled my cup to overflowing. There was naught left for me--all
+was lost! Night, black and inpenetrable, seemed to rise before my
+tortured eyes; the roll of the ocean beat and moaned in my ears;
+something within me seemed to snap and break; my breath choked and
+ceased; I dropped upon the floor, and all else was a blank to me.
+
+Someone was sprinkling water upon my face, and looking up, I saw
+bending anxiously over me the priest, a look of concern upon his red
+face.
+
+"Leave me," I moaned. "Canst thou not let me rest in peace? Go! Go!"
+
+"I tell thee I cannot," he said. "Dost thou not remember that I had a
+proposition for thy ear alone?"
+
+"I care not for thy proposition!" I answered. "Let me die in peace! I
+would not turn my finger for life or death--go!"
+
+"Remember the lad then," he replied. "If thou dost care not for
+thyself, remember him. He has a life that even I, besotted as thou dost
+think me, would grieve to see lost. Would thou cast it from thee, when
+by one word thou couldst save him? One good deed thou wilt not regret."
+
+"Help me to a chair then," I replied, "and I will hear what thou hast
+to say."
+
+Bending over me he put his fat arms around my body, and lifting me
+as though I had been a child, he bore me to a chair. I felt as some
+careworn man, bending beneath his years, and tottering with feebleness
+and age; all my strength and energy had left me. Even the fat priest,
+hardened and bloodstained as he was, seemed to feel some sparks of pity
+as he looked down upon me.
+
+"Had I known that the paper would affect thee thus, I would not have
+shown it to thee," he muttered.
+
+"It matters little," I replied lifelessly. "What is thy offer?"
+
+He hesitated--then spoke:
+
+"Several days ago the Count showed thee a paper in which thou didst
+purport to formally renounce all claims that thou mightest have to the
+hand of the Lady Margaret Carroll. Not that thou hast any interest
+after that paper," he chuckled, "but this matters not for the present.
+He told thee if thou wouldst but sign that document, thou shouldst be
+free, with a purse of gold. I offer thee this additional proposition
+besides what has already been offered--that is thy life, and the boy's
+(which are as good as gone) to deal with as thou choosest. Not only
+this, but I will increase the five hundred pounds to one thousand
+pounds. It is a noble offer. What sayest thou?" and he tapped the floor
+nervously with his foot.
+
+"My reply now is as it was then. Not though thou offerest me the wealth
+of the Incas, the lives of a thousand men, though I suffered a dozen
+deaths by all the tortures that human ingenuity could devise, and my
+body rotted in the ground, would I sign the paper. Thy master has the
+lady. What more can he wish? Go back, and tell him once for all what I
+have said--begone!"
+
+An ugly light had come into the priest's eye as he had listened to me;
+his bloated face was purple with baffled rage. With a snarl he sprang
+towards me, drawing his hand from behind his back, and I saw a dagger
+flash in the light.
+
+"Then die!" he shrieked, and he raised the gleaming weapon above his
+head and brought it down.
+
+At that moment there was a rush, and a blade flashed under the
+descending dagger and caught it--'twas Oliver's. Father Francis with a
+yell dropped the dagger, and rushing to the open window, sprang out of
+it. The lad, who was close behind him, lunged at him even as he went
+through--with an exclamation he held up his sword, it was streaming
+with blood.
+
+"'Tis only a scratch; would that it had been through his breast. What
+ails thee?" he asked in alarm, as he saw my face. "What is it, that
+thou dost look as though thou hadst seen thy end?"
+
+"Yes, my end, lad," I repeated, "it is in yonder paper."
+
+He picked it up from the floor and read it through.
+
+"'Tis false!" he cried, the red blood of indignation dyeing his cheeks.
+"It is only some trick of that fiend Dunraven."
+
+"No," I answered, "'tis her paper, her crest, her handwriting, even the
+very perfume that she uses hangs about it. It must be true--I would
+not have believed it had I not seen the paper with mine own eyes. I
+loved her with a love that knew no distrust, faithfully, devotedly. The
+night, calm and silent, was not purer or more innocent than her soul;
+the stars as they peeped out from the distant sky, were no brighter
+than her eyes, azure, deep, serene; the gold of the sunset was like
+the glimmer of her hair; the fleecy clouds, white and snowy, were not
+lovelier than her neck and throat, and yet--yet--she weds Dunraven. Why
+hast thou forsaken me?--Margaret! Oh, Margaret!"
+
+The lad looked at me, the great tears of pity running down his cheeks.
+
+"Come," he sobbed, "come, we must go," and he led me by the hand from
+the room.
+
+My mind, numbed by this last great shock, refused to serve me, and
+I was as one in a trance. Dimly I saw the room, heard the babble of
+Oliver's voice, my feet moved mechanically under me, but it was as
+though I were in a dream--a hideous and frightful phantom of the night
+that in a moment would pass away, and I would wake and find it false.
+
+Oliver chatted on:
+
+"I did but go out into the yard to look at the vessel, and lingered
+longer than I thought, when remembering that I had left thee with the
+priest, I hastened back just in time to save thee."
+
+"Yes," I answered, "in time to save me."
+
+He looked at me anxiously.
+
+"What ails thee, Sir Thomas?" he said. "Shall I have a leech attend
+thee? Perhaps thou hast fever and wouldst feel better for his
+attendance."
+
+"'Tis useless--he cannot mend a broken heart, lad," I replied, rousing
+myself from the spell which hung over my senses. "If he is able to do
+that, thou canst call him."
+
+We had passed down the path to the landing where Drake's vessel lay,
+and the men were coming and going as they loaded her with the spoils
+of the mansion. The last party was preparing to leave the house, as we
+passed from its portals. They were all ready and had gathered in front
+of the great white mansion.
+
+At Oliver's request I listlessly turned to look at them, and could
+see Drake's golden beard as he strode among his crew arranging them
+into rank. The black flag with the ghastly skull and cross-bones still
+floated over the roof of the house, but even as we looked there arose
+a shout from the men which was echoed on board the ship. A single
+culverin boomed out, then slowly, as though reluctant to descend from
+where she had so long floated, supreme and invincible--the mistress of
+the isle--the flag lowered until it touched the roof. She had finished
+her course; her day here was done.
+
+Then there arose a roar that made the other weak and puny in
+comparison, and lo, there floated high above her the cross of Saint
+George. Proudly and triumphantly she spread her folds and streamed out
+bravely in the breeze; the mistress of a hundred hard-fought fields and
+scenes of carnage, she now counted another among her many victories.
+The culverins upon the vessel opened their bronze throats and screamed
+a greeting to the noble banner, and then she too came down.
+
+The men had left the splendid house, and were coming towards us, their
+hands laden with the last spoils.
+
+Even as I looked at that stately home, Oliver touched my shoulder, and
+pointed towards it.
+
+"Look!" he cried, "it is on fire!"
+
+'Twas true, both the barrack and the house were in flames, and as
+we looked they burst out of one of the windows of the mansion, and
+licked their fiery tongues upwards as though rejoicing in their mad
+fury at the disaster they were creating. Higher they crept--higher,
+as if to climb upwards to their friend the red sun, as he hung above
+them--embracing the great white house in their fiery clutches, like the
+eager lover as he catches his cold lady in his passionate embraces, and
+presses her to him, while she hangs listless and silent in his arms.
+
+The sailors had reached us, and the boats were ready to put out for the
+ships.
+
+Drake approached me.
+
+"Art ill, Sir Thomas?" he asked uneasily, "if so, my leech will attend
+thee."
+
+I shook my head, for I could not speak. I was faint and sick; my head
+reeled as though I had been struck down by some heavy hand; my feet
+trembled under me from weakness and exhaustion--I was almost finished.
+
+The lad spoke up:
+
+"Aye, Sir Francis, if thou wilt but help me with him to the boat. He is
+ill, and when we reach the ship thy man shall attend him."
+
+And so with hair dishevelled, and bloodshot eyes, like an old man,
+trembling and feeble, I staggered to the boat between Drake and Oliver.
+Laying me upon a seat, they pulled off. I glanced back only once; the
+fire had ascended to the roof, and the whole house was wrapped in
+flames; the barrack had burned down to the ground and lay in ashes.
+
+So I left the island forever; the noble home ruined and gutted; the
+pirates dead; DeNortier I knew not where; behind me somewhere concealed
+a princely treasure, the spoils of a hundred galleons, the fruits of
+five long years of bloodshed and carnage. Perhaps some unborn explorer
+of some unknown people may sometime in the dim and misty future sail
+out upon these seas and find this deserted isle, with its crumbling
+ruins and hidden gold. I know not; it may be that it will lie forever
+deep down in the bowels of the earth, for no good can come of treasure
+won as this.
+
+I know only this, that not for the wealth of the earth would I touch
+foot again upon the shore of this isle Eldorado. For me it is a page in
+life's book finished and closed--past forever. Other regions might I
+explore, other isles might I look upon, but I knew that I would never
+again see Eldorado. And thus we left its shore forever.
+
+Often since have I thought of the island, and wondered if it still lies
+in ruins and silence, broken only by the cries of the birds and the
+call of the natives. Often in the long winter nights, my pipe in hand,
+as I sit in my great chair in front of the blazing fire, watching the
+white clouds of smoke and hearing the wind groaning and whistling about
+the house, have I mused of its tropic clime and starlit nights, and of
+the noble white mansion.
+
+Often have I seen in fancy the faces of DeNortier and the fat priest;
+lived over the stirring scenes of the past, and reveled again, as on
+the night we held high carnivals; have half turned to where the patient
+Indian José stood behind my chair with a cup of the King's wine. Lo! I
+start, I am dozing here, my head upon the cushion of my easy-chair.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+THE GREAT ARMADA
+
+
+We sailed for three long months; July, 1588, was here when we neared
+England. I had been sick with a fever, brought on by the life of peril
+that I had lived for so long; the last stroke had been too much for my
+enfeebled system. I had rolled and tossed for six weary weeks, day and
+night, and prayed to die, but it was not to be.
+
+Oliver had been ever with me; did I moan he was up in an instant to
+change my rumpled pillow; did my head ache he would stroke it for me.
+Gentle, light-footed, tender as a woman, he nursed me day and night.
+Sometimes when I would grow quiet, he would throw himself upon his cot
+and doze for a few moments, but when I stirred he was upon his feet
+instantly again. I know not how he lived, but pale and serene he moved
+about as usual; I know I would have died, had it not been for his care
+of me.
+
+At last after six weeks I began to mend, and would lie weak and
+exhausted, listening as he would sing to me some old ballad, or give me
+the news of the ship as he learned it from the gentlemen; for he was
+a general favorite with all on board, from Drake himself, down to the
+humblest man who walked the vessel. His bright sunny ways and laughing
+face had endeared him to the hearts of all.
+
+I was resigned now to my lot. I had prayed for death, had wished to
+die, and had rebelled when I began to improve. There were so many happy
+young lads and lovely maidens, for whom life seemed to hold so much,
+it stretched out so beautiful before their eyes; and yet the grim old
+reaper had garnered them in and left me here. I had ceased to fear
+death; it had lost its sting for me, and the dread of it was gone. I
+thought of it now as some old friend, long lost and loved, whose face
+I had not seen for many years, and whom I longed and yearned to behold
+once more. To lie down in its open arms and wake no more--only quiet,
+peace, oblivion, only the snow of winter to lie above me, and the dew
+of heaven to fall upon the mound where I lay. Ah! rest after toil would
+be sweet. But now I was resigned; I would bow to the inevitable. It was
+the will of God that I should live, and with it I was content.
+
+Oliver, whistling some merry tune, came into the room where I lay
+one bright morning. I had been thinking of the island, and had idly
+wondered what had become of the pirates' vessel, for I had not seen it
+when we left. I looked up at the sound of his footsteps.
+
+"Lad, what has become of the ship of the pirates?" I asked. "I have not
+seen it for months."
+
+"Drake put some of his crew upon it, and she sailed before us," he
+answered gayly. "On it I have since learned were my Lord Dunraven and
+the priest. The gentlemen tell me" (he dropped into one of the chairs)
+"that the Spaniards are about to fit out a noble fleet, called the
+great Armada, to invade England. Philip has sworn to humble her pride,
+so that she will trouble him no more. This is why Sir Francis has put
+on full sail for the last few days. He wishes to be in at the death,"
+and he whistled in a trifle louder key.
+
+"I but hope that we will arrive in time to help put down these Dons!"
+he cried, breaking off in the middle of a measure, his eyes flashing.
+"They have long tried to rule the world with an iron hand, and 'tis
+full time that old England should show them a thing or two."
+
+"Thou dost talk strangely, Oliver," I answered, with a laugh at his
+vehemence. "We are most likely to lose our heads if we reach England
+safe; 'twould be best for us to fall into the hands of the Spaniards as
+prisoners of war. Perhaps we might escape from them to some place where
+we would be safe; at any rate our necks would be saved, and that would
+be something to be thankful for under present conditions."
+
+The boy's face had grown long as he listened to me.
+
+"I had not thought of that," he said, his brow puckered. "'Tis
+a strange situation to be in," and with that he betook himself
+thoughtfully on deck.
+
+I had now almost recovered my strength, but I kept closely to my
+cabin. I had been on deck a while, a few days after I had gotten able
+to stir about, and I could but remark on the conduct of the gentlemen;
+my former comrades had turned the cold shoulder to me, and I had been
+met on all sides with cool looks and scornful faces. It had fretted me
+at first, but after all it was the way of the world.
+
+Even Drake had not seemed overly joyous to see me. He inquired after my
+health, and told me he was glad to see me up again, but his voice had
+been so careless and perfunctory that I saw it was a distasteful duty,
+and I had turned away and gone down to my cabin. Occasionally I went
+on deck, but I avoided the men, and wrapping myself in my cloak would
+stand apart, a pariah among my fellows.
+
+Sometimes I would be joined by Oliver, and we would pace the deck
+together. A strange pair we must have looked--I, grave and silent; the
+boy, bright and merry; I, with gray hair and sad face; he with his
+curls blowing in the breeze, and a song upon his lips as he walked
+beside me, his tongue running all the while like a weaver's shuttle.
+
+Often at night I would slip away from my cabin, and would silently
+stride the deck for hours, my eyes upon the tossing sea. Oliver I did
+not see so much of lately. Heaven knows I did not complain, for he was
+young and needed society. The gentlemen kept him a good deal of his
+time in the great cabin; he amused them, and was good company. I could
+hear them as they sung together, or tossed the dice; and at such times
+the loneliness of my life would descend upon me with bitter agony, and
+I would groan aloud and writhe with anguish as I fought with my traitor
+soul until I was calm again.
+
+Oliver the gallants could forgive for his crimes, he was bright and
+innocent; if he had wandered astray he was too young to realize the
+error of his way. The pirates moreover had said little against him, and
+if he had done aught he had been led by me.
+
+We had passed several merchant vessels within the last few days; one
+we hailed was the "Betsy." I recognized her short, stout skipper, who
+nearly two years ago had conveyed me out to meet the pirate vessel. The
+man did not know me; I had changed too much.
+
+And now, as I leaned against the rail, I heard the conversation
+between him and Drake. "The great Armada had sailed from Spain," he
+said, "several weeks before. It was doubtless even now upon the coast
+of England; the whole country had arisen as one strong man, and stood
+ready to meet the Spaniards. If the English were defeated, it would
+mean the ruin of the country." On hearing this much, Drake had sailed
+on and left him there.
+
+We were in sight of England now. A frightened fisherman, whom we had
+picked up, told us that the Spaniards were upon the coast only a few
+miles away. As dusk fell, a cry went up. Looking, we could perceive
+through the darkness the gleam of the many lights upon the galleons of
+the foe, as their ships rose and fell upon the waves. To-morrow the
+English would join forces with them, and would fight such a battle as
+had seldom been fought before; one upon which hung the destiny of a
+great people, and which the world would gaze upon with bated breath.
+
+A voice at my elbow startled me. Drake was leaning upon the rail near
+my side.
+
+"'Tis a noble sight," he said, pointing to the lights, "those great
+ships yonder, laden with men. Many of those on board doubtless toss
+to-night as they think of their homes and friends. Some of them before
+to-morrow's sun sets will sleep sounder, I doubt not," and he stroked
+his yellow beard as he glanced at me.
+
+"True," I answered, "they have a hard fight before them, ere they
+conquer England. Dost think they can accomplish so great a task?"
+
+"I know not," he replied thoughtfully. "This much I will say, that
+before they conquer England they must face a united people, such as
+there hast not been since the time of William the Norman."
+
+"Where lies the English fleet?" I asked. "I see naught of it, though it
+must be near."
+
+"Behind yon acclivity," he replied, pointing to the left of us, where I
+could dimly see the jagged outline of the coast.
+
+We were swiftly sailing towards that point; a few minutes passed and
+we rounded the promontory. There in the still waters lay the English
+squadron, their decks alive with men, lights gleaming everywhere as
+the boats moved hither and thither between the vessels. The rough
+commands of the officers floated out to us upon the night air; the
+bustle and stir of preparation were everywhere, as ammunition was piled
+upon the decks, the guns were cleaned for action, and all was gotten in
+readiness to meet the foe on the morrow.
+
+The long roll of the drum upon our ship met my ear. Drake had aroused
+his men, and in a few moments our deck was as busy as any of those of
+the vessels around us. Sir Francis had gotten into his boat, and pulled
+out to where Lord Howard, who was in command, lay.
+
+Our men ran to and fro upon the vessel, preparing, strengthening,
+arming, putting everything in order.
+
+Naught had been said to me, so I looked on. Yet I would put in a blow
+for England to-morrow; though she spurned and disowned me, I would yet
+strike for the life of the country of my fathers, that had given me
+birth, and for which my ancestors had fought, bled, and died.
+
+I paced the deck and watched the men, who, perspiring and grimy, were
+cleaning the great guns, stacking cutlasses and swords in huge heaps
+upon the vessel, and bringing up ammunition from the hold. Some of them
+were singing rude songs as they toiled at their work; others, grim and
+silent, were staggering under the weight of the iron balls for the
+guns. Everywhere there were hope and courage, even in the face of the
+overwhelming force they were to face in a few hours. Not for a moment
+did I see any trace of despair and discouragement.
+
+"Let them come," growled one burly fellow, as he whirled a great
+cutlass and made it hum about his head; "we will give them such a dose
+that they will ne'er come back for a second." A low murmur of approval
+came from his fellows, as with set and determined faces they stopped
+work an instant to look at him.
+
+All the short summer night the boats came and went, until when the
+great light of morning broke, everything was prepared for the fray.
+Oliver had been with Sir Francis Drake, running to and fro carrying
+messages and commands, and now he pulled back with him at daybreak from
+the vessel of Lord Howard, where Drake had been in consultation all
+night. Sleepy and red-eyed the boy scrambled on board.
+
+"Thou hadst best catch a minute or two of sleep, lad," I said, as he
+came near me. "Thou wilt need it before night, or I shall be mistaken."
+
+"Aye," he answered, "I shall lie down in a moment," and he passed down
+the ladder.
+
+Drake lingered a moment by me.
+
+"Wilt strike a blow with us to-day for the honor of old England, Sir
+Thomas?" he said. "Or hast thou enough of England?"
+
+I faced him as he stood there in the dim light of the morn.
+
+"I will fight with thee," I answered.
+
+"Good!" he replied. "We will need all of our stout arms before night,
+for we are few compared with the Spaniards. I pray God will defend the
+right and give us victory," and he passed forward among his men.
+
+And now at the sound of the culverin from Howard's ship the noise
+ceased. The seamen and gentlemen who gathered on the decks of the
+vessels knelt with one accord. 'Twas a solemn sight as they knelt with
+bared heads, and the holy men of God lifted their voices and prayed for
+England, now sorely beset by her foes.
+
+"And if it be thy will, O Lord, we ask that she may emerge from this
+calamity now upon her with increased glory and honor, and that the
+strength of the wicked may be utterly put to flight, like the chaff
+before the wind. Wilt thou, O Father, stretch forth thy hand and smite
+them root and branch." So prayed our chaplain.
+
+The men cheered as they rose to their feet. Then we sailed out, one
+by one, to meet the Spaniards, who were only five miles away--on that
+summer morning, the 19th of July, 1588.
+
+The Spanish fleet lay in the shape of a broad crescent, as they sailed
+on towards Plymouth; a noble fleet, the great galleons towering above
+the water, and the sails seemed endless, as ship after ship, one
+hundred and forty-nine in all, stretched out as far as the eye could
+see. Truly it seemed folly in the little English fleet with only eighty
+vessels, some of them mere pinnaces, to attack these great vessels. It
+was as though a bulldog, little and plucky, was about to spring at the
+throat of a great bull.
+
+As we sailed down upon them, Sir Francis motioned for silence, and
+springing upon a huge cask of powder, cried:
+
+"My men, we are about to strike a blow for liberty to-day, that shall
+ring around the world. Is there a man before me, so base, so fallen,
+that he would not defend his home, his family, his land, his Queen?
+If there be any such here to-day, let him stand out from among his
+fellows," and he paused.
+
+No sound, the men stood stern and silent. He resumed:
+
+"The Spaniards boast that they will sleep in London to-morrow night,
+and that they will sack the town. If every one among this crew stands
+true and firm, and will do his duty to his country and his God, many of
+their men shall sleep to-night in a warmer clime than London."
+
+A deep roar of laughter went up from the men about him at this sally.
+
+"If each one of you will but remember this, when you strike at your
+foes, we will deal such a blow to Spain, that it will be ages ere she
+recovers. Give back but an inch, and you will forge a link in the
+chains of your slavery; bear yourselves bravely, and you will put a
+nail in the coffin of Spain. I swear to you that the first man of mine
+who shall give way but an inch, I will run him through with my sword,
+though I fight my way through the ranks of the Spaniards to do it.
+Should you fall back, I will blow up the ship and all on board, rather
+than she should fall into the hands of the enemy. Stand firm, strike
+hard and fast, and the day is ours," and he stepped down and wiped the
+sweat from his brow with his hand.
+
+With a cheer the men responded, "Drake forever!"
+
+With our flag nailed to the mast, as Sir Francis had ordered, we bore
+down upon the Spaniards. Then began that long fight, immortalized in
+song and story, which will be told wherever English blood flows, and
+wherever pluck and courage are known and honored among the sons of men.
+
+We sailed under a great galleon, her decks thronged with mailed
+soldiers; as we ran beneath them they jeered long and loud, for we
+looked so little, so insignificant as they towered high above us; it
+seemed so foolhardy that we should attack the huge vessel. Silence
+reigned on board our ship; half-naked gunners, lighted matches in hand,
+stood by the culverins waiting for the word of command; the soldiers,
+musketoons in hand; the little knot of gentlemen gathered around
+Drake--it was in strange contrast to the Spaniard, which rang with
+laughter, with taunt, and gibe.
+
+I stood a little to one side of Drake, my breastplate on; in my hands
+was a great ax, for I had not asked for my sword, and had chosen this
+weapon for the fight. We almost touched the enemy, their tier of guns
+hung high above us; I could have tossed a biscuit easily on board.
+
+"Now," cried Drake, "Let them have it, boys!"
+
+At the sound there arose a deafening roar; the vessel rocked like
+a leaf upon the water; the smoke in a dense cloud hid us from the
+foe. I could hear the crash as the balls struck the ship; could hear
+the exclamations and oaths of the men; and our sailors, leveling
+their musketoons into the smoke, fired. Another chorus of yells and
+curses--we had evidently struck them somewhere.
+
+The noise and uproar around us were deafening, as ship after ship
+wreathed in fire and smoke closed with the galleons; oaths, curses,
+and shouts filled the air; volley after volley sounded as the vessels
+exchanged broadsides; the smoke hid everything from us in a dense
+cloud. Hoarse words of command, prayers, the screams of the wounded and
+dying, the shouts of the victorious, the clashing of swords as some
+ship was boarded--and over it all a dense pall, dark and impenetrable.
+
+Now and then a breeze would blow aside the smoke, and I could see
+vessels, English and Spanish, around me; could see the men fighting
+hand to hand on the deck of some great galleon that had been
+boarded--rising and falling, cutting and thrusting; the Englishmen now
+advancing and bearing their foes before them, now borne back by some
+desperate rush. Then another vessel would sweep up to the side of the
+ship on which they were struggling, and would discharge a load of men.
+With a yell they would bear down upon the Spaniards and beat them back,
+and then the smoke would settle, and like a dark curtain shut out the
+scene.
+
+The Spaniards in the great vessel under which we lay had endeavored to
+train their culverins upon us, but in vain, we were too far below them.
+So they had given that up, and with a volley of small arms had swept
+our deck. Many of our men had fallen under the storm of lead, and we
+had replied with another broadside, and then another.
+
+The galleon was sorely hit; we could hear her as she reeled from the
+shock of the shot, and the smoke clearing showed us the great rents in
+the side of the ship where our balls had torn through her. At close
+range the destruction was terrible; her decks were strewn with the dead
+and dying. It looked like a slaughter pen as the blood ran in great
+streams down the rough planks.
+
+Then another great ship sailed alongside of us, and our deck swarmed
+with Spaniards; at the same time the stricken galleon poured what
+remained of her crew over into us and we were boarded from both sides
+at the same time. We divided our ranks, fore and aft, with a volley
+that dropped many a man; then sword in hand we stood firm and steadfast.
+
+Ah! that was a good fight that day. Though they outnumbered us three to
+one, yet they had not the stern stuff in them of our men. Drake seemed
+to bear a charmed life; he was here and there--now in the midst of the
+foe, a dozen swords aimed at him, now back among our men; one moment in
+front, now on the other side. Wherever the Spaniards pressed our men
+the hardest, there might be seen his yellow beard and bloody sword.
+
+But I had short time to observe him, for a dozen Spaniards were at me.
+With a shout, I brained a couple with my great ax, and the others gave
+way before me; but in an instant they were back, cutting at me with
+their swords. Oliver was by my side, and right nobly did he play his
+part; I know not what I would have done without him. Gay, debonair,
+smiling, he met them and with me drove them back.
+
+With a rush, a new reënforcement came over the rail and made for us,
+led by a sturdy fellow with a long tawny beard. Then for the first
+time our depleted ranks gave back, and I was left almost alone; only
+Oliver and a dozen more stayed by me. I cut down the first fellow, and
+dropping my ax, for I was too hard pressed for that, I caught up his
+sword. "Come!" I shouted to their leader as he neared me. "Cross swords
+with a man!" With an oath he cut viciously at my head; I parried his
+thrust and lunged at him; and then with a rush a score bore down upon
+me, and I stood alone among the foe.
+
+It had gone hard with me, had not Drake come to the rescue; with a
+shout he cut his way into their ranks, and to where I still fought
+doggedly on. A thrust had grazed my forehead, I had another cut in the
+back of my head, but they were scratches and I felt them not; turning,
+twisting among them, I evaded the myriad blows aimed at me.
+
+With a yell the enemy gave way before us; a score of Englishmen had
+followed Drake, and were now hacking at them. To add to their confusion
+our men had driven off the boarders on the other side, and now streamed
+down to the rescue with loud cries of "Drake!"
+
+A moment of fierce hand-to-hand struggle, as we fought to and fro upon
+the bloody deck; many slipped and fell in the pools of blood, and they
+fought among themselves and hacked at the legs of the men as they
+trampled over them. Some who went down were trodden to death; others
+struggled to their feet and fought on.
+
+The Spaniards wavered, hesitated, and then with a rush we swept on
+and over them, as the great waves over the sinking ship. A few little
+groups remained, struggling stubbornly until they were cut down.
+
+Drake stood wiping his red sword, and looking at the bloodstained
+floor, all piled with gory bodies. Finally his eye fell upon me.
+
+"Art hurt, Sir Thomas?" he asked, noticing my bloody face.
+
+"No," I answered, "'tis but a scratch," and I wiped my face with my
+sleeve.
+
+"Thou hast borne thyself right gallantly in the fray," he said. "I
+almost feared to look, when I saw thee alone in the midst of the foe.
+But what has become of Oliver? I saw him but a moment ago."
+
+I looked around; he was nowhere in sight.
+
+"I hope no harm has befallen him," I replied anxiously. "But I lost
+sight of him in the fray, and I know not where he could be."
+
+"Oliver!" shouted Drake, raising his voice, "where art thou?"
+
+"Here," answered a muffled voice, which sounded as though it came from
+the bowels of the earth.
+
+"Where?" I shouted. "I can see naught of thee."
+
+"Up near the mast," he replied. "I am under a pile of bodies, which,
+from the feeling of my back, must be at least a mile high."
+
+Treading among the dead, with which the deck was covered, we at last
+reached the place from which the voice proceeded. There, from under
+one side of a huge pile of the slain, protruded the legs of the lad.
+'Twould have been laughable, had it not been for the gravity of the
+surroundings. The lad's head was on the other side from us, his body
+pinned down under the dead, who had fallen crosswise over him, and had
+doubtless protected his life in the fight by concealing him from view.
+
+I smiled as I saw the spindling legs.
+
+"Thou seemest comfortable and easy where thou liest--no doubt resting
+from the fatigue of the day. We had perhaps best leave thee where thou
+art; 'twill keep thee out of mischief."
+
+"Comfortable!" he shouted. "My back is almost broken with the weight
+upon it. I feel like Atlas bearing the world upon my shoulders. Pull
+them off, I tell thee!"
+
+Drake had roared when I had teased the boy. He now lent a hand, and
+we pulled off the six or eight bodies that lay upon him, the last one
+being that of the tawny-bearded Spaniard who had led the attack upon
+me. His face was still hard and fierce, as when he had fallen in the
+heat of the fray. We lifted the last one aside and helped Oliver to his
+feet; he was sore and stiff, but unhurt, as he informed us in answer to
+our anxious inquiry.
+
+"Had it not been for yonder red-bearded fellow," he said, "it would
+have gone hard with me. I tripped as they came down upon us, and as I
+fell he rushed at me. One of our men cut him down, and he fell upon my
+body. Before I could arise another had fallen, and so they kept piling
+up until I was so weighed down that I could not get upon my feet again."
+
+"Half of my men have fallen," Drake said sorrowfully, as we walked
+aft, and he stopped to survey a pile of the dead.
+
+In truth 'twas a scanty crew that greeted us as we stood among them.
+Of the three hundred men who had gone into the fight only about
+seventy-five bloodstained survivors remained; but they were undaunted
+and unconquerable, as waving their gory swords, they gathered around us.
+
+A crash--and a great ship, floating the yellow flag of Spain, her decks
+crowded with men, emerged from the smoke, and spurting fire and death,
+as though some Titan of the deep bent upon our destruction, she bore
+down upon us. The men around me were falling thick and fast; one by my
+side sprang into the air with a loud cry, and then fell, struck down
+by a ball. A few of the crew were endeavoring to answer them with some
+of our culverins, but it was in vain; they were shot down where they
+stood, before they could fire a single gun.
+
+The biting scent of the powder was in my nostrils; the smoke stung
+my eyes until they ran water; bloody and grimy, I waved my sword and
+cheered on the men, as they fired their guns at the foe. "Steady!" I
+shouted. "Stand firm! This cannot last!"
+
+With a last volley, she swept up to our side, and a throng of armed men
+sprang upon our decks. The smoke cleared for an instant--there was not
+an English ship in sight, that I could see. Away to the west, about a
+mile distant, the roars of the guns resounding showed that the fight
+still raged, but as far as we were concerned, we must work out our own
+salvation.
+
+And now, sword in hand, the boarders charged down upon our little band
+as they gathered around Drake, and there we made our last stand. With a
+rush they were upon us, and then ensued a wild mêlée. Borne back by the
+weight of numbers the English stood an instant; and then, broken and
+scattered in little groups, they were swallowed up in the dense mass of
+their foes. Only the rush and swarm where they fought showed that they
+were still standing at bay, undaunted and unafraid.
+
+Cut off from the others, only a seaman or two with me, I fought like
+a tiger for my very life. All around me there swept a fierce sea of
+angry, hostile faces; every hand seemed to hold a weapon and to be bent
+upon my destruction. I could see nothing of the English; I was alone
+save only for the two sailors.
+
+But the enemy were handicapped by their very numbers; many slipped
+and went down on the bloody decks, and their companions in blind fury
+cut and struggled over them in their endeavor to get at me. Many of
+the wounded were trampled under foot and perished. Cursing, shouting,
+and fighting among themselves, the Spaniards tried to cut me down.
+But I had kept perfectly cool as they closed with me; the two men,
+their backs to mine, guarded my rear, and we held them at bay for many
+minutes.
+
+I was silent, and made no answer to the cries of the Spaniards; every
+now and then there would come to my ears the hoarse shouts of Drake, as
+somewhere in the press he fought and struggled. But save that, I could
+hear no sound from my friends.
+
+Among the many heads around me, I could see a steel cap with a white
+plume in it, which marked the chief who had led the enemy when they
+boarded the ship. As my eye caught sight of him, he made a last charge
+upon a little group nearby. Cutting down those who resisted, he turned
+and caught sight of the steel as the Spaniards rushed upon me, and I
+beat them back.
+
+He made his way through the throng towards me, the men giving way
+before him. There seemed something familiar in his bearing as he came
+nearer to me, but I had no chance further to observe him, for with a
+yell the men whom I had hurled back temporarily were hammering at me as
+though determined to end the struggle.
+
+One of the men at my back was dragged down and I saw him no more; but
+turning and thrusting at them, I kept on my feet. My breastplate stood
+me in good stead; if it had not been for its protection I would have
+been cut to pieces long before; but my body to the waist was hidden by
+the pile of dead that lay in front of me, and I had only to guard my
+head and shoulders and I was safe. A cry behind me, and I turned in
+time to see the last sailor fall. I was alone now.
+
+The wall of the cabin was only a few feet away; if I could only reach
+that, with my back against it, I could hold them at bay for a few
+minutes longer. Slowly and painfully, inch by inch, my face to the
+foe, I made my way to it. My arm was weary with cutting; I was almost
+exhausted; several flesh wounds were bleeding freely, and it was only
+a few minutes until I would be overpowered by sheer force of numbers.
+It was only a few feet away now--would I never reach it? The seconds
+seemed like hours--days--as at a snail's pace I crept nearer to its
+protecting shelter. I had almost reached it now, nearer, nearer; at
+last, thank Heaven, my back was against it, and I faced them for the
+last act of the scene.
+
+A moment thus we faced each other--the Spaniards yelling and shouting,
+I silent and still. They seemed to be in no hurry to meet the sword
+that had cut down so many of their fellows, but jostling and pushing
+they faced me, even as a pack of hounds, baying, gather around some
+grim old monarch of the forest, who, with antlers poised, stands ready
+to meet them.
+
+A cry met my ears; a few feet from me the Spaniards were cutting and
+hacking at someone. A voice called "Sir Thomas!" With a shout I cut my
+way through them, as a she bear aroused by the cry of her cubs rushes
+upon the hunter, and with claws bared and flashing eyes, deals out
+destruction to those who dare to meet her. I knew the voice--it was
+Oliver's.
+
+Raising my sword, I whirled it about my head with both hands, and
+cutting down the men who stood in my path, I made for the lad. Cutting
+and slashing all in my way, I cleared a path through them, the men
+giving back at the fury of my charge, until I stood above Oliver.
+
+He lay in a pool of blood, the clotted gore all over his bonny gold
+curls. Stooping, I picked him up as though he had been a feather, and
+tucking him under my left arm, protecting him as best I could from the
+enemy's blows, my sword in my right hand, I began my journey back to
+the friendly shelter of the wall.
+
+How I reached it I never knew. I was crazed with fury as I saw their
+angry faces, saw them cut at me, and slashed back right and left at
+them, the lad under my arm lying quiet and limp. I knew not whether he
+was alive or dead. Finally I stood once more against the wall, and
+dropping the boy on the floor behind me, I faced them again.
+
+"Dogs!" I shouted, "do you fear to meet one man? Come on, and I will
+show you how an Englishman can die."
+
+A moment they waited, and then from out the ranks sprang the tall
+Spaniard with the white plume, whom I had seen but a few moments ago.
+Bowing, he faced me with a drawn sword.
+
+"Ah, Sir Thomas!" he cried, "we meet again."
+
+It was the Count DeNortier. For a moment I stood spellbound in
+astonishment. DeNortier!--I had left him on the floor, on that last
+night upon the island, and had thought him dead, or at least stranded
+and alone on that far-away island, and now I saw him here, leading the
+charge against me.
+
+"DeNortier!" I cried. "What dost thou here?"
+
+He laughed as he answered:
+
+"As soon as I recovered from the buffet that thou didst deal me, I
+rushed out into the open air, and hearing Drake's men outside, I evaded
+them. Crossing over to the other side of the island, I boarded a fleet
+schooner that I had concealed there, ready to sail at a moment's
+notice, her crew in readiness. We sailed away, and met a galleon going
+to join the Spanish fleet. They were glad enough to promise me a pardon
+for my past misdeeds to secure my services. So here I am. Gods! It
+is well that I recovered myself when I did on that last night--a few
+moments later, and I would have been in Paradise," and he laughed
+loudly.
+
+"But if thou dost remember, twice have I promised to meet thee, and
+settle all our differences--that time has come. On guard!"
+
+We crossed swords; the others, clearing a space and leaning upon
+their weapons, watched us; the senseless body of the lad behind me.
+DeNortier cut at me furiously, but I met his blow, and returned it with
+a vengeance. Gone was my fatigue of a moment ago; it was as though the
+strength that I had felt in the old days had flowed back into my veins.
+I was bleeding from a dozen wounds, but I felt it not, for the glow of
+some wondrous wine seemed to warm me through. I was master of myself;
+my wrist as strong and supple, my eye as keen and cunning as it had
+ever been, for I was determined to kill this man.
+
+He had kept me confined for months. I could have forgiven him that,
+but I could not forget that he had insulted, on that memorable night,
+Lady Margaret Carroll, by coupling her name with his. What though she
+was to be the bride of Lord Dunraven, I would avenge this insult to
+her; she could not prevent me from doing this. Ah! it would be sweet to
+fight once more for her. Her hand and love were hers to bestow where
+she wished, but she could not say me nay in this matter, and so with a
+right joyful heart I faced the Spaniard in the gathering gloom.
+
+Thrust after thrust he tried, but I met them all with a readiness that
+surprised myself. I had not fought such a fight as this before; had not
+crossed swords with a man so worthy of my steel. Trick after trick he
+tried, some I had never seen before, but the gods fought with me, and
+as though by intuition I met him and sent him staggering back again.
+A look of black wrath was upon his face; piqued at being met at every
+point, he was losing his head at my swordsmanship.
+
+"Ah!" he said, as we struggled upon the slippery deck, "the gentleman
+fights well. Perhaps he thinks that beyond the water there waits for
+him a lovely lady. Let him not fool himself. She is ere now the bride
+of a noble lord, who holds her fast in bands which she cannot break."
+
+But I kept my temper. I had only to keep cool, and the victory was
+mine, and so I only lunged at him with all my strength. The sharp point
+of my blade touched his cheek, and with a turn of the wrist I laid
+it open from ear to neck. With a scream of pain he came at me like a
+wild cat, but I met him and cut him in the side, so that he staggered
+back again; pressing forward, I lunged at him once more. He recovered
+himself, the blood spouting from his cheek, and met my blade with a
+cut, that, had I not sprang back quickly, would have run me through and
+through.
+
+Pressing upon me, he rained blow after blow with point and blade. I had
+never seen such fury. It was as though he were a madman, and it was
+only with the greatest difficulty that I protected myself. The smile
+had passed from his face, and a look of awful anger had replaced it.
+If he could only reach me, he would give his black soul.
+
+"So Dunraven has outwitted thee," I taunted. "To the victor belongs the
+spoil."
+
+"The furies take thee!" he cried furiously. "If I have lost, so also
+hast thou. I would rather that my lord should win than thou. Curse
+thee!" and he struck with all his force at my head.
+
+"He has used thee well, has done his work with thee, and then, when
+thou art of no further use, has cast thee aside like a squeezed lemon,"
+and I laughed in his face.
+
+"I will have her yet," he replied, beside himself with anger, his eyes
+almost starting from his head. "I swear that to thee, though I have to
+cut Dunraven's throat, and fight my way through all England with her in
+my arms. Then ho! for my ship, and away to some far-off clime, where
+I shall reign a king, and she shall be my queen." His face lighted up
+with a savage smile.
+
+"Fool," I answered, "thou babblest. Thinkest thou that Dunraven would
+let thee have the lady? He would slit thy throat at first sight, and
+then what?"
+
+"He would if he dared," he answered, "but he fears to attempt it. With
+what I know I could send him to the gallows. No, believe me, he thinks
+too much of his own hide to try such a scheme as that."
+
+His eyes wandered for an instant.
+
+"Look!" he shouted in alarm to his men. "An English ship to the rescue!
+Meet them while I finish this fellow."
+
+I heard the shout as the Englishmen clambered over the rail behind me;
+and the sound of many feet as they rushed at the Spaniards. I raised my
+sword and lunged forward at DeNortier's breast. It would have finished
+him for good and all, but the Englishmen were upon me, and the sword
+was knocked from my hand in the mad rush.
+
+The Spaniards dashed forward to meet their assailants. I was in the
+midst of a mad vortex of men, arms, swords, weapons, cries, oaths, as
+with a crash the two parties came together. Like a feather I was thrown
+from my feet, and lay upon the deck unable to rise as they fought and
+struggled above me; tramping and stepping on my limbs until I felt as
+though I were verily beaten into a jelly.
+
+How long they fought there I do not know. It seemed long to me, as
+I lay under the feet of the struggling men, and heard the crash of
+arms as they still fought fiercely on. The noise was receding from
+me, evidently one side was fleeing, but which was it? Then a good old
+English cheer broke forth, and never had I heard a more welcome sound
+in my life than that hoarse cry, "Hurrah! Hurrah!" Then the hubbub
+ceased and the only sound was the splash of the water as the Spaniards
+sprang overboard.
+
+I slowly and painfully crawled out from among some of the bodies,
+which lay pell-mell about me, and got on my feet. A round-faced,
+jovial-looking man who stood near me turned around at the sound, his
+red sword in his hand. I had never seen him before; around him stood a
+group of seamen.
+
+"'Tis the brave fellow that we saw holding them at bay when we boarded
+the ship!" he cried. "Pray, sir, what is thy name?"
+
+"Sir Thomas Winchester, of London," I answered.
+
+A frown was on his face as he looked at me.
+
+"'Tis a pity that so fine a fellow should hang like a dog, but it
+cannot be helped," he murmured. "Sir, I shall report thy gallant
+conduct to the Queen. I am sorry I can do no more. Sir Francis Drake
+related thy story to me last night. It is a passing strange one,
+incredible and unbelievable, and I would I could believe it. I am
+Howard."
+
+I had never seen him, but I recognized the family favor. I had known
+his father when I was but a lad, and had loved the bluff old gentleman.
+
+"Let me congratulate thee upon thy great victory," I said, bowing low.
+"It is one with which the world will ring, and in which her majesty
+will rejoice. Truly, 'twas a splendid fight, but I believe it is over
+now, as I see several of the ships around us." And I looked out to
+where there lay a dozen shot-riddled vessels.
+
+"I thank thee," he answered. "The credit is to my men, and not to me.
+The fight is, as thou sayest, won. The Armada has turned tail and
+flown; our ships are after her as hard as they can go."
+
+"What has become of Sir Francis?" I asked, looking about me. "I fear
+that he is slain."
+
+"No," he answered, "we found him, with about a dozen of his men,
+holding the Spaniards at bay upon the other side of the vessel. He has
+even now made his way out to one of yonder ships to pursue the foe. He
+left his report concerning his voyage and thyself with me last night,
+and but just now charged me to send thee, and the boy, Oliver Gates, by
+the first ship to London, together with the report."
+
+"Oliver!" I cried, my thoughts instantly upon him. "Where is he--hast
+thou seen aught of him?" and I turned to look behind me where I had
+left him.
+
+Yes, there he lay, still limp and quiet, his eyes closed, breathing
+heavily, a pool of blood around him, which flowed from a great cut in
+his breast.
+
+I knelt beside the boy.
+
+"I would ask that thou let the leech attend him," I said to Lord
+Howard, as he stood looking down at the body of the lad, "for I fear
+that he has received his death-blow."
+
+"I trust not," he answered gravely. He turned to several of his men:
+"Take him down to the cabin, and let Dr. Robbins attend him," he said.
+
+Carefully they picked him up and bore him through the piles of the dead
+and wounded, that lay upon the deck, down into the cabin.
+
+Lord Howard spoke to me as I passed him, behind the boy.
+
+"Thou shalt leave for London on this ship to-night," he said. "I will
+send the news of our victory to her Majesty by Sir William Stone, who
+will command the vessel. Our wounded also go with thee, and I will get
+aboard another vessel and join Drake in harrying these dogs, so that
+this will be their last invasion of England."
+
+Bowing my head, I passed down the ladder and into the room where Oliver
+lay. A fat chubby-faced little man was bending over him. He turned his
+face as I entered.
+
+"A bad wound," he said, shaking his head and screwing up his eyes.
+
+"It is not fatal?" I said anxiously, as I approached the bed.
+
+"I know not," he replied. "It depends upon the care and attention he
+receives. With nursing he may recover. I have seen as bad cuts before,
+and yet the men recovered."
+
+"Doctor----?" I said.
+
+"Robbins," he answered. "Doctor Robbins, of London, at thy service,"
+and he bowed.
+
+"Doctor Robbins," I continued, "I know no one in London that I would
+trust him to at a time like this."
+
+"Ah! sad," he replied, "sad," and he shook his little round head like a
+monkey, a look of sorrow upon his face. "I heard thy story last night,
+when Sir Francis Drake related it to the gentlemen in the cabin. It is
+incredible--wonderful!"
+
+"Thou must take the boy to thy house," I said, thoughtfully. "There is
+no one else, and I will repay thee well."
+
+He started.
+
+"My dear sir--my dear sir, I cannot take the boy. Thou art dreaming. I
+have no time--no place----"
+
+"Thou must," I interrupted, "there is no one else. Either thou wilt
+take him, or his death be upon thy hands. I can do nothing for him
+confined in prison, probably to die."
+
+"I pity thee," he answered sadly; "from the bottom of my heart I pity
+thee. But I have nowhere to put him; no one to look after him. What
+would I do with the lad on my hands?"
+
+"Art married?" I asked.
+
+"No," he answered, a faint smile upon his face. "I live with one
+sister, a maiden. What would she do with a boy sick unto death?"
+
+"Dost thou believe in a God?" I asked. "Art thou a Christian?"
+
+"Surely," he replied indignantly. "Dost thou take me for a heathen,
+that thou shouldst ask me such a question?"
+
+"Well," I answered, "dost thou remember the tale of the good Samaritan,
+how the poor man, stricken by his wound, fell by the wayside, and
+how the priest with holy look passed by on the other side, then the
+Samaritan, seeing him, took pity upon him, and binding up his wounds,
+put him upon his own beast, and carrying him to the inn, paid for his
+lodging and left him there? Thou hast thy choice. Wilt thou be the
+priest or the good Samaritan?"
+
+The tears were in his eyes as he answered:
+
+"I will take the lad and keep him until he is restored to health and
+strength."
+
+"I thank thee," I answered. "I know not whether I will see thee again,
+but I shall not forget thy kindness. May thy God reward thee if I
+cannot, and as thou dealest with the lad, so may he deal with thee,"
+and I put into his hands my purse. It had some money left in it.
+
+"Tell the boy that my thoughts shall be of him, and that I shall ever
+treasure in sweetest remembrance his friendship and love. It will
+brighten the pathway, and if I do not see him again, may God be with
+him." And turning, I passed to the door.
+
+The little Doctor followed me, and stretched out his hand.
+
+"Thou art a man," he said, "whatever thy faults. I will hold ever
+sacred the trust thou hast given me, and will deal with the boy as I
+would with my own."
+
+I wrung his hand, and crossing the room, I bent for a moment and
+pressed a kiss upon the cold forehead of the boy; then I passed from
+the room.
+
+The ship had turned, and was moving up the Thames at a rapid rate of
+speed towards London. I had gone upon deck, and wrapped in my cloak,
+stood watching the twinkling lights on the banks of the river, that
+marked where some pleasure house or dwelling lay. Someone touched me
+upon my arm, and looking up I saw the war-worn face of Sir William
+Stone.
+
+"Nobly didst thou bear thyself," he said. "Thou hast fought as becoming
+a gentleman of thy house. Would that it might save thee."
+
+"I have done my duty," I answered. "I leave the rest; I can do no more."
+
+He looked at me in admiration.
+
+"Sir Francis Drake left me thy gold-hilted sword, he said, "and bade
+me give it to thee, for he knew not when he would see thee again. What
+wouldst thou have me do with it?"
+
+"Take it to Sir Robert Vane," I replied, "and give it to him with my
+compliments. It has never been drawn in a cause that would stain it
+since I have worn it."
+
+"I will do it," he replied, and he looked out again at the lights.
+Then he touched me. "Look!" he said, pointing to where far before us
+there twinkled and sparkled many tiny lights--"It is London."
+
+London--and so twenty-two months after I left it I was to enter my
+native land a captive, my life forfeited, old, broken, gray-headed, my
+heart bowed down with grief, alone and friendless, the only friend that
+I had on earth lying below at death's door. So I set foot again upon my
+native heath.
+
+Nearer we came, for the wind had risen to a gale, and we rushed through
+the water as though propelled by the hand of a giant. Turning a curve,
+the lights burst full upon us. Before us a few ships lay at anchor;
+only a few, however, for most of the vessels had gone out to meet the
+Spaniards.
+
+Upon the wharves was gathered a great crowd of people; as far as the
+eye could see, there stretched a great black sea of heads, awaiting,
+no doubt, to hear news of the day's fight. As we came into sight they
+raised a great shout which reached to where we stood; our men sprang to
+their culverins, and with a blinding crash they roared back a greeting.
+So with ringing bells and roaring guns, amidst the shouts and cheers of
+the people, we came into the harbor and dropped anchor.
+
+The cries of the people rang across. "How went the fight? Did the
+Spaniards run? How many of the ships were sunk?" A perfect babel of
+shouts and questions arose.
+
+Several boats had put off from the shore, and were making for us at
+full speed. Springing upon the rail, Sir William, his head bowed, held
+up his hand. Instantly a great silence fell upon them--a silence deep
+and oppressive.
+
+"The Armada is defeated!" he shouted. "Many of their ships are sunk,
+and they are now in full flight, our men after them. Three cheers for
+England!"
+
+Then there arose a shout, deep, full, deafening--it fell upon the night
+air like the roar of a thousand guns; once, twice, thrice, it rose and
+fell. Then, "Three cheers for Drake and Sir William Stone!" someone
+cried, recognizing the old soldier, and the mob gave them with a will.
+
+"The boat is ready, Sir Thomas," the old warrior said, his face
+lighting up with a proud smile of joy.
+
+Stepping into the boat, we were rowed ashore. Silence fell upon them as
+we neared the great throng, but as we touched the wharf, they rushed
+forward, and would have borne old Sir William aloft in triumph.
+
+He waved them back impatiently.
+
+"Back!" he cried. "Would you hinder me? I am on my way to the Queen
+with tidings of the victory. If you value your heads, you will not
+delay me."
+
+At this they gave way, for they cared not to arouse the imperious
+Elizabeth, and we passed through the mob, a little band of soldiers
+following. Many were the curious glances that were cast at me, but no
+one recognized my face. It would have been strange if they had. I had
+left London a care-free, gay, and laughing gallant; I returned gray,
+haggard, and old.
+
+I could hear the murmur of the crowd as they looked at me.
+
+"It is a Spanish nobleman!" one fat old woman cried to her neighbor.
+
+"Nonsense!" said a butcher in his greasy apron, who stood near her. "It
+is Sir Henry Cobden, who commanded one of our ships. I know his face."
+
+"Thou art mad!" another shouted. "It is the commander of the Spanish
+fleet; he goes even now to the Queen to implore mercy and save his
+neck."
+
+"It is the Earl of Essex," said a tradesman, as I passed him. "Look at
+his bloody sword."
+
+"Fool, it is the Bishop of Dunham," said a burly baker. "Do not I know
+his gray beard and pious face? Right bravely has he borne himself, look
+at his dented breastplate." And he bared his head as I passed.
+
+At the next corner Sir William halted and spoke to me in a low tone.
+
+"I will send some of my men with thee to the Tower," he whispered. "I
+grieve that I should have to do this, but those are my orders, and I
+durst not disobey them. I trust it is only for a short time, and when
+the Queen hears how thou hast borne thyself in the fight, she will
+pardon thee."
+
+"It is thy duty," I answered. "Worry not about it. Let but two men
+accompany me, and I will go on quietly to the Tower."
+
+He turned to the sailors.
+
+"Do ye, Giles and Henry, go with Sir Thomas," he commanded.
+
+"Ay, Sir," they replied.
+
+With them in the lead I passed on to the grim old fortress of London,
+in which had been confined the bravest and noblest of England. How
+many, as the heavy doors shut behind them, had breathed for the last
+time the breath of freedom? It had almost become an adage, "That he
+who goes to the Tower leaves hope behind him." It loomed dark and gray
+before me now. Crossing a narrow court-yard, one of the men beat upon
+the great door studded with nails.
+
+"Who is it?" a voice asked from the inside.
+
+"Friends," he answered. "A gentleman to see Sir Henry DeGray."
+
+At this the heavy bolts rattled and the door opened. A man, a candle in
+his hand, peered out at us.
+
+"Why canst thou not come in the daylight?" he grumbled. "Thou hast all
+day, and yet thou must worry us at night."
+
+"We have just arrived in England to-night, my friend," I answered, "and
+could not have come sooner."
+
+At this the fellow looked at us closely and saw the blood upon our
+clothes, our disheveled and disordered appearance.
+
+"What news of the great Spanish fleet?" he inquired eagerly. "I heard
+only a moment ago a great shouting, and wondered if it could be news of
+the fight."
+
+"The Spanish are defeated," I answered, "and even now are in full
+flight, our men after them."
+
+"God be praised!" exclaimed the rough old fellow, as he lifted up his
+hands in joy. "Many a one of them will see the bottom ere morning, or I
+am mistaken, for there is such a storm brewing to-night as London has
+not seen for many a year."
+
+"But go into yonder room, Sir," he said, pointing to the door in front
+of me. "Sir Henry is in there."
+
+"Come, comrades!" he cried to the two sailors who stood behind me.
+"Come with me, and we will celebrate this victory in a flagon of good
+wine, and you shall tell me of the battle," and he hobbled off with
+them.
+
+I turned the knob and entered the low room. There, seated at a table,
+was Sir Henry, whom I knew well, for I had served with him during my
+brief campaign in Ireland, and with him, a glass in his hand, his dull,
+watery eyes fixed upon me, sat my brother Richard.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+MY LADY
+
+
+I knew him the moment that I put my eyes upon his face, though I had
+not seen him in years. He was still the same as when I had seen him
+last--dull, watery, pale blue eyes, little and stupid like those of a
+pig; his lean face mottled by hard drinking; his peaked beard shot with
+gray. Ah! he was the same; a little older, that was all.
+
+He knew me, too, despite the change in me, for even as I looked at him,
+a gleam of recognition came into his eyes, and he arose to his feet.
+
+"So thou hast met thy deserts? Years ago when we were boys together, I
+prophesied that the gallows would be thy end. Thou didst laugh at me
+then, but it has come to pass even as I said," and he stood grinning at
+me.
+
+"Peace, fool!" I answered, "or I will crack that empty pate of thine
+with a chair," and I made as though to seize one.
+
+He dropped back into his seat in an instant, his face pale, for he was
+ever a coward.
+
+"Sir Henry," he stammered, "I am thy guest, wouldst thou see me
+murdered before thine eyes?" and he cowered away from me.
+
+"Tut, Sir Richard," rejoined the bluff old warrior. "What dost thou
+fear? Thou art as safe as though thou wert at Richmond Castle. But this
+cannot be Sir Thomas Winchester?" And he turned to me in astonishment.
+
+"The same, Sir Henry," I answered. "Hadst thou been through but half
+what I have, thy hair would be as gray as mine."
+
+"Sit thee down, and tell us about it," the good knight said, as he
+pushed a chair toward me.
+
+"Another time, Sir Henry," I answered. "I am faint and weak from my
+wounds, and weary from the long voyage; some other time I will tell
+thee with pleasure. But one of the men had a note for thee, if I
+mistake not. He has been in such a hurry to swig down thy good wine,
+that he even forgot his errand."
+
+"The rogue," he mumbled, and turning he strode to the wall and touched
+a great brass gong that hung there. "Thou didst speak of thy wounds,"
+he said. "How camest thou by them; wert in the fleet that met the
+Spanish Armada?"
+
+"Yes," I answered, "I was, then----"
+
+"How did the fight go?" he eagerly interrupted me. "Do the Spaniards
+even now sail up the Thames to sack the city?"
+
+"Hardly," I answered. "They are beaten and scattered, with Drake and
+Hawkins in hot pursuit."
+
+"Good!" he shouted joyously. "But thou--why, we thought thee dead long
+ere this."
+
+"'Tis a long tale," I replied, "and I will tell it to thee to-morrow."
+
+"I forgot," he said hastily, with red cheeks, "and I beg thy pardon;
+for once curiosity got the better of my manners."
+
+"Where is the note that the seaman had for me, Sam?" he asked, as the
+old man who had opened the door for us appeared.
+
+"Here, thy honor," he said, as he handed a paper to Sir Henry. "The man
+begs thy pardon for not delivering it at once, but I dragged him away
+to drink a glass with me, to celebrate the defeat of the Spaniards, and
+I am sure that thou wilt forgive his remissness," and he smiled with
+the ease of an old favorite.
+
+"Begone!" said Sir Henry. "I pardon thee at such a time as this, but
+let it not occur again."
+
+"No, Sir," mumbled the old man, and he shambled quickly out of the door.
+
+Sir Henry was reading the note, a frown upon his face, and as he
+finished he looked up.
+
+"Right sorry I am to hear this, Sir Thomas," he said. "Thou shalt have
+such comforts as the place affords while thou art here, which I trust
+will not be long. I have a leech in the house who shall dress thy
+wounds. But come, I will show thee to thy cell," and rising, he took
+from his belt a large bunch of keys, and motioned me to follow him.
+
+I did so, leaving Richard, his head bowed as though in thought, in his
+chair by the table.
+
+Corridor after corridor we crossed; stair after stair we ascended and
+descended, winding in and out the long, silent halls as though we would
+never reach our destination. DeGray trod them with the ease of one
+who knows every nook and cranny by heart. We met only a few people,
+seemingly guards, and just as I had almost given up in despair, my
+guide halted in front of one of the innumerable doors, and fitting the
+key in the lock, opened it, motioning me to enter.
+
+The windows were secured by a heavy grating, and there was only the
+simplest kind of furniture in the room, only a bed, a rough table,
+and a chair or two, that was all. The room was fairly large and clean
+though, but that was about all that could be said of it.
+
+Old Sir Henry entered with me, and locking the door, seated himself on
+one of the chairs. He was a blunt, rough old fellow, but with a heart
+of gold, and he had thought much of me in the old days in Ireland. I
+had saved his life there once, when his horse had been cut down, and he
+had been left on the ground in the midst of the wild Irish. Seeing him
+thus, I had turned my horse and had ridden back, and catching him up
+across my saddle, had dashed forward to join our men, the savage kerns
+at my heels. He had not forgotten this, his first words told me that.
+
+"It was fourteen years ago to-day that thou didst save my life at the
+risk of thine own, when the rest of the men had left me to the mercy of
+the Irish," he said thoughtfully, his eyes absently fixed upon me. "I
+have the scar with me yet, and will bear it to the grave," and he laid
+his finger upon a great seamed place on his neck, where a rough scar
+ran half-way around it.
+
+"It was a close shave," I answered, as I threw myself upon the bed,
+"but yet thou didst pull through."
+
+"Yes," he replied, "thanks to thee. But, lad, I hope that thou wilt
+pardon the curiosity of an old friend, and tell me why thou art here.
+It is not all curiosity, believe me, for perhaps I can be of assistance
+to thee," and he lowered his voice to a whisper, and glanced around
+cautiously at the door.
+
+"Listen," I answered, "perhaps I will tell thee many things that thou
+wilt not believe. Thou hast asked for the truth, and thou shalt have
+it." And beginning from my abduction, I related the whole story of
+my captivity and adventures, omitting nothing, save only the part
+concerning my lady.
+
+When I finished he gave a low whistle of astonishment.
+
+"It is almost incredible," he exclaimed. "Had it not been thee, I would
+not have believed it. But why does this Dunraven wish to keep thee out
+of England?"
+
+"The same reason that has inspired hatred since the beginning of time,"
+I replied--"a fair lady."
+
+"Ah!" he said, his shrewd old eyes upon my face. "And now I remember to
+have heard some talk of the rivalry for the favor of one of England's
+loveliest ladies. If she is as beautiful as they say, it is no wonder.
+
+"It is a strange thing," he mused, his rough hand upon his head--"this
+love of a man for a maid. For her he will do all things; will shed
+innocent blood; will stoop to any low and ugly deed; would walk through
+hell bare-footed, as I once heard a gallant say. Many have I seen turn
+their back upon wealth, honor and fame, upon home, kindred and friends,
+and leave all to win a woman--'tis strange. It has grown to be an adage
+that, 'all's fair in love and war,' and the little god has missed but
+few victims.
+
+"It is ten years since my wife died," he continued, in a low voice, his
+worn old face softening, "and yet I have not recovered from her death.
+I think each day that I miss her more and more, and there is an aching
+void in my heart that naught can fill. It was only a few days ago that
+I came upon a little piece of needlework that she had sewed upon and
+left unfinished, and though thou wouldst not believe it, I fell upon
+my knees in front of that bit of cloth, and burst into tears. Dear,
+patient Jane! It is only when we have lost the gem that we prize it
+most. A noble woman, my boy, is God's best gift to man, a bad one his
+worse curse. A woman, true and sweet, can raise a man's life towards
+heaven; can be a benediction to him that will last as long as life; and
+an unfaithful and nagging woman is as near a hell on earth as man ever
+gets.
+
+"How stand thy chances with the maid?" he asked, raising his head with
+a smile upon his rugged face.
+
+"She weds Lord Dunraven," I answered quickly, for he had touched a
+wound yet fresh and bleeding.
+
+"Pardon me," he replied. "I would not have asked, had I known. But
+never give up, my lad, fight on until the last shot in the locker.
+'None but the brave deserve the fair,' I have often heard, and if that
+be true thou wilt win her. If rumor can be believed, the lady is the
+fairest of Eve's daughters, and as for thyself, I know that thou art
+'the bravest of the brave.'"
+
+"Thou dost overrate me," I answered, with a gloomy laugh, which I
+endeavored to make cheerful.
+
+"And what of the Spaniard?" he said. "Does he love the maid, too?"
+
+"Yes," I answered. "He, too, is in the same boat."
+
+He laughed as he arose and made ready to leave.
+
+"I pity the maid," he said. "Between you she is in a pretty fix;
+whichever way she turns she must run into one of you--a pirate, a
+rascal, and a gentleman. Were I in her shoes, it would not take me long
+to make my choice," and he chuckled as he looked at me.
+
+I smiled back at him.
+
+"Would that thou couldst make up her mind for her," I said. "If that
+were the case, I would lose no sleep over the situation."
+
+"Lose no sleep as it is," he answered; "'twill all come out right in
+the end. 'Truth is mighty and will prevail,' I once heard a wise man
+say, and he spoke truly--but I must go. Is there aught that thou dost
+wish?"
+
+"Naught," I answered, "save if any of my friends should call to see
+me, I would wish to see them. Not that any of them will come," I said
+somewhat bitterly, for the lash will sting sometimes. "Thou knowest how
+the rats desert the sinking ship."
+
+"Aye, my lad," he rejoined, "none know better than I. Have I not had
+my ups and downs, and been almost at the end of my tether? I know
+the traitor smile when the wind is fair, and the terrible frown when
+the gale blows hard. It's up with thee, when the sun shines brightly,
+and all stand ready to put their shoulder to the wheel and help thee
+up still higher, and it's down and a kick to help the cause, when the
+clouds hang heavy above. Ah! well I know them--a curse on their heads!"
+and with a growl he strode from the room.
+
+Only a few moments elapsed, when the key grated and the door opened
+again to admit the prison leech. A pleasant-faced young fellow, who
+chatted like a monkey as he dressed the dozen flesh wounds that I had
+received.
+
+"That was a rough cut, sir," he said, as he pointed to my shoulder,
+where I had a clip of a cutlass as I bore Oliver back to the cabin
+wall. "It must have pained considerably."
+
+"Not much," I said rather gruffly, for I was weary, and his chatter
+grated upon me.
+
+This silenced him somewhat, and I had an opportunity to think in peace.
+What was Richard doing below? No good, I knew. It might be that his
+friend Dunraven had told him that I would be here to-night, or it
+might be that it was only a trick of Dame Fortune that she had played
+me, though it seemed improbable. No, he had some scheme in being here
+to-night, I was sure; perhaps he would show his hand.
+
+The leech had finished, and with a cheery good-night he opened the door
+and stepped outside. As he turned to lock the door, I heard the voice
+of Sir William Stone, and in a moment the old knight entered. His face
+was hot and angry, and flinging himself in a chair, he looked at me in
+silence.
+
+"What news?" I asked.
+
+"Bad," he answered. "I saw the Queen and told her of the defeat of
+the Armada, at which she was of course greatly pleased. Seeing that,
+I thought it a good opportunity to broach the subject of thyself, and
+putting into her hands the report Drake had made in thy favor, I begged
+that she would read that, and afterwards hear me. She did so, and then
+looking up at me, her eyes flashing, asked what I had to say. I knew
+not what to make of her face, and was going on to relate thy gallant
+conduct in the fight with the Spaniards, and to beg that she would free
+so valiant a gentleman, when she interrupted me.
+
+"'Sir William!' she cried, 'had it not been for this noble fight for
+England, and that thou hast grown old in our service, and even now
+bring news of great joy, I would hang thee with him. What does Drake
+mean to send me such stuff as this? He shall answer for it when he
+returns;' and she tore the paper in pieces.
+
+"'After this ruffian DeNortier has murdered my people and sacked my
+ships for five long years, then thou dost ask me to spare the life
+of his stanchest captain, who personally murdered one of my bravest
+gentlemen, Sir Samuel Morton, and who led these expeditions of blood
+and crime? Shame upon thee! He shall hang, though he were of royal
+blood! Get ye back to him, and say that on the day after to-morrow, he
+shall hang by the neck until he is dead. To-morrow is his to make his
+peace with God. Get thee out of my presence,' and I hurried away as
+fast I could, for in truth she is too much like her royal father, for
+it to be pleasant to be around when she is angry," and he groaned.
+
+"It is but what I expected," I answered. "But I thank thee for the
+effort that thou hast made for me--from the bottom of my heart I thank
+thee." And I arose and gave him my hand.
+
+He caught it and wrung it with both of his own.
+
+"I would that I could have saved thee," he said hoarsely, "and I
+wish thee to know that I now believe that thy tale is true. It seems
+strange, incredible, but thou art a gentleman, and I believe thee. 'The
+truth is often stranger than fiction.'"
+
+I was pleased at this sign of his trust in me.
+
+"I thank thee, Sir William," I said, "and say again that I spoke only
+the truth. Should we not meet each other again upon this earth, I hope
+we shall meet in another sphere."
+
+"God grant it, Sir Thomas!" he cried. "It is but a few more short
+years for me now, and the time is still shorter with thee. Somewhere
+beyond this world we will meet again, that I feel sure of--until then,
+farewell!" and the old soldier opened the door and passed out, locking
+it behind him.
+
+Throwing myself upon the bed, I closed my eyes, and only awoke when
+the gray light of the morning was streaming into the rough cell. A man
+brought my breakfast, coarse though bountiful, and after eating, I
+walked to the window and looked out. Only the narrow court-yard met my
+view. I could see nothing beyond it. To-morrow morning at this time I
+would be standing upon the scaffold, preparing to make the last long
+journey into the beyond. A little more and the journey would be over.
+
+The door opened again.
+
+"A gentleman to see thee, sir," said the man who waited upon me.
+
+I turned eagerly, perhaps it was Bobby Vane, or--no, only the crafty
+features of my brother Richard met my view as he limped into the cell.
+
+"Get out!" I cried angrily. "Quick! Or I will dash thee against the
+wall. Art deaf?" and I moved toward him.
+
+The jailer had already locked the door and left us.
+
+"Listen, Thomas," he answered. "I have come to save thee, if thou wilt
+but listen to me a moment."
+
+"Dost thou expect me to believe that?" I said. "Out with thee! Wouldst
+thou come in to annoy a dying man, and to distract his thoughts from
+his devotions? This is my last day--wouldst thou spoil it for me?"
+
+"I would save thee," he replied, "if thou wilt but listen to me."
+
+"Be quick then," I answered, "my time is short." And I seated myself
+opposite him, and leaning my elbow on the table, waited to hear what he
+would say.
+
+"Our father is dead," he said, clearing his throat and speaking in a
+low voice.
+
+"Is that so? Well, thou couldst not expect me to shed many tears over
+him, the way he has treated me. Thy news, while interesting, is not of
+sufficient moment to disturb me at this late hour."
+
+"Wait a moment!" he cried. "He left me the estates and title, but thou
+art my brother, I cannot forget that, and I would deal generously by
+thee. Though thou hast no legal claim to the estate, if thou wilt
+but sign this paper, renouncing all right which thou mayst have to
+the estate, and also another trifling matter here, thou shalt have
+the Devonshire lands with the house, and I will see that thou dost go
+free," and his watery eyes glistened as he looked at me.
+
+"Thou art promising too much," I replied. "Art promising what thou
+canst not perform, and----"
+
+"Not so," he broke in eagerly. "I swear to thee that if I but say the
+word thou shalt go scot free."
+
+"And what is the other trifling condition in the paper that thou
+speakest of?" I asked.
+
+"That thou dost renounce all right and pretension that thou mayest have
+to the hand of the Lady Margaret Carroll," he said.
+
+I laughed scornfully.
+
+"Thou hadst best save thy breath," I said.
+
+"Thou hast no claim--no hope," he rejoined, rising to his feet. "The
+lady is about to become the bride of the Lord Dunraven. What difference
+can it make to thee if thou signest away the right to something that
+thou hast not, if by doing so, thou canst save thy life?"
+
+"Why dost thou wish me to sign the paper, then?" I asked. "If the
+estates and title are already thine, and the lady Dunraven's?"
+
+He hesitated a moment.
+
+"There are reasons," he finally said. "Reasons that I cannot explain to
+thee, but sufficiently weighty for us to give thee thy life, if thou
+wilt sign this document. More than this I durst not say."
+
+"Us," I repeated. "Why not say Dunraven and thyself? It would sound
+better thus."
+
+"Well," he replied defiantly, "if thou dost wish it thus, have it thine
+own way. This much is certain: sign this paper and thou art free, a
+competency in thy hands sufficient to support thee in comfort--refuse,
+and thy head will pay the penalty," and he stood, his back to the door,
+leering at me.
+
+"Get out of my sight!" I replied. "Or I will forget myself and do thee
+an injury," and I advanced on him.
+
+With a yell, he turned and beat fiercely on the door with the hilt of
+his sword.
+
+"Open!" he cried, "quick!"
+
+The door opened so suddenly that he fell out into the hall at full
+length and sprawled upon the floor. The door was shut and fastened, and
+I heard his voice as he shrilly cursed the jailer for his carelessness.
+The voice died away, and I knew that he was gone.
+
+The dull day dragged away. It was noon, the last I would spend on
+earth, and I lay upon the bed and wished for the morn. I was weary, and
+the slow hours wore upon me until finally I arose and began to walk the
+floor. They had all deserted me, left me like a rat in a trap to die.
+Of the many who had fawned upon me, there was not one to approach me
+with a kind word.
+
+London was doubtless amusing herself with talk of me at this moment.
+The wine was going around the table, and the small talk, as light and
+frothy as their empty pates, was beginning to be heard; they would
+doubtless discuss me from the beginning to the end. "Poor Winchester!
+he used to be a right amusing fellow before he ran away to join the
+pirates. I wonder how he looks now?"
+
+The little world of fashion--how I had grown to despise it! What cared
+I for its painted smile or frown; whether the fashion was silver
+buckles or bronze; whether they talked of me or not? I cared as little
+for it as I did for the chatter of the sparrows that hopped about the
+court-yard below.
+
+Did the Lady Margaret Carroll think of one who had known and loved her?
+Did one sigh of pity come from her heart and darken those azure eyes;
+or had she serenely forgotten my very existence? And Bobby--this was
+the most unkind cut of all. Bobby, whom I loved as I did a brother, and
+whose heart I thought was as true as steel; he, too, had turned his
+back and left me to my fate. Such was the way of the world.
+
+Nine o'clock, and the dusk was beginning to fall, the long July day was
+ending. As I lay there I heard someone pause at my door, and then it
+swung open. I still lay there, my eyes fixed on the dingy ceiling. It
+was the jailer probably bringing my supper, for it was about time for
+him.
+
+"Well, my friend," I said, "this is the last supper that thou wilt
+bring for me. To-morrow I will be where they do not eat, or at least
+not such stuff as this that thou dost bring."
+
+"Sir Thomas!" a voice cried. "Is it thou?"
+
+And springing to a sitting posture, whom should I see but Steele, whom
+I had last left on board the ship with the Spanish maid.
+
+"Steele!" I cried, "Steele!" And leaping to my feet, I almost hugged
+him in my delight. "Then there is still one friend left to me."
+
+He was as glad to see me as I was to see him; the great tears of joy
+rolled down his face as he answered:
+
+"Yes, one friend who will stay with thee to the last. I have been out
+of London to my country place in Hampshire, and only returned to-day.
+As soon as I arrived I heard the news and came immediately, without
+stopping to change my clothes," and he pointed to the mud upon his
+boots.
+
+"Sit down," I said, "and tell me about thyself. But first, what has
+become of the Spanish maid?"
+
+He colored deeply beneath his ruddy skin. With a smile he answered:
+
+"She is now Mistress Steele."
+
+"Is it possible!" I cried in surprise. "Let me congratulate thee.
+She is a lovely girl, and I have no doubt is as amiable as she is
+beautiful. Dame Fortune has indeed smiled upon thee," and I shook his
+hand heartily.
+
+"Thank thee," he replied. "We were thrown together a great deal during
+the voyage, and I grew to know and love her for her courage and beauty.
+We came a short distance in the pirate ship, and then they transferred
+us to a Spanish merchant vessel in which we went to Cadiz. I found
+there that I had lost something of value--my heart--and that a Spanish
+maiden was the finder. What could I do but ask her to give me back hers
+in exchange? She consented, and we were married there, and then we came
+on to England. She had a good deal of property, and with it we have
+bought a splendid home in the country, where we live most of the time,
+and I am as happy as a king.
+
+"Often have we talked of thee, and have wondered whether thou wert
+still alive or not. Twice have I set sail to find thy whereabouts, and
+each time have been driven back. Once by shipwreck, in which I narrowly
+escaped with my life; the second time we sailed out into the west for
+two months, but finally we had to give up the search and come back, as
+I had no idea where thou wert."
+
+"And where is Mistress Steele?" I said. "Is she in London?"
+
+"No," he replied. "She is in Hampshire. I grieve that she is not here,
+for I know that she would wish to see thee."
+
+"And didst thou give my message to the Lady Margaret Carroll?" I asked.
+"And if so, what did she say?"
+
+"Yes," he replied, his face brightening. "I gave it into the hands of
+the fair lady herself. She blushed as prettily as the dawn, and wept
+when I told her the situation in which I had left thee; and her eye
+kindled as I related how thou hadst given thy life into the hands of
+the Count DeNortier that an unknown Spanish maid might go free. When
+I had finished, she said no word, only sat in silence for a moment,
+and then she raised her head, and I saw her bonny blue eyes were full
+of tears. 'He is the knightliest gentleman that I have ever known,'
+she said softly, and then she gave me this trinket." He took from the
+pocket of his doublet a little gold pin and held it out to me.
+
+"I would ask a favor of thee," I said, as I took the little ornament in
+my hands. "Once thou didst think thyself under some little obligation
+to me. Wouldst thou cancel the debt?"
+
+"If I could," he replied. "Ask anything in my power and I will do it."
+
+"Tis a simple thing," I said. "I would only ask thee for this pin."
+
+"It is thine," he replied. "I saved it for thee, should I ever see thee
+again, for I guessed that thou wouldst wish for it. The lady loves
+thee," he said, his eyes upon my face.
+
+"Nay"--as I would have interrupted him, "do not raise thy hand. I
+have seen maidens before now. Did I not watch her as I told my story,
+and see the soft color come and go in her cheeks, and the tears in her
+beautiful eyes? A lady looks not thus but for one man, and that him
+whom she loves. Believe me, I have seen many damsels. This one loves
+thee," and he looked at me sagely.
+
+I laughed bitterly.
+
+"It may be so, Steele, and yet if she does she has a passing strange
+way of showing it. Why, even now, man, the rumor is that she weds Lord
+Dunraven! How dost thou account for that?"
+
+He bent his head as though in thought for a moment.
+
+"I know not," he said with a sigh. "Many strange things have I seen in
+my journey through this life, but the strangest of all, I think, my
+friend, is a maid. One mind to-day; another to-morrow. I had as lieve
+try to account for the storm, as to say what a lady would do to-day or
+to-morrow. I cannot say what the maiden will do--perhaps she will marry
+Dunraven, but this much I repeat, deep down in her heart she loves
+thee."
+
+I mused a moment, my head upon my hands. Could it be possible?--but no;
+Steele was mistaken. The lady was interested in the fate of a friend;
+was perhaps touched that I still thought of her--that was all. And then
+I thought of a question that I had pondered on so often since Steele
+left me, and had determined to ask if I should ever see him again.
+
+"What became of the women and children that were taken prisoners when
+DeNortier captured the galleon with the Spanish maid? I never saw them
+again, and have often wondered at their fate."
+
+His face darkened with a frown as he replied:
+
+"They went with us on board the ship, and when we had almost gotten to
+our destination, just before the lady and myself were transferred, we
+were hailed one day by an English merchant vessel, and the women and
+children were put aboard--to be sold as slaves to the Barbary pirates,
+a sailor afterwards told me."
+
+"Didst thou catch the name of the ship?" I asked. "This should be put a
+stop to, once and for all."
+
+"Yes," he replied, "'twas the 'Betsy' of London."
+
+"It was the very same ship on which we were carried to the pirate's
+vessel," I said.
+
+"The ruffian!" he answered indignantly, "he should be drawn and
+quartered. I sought high and low for some trace of the ship when I
+returned to England, but though I inquired in every city, nowhere could
+I hear of such a vessel. They told me there was no such ship. The name
+was probably a disguise."
+
+At that moment there came a knock upon the door, and the rough jailer
+thrust in his head.
+
+"Closing time, sir," he growled. "Thou must go."
+
+Steele arose to his feet, and we clasped hands in one last, long grasp.
+The honest fellow was almost overcome by his emotion.
+
+"God bless thee!" he said huskily. "I shall never forget thee, and what
+thou hast done for me and mine."
+
+A great lump came into my throat. When all others had deserted me,
+there still remained one friend, who was with me to the last.
+
+"I am glad that in my life I have been able to be of service to thee,"
+I replied. "'Twill perhaps balance that long list of errors and harm
+that I have brought to many. The memory of it will be sweet to me at
+the last. Give my best wishes and regards to thy wife, and tell her
+that she has chosen well. Farewell!"
+
+Stepping closer to me he looked around him; the jailer stood in the
+hall, fumbling impatiently with his keys.
+
+"Do not despair," he whispered in my ear hurriedly. "Thy friends will
+not see thee die. Be watchful." And with this he hurried from the
+room; a wave of the hand to me, and then the great door creaked on its
+hinges, and I was alone.
+
+I threw myself upon my bed. What did Steele mean when he said that my
+friends would not see me die? Perhaps they would make one more attempt
+to persuade the Queen to pardon me. They did not know her as I did, if
+they had the courage to try again. Her mind when once made up was as
+adamant, and they might probably go to the gallows for their pains;
+for Elizabeth was of an imperious temper, and brooked no restraint. He
+could only mean to use persuasion; they could do nothing by force,
+even though he could raise a band who were so reckless as to attack the
+Tower. Its walls were high and strong, and were garrisoned by hardy
+veterans commanded by a warworn general, who had only to hold them at
+bay for a few moments, until reënforcements arrived from the city.
+Perhaps he only meant to cheer my spirits, and to arouse me from the
+gloom into which I had fallen.
+
+An hour passed; a man knocked at the door, but he bore only a message
+from old Sir Henry, saying that a priest waited below to pray with me,
+should I desire it.
+
+"No," I answered, "tell him that I shall have no sniveling priest
+around me. If I die, it shall be like a man, undaunted and unafraid."
+And I turned my face to the wall.
+
+Below in the courtyard I could hear the sound of hammer and saw, as
+they reared the gallows on which to-morrow I would take my last leap.
+The workmen with jest and laughter were discussing the execution. "He
+will meet it like a man," I heard one say, "for old Giles told me that
+he fought the Dons like a demon."
+
+It availed me little now, I thought as I lay there; my life's book
+was about to be finished and closed, and they would forget that I had
+fought for my land, and risked my life in her cause.
+
+Would that I might see the Lady Margaret Carroll once more, ere I
+closed my eyes forever. What though she had promised to be the bride
+of a ruffian and knave. If I could catch one more glimpse of her face,
+pure and sweet, but one sight of her dainty head, I would die content.
+It was too much to be in England, alone and forsaken, my life to-morrow
+to be forfeited, in the same city with her, to see the same sky and
+breathe the same air, and yet not be able to see her; and at the
+thought I arose and began to pace the floor in agony, the damp sweat of
+anguish upon my brow. My God! was I to go down into the grave and not
+catch one last glimpse of her face?
+
+I could appreciate in that bitter moment the story that I had heard
+years ago from the lips of my old nurse--poor old Alice, she had been
+dust these many years!--of how the Son of God, alone and forsaken, in
+anguish and agony sweated great drops of blood, and at the last moment
+of pain cried out those heartrending words--"My God, My God, why hast
+thou forsaken me?"
+
+The nails had torn the flesh of my hands, as I writhed in sufferings,
+and the blood from the bruises was dripping from my fingers upon the
+floor, as I paced to and fro in that accursed cell; my tongue, hot and
+dry, almost cleaved to the roof of my mouth. My very soul cried out in
+rebellion, that I should drink the cup of bitterness and anguish to the
+very dregs.
+
+It seemed to me that I had felt the sting of all else, and this was
+the last and bitterest; earth could hold nothing more of torture for
+me. The morrow was as naught beside it. I could imagine how the damned
+must feel, as they writhe in agony in the burning flames of hell, and
+realize that they must suffer for countless ages; that there has gone
+from them all hope--that shining star that guides our groping feet
+through life's scenes of bitterest woe, and remains our brightest
+blessing from the cradle to the grave. When hope has fled, there is
+nothing left.
+
+I must have walked thus for hours, for it was eleven o'clock of the
+night, when worn out and exhausted, I threw myself again upon the bed.
+I had reached the point where my tortured soul could suffer no more,
+and I was now comparatively resigned. The storm and struggle had left
+me weak and worn, but I had spent myself with its fury and now lay
+quiet and composed.
+
+Another tap upon the door, and I heard it softly open. Perhaps it was
+old Sir Henry coming to cheer my drooping spirits. I did not turn my
+face from the wall; the candle was burning low upon the table, and
+cast its flickering light throughout the room. I lay there a moment,
+no sound came from the intruder; and then I became conscious of some
+faint, familiar perfume. Delicate and subtle, it penetrated my nostrils
+as though some far-famed wine, buoyant and life-giving.
+
+I sprang to my feet in an instant; there was only one who used such
+perfume as this. There, standing by the table, wrapped in a dark cloak
+that concealed her face, one little jeweled hand resting upon the
+table, stood a lady. I could not see her face; but that radiant hair
+that sparkled like gold in the light, that proud bend of the head, the
+little foot that peeped out from the folds of her dress, they belonged
+only to one of earth's creatures, and she--Margaret Carroll.
+
+"Margaret!" I cried. "Is it thou?" And I would have caught her in my
+arms in my delight.
+
+But she drew back from me, the cloak falling from her as she did so,
+and raised her hand.
+
+"Stop, sir," she said hurriedly. "Thou must think me bold and
+unmaidenly."
+
+"Say rather divine!" I cried. "Like some ministering angel, to bless
+poor mortals," and I took a step nearer where she stood.
+
+The faint color had deepened on her rose cheeks at my words.
+
+"Stop," she said. "Thou dost misinterpret my visit, as I feared thou
+wouldst; but I knew not what else to do. There was no one I could
+trust, so I persuaded Sir Robert Vane to bring me. He awaits outside,"
+and she turned as though to call him in.
+
+"A moment, Lady Margaret," I said--"a moment before thou dost call him
+in. I have something of importance for thy ear alone. Wilt thou not
+hear me, before thou callest Sir Robert?"
+
+She looked at me a moment doubtfully.
+
+"No," she murmured. "Thou canst have naught for my ears that Sir Robert
+should not hear." And she turned again and took a step towards the door.
+
+"Margaret!" I cried, "hast thou no pity for me? To-night is my last
+on earth, and thou wilt not hear me one moment. Is that all that thou
+dost think of one who knew and admired thee in the old days? To-morrow
+thou canst hear others, but if thou hear me not to-night, thou never
+wilt. I would tell thee of my strange adventures since I left London,"
+I finished artfully, with an imploring look.
+
+She turned, and then coming back towards me, seated herself upon one of
+the rough chairs near the table.
+
+"I will hear thy tale," she said, a smile upon her lips. "But list to
+me, sir, the moment that thou dost digress from that I am gone, and
+thou mayst depend upon it.
+
+"And what is this marvelous tale of thine?" she continued gently,
+her azure eyes upon my face. "Sir Robert, who was out of town, only
+returned this evening, and I immediately sent for him, and told him
+that thou wast here, condemned to die. He waited not a moment, but came
+at once with me here, and a time we had getting in I can tell thee,"
+and she laughed, a little ringing laugh.
+
+I said nothing, I was feasting my eyes upon her as she sat opposite; as
+the starving beggar looks with eager gaze upon the shop windows, filled
+with dainties, so I feasted my soul upon her and watched the light come
+and go upon her lovely face. She was more beautiful if possible, than
+when I had seen her last. There was an air of maturity, of the ripened
+fruit, that she had wanted in the days gone by. She was dressed for
+some ball or rout, in a clinging gown of shimmering pale blue stuff
+that set off her marvelous beauty to perfection. Around her white
+throat was clasped a sparkling necklace of diamonds, and the low cut
+of her gown revealed the soft beauty of her lovely neck. She looked as
+though she were a creature of some other world--too fair to be one of
+Mother Earth's daughters.
+
+"Art dumb," she said, "that thou dost sit silent and gaze at me as
+though I were a ghost? Thou wert better company in the old days," and
+she looked up at me archly.
+
+"In truth, my lady," I answered, "I did but marvel at thy wondrous
+beauty and----"
+
+Up she arose in an instant.
+
+"Did I not say that at the first hint of this I would go?" she cried.
+"I am as good as my word," and she would have gone.
+
+"Margaret!" I cried in dismay, "I most humbly crave thy pardon. I did
+not mean to offend again."
+
+"I do not trust thee," she answered with a frown. "Remember, sir, I
+shall not say a word, but at the first intimation of this again--out I
+go. Thou art changed," she said, and she hesitated.
+
+"Thou meanest older, Margaret," I replied. "Yes, older--much older. I
+have been through much since thou didst see me last, and my sufferings
+have, I believe, made me a better man."
+
+"I am glad," she said softly, tears in her eyes.
+
+"Margaret," I said, "didst thou learn who was responsible for my
+captivity?"
+
+"How long has it been Margaret?" she cried impatiently, tapping her
+little foot. "'Twas not Margaret when I saw thee last, and though I
+would not be hard upon thee, still I have overlooked it several times,"
+and she looked up at me imperiously.
+
+"I crave thy pardon," I said, coloring to my ears, for I had not been
+conscious until she spoke that I had called her by her given name. In
+my joy at seeing her again I had forgotten all else. "I did but call
+thee, in the confusion of the moment, as I had thought of thee so
+often. Habit, thou knowest, Lady Margaret, becomes a part of one," and
+I looked boldly at her.
+
+The imperious look faded from her face; she met my admiring gaze, and
+dropping her eyes, she hid them behind her long lashes, and a deep
+blush mounted her cheeks.
+
+"I see thou hast lost none of thy old boldness," she murmured, "and
+still art as persistent to gain thy point as ever."
+
+"What I am about to say may seem strange to thee," I said--"incredible.
+But I have always told the truth to thee--have I not?"
+
+"Yes," she answered gravely, raising her eyes, "I believe whatever thou
+mayest say."
+
+"It was Dunraven who kidnaped me," I answered quietly.
+
+She started, and I thought her face grew paler.
+
+"Impossible!" she cried, her eyes wide open with astonishment.
+
+"I stand too near death's door to lie to thee now, Margaret," I said,
+"did I wish to."
+
+"Forgive me," she answered quickly. "I was astonished, though I never
+doubted what thou didst say. But Lord Dunraven--what motive could he
+have for so black a deed?"
+
+"Margaret!" I cried, "look at me."
+
+She raised her eyes to mine bravely, but the tell-tale color was in her
+cheeks.
+
+"And thou dost ask me that?" I cried. "Thou knowest as well as I why
+Dunraven did this."
+
+She did not reply, but bent her head over the table, so that I could
+not see her face.
+
+"To-morrow," I said, "will end my career, and I----"
+
+She interrupted me eagerly.
+
+"Thou wilt not die to-morrow; thy friends will save thee."
+
+"My friends can do nothing," I replied slowly. "I am beyond man's help
+now. I would ask thee one question and only one. Wilt answer me?"
+
+"I will try," she replied, without raising her bent head. One little
+hand lay on the table near me, and I had hard work to keep myself from
+striding forward and closing my own over it.
+
+"I would not wish thee to marry one unworthy of thee," I said. "Thou
+art too sweet and beautiful to be tied to such a man as this; he would
+be a blight upon thy young life, that would grow and deepen as the
+years go by. Such a soul as thine should be mated with one congenial, a
+man that thou couldst love and trust."
+
+No answer; only silence, the beautiful head bent low over the table.
+She looked so young and helpless, as I looked at her, that my great
+love surged over all barriers, and swept everything before it, as the
+angry ocean beats down its puny bulwarks and breaks upon the land.
+
+"I have a story to tell thee," I said, in a low voice--"one that I have
+treasured long."
+
+"No!" she cried, lifting her head, and I could see her wet eyes and the
+tear stains upon her cheeks. "Spare me now--it is useless," she said
+hurriedly.
+
+"I know it is, Margaret," I said sadly. "But it is because it is so
+useless that I wish thee to know it, it can harm no one. To-morrow
+I will have passed from thy life forever; will be as last summer's
+flowers faded and gone, and yet I wish thee to know of what thou hast
+been to me. How when I was tempted sorely, and ready to yield, thy
+pure, sweet face would rise before me, and I, strengthened, would
+overcome the temptation. How often in the watches of the night, when
+all was quiet, with none but the silent stars to keep me company, I
+would think of thee, glad that the same sky hung over both, that we
+breathed the same air, and that the same sun shone above us. Wilt thou
+not hear me?"
+
+"How can I help myself," she moaned, "if thou wilt force me to hear
+thee. But I warn thee beforehand that it is useless."
+
+"I had never been a lady's man in my youth," I said, rising and
+beginning to pace the floor. "I was ever too rough, too shy, to please
+little lasses. They laughed at me and mocked my uncouth ways. Even when
+I was a mere lad, when I would bring the small maid whom I admired my
+little presents, and offer them to her, I felt a great admiration for
+her that bound my tongue, and I could only hold them out awkwardly.
+She would take my gifts from me, and then would turn and mock my
+awkwardness among her playmates, until they shouted with glee. This
+taught me my first lesson of woman; that she would use thee while she
+could, and then cast thee aside like a worn-out garment.
+
+"When I had grown larger I went to college, and finishing there, went
+out into Ireland, and stayed there a year or two in a brief campaign.
+When I returned to London I had not seen a woman of my own rank for
+years, but I plunged at once into the gay whirl of London society, and
+soon knew all the ladies of fashion. There I learned all the tricks
+of the men of fashion; learned how to play the flirt; how to regard
+woman as without heart or soul, her mind occupied only with the latest
+gown from Paris, or the last ball or rout; cold, heartless, only
+angling to entrap some gentleman, and after entangling him in her net,
+to calmly show him to the door when he clamored for something more
+than friendship. If she, to obtain rank or fortune, should finally
+marry him, it would be only a cold, matter-of-fact trade, a simple
+transaction of business--her beauty for his title or gold.
+
+"I had seen these newly-wedded husbands remain at home for a few
+weeks, and then frequent the taverns more assiduously than ever; had
+heard them tell in their cups of the vixenish temper of Mary, or the
+nagging tongue of Jane. What wonder that I soon regarded all women as
+flirts and coquettes, bent only on enjoying themselves, no matter at
+what expense, and then away to some other flower to sip the honey. For
+ten years did I linger among them, the gayest of the gay, the petted
+and humored of the bright dames of fashion. I could cast the most
+languishing glances, whisper the most burning words into soft ears that
+bent to listen, and yet it was only Winchester--he was a witty fellow,
+but he meant nothing and was harmless.
+
+"And then one day I met a maiden, beautiful, lovely; she lured me on
+by her very beauty, I grew to know her better from day to day; the
+admiration deepened as I saw her--pure, innocent, and true, never
+deceiving, never trifling with men's love, always noble, unselfish, and
+unaffected, never seeming conscious of her great beauty which turned
+the heads of men. As I knew her better I admired her more, until one
+day I awoke and found my admiration had ripened into love. Shall I tell
+thee what it meant to me?--how it brightened life's pathway; how if I
+could but see one bright face my heart was full to overflowing; how if
+one was absent from the room it was deserted for me, and how when I was
+by her side earth was heaven enough for me; how I watched the streets
+day and night to see her pass, and counted that day well spent when I
+had seen her face? I treasured her smile as the miser does his gold,
+and at night counted them over one by one.
+
+"One morning as I arose early, I saw her out for a morning stroll with
+a companion, and watched her as she tossed a coin to a beggar upon the
+corner. I bought that coin from her, and now wear it next my heart,"
+and I pulled a little gold chain from around my neck, and laid it upon
+the table.
+
+No sound from the silent figure with her head upon the table.
+
+"Margaret!" I cried, "I love thee. I know not how to express my love,
+I can only sing like the bird, only one song by night and day--I love
+thee."
+
+"Don't," she said, "I am not worthy of such love as this."
+
+"Not worthy!" I cried. "Why, a king upon his throne would step down
+gladly for thy love," and I bent toward her.
+
+"No, no," she murmured, her shoulders rising and falling with her sobs.
+
+"Margaret," I said, "dost thou love another?"
+
+No sound save that of her low sobs.
+
+At that moment I remembered the mirror in the crone's hut in that
+far-away island, and what I had seen in it. It was possible that it
+might be true after all. Bobby was by her side here in London, was
+constantly thrown in her company; would it be strange if he had grown
+to love her?
+
+"Is it Sir Robert Vane?" I asked.
+
+She sprang to her feet, her eyes flashing through her tears.
+
+"How darest thou?" she cried. "How darest thou ask me such a question
+as that? Who gave thee the right, sir?" and she gazed at me a moment in
+her anger, as though she would strike me down, and then, sinking into
+her chair, she cried as though her heart would break. "I hate thee,"
+she wailed.
+
+"Forgive me," I said gently. "I would not have asked thee, had I known.
+He is a gentleman, brave and true, and will make thee a kind and
+upright husband. Thou wilt be happy in the days to come, together. I
+trust thou wilt believe me, when I say that for thee I wish all good
+blessings. May thy future pathway be strewn with flowers, and may not
+a shadow fall athwart it to darken its happiness. Sometimes when thou
+art happy, leaning upon the strong arm of him whom thou dost love, wilt
+thou not give one thought to one who once knew and loved thee? And
+now--good-by!"
+
+Bending my knee, I pressed that little white hand to my lips, and
+taking her arm I walked with her to the door and opened it--there,
+pacing the hall, was Bobby.
+
+[Illustration: "I Pressed that Little White Hand to My Lips"]
+
+He turned when he saw me, and running forward, caught my hand.
+
+"Thomas!" he cried, "I never thought to see thee alive again."
+
+I returned his cordial grasp.
+
+"Bobby," I said, "take Lady Margaret home, and then come back again,
+for I have something to say to thee. Care for her tenderly," I said to
+him, as with the weeping lady upon his arm he turned to go. "Thou hast
+won the loveliest and fairest woman that I have ever known. It is a
+priceless jewel, Bobby--guard it well. May God watch over both of you
+now and in the days to come!" And turning I opened the door of my cell,
+and passing inside, closed it behind me.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+I SAIL FOR VIRGINIA
+
+
+It was near midnight when my door opened again. I was still in the
+chair by the table, where I had seated myself when I had left them
+outside, staring vacantly at the place opposite, where she had sat so
+lately. Only a few brief minutes before her dress had pressed yonder
+chair; her elbow had touched the table; it was still wet with her tears.
+
+"Bobby," I said, arising as he entered, "I need not say that I am glad
+to see thee; it seems like ages since we roamed London together."
+
+He seated himself opposite and looked at me. I saw no change in him
+since we had been together twenty-two months before, save perhaps a few
+wrinkles about his forehead, otherwise he was still the same frank,
+sincere friend.
+
+"Thou hast changed," he said at length.
+
+"I know it," I replied, "but thou hast heard of my adventures."
+
+"Yes," he answered, with a ringing laugh. "The Lady Margaret told me of
+them. I marvel not that the Queen did not believe thee--it is almost
+beyond belief."
+
+"Bobby," I said, "often have I thought of thee in the long nights and
+wished to see thy face. I had not thought sometimes to see it again."
+
+He looked up at me, his eyes moist.
+
+"I have searched far and wide for thee, everywhere that I could think
+of, but it was as though thou hadst been caught up in the clouds;
+nowhere could I find a trace of thy whereabouts. I had almost given up
+hope."
+
+"Dunraven was at the bottom of it," I said. "He thought that, with
+me out of the way, he could win Margaret, but I thank Heaven that
+his plans have miscarried, and that she has bestowed her love upon a
+noble gentleman of worth and merit. Old friend, this is no time for
+concealment or coldness between us--from the bottom of my heart I
+congratulate thee, and wish thee joy!" and I held out my hand to him.
+
+He took it, and squeezed it between both of his own.
+
+"Thank thee, old man," he said huskily. "None but a heart of true steel
+such as thine could bear this grief so nobly. But I fear that thou art
+mistaken, for never has the lady given me any cause to think that she
+regarded me as more than a friend; thou hast misinterpreted her words."
+
+"No," I answered, "she loves thee; she as good as told me that. What
+didst thou expect--that the lady would propose to thee?" I smiled at
+him. "Pluck up courage, good sir, make one brave charge, and the field
+is thine."
+
+"I would I thought so," he said doubtfully.
+
+"But," I said, "'faint heart ne'er won fair lady.' Put on a bold front,
+I have never found thee timid; corner her and force her to listen to
+thee."
+
+He looked at me, his face flushed and happy.
+
+"And thou dost think of me with thyself at death's door!" he cried,
+"while I sit here like a mummy. Listen--old Sir Henry DeGray thinks
+much of thee, as thou dost know, and he has consented to aid us in
+thy escape. The plan is this. After I have left, dost thou wait about
+fifteen minutes, then beat upon the door. The man who will open it is
+drunk. Knock him down, take his keys away from him, and put him in thy
+place; then don his cloak and walk boldly out into the hall. Sir Henry
+awaits thee there. Say nothing, but follow him to the door. I shall be
+outside and will guide thee to where Governor White lies at anchor in
+the Thames, ready to set sail for the golden Virginia. Once over there
+thou art safe, and canst remain until the coast is clear here; then
+thou canst return to England."
+
+"'Tis a bold scheme, Bobby, and I thank thee. But why should I go? Life
+holds naught so precious for me, that I should cling to it so strongly.
+There is nothing for me beyond the seas, in that strange and barbarous
+land, with its painted savages and fierce beasts of prey. What could I
+do, should I reach it alive? No, leave me to my fate--and go!"
+
+"Thomas!" he cried, "if thou carest not for thyself, think of thy
+friends. Spare me this last blow--spare me, or I shall go mad! Think
+of Margaret, and for her sake go," and he stretched out his hands
+imploringly to me.
+
+Silence reigned in the little room. I was thinking of her; what would
+she care? Why should I go out into a strange and unknown land to begin
+life anew, with no one besides me save only the Indians and wild
+beasts; to drag out a few miserable years of pain and sorrow. A life
+such as this was not worth the effort--no, the game was not worth the
+candle.
+
+"Thou dost not know what thou askest of me," I replied finally. "What
+would a life such as this mean? It would be a living death. Better one
+quick leap and then forgetfulness and oblivion. As for Margaret, why
+should she care?"
+
+"Thou art mad," he replied, "that thou talkest thus. It will be only
+for a few months among new scenes and men; 'twill be a diversion for
+thy mind. As for my lady, thou hast no right to speak thus. Thou dost
+not know how much she cares; in truth, as I led her home she wept as
+though her heart would break, and she implored me to save thee as I
+left her."
+
+"And so thou dost beseech me to leave England, so that I may be out of
+the way," I answered bitterly.
+
+"Thomas!" he cried reproachfully, "I have not deserved this at thy
+hands--as God is my witness, I have not. I have ever loved thee as a
+brother, and there has been no time when I would not have given my life
+to have saved thee, and yet thou reproachest me thus. Truly those we
+love most are the first to turn their backs upon us."
+
+"Forgive me, Bobby!" I cried penitently. "My grief has almost turned my
+brain, and I know not what I say. I did not mean to offend thee, and
+would beg thy pardon."
+
+"Then go," he answered, pacing the floor in his excitement. "A few more
+minutes and the watch will be changed, and 'twill be too late. Come!
+for my sake if thou lovest me; for Margaret's sake; for the sake of thy
+old friends, whom thou didst once know and cherish." And he turned to
+me with a look of entreaty upon his face.
+
+"If thou dost put it thus," I said, "I will go. It matters little
+where I drag out the few remaining years left to me. For thy sake I
+will go."
+
+"Good!" he cried joyfully. "Remember what I have told thee. I will wait
+for thee on the outside. I pray that our plans may not miscarry. Be
+brave, and fear naught. I must hurry," and he opened the door and left
+me.
+
+I could hear the sound of his feet upon the floor as he walked rapidly
+down the hall. I waited in silence a few minutes, then with both fists
+I pounded upon the door, and kicked upon it with my heels.
+
+An unsteady voice answered me from the outside:
+
+"What-cher-want? Can't-yer-be-quiet?" and then a hiccough.
+
+"Open!" I cried. "I have a sovereign for thee if thou wilt do an errand
+for me."
+
+I heard him fumbling with the lock, and then opening the door, he
+thrust his head inside, and gazed carefully around the room from the
+ceiling to the floor, until finally his eyes fell upon me, as I stood
+within three feet of him.
+
+"What-yer-want?" he muttered again. "Can't-yer-lemme-sleep?" And a
+threatening look came over his drunken face.
+
+"I have a dozen bright gold pieces for thee," I said. "Come inside and
+thou shalt have them," and I thrust my hand into my pocket, as though
+to draw them out.
+
+He lurched inside and towards me, his hand outstretched.
+"Lemme-have-em," he cried in tipsy glee.
+
+With a bound I caught him by the throat and threw him upon the floor.
+With his own doublet and some of the bedding I swiftly and quietly
+bound him hand and foot and gagged him. Then picking up his helpless
+body in my arms, I threw it upon the bed as though he were a bundle of
+goods.
+
+"Listen," I said in a low voice, my face within a foot of his own;
+"make but one sound or attempt to escape, and I will kill thee, for I
+am just outside."
+
+Unbuckling the belt around his waist, in which hung a long dagger, I
+fastened it around my own, and picking up his dark cloak and steel cap,
+which had fallen upon the floor when I sprang upon him, I prepared to
+take my departure.
+
+One last look at the bound man upon the bed--yes, he was secure. A
+sudden thought struck me: where were the keys? There were only a few in
+his doublet, but they were small ones, evidently to the doors of the
+cells. Nowhere could I find those which belonged to the great front
+door, nor to the doors which led into each corridor. Well I must trust
+to chance for my salvation; I would make the attempt, I could do no
+more.
+
+Crossing over to the door which stood slightly ajar, the key still
+in the lock, I pushed it open and stood in the corridor, which was
+deserted. I turned the key in the lock, thrust it into my pocket, and
+with the cloak around my face, strode down the hall. The long passage
+seemed to re-echo my footsteps as though I trod with feet of mail.
+It seemed to me that all must know a prisoner was escaping. The very
+walls seemed to cry "Stop!--stop!" to me as I trod by; my heart beat as
+though it would burst. The jailer must hear its muffled beat--but no
+sound greeted my ears, as I kept steadily on my way and stood at the
+first heavy door that barred my passage.
+
+My feeling of terror had left me, and I felt a strange exultation. If
+I should escape from this black hole, I would be the first for many a
+year. Of the many who entered its gloomy portals, few ever left them
+alive again. They were doomed to pass their days in some dark dungeon
+within its recesses, shut off from the world and all it contained.
+
+I beat with the hilt of my dagger upon the iron-studded panel.
+
+"Open!" I cried.
+
+The growl of old Sir Henry answered me.
+
+"Is it thee, Jack? Thou scoundrel! Thou shouldst have been here an hour
+ago. What kept thee so long, thou dog? I will lash that lazy hide of
+thine," and grumbling to himself he unlocked the door. "Why stand like
+a struck boar?" he shouted at me. "Thou fool! hast thou all night to
+stand there?"
+
+And with a curse he locked the door again, and strode away with me
+at his heels, leaving the man who had stood by him during his brief
+monologue staring after us as we left him. He walked at a rapid gait,
+I at his heels, down the long passage, speaking never a word. We
+passed several guards lounging in the hall, who straightened up, all
+attention, as we neared them. Evidently the old soldier kept his men
+under strict discipline.
+
+As we neared a little knot of guards, he cried out:
+
+"Come on, thou fool, I will teach thee to sleep at thy post again! I
+will tear the very flesh from thy bones!" And with that he unlocked the
+door which barred our passage, and passing the man who stood beside it,
+he kept on down the hall. I could hear the men on the other side mutter
+to themselves as it swung to, but what they said I could not catch.
+
+We were alone now in the hall, no one was in sight of us. Peering
+around him the old warrior halted a moment, and turning to me, one eye
+closed, he winked; then with a growl, he resumed his journey. Several
+more doors we unlocked and passed through, meeting a dozen little
+groups of men in the hall, but Sir Henry said not a word, only as we
+neared them, he would curse me for my tardiness and laziness, and swear
+to tear me limb from limb.
+
+With my cap pulled down over my face and wrapped in the great dark
+cloak, I followed him, my head bowed as though in dejection and fear;
+and so we traversed the great building, until finally we stood at the
+huge door that led out into the open air, where he halted. There was no
+one there, and unbolting it, he motioned for me to walk out.
+
+"Forget not to deliver the message that I gave thee to Lord Pendleton,"
+he said, in a loud tone of voice, for the benefit of any who might
+chance to see us, "thou dog, and waste no time about it, or I will
+trounce thee well with my stirrup--begone!" And with a kindly look upon
+his old face, he pushed the door to, and I heard the chain rattle as he
+secured it.
+
+I stood alone in the low courtyard of the prison, the cold night air
+blowing against my face. Carefully I picked my way over the uneven
+stones, with which the yard was paved, until I reached the gate which
+led into the street. It was unlocked, and opening it, I stood once more
+upon the street of London--free.
+
+A man started from the shadow of the wall, and came toward me, his
+head muffled in his cloak; as he neared me, I saw that it was Bobby.
+
+"I had almost given thee up," he whispered. "But come, we have no time
+to lose. It will be only a few hours at the most until they discover
+thy escape, and they will search all England thoroughly for thee." And
+catching me by the arm, he hurried me down the street.
+
+"Where art thou going?" I asked in a low tone of voice.
+
+"To the river," he answered. "I have a fleet boat there, and we will
+row down to where Governor White lays. He has consented to conceal
+thee for a day or two, until he gets out of England, and then thou
+canst reveal thyself, for it will not matter then. He is under great
+obligations to Raleigh, and I persuaded Sir Walter to ask this of him;
+it was the only way we could save thee, and White would cut off his
+right hand for Walter."
+
+Down the dark streets we hurried; I could hear Bobby panting as he
+rushed along. This was violent exercise for one who had lived an idle
+life for years. Every moment I expected the dark tower behind us to
+twinkle with lights and ring with shouts, as they discovered my flight
+and made haste to pursue me. But no sound came from its black depths;
+it lay still and gloomy. We passed only a few belated nighthawks and
+wayfarers, as they staggered home after a night of revelry, and they
+endeavored to give us a wide berth, for we were two able-bodied men,
+and they cared not to tackle us.
+
+Finally, turning into a dark lane, we stood by the river's brink.
+Bobby, putting his fingers to his lips, gave a shrill whistle; an
+answer floated back from the dark water, and I heard the sound of oars
+as a boat came forward to us.
+
+"It is manned by four tenants from my estate near London," he
+whispered. "True as steel they are; rather would they be cut to pieces,
+than to say one word of to-night's work."
+
+The boat swept up to the dark wharf where we stood.
+
+"Careful," he muttered, "watch where thou dost step. Do thou go first,"
+and he motioned towards the boat.
+
+I stepped down into it and he followed. Without a sound the men pushed
+off, and bent to their work with a will; the little boat hummed
+through the water. I could not see the faces around me, only four dark
+forms, pulling with all their strength upon the oars. They rowed on in
+silence, uttering no sound as we passed through the twinkling lights
+where the vessels lay at anchor, rising and falling with the tide.
+
+Behind us stretched the city; before us the silent river, and I knew
+not what beyond that. God only knew when I would see England again; an
+exile, with only one true friend beside me, I was hurrying from London
+like a thief, from the land where I had been born and reared. Engaged
+with such thoughts as these, I sat silent and moody; beside me Bobby,
+his face upon his hand, sat as preoccupied as myself. We had left the
+ships now, and were pulling down the river, with no glimmer of light in
+sight.
+
+"Where art thou going, Bobby?" I asked. "Thou hast left all of the
+ships behind thee, and art making down the river."
+
+He roused himself and looked around him.
+
+"Where art thou going, Bill?" he cried. "This is not where the vessel
+lies," and he bent forward to peer at the silent figure near him. As he
+did so he sprang to his feet, his sword in hand. "What have we here?"
+he shouted in alarm. "This is not my boat!"
+
+I was just about to rise beside him, dagger in hand, when from the
+stern of the boat, among some oilskins and packages, a man arose. At
+the first sound of his voice I was up, for I knew the curt, ironical
+tones.
+
+"My dear gentlemen, pray be seated," he said. "You are my guests, and
+I beg that you be not alarmed; I will watch over you well." With a
+mocking smile upon his face, stood Lord Dunraven.
+
+The men had dropped their oars and sprang up to overpower us. As one
+hardy mariner caught my left arm with both hands, I raised my dagger
+and plunged it full into his brawny breast; with a groan he rolled
+down at my feet, knocking down his companion in his fall. Bobby was
+struggling in the grasp of the other two men behind me; Dunraven was
+coming at me with drawn sword--there was no time to be lost. The seaman
+who had been knocked down struggled to his knees. I raised my foot, and
+kicked him full in the face, with all my might. With a cry of pain he
+fell back, and I, losing my balance, sprawled over him as he went down.
+
+I heard Dunraven's sword whistle over my head as I fell; it would have
+caught me full in the throat had I not done so. He stumbled for an
+instant as, carried away by the force of his blow, he sought to recover
+himself. Leaning forward I caught him by both knees, and rising to my
+feet, I swung him high over my head a moment, and then cast him far out
+into the water, as though he had been a log.
+
+The two men had Bobby down in the bottom of the boat, and were tying
+him securely with ropes, he struggling to release himself. Catching
+up a cutlass, I sprang forward, and cut at the head of one of them
+who had turned to meet me. The blade caught him full on the neck, and
+almost severed his head from his body. He stood erect for an instant,
+the blood spurting from his throat, and then with an awful yell he went
+down, both hands clutching blindly at the bottom of the boat in his
+agony. The other rogue waited for no more, but in an instant was over
+the side of the boat, and I heard him as with vigorous strokes he swam
+down the stream.
+
+"Thomas, for Heaven's sake, untie these cords from my arms!" Bobby
+cried, at my feet. "These rogues have bound me as though they thought I
+would fall asunder; the cords cut into my flesh like a sword."
+
+Bending over him, I cut the rope with my bloody cutlass, and helped him
+to his feet.
+
+"Where are we?" I asked.
+
+"God only knows," he answered, "I do not. We will miss the ship!" he
+cried, wringing his hands. "What a fool I was, not to be sure that I
+had gotten on board the right boat. Dunraven must have caught wind of
+my scheme somewhere, and laid this trap into which I walked like an
+idiot."
+
+"Thou couldst not know it," I answered. "Do not blame thyself. Yonder
+goes an oar!" And one of the oars, loosed from the socket by the
+struggle, floated out into the stream. I jumped forward and caught
+another as it was about to follow suit. "Catch yonder one, Bobby! I
+shouted, and quickly he did so. Only two remained out of four; one of
+the others had floated away, probably when the seamen had loosened it.
+
+"Where dost thou say we are?" I asked. "We had best turn back upstream,
+and make for the ship."
+
+He was standing up, and peered around him.
+
+"I know yonder house," he said finally, pointing out to where a great
+many-gabled house gleamed far away in the darkness. "'Tis Sir John
+Norton's house, and it is five miles from where Governor White lies,
+and the tide is against us; we shall never make it before morning," and
+he groaned hopelessly.
+
+"Do not despair," I said cheerfully. "Take one of the oars and we will
+have a try at it. We will go under if we must, but first we will make a
+game fight," and seating myself, I began to tug at one of the oars.
+
+Years ago I could row, but I had grown older now, and rowing was more
+difficult to me. Slowly we turned, and began to pull against the tide;
+it was about three o'clock in the morning, and we had only two hours
+at the most to make the ship, for she sailed at five o'clock, as Bobby
+informed me. He, tugging opposite, cursed his luck, as with a groan he
+bent to his task. Of Dunraven and the sailor we heard nothing. They had
+disappeared, and the dark river told no secrets.
+
+I shall never forget that night's work, as with aching back I pulled
+for my life, and not only mine, but for Bobby's as well; for to my
+repeated offers to put him on shore, and let him strike through the
+country for his estates, he turned a deaf ear.
+
+"Leave thee to thy death?" he cried indignantly. "No, I have not sunk
+so low as that. Thou couldst never make the ship alone, and to remain
+in England is but to invite certain discovery. They will scour all
+England to find thee, and there is no place that thou couldst remain in
+safety. No--we will both sink or swim together."
+
+My hands, unaccustomed to the hard work, had blistered, and every
+stroke gave me pain. The sweat stood in large drops upon my forehead,
+and ran down my face; my back seemed as though it would break, as I
+bent to the work; my breath came in quick gasps. Two miles gone--and
+it was four o'clock. I stopped for an instant, and tearing off the
+sleeves of my doublet, I handed one in silence to Bobby, and wrapping
+the other about the handle of my oar, resumed my task.
+
+It was only a question of a few moments with me; we were crawling
+slowly upstream, the tide beating against us as though in league with
+Dunraven, and eager to hold us back. It seemed to me that I had rowed
+always; that I had done naught from my birth but tug with bleeding
+hands at some heavy oar against the belated tide.
+
+My mind was a blank; I had forgotten all else, save that we must pull
+three miles in one short hour, or Bobby was lost. In all broad England
+there was no spot where he could safely lay his head, for the Queen
+would punish with iron hand one who dared to beard her in her palace,
+and to pluck from the very gallows a felon whom she had doomed to die.
+
+And so I pulled as though an empire hung upon my efforts. How much
+longer would this last? Half-past four, and we had pulled a little over
+a mile, and must rest. Fastening my oar, I threw myself flat upon the
+bottom of the boat. Bobby fell beside me, and with throbbing hearts we
+lay there.
+
+Every breath that I drew gave me pain; a mist came before my eyes; the
+world seemed to whirl and circle in a mad dance about me; the river
+sucking at the boat seemed to my fevered brain to be a thing of life;
+the dark trees upon the banks seemed to beckon to me, as though a
+company of cloaked monks.
+
+Afar down the east, a light streak was beginning to broaden, the sun
+was about to rise. Aboard the vessel all was bustle and hurry; they
+were preparing to hoist sail, and at the thought I tottered to my feet,
+and bent once more to the oar. By hard work we made another mile; it
+was five o'clock now, and we were still some distance from the ship.
+There was no use to work longer.
+
+"Bobby," I muttered weakly, "the ship must have gone--let us rest."
+
+"No," he answered, "pull! It will wait for us a moment--pull, man! we
+may yet reach it," and he redoubled his efforts.
+
+I bent again to the oar, though it seemed as though my exhausted arms
+would wrench from their sockets at each stroke. Around me danced the
+river; the roar of the ocean was in my ears; little specks of fire
+glimmered in front of my very eyes. How long was a mile?--a mile--a
+mile--I had forgotten why we rowed so madly, I only knew that something
+terrible would befall us did we not reach a place, I knew not where, by
+five o'clock.
+
+Bobby was speaking:
+
+"It is past five o'clock now, and we are nearly there."
+
+"Yes, nearly there," I repeated vacantly; "nearly there." Where was
+"there"?
+
+The sun was rising like a ball of flame; red and angry, he was
+preparing for another day, and he scowled down upon us with threatening
+look, as though we had wronged him, and he but waited to avenge
+himself. We turned a curve in the river--there, nearly a quarter of a
+mile away, by the side of a dock lay a great vessel, her decks alive
+with men. She was about to spread her white sails, and fly out into the
+trackless ocean; even as we looked, she came slowly around, and, the
+wind filling her great sheets of canvass, began to move slowly through
+the water.
+
+Bobby dropped the oar and sprang to his feet.
+
+"It is our ship!" he cried.
+
+And then he raised his voice and shouted with all his might, I joining
+him, but in vain; we were too weak from our long efforts, and our
+voices could not reach the ship. I waved my doublet above my head, and
+Bobby, putting his cap upon his oar, moved it backward and forward,
+hoping to attract their attention. But no sound came from the vessel,
+steadily she kept on her way to join her two consorts at the mouth of
+the river.
+
+The vessel lay below the city, at an old deserted wharf, probably
+waiting for us, and her going attracted little attention; only a
+small crowd of people stood upon the wharf, idlers and friends of the
+adventurers, who had come to say good-by. My companion had thrown
+himself upon his face on the bottom of the boat and was sobbing like a
+child. I listlessly kept up my efforts to attract the attention of the
+vessel, for, though I had despaired of succeeding, I would not desist
+until it had passed out of sight.
+
+The great ship keeled as she came round to the wind, and lay
+motionless. A culverin boomed, and lo! a boat put out from her and made
+for us where we lay. I gave a shout of joy--we were saved.
+
+Vane looked up at my cry of astonishment.
+
+"What is it?" he asked wonderingly. "Art thou mad?"
+
+"We are saved, Bobby!" I cried, and I caught him in my arms and hugged
+him in delight. "Saved!"
+
+He had arisen, calm again.
+
+"We had best toss these rogues overboard," he said; "their bodies might
+excite suspicion. We can get into their boat, and turn this adrift;
+perhaps it will serve to throw our pursuers off the track."
+
+And with my help, he tossed the dead bodies into the river. Two of them
+were dead, cold, and stiff; the third, whom I had kicked in the face,
+lay as though dead. We had no time to examine him; alive or dead he
+must go into the stream, for it would mean certain death to Sir Robert
+to leave this fellow behind, to tell of his share in my escape. So we
+cast him overboard.
+
+The boat had neared us; a spare, gaunt man, wrapped in a dark cloak,
+with a worn, patient face, stood erect in the stern, and as he came in
+speaking distance, shouted to Bobby.
+
+"What means this, Captain? I expected thy brother an hour ago, and have
+lost time waiting for you."
+
+"I could not help it, Governor," he answered. "We were set upon by
+robbers down the river, our men were murdered, and it was only after
+a hard fight that we saved our lives. We rowed for two hours and more
+against the stream, as though the furies were at our heels, to catch
+thy ship."
+
+He said nothing as the boat reached us, and we clambered aboard.
+
+"It is Governor White," Bobby whispered in my ear.
+
+"What wouldst thou have me do with thy boat?" White asked, eying us
+closely.
+
+"Turn it adrift," I answered. "It has done its work." And leaving it, we
+pulled towards the spot where the ship lay awaiting us.
+
+"You must have had a time of it," he said. "Your faces are dripping
+with sweat, and the blood is all over your doublets."
+
+"Such a fight as I have never made before," Bobby replied. "I had given
+up hope several times, but still we kept on. How camest thou to wait
+for us?"
+
+"I suspected something of the sort," he answered quietly, "and so we
+waited for a while. But I had given you up in despair and was about to
+sail, when one of the sailors spied your boat, and called my attention
+to it. I knew at once who it was, and so came back to pick you up. But
+pull, men!" he cried--"pull! We are much delayed as it is."
+
+He was plainly worried, and I did not blame him. All London doubtless
+knew of my escape by now, and they were scouring the country high and
+low for me; at any moment we might come upon a party of the searchers,
+and then good-by for White and his voyage. It was light now, and we
+could be plainly seen from the banks of the river; the bustle and hum
+of the city came dimly to our ears. They would probably search the ship
+before they would let it sail--no wonder White's cheeks were pale.
+
+A few moments, and we neared the ship; a crowd of eager faces peered
+down at us, sailors and adventurers, men of all sorts and conditions,
+they jostled and pushed each other, and the hum of their voices reached
+my ears, as, assisted by two sailors, I stumbled up the ladder, and
+down into the cabin, followed by Vane. Concealment now was useless, our
+only safety was in flight. Should our ship be stopped, all on board
+knew of our arrival, and discovery was inevitable.
+
+White closed the door behind him.
+
+"I am risking much for Walter Raleigh," he said. "We must take to our
+heels now, and evade them as best we can. Do you both stay below, until
+I send for you. I will set Sir Robert off at some point further down
+the river, where he can reach his place without suspicion," and with
+that he hurried out of the room.
+
+The wind had freshened, and with all her sails set, the vessel flew
+through the water. We were passing among the shipping docks now, for I
+could see the sides of the vessels from the little open window where I
+stood.
+
+A hoarse shout struck my ears--"Stop! in the name of the Queen, I
+command thee!"
+
+"What is it?" I could hear White answer. "We are delayed, and are
+making all speed to join our consorts--we cannot stop."
+
+"Thou dost go on at thy peril!" the voice roared. "A prisoner doomed to
+die has escaped from the Tower, and we are to search each vessel. It
+will take but a moment, and my orders are to fire on every ship that
+disobeys. Wait but a moment."
+
+White shouted back: "I will go on a little further down the river, and
+stop at yonder wharf."
+
+"No!" shouted the man, his voice becoming fainter, for the ship was
+staggering through the water with the speed of a race horse. "Stop! or
+I shall fire on thee."
+
+White did not answer, only I heard him urge the men to put on more
+sail. A moment--then a dull roar, and the culverins crashed, as
+somewhere behind us they fired. A scornful laugh from the deck.
+Evidently we were out of range now. Then I heard a cry from above: "The
+man-of-war is making sail for us!" And there was the sound of hurried
+steps, as the men ran to and fro upon the deck in fear. If we could
+only keep this up but for a few minutes, we would soon be upon the high
+seas. The wind was blowing a very gale, as with every stitch of sail
+set, the vessel plunged through the water. It was broad daylight now,
+and every moment was golden to us; at any instant a vessel might block
+our way, and all would be lost.
+
+Four long hours passed; several merchant vessels had gone by on their
+way to London, their crews pointing at us and staring in wonder as we
+dashed on at full speed. One or two had attempted to hail us, but we
+had paid no attention to their repeated shouts, and had kept steadily
+down the river. Our pursuer had fallen far behind us and was out of
+sight; only the rippling Thames lay before us.
+
+A man knocked upon the door and informed us that Governor White awaited
+us on deck, and we followed him to where White stood, a little apart
+from his men.
+
+"We have almost reached the ocean," he said as we approached him. "If
+Sir Robert desires to land, he had best do so now; but say the word
+and thou shalt go ashore where thou dost wish."
+
+Bobby turned to me.
+
+"I have half a mind to go with thee, Thomas," he said in a low voice.
+"It would be a change of scene, and I would be company for thee in that
+strange land."
+
+I shook my head.
+
+"No," I replied, "thy duty is here; there is enough for thy hand to do,
+without wandering out into an unknown wilderness. Thou must watch over
+Margaret," I whispered in his ear. "What will she do here at the mercy
+of Dunraven? No, thou must remain. We have come to the parting of the
+ways--thine lies in England; mine in distant Virginia. We will walk as
+best we may, nor murmur though the task seem hard, and dark the way
+before us. Thy boat awaits thee--we must part."
+
+"Thomas," he replied, "I cannot see thee go thus, for I feel that it
+will be years before I see thy face again, if ever. That land swarms
+with hidden dangers and I cannot see thee go alone."
+
+"It is best," I answered. "Thou couldst do no good. Tell the Lady
+Margaret that I remain as ever her humble servant--and may the good
+angels watch over you both."
+
+White came forward. "I grieve to interrupt your parting, gentlemen,"
+he said, "but time is precious, for I know not what moment our pursuer
+will round yonder bend, and cut off our retreat."
+
+"Thou art right," I answered, wringing Bobby by the hand once more.
+"Over with thee, old friend, and remember all I have said to thee. Keep
+up a brave heart, and all will be well."
+
+He made no answer; perhaps some thought of what I had been to him
+choked his voice; he only clasped my hand tighter for an instant.
+
+"Would that I could go with thee," he said brokenly. "I will think of
+thee often, as thou dost wander in exile beyond the sea," and turning,
+he descended the ladder into the little boat that awaited him.
+
+Swiftly they carried him to where a great and majestic oak stood
+overhanging the water, like some forest monarch, with its sturdy head
+upraised against the sky. I watched him as he sat with bent head, his
+face turned towards the shore. A few moments and the boat touched the
+bank. He sprang out; the men had turned back, and with rapid strokes
+were coming toward the vessel, leaving him standing looking at me as I
+leaned upon the rail. He was only one hundred yards away, for the river
+was narrow at this point, and raising my voice, I hailed him.
+
+"Remember the trust I have confided into thy hands," I shouted, "and
+stand stanch and true."
+
+"I shall not forget," he answered, with a wave of his hand. "It is of
+thee that I think."
+
+The adventurers were crowding around me with bulging eyes; evidently
+they were swelling with curiosity as to what this strange occurrence
+could mean, but they said naught to me. The boat had returned, and with
+a rush the vessel spread her sails and pursued her journey. I watched
+as long as I could see the solitary figure, standing by the giant oak,
+waving his sword at me. Finally I could no longer see the glimmer of
+the sun upon the steel; only a tiny black speck, and at last that too
+faded from my view--I had left him.
+
+We passed the mouth of the river and struck the ocean. In front of us,
+a mile or two away, two vessels rocked and tossed upon the bosom of the
+Atlantic.
+
+I heard White's voice by my side.
+
+"It is the Dart and the Goodwill," he said, "our two consorts. We will
+soon overtake them."
+
+Like a seagull that plumes her feathers, ere she takes some long flight
+across the blue sea, the vessel seemed to hesitate and waver, as though
+uncertain of her course. Striking the long roll of the surf, she
+quivered and rocked a moment, and then spreading her wings, she took
+her departure out into that great unknown--the boundless ocean.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+CROATAN
+
+
+For long days and nights we rocked to and fro, rising and falling
+with the waves, only the blue water stretched around and about us. No
+vessel, no land in sight, nothing but water, water, water all around,
+and afar the distant horizon as it seemed to stoop and blend with the
+ocean.
+
+The second morning out I stood leaning on the rail, gazing far out in
+front of me. "Ugh," said someone, and raising my eyes, I saw standing
+near me a savage, red and fierce in his paint and skins, the feather
+of an eagle in his coarse black hair, his dark gleaming eyes upon my
+face. It was the Indian whom I had seen with Raleigh one night at Lady
+Wiltshire's.
+
+Margaret had sat by me that evening, and had been kinder than her wont.
+Several times as her clear laughter had rung at some jest of mine, I
+had seen the piercing eye of the Indian wander from Lady Wiltshire,
+who was questioning Raleigh about him, and rest for an instant upon
+Margaret's face, wonder and admiration upon his own; and then meeting
+my eye, he had turned his face hastily away.
+
+Sir Walter, on leaving, had halted by us an instant.
+
+"Manteo has been spellbound by thy wondrous beauty, Lady Margaret," he
+cried gayly. "Thou hast added one more victim to thy long list," and he
+cast a teasing look at her.
+
+A slight flush had crept into her pink cheeks at his words.
+
+"Since when hast thou turned flatterer?" she cried, archly tossing her
+golden head. "I had thought thee more sincere, Sir Walter."
+
+I thought of that merry evening, as I saw the Indian upon this vessel.
+
+He uttered some guttural words in his native tongue, a few of which
+I understood, the dialect being very similar to the one I had learned
+upon the island Eldorado, although some of the words were different.
+I could not put the words together that I understood. There were the
+words "night" and "maid" that I comprehended, but I could make no
+sense out of the two, so I shook my head, and tried a few words in the
+language of the natives of the island.
+
+He seemed much excited when I spoke to him in something that resembled
+his native tongue, and stalking forward to where a group of men
+stood, he said something to one of them, and catching him by the
+sleeve, conducted him to where I stood. The man was a strange-looking
+individual, with pale hollow cheeks and little green cat eyes, that
+could not meet my own, but shifted to and fro whenever they caught my
+look; gaunt and hungry he seemed as he stood in front of me, dressed in
+a long black doublet.
+
+The Indian, grave and stately in his skins, spoke several words rapidly
+in his own tongue.
+
+The man translated. "Manteo would know where thou didst learn a
+language that resembles his own?"
+
+"Tell him that I learned it long ago in another region--perhaps in the
+sun," I answered; "who knows?"
+
+"What foolery is this?" said he, and as he spoke to the chief again, he
+sniffed indignantly.
+
+"Translate what I have said," I replied sternly, "without any more
+words, or by the gods, I will teach thee a lesson that thou shalt not
+forget," and I frowned at him.
+
+His knees quaked under him at this, and he spoke to the chief quickly
+in his own language.
+
+"Ugh," grunted the savage, his fierce eyes upon my face, and again he
+uttered a few words.
+
+The white man interpreted. "Where is the beautiful one, who sat with
+the white chief in the lighted wigwam many moons ago, when Manteo saw
+them in the camp of the pale men?"
+
+"Tell him," I said, "she is far away, and I am alone." He did so.
+
+"And now," I said to the white man, "who art thou?"
+
+"John Marsden," he answered, cringing low, "a poor apothecary at thy
+lordship's service, who seeks his fortune in the new region beyond the
+sea."
+
+"And how camest thou to know the Indian's language?" I said sternly.
+"Answer me that."
+
+"I have been in the household of Sir Walter Raleigh for the last two
+years or more," he replied, "where the savage was; and having little to
+do much of the time, I amused myself by learning the native tongue. I
+expect it to be of service to me in Virginia." And he bowed with a pale
+smile upon his hollow face.
+
+"I doubt not that thou wilt find it so," I said, turning my back upon
+him, for I distrusted his knavish face. If ever Dame Nature had stamped
+upon a mortal countenance the brand of a rogue, that one was John
+Marsden.
+
+I saw much of the Indian in the long days and weeks that followed; he
+had taken a strange fancy to me, and dogged my footsteps, as though
+he were some tame animal, and I his master. One morning he brought me
+a little basket that he had cut in the shape of a wolf's head from a
+nut. As I looked at the beautiful carving, I realized how much work and
+labor it must have cost him, and was touched by his thought for me.
+
+"The Eagle is pleased," said the Indian.
+
+"Yes," I answered. "I thank Manteo, and will wear it around my neck,"
+and I fastened it in the little gold chain with the coin and trinket of
+my lady.
+
+The savage's eye flashed with pleasure.
+
+"It is well," he answered, a look of delight passing over his dark
+face for a moment, as a bolt of lightning flashes for an instant
+over the lowering clouds, and then vanishes. "It is enough." And as
+though ashamed of his emotion, he left me, and disappeared down the
+companionway.
+
+I learned to speak the tongue of Manteo; it was very like the one that
+I had learned before. I amused myself by talking with the Indian,
+becoming more fluent in his language. We had grown to be fast friends,
+and I had begun to think much of him. He was a strange creature;
+he never forgot a kind word, and he loved his friends almost to
+idolatry, and despised his foes with a deep implacable hate, that was a
+revelation to me.
+
+He called me "the Eagle." Why I never knew, unless it was from some
+fancied resemblance that he thought he saw in my face to that bird.
+
+"Why dost thou call me the Eagle, Manteo?" I asked him one day.
+
+"My brother is like the Eagle," he answered gravely; "he flies far
+above the dull realms of earth. The Eagle is the chief of birds, lordly
+and courageous, even as my brother is a chief among his fellows," and
+he scanned my face with his dark eyes.
+
+"Manteo is mistaken," I answered with a laugh, "I am no chief."
+
+"Manteo was not born yesterday," he replied. "He knows the royal blood
+when he sees it. My brother is a great chief."
+
+I did not reply; if he chose to think me a chief, well and good; and
+rising to my feet, I walked to where Governor White stood, looking out
+over the water.
+
+"Governor," I said, "hast thou an extra hatchet that thou canst spare
+me?"
+
+"Surely," he replied, for he was a kindly, thoughtful soul, ever ready
+to lend a helping hand to his friends. "Sam," he shouted to one of the
+sailors who stood near, "get thee down below, and bring up one of those
+new hatchets. What dost thou want with it?" he asked gently.
+
+"I wish to give it to the Indian," I answered. "It will please him
+much."
+
+He smiled sadly. "Thine is a strange fancy," he said, "that thou
+shouldst love the savage."
+
+"He is a man," I replied; "a true and noble soul, stripped of all the
+dross that eats and corrodes the pure metal from the heart of his
+brother, the white man, who calls himself his superior. He has not
+learned to forsake his friends when they have fallen into misfortune,
+or to crowd with fawning smile around the great and powerful. He has
+much of worth, Governor, that we, who laugh at his barbarous ways,
+might do well to imitate."
+
+"Yes," he answered absently, his eyes fixed upon the distant horizon,
+"he has much of good in him.
+
+"I was thinking of my little granddaughter, Virginia," he continued
+wistfully; "she will be three years old in August, a bright happy baby
+when I saw her last. Now she is just beginning to totter around and to
+lisp childish prattle--that is if the savages have not murdered her
+with all the rest of the colonists. Often at night, during the two
+weary years that I have been in England, endeavoring to get men and
+ships to sail back, have I awakened, dreaming she was being slain by
+the Indians, with her screams in my ears, her baby hands clutching my
+garments. Even now I fear to touch foot upon the island, afraid that
+they are gone. It is terrible, Sir Thomas--awful," and he shuddered,
+his face pale. "If I should find them alive and well when I arrive, I
+shall thank God upon my knees.
+
+"But here is thy hatchet," he said, as the sailor appeared with it in
+his hands. "Only take care that thy friend does not brain us in our
+sleep," and he tried to smile at me.
+
+"Have no fear," I answered, "I will vouch for him." And taking the
+weapon in my hand, I retraced my steps to where I had left Manteo.
+
+He still sat alone where I had left him, for he would have naught to
+do with most of the men; only with White and myself, and one or two
+others, would he mingle at all, the others he treated with cold scorn
+and contempt. His head was upon his hands, as I approached him and
+seated myself opposite on the deck.
+
+"Manteo, I can give thee naught that is as valuable as the little
+basket that thou didst carve for me, but here is something that my
+brother can use and remember me by," and I put the bright new hatchet
+into his hand.
+
+He glanced up at me, a look of wonder upon his savage face, for Raleigh
+would never allow him to have any weapons, fearing that he would become
+enraged at some fancied insult, and would kill his tormentor.
+
+"Is it for me?" he asked.
+
+"Yes," I answered. "It is for thee, a chief and warrior."
+
+He took it in his hands, and felt of its sharp edge with his fingers.
+
+"Manteo will never forget," he said. "The Eagle has treated him as
+a brave; these others think of him as a woman." With that he betook
+himself away, and in a few moments I saw him at the grindstone, putting
+a razor edge upon the weapon.
+
+Save for the Indian and White, I saw little of my fellow-passengers;
+for in some way my story had gotten out among them, probably some of
+the men had seen me in London, and I felt the chill in their bearing
+towards me. As I would near a group of men laughing and talking, the
+noise would cease, and they would stop to peer and whisper, until I
+had passed on. They said no word, uttered no gibe; they knew of my
+swordsmanship too well for that. Wonderful stories had been told of my
+valor and daring; of my matchless skill with the sword in the great
+fight with the Spanish Armada. So they feared to cross me, they could
+only gaze and whisper among themselves. That was enough though, and
+I shrank from contact with them as though they had the plague; only
+White, kind and gentle, ever the same, and the Indian remained.
+
+White had spoken to me of the rumor only once. One night as I strode
+the deck impatiently by myself, for the Indian had gone below to mend
+a broken arrow, the Governor joined me. We had talked of different
+things, until finally he had said gravely:
+
+"These stories that have been circulated about thee, Sir Thomas--they
+are false?"
+
+"Yes," I replied quietly, "they are lies of the whole cloth."
+
+"I am glad," he said gently. "I should grieve if they had been true of
+so gallant a gentleman," and then he had turned the subject to other
+things. He had never spoken of it again.
+
+The Indian had observed the demeanor of the men too, though he made no
+sign. Once when I stood moody and dejected, alone and apart, oppressed
+with the bitterness of my life, he came up noiselessly to where I
+stood, and touched me upon the arm.
+
+"The curs bark at the heels of the gray wolf, the monarch of the
+forest, but they dare not touch him, lest they feel his fangs." And
+looking down into his dark eyes I knew that here at least was one
+who understood, and in his savage way sympathized with me, and I was
+comforted.
+
+Much company had Manteo been to me during the long winter nights, when
+we sat in the cabin together; I, busy polishing my sword or mending my
+belt, he sitting opposite, the long stem of his pipe between his lips,
+blowing out the curling wreaths of the fragrant tobacco from his teeth.
+Wonderful tales would he tell as we sat there; tales of savage warfare
+and of the chase; strange stories of savage love and hate. How when a
+young brave would wish a squaw from among some neighboring tribe, he
+would steal out and capture her by force or cunning, and carry her back
+with him to the lodges of his people; how they hunted the savage bear
+and panther among the trackless forests.
+
+Sometimes White would drop in to smoke a pipe with us, for I, too,
+had learned to love the soothing weed, and we would both sit solemnly
+puffing at our pipes, the room white with smoke, as Manteo would
+recount some marvelous adventure, or chant some savage song, while in
+our ears still rang the deep roar of the restless sea.
+
+It was on the first night that White came, when opening the door to
+his knock, I spied underneath his arm the sparkling handle of my
+gold-hilted sword. With a cry of joy, I took it as he held it out to me.
+
+"How camest thou by it?" I asked.
+
+"Sir Robert Vane sent it to me the day before thy coming on board," he
+answered, "and bade me give it to thee upon thy arrival. I crave pardon
+that I have not returned it before now, but in truth I have been so
+busy that I have not thought of it once. It is a splendid sword, and
+one worthy of thy valor."
+
+"'Tis a good bit of steel," I answered, "and has served me well, for
+which I prize it much, and have grieved that I had lost it. But sit
+thee down, and hear the Indian tell of his strange country."
+
+White took the proffered seat, and listened with grave face to the tale
+of the chief.
+
+The apothecary, John Marsden, I had met often upon the deck. I had seen
+him moving among the men, talking and gesticulating, and it was after
+these talks that they had cast the bitterest looks upon me. So in some
+way, dimly, I know not how, I began to connect him with the matter. He
+seemed to be always friendly with me, strove to make himself agreeable,
+but even when he strove the hardest, his uneasy eyes would belie his
+pleasant words, and he made no headway in my favor.
+
+One morning, rising early from my bed, while all the rest of the
+company were wrapped in sleep, I came upon him and another rogue, a
+carpenter, Hawkins by name, in earnest confab by the cabin. As I was
+about to turn the corner of the cabin, I heard my name called; peering
+out cautiously, I saw them standing with bent heads, only a few feet
+away.
+
+Marsden was speaking, his thin, piping voice lowered to a whisper.
+
+"We have been out three months, and thou still dost hesitate; dost thou
+call thyself a man, and yet fear to attack one lone mortal?"
+
+"He is the devil himself," grumbled his companion, "and he will have
+with him, not only White, but his shadow, the savage. The men shrink
+from arousing them, for it will mean death to some of us."
+
+"Fool," replied the apothecary, "creep upon him in the night. A thrust
+of the knife, and 'twill all be over. Thou shalt have a capful of
+bright gold when thou doest the work."
+
+"It is well to talk about 'a thrust of the knife and 'twill all be
+over,'" grunted Hawkins, with a scowl, "but the infernal Indian, who
+sleeps in the cabin with him, one eye open, would be on thee by that
+time. A blow from that cursed hatchet that he hauls around with him all
+the time, and it will all be over with a vengeance. Thou art so anxious
+for it, why not do the job thyself, and keep the capful of gold that
+thou talkest of so bravely."
+
+The other shrugged his shoulders.
+
+"It is out of my line," he muttered; "had it been my work, I had done
+it long ago."
+
+"Why not a drop of some powerful drug in his wine?" said the carpenter.
+"It would do the work full as well, and much quieter. He would die of
+some lingering fever, and it would all be well, no one would be the
+wiser; but this other, that thou speakest of, is a dangerous business."
+
+At that moment footsteps sounded around the other side of the deck, and
+White came in sight. They had just time to separate; Marsden to lean
+upon the rail and gaze thoughtfully off upon the water; his companion
+to throw himself flat upon the deck, his cap over his face as though
+asleep, when the Governor reached them. He stopped to speak to the
+apothecary, for he had ever a cheery word for all, and I turned around
+and slipped away quietly to the stern of the vessel.
+
+Here was a pretty kettle of fish. Someone, I knew not who, was plotting
+to kill me. I had three to watch now--Dunraven, DeNortier, and my
+brother Richard; each had some motive for wishing me out of the way;
+none of them were too good to stoop to any means to accomplish their
+end. The first two would slay me because they feared that I stood
+between them and the woman they loved; Richard, because he had some
+fear that in some way, I know not how, I would wrest the estates and
+title out of his hands. I knew not upon whom to fasten the guilt, for
+it might be any one of the three.
+
+It was important that I should learn who was at the bottom of the
+matter, and turning I made my way back to the cabin which I shared with
+the Indian. He had just awakened, and was yawning upon his pallet as
+I entered; closing the door, I came forward to where he lay. At the
+first sound of my footsteps, he had turned his head quickly, and he now
+squatted upon the floor opposite, his black eyes restlessly roving to
+and fro.
+
+"What is it?" he asked. "There is a cloud that hides the sun from my
+brother; let him speak."
+
+"Manteo," I said, "wouldst thou save me?"
+
+"Let the Eagle speak," he answered. "Manteo will do anything for his
+brother."
+
+"Listen, then," I said in a low voice. "I have three enemies who have
+sought my life long, and but a moment ago, I heard the pale one,
+Marsden, speak to the fat carpenter, plotting my death. I would know
+which of the three it is that sets on foot this scheme; do nothing
+rash, only dog both of these men, search their cabins when thou dost
+get a chance, and let me know what thou findest. My brother must be as
+cunning as a serpent, for he tracks those who are subtle and wary."
+
+"Manteo understands," he answered, his face brightening. "It shall be
+as my brother says," and he glided silently from the room.
+
+Three days had passed, and still the Indian had said naught. I knew he
+was at work, silently, quietly following the conspirators, for once as
+I turned the cabin upon the deck, I had seen a sudden shadow upon the
+floor but as I looked around I had discovered nothing. I knew it must
+have been Manteo, for no one else could have vanished in an instant
+like that. Out of mere curiosity, I searched everywhere for him, for
+I knew the savage Indians prided themselves upon their skill and
+cunning. I peered into every nook and cranny, looked behind every box
+and barrel, but as well look for last year's flowers or the frost of a
+winter ago--he had vanished. I knew that he would say nothing until he
+had found some trace of what he sought, and so I waited in patience.
+
+I had walked about the deck most of the morning and was weary. It was
+near noon, so I made my way to the cabin where I dined by myself,
+unless White or the Indian ate with me. My dinner sat hot and smoking
+upon the table as usual, and by it the customary bottle; for the
+Governor kept me supplied with his own wine, and as fast as I emptied a
+bottle (which was but slowly, as I drank sparingly) I found a fresh one
+at my plate. A little piece of paper lay upon the table. I picked it up
+and looked at it.
+
+
+     "A bottle of my best wine; see how thou dost like it."
+
+     "WHITE."
+
+
+I picked up the bottle. It was dusty and covered with cobwebs, and upon
+it was the label, "La France, 1408." I seated myself, and taking the
+bottle in my hand, looked at it. It was a mellow liquid, yellow and
+generous with age. Over one hundred and fifty years ago, some hand long
+since gone had pressed the grapes, and laid the bottle away for some
+unborn man to quaff in the ages to come. It was too good wine to gulp
+down with my food; I could wait until I had finished dinner, and sip it
+at my leisure.
+
+Putting the bottle down, I went to work with a will at the platters
+before me. A pleasant sigh came from my lips. I had finished my dinner,
+and a pleasing feeling of languor and content swept over me--that
+thoughtful, expansive sensation, that we only experience after a good
+meal, when we are in a mood for thought and reverie, at peace with the
+world and ourselves. Talk about a clear conscience! It may be a great
+thing to make thee feel happy and contented, but if thou canst not
+have that, by all means, my friend, have that next best thing, a full
+stomach, and an hour to muse and ponder over life and all it contains.
+
+It was in this retrospective, peaceful mood that I pushed aside my
+plate, and tilting my chair back against the wall, fell to studying the
+label upon the bottle, and watching the light as it glistened upon the
+wine, as I turned the bottle this way and that. No such liquor as this
+had I seen since I drank the wine of the King of Spain with DeNortier,
+that night in the far-away isle of Eldorado.
+
+Opening the bottle, I poured out a glass of the noble fluid, and held
+it up to the light; it sparkled as though it held imprisoned within
+itself the sunlight of merry France. Such wine was for kings and
+nobles, and not for a friendless and forgotten man, alone and deserted;
+it should grace the banquet board where mirth and laughter rang, and
+the toasts were drank to the clink of the glasses.
+
+The goblet still stood upon the table in front of me, as I sat there.
+Idly I jostled the wine to and fro in the bottle, as I absently toyed
+with it. I started abruptly. What was that? A little grain of some
+white substance for an instant rose to the surface, and then sank out
+of sight as though eager to be lost from view. A sudden thought came
+into my mind, and like a flash I turned the bottle upside down. Yes,
+in the bottom, clinging to it, was some whitish powder which had not
+yet dissolved in the liquor. It was some poison I doubted not. The
+villainous Marsden had taken the hint of the carpenter, and had chosen
+the quieter way.
+
+At my feet lay a great black cat, which White had brought out with him
+from England, and which had grown quite friendly with me. Leaning over
+I took from the platter, in which lay the remains of my meal, a bit
+of meat, and dipping it into the glass, I threw it to the animal. She
+snatched it up greedily and gobbled down most of it; then lying down
+again, she resumed her nap. I sat there silently watching her; five
+minutes she lay there, asleep. Perhaps after all I had been mistaken,
+had misjudged the man--but no, with a wail of agony the cat sprang to
+her feet, and with staring eyes and trembling body began to run around
+the room, uttering cry after cry of dumb brute pain. For a minute
+she ran thus, and then sinking forward on her paws, she lay quiet. I
+touched her with my foot--she was dead.
+
+And so I would have been by this time, had I not tardily delayed
+drinking the wine. Would have lain cold and stiff in my agony, with
+outstretched limbs and staring eyes, for the powerful drug lost no time
+in accomplishing its deadly work. Rising I took the bottle and glass in
+my hand, and carrying them to the window, cast them out into the ocean,
+and as I did so the door opened and the Indian appeared. At one glance
+he took in the room, my pale face, and the dead cat, as it lay in the
+middle of the floor.
+
+"What is it, my brother?" he asked.
+
+"The pale one has poisoned my wine," I answered. "It was only by chance
+that I discovered it in time; and to make sure, I soaked a piece of
+meat in the wine and gave it to the cat. Thou canst see the result,"
+and I pointed to the animal.
+
+The Indian's eyes flashed.
+
+"The pale one shall suffer," he answered, "let not my brother fear.
+Manteo will, when the time is ripe, bury his hatchet in his skull, and
+his scalp shall dry in the lodge of Manteo."
+
+"Do nothing rash," I said, "the time is not yet ripe."
+
+He grunted, and opening his clenched fist, extended to me a little
+piece of paper, that he had held concealed in his palm.
+
+"Let my brother look at the magic paper," he said. "I found it in the
+mantle of the pale one."
+
+I took it--only a line. "Be wary and vigilant; he has the nine lives of
+a cat. Make sure that he does not escape thee this time." No name or
+address, but I knew the crest on the paper; it was Dunraven's. So this
+was his work. To be sure I might know his hand; he was a master at such
+as this.
+
+"Watch them still, Manteo," I said. "At any moment they may try to cut
+my throat."
+
+Not a muscle of his face moved as he replied: "Manteo will watch."
+
+I walked up upon the deck. Marsden was standing with his back to me,
+talking to Governor White. At the first sound of my voice he started as
+though he had been shot.
+
+"I thank thee most sincerely for the noble wine which thou didst send
+me, Governor," I said. "It was worth a king's ransom."
+
+The Governor smiled gently; plainly he was ignorant of the plot to
+poison me, and pleased at my praise of his wine.
+
+"'Twas a bottle of some old wine that I bought in Paris years ago. I
+had forgotten that I had it, until I discovered it a day or two ago,
+covered by the cobwebs and dust. I thank thee, sir, for thy praise of
+it," and he bowed.
+
+Marsden, his face ghastly, was still looking at me as though I were a
+ghost; plainly he had never thought to see me again on earth.
+
+"Master Marsden is ill," I said to White. "Perhaps he needs some wine.
+And now I think of it, there is some of that wine of which we have just
+been speaking in the bottle. It would help him to quiet his nerves."
+And I turned as though to go down for it.
+
+"No," he murmured, his cheeks like chalk. "It is a mere headache, which
+I have had all day, and which struck me with a sudden twinge. Do not
+trouble thyself about the wine, Sir Thomas."
+
+"It is no trouble," I replied politely, and I made as if to hurry down
+the companionway.
+
+"No!" he shrieked. "I will not have it. It always unsettles me," he
+continued apologetically, lowering his voice to its ordinary tone, "and
+for that reason I cannot touch it, when I have these headaches."
+
+"Oh, well," I replied, "if thou wilt not drink it. But, pray, what
+causes these headaches, some sudden shock or disappointment?" I was
+delighted that I could taunt him thus; each sharp thrust that I gave
+him was as balm to my soul.
+
+"No," he answered, a gleam of anger in his green eyes. "When I see some
+foul and loathsome creature it always affects me thus," and he smiled
+his ghastly grin. With this parting thrust he left us, and shambled
+forward to where the men stood.
+
+A little knot of them were coming forward now to where we were, the
+leader, the carpenter Hawkins, a pace in front of them. When they were
+almost in reach of us they halted.
+
+"What is it?" asked White, his kindly face grown stern and harsh, for
+there was something different in the appearance of the men. They had
+lost their quiet and sober expression, and in its place there was a
+look of anger and determination.
+
+The carpenter spoke, his words humble enough, but there was that in
+his tone that seemed to make his request a command. Behind him, on the
+deck below, the whole body of the men, adventurers and sailors, were
+gathered.
+
+"We have a favor to ask of thee, Governor," he said, twisting his hat
+between his fingers.
+
+At his first words I had drawn my sword, and putting my fingers to
+my lips, I gave a low whistle, the signal that Manteo and myself had
+agreed upon should there be trouble. It had come like a flash of
+lightning from a clear sky, without a word of warning; for I guessed
+that Marsden was at the bottom of the whole thing, and that I was to be
+the bone of contention.
+
+"What is it?" answered White sternly, looking at Hawkins.
+
+"The whole crew wishes to know whether these charges against Sir Thomas
+Winchester are true," he growled, glaring at me sideways from under his
+bushy brows. "If it be so, Governor, what they tell of him, he is not
+fit company for honest men," and he spat upon the deck viciously.
+
+"Since when hast thou been appointed ruler over us?" asked White.
+"Begone! lest I hang thee from the yardarm," and he motioned him back
+with his hand.
+
+"All this is well said, Governor," sneered the fellow, his face black
+with rage, "but we would know the truth--we are men."
+
+"Leave me to deal with him Governor," I said. Stepping forward, I faced
+him. "Hast aught to say against me?" I asked. "If so speak it to my
+face, thou cur, and do not sneak behind my back. Come, draw steel, and
+we will settle the matter now."
+
+But the fellow plainly had no desire to face me alone, and drew back a
+step.
+
+"Fair play, men," I shouted to the crowd below. "We are all honest men
+of England, and have fought and bled for her; this rogue has a grudge
+against me, and yet he fears to face my steel. With your hearts of oak
+to see fair play, I will meet him."
+
+A murmur arose. "What of the rumor, sir?" cried a weather-beaten old
+tar.
+
+"'Tis false," I answered. "As I expect mercy from my God at the last
+day, 'tis false, instigated only by my enemies. Come, ye are men,
+sturdy and true. You will see fair play--for an old soldier of England."
+
+A dozen voices arose. "Give the gentleman a show--stand back--give him
+a chance. Let him fight Hawkins." And a score of men sprang out from
+among the throng. "Clear the deck!" they shouted. "All come back but
+Hawkins."
+
+As the cry rose, those who had stood by the carpenter turned, and
+crept one by one back down to where their fellows stood, until only
+I and Hawkins faced each other. The fellow was no coward, whatever
+his faults; he knew that he was nothing like my match with the sword;
+knew that I would kill him without any mercy like a dog, and yet he
+stood his ground, his cutlass, which he had drawn, in hand. He would
+have retreated at that last moment, could he have done so without
+showing the white feather; but there was no way to do it, and retain
+the respect and admiration of his fellows, and losing these, his power
+would be gone. He had advanced too far to back down now, his only
+safety lay in fighting to the end. There was naught else left.
+
+"I will end thy trouble for thee," he growled, as he made ready.
+
+"Better men than thou have tried and failed," I answered. "The foul
+creatures of the deep shall feast upon thy body this night," and I
+moved forward to cross blades.
+
+But as I did so, there was a quick rush of soft feet, a shout from
+White, and with a groan Hawkins fell, a gleaming hatchet buried in his
+skull; beside me stood Manteo.
+
+A cry went up from the men, and then died away. White sprang upon the
+rail.
+
+"I warn all to return to their duty," he shouted. "But fail for an
+instant to obey me, and I shall turn the culverins upon you. Those who
+escape them will hang in chains. Disperse instantly, or else a worse
+thing shall befall you."
+
+An instant the mob wavered; they needed only a man of spirit to lead
+them upon us, but their leader lay dead, and there was none to take his
+place.
+
+"Dost hear me?" roared White, "or shall I fire?"
+
+They hesitated for an instant, and then broke and scattered, the
+sailors to their work, the rest to their tasks, whatever they might be.
+The mutiny had blown over.
+
+White descended from his perch.
+
+"It was a close shave," he said as he neared me. "A little more and it
+would have been good-by for us. That stroke of thy red friend was the
+best thing that could have happened. Nay, scold him not, it was at the
+right time, and probably saved our lives. Manteo has done well," he
+said to the Indian.
+
+"It is good," proudly answered the chief. "He would not see his brother
+imperil his life against such a dog as this."
+
+"Bill," shouted White to one of the sailors who stood near, "do thou
+and Sam fasten a solid shot to this fellow's feet," pointing to the
+carpenter, "and cast him overboard." And he walked away.
+
+As I made my way down to my cabin, I ran full into Marsden, who
+crouched down behind the ladder.
+
+"It is awful," he groaned; "much innocent blood will be shed, and I
+hide my eyes from the scene."
+
+"Get out!" I said, giving him a kick with a right good will, which
+sprawled him on his face in the middle of the floor. "Thou needst have
+no fear; the storm has blown over, and thy precious head is safe." And
+with that I left in disgust.
+
+We were now nearing the shore of Virginia. For the last day the boughs
+and barks of trees could be seen on the water, and this morning about
+five o'clock, the man had called out from the mast the magic word
+"land." In a few moments the decks were crowded with men, as with eager
+gaze they strained their eyes to catch the first glimpse of old mother
+earth, which for five months we had not seen. Away to the left of us,
+and several miles behind, could be seen the other vessels, following
+in our wake, as they had during the whole of the voyage.
+
+By noon we had neared the shore, of what White told me was Roanoke
+Island, on which was a settlement of the colonists. No sound greeted
+our ears as we approached the shore, fringed with a forest of dark,
+unbroken trees. We fired our culverins and musketoons repeatedly.
+No answer--only the boom of the surf came back to us, and the woods
+re-echoed to the roar of the guns.
+
+The Governor was standing by my elbow, his face distraught and anxious.
+
+"Why do they not answer?" he groaned. "What has become of them?"
+
+"Perhaps they have run out of powder and ball," I answered, "or
+probably they have strayed over to the other side of the island, and
+have not had time to come within shooting distance."
+
+"I fear that they have been slain," he said gloomily, "for only about
+four miles around is the settlement."
+
+We rounded the northern end of the island, which we had first seen, and
+passing into a broad bay of water, began to beat down the coast. The
+island was thickly wooded, and grapes and fruits in abundance could be
+seen from the ship. In an hour's time we had dropped anchor in a little
+sheltered cove, and firing our guns again, put out several boats for
+the shore.
+
+"The settlement is only about a mile away, through yon trees," said
+White sorrowfully. "Some evil has befallen them, or they would have
+answered long ere this."
+
+I did not answer, for I knew he spoke the truth, and in silence we
+rowed to the shore, accompanied by a strong party well armed with
+swords and musketoons.
+
+We began our journey through the trees and tangled vines to the huts.
+It was hard work to keep the men in line; they had not felt the
+firm sod under their feet in so long, that they were almost beside
+themselves with glee. Twice we had to halt, while White and myself
+with drawn swords drove them away from the grape vines, where they had
+stopped, and back into line.
+
+In front of the little column strode Manteo, hatchet in belt, his bow
+in his hand, with eyes fixed upon what seemed to be a dim trail,
+overgrown with grass and bushes; behind him walked White, sword in
+hand, his back bent with anxiety. I followed, and behind me in single
+file, trod the men, in dead silence, for the Indian knew not what
+instant we would come upon hostile savages, and the command had been
+given by White to march quickly and quietly.
+
+The trail broadened here, and the chief stopped. Peering over White's
+shoulder cautiously, I saw in front of me what seemed to be a rough
+log stockade, some six or eight feet high, the walls pierced for the
+guns of the settlers. Above the fence I could see the top of several
+thatched huts, but no sound came from the settlement; silence deep
+and unbroken reigned. Only the call of some strange bird came to our
+ears. The Indian motioned to us to remain where we were, and throwing
+himself flat upon the ground, he began to crawl cautiously towards the
+settlement, taking advantage of every tuft of grass, and log of wood.
+Finally he reached the wall and disappeared from view.
+
+It was several moments before he appeared again, gliding in silently
+like a shadow. "Come," he said, and turning he walked toward the fort,
+with us at his heels.
+
+White had broken into a run, and had dashed past us through the idly
+swinging gate, and I heard him shout, as he reached the inside. He
+was rushing madly from hut to hut, searching each one eagerly, and
+then passing on to the next, his gray locks floating in the breeze.
+"Virginia!" he shouted, "Virginia! Come to Grandpa," and he raised
+his voice again and again, and called the child. No answer--only the
+taunting echo, "Virginia."
+
+The settlement was deserted, and had evidently not been trodden by the
+foot of the colonists for months. The cabins were bare and uninhabited,
+with rotting floors, and sagging doors; the hearthstones had been cold
+for long days. The colonists were gone, and had left no trace behind
+them.
+
+The old man, Governor White, had thrown himself upon the ground in
+anguish, and lay with bared head on the grass. He did not move when I
+approached him.
+
+"Governor," I said, bending and touching him on the shoulder, "do not
+despair. We will search the country; perhaps they have gone to some
+more congenial spot, and even now await us. By inquiring among the
+Indians, we may find some trace."
+
+"No," he answered dully, "our agreement was that if they should leave
+this spot they should carve upon some tree the name of the place where
+they had gone, and if in distress, they should cut above the name a
+cross--I find neither name nor cross. The little lass would be just
+large enough to walk about and babble her childish thoughts, so young
+and innocent, with curling locks and playful eyes. And to become the
+prey of some cruel savage or ferocious beast, or to die beneath the
+tomahawk, or at the stake," and he tore his gray hair with his hands
+wildly.
+
+"Come," I said, gently taking him by the hand, and lifting him from
+the ground where he lay. "Thou must rest, and then we will begin our
+search."
+
+At that moment there arose a loud shout, and the party, which had
+scattered in their search, all ran forward to where the Indian stood,
+surrounded by a throng of the men. White broke loose from me and ran
+at full speed to where they stood, I hot at his heels. Had Manteo
+found a moldering body of some of the unfortunate colonists, or had he
+discovered some token or message of their whereabouts?
+
+Panting and breathless, I halted where the chief stood pointing to
+a tree, the body of which had been stripped of its bark, and which
+gleamed white and naked among its fellows. There, high up upon its
+trunk, in well-cut letters, was carved the one word "Croatan."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+THE SEARCH FOR THE LOST COLONY
+
+
+All day long, at the head of my little band of fifteen men, I had
+pushed through the deep virgin forests. Rough, steady men they were,
+well armed, with their musketoons upon their shoulders and their flint
+and steel in their doublets, ready at a moment's notice to fire upon
+the Indians. For the natives around the coast had proved sullen and
+hostile, and not only had refused to give us any information of the
+lost colony, but had fired a shower of arrows at their questioners.
+
+Some of our men had been left on the island as a garrison, and White,
+with a strong party under the guidance of a friendly Indian, had
+started in one direction, and I, with my little band under the guidance
+of Manteo, had plunged into the forest in another. The two other
+vessels would cast anchor in a few hours, and as soon as they did so,
+several more parties would be organized, and the whole country near the
+coast would be given, as far as possible, a thorough search.
+
+So now, with the Indian by my side, I strode steadily on; behind us,
+on a pole, two of my men carried a buck that Manteo had brought down
+with his bow only a little while before, and upon which we were to sup.
+The last rays of the setting sun were falling through the trees, and
+in a few minutes they would disappear, leaving us in darkness among
+the silent forest, with its gloomy trees and painted men. There was
+something oppressive in the thought; the men behind me had ceased their
+chatter and jest, and like shadows softly strode after us.
+
+We finally reached a little grassy hillock, and here the Indian paused.
+With a wave of his hand he said:
+
+"Will the Eagle rest here to-night?"
+
+"Yes, my brother," I answered. "It is a fair spot, and here we will
+stop until the morrow," and turning to the waiting men, I bade them
+throw aside their baggage and rest.
+
+Posting two sentries, I cast myself beside the Indian upon the grass.
+It had been long since I had taken such a jaunt as this, and my limbs
+ached from the unaccustomed exertion. The scent of the roasting venison
+floated up to my nostrils from where the men had lighted a little
+fire, which, by the direction of the Indian, they had kindled in a low
+depression, so that it could not be seen by any prowling wanderer. The
+firelight played upon the rough, bronzed faces of the men, and flashed
+from their swords and breastplates, flickering upon the fierce features
+of Manteo as he lay in his paint and feathers by my side, and upon my
+face as I watched the men.
+
+Suddenly the Indian raised his hand and pointed to the west.
+
+"Look, my brother," he said.
+
+I followed his outstretched finger; there, far away from the depths of
+the forest, twinkled a tiny light like a star, one moment it might be
+seen, and then it would be lost for an instant--then lo! as we looked
+it would rise again.
+
+"What is it, Manteo?" I asked in surprise.
+
+"'Tis the signal fire of some scout," he answered. "It may be that the
+natives have discovered that we are advancing into their country, and
+even now they send the news to their friends."
+
+Only the cry of some wild beast of prey echoed from the forest, and
+anon the mournful call of some strange bird. We were alone, cut off
+from all civilization and the world. I looked around me; of how many
+bloody struggles could not these dark glades tell, could they but
+speak; how many black and gloomy secrets of war and massacre. They had
+looked down for countless ages upon the roaming red man, and the wild
+animals of the forest, but never until now had they been trodden by the
+foot of civilized man.
+
+The cheery shout of the men floated up to where we lay. They called
+us to our evening meal, and descending the little hillock, we joined
+them in their fierce attack upon the smoking venison. After we had
+eaten our fill, Manteo and myself, lighting our pipes, strode out in
+the moonlight; below us trickled a little spring, its waters clear as
+crystal, and I followed the Indian down to drink of its pure waters.
+He was bending over the moist earth in front of the spring, looking
+down at the ground intently.
+
+"What is it, Manteo?" I asked, noticing his strange conduct.
+
+"It is the foot of some white squaw," he answered arising. "Let my
+brother look."
+
+I bent down--there, in the soft earth, was the impression of a little
+shoe, dainty and small, as though its wearer had touched earth for a
+moment here, as she bent to quaff the waters of the spring. It was
+plainly the shoe of a patrician, a lady from its size. No Indian ever
+wore such a shoe as that; it could have been made by no one but a white
+woman, unless it was the track of a small child.
+
+The Indian straightened himself up with a grunt.
+
+"It is the beautiful one," he said gravely; "let my brother look."
+
+I eyed him in wonder and astonishment. Was he daft that he should make
+such a statement as this, and expect me to believe it? I had received
+his declaration that this was the print of the shoe of a white woman
+without question, but that he should go further, and say that it was
+the shoe of one maid, and she the "beautiful one," as the Indian with
+the poetry of his race called Margaret Carroll--impossible!--I had left
+her safe in England, and we had seen no vessel pass us.
+
+So with fast-beating heart and bewildered brain, I turned to Manteo.
+
+"How knowest thou that it is the beautiful one?" I asked. "'Tis but a
+track, and might be that of any one of a thousand ladies."
+
+"How canst thou know that the summer draweth nigh?" replied the chief,
+his arms folded upon his brawny chest. "By the flowers. So know I that
+the beautiful one has passed."
+
+"It may be so," I answered incredulously. "We will follow the trail on
+the morrow, be it who it may."
+
+Manteo, his head bent near the earth, had traced what might have been
+to him a trail, but, as I followed behind him, search as I would, I
+could perceive nothing. 'Twas true that here a twig was bent, a tuft of
+grass might have been stepped upon, but that could have been the work
+of some deer or other wild animal as they trod by. The Indian would
+turn here and there, now zigzagging from left to right, now retracing
+his steps and starting afresh, his head ever bent near the ground,
+scanning with his dark eye the earth.
+
+Finally, after we had followed the faint track for some one hundred
+yards he stopped, and with a guttural "Ugh!" pointed to the ground
+again.
+
+"Two white men passed this way four suns ago with the beautiful one,"
+he said. "And after them only on last eve, the pale one with a red man
+hurried to overtake them." He straightened himself up in the moonlight
+and looked at me.
+
+"It is well, Manteo," I answered. "Shall we follow after them to-night?"
+
+"No, my brother," he replied. "The hearts of the men are faint within
+them; to-morrow we will follow them." And with that he retraced his
+steps to the camp, I by his side.
+
+I dreamed that night that the Lady Margaret struggled with Dunraven,
+and stretching out her hands, cried out for me to save her. As I sprang
+forward to her aid, lo! with a start I awoke.
+
+Something was struggling through the undergrowth near us; I could hear
+the faint sound of the bushes as someone passed through them--a stick
+crunched. An instant thus I lay, and listened to the faint rustling
+sound, and then turning over, I touched the slumbering Manteo, who lay
+next me, upon the shoulder. He started, and cautiously peered around at
+me.
+
+"What is it, my brother?" he whispered.
+
+"Listen," I answered in the same low voice, "something is approaching
+the camp."
+
+The sentry upon this side of the camp now raised his musketoon. "Halt!"
+he shouted loudly. "Halt, or I fire." And I could see him as, flint and
+steel in hand, he stood ready to discharge his weapon.
+
+There was a grunt from the bushes, and out of them strode a single
+Indian brave. Manteo sprang up from the ground and rushed forward
+toward him. "Do not hurt the warrior," he shouted to the astonished
+sentry, who stood amazed at this red man, who had come out so
+willingly from his concealment.
+
+The strange warrior was holding something white in his upraised hand.
+"'Tis for the Eagle," he grunted, and ignoring the others, he stalked
+forward to where I lay and held out the paper to me. Wonderingly I took
+the note from his hands and opened it. It was from White and ran thus:
+
+
+     "MY DEAR SIR THOMAS:
+
+     "A friendly native informs me that a week ago a great white ship
+     cast anchor near the mainland, and from it there were put on
+     shore two pale men and a white squaw. From the description which
+     he gives me of them, I have no doubt that these people were Lord
+     Dunraven, the fat priest, whom thou hast described to me, and Lady
+     Margaret Carroll. They took the direction in which thou art now
+     exploring, and the ship sailed away again. Perhaps thou mayest
+     discover them, and so rescue the lady. Trusting that thou mayest
+     do so, I remain ever,
+
+     "Thy friend,
+     "WHITE."
+
+
+Lifting my eyes, I looked for the Indian runner who had brought the
+message.
+
+"Where is the messenger?" I cried.
+
+"He is gone," said Manteo, who stood near me. "Does the Eagle wish him
+brought back?" and he turned as though to go in pursuit.
+
+"No," I answered, "'tis of no use. Manteo, thou wert right, 'twas
+the track of the beautiful one that thou didst see to-night. But how
+knewest thou 'twas she? Art thou gifted with magic?" and I laughed
+uncertainly; for in truth I did not understand how he knew that this
+print of a shoe was made by Margaret Carroll.
+
+"My brother is curious," grunted the chief. "Listen, and he shall
+know. When I dwelt with the great chief in the crowded village of the
+pale faces, there I saw the beautiful one, who outshone the other
+pale squaws, as the sun outshines the dim stars. One morning I beheld
+the beautiful one walking in her garden, and after she had gone, I
+clambered over the wall, and moved by some mysterious impulse, I know
+not what, I bent over the print of her little moccasin in the soft
+earth. In the heel of the left shoe there were six tacks, arranged in
+the shape of a star. To-night I saw not only the shape of the same
+small footprint, but lo! in the heel of the left shoe I find the
+star--and then Manteo knew that the beautiful one had passed by."
+
+I stood amazed at such marvelous wood-craft, for although I knew that
+the Indians were trained in the lore of field and wood from their youth
+up, I had not thought that they were so expert as this.
+
+The chief had turned his face from me.
+
+"Look!" he said, pointing to the eastern sky, where the first faint
+rays of the sun were beginning to be visible. "'Tis day, and the men
+are ready to resume their journey." And so saying he glided swiftly
+forward to where they were gathered, busy fastening belt and buckle,
+preparing for the march.
+
+Two long weeks we followed hot upon their trail; we had passed now far
+into the interior. Twice had we caught sight of a lordly river, broad
+and wide, as with foaming yellow water it rushed on to join the sea.
+Over hill and dale, across grassy savannahs we pursued our unwavering
+march behind the tireless Manteo. Often we started a herd of deer from
+their hiding places, and with a rush they would dash out of sight among
+the trees, and sometimes savage beasts of prey were frightened from
+their lairs by our approach.
+
+Once a great black bear had not been quick enough, and the Indian had
+wounded him with an arrow; growling surlily, he had turned with a cry
+of anger, and made for us with foaming muzzle and upraised paw. But
+as he came down upon our little band, I had snatched a musketoon with
+lighted fuse from one of the men, and let fly at him. The ball had
+struck the beast in the throat, and as he reeled from the shock, a
+dozen men were upon him with upraised blades, and had sheathed their
+swords in his body.
+
+One night as we rested from our day's trail, we had seen a bright light
+gleaming a few miles ahead of us; but when after an all night's march
+we reached the spot, there were only the charred ashes of the camp
+fire--they had gone.
+
+"'Twas the beautiful one," Manteo had grunted, as he gazed at the
+trodden ground. With a sigh I had resumed the march; so near to her and
+yet so far. 'Twas like the will-o'-wisp; one moment thou couldst see
+the magic fire in front of thine eyes, but lo! when thou hadst reached
+it, it had flitted on ahead, to taunt thee to further pursuit.
+
+And now on the fifteenth day of our departure from Roanoke Island we
+still followed after them. Manteo, who glided in front, was striding
+along, his eyes as usual upon the ground. I following him, was
+wondering for the one hundreth time whether it was possible that this
+could be Margaret, and if so how she came there, and who were her
+companions; Dunraven of course, and the pale one, as the Indian called
+Marsden. Who was the third white man? It might be DeNortier, and so
+musing I bumped suddenly into the Indian, who had halted, and almost
+threw him sprawling upon the ground.
+
+"Hush!" he whispered, his finger upraised.
+
+I stopped, as did the man behind me, and listened. Far away I could
+hear the deep regular strokes of an ax; plainly someone was chopping,
+but who in this wilderness??
+
+"Wait here," muttered Manteo. "I will see who it is that cuts so
+loudly," and with that he glided silently away, across the little open
+glade in front of us, and into the trees upon the other side.
+
+A few minutes passed, and then he came back again as silently as he had
+left.
+
+"Come," he said, and he turned and retraced his steps whence he had
+come.
+
+We followed him for perhaps ten minutes, and then emerging from the
+trees, we came full upon a strange Indian. Bow in hand, he sat quietly
+by the side of a charred tree, which he had been fashioning into a
+canoe with a stone tomahawk, after burning out the heart of the tree.
+He arose gravely as I approached, and stood looking at me, his fierce
+eyes scanning my face searchingly.
+
+"This is the great white chief, the Eagle," said Manteo to the other
+brave. "Tell him what thou hast seen."
+
+The Indian answered, speaking in what appeared to be a dialect of
+the same tongue that Manteo spoke, and though it differed in some
+respects, I could yet manage to understand what he said.
+
+"The sun has stood still twice, since Occom beheld a strange sight, for
+as he sat in this same spot, he heard the sound of feet approaching,
+and hiding himself, there passed by three pale men, and a squaw more
+lovely than the harvest moon. They had with them Tetto, one of the
+Tuscaroras, and as Occom looked they disappeared on down the trail, and
+I saw them no more."
+
+"What manner of men were they, my brother?" I asked.
+
+"The chief was tall, with dark hair, and his face was as the stone; the
+look upon it was like the hawk when he wheels to strike his prey."
+
+It was Dunraven without a doubt, the Indian had described him well. But
+who were his companions?
+
+"And what of the others?" I continued. "Did the eye of Occom behold the
+others?"
+
+"Occom saw them," he answered. "The one who walked behind the chief was
+as the pale moon, when afraid it shrinks behind the clouds, and when
+the chief spoke to him harshly, he drew back in fear; he is a squaw and
+should till the soil with them."
+
+"And what of the third?--what of him, Occom?"
+
+"He was round and fat as the bear," he answered, as though in scorn at
+my excitement. "His face was big and red as the blood of the deer, but
+he wore the dress of the squaw, and his head was white with the snows
+of many winters."
+
+"'Tis the priest!" I cried. "Ah, a precious crew!
+
+"Show the Eagle what thou didst pick up from the trail when they had
+passed," said Manteo to the Indian Occom.
+
+"It was this," answered the other, and from his deerskin robe he
+plucked out a little shining trinket, and held it out to me.
+
+I took it with a cry of wonder. It was a little gold locket that I had
+often seen around Margaret's neck; pressing the spring the face flew
+open, and there, I beheld a little miniature of her, painted several
+years ago when she was a merry, laughing girl. I gazed at it long,
+wrapped in my own thoughts. Ah, my lady! the same light brown hair, the
+same deep azure eyes and pink cheeks; time had brought little to thee,
+only the ripening of the lovely fruit, only the bloom of a yet more
+perfect beauty.
+
+As I toyed with the little bauble, a spring snapped, and the back of
+the locket flew open. I must have touched a secret spring in some way.
+There in the recess was a paper. Hardly knowing what I did I took it
+in my hand, and read the few lines that it contained. So Dunraven had
+struck his last blow--by the grace of God I would wring his neck for
+this, though I should follow him across the whole vast country that
+stretched before me to accomplish it. The blackest perfidy of his dark
+life lay before me as I read that note, and my very blood boiled in my
+veins with rage.
+
+
+     "MARGARET:--I lie sick and wounded in this place to
+     which I have escaped from the prison. To-morrow I must sail for
+     Virginia, and I may never see thy bright face again. I would make
+     one last request in the name of the love I bear thee; for the love
+     of God, Margaret, have pity upon me as I lie here sick unto death,
+     and longing for one more glimpse of thee. Come, though it be only
+     for a moment--thou art a woman, and wilt pity me in this last
+     hour. If thou wilt come, but accompany this holy priest who bears
+     this note to thee.
+
+     "Farewell,
+     "THOMAS WINCHESTER."
+
+
+I laughed bitterly as I replaced the paper in its hiding place. It had
+done its work well, and I now knew why Margaret was here. That imp of
+Satan, Father Francis, had carried this message, and she, in the pity
+of her woman's heart, had accompanied him to some house where Dunraven
+awaited her. Then they hurried her aboard his vessel and set sail,
+thinking to be safe in this wild country. But fate, weary with the
+smiles which she had bestowed upon him, had at last turned her frown,
+and I, like a sleuth hound, was on their trail.
+
+"Wilt sell the bauble?" I asked Occom.
+
+"I would that my brother would give me one of the bright steel
+tomahawks," he answered. "Then shall Occom be rewarded for his story,
+and the Eagle shall keep the trinket."
+
+"It is well," I replied, and I commanded one of the men to give the
+Indian his hatchet, promising him another when we reached the ship.
+
+The Indian's face lighted up with pleasure as he took it in his hands.
+
+"Occom thanks the Eagle," he said, "and shall not forget him."
+
+Manteo now spoke: "The Eagle shall have the canoe too," pointing to the
+unfinished boat. "Many leagues he has to go, and his heart will sing
+within him, if Occom will but give him the canoe."
+
+"'Tis the Eagle's," Occom replied.
+
+"We shall follow them by water," Manteo said to me. "In this way we can
+take two steps to their one."
+
+The men had gathered around me, and now one of them spoke respectfully:
+
+"Dost thou still follow the trail, captain?"
+
+"Yes," I answered, looking at the group about me. "Why askest thou?"
+
+He cleared his throat hesitatingly.
+
+"The men are fearful, sir. Fifteen days have we followed thee, but it
+is plain that the colonists are not to be found, and while we still go
+deeper into these woods, the Governor might sail away and leave us."
+
+I turned to the others. "Are ye all of this mind?" I asked.
+
+It was plain that they feared to go on, though they cared not to say so.
+
+"If there were any hopes of finding them," said one, "but the deeper
+we go, the fainter are our chances to ever get out alive, and we do
+but endanger ourselves without helping them. As this is a private
+enterprise of thine, captain, we have made so bold as to mention this
+matter," and a chorus of approval went up from his comrades.
+
+"So be it," I replied. "As thou sayest, this is a private enterprise of
+mine, and you can all go back; but I would ask that you first help me
+with the finishing of the canoe."
+
+"Aye! aye!" they answered, and with their axes and hatchets they fell
+to upon the half finished boat. In an hour it was finished, and putting
+it on their shoulders, they carried it the few feet that separated us
+from the river.
+
+I made ready to separate from the men. They had put a musketoon with
+some ammunition and provisions in the canoe, and all was in readiness.
+I think at the last they felt some remorse of conscience, as I prepared
+to set out alone far into the unexplored regions that lay in front of
+us. I shook them all one by one by the hand, as I stepped into the
+boat, and bade them tell Governor White that they left me sound and
+well. Then, picking up my paddle, I prepared to push off. Occom had
+promised to guide the men back to Roanoke Island, and now stood silent
+and apart, waiting the moment to start.
+
+A light foot sounded upon the boat. Manteo had stepped aboard, and
+picking up one of the paddles was about to dip it into the water.
+
+"Manteo," I said, "go back with the others. I go far into the country,
+and may not come back again."
+
+"Manteo will go with his brother," he interrupted me. "What would the
+Eagle do alone? He could not follow the flight of the beautiful one,"
+and thrusting the paddle against the bank, he gave a shove that sent us
+far out into the stream.
+
+The men raised a great cheer as we left them; a few more strokes and
+we were out of sight, alone in the little canoe upon the breast of the
+great river.
+
+We still paddled upon the stream, the Roanoke Manteo called it. Three
+days had we passed on its breast; only once had we seen a human being
+besides ourselves, and that a lone Indian, who seeing us approach had
+made for the shore in haste, and leaving his canoe had plunged into the
+trees, so that as we passed we only saw the empty canoe as it rocked
+idly to and fro upon the water. Manteo had grounded our boat upon the
+beach a few yards from the Indian, and we stepped ashore.
+
+"We near the beautiful one," he said. "It is best that the canoe be
+concealed here, and we should follow them upon the land."
+
+Hiding the light canoe under some bushes, so cunningly that when I
+looked for it a moment later I could discover no trace of it, he made
+off through the trees, I following, a musketoon upon my shoulder. We
+trod on in silence, Manteo looking ever for the trail. Evening was
+beginning to fall, as though some black mantle dropped by the hands of
+the gods upon the quiet earth. There came to my ears the cawing of a
+crow, and it seemed to me that the bird was very near us.
+
+Manteo in an instant had fallen, without a sound, flat upon his face.
+"Down," he whispered. "Quick!"
+
+I followed his example as quickly as I could, and just in time. For,
+from the trees in front of me, there stole silently a painted figure;
+tall, fierce, savage, he strode from the dusk, and after him another,
+and another, until I had counted fifty warriors, walking in single
+file, their glaring eyes seemingly fixed upon me, as with bated breath
+I watched them. They were naked, save for the breech cloth about their
+loins, their bodies hideously daubed with the juice of wild berries
+and clay; from their coarse black hair there dangled the feathers
+of an eagle or hawk. I had seen nothing like this before in all my
+wanderings. Noiselessly, like a shadow, they faded one by one into the
+gloom opposite.
+
+Long it seemed to me we lay there quietly; finally Manteo arose to his
+feet. "A party of Cherokees on the war path," he whispered, and we
+resumed our journey. Searching the ground about us for many minutes the
+Indian moved, now peering under some stone or leaf, now turning some
+tuft of grass aside to look beneath it. At last with a low grunt he led
+off again, striding along at his rapid gait.
+
+"How knewest thou that thou wouldst find their trail here?" I asked.
+
+The Indian grunted. "Had the Eagle looked closer, he would have seen
+the mark upon the bank where a canoe had landed," he said.
+
+"But how knewest thou that it contained the party whom we seek?"
+
+"Their canoe had been broken and the prow had been mended; I saw that
+it had landed here, for the mark of it was upon the bank."
+
+I trod in silence behind him, and wondered at this almost superhuman
+knowledge of the forest that could observe such things as these, which
+to me were as a closed book. My musketoon in my right hand, I had
+hurried on after him, but now I halted in an instant, for again I heard
+the cawing of the crow in the woods, seemingly in front of us. The
+Indian too had stopped suddenly, and we stood motionless. As we stood
+there from every bush and tree there seemed to rise a hideous, painted
+figure. With a yell, so horrible and ferocious that my blood almost
+congealed in my veins at the sound, they were upon us with brandished
+tomahawks and clubs.
+
+Like a flash I struck flint and steel, and ignited the fuse of my gun;
+at least one of these demons would be silenced forever. Leveling my gun
+at the foremost one as he leaped at me, I pulled down, but even as I
+did so, Manteo with one quick blow of his arm struck the gun upwards,
+so that it harmlessly exploded in the air.
+
+Before I could draw my sword, a score had caught me by the arms and
+shoulders, and hurled me headlong to the ground. My companion made no
+defense, and a dozen grasped and in the twinkle of an eye disarmed him,
+and secured his arms with thongs of deerskin. Several had bound my
+hands behind me, and they now jerked me to my feet--I stood disarmed, a
+prisoner among the Cherokees.
+
+Without a word they placed us in the midst of the band, and at a long
+swinging trot began a journey to the north-west. My heart was bitter
+within me as I hurried along. I had been betrayed by one whom I thought
+was my friend and as true as steel; he had doubtless decoyed me here
+so that he could deliver me into the hands of these Indians, probably
+allies of Dunraven, and they were now most likely carrying me away
+to deliver me into his hands. There was one melancholy consolation
+in it--I would see Margaret once more, though it be under such
+circumstances as these.
+
+All day long they kept up this swift pace, stopping only a few moments
+for dinner, and the evening was beginning to deepen into twilight, but
+still they kept on their steady way. Manteo trotted by my side, but
+I said no word to him, and he had said naught to me. I had begun to
+despair of ever resting again, when the loud shouts of our captors and
+the answering yells in reply informed me that we were about to enter
+their encampment.
+
+Emerging from the forest, many smoking torches could be seen
+approaching, and the beating of drums and the shouts of the advancing
+crowd produced a noise that was almost deafening. The embers of
+several camp fires lit up the thirty or forty rough bark huts which
+were grouped before us into a semicircle. At our heels there tagged a
+crowd of men, women, and children, who shouted and danced with glee,
+as surrounded by our guards we entered the village. Fierce savage
+faces peered at us from the doorways; little half-naked boys and girls
+shouted to each other in wonder at my white skin; the wrinkled squaws
+hissed and grunted. I only saw hatred, curiosity, surprise; nowhere
+pity or sympathy for a friendless stranger.
+
+Yes, in one face I saw pity, sympathy, or was it admiration? It seemed
+to me, that as I saw the face for an instant I could discern something
+akin to that in the dark eyes. It was a young Indian maid of perhaps
+nineteen or twenty summers, who stood in the doorway of one of the
+largest huts. Slender, shapely, graceful as a young fawn, with black
+eyes, large and liquid, and straight black hair, she might have stood
+as a model for some picture, representing savage beauty. She was clad
+in a mantle of soft deerskin, with leggins of the same material fringed
+with bear claws, and upon her small feet were moccasins of the same
+soft skin.
+
+I took all this in at a glance, as I stood motionless among my guards,
+for they had halted here. A few words were spoken to the girl. She
+stood aside, and the brave dragged Manteo and myself to the entrance
+and thrust us inside, leaving several warriors at the open door, while
+the babble of tongues wrangled and argued upon the outside, as they
+craned and twisted to get a glimpse of me.
+
+For several minutes we lay there; then a wrinkled old warrior pushed
+by the braves who stood at the door and bending down he cut the thongs
+that bound Manteo, and motioned for him to follow; they strode out of
+the place, leaving me alone. An old hag came in to bring me a pot of
+some kind of meat, and with her came the pretty maid whom I had seen
+outside, who brought me a skin to lie upon.
+
+I thanked her in the native tongue, at which she looked at me with wide
+open eyes.
+
+"How knowest thou our tongue?" she asked, while the old crone stood
+peering at me as though I were a ghost.
+
+"It matters not," I answered. "And who art thou, my pretty maid, who
+dost remember a poor prisoner?"
+
+The rich color surged up into her dark face as she answered shyly, "I
+am Winona, daughter of the chief Windango."
+
+At that moment there entered the same wrinkled old chief.
+
+"What dost thou here, Winona?" he said sternly. "This is no place for
+thee."
+
+"I came but with Occoma, father," she answered. "She brought the pale
+man some venison."
+
+"Begone!" he said, and turning his back upon her, he bent over and cut
+the thongs that bound me. "Come," he said.
+
+I followed him, escorted by the two guards who had each taken an arm
+and were holding to me with an iron grasp. Passing down the street of
+the encampment, we halted in front of a long, low building, which stood
+in the center of the place. Drawing aside the curtain of deer skin,
+Windango, for such was my guide, motioned for me to enter. I did so,
+and dropping the curtain he followed.
+
+I found myself in a long, low room, its walls made of rude, unfinished
+logs, with a thatched roof. A large fire burned in the center of the
+room, and around it there squatted upon the hard mud floor the whole
+band of warriors, their fierce faces scowling at me through the smoke;
+for there was no opening in the roof, and the smoke from the fire was
+so dense that it was almost impossible to see. Almost blinded, my eyes
+stinging and watering from the thick haze which hung over the room, I
+staggered to a place in the front rank to which Windango motioned me.
+
+A deep silence reigned. From hand to hand a great long-stemmed red
+pipe, decorated with feathers, was being passed, each warrior as it
+reached him taking a puff, and then solemnly passing it on to his
+neighbor. It was handed to me by Windango, and taking a puff, I passed
+it on. A full hour it was in going the rounds, and when the last
+warrior had been reached, the old chief by my side arose.
+
+"The ears of the Cherokees are open to hear the words of my brother
+Manteo. Let him speak."
+
+On the other side of the fire Manteo stood erect. Extending one
+hand, he spoke. The fitful firelight lit up the bronze faces of his
+listeners, and played strange pranks with their fierce, motionless
+features, as now in light, now in shadow, it came and went upon the
+walls, and threw into strong relief the face of the speaker. He began
+in a low voice which penetrated to every corner of the wigwam.
+
+"My brothers," he said, "many moons have passed since Manteo has seen
+his neighbors, the Cherokees. His heart warms within his breast as
+he looks upon them, for was not the father of Manteo a friend of the
+Cherokees?"
+
+He looked around, while a chorus of grunts went up from the circle.
+
+"He has journeyed far to see his red brothers, but he comes not alone,
+he brings with him a great chief of the pale men, who live far beyond
+the wide waters. He floated back with Manteo upon a great wigwam with
+white wings to see these warriors of whom he has heard so much. He has
+brought for his red brothers six shining tomahawks, like the one that
+was taken from Manteo, and two long knives, together with many blue
+beads, which are now on board the wigwam ready for the Cherokees."
+
+"Ugh," said Windango at this amazing lie, and his fellow braves all
+followed suit with a resounding "Ugh." I could feel that they were
+covertly glancing at me to see whether he told the truth.
+
+"But the Eagle has come also to ask the help of his red brothers,"
+continued the speaker. "A wolf has crept into the lodge of the pale
+chief, and even as he slept, has carried away the favorite squaw of the
+Eagle, and fled with her into the country of the Cherokees. The Eagle,
+to show that there is no cloud between him and the face of his red
+brothers, has come alone into their land, to tell them of the presents
+that he has brought for them, and to ask their aid to regain his squaw
+and to punish the wolf. Have my brothers seen aught of the pale one
+with the squaw?" and he looked around inquiringly.
+
+Windango answered: "It is but two suns since down the stream there
+floated a canoe with three of the pale men, even like the Eagle, and
+with them a red dog, a Tuscarora, and a pale squaw, who gleamed as fair
+as the winter snow and whose hair shone like copper. We had no canoes
+and could not follow them, so they passed on down the river.
+
+"Let the Eagle follow them," said Manteo, "and he will send a speaking
+paper back to the wigwam with my brother, that they may have their
+presents. So shall my brothers be the friends of the Eagle, and their
+corn shall flourish and be green. If the Eagle frowns upon them, then
+shall famine and pestilence sit in the cabins of the Cherokees; the
+Tuscaroras will slay their braves, and their hearts will quake within
+their breasts, for the Eagle is a great chief, and wields a magic tube
+that thunders death from it. Listen, and the Eagle will speak to the
+Cherokees in their own tongue," and he motioned to me.
+
+Arising to my feet, I spoke with as much majesty as I could command at
+such short notice:
+
+"Manteo speaks true; if my red brothers will free me so that I may
+pursue my squaw, then six shining tomahawks, together with two long
+knives, and much beads are theirs. If you seek to detain me, death and
+destruction shall stalk among the wigwams of the Cherokees," and I
+seated myself.
+
+Windango arose. "The hearts of the Cherokees sing within them that the
+great Eagle has soared down to them. Let it be as he says; let the
+Eagle but fold his pinions for a brief season to rest among his red
+brothers. They will send some of their braves back with Manteo to the
+great wigwam, that they may receive the gifts the Eagle has brought
+them. Then upon Manteo's return, their braves will accompany the great
+chief, so that he may take his squaw."
+
+"Let Manteo stay with his red brothers, while the Eagle journeys on
+to regain his squaw," said Manteo. "Then shall the Eagle be glad, for
+the wolf may have carried the squaw far, while he feasts with the
+Cherokees."
+
+I chimed in with the same request, but plainly the cunning old fellow
+had no idea of releasing me till he got the hatchets. He was too afraid
+I would give him the slip.
+
+"Would the Eagle fly from among his brothers," he answered
+reproachfully, "after he has journeyed so far to see them? The
+Cherokees would moan, and their hearts would be as lead within their
+breasts, did my brother do this. No, let the Eagle feast with us a
+little season, then he shall fly again."
+
+And with this I was fain to be content. But my lips parted that night
+in a faint smile as I thought of what my lady would say, could she
+but know that the pet and belle of London was to the Indians only a
+squaw--of less value than their bows, only useful to till the ground
+and carry the burden, the plaything of an idle hour.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+A WILD DIANA
+
+
+I sat with my head upon my hands watching Winona, as with her nimble
+fingers she fashioned a pair of moccasins from some soft deerskin. Two
+months had I been here, the prisoner of the Cherokees.
+
+Manteo had started back with a party of savages the morning after our
+capture, bearing a short note from me to White, briefly telling him
+that we were prisoners among the savages, and that our ransom was fixed
+at a half-dozen hatchets, two swords, and some beads; also telling
+him that Lady Margaret Carroll was a prisoner in the hands of Lord
+Dunraven, further up in the wilderness; that I was helpless to stir
+hand or foot to aid her until the ransom was forthcoming, and imploring
+him to make what speed he could in sending the articles. I had heard
+nothing of the party since, and knew not what to think. It might be
+that in a country teeming with enemies they had fallen in some fight
+with a hostile band.
+
+Often in the dead of night I would toss and groan upon my pillow as I
+thought of Margaret, a prisoner in the hands of Dunraven somewhere in
+the depths of the unbroken forest, cut off from the world and all help,
+at the mercy of one who feared neither man nor devil. My fevered brain
+would conjure up every taunting phantom of fear and anguish that the
+ingenuity of man could devise.
+
+I would think of her struggling in his embraces, his kisses upon her
+lips, calling upon me for help and succor, with none to hear her cries,
+and at such times I would arise from my sleepless couch and with a
+silent guard, who never left me, I would pace the streets of the
+village until day. Often haggard and weary, I would never lie down to
+sleep, but would sit all night staring into the camp fire, building air
+castles and wondering what Margaret did. She was Bobby's but she could
+not prevent me from thinking of her, and weaving happy dreams, that at
+a touch would crumble and fall into dust.
+
+The Cherokees ever watched my slightest motion; a brave would follow
+me all day long, throughout all my journeys, and at night would sleep
+in the doorway of my hut, so that I could not step outside without
+awakening him. Several times I had accompanied the Indians upon their
+hunts, but never did I have an opportunity to escape. Ever there kept
+at my side one of the warriors, and twist and turn as I would I could
+not shake him off. He clung to me with the tenacity of a leech, and so
+finally in disgust I gave up the effort, and returned quietly to the
+village.
+
+I had watched every chance to free myself, but I could never find
+a propitious opportunity. Someone was ever at my heels, and so I
+waited as best I might for Manteo to return. I had craved pardon for
+my suspicion of him before he left, and with his stately air he had
+answered:
+
+"It is nothing; the Eagle for a moment thought that Manteo would betray
+him, but he knows better now, and Manteo's heart is glad. He but struck
+up his brother's thunder tube because he knew that if a Cherokee had
+fallen, then would the Eagle have been burned at the stake." And with a
+smile he left me.
+
+I had another friend in the sweet Indian maid, Winona. Often would I
+find in my hut, when I returned from a long stroll, some choice fruit,
+or a fat turkey, browned to a crisp. Once a deerskin doublet had hung
+on the wall, at another time there had been a wampum belt, and I knew
+whose deft fingers had been at work. When I had fretted myself into a
+fever, it was Winona who brought me cool-water and nourishing food, and
+with her light hands had soothed my fevered brow and waited upon me
+until I had been myself again.
+
+Often she would sing some wild love song of the savages to me, sitting
+opposite and looking at me with a strange, sweet light in her dark
+eyes, which had almost frightened me, for I feared that she had grown
+to love me. I grieved that her warm young heart should be disappointed
+and wounded, for there was but one woman for me, wild or civilized, and
+that was the blue-eyed maid, who somewhere in yonder dim region which
+loomed before me, chafed and fretted, a prisoner of Lord Dunraven.
+
+And so it was with a heavy heart this bright morning that I sat
+opposite the Indian girl, and saw that same warm, tender light in
+her great black eyes--those eyes that were the envy of her girlish
+companions, and the despair of all the young bucks of the village, who
+scowled at me as I passed them on the street.
+
+One of them in particular loathed me with a fierce, unbending hate,
+the young brave Chawanook, who had found favor with Winona until I had
+arrived upon the scene, when she straightaway turned her back upon
+him, and would have naught more to do with the young warrior. He had
+immediately saddled me with the blame, and but waited for a favorable
+opportunity to revenge himself.
+
+The old chieftain, Windango, adored his bright young daughter, and
+she twisted him about her fingers, as the saying goes, until he would
+believe that black was white if she but said so. She had been brought
+up free from all the toil that had bowed the hearts and bent the backs
+of her companions, and while they were fast becoming withered and
+faded, she was strong and graceful, a veritable wild Diana. She could
+follow the chase as well as any brave, and strike down with her arrows
+the wild deer. Often had I seen her return from a day's hunt fresh and
+smiling, while behind her there lagged some warrior worn and footsore.
+
+But even the old chief had begun to admonish his daughter to give ear
+to the soft sighs of the young braves, and become the squaw of some
+warrior. She was long past the age when her companions had wedded. Why
+did she still remain alone? Here was Chawanook, who would some day be
+a great chief. Why not go into his wigwam and cook his venison? It was
+of this that Winona spoke as she finished one moccasin, and laying it
+aside, began to embroider the other with the bear claws.
+
+"Do the maidens beyond the seas go into the lodges of the braves so
+soon?" she asked, with a bright smile at me.
+
+"Some," I answered, smiling gently at her question. "Many of them do
+not go at all."
+
+She broke into a low clear laugh.
+
+"Would that I dared to tell my father that, but he would tear my head
+from my shoulders, did I dare to hint such a thing. He wishes me to
+become the squaw of Chawanook; to slave and toil for him--and he ugly
+and awkward," and she frowned, her eyes still upon me, as though she
+wished to draw me out.
+
+"Why dost thou not listen to Chawanook?" I answered. "He is a brave
+young warrior, and will some day become a chief. That he would be kind
+to thee, I doubt not."
+
+She laid down the moccasin and looked at me intently, the smile gone
+from her face.
+
+"And thou wouldst counsel that," she said in a low voice. "I thought
+that thou wert the friend of Winona."
+
+"Even so," I replied; "and it is because I think much of Winona that I
+speak thus."
+
+"Dost some fair maid await across the great sea for the Eagle?" she
+asked eagerly, changing the conversation with the artfulness of a woman.
+
+I shook my head. "No," I replied sadly, "no one waits for the Eagle--he
+is alone."
+
+She still sat opposite looking at me, the half-finished moccasin beside
+her.
+
+"The squaw of the Eagle is in the forest above the head of the river,"
+she said. "Is that why the Eagle walks abroad in the moonlight, when
+all are slumbering, and sighs to himself until day? Does he love the
+fair young maid, who is in the hands of his foes?"
+
+"The squaw belongs to one of the Eagle's friends," I replied gently,
+for the girl did not know that she touched a raw and bleeding wound.
+"He seeks her for one whom he loves as a brother."
+
+The girl looked at me; plainly she was debating something in her mind.
+Finally she spoke hesitatingly, and bending forward she whispered in a
+low voice:
+
+"A sun after the Eagle had folded his pinions among us, there passed
+up the great river a canoe, and in it a single pale man, with hair and
+beard the color of the night. He stopped not, but passed on in the
+direction of the great mountains, towards which the pale squaw had
+gone. Is he the friend thou speakest of?"
+
+"No," I answered, "he is not the one;" for I knew not of whom she
+spoke, unless it might be DeNortier. "Did he have a curved nose, like
+that of thy father?" I asked; "thin lips, and a high forehead?"
+
+"Yes," she answered quickly, clapping her hands, "it is the one."
+
+It was DeNortier most probably; like a sleuth hound after his quarry he
+would run them to earth before he slackened pace. But the lady would be
+in as bad conditions in his hands as in Dunraven's.
+
+"Winona," I said, bending over nearer to her, "wilt tell me something?"
+
+"Yes," she answered, looking up at me with her soft black eyes
+perilously close to mine, a deep red color in her cheeks. "What is it
+that the Eagle wishes?"
+
+I drew back hurriedly and sat down, for I liked not those soft looks.
+
+"Where is the white squaw?" I asked.
+
+She hesitated and drew back. "It would mean my death," she whispered,
+"should they find it out, and yet I will tell thee. They are four days'
+journey above us, near the banks of the great river."
+
+Four days' journey from me--and yet I sat here with folded arms, while
+she, a captive in the hands of Dunraven, wrung her white hands and
+endured I knew not what. No, I would make one attempt to break loose
+from the Cherokees to rescue her, though I lost my life in the effort.
+
+The Indian maid had finished the moccasins, and with them in her hands
+had risen to go.
+
+"I must go," she said demurely, as though she had not sat with me for
+two hours alone. "Occoma will be searching for me if I stay longer. Let
+the Eagle take the moccasins," she continued shyly, as she extended
+them to me, "for of a truth he needs them," with a ringing laugh. And
+evading my outstretched hands, she ran from the hut.
+
+I looked down at my worn-out boots. She had spoken the truth, for I
+needed them if ever mortal did. Stooping, I took off my ragged footgear
+and replaced them with the soft new moccasins, and then, like a little
+child with a new toy, I paraded down the streets.
+
+A party of braves were gathering around the great council hall, their
+bows and clubs in hand, and as I neared them I saw the light form of
+Winona running to and fro among them. Windango was there too, and the
+fierce, scowling Chawanook. As I looked at them a sudden thought struck
+me. There were only about fifteen warriors in the party; it might be
+that in the hurry of the chase I could escape from them. So, stopping
+beside Windango, I said:
+
+"Where goes Windango? Does he strike the Tuscaroras?"
+
+"No," grunted the old warrior, as he busied himself with his weapon.
+"Windango but goes to hunt the deer, and to supply the village with
+venison."
+
+"The Eagle will fly with his red brothers, and strike down the quarry
+with them," I continued, with a glance at the other braves.
+
+I thought that he did not look particularly pleased at the suggestion,
+though he only nodded his head, and falling in by his side, we took
+the trail for the forest. A few minutes and we had passed out of the
+village, and headed northward, a direction in which I had never been
+before.
+
+The old chief, who trod in front, spoke but seldom, and then only about
+the journey. Soon tiring of his grim silence, I fell back a pace by
+Winona, who, bow in hand, trod swiftly along behind her father. Behind
+me was Chawanook, who eyed me as though he would gladly have cut my
+throat if he but dared. Noticing the frown with which he regarded me,
+I turned to him, and with an air of great anxiety inquired of him if
+he were ill. His only answer was a savage grunt, much to the amusement
+of the dusky flirt at my side, who, little minx, knew well enough what
+ailed the young brave, and seemed to enjoy his air of discomfiture.
+
+The men had scattered somewhat, for we were nearing a famous deerlick,
+which great herds of the wild game were wont to frequent. A small band
+under Windango had crept around to the right of the grove of trees, to
+scare up the quarry, while the remainder of the party, with whom were
+Winona and I, had deployed in a long line so as to head off the deer.
+The Indian girl was standing under a great leafy tree, her weapon in
+hand, while I, unarmed and empty-handed, stood some ten paces away, a
+little behind Chawanook, who seemed determined to keep his eye on me.
+
+With a rush a dozen deer had started up at the first crackling of the
+leaves, which heralded the advance of the party of Windango, and with a
+bound dashed towards us. The quick twang of the bows and four or five
+fell, the rest darting by us and into the woods. With a shout Winona
+sprang forward, and drawing a little steel knife that I had given her,
+cut the throat of a lordly buck with wide-spreading antlers, which she
+had brought down.
+
+"Let the Eagle come forward and help me to bear the buck under the
+tree, and I will cook some of the flesh so that we may eat," she cried
+out to me, with a triumphant air.
+
+Smiling I came to where, with face aglow with exultation, she bent over
+the deer.
+
+"Well done!" I said; "thou art a veritable Diana." And taking hold of
+the animal, I dragged it over under the great tree.
+
+The maiden had followed me, a frown of perplexity upon her bright face,
+and as I threw the bleeding carcass down, she spoke:
+
+"Who is this Diana of whom thou speakest? Is it some lady of thy own
+country?" And with a pretty look of eagerness she glanced up at me.
+
+"She is a goddess," I answered. "One who descends from above to lead
+the chase, and to ensnare the hearts of men, even as thou," and I
+laughed at her confusion. For with a deep blush, she had dropped her
+long lashes over her black eyes, and stood fingering the fringe of her
+deerskin tunic.
+
+"I ensnare not the hearts of men," she answered in a low voice. "Some
+there are who crave but to be caught, and those I care not for; others
+mayhap would struggle to be free, if by any chance they should fall a
+victim, and those I would not take prisoners against their will," and
+she raised her eyes bravely to mine, with the warm light which she
+vainly endeavored to conceal burning deep in them.
+
+It was my turn to be confused now, and I mechanically sought in my
+mind for something to say that would change the conversation from this
+awkward topic, for I knew at that moment that the dark-eyed maid loved
+me. I could give her no encouragement, and yet I grieved that I should
+wound her young heart, and even as I stumbled for words to say, Fate,
+that old master, with a jerk caught the reins from my hands and mounted
+the box.
+
+With a rustle of the leaves there bounded down through the air from
+the tree overhead, a long, dark body, which alighted at the very feet
+of the girl. As she started back horrified, she tripped, and losing
+her balance, rolled down to the feet of the beast, who, with a hoarse
+growl, put one paw upon her body, and with gently moving tail stood
+glaring down at the helpless girl. He was a long bony animal with a
+round cat head and shining green eyes, perhaps measuring some six feet
+from muzzle to tail, his color a dark brown. His little short ears
+erect, he stood there as though to challenge the world.
+
+A huge club lay at my feet, where one of the warriors had dropped it
+as he pursued the deer. An instant I stood as though spellbound by the
+spectacle of this ferocious beast, which had dropped as though from
+the clouds among us, and then with a yell, I caught up the club and
+sprang at him. Before he could turn upon me, I had raised the heavy
+bludgeon and brought it down on his head, with a resounding whack; as
+I did so, I heard the screams of the girl, the shouts of the warriors
+as they hurried towards us, and with a shrill snarl of rage, the brute
+recovered from the shock, and then sprang full at my face.
+
+I threw up my left hand to shield my head, and it was on this arm that
+the great brute, his eyes gleaming with rage and pain, alighted. I
+felt his sharp claws as they sank deep into my shoulder and arm, his
+teeth seeking to reach my throat, his hot, fetid breath in my face. I
+tottered with the weight a moment, and then went down, the animal upon
+me. Luckily he had his fangs fastened into the chain which held my
+breastplate in position, and growling and snarling he strove to free
+himself, his claws rasping and scraping upon my steel plate.
+
+As we struggled thus, a half-dozen arrows from the bows of the braves
+whistled into him. The warriors, with clubs and tomahawks sprang to my
+rescue; a short, sharp struggle, and the huge brute toppled over me
+and fell. The Indians helped me to my feet, the blood spurting from
+the flesh wounds in my arm and shoulder, and with looks of wonder
+and admiration they stood about me. I had plainly risen in their
+estimation, for there is nothing the savage appreciates like bravery.
+
+Winona pushed through them as they stood there, a soft deerskin in her
+hand. I saw she had torn from her own shoulders the light robe that she
+wore, and now with quick commands she dispatched one brave for water,
+another to get some herbs from the woods, as with deft fingers she cut
+away the frayed cloth from the wounds. Before I could prevent her, she
+bent her head, and pressed her lips to the bleeding flesh.
+
+"Did not the Eagle risk his own life to save Winona?" she cried, as I
+remonstrated vainly with her. "Had it not been for him, Winona would
+now sleep with her fathers."
+
+The silent Indians stood around me; no sound or gesture did they make
+as they watched the girl, though their dark eyes followed her every
+motion. Looking up quickly as Winona finished, I caught the deep,
+implacable look of hate which Chawanook cast at me, and I knew that
+I had here a bitter and undying enemy, who would go to any length to
+injure me; and at the thought my heart grew heavy, for here was one
+more complication in the net that surrounded me. The love of Winona,
+with which I knew not what to do, and the hate of Chawanook, who would
+watch me like a hawk, would prove obstacles in the way of my escape.
+
+"Art hurt, Winona?" I asked, as she bent over me, impatiently waiting
+for the messengers to return.
+
+"No," she answered; "thanks to a warrior." And she cast a taunting look
+at Chawanook, who leaned gloomily on his club behind her.
+
+At that moment the young braves returned; one with water in my steel
+cap, the other with a bunch of some peculiar looking herb in his hands.
+With deft fingers the girl washed the wounds, binding the leaves to
+them. Windango, his wrinkled old face gleaming with excitement, had
+arrived, and was listening to the account of my rescue of Winona. As
+the braves finished, the old chief strode forward to where I stood, and
+taking my hand in his, he said:
+
+"The Eagle has saved the life of Winona. Windango will not forget;
+perhaps he may repay the Eagle some day." And with that, he turned and
+led the way in silence back to the village.
+
+The Indians held high carnival to-night, for it was the feast of the
+Sun God, which Winona had endeavored to explain, as she stood before
+me clad in all her savage splendor, a wild flower in her dusky hair.
+In vain she tried to enlighten my ignorance as to the celebration. All
+that I knew when she had finished, was that it was the feast of the Sun
+God, and was a great time for them; that the maids and young braves
+decked themselves in all their finery, and danced and shouted together
+until day.
+
+In despair at getting no more information, I put on my steel cap (about
+all that was left of my original garments) and followed her down the
+long street of the village, now alight with torches, and thronged with
+young braves and maidens, while from the lodges there peered out the
+faces of the squaws. Before the doors gathered the old warriors, pipes
+in hand, talking over the hunt and planning some foray against their
+enemies. The hum of many voices arose as we passed through the crowd
+down to where the feasters gathered.
+
+I might almost at first glance have passed for an Indian myself in the
+twilight, for my doublet and hose had long since worn out. I now wore
+the deerskin and leggins of the savages, and the moccasins that Winona
+had made me were on my feet.
+
+No day had passed since I had been a captive among them, that I had
+not planned to escape, but someone was ever watchfully at my heels. My
+weapons had been taken from me, and I seemed as far from escape as I
+had ever been. Of Manteo and the party who had gone to Roanoke there
+had been heard no word, and I had given them up for lost. Windango and
+a band of his warriors had only yesterday taken the trail for a scout
+against their enemies, the Tuscaroras. The braves only awaited his
+return to muster their fighting men to the war path.
+
+Winona had halted by the open space, around which the crowd had
+gathered. It was perhaps a hundred feet square, and now within it there
+leaped and shouted a medicine man in his skins and paint, a great round
+club in his hand which he shook fiercely to and fro, as he sang a wild
+ditty, keeping time to the music with his feet. With a loud yell, he
+threw himself upon his face.
+
+"What is this for, Winona?" I whispered to the girl as we stood
+watching him.
+
+"It is to frighten away evil spirits," she replied gravely, in the same
+low tone.
+
+And now a party of maidens sprang into the cleared space. Their long
+hair wreathed with wild flowers, decked in their finest garments, with
+branches of green leaves in their hands, they stood motionless an
+instant at the further end of the square.
+
+"Wait for me here," whispered the girl by my side. "I go to join them,"
+and she darted rapidly away. A few minutes later, I saw her take her
+place among the throng.
+
+And now they raised a loud chant, and with waving branches began a
+marvelous dance, now advancing, now retreating, winding in and out
+among each other to the sound of their voices. Slowly forward they
+moved toward the other end of the square, their merry, laughing faces
+making a pretty picture against the black background of the night.
+Their clear voices arose upon the air like the sound of some wild
+strains of barbaric music. Faster and faster they turned, until they
+only seemed one dark mass of moving figures, twisting in and out among
+one another.
+
+The wreaths had fallen from their heads in the rapidity of their
+motion, and they trampled upon them unheeded, as they whirled by. From
+the words that I could catch, it seemed a wild invocation to the Sun
+God to send them peace and plenty, and that their braves might triumph
+over all the enemies of the Cherokees. I looked in vain among the
+throng for Winona, but the figures moved by so quickly that I could not
+discern her face among the many dark heads that glided past.
+
+Faster, faster, faster they moved; several had fallen in exhaustion,
+and the old crones, who stood on the outskirts of the crowd, had rushed
+in and dragged them out of the rush. Their companions still danced on;
+it seemed to me as though they must all be weak from exhaustion by
+this time, but still they kept up their mad pace until, with one loud
+cry, they halted and stood still. A chorus of cries and loud "ughs" of
+approval from the bystanders arose. They had danced well.
+
+And now into the ring rushed the young braves, stripped to the breech
+cloth, their bronze bodies shining in the light. They caught each other
+around the waist, and tugged and strained, each seeking to cast his
+antagonist to the ground. For many minutes they wrestled, their chests
+heaving, as with every muscle strained they exerted themselves to the
+utmost.
+
+The warriors and squaws looked on, delight pictured upon their
+faces. Now and then a deep-chested "ugh" would go up, as some brawny
+brave would cast another upon the ground, and the defeated one would
+withdraw, leaving the victorious wrestlers to struggle among themselves.
+
+The braves thinned slowly but steadily; finally only two were left
+in the arena, the warrior Chawanook, and another lusty Indian,
+called Okisco. An instant they stood facing each other, then slowly,
+cautiously, like cats, they moved about, each seeking for an
+opportunity to catch the other unawares. Finally, with a dull crash
+they came together. Okisco had caught Chawanook under the arm pits, and
+with bent body was endeavoring to bear him down, while his antagonist,
+his toes dug deep in the sand, was steadily resisting every effort the
+other made to throw him.
+
+Great drops of sweat ran down their faces, as they staggered about the
+square, locked in each other's arms. The ground was trodden into deep
+furrows, where they dug their moccasins into the soft earth. Both were
+now becoming weak from the long bout, and even while I looked the end
+came.
+
+Okisco, giving a shrill yell, threw all his bull strength into the
+effort, and with a fury nothing could withstand, bore the other to
+his knees. A loud cry went up from the crowd. At the sound, as though
+beside himself with rage, Chawanook sprang to his feet, and catching
+both hands around the waist of the triumphant Okisco, and bending his
+body with a power that seemed superhuman, he cast him backward upon the
+ground. With a proud gesture, Chawanook stood erect, the blood pouring
+from his nostrils as the result of his great effort.
+
+And now there tottered into the square an old feeble man, the eldest
+of the village. With his sunken face and dim eyes he looked as though
+he was ready for the grave. With a gesture he held up his hands, and
+silence fell upon the noisy throng.
+
+"My brothers," he said, "from the time of our fathers, when the mind of
+man runneth not to the contrary, it has been our custom that the oldest
+man of the village should at the feast of the sun present to the maiden
+who had danced the nimblest a belt of wampum; to the most valiant young
+brave a necklace." And he held up in his withered hand a blue wampum
+belt, and a necklace of blue stone of some strange pattern, but I was
+not near enough to discern them well.
+
+"The judges have decided that unto Winona, the daughter of Windango,
+should the belt belong, and unto the young brave Chawanook, the
+necklace. Step forth," he continued, "and receive them." And from the
+crowd I saw Winona and the warrior Chawanook come forward and receive
+the belt and necklace.
+
+As the maiden turned, and scanning the dark faces about her, moved
+rapidly down the ranks, I heard the murmur of the savage tongues about
+me.
+
+"To whom will she give the belt?" asked an old hag by my side.
+
+"I know not," said her companion. "Perhaps to the young Chawanook. They
+would make a brave pair," and she moved aside to let Winona, who was
+coming toward me, pass by.
+
+Too late I realized what was about to happen, and for her sake as well
+as my own I would have turned and fled, but the golden moment had
+passed; there was naught to do but to stand my ground.
+
+The girl stood in front of me, the wampum belt in her hand. A deep
+flush was upon her face, and she bent her head for a moment in
+embarrassment, for the whole crowd was gazing at her in silence.
+For an instant she stood thus, twisting the girdle nervously in her
+hand, and then she raised her face. It was transfigured and glorified
+by the light of a great love--a love that would face all things and
+undergo all agony or sorrow for the sake of the one she loved; that
+could endure the cold gaze of the world, and fear it not, happy in
+the knowledge of the light within. Who counted all things as naught
+compared with this.
+
+I had heard often of the love of some frail woman, who would face
+death calmly and unafraid, would endure the thumbscrew and the stake
+with a smile upon her face and a song within her soul, for the sake of
+one she loved, and I had doubted the story; but as I looked upon the
+face of this Indian maiden, I knew that such things as these could be,
+that here was one who would die for me, if needs be, because she loved
+me.
+
+"It is a custom," she murmured softly, so softly that I had to bend my
+head to catch the faint sound, "that the maiden who wins the girdle
+should bestow it upon some valiant warrior. I know of no warrior who is
+more worthy to wear it than the Eagle, who at the risk of his own life
+dared to rescue an Indian maid." And with that she bent forward shyly,
+and with fingers that trembled fastened the blue wampum belt around my
+waist.
+
+[Illustration: "I Know of No Warrior Who is More Worthy to Wear It than
+the Eagle"]
+
+I dared not look around me, as she bent her dark head over the clasp,
+her hair just brushing my face. For an unconscionably long time, it
+seemed to me, she fumbled over it, and then with a little sigh of
+satisfaction, she straightened up. "There," she said, with a nervous
+laugh.
+
+"Winona," I said gravely, for in truth I was in the most awkward
+position in which I had ever been placed, "the Eagle thanks thee for
+thy courtesy, and will wear the belt always to remind him of thee. It
+will be a bright spot in his life, which he will cherish, when he has
+returned again to his own far distant country." And extending my hand,
+I caught her little brown one in mine, and carrying it to my lips as
+though she were some princess, I kissed it.
+
+She flushed again happily, her dark eyes soft with light as she looked
+at me.
+
+The sullen voice of Chawanook rang out behind me: "And so the daughter
+of a great chief stoops to bestow her love upon a nameless dog of a
+captive!"
+
+The girl had raised her head proudly at his words, for there flowed
+in her veins the blood of a line of savage chiefs. She answered him
+scornfully:
+
+"If Chawanook would meet his fathers let him face the Eagle alone in
+yon ring. As for me," and her voice rang out clear and full, "my love
+is my own, to bestow where I will; it shall never be given to such as
+Chawanook."
+
+The young brave answered angrily:
+
+"I sought Winona to bestow upon her the necklace of blue beads,
+for which many of the maidens sigh but I would bestow it upon the
+most beautiful, even upon Winona. What do I find here? That Winona
+shamefully has confessed before the whole village her love for the pale
+man, who is a captive among us, by bestowing upon him the wampum belt."
+And almost beside himself, Chawanook tore the necklace in his hands
+into a dozen fragments, and cast them from him.
+
+The girl, her head erect, stood fearlessly looking at him.
+
+"What if I love the Eagle?" she cried defiantly. "He is a great chief
+among his own people; he is no nameless brave like Chawanook." And with
+heaving breast and flashing eyes, she stood like some wild animal at
+bay.
+
+The warrior whirled on me quickly.
+
+"Thou shalt not live to boast of this!" he cried. "Die, pale dog!" And
+before I could turn my head, he had plucked from his belt a tomahawk,
+and cast it full at my head.
+
+The excited crowd had surged about me in their eagerness to see what
+was going on, and even as he threw the weapon, an old woman had darted
+in front of me to shake her fist in my face. It proved my salvation,
+for as she sprang in front of me, the tomahawk crashed full into her
+head, and she fell over against me, the weapon still quivering in her
+skull.
+
+In an instant I had plucked it from her, and with all my strength cast
+it at Chawanook. The tomahawk sped onward and struck him with a dull
+thud full in the face, braining him at a blow, and spattering blood
+upon those who stood beside him. Throwing up his hands, he fell at full
+length upon the ground. An instant thus I stood, with my hand raised as
+I had thrown the tomahawk, and then from somewhere back in the crowd
+there arose a voice, shrill and piercing:
+
+"How long will the Cherokees bow their heads like squaws, while this
+strange Eagle soars into their lodges, winning their loveliest maiden,
+and strikes down with his talons their braves? The Cherokees are women
+and should till the ground. The Tuscaroras shall make war for them."
+
+A low growl of fury went up from the mob as it gazed upon the body of
+the young warrior, as it lay before them. A brave leaped from among the
+throng. "Come!" he cried. "The Cherokees will clip the Eagle's wings!"
+and with a yell he sprang towards me.
+
+The crowd stood still for a moment. They were as a magazine of powder,
+and wanted but a spark to ignite. The fire had been applied, and with
+a loud shout they streamed down in one wild mass of men and women upon
+me. I struck down the first who neared me with my fists, but I had as
+well attempt to catch the rain with my naked hand, as to break the fury
+of the attack in such style as this.
+
+A dozen had caught me by each arm; several braves had clambered upon my
+back, and tugged and pulled to throw me from my feet. It was as though
+I was in the hands of the giants themselves, for with a rush they threw
+me to the ground, and bound me securely, hand and foot.
+
+"What shall we do with the pale one?" they shouted.
+
+A score of old women had rushed to where I lay, and shaking their fists
+in my face, they taunted and jeered at me. Some of them had thongs of
+deerskin with which they beat my helpless body, as I lay there bound
+and tied, and I firmly believe they would have torn me to pieces in
+their fury, had not the braves who guarded me interfered and driven
+them away.
+
+And now they cleared an open space of about ten square yards about me,
+and two great braves, picking me up in their arms, carried me to the
+middle of it, and dumped me upon the ground, after which they placed
+a log of wood under my head. A great brawny warrior strode forward to
+where I lay, a jagged club in his hands. Leaning upon his weapon, he
+looked down at me.
+
+"Does the heart of the Eagle faint within him?" he taunted.
+
+I made no answer, for I thanked God that they were to end my suffering
+quickly with one blow, and not by the fire and stake or the gauntlet.
+
+The warrior still looked at me, with a fierce smile upon his face.
+
+"Were it not that the Cherokees expect at any moment the return of the
+chief Windango, who might save thee, we would put thee to the torture
+and the stake. Our time is short, and thou mayest thank the Great
+Spirit thy end will be quick and merciful."
+
+And with that he raised the great club high above his head and as he
+did so a lithe figure darted out from among the throng, and caught his
+arm with a quick jerk as it descended. The weapon swerved to one side,
+and fell harmlessly upon the ground near my head. It was Winona.
+
+"Thou shalt not kill him!" she wailed. "Put a weapon in his hands and
+let the Eagle face thee; then thou shalt know that he is a warrior."
+
+With a growl of fury the Indian struggled to throw her aside, as,
+with the strength of despair, she clung to his arm with the grip of a
+bulldog.
+
+"He shall die!" he answered fiercely. "Loose me, girl, or I will beat
+out thy brains with my fist." And with a threatening scowl upon his
+angry face, he raised his knotted fists.
+
+"Loose him, Winona," I shouted to her. "Thou hast done thy best for me,
+for which I thank thee. Thou canst do no more."
+
+"No," she sobbed, "he shall not slay thee." And she fought and
+struggled with the brave.
+
+A dozen warriors now sprang to the rescue of their leader, and catching
+the girl by main strength, they dragged her from the panting and
+furious Indian. Holding her, weeping and struggling, they shouted for
+him to strike. A second time he raised his club to strike, but the
+girl, with superhuman effort, had wrenched herself loose from her
+captors, and bounding forward, cast herself upon my body.
+
+"If thou slayest him," she sobbed, "thou wilt slay Winona also. Now
+strike, if thou darest."
+
+Under ordinary conditions he would not have dared to slay the daughter
+of the chief, but he was infuriated beyond control and beside himself
+with rage.
+
+"Then die!" he shouted, and with a fierce snarl he raised his club
+again.
+
+I closed my eyes and waited for the weapon to descend. I could not
+think; my mind seemed only to whirl and throb in a chaos of broken
+thought which I could not connect. I wondered dimly whether a rough
+knot which I had seen upon one side of the gnarled stick would strike
+Winona or myself; whether the Indian would strike once or twice;
+whether Margaret would moan could she but know, and what she did at
+that moment; whether her hair still shone with the old golden splendor
+as of yore; whether her eyes were the same deep blue and her laugh as
+clear and ringing as in the old days.
+
+It seemed to me that I lay there an eternity, waiting for the blow, and
+still it did not descend. Would it never come? "Strike!" I shouted.
+"Wouldst thou wait forever?"
+
+No sound answered me, and I opened my eyes and looked up. There, a
+few paces from me, stood the would-be headsman, leaning upon his huge
+bludgeon, a sulky, frightened look upon his dark face.
+
+A voice, loud and angry, rang in my ears:
+
+"And so this is how the Cherokees treat a stranger who feasts with
+them, when Windango turns his back?"
+
+Turning my head I saw the old chief, tomahawk in hand, standing fierce
+and motionless behind me, as he looked down disdainfully at the throng
+of savages, who had slunk away as a whipped dog will from his master.
+
+"Speak!" he continued. "Have the Cherokees naught to say for
+themselves?"
+
+A chorus of voices arose. "The Eagle had struck down Chawanook. Winona
+had given to the pale one the blue wampum belt. Could the Cherokees
+stand by and see such deeds as this? Then, when they would have slain
+the Eagle, Winona caught Mountawk's hand, and finally threw herself
+upon the Eagle, to protect his life at the risk of her own." And they
+pointed to the girl, who, pale beneath her dusky skin, had arisen and
+stood with bent head near the old chief.
+
+Windango with a wave of his hand silenced them.
+
+"Leave the girl to me," he said hoarsely. "I am a man, and can deal
+with my own lodge. Begone!"
+
+"And what of the Eagle?" cried one, bolder than the rest. "Shall he not
+die?"
+
+"Is not Windango a chief?" replied the old brave. "Cannot he deal with
+the pale one? Out of my sight, or I shall slay some of you in my rage."
+
+A moment thus the dark throng stood, undecided. They were as some
+fierce wild beast, who, as he is about to feast upon his bleeding
+quarry, is driven from it by another stronger than himself. But the
+habit of obedience was strong within them. Even as they wavered, the
+chief put his fingers to his lips, and gave a long, quivering cry.
+An answer floated back from the trees, and the dark forms of the old
+warriors could be seen, as, weapons in hand, they hurried to the
+assistance of their leader.
+
+Some twenty or thirty war-worn veterans had already pushed their way
+through the crowd and stood grouped around him, ready at a word to let
+fly their tomahawks, and as many more were hurrying to him. The whole
+village could muster no more than one hundred braves, and of these
+fully one-half would stand by Windango. They were the older and more
+experienced men, and the other braves would be as chaff before them.
+
+The dark throng broke, and scattered into a hundred fragments.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+THE DEATH OF DENORTIER
+
+
+A light hand shook me by the shoulder. I moved uneasily, and rubbing my
+eyes looked about the hut; all was inky darkness.
+
+"Hist!" said a voice, which I recognized as Windango's, "let the Eagle
+follow silently behind me." And taking my hand in his, he led me
+quietly across the hut and into the night air.
+
+As I looked down at the sleeping warrior in the doorway, I saw
+something red trickling slowly down his broad breast. Bending over him,
+I looked. A great gash was over the heart, and from it was streaming a
+torrent of blood. The old chief had taken this means of silencing him
+effectually, and so straightening myself, I stepped to his side, where
+he stood in the shadow of the lodge.
+
+With a quick movement, he threw a deerskin over my head, so that
+nothing could be seen of my face. The night was dark and moonless, and
+from the deserted streets of the village no sound arose. He turned, and
+with me at his heels began a quick journey towards the woods. We met
+no one, as with bent heads we silently stole towards the shadow of the
+trees.
+
+The cabin in which I had been confined that night lay at the northern
+end of the village, and it was only a few moments until we reached the
+outskirts of the place. I started back in alarm, for before us there
+trod to and fro upon his beat a sentry. We could not pass him without
+being seen; but the chief by my side reassured me in a word.
+
+"It is a friend," he whispered. "Once I saved his life from the
+Tuscaroras, and he has not forgotten; the Eagle need not fear." And
+with head still bent, he stole silently by the motionless figure, who,
+with his back turned toward us, stood gazing intently into the night.
+He must have heard us as we passed, but if so he made no sign as we
+trod softly by, and in a few moments we had reached the friendly shadow
+of the trees.
+
+Never for an instant did Windango relax his swinging trot, as he
+hurried through the forest. Twice I tripped upon some root or branch,
+and came to the ground; but I was up in an instant, and after his dark
+shadow, which I could partly discern before me. Through bushes and
+vines we tore, the briars scratching my hands and face; into trees I
+bumped, and stumbled into gulleys, as I hurried on after the chief.
+
+Five good miles we must have trodden thus, and then crashing through
+a cluster of undergrowth and trees, we halted upon the banks of the
+river, the Roanoke the natives called it. Here, from underneath some
+bushes and vines, the Indian brought out a canoe, and placed it upon
+the water. Turning to me he spoke:
+
+"Windango has kept his word, and has repaid the Eagle for the life
+of Winona, which he saved from the wild beast in the forest. It is
+not safe that the Eagle should remain longer with the Cherokees, for
+to-night they plot his life, and while it may be that Windango could
+save him for this once, yet in the end they would slay him. Let the
+Eagle depart," and with a wave of his hand, he motioned me toward the
+canoe.
+
+"The Eagle will not forget Windango," I answered, as with a clasp of
+his hard hand, I stepped into the boat, and picking up the paddle
+dipped it into the water. "The memory of him will be as the sun upon
+the tired traveler after the storm has passed. But how shall the Eagle
+know when he has reached the lodges of the pale ones?"
+
+"It is three suns' journey," answered the Indian. "The Eagle will see
+upon the banks of the river upon his right a broad rock which juts out
+into the water, and over it a withered oak. Let him alight there, and
+take the trail which he will see; in an hour he will be at the lodges
+of the pale men."
+
+"The Eagle thanks his brother," I said, and with a wave of my paddle, I
+pushed the little canoe into the stream, and made rapidly towards the
+east, down its wide current.
+
+I had left the Indian behind, and with strong strokes, I made haste
+toward Dunraven. Overhead brooded the night, dark, silent; before
+me lay the great river, and somewhere beyond those dark trees was
+Margaret. My foot struck something in the bottom of the canoe, which
+rang against the board. Stooping, I picked it up; it was my gold-hilted
+sword--the companion of my wanderings--and beside it lay some food and
+a jar of water, placed there by the same kind hand. Buckling the blade
+about my waist, around which was still fastened the blue wampum belt, I
+resumed my task, my mind engrossed in thought.
+
+Why had not the Cherokees attacked the settlement of Dunraven, if they
+knew so well where it lay? It was only a few miles away, and I knew
+them too well to think they stood in awe of four men, however brave.
+No, there was something deeper than this somewhere. This was the secret
+of those steel hatchets and knives which I had seen among the Indians;
+he had bought their friendship with these trinkets, and bribed them to
+hold me a captive among them.
+
+Ah! there was a long reckoning to settle with my lord, when we should
+meet again. One which had been long in the making, and such as one
+mortal man could seldom count up against another. If I could only reach
+him with my sword, I would give worlds for the opportunity.
+
+A light sound of a paddle floated to my ears from behind me down the
+stream. Someone was evidently following, but who I did not know. With
+a quick stroke of the paddle, I turned the head of the canoe towards
+the bank, and shot in among the overhanging trees and bushes. Here I
+waited in silence; five, ten, fifteen minutes passed, and I had almost
+persuaded myself that I heard only the sound of some beast from the
+forest, when again came that light sound. Nearer, clearer, it again
+struck my ears, and in a moment I saw the dark body of a canoe upon the
+water.
+
+I strained my eyes to discover who were its occupants, but in the gloom
+I could see nothing. A pale glimmer of the moonlight for a moment came
+out from behind a cloud, and fell full upon the face of Winona, as with
+her raised head she looked around her for a glimpse of my canoe.
+
+"Winona!" I called softly, and in an instant I had paddled out from
+my hiding place, and to where the boat rocked. "Thou must go back,
+child," I said. "What doest thou here?"
+
+She only answered with a storm of sobs.
+
+"Thou canst not follow me, a wanderer upon the face of the earth," I
+continued. "What will thy father think of this, after he has saved my
+life? No, turn again to thy people," and I pushed her canoe around with
+my hands.
+
+"Winona cannot return!" she cried. "Her people will have naught to do
+with her after to-night. If the Eagle refuses to let her follow him,
+she will cast herself into the river."
+
+I was sorely vexed; here I was about to go into the camp of the enemy;
+at the very time that I needed to be footloose, the Indian girl must
+needs follow me--a plague on her! And there was Margaret, Heaven only
+knew what she would think; but the lass had saved my life, and I could
+not leave her alone and friendless in the wilderness. If it be true
+that her friends had cast her out, there was naught to do but carry her
+with me, and so with a sigh I turned my canoe, and in silence continued
+my journey up the river, with her little craft behind me. And so we
+journeyed for two long days.
+
+We were moving up the river, only a day's journey from Dunraven now,
+and with paddle in hand I pushed the little boat for all there was in
+her. But a few more hours and I would face my lord, and with sword in
+hand would end his troubles.
+
+A low call floated out to me from the shore, and turning my head
+quickly, I saw standing upon the bank some fifty feet away, his face
+distorted by a ghastly smile, the apothecary, John Marsden. If I had
+seen a vision, I could not have been more surprised. I looked at him in
+amazement, as he raised his hands and beckoned me to approach him.
+
+What ruse was this? Did he but attempt to lure me to the shore, so that
+I would fall into the hands of some of Dunraven's men, who concealed by
+the trees lay in wait for me?
+
+"Quick!" he shouted, as my canoe lay motionless upon the water. "Quick,
+Sir Thomas! for I know not what moment Lord Dunraven may appear, and if
+I fall into his hands, it will all be up with me." And he shuddered in
+such terror that, half convinced that his fear was genuine, I paddled
+towards him.
+
+"Let me but come aboard," he said, as my canoe touched land; and he
+rushed forward in the boat and seated himself in the stern. "Give me
+a paddle!" he cried, and seizing one, he never rested until we had
+pulled far out into the current; then he gave a sigh of relief. "If
+Lord Dunraven overtakes me, it will end the career of John Marsden," he
+said, with another uneasy look at me.
+
+"What doest thou here?" I asked sternly, "and why flee from Lord
+Dunraven?--mind thee, the truth."
+
+"'Twas on the day before yesterday at noon that I sat in the hut," he
+answered. "I was brooding over the failure of my lord to pay me the
+gold that he had promised, and the scornful way in which he treated
+me, when I approached him and begged for the reward which he held out
+to me. I heard a footfall on the floor behind me, and looking up I saw
+DeNortier."
+
+"'Dost thou wish one thousand pounds sterling, Marsden?' he said in a
+low voice. 'If so, thou hast but to speak.' What could I do? Here was
+a vast treasure, sufficient to overthrow the honor of an angel and a
+way to revenge myself upon Dunraven; so I answered that I would do his
+bidding for one thousand pounds.
+
+"'Then listen to me,' he said, glancing around cautiously. 'The Lady
+Margaret Carroll is imprisoned here, and languishes as the captive of
+Lord Dunraven. I would rescue and restore her to her lover, Sir Thomas
+Winchester, but it is not to be, for last night as I lay upon my bed
+I dreamed a dream. As I looked, lo! there stood beside me the dead
+Herrick, even as I had seen him often in life. I thought a look of
+sorrow was upon his face, and as I looked at him his lips opened and he
+spoke:
+
+"'Thy time has come, my captain,' he said. 'Long have I waited in
+this far land for thee, but now thy end draws nigh, and I am sent to
+warn thee. Three days, and thou shalt join the shadowy throng of thy
+men; but do this before thou goest. Send a messenger to Sir Thomas
+Winchester to guide him to Lady Margaret Carroll, whom he loves, and
+perchance it will avail thee much in the end." As he said this he
+vanished.
+
+"'I lay there in the silent room; I am not a person to fear either man
+or devil, but I feel within me this shade spoke truth, and it shall be
+as he has said. It matters little now, since I know that I cannot win
+the Lady Margaret Carroll, for death is better than a weary existence
+without her. Dost thou, therefore, Marsden, go to Sir Thomas Winchester
+and guide him here, while I stay and guard the lady until his arrival.
+Hasten back when thou dost give the message.'
+
+"And he gave me the one thousand pounds, which I buried, and
+straightway I set out to find thee. Praise be to God I have done it!"
+And he looked at me with an air of joy.
+
+"Dost expect me to believe this?" I asked incredulously.
+
+"Believe it or not--it is the truth," he said doggedly. "Would I be
+likely to put myself in thy hands, if what I say were not true?"
+
+We were all this time making our way swiftly down the river, Winona in
+her little boat behind us.
+
+"Marsden," I said, "tell me the scheme of my abduction, all thou dost
+know of it--and then perhaps I may believe thee."
+
+"DeNortier had watched for several days to carry thee away from
+London," he answered, his face lighting up at the thought. "When thou
+didst walk abroad that night Herrick was at thy heels. But thou gavest
+him the slip and they had given up all hope, until one of the crew who
+drank in a little inn saw thee come by and sent word to DeNortier.
+Immediately he posted men at every lane which led from the tavern. As
+luck would have it, thou didst come up to the very one which he himself
+guarded, and he but had time to engage in a discussion with the drunken
+fool Steele, when thou didst approach, and the rest thou knowest."
+
+"Why did not DeNortier slay me when I was in his power?" I asked.
+"'Twas not like him to let the opportunity slip."
+
+"He loved the same fair lady that Dunraven and thyself sought to win,"
+Marsden replied. "Whilst he had thee in his hands, he could play thee
+off against my lord, and so hold him in check," and he burst into a
+roar of laughter.
+
+"Why dost thou shout so?" I asked sternly. "I see naught to laugh at."
+
+"I but thought of the tale I heard DeNortier tell one day in his cups,
+of how thou didst go into the cave to explore it. The old hag, Neulta,
+cried out from a secret panel in the wall, and blew the candle out
+of thy hand with some of her secret power, and thou didst dash out
+of the cave as though the devil were at thy heels." He laughed again
+apologetically, and rubbed his eyes with his sleeve.
+
+"Thou knowest how Dunraven entrapped the Lady Margaret," he continued,
+"and how they set sail in the 'Betsy,' and making further south reached
+this coast a week before thou didst."
+
+"Yes," I answered impatiently. "But how does the Lady Margaret bear her
+imprisonment?"
+
+"Like an angel," he said, his crafty eyes lifted to mine to watch every
+expression. "Not a murmur has ever crossed her lips, and DeNortier
+protects her from harm, for he stands ever between her and Dunraven
+like a shield."
+
+"But I have something here that nearly concerns thee," he continued,
+drawing from his doublet a square package. "'Tis thy father's will,
+which I stole from thy brother Richard one night, thinking perhaps to
+sell it to thee at a propitious moment. It is thine for ten thousand
+pounds," and he waited impatiently for my reply. "Wouldst give that
+much for the estates and title?"
+
+"Thou art mad!" I replied. "Even if I thought thou didst speak truth
+and that it were my father's will, which I do not believe, still he
+had no power to will the title and land from Richard if he so desired,
+which is improbable, for the estates have been entailed for the benefit
+of the eldest son for ages."
+
+"Old Sir Hugh Richmond, thy grandfather, broke the entail by suffering
+a common recovery," he replied. "Nay, do not look so incredulous,
+the proof is in this package. Wilt give ten thousand pounds for the
+document?"
+
+"If what thou sayest be true, I am willing," I answered. "But how came
+my father to disinherit Richard?"
+
+"'Tis the same old tale," Marsden rejoined. "Richard, thinking he
+had the game in his own hands, turned loose all his ill-humor upon
+thy father after thou hadst left England, making the old lord's
+life a perfect hell on earth with his abuse and ill-treatment. Four
+days before he died he sent for a scrivener, and deeded all of his
+property of whatsoever character to Sir Robert Vane to hold in trust
+for thee. As the estate has been held in fee simple since the common
+recovery was suffered, he could so fix it that Richard could not get
+at the property. I tell thee that old Sergeant Moore, who drew up the
+deed, has so tied up the estate that 'tis impossible to overturn the
+conveyance," and he chuckled at the thought.
+
+"But to resume my tale--the title cannot be disposed of as long as
+Richard lives, but thy brother cannot of course maintain the dignity
+of his position without the estates to keep it up. He will be glad to
+relinquish it in thy behalf for a mere pittance, and thou canst have
+his action ratified by act of Parliament, so thou wilt be safe in any
+event," and so saying, he put the package into my hands.
+
+It was composed of three papers. The first I laid aside after
+carelessly glancing at it. 'Twas the common recovery by which Sir Hugh
+Winchester barred the estate tail, and attached to it the instrument by
+which he took it back again to hold in fee simple.
+
+The next was a bulky document in which my father solemnly transferred
+all his estates to Sir Robert Vane in trust. "Nevertheless to hold the
+same for the benefit and advantage of my second son, now beyond the
+seas--Thomas Winchester." And below he had scrawled his name.
+
+I folded the document together again--so that homely old saying had
+come to pass, that "curses like chickens come home to roost." I had
+never loved my father, he had meant naught to me but a name, but at
+that moment I pitied him. He had hated me without a cause and his sin
+had brought its own punishment. And so thinking I opened the third and
+last paper--it ran thus:
+
+
+     "RICHMOND CASTLE,
+     April 10, 1588.
+
+     "THOMAS:--As I lie here to-night, I realize that in a few
+     hours I must pass out to meet that God, whom I have never served
+     or obeyed. I have done little of good in this world; have lived
+     only for self, my own desire and enjoyment my only thought. I
+     know of not one soul whom I have ever helped or assisted during
+     the whole of my miserable life, but on the contrary there are many
+     whom I have wronged and injured, who will rejoice as they hear the
+     news of my death.
+
+     "I have wronged thee most of all, for I allowed that villain,
+     Richard, to play upon my dislike of thee, until I did thee that
+     last injury and drove thee from England. I have paid for my sin
+     in agony and torture; my life since thou left has been a living
+     death. There has been no night for months that I have not writhed
+     in anguish, and to add to my sufferings, Richard has done all in
+     his power to be-devil me, thinking that he had the estates safe.
+
+     "I have made what little reparation I could, and have disinherited
+     him, and transferred all the property to thy friend Sir Robert
+     Vane, to hold in trust for thee; for something tells me thou art
+     alive, and will yet come to claim thy own. Death, my son, will be
+     a boon to me--it will at last end my agony in this world. I trust
+     that my God will take into consideration my suffering here, in
+     measuring my punishment in the life to come.
+
+     "And now I will close forever. I cannot ask thee to forgive me, I
+     have sinned too deeply. I only ask thee to remember that if I have
+     wronged thee I have been repaid; for every drop of suffering that
+     has been wrung from thy brow, I have sweated two--for every groan
+     thou hast uttered, I have groaned thrice. So thou dost see, that
+     even in this world, we are repaid for our sins, for as a man makes
+     his bed so shall he lie.
+
+     "Farewell,
+
+     "RICHMOND."
+
+
+I held the paper in my hand, and from my long dry eyes there fell a
+tear, as though in tribute to one who had sinned and suffered. I knew
+he had repented bitterly the injury he had done me, and from the bottom
+of my heart I forgave him. I looked up at Marsden, who sat opposite,
+eying me as a cat gazes at a mouse.
+
+"But thou dost forget that I am a fugitive from justice, and if I set
+foot in England to claim the estate, the Queen will hang me."
+
+He threw up his hands in despair.
+
+"I had forgotten that; thy estates are forfeited to the Crown as those
+of a traitor, and thy father's disposition of them goes for naught.
+'Tis maddening with only that between thee and fortune--fool that I was
+not to think of it! Shall I have the papers back again?" he said. "They
+are of no value to thee."
+
+"No," I answered. "Did I give them back to thee, thou wouldst sell them
+to Richard, and 'tis best that they remain in my hands."
+
+A scowl of fury came over Marsden's pale face at my words, and he
+glanced about him. But he saw that I was prepared to meet him, so he
+arose to his feet. Raising my head, I saw that the canoe lay by a
+little neck of land, and that even now he was preparing to step ashore.
+
+"What doest thou?" I asked in surprise.
+
+"I promised DeNortier to return as soon as I delivered the message,"
+he said; "for the Count needs help to protect Lady Margaret from
+Dunraven." And resisting all remonstrances, he plunged into the woods,
+bidding me go by water. "Dunraven might try to escape by the river, and
+'tis best to surround him on all sides," he said, and seeing the wisdom
+of his words, I let him go and resumed my journey.
+
+All night long I paddled steadily, the canoe of Winona behind me, and
+by morning we were nearing the goal for which I had struggled so long.
+
+Four of the afternoon had arrived, and Winona called to me that just
+ahead there lay the broad white rock which marked the end of our
+journey. Yes, there to the left, jutting out into the water, was a
+broad flat rock, and above it hung a withered oak.
+
+"'Tis the rock," said Winona, and turning our canoes in that direction,
+we soon approached it.
+
+The girl caught the prow of my boat, and concealing both canoes in the
+high reeds that fringed the bank, with bow in hand she led the way
+along the little beaten path into the woods. So this was the beginning
+of the end I thought, as with my sword loosed in its scabbard, I
+followed the lithe figure of Winona. With eyes bent upon the path, and
+step as proud and free as a young fawn, she tripped in front of me.
+
+For some minutes she walked thus, and then with an exclamation she
+pointed to the trail; for here there was a great place trodden smooth,
+as though some monarch of the forest had locked horns with an enemy in
+the death struggle. The earth was torn and furrowed, and a great pool
+of blood, which looked as though it had been shed only a few minutes
+before, was in front of us.
+
+"What is it, Winona?" I asked. "Have some bucks locked horns here?"
+
+"No," she answered gravely, as she gazed at the ground; "it is the pale
+faces--see!" And she pointed to the earth, where bending I could dimly
+see the print of a shoe.
+
+"Let us go on, Winona!" I cried, alarmed at the sight, and I followed
+the trail of blood, where it led out again to the path.
+
+"See!" she cried, and she pointed to the stream of blood. "One of the
+pale ones was struck down, but he sprang up and followed his enemies,"
+and brushing by me, she ran on down the path.
+
+For a few minutes we kept on after the bloody track, then turning from
+the path, we followed the blood into the woods down a little hillock
+and up under a great oak, where I could dimly see the figure of a man,
+as with upturned face he lay quiet and still.
+
+"The wounded man almost caught one of those who struck him!" she cried
+excitedly, pointing to a deep track, as where one had leaped in terror
+and then sprang forward in desperation.
+
+I did not answer, but breaking into a run, I rushed by her and up the
+slope to where that ghastly figure lay beneath the tree. As I stood
+beside him, he stirred and opened his bloodshot eyes, wearily looking
+up at me--it was DeNortier, and wounded unto death, it required no
+leech to see that. Beside him lay the dead body of the apothecary,
+Marsden, a look of terror awful to behold upon his pale face.
+
+One stiff hand clutched some leaves, the other lay outstretched above
+his head, as though in despair. He had died like a trapped rat; the
+ghastly look upon his face was more significant than words, for it
+showed the agony and despair of the last moment, when the freebooter
+had struck him down. There still quivered in his lifeless frame the
+keen blade of a sword, which had been thrust through his body and deep
+into the ground, pinning him down to writhe and die like a butterfly
+transfixed by a needle.
+
+The Count DeNortier looked at me a moment with his glassy eyes, and
+then drew back from me.
+
+"Art come to torment me, pale shade?" he said. "Away! A few moments and
+I will be even as thou art."
+
+"I am no shade," I answered, "but a man of flesh and blood like
+thyself."
+
+"Who is it, cloaked and hooded, that stands gray and silent by thy
+side?" he continued in the same low voice, as though he had not heard
+me. "It looks even as one whom I have known in the long ago. Speak, dim
+spectre! Who art thou?"
+
+I looked behind me, there was no one there save the wondering Indian
+girl.
+
+With a shout that resounded through the forest, he dragged himself to a
+sitting position, horror stamped upon every feature of his face.
+
+"It is Sir Samuel Morton!" he shouted in an unearthly voice. "Back! I
+slew thee, but it was in fair fight. Why comest thou here to torment
+me? Go! I said," and he fell back trembling upon the ground.
+
+"'Tis no one, Count," I said soothingly. "Be calm--It is only the
+creation of thy fevered brain that thou seest."
+
+But with straight, unseeing eyes, already fixed in death, he stared
+past me.
+
+"'Tis ever thus," he groaned, "ever I see rise around me the shadowy
+faces of those whom I have slain. They flock about with leering looks
+and outstretched fingers, taunting me as I lie thus. If there be a
+hell, as the lying priests would have us believe, it would be torture
+enough to listen through countless ages to their gibes, and to see
+about me their staring faces," and he lay back exhausted, with panting
+tongue.
+
+"Water," he moaned--"would that I had but one drink of water."
+
+I cast my steel cap towards the motionless girl.
+
+"Bring him some water, Winona," I said.
+
+She bounded away to a little brook that glimmered through the trees
+near by.
+
+"Dunraven," he screamed, rising again, "thou shalt not have her! I
+would rather that this Sir Thomas should win than thou; he is at least
+a man, whilst thou art a creeping serpent. I would rather see the maid
+cold in death, than to be the bride of such as thou."
+
+"How camest thou thus?" I said, seating myself by him.
+
+"What carest thou?" he answered, seeming to see me again. "What
+difference can it make to thee, thou who art a shadow, whether I live
+or die? But listen, if it be of any interest, and thou shalt hear how I
+came to be in this condition.
+
+"This Dunraven had kept the maid captive for two long months in the
+cabin yonder, constantly threatening her and menacing her with I
+know not what, unless she would give her consent to let that imp of
+hell--the priest Francis--marry her to him. I had landed the day after
+they did upon the coast; for I knew Dunraven's plans, and that he would
+come directly here. I learned them from the spy, Marsden, the rogue who
+lies beside me, who would have played me false. I followed hot on their
+trail and found them here. Dunraven was furious that I should have
+tracked him, for he thought to have the maid in his power, and I was
+ever as a thorn in the flesh to him.
+
+"Often wearied by the long resistance of Lady Margaret, he swore by
+Heaven and earth to wed her. I took the part of the maiden--partly
+because I loved her--partly because down in my black heart I pitied
+her. For if ever woman bore herself nobly, under circumstances that
+would daunt a heart of iron, that woman is Lady Margaret Carroll.
+
+"Curse it!" he cried. "My throat burns and scorches, and yet I lie here
+and babble to amuse a pale shade, and thou wilt not give me a drop of
+water to cool my aching throat."
+
+"Thou shalt have water," I answered; "have patience," and even as I
+spoke, I heard the step of the girl as she returned.
+
+Taking the cup from her, I bent over the dying man, and lifting him up,
+held the cool water to his lips, while he gulped it down eagerly and
+resumed his story, a far-away look in his glassy eyes.
+
+"For the last week Dunraven has been as one possessed, for one of the
+savages brought him tidings which set him wild, and it was only with
+the point of my sword I held him in check.
+
+"I strolled down to the great rock this morning, where I had dispatched
+Marsden to find thee and bring thee here to rescue the lady. My
+agreement with the traitor was to meet him on his return at the rock.
+As I gazed upon the water, I heard a sound behind me, and turning I saw
+Dunraven, with his henchman, the fat priest, and Marsden, together with
+the Indian whom my lord had ever with him. Fool that I was to suspect
+nothing from Dunraven's smiling face, as talking and chatting, he rode
+with me back to the cabins, the others following.
+
+"Anxious I was to know what success Marsden had met with, but I could
+say naught until I could get him apart from the others. So I came along
+with them, perhaps a mile, when the priest, leaning behind me, without
+a word plunged a long knife into my back. I turned on him, but like a
+flash the whole band were upon me.
+
+"I struggled furiously, and tried to draw my sword, but the Indian had
+severed the belt with his knife. I fought for my life, unarmed and
+alone--but what could one man do? They bore me down to the ground, and
+thrusting their knives in me a last time, pursued their way, leaving me
+for dead.
+
+"'Have no fear for the Lady Margaret!' Dunraven cried, as with a
+smile he left me. 'I will care well for her.' I lay there and cursed
+the fate that had willed that I, a man who had slain a score of
+gallant gentlemen in fair fight, and held at bay for five long years
+the strength of Europe, should die in an unknown hole of this great
+uninhabited country.
+
+"Even as I lay thus, I heard a light step, and the ruffian Marsden came
+stealing down, knife in hand, fearing that by some mischance I might
+betray the secret of his perfidy to Dunraven. I waited quietly, with
+my eyes closed, until he bent over me, then gathering all my strength,
+even as a lamp flares up into a bright flame before it goes out
+forever, I sprang at him, and caught him by the throat.
+
+"With a yell of fear, he wrenched himself free and tore down the path,
+with me at his heels. I drew nearer and nearer to him until, with one
+last leap, I sprang upon his back and hurled him to the ground. Then
+with his own sword I slew him. Could I have only cut the throat of that
+fiend Dunraven, I would die content.
+
+"And now, thou dweller of another sphere, one last thing to soothe thy
+troubled heart would I do, before I go to join thee. The Lady Margaret
+loves thee. Would I could have told thee before thou hadst passed out
+of this mortal globe, but I only discovered it a few brief hours ago.
+They say that dying men see plainly into the future. I know not if that
+be true--I only know that something tells me that Margaret Carroll will
+be the bride of a nobler man than Dunraven."
+
+He was nearing the end now, and with long-drawn breath and wildly
+groping hands, he fought for breath. Suddenly he looked up at me with
+vacant gaze.
+
+"Say that thou forgivest me for the share I had in thy detention!" he
+wildly cried. "As God is my witness, I have rued it oft and deeply. I
+have other and grievous sins to answer for, and would not go down to
+death with that blot unforgiven."
+
+"I forgive thee," I gently answered, as I bent over him, "and though
+'twas a terrible thing, I bear thee no malice, and would not stand
+between thee and thy God."
+
+"I have done thee a great favor," he muttered. "Thou wilt discover it
+sometime."
+
+He babbled on a few moments at random. Of deeds of blood and terror,
+awful and ghastly; of men murdered in cold blood; of women and
+children put to death with torture, such as the mind of man could
+hardly conceive, by the thumbscrew and the stake; of burning ships
+and murdered crews. Then a look of cunning and avarice came over his
+ghastly face, and he tried to raise himself, but was too weak. He could
+only beckon me to draw near.
+
+"Nearer," he whispered, "I will tell thee a secret, that will make thee
+rich beyond thy wildest dreams. It will be some recompense for the
+pain I have caused thee, and thou canst let a small portion be used in
+Masses for my soul. No one knows where it is concealed, save myself and
+the dead Herrick."
+
+"Where is it hidden?" I asked listlessly, for in truth I cared little
+for the golden hoard, since one whom I loved could not share it with me.
+
+"Nearer," he whispered, so low that only bending far over his white
+face, could I hear his voice. "Those pale ones who bend beside thee
+shall not hear it; 'tis for thy ear alone. Look upon the Island
+Eldorado, it is concealed----"
+
+He stiffened himself; even as he did so, I knew that his race was run,
+for I could feel beside me the presence of that one who had beckoned
+him, and who with waiting boat was preparing to waft him over the dark
+stream, and into the dim unknown region from which no traveler returns.
+
+The dying man had lifted himself until he sat erect, his dull, glazed
+eyes fixed far beyond me. He spoke, and with awe I recognized that his
+voice had regained all the strength and imperiousness with which it
+rang when he had reigned supreme, the lord and ruler of the savage crew.
+
+"Some wine, José!" he cried. "The wine of the King of Spain. We will
+drink one more toast before we go; our time is short--long and weary
+the journey. Now, men, fill up to the brim, for I give you a toast
+to-night, such as you have never drunk e'er this, nor will again.
+
+"'Tis a lady, pure, beautiful, divine, such a one as never graced this
+rough earth before. Had Eve been such as she, 'tis no wonder that Adam
+lost all, and counted it naught beside the glory of her deep eyes.
+Had Helen been one-half so fair, I wonder not that Paris for her sake
+braved all Greece and laughed at their rage. I give thee a lady, my
+comrades, more lovely than the pale blushing dawn, purer than the
+driven snow, with eyes whose deep blue outshines the azure sky, one
+whom England admires and adores--The Lady Margaret Carroll!"
+
+He fell back upon the bank, the same calm smile upon his face. He made
+no sign or motion; bending forward, I saw that he had died without a
+struggle.
+
+With the help of Winona I dug a trench and buried the Count. So we left
+him to keep his last long watch; the snows of winter lie thick upon his
+grave, the sun and rain of summer beat upon it, but he heeds them not.
+He was a man with all his faults, and deep above his grave I carved
+upon a hemlock the simple words "Requiescat in pace."
+
+It was night when the Indian maid and myself resumed our journey.
+Winona had buried Marsden near DeNortier, and by the light of the moon
+we made our way down the rocky path and towards the cabins. No sound
+broke the gloom of the forest, as we strode rapidly on. I had lost
+precious time with DeNortier; during which perhaps the fox Dunraven had
+taken the alarm, and fled still further into the vast country beyond
+the dim mountains of which Manteo had told me.
+
+And now, as we silently turned a bend in the path, the glare of a fire
+met my eyes, only a few feet ahead, and to the left of where I stood.
+Cautiously drawing my sword, with Winona, bow in hand, at my heels, I
+stole forward, until I stood underneath the trees in the shadow. Then
+quietly I looked out upon those who sat about the fire.
+
+In front and facing me, sat Lord Dunraven upon a huge log, his sheathed
+sword between his knees. To his right, and several feet away, was
+another figure, a woman in a white dress. The light from the fire
+shone upon her white neck and rounded arms, and a gold chain about her
+throat glistened and sparkled as the glow from the blazing embers fell
+upon it. One little foot peeped out from the hem of her skirt, and her
+burnished hair shone in the dim light, as though each strand were gold,
+mined from the far-off land of the Indies.
+
+A fagot from the dying fire blazed up, and the light fell full upon
+her face, which was in the shadow. Even before the firelight told me,
+I knew the maid was Margaret. Paler than it was her wont to be, but
+radiant with the same marvelous beauty. The last few months had defaced
+not one trace of loveliness, and even as I gazed upon her from my
+hiding-place, the same faint perfume floated across to me that I had
+ever noticed when in her presence.
+
+"And so DeNortier, a plague upon him, has gone out upon a longer
+journey than it has been his wont to take," Dunraven said, a sneer upon
+his face. "He will find it, I fear, a rough voyage, and will meet on
+his arrival a warm greeting," and he looked up at the lady.
+
+"I would have gone to where he lay, and read to him from the Holy
+Scriptures," she said in a clear voice. "Perhaps it would have soothed
+his last moments, but thou wouldst not let me do this."
+
+"No," he answered, his sneer deepening into an evil smile. "Curse him!
+He has thwarted me long enough. Had it not been for him, thou wouldst
+have been Lady Dunraven long ere this. But the fruit only grows more
+tempting with the waiting," and he laughed long and loud.
+
+The Lady Margaret had risen, and with tears in her eyes now faced him.
+"Why dost thou persecute me thus?" she said, as though in despair.
+"Thou knowest I will never willingly be thy bride; there are many fair
+ladies in England. Why wilt thou persist in thy mad pursuit of me, when
+thou knowest I do not love thee?"
+
+My lord kept his seat, the smile still upon his face.
+
+"If thou for any reason dost look into thy mirror, thou needst wonder
+no further."
+
+"I seek not for compliments," she answered impatiently. "I would know
+the cause of thy unreasonable conduct."
+
+"Thou seekest for a reason, behold thou hast it. Margaret, I have
+spent a great treasure; have slain two gallant gentlemen; have left
+the luxuries and pleasures of my own country to become a wanderer in a
+strange land; have traversed countless leagues of trackless ocean and
+boundless forest, my very life at the mercy of these roving savages.
+Have imperiled all, Margaret--wealth, position, title, reputation, and
+for what?"
+
+"Yes, for what?" she answered, her head held proudly erect. "It has
+been worse than wasted."
+
+"'Tis for this," he cried, and he advanced a step nearer to
+her--"because I love thee."
+
+My lady's face had grown scornful, her eyes flashed, for she came of a
+noble line, and when once aroused, the Carroll blood could be hot and
+fierce.
+
+"Thou hadst best save thy breath," she answered contemptuously. "Thou
+art like a child, that frets and whimpers for the moon."
+
+"Art thou made of stone?" he cried, "that naught can touch thy cold
+heart? What more wouldst thou have. I have dared all, endured all, for
+thy sake, and yet thou still dost frown--hast thou no smile?"
+
+"Not for such as thee," she answered calmly, turning her back upon him
+and looking out into the gloom.
+
+"Perhaps thou thinkest that they be for Sir Thomas Winchester,"
+he said with a scowl. "Fool not thyself, proud lady, thy lover is
+dead--died with such torture as thy mind knows not, devised with all
+the ingenuity that the savage Indian can contrive. Thy smile shall
+never more be for him."
+
+Margaret had grown paler, but her courage did not fail her for an
+instant.
+
+"If he be dead," she replied piteously, "he was something that in thy
+whole life thou hast never been, nor conceived of--a brave and gallant
+gentleman."
+
+"It may be so," he answered, "but I had rather be a live man with the
+Lady Margaret Carroll, than a dead gentleman, though he be a saint."
+
+"Beast!" she cried, in anger and despair. "I loathe thee! Even the very
+savages have some mercy on their helpless victims, but thou knowest not
+what mercy is."
+
+"Not where thou art concerned," he answered steadily. "Cost what it
+may, thou shalt be mine." And folding his arms upon his chest, he
+looked at her as though he would imprint every feature of her face
+indelibly upon his brain.
+
+"Name my ransom," she said. "Any price--though it take every penny of
+my estate, I will pay it gladly and willingly," and she turned again
+and faced him imploringly.
+
+"What wouldst thou do here, alone in this wilderness? Thou wouldst lose
+thyself amid its dark shades; be devoured by some wild beast, or fall
+into the hands of the Indians, beside which captivity in my hands would
+be a paradise."
+
+"It matters not," she cried eagerly, her face alight with hope. "Better
+to die at the stake, than to endure such as this. Name but thy price,
+and it shall be paid."
+
+"This is my answer," he replied slowly and deliberately, his dark eyes
+upon hers: "Though each leaf upon every tree in all this vast continent
+were a golden sovereign, and all that vast treasure mine, should I but
+set thee free, I would turn my back upon it in scorn and disdain. Not
+for aught that this great world holds would I forego my power to make
+thee mine."
+
+Margaret had sunk back again upon the log from which she had risen,
+her hands over her face. I still lay where I was behind Dunraven. I
+would wait until the moment arrived when he would attempt to carry
+his scheme into effect; then at the very instant when he held the cup
+to his lips, I would dash it to the ground. Defeat would only seem the
+more bitter because he had been so near to victory.
+
+"So don thy fairest dress and thy brightest smile this evening, for
+I can wait no longer for the time when thou shalt be mine. With only
+the light of thine eyes to bask in, with thee to cheer me, this rough
+land would be an Eden, and we like two children to wander hand in hand
+beneath the trees. Such a life I have long dreamed of--such at last is
+at hand for me. The priest will make us one this very night. So prepare
+thee, for in a few brief moments he will be here."
+
+She raised her head, a look of determination in her blue eyes, which
+had grown hard and cold as steel.
+
+"I cannot tell what things the future holds in store for me, but this
+much is certain: Before I would submit to such an indignity I would
+slay myself with my dagger and so end my misery. I warn thee that I
+am desperate. Push me not to the wall, or I will do something that
+perchance thou wilt regret. Be not so sure. At the last moment the cup
+may be dashed from thy hands." And she arose, courage and desperation
+upon her face.
+
+"There is no help for it," he answered. "Thou canst do naught,
+Margaret, but weep and wring thy white hands; there is no one to aid
+thee. Thou art alone in my power--neither God nor man can help thee
+now."
+
+"Be not so sure of that, my lord," I answered as I stepped out into the
+firelight, my sword raised. "Thou knowest not what these dark woods
+contain."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+MY LORD TAKES HIS DEPARTURE
+
+
+He wheeled upon me as I spoke. My lady had given one loud cry, whether
+of joy or fear I knew not, and with clasped hands stood gazing at me.
+
+"So thou dost come at last," he said coolly. "It is well; one of my
+enemies has stepped out of my path forever to-day. Thou art the second
+and the last, and thou too shall go to join him. Francis!" he cried,
+raising his voice into a shout.
+
+An answering call came back from the darkness, and I could see the
+light as it streamed from the half-open door of a cabin, a few yards
+away.
+
+"Quick!" he cried. "'Tis that dog, Sir Thomas! Out, and at him!"
+
+A yell, and the rush of approaching feet, as they raced for me; I had
+sprung forward at the first shout and crossed swords with Dunraven.
+He wore his steel breastplate, or I would have cut him down in a few
+seconds, for he lacked much of being my match with the sword; but there
+was naught for me to do but to make for his head, as my time was too
+short to pick and choose my point of attack. Another cut at his head,
+which he parried, and replied by a vicious lunge at my throat, which I
+met--and then from out of the gloom his men sprang at me.
+
+The priest, a great cutlass in his hands, came down like a wild boar;
+behind him panted the fat skipper of the "Betsy," his red face aglow,
+and at his heels an Indian in his paint and feathers. And now four to
+one, on all sides of me, they cut and thrust; one man, no matter how
+splendid a fight he made, could not keep all of them at bay.
+
+A low cry from my lady caught my attention. She was swaying to and
+fro, both hands clutched at her breast--even as I glanced at her, she
+toppled and fell full length upon the ground. That one brief instant,
+when I turned my eyes from my assailants, proved my undoing. With a
+rush all four men were upon me. The priest caught the hilt of my sword
+and was endeavoring to wrench it from my hands; the others sprang upon
+my back and were trying to throw me to the ground.
+
+"Drop all swords!" Dunraven cried. "I would not have him hurt--he is
+reserved for a sweeter fate."
+
+I staggered under their combined weight; my hands were pinned to my
+sides, for the priest, having wrenched my sword from me with the help
+of the savage, now gripped my body and arms with a grasp of steel. The
+two, Miles as Dunraven called the fat skipper, and my lord himself,
+were upon my back, with the Indian tugging at my knees. With a crash I
+went down, carrying them with me.
+
+What had become of Winona, I thought as I fell. Had she forsaken me?
+She was the equal of a man in a fight such as this; but when it came to
+the pinch, she had doubtless fled.
+
+The priest had loosed me as I fell, and catching up a long knife, he
+bent over me as I struggled with the others upon the ground. The old
+dark leer was upon his face.
+
+"And so we square accounts!" he cried triumphantly. "I have gloated
+over the thought of this moment ever since we last parted. Die, thou
+carrion! May thy foul soul rot in Hades with my old chief, the Count
+DeNortier, for a million ages!" And he struck downwards at me.
+
+With a whistle an arrow whizzed towards him, and as I looked I saw its
+sharp point strike him in the throat, and passing through, project
+a foot beyond. A shrill, keen, quavering yell vibrated through the
+forest, as the priest staggered blindly, the knife still clutched in
+his hand. Then another piercing cry rang out, as a second arrow struck
+him full in the back, and with a hideous shriek he sprawled out upon
+the ground.
+
+An answering yell came from the other side of the glade, and the woods
+rang and re-echoed with the blood-curdling cry. Miles was struggling
+madly beneath me to rise.
+
+"It is the Indians!" he cried. "Up!--let me go!"
+
+Dunraven sprang to his feet. "It is the Cherokees!" He rushed to where
+the limp body of Margaret lay, and catching her up in his arms, sword
+in hand, he dashed out of the grove. "Save yourselves!" he shouted to
+his men. "As for myself, I must rescue the lady."
+
+The others were still struggling frantically with me, their only
+thought to escape. With another series of deafening yells, two figures
+sprang out of the trees and made for us. One of them was Winona, I knew
+her by her short petticoat, and the other--yes, the firelight shone on
+his face an instant as he darted by--it was Manteo.
+
+The Indian with whom I fought had broken loose from me, and now dashed
+forward. I saw him rush upon Manteo. The two grappled together, and
+fell rolling and struggling on the ground.
+
+Miles, to whom terror had lent the strength of despair, was fighting
+manfully to free himself. His hand came in contact with the stone
+tomahawk which the Indian had dropped in his fight with me; his fingers
+closed over the handle, and raising it with all his strength, he
+brought it down upon my left arm, where I held him by the hair, while
+with my right I pinned his body down. My arm fell limp and helpless to
+the ground. With a plunge he broke loose from me, and springing up he
+bounded full into the arms of Winona, who caught him around the waist,
+and with a howl of terror he fought to break away.
+
+I leaped to my feet. Dunraven had disappeared with Margaret. I heard
+him crashing through the woods a hundred yards away, as he ran at the
+top of his speed. I dashed away in the direction of the sound, my
+arm dangling by my side. But I heeded it not, as like a hound at the
+heels of his quarry, I tore through trees and bushes, bareheaded and
+disheveled, after Lord Dunraven. It seemed as though I crawled at the
+speed of an ant, and yet I know now, that I ran as I had never done
+before.
+
+Now I rushed through level plains, upon which the moonlight cast the
+shadows of the tall trees in strange fantastic shapes; then I would
+tear my way through a dense thicket, or splash into the water of some
+babbling brook and up a little knoll.
+
+At last I caught sight of Dunraven. My eye glimpsed the flutter of
+Margaret's dress, as with her upon his shoulder, he was running at the
+top of his speed, below me some fifty yards away. Encumbered by the
+lady and bleeding from several wounds, he was losing ground at every
+step, and with a loud curse he shifted the limp body of Margaret to his
+other shoulder, and halted a moment to shake a clenched fist at me.
+
+In grim silence I ran on--bending every nerve and sinew to overtake
+him. We were now on a long, level plateau, perhaps three hundred yards
+in length. I uttered one long, loud cry. Startled by the nearness of
+the sound, he slackened his pace for an instant, and made as though to
+turn and meet me. But his heart failed him, and with an exclamation of
+despair, he cast the lady upon the ground, and abandoning her, rushed
+on.
+
+Not for aught would I have halted then, for I was too near a final
+reckoning with this villain who had hounded me so long. To-night we
+would settle our quarrel for aye, and so swerving aside from Margaret,
+who lay white and still where she had fallen, I ran on after him. I
+would overtake him, cost what it might, or die in the attempt. A few
+more bounds now, and he would be in my grasp.
+
+"Curse thee!" he cried as I drew closer. "I believe 'tis as the priest
+says, that thou art leagued with the evil one himself."
+
+I made no answer. I was too near him to waste useless breath, for I
+needed all my wind and strength too in that mad race.
+
+"Thou hast won at every point!" he shouted bitterly; "hast beaten me
+at every move, and for this I curse thee, now and hereafter. If it be
+possible I would sell my soul to the devil himself, if I might come
+back once more to earth to haunt and torment thee. I despise thee with
+a bitter, unrelenting hatred, such as I have never borne before for man
+or beast, for thou hast robbed me of her for whom I have plotted and
+schemed for weary months," and he gave a snarl of rage.
+
+I was upon him now, and with a cry of triumph I gathered myself for
+one great spring, which would land me upon his back. But even as I
+drew myself together to leap he threw up both hands and gave a scream
+of mortal despair as though he were in the grasp of death itself. As
+it rang out upon the night air he plunged forward, down, and out of
+sight, his hands clutching and grasping at the earth to save himself;
+for there, yawning dark and deep before me, was a great precipice, its
+deep sides falling abruptly away, with no tree or vegetation to check
+the fall below upon the solid rock.
+
+I dug my feet desperately into the ground to save myself, for if I
+went down there was no help for it, I would be dashed to pieces. My
+feet slipped forward over the brink of the precipice, and clutching
+despairingly at the stone ledge, I caught it with my right hand, and so
+hung over that yawning abyss by one hand; for my left arm was broken
+and useless.
+
+No words can describe my horror and despair, as I dangled between
+heaven and earth. I was too exhausted by my long, hard run to pull
+myself up in safety. I could only hang thus until my grasp would weaken
+and give way, and I would fall upon the rocks beneath. Suddenly I heard
+a dull crash from below, and then silence. Peering cautiously down I
+saw the figure of Lord Dunraven, crushed and mangled upon the rocks,
+a hundred feet below me--this was his end. He had sown in blood and
+crime, and so he also had reaped.
+
+My grasp was weakening fast; my arm seemed as though it would be torn
+from its socket with the strain. I had given myself up for lost, and
+was about to loose my hold, and so relieve my aching arm.
+
+A voice came from above me. It was as the sound of sweetest music to my
+ears.
+
+"Where art thou?" cried Winona, as she leaned over the cliff.
+
+"Be careful," I answered, "there is a great chasm in front of thee,
+over which I hang by one arm. Quick! or I must let loose and be dashed
+to pieces on the rocks below."
+
+A slight noise, and then she reached out, and with both hands grasped
+me by the collar, just as my hand slipped from the ledge, and drawing
+me slowly up placed me upon the ground. Exhausted and unnerved I lay
+there, shaking and trembling like a leaf. The strain had been so great,
+that now I was safe, the reaction was almost more than I could stand in
+my worn-out condition.
+
+"Where is the lady, Winona?" I asked feebly, as she bent over me.
+
+"She lies below," she answered calmly. "I rushed on up here to find
+thee."
+
+"And thou didst leave her where she fell?" I cried in amazement.
+
+"Yes," she answered stolidly. "And well for the Eagle that I did, else
+he had not been here to tell the tale."
+
+With an exclamation I got upon my trembling feet, and back I went
+through the tall grass, the Indian girl at my heels. Thank God she
+was still there; I could see the white dress as it gleamed in the
+moonlight. Reaching her side I bent over her; her eyes opened and she
+gazed up into mine.
+
+"I knew that thou wouldst come," she murmured. "They told me thou wert
+dead, but I knew it was false, and I have waited long and patiently,
+praying that thou wouldst take me from this place."
+
+"Yes," I answered gently, "I have come. Would that it had been sooner,
+but I have done my best. I grieve that thou shouldst have been
+subjected to the threats and terror of this man so long, but it is past
+now forever."
+
+"Yes, gone," she repeated softly. "But take me away from here."
+
+Bending over her, I took her up with my right arm, as though she had
+been a tired child, and with her head upon my shoulder, I retraced my
+steps to where I had met Dunraven. Never will I forget that walk with
+Margaret in my arms; I was weary--yea, exhausted--my left arm broken,
+but I had forgotten these things--forgotten that my enemies lay cold
+and still in that silent forest, and would trouble me no more. I only
+knew that I held in my arms one that was more to me than all else in
+this great world, that she lay nestled close to my heart, her light
+breath gently fanning my cheek. For a few brief moments I tasted the
+ambrosial nectar of the gods, and was content.
+
+With Margaret I could walk on forever through these dark forests,
+feeling neither hunger, thirst, nor cold. Manteo had joined us, three
+fresh and bleeding scalps at his belt--one was the Indian's, another
+the priest's, and the third that of the sailor, Miles. Without a word
+he led the way down the path to the boats, I following, with Winona,
+her eyes fixed upon my slightest motion, behind. We had traveled
+perhaps one-half of the distance when Margaret stirred.
+
+"I have recovered sufficiently to walk," she said. And looking down at
+her face in the moonlight, I could see the deep blush upon her cheek
+and neck.
+
+"But canst thou walk?" I answered, loath to loose her. "'Tis but a few
+steps more to the boat."
+
+"Nay," she replied, "I can walk now." And gently, but firmly, she
+loosed herself from my arm, and turned to follow Manteo, who strode
+down the path ahead of me.
+
+"What is wrong with thy arm?" Margaret cried in alarm, for a sudden
+faintness had seized me, and I staggered blindly as I caught with my
+sound hand at my left arm from which a stream of blood was spurting.
+
+"'Tis naught," I answered. "Only a sudden weakness which has passed."
+And I would have gone on had she not stopped me.
+
+"Thinkest thou that I am blind?" she said indignantly. "Stop this
+moment, sir, and have it dressed." And with a pretty, impetuous gesture
+she halted.
+
+Manteo glided to my side, and with his knife cut away the deerskin from
+my arm, and glanced about him.
+
+"If Manteo had someone to hold the Eagle's arm while he cut a splint,"
+he murmured, half to himself.
+
+My lady stepped forward, and despite my protest, caught my arm in both
+of her hands, and held it in the position which the chief indicated,
+while Winona darted away for some water from a little brook to wash
+the wound. Quickly the chief splintered my arm, and putting it in a
+deerskin sling, said that we were ready to proceed.
+
+"Dost thou not wish Winona to go back for some of thy dresses, Lady
+Margaret?" I asked, as we were about to start. She hesitated a moment.
+
+"If she would," she said uncertainly, and she looked at the Indian
+girl who stood a little apart from us. Turning to Winona I bade her
+go to the hut, and bring back the contents of the chest which my lady
+described to me. She turned and bounded back down the path out of
+sight, while we moved on slowly towards the flat rock.
+
+"It is well that thou didst come when thou didst," Margaret said,
+with a dainty little shudder, "else I know not what I would have done;
+for the Count DeNortier, who had protected me heretofore from Lord
+Dunraven, was dead, and I was alone and helpless. Is Lord Dunraven
+dead?" she asked suddenly, looking up at me.
+
+"Yes," I answered slowly. "Both he and the priest are dead. My lord
+fell over a deep precipice as I pursued him, and I had a narrow escape
+from the same fate."
+
+"I am glad," she said in a low voice. "I should have grieved if aught
+had befallen thee."
+
+"I thank thee," I said quietly, though my pulse bounded and danced
+at these simple words, which in her kindness she had spoken--and so
+we came to the boat. I helped her into the largest canoe (Manteo had
+already broken a great hole in the other with his hatchet, so that it
+could not be used to pursue us) and stepping in after her, I took my
+seat.
+
+A few minutes we waited thus in silence, and then Winona, panting and
+hot, came down the trail, a bundle in her arms which she, without a
+word, handed to me. She stepped into the canoe and picked up one of the
+paddles; Manteo took the other, and they pushed out boldly into the
+stream.
+
+"Manteo," I said, turning to him, as he knelt in the bottom of the
+canoe, and with powerful strokes urged her through the water, "it was
+just in time that thou didst arrive."
+
+"Manteo has been delayed long upon the journey," he answered. "Twice
+he nearly fell into the hands of hostile red men, and he only reached
+the lodges of the Cherokees a few hours after thou hadst departed. The
+chief, Windango, told me where thou hadst gone, so Manteo followed hot
+after the Eagle, and seeing the girl Winona, as I crept near the fire,
+I recognized her as the daughter of the chief of the Cherokees. In a
+few words she explained to me the trouble, and we gave the war whoop
+and rushed at them. Of a truth they acted as if the whole Cherokee
+nation were at their heels," and something like a smile crossed his
+dark face.
+
+"It sounded to me as though there must have been at least a hundred
+savages in the woods," I answered. "My brother Manteo shouted as though
+he might have been threescore himself," and I laughed at him.
+
+My eyes fell upon Margaret as she shivered in the stern, and catching
+up the great bearskin from the bottom of the boat, despite her
+protests, I wrapped it about her.
+
+"The beautiful one is more lovely than the dawn," said Manteo, a look
+of admiration for a moment upon his face. "I wonder not that the Eagle
+has traversed all these leagues to carry her back with him to his
+lodge."
+
+I looked at Margaret.
+
+"Wouldst thou know what the chief has said of thee, Lady Margaret?" I
+asked, a twinkle in my eye, for the chief had spoken in his own tongue.
+Although he understood the English language, yet he would never express
+himself in it, but would always talk to me in his own soft speech.
+
+"What is it?" she asked, a faint smile upon her face as she noticed my
+glee. "Nothing bad, I hope."
+
+"He says that thou art more lovely than the dawn," I answered, wisely
+judging that it would be better to suppress the latter part of his
+remark.
+
+The color deepened in her cheeks.
+
+"Since when hast thou taught the very savages to turn a compliment?"
+she said. "Truly, sir, thou hast not labored in vain."
+
+"They know no better than to tell the truth," I answered, a smile upon
+my face. "'Tis from the heart, and not from the lips as in London."
+
+She made no answer, but turning her head looked out upon the dark
+river, as its waters glistened and sparkled in the moonlight. And I
+watched her lovely profile as she sat thus.
+
+"It is beautiful, is it not?" she said softly.
+
+"Very beautiful," I answered, as I still gazed at her. I was thinking
+of her face, and if I but dared to lean over and press my lips to that
+soft cheek, which so lately had lain against my shoulder.
+
+She stamped her little foot.
+
+"Where are thy wits?" she said. "Thou lookest off as though in a dream,
+and I venture to say that thou knowest not one word that I have said."
+
+"Margaret," I answered, "I would know one thing. The priest once showed
+me a paper in thy hand and stamped with thy crest, in which thou didst
+say that thou lovest Dunraven, and would be his wife. It almost shook
+my faith in God and man, that thou, whom I believed so pure and noble,
+shouldst love one so black as he. I had thought to ask thee that night
+in the prison, but it slipped my mind. Tell me, didst thou write such a
+note as this?"
+
+"And thou thinkest that I would do such a thing as that?" she answered,
+with a look of reproach. "For shame, Sir Thomas! Have I ever in my
+whole life given thee cause to think thus of me?"
+
+"Forgive me," I replied. "But the note was in thy handwriting, upon thy
+paper, and scented with thy perfume."
+
+"Thou mightst have known better," she answered gravely, and she looked
+out again upon the river.
+
+"Oh, man," she cried in scorn, "canst thou never believe that a woman
+cares naught but for wealth and fame; that she plans for naught but
+rank and position, and that her mind is ever filled with thoughts of
+conquest?"
+
+"I know of one lady who, I think is all that mortal should be," I
+answered; "whose pure soul can hold no unworthy thought."
+
+"And who pray may this person be? Fain would I know such a one," and
+she looked up again at me, smiling faintly.
+
+"Thou knowest her well," I answered quickly; "she is perhaps thy best
+friend."
+
+"I know not of whom thou speakest," she cried innocently, or was it but
+a subterfuge--"unless it be the Lady Jane Porter."
+
+"'Tis thyself, Margaret," I answered. "Thou art the one of whom I
+speak," and I bent forward to look into her face.
+
+But she had drawn herself up, as her eye caught sight of the silent
+Indian maid behind me, who with keen gaze followed her every movement.
+
+"Enough," she replied coldly. "I did not angle for a compliment," and
+she turned her head aside as though to end the conversation.
+
+"Thou art tired," I said. "Let me wrap thy robe about thee, and thou
+shalt rest in the bow of the canoe."
+
+"I am not tired," she replied, "and I would prefer to sit and watch the
+changing river as we glide along."
+
+But I insisted upon her taking some rest, and she finally consented;
+for though she would not acknowledge it, she was plainly tired.
+
+Long I sat in the center of the canoe. The Indian girl had relinquished
+her paddle, and was now slumbering behind me. Only the tireless Manteo
+urged the boat through the water, his steady strokes unflagging as
+hour after hour passed. I sat opposite him until after midnight. Then
+despite his protest I took the paddle from his hands, and bidding him
+snatch some sleep, I took his post and with my sound arm made shift to
+paddle the canoe. So I sat until the dawn crept slowly above the trees.
+
+My lady was up early, and with a light song upon her lips, chided me
+for sitting up till day. She was like a little merry-hearted child this
+morning, as she ran to and fro upon the boat. I had seen her often and
+in many moods--as the stately lady of fashion in silks and satins; as
+the plain simple maid, dimpled with smiles, going for her walk in the
+city of London; had seen her as she archly tossed her head at some
+nicely-turned compliment; had seen her in tears, as on the night when
+she visited me in London--but I had never seen her half so lovely as
+now.
+
+Even the silent Manteo brightened up under the spell of my lady's good
+humor--only Winona seemed moody and ill at ease. And so passed long,
+happy days for me, as we floated down the river. I cared not to return
+to the world again, for me it meant to lose Margaret, and perhaps my
+head.
+
+It was hard, Heaven knows, to sit and watch her face; to listen to
+the sound of her sweet, low voice, and to keep down the great wave
+of love for her that welled up in my heart; to speak no word of all
+those tender ones, that it seemed impossible to suppress. But I fought
+against my love like a man, for she was Bobby's, the finest gentleman
+I had ever known and my best friend. Moreover she was in my hands, and
+I would fulfill my trust; I would take no advantage of her position to
+pour my love into her unwilling ears. She should go back to England and
+Bobby, and forget me.
+
+Once when I mentioned Bobby's name, I had seen a blush upon her cheek,
+and I thought her blue eye grew softer; the demon of jealously arose
+in my breast, and I mentioned his name no more. Turning to her, I said:
+
+"Lady Margaret, wouldst thou grant me one favor?"
+
+"Yes," she replied, and she turned her head away from me. "What is it,
+Sir Thomas?"
+
+"Wilt thou, when thou raisest thy voice in prayer to God offer up one
+supplication for a wicked, sinful man, that he may triumph over the
+tempter, who daily and hourly besets him?"
+
+"Yes," she answered gently, and a tear dropped from her blue eyes. "I
+will pray for thee, Sir Thomas, that thou mayest fight a brave fight,
+and win a noble victory over thyself."
+
+And now we had left the canoe, and under the guidance of Manteo plunged
+again into the forest afoot. To my remonstrances that the lady could
+not endure the journey, he had turned a deaf ear.
+
+"Better that, than to fall into the hands of the Tuscaroras," he said
+stolidly. "Here in the woods Manteo can guard better against them than
+on the water," and so afoot we had gone.
+
+Margaret had made light of my gloomy forebodings.
+
+"Out upon thee, sir!" cried she archly. "One would think that I was
+some pretty toy, from which the rain would wash the paint, that I
+cannot keep the trail with thee in the forest."
+
+"Fair lady, perhaps thou wilt remember my warning when thou art
+footsore from the march," I answered. "But if thou art determined,
+come!" And I led the way after the Indian, with her at my side.
+
+The long journey was sweet to me, for I walked by her side much of the
+time. I helped her over some fallen log, or held aside an overhanging
+limb so that she might pass beneath it. Often I would bring down some
+wild fowl with the Indian's bow, with which I had become expert, and
+browning it upon the coals, would bring a choice piece to my lady,
+where she sat enthroned under some monarch of the forest, and dropping
+upon one knee, with mock humility would present it to her, while she
+with stately air, albeit with a merry twinkle in her eye, would accept
+it right royally.
+
+Both Manteo and I were her willing slaves, for the Indian had fallen
+under her spell too, and worshiped the very ground upon which she
+stood. Winona would have naught to do with Margaret, but scornfully and
+disdainfully held herself aloof, and to all her advances turned a cold
+shoulder.
+
+We were nearing our journey's end now, and as I sat brooding moodily
+over the camp fire, my head bent low over my hands, I thought bitterly
+of the future. I could not return to England and see Margaret become
+the bride of another. No, I would go back with Manteo into the
+wilderness after I had seen my lady safely upon her ship, and there I
+would spend the remainder of my life with the faithful Indian.
+
+But what if White, despairing of my return and finding no trace of the
+lost colony, had raised anchor and sailed back to England. What, then,
+would become of Margaret? Manteo had told me on his return, only a
+few days ago, that the Governor had found no trace of the colonists,
+and but awaited my arrival to set sail. If he should tire of my long
+absence, what should I do with my lady? A selfish joy at the thought
+welled up within me, but I resolutely put it away. A light step
+interrupted my thoughts, and looking up, I saw before me Winona. The
+girl had her bow in hand and on her shoulder was strapped a robe, as
+though ready for a journey.
+
+"What is it, Winona?" I asked, as she stood motionless before me.
+
+"Winona goes back again to the lodges of the Cherokees," she answered.
+"Long she has traveled from her people, and her heart yearns for the
+faces of her tribe. The Eagle has flown far, and now he journeys with
+the beautiful one to the land of his home. Winona cannot travel so far.
+Her feet would tire, and she would return to where Windango awaits her."
+
+"Winona," I answered, "thou canst not return to the Cherokees; they
+would slay thee. I am a wanderer upon the face of the earth and can do
+naught for thee myself, but I will ask the Lady Margaret to take thee
+with her. She is a great lady and thy lot would be an easy one, with so
+fair a mistress."
+
+"Nay," she answered, "Winona will remain with her people. Windango is
+a great chief and I shall be safe with him--besides," and she hung her
+head.
+
+"What?" I asked kindly. "Speak freely, thou needst fear naught."
+
+She raised her head proudly, her dark eyes looking into mine.
+
+"Why should I fear to tell it?" she cried. "Winona loves the Eagle; she
+knows that his heart belongs to the beautiful one, and that he will fly
+far away with her to his wigwam. Shall Winona go to eat out her heart
+with sorrow at the bliss she cannot share? No, she returns to her own.
+Thou art near thy journey's end. Two days more and thou wilt stand on
+the Island of Roanoke--Winona would leave thee now."
+
+"But, Winona," I cried, "I go not back to England with Lady Margaret!"
+
+She looked intently at me.
+
+"Dost love the beautiful one?" she asked fiercely. "Answer me the truth
+at this last moment."
+
+"Yes," I answered simply, "I love her."
+
+"And thou wouldst ask me to serve her?" she cried. "One whom thou
+lovest? Wouldst thou have served the chief whom thou didst chase over
+the precipice, if the beautiful one had loved him?"
+
+"No," I answered. "Thou knowest I would not." I could say no more, so I
+stood silent and waited.
+
+"Winona will not forget the Eagle," she said in a low voice. "When she
+grows to be an old woman, she will tell how she once knew and loved the
+great white chief. Winona knows the Eagle and the beautiful one will be
+happy."
+
+"Winona," I said sadly, "the Lady Margaret loves another."
+
+"Winona is not blind," she replied, "the beautiful one loves the Eagle.
+Sharp are the eyes of love to discover love. And now," she said, as
+I stood staggered by her last words, "Winona would tell the Eagle
+farewell, for she knows she will see him no more." And catching my hand
+in hers, she pressed it to her lips. Then turning, she sped lightly
+away.
+
+"Winona," I cried, "come back! Go not thus!" but only the moaning of
+the pines answered me--she was gone.
+
+A light step from the other side of the fire, and my lady stood before
+me, her face wet with tears. One look at her, and I knew she had heard
+all.
+
+"She has gone!" she cried. "Not back into the woods? Quick! After her,
+thou mayest yet save her."
+
+"'Tis useless," I answered quietly, "she is far into the depths of the
+forest by now--besides, why should I bring her back? She is better
+thus. Thou hast heard what she said, and thou knowest why she left."
+
+"I but rested upon the other side of the fire," she answered hurriedly,
+"when her voice fell upon my ear. I could not withdraw without being
+seen by her, so I was forced to play the spy against my will."
+
+"It matters not," I replied; "there was naught said that I would not
+have thee know. But sit down, Lady Margaret. I have a few words to say
+to thee, before we part forever." I motioned her to a seat upon a stone
+in front of me.
+
+"I am about to reopen a painful subject for the last time, but as we
+part in a day or two, I would wish to speak of it again. I cannot go
+back to England; it would be sheer madness to return and face the
+Queen. And after all, England holds naught for me but sorrow and pain.
+I have passed from the lives of those I once knew, as the dead leaves
+of last year's trees, and I shall return no more.
+
+"Margaret," I said, "I cannot go back into those great wastes behind
+me, without telling thee of what my love for thee has been to me. It
+has been a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night; it
+has been the sweetest drop in the bitter cup of life. Life would be
+worth the struggle, had it held naught else for me save this. See," I
+continued, "I found months ago by the trail, this little miniature of
+thee. I have kept it ever since where I could feast my eyes upon it. I
+am a better man because I have known and loved thee."
+
+"Thou art the noblest gentleman I have ever known," she sobbed. "I am
+unworthy of such love as this."
+
+"No," I answered, "thou art worthy of a finer, truer man, and such a
+love thou hast. When thou art happy in thy far-away home, wilt thou
+not think of one who loves thee and wanders in exile in Virginia? The
+grass is green in old England now, Margaret, and the birds are singing
+on every hedge; greet the old place for me, and remember me to my old
+friends, Bobby and Steele, for I shall never see them more."
+
+"I will think of thee often," she answered, the tears still in her
+azure eyes. "Must thou remain here, alone in this strange land?"
+
+"Yes," I answered, "my place is here. I could not bear to see thee the
+bride of another."
+
+"Am I to be wedded without my consent, sir?" she said archly, and she
+broke into a low, sweet laugh.
+
+"But thou dost love Bobby? Thou didst as good as tell me that in the
+prison yonder in England."
+
+"Thou didst take it for granted," she said shyly. "I was overpowered
+with sorrow at thy sad plight, and thou didst jump at the conclusion
+that I loved Sir Robert," and she looked at me, a smile shining through
+her tears.
+
+"Whom dost thou love, if not Bobby?" I cried in wonder. "Dost love
+anyone, Margaret?" and I bent low over the golden head.
+
+"Yes," she answered softly, "I love a gentleman, brave, strong, noble,
+with a heart as true as steel; one who has loved me long."
+
+"Who is it, Margaret?"
+
+She looked up at me, with a smile soft and sweet, at which my heart
+gave a great bound of joy--it could not be. No, I must be dreaming.
+
+"Must I tell thee, stupid? Are thy wits gone wool-gathering?"
+
+With a great cry of joy I took her in my arms, smiles, blushes, and
+tears, and held her close to my heart.
+
+"Dear," I cried, "I never dreamed of this. Why didst thou not tell me
+before now?"
+
+"Because thou didst not ask me. Oh, Thomas, why didst thou not ask me
+that night in the prison?"
+
+"Margaret," I said, "thou shouldst love one handsome and young like
+thyself. Thou wilt be ashamed of me, sweet one, when thou seest me by
+the side of some gay, debonair, young gallant."
+
+But she gently placed one soft white hand over my lips.
+
+"Hush, not one word more, or I will vanish into yonder woods. Thou art
+more handsome in my eyes than any velvet gallant, for thou hast become
+a man of deeds, not words. Thou wilt go back with me to England," she
+whispered, her face close to mine; "together we can face the Queen, and
+I will have thee pardoned."
+
+"Yes," I answered, "come what will, we go back together."
+
+"When didst thou first love me, Margaret?" I asked, my eyes upon the
+bright head against my shoulder.
+
+"I do not know," she said. "I only know that as I stood beside thee in
+the prison cell in London, I knew that thy life was strangely precious
+to me. But good-night," she said, "I must keep my roses or thou wilt
+soon tire of me." And slipping from me, she tripped lightly away.
+
+A light hand touched my arm. I turned and saw Manteo.
+
+"The beautiful one will go with the Eagle to his lodge and be his
+squaw?" he said gravely.
+
+"Yes," I answered, "she will go."
+
+"Manteo is glad," he said simply, "for it is meet that the lady who
+is lovely beyond all mortal beauty, should go into the lodge with the
+Eagle, who is a great chief."
+
+"I thank thee, Manteo." And I followed him down by the camp fire, and
+stretched myself out upon my bearskin.
+
+My mind was in a whirl--I had not dreamed that Margaret loved me.
+I--gray, penniless; she--young and beautiful beyond compare. And with
+thoughts such as these, and of the future, I fell asleep.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+
+THE JOURNEY'S END
+
+
+"Get up, lazy bones!" cried a merry voice in my ear, and arousing
+myself, I looked up into the arch face of my lady as, dimpled and
+smiling, she stood before me.
+
+The sun was high in the heavens, and Margaret, an apron of deerskin
+about her slender waist, was getting breakfast. I had never seen her do
+this before. Either Manteo or myself always prepared the meals, but now
+with flushed face she tripped back to where a great haunch of venison
+browned over the fire on a spit, and with a look of anxiety, beautiful
+to see, turned it over to brown upon the other side.
+
+"See how industrious I am this morning," she cried laughingly. "I am
+getting thy breakfast while thou dost sleep. 'Go to the ant, thou
+sluggard'!"
+
+"'Tis the first time that thou hast ever done such a thing," I said
+lightly, as I bent over her, and catching both white hands, stick and
+all in mine, despite her laughing resistance, kissed her rosy lips.
+
+"'Twas because thou wouldst not let me, sir," she answered saucily.
+"Now seat thyself and behold me cook."
+
+I threw myself upon the ground opposite, and watched her as she ran to
+and fro, now putting a stick upon the fire, now turning the venison
+again. Finally she stated with an air of wisdom, that breakfast was
+done. And so we sat down together. Manteo had gone out for a little
+scout before breakfast, she told me.
+
+"Venison from such a hand were thrice as sweet," I said, as she helped
+me to a generous slice.
+
+"'Tis not sweet at all," she answered with a laugh. "So now, gallant
+sir, thy compliment is shattered."
+
+"Say, then, is thrice more palatable," I replied, "and thou hast a
+compliment, perhaps less flowery, but more delicate and flattering,"
+and I bowed to her mockingly.
+
+"Oh, Thomas," she cried, as she watched me eat, "that is the third
+great slice of venison that thou hast helped thyself to; never have I
+seen thee eat so much."
+
+"Never had I such a cook," I answered. "I could eat forever with so
+dainty a maid to sit beside me. In truth this venison is to me as the
+nectar of the gods." And so feasting my eyes upon her, I sat looking
+into her face.
+
+"The Eagle gazes at the beautiful one as a famished wolf at a fat,
+slick buck," said Manteo, who had strode noiselessly up and who now
+stood behind me. "He looks as a man who had not tasted food for days
+would look, if he sat down to a great feast."
+
+I flushed guiltily at his words, and then I translated them to my lady,
+who had looked up at the sound of Manteo's voice. She blushed a deep
+pink to the tips of her little ears, and her blue eyes fell beneath the
+admiring gaze I bent upon them. Laughing at her pretty confusion, I
+arose and made ready our light baggage to take the trail.
+
+In a few moments we had resumed our journey. Pleasant and sweet were
+those last two days to me, as I walked by Margaret and whispered
+soft words of love to her. The very woods seemed transformed to me;
+from every tree there trilled some sweet-voiced songster; beautiful
+flowers lined our path and mingled with the many-tinted autumn leaves;
+while the sun shone brightly down on us, as though in pleasure at our
+happiness.
+
+Hand in hand we trod after the Indian, as with tireless step he led
+us on. Sometimes we would come upon a little babbling brook and then,
+picking up Margaret in my arms, I would wade through, and put her
+gently down upon the other side. And so, laughing and happy as two
+children, we came in sight of Roanoke Island. I gave a great shout as
+we emerged from the forest, for there, a few rods away, lay the ship
+of White, riding calmly at anchor, her consorts nowhere to be seen;
+probably they had sailed again for England.
+
+At the sound of my voice, a dozen men who were on the deck turned
+towards me, and as I waved my hands they lowered a boat and came toward
+us. In the bow of the approaching boat sat Governor White, and he
+shouted at me all the way to the shore.
+
+"Safe back again, at last!" he cried in joy, as the boat grated upon
+the beach, and springing ashore, he wrung my hand as though he would
+never loose it. "We feared thou hadst been slain by the savages, but I
+had determined to wait until thou didst appear or we had news of thee."
+
+"This is the Lady Margaret Carroll of London," I said, turning to my
+lady as she stood beside me, stately and grand as any queen. "This is
+Governor White, of whom thou hast frequently heard me speak."
+
+"This is indeed an unexpected pleasure," cried the Governor, as with a
+deep bow he bent over her white hand. "'Tis but poor accommodation we
+can offer to one so lovely and well-bred, but to such as we have thou
+art welcome."
+
+"I thank thee, sir," she answered, "and am sure that the company of
+Governor White will recompense for much else."
+
+With another bow he took her hand and led her to the boat.
+
+The men had gathered around me, shaking my hand as though I were a
+long-lost brother. I was overcome by the warmth of their greeting,
+I, whom they had previously shunned as though I had the plague. With
+shouts and exclamations of pleasure they hovered about me, and followed
+even the Indian, who met them with the same cold reserve as of yore.
+
+We stepped into the boat, and rowed toward the ship. As we drew near,
+I saw that the whole company had gathered upon deck, and as we touched
+the side, they raised a ringing shout.
+
+"Three cheers for Sir Thomas Winchester!" cried one, and with a will
+they roared them out.
+
+And so amid cheering shouts of welcome, I, who had moved among them in
+the past with sneers and scorn, came back amidst the plaudits of the
+throng. Of such are made the fickle crowd; one moment ready to cut a
+man's throat--the next moment ready to crown him.
+
+My lady's face was flushed with delight, as with starry eyes she
+looked up at me.
+
+"See," she whispered proudly, "this is how thy fellows would honor
+thee."
+
+"What does it mean, Governor?" I asked.
+
+"The 'Dart' touched here a few days ago, on its way to harry the
+Spanish towns upon the coast, and she brought for thee an open letter
+of pardon; 'tis under the hand of Elizabeth and sealed with the great
+seal. It seems that DeNortier himself had sent a letter to the Queen, a
+few months ago, before he sailed away, swearing upon his oath that the
+charge of the priest and the other men was false, and sworn to by the
+command of Lord Dunraven. This coincided with the tale of Oliver Gates,
+and so thy friends secured a pardon for thee; there is another bulky
+letter here, brought by the same vessel, which I have not opened."
+
+A great lump came into my throat and choked my speech, a mist dimmed my
+sight, and I could only shake the hand that White held out to me, and
+murmur a few words in answer to his hearty congratulations.
+
+This had been the favor that DeNortier tried to tell me of as he lay
+dying in those dark woods. I thought of how often I had abused him, and
+of the great hate I bore him; then too how he had stood like a bulwark
+between Margaret and Dunraven. There was something noble after all in a
+man who would do this for an enemy, and I wished I could shake his hand
+and thank him--but it was too late.
+
+I have never been able to solve the problem of why he wrote this letter
+to the Queen. Whether in a fit of remorse of conscience for all the
+evil he had done me, or to injure Dunraven who was his strongest rival,
+I know not; and the only lips which could solve this unexplained riddle
+lay cold, silenced forever, in that vast unknown land behind me.
+
+And so we boarded the vessel. My lady had gone to the great cabin which
+the Governor had given up to her, and I stood near the mast looking at
+the shore. White approached me, a long bulky package in his hand.
+
+"'Tis the Queen's pardon," he said. "And this is the other letter of
+which I spoke," and he placed them in my hand.
+
+Seating myself, I broke the seal and opened the letter. It was from
+Bobby--a long, rambling epistle, telling me of the disappearance of
+Lady Margaret and begging me to watch for her as he feared that Lord
+Dunraven, who he was sure had abducted her, would fly to this country.
+But it was the last part--I stared long, and read once, twice; it ran
+thus:
+
+
+     "I have at last given up all hope of winning Lady Margaret, for I
+     know that she loves thee, and so I am to be wedded in a few weeks
+     to my lady's friend and sometime schoolmate, Lady Jane Porter. So
+     if thou dost discover Margaret, I give thee my advice to capture
+     her without more words. The Queen has pardoned thee. But there is
+     another piece of good fortune which I would acquaint thee with.
+
+     "Thy brother Richard died but one week ago, here in London. He
+     died without a will or issue, unexpectedly in the night. The leech
+     was summoned, but when he arrived thy brother was speechless.
+     They say he made frantic efforts to speak, but in vain--death had
+     sealed his lips. It is probably fortunate that he was dumb, as
+     he no doubt wished to disinherit thee, whom he hated. And so the
+     title and estates are thine. With these and the Queen's pardon in
+     thy pocket, thy old place in London awaits thee. So come back--we
+     stand with wide open arms to receive thee. No more at present, from
+
+     "BOBBY."
+
+
+I looked up, the breeze had begun to freshen; already the sailors were
+running to and fro, making preparations to hoist anchor and set sail
+for home. My lady had come up again and stood beside me.
+
+"What is it?" she asked with a smile, as she saw the letter in my hand.
+
+"'Tis from Sir Robert Vane," I answered. "He tells me that he is about
+to wed Lady Jane Porter; so thou seest, fair one, thou hast lost a
+lover," I said teasingly.
+
+"I care not," she replied. "I have also gained one, and I am glad he is
+to wed, for I feared he would take the news of my betrothal to heart.".
+
+"He also says my brother Richard is dead, and the title and estates
+are now mine." And I placed the letter in her hand.
+
+"'Tis too good to be true," she replied calmly, as she clapped her
+hands. "See, sir, I am thy good fairy; the minute I came to thee,
+fortune opened wide her lap and poured her treasure at thy feet."
+
+"Had she brought me naught but thee, I had been content," I answered.
+
+I looked cautiously around. There was no one in sight, so catching her
+in my arms I stole a kiss. I was still looking down at her pink cheeks,
+when a step sounded, and Governor White came around the corner. One
+glance at my lady was enough for the wily captain, and with a twinkle
+in his eye, he looked at me.
+
+"I think I may congratulate thee again, upon something of more
+importance than even thy pardon," he said.
+
+"And what may that be, Governor?" I asked innocently, for I had no mind
+to give Margaret away.
+
+"Upon thy approaching wedding," he answered, a broad smile upon his
+face. "Of a truth, Sir Thomas, thou art the most fortunate of men,
+and thou shouldst thank thy lucky star that thou hast won so lovely a
+bride."
+
+"I am indeed most fortunate," I answered, "for I would not to-day
+exchange places with a king. And this letter from a dear friend, tells
+me my father's estates and title are now mine."
+
+"This has of a truth been a day for thee long to be remembered," said
+the Governor, "and I rejoice with thee, for I grew to know and esteem
+thee for thy worth and valor, whilst thou wert with me upon the ship."
+
+"Not more than I did thee," I replied. "But hast thou heard aught of
+thy little grandchild and the lost colony since I left thee?"
+
+His old face saddened, and a look of grief came into his eyes.
+
+"No," he replied, "I have heard no word of them; they were probably
+captured by the savages and carried far into the interior, never to be
+seen again. Poor little Virginia!--so innocent, so bright and happy,
+'tis a hard fate for her. Rather would I have seen her in her grave;
+then would I have known she was beyond all harm and sorrow, and I
+could have come sometimes to drop a tear or lay a flower upon the
+mound. But this is worse than death," and he wrung his hands in grief,
+his haggard, care-worn face working with emotion.
+
+Margaret bent towards him, a tear in her blue eyes.
+
+"God will watch over her, Governor," she said softly. "Safe in His
+protecting care, she is secure from harm."
+
+"I thank thee, Lady Margaret," he said huskily. "'Tis a beautiful
+thought, and one that I shall treasure," and he strode rapidly away.
+
+Coming towards us now I saw Manteo; silently he made his way, until he
+stood in front of us.
+
+"The Eagle and the beautiful one will in a few moments be upon the
+breast of the great water," he said. "Manteo would say farewell to them
+before they go. He is glad that the beautiful one will be with the
+Eagle in his tepee, to cheer him when Manteo is gone."
+
+"Surely thou too wilt not leave us, Manteo?" I cried. "Winona has gone
+back into the forest. Wilt thou desert us too? I had planned many
+pleasant things for the future, when thou too shouldst walk with us the
+smooth sod of my own green country."
+
+"Manteo thanks the Eagle," he replied. "Manteo loves him, and would
+wish him well, but the fish cannot live out of the water, nor the
+bird when it beats its wings against the cage; neither can Manteo in
+that crowded land to which thou goest. His heart would yearn for the
+great, free forest; for the call of the wild bird to its mate; for the
+flowing river and the scent of the wild flowers--no, the Eagle and the
+beautiful one will return again to their own land, and Manteo will
+remain here."
+
+"But, Manteo," cried Margaret, "'twill cloud our happiness to leave
+thee behind--thou who hast done so much for us," and she cast a coaxing
+look toward him.
+
+"The beautiful one is kind to Manteo," he answered, "still he cannot
+go to that far land. Manteo first saw the light in this wild land, and
+here he has lived; his heart loves its shadowy depths and waving trees;
+here came into being his father, and their bones molder away among its
+sighing pines." And folding his robe about him he stood silent, as
+some old Roman wrapped in his toga, his motionless eyes fixed upon me.
+
+The great ship came around in the breeze; the shouts of the men reached
+us, as they hoisted sail and prepared for the homeward journey. The
+little canoe of the Indian had been placed upon the water, and now
+danced and eddied on the waves, as some impatient steed awaiting its
+rider.
+
+White came forward to where we stood; I with my heart full to
+overflowing, and my lady with wet eyes. I was about to part from a
+noble soul, who had stood by me, undaunted and unafraid, when all
+others had shrunk from me, and I was torn with sorrow.
+
+"If the Indian would leave, it is high time, Sir Thomas," he said; "for
+in an instant we will make out for the open sea, and his little canoe
+could not safely float upon the ocean."
+
+Margaret had taken a little gold pin from her dress, and held it out
+to the Indian. "Keep it, Manteo," she said. "Do not forget me. And
+shouldst thou ever come to England, I shall be proud to entertain thee."
+
+I unbuckled my gold-hilted sword from my side, and stepping forward, I
+fastened it around his waist.
+
+"Take this sword," I said in a husky voice, "and when thou drawest it,
+Manteo, remember to whom it once belonged. Draw it not in an unworthy
+cause, nor sheath it in a just one; of all who have worn this blade,
+there has been none nobler and truer than thyself."
+
+The chief's bronze face worked with emotion.
+
+"Manteo must go," he cried, "or he will forget that he is a warrior,
+and weep even as a woman. Farewell! May the Great Spirit, who dost
+watch alike over all, both pale and red skin, guide your footsteps and
+keep you safe from harm," and with a steady step, he glided over to his
+canoe and dropped into it.
+
+His knife gleamed for an instant upon the line that bound the canoe to
+the vessel. Released, the little boat fell back, and the great ship
+rose upon the water and began her outward trip.
+
+We stood at the rail, Margaret and I, and watched the boat with the
+motionless figure in it, until a turn in the island hid him from our
+view. And so we parted from that true soul forever, bearing with the
+stoicism of his race his grief at the separation.
+
+A nobler type has there never been of a savage and barbarous race,
+whom its enemies have defamed and maligned. Hospitable, generous,
+warm-hearted and true, quick to anger, and when aroused never
+forgetting nor forgiving a foe, but at the same time never betraying
+a friend, nor forgetting a favor. Many foes of the race would do well
+to imitate its virtues, while with that knowledge that comes with
+superior advantages and opportunities they reject its failings. And of
+that untutored people, none there were who could boast of more of those
+qualities that go to make up a soldier and a gentleman, than he whom we
+left behind us that day--Manteo, a chieftain of Roanoke.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *       *       *
+
+We were coming into London. After being long upon the brine, we had at
+last reached England. And now this bright December morning we sailed up
+the sparkling Thames, passing swiftly the craft that, bent on business
+or pleasure, thronged its waters. Rapidly we sailed by them one by one,
+and kept on our steady way to the harbor. Each familiar spot I saw
+seemed to greet me as an old friend, and with Margaret at my side, we
+laughed and jested, as we drew nearer and nearer to London and home.
+
+Home--that gray old castle, where my forefathers had lived and died,
+was to be our home, for we had determined to stay in London only a few
+days. I had prevailed on Margaret not to put me off any longer, and
+to-morrow morning, with only a few near friends to witness it, we were
+to be married quietly in a little chapel, and then would journey on to
+Richmond Castle, where, with her dear presence to cheer me, I was to
+take up the duties and responsibilities of my position.
+
+I would have much to do, for we had made many plans for the improvement
+of my estate, and for the well-being and advancement of the tenants.
+There together we would pass our days in peace and happiness. I had
+suffered much, sorrowed much in the past, and longed for the rest and
+quiet of the calm green country, where, surrounded by my friends, and
+far from the noise and turmoil of London, I could forget all, happy in
+the sweet sunshine of my lady's smiles.
+
+We had turned the last bend of the river, and a great roar went up
+from the men, as like little children they shouted and cried. Many
+strong men, who had faced death unafraid, fell upon their knees, tears
+streaming from their bronzed faces, and thanked God that they had been
+spared to set foot on old England again. The culverins of our vessel
+screamed out a greeting, and from the shore the guns roared back a
+reply.
+
+My lady had given a little cry of joy as we looked, for there in front
+of us lay the great city, the docks dotted with the crowd which had
+gathered to greet the vessel. Margaret laid her hand gently upon my
+arm. "Look!" she cried, and following her outstretched finger, I saw,
+at the very edge of the water, a little group shouting and screaming to
+us.
+
+Could it be possible? Yes, there was Oliver Gates, dancing for joy, as
+he waved his hat and yelled like a savage; he had grown handsomer than
+ever, and looked stout and robust. Behind him stood Steele, his broad
+face wreathed in smiles, and leaning on his arm, his wife, stouter
+and more matronly than of yore, but still beautiful, a look of joy
+and welcome in her eyes. And Bobby, dear old fellow, yelling at me as
+though he would split his throat.
+
+A little behind them there stood a larger group, old Sir Henry DeGray,
+Francis Drake, Bacon, Walter Raleigh, Sir William Stone, the little
+Doctor Robbins, and a score of other whilom friends, who cried out
+a hearty welcome as we neared them, and with wide open arms stood
+awaiting us.
+
+I turned to Margaret with a joyful face, and met her azure eyes smiling
+into mine. Stretching out one of my tanned hands, I laid it upon her
+little white one, which rested lightly upon my arm. It fluttered for an
+instant like a little bird, and then lay quietly and trustfully in mine.
+
+Behind me lay the river, its dark water rippling like the dead and
+forgotten past, with its pain and sorrow; before me stretched the
+bright sunshine and the greeting of my friends, like a prophecy of the
+joy to come. It seemed to reach out its welcoming hands, to draw us
+from the dim yesterday of travail and woe into the sunny to-day of
+happiness and light.
+
+All the dark gloom was behind us, and naught but sunshine lay before.
+So, with her hand in mine, we passed together out of the shadow and
+into the light.
+
+
+FINIS
+
+
+
+
+The Tar Heel Library
+
+
+Young People's History of North Carolina
+
+By DANIEL HARVEY HILL. 420 pages, 288 illustrations--written
+for a school history and adopted as such for exclusive use in the
+public schools. It has such high merit from the standpoint of
+historical accuracy, literary merit, and mechanical execution that it
+is rapidly finding a place in the public and private libraries. Price
+85c.; by mail 97c.
+
+
+For the Love of Lady Margaret
+
+A story of the lost colony, by W. T. WILSON; a stirring tale,
+well told. "Attracted more attention during its serial publication in
+the _Charlotte Observer_ than any story we have ever published," says
+Mr. Vincent, the managing editor. Price $1.50, postpaid.
+
+
+Defence of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence
+
+By JAMES H. MOORE. Places the Mecklenburg Declaration upon a
+new pedestal, based upon the absolutely undisputed records and facts
+unearthed after one hundred years of controversy. It dates a new and
+advanced position, at every point invulnerable and unassailable. Price
+$1.50 net; by mail $1.62.
+
+
+_Above at all bookstores or direct from_
+
+STONE & BARRINGER CO.
+PUBLISHERS
+CHARLOTTE      NORTH CAROLINA
+
+
+Songs Merry and Sad
+
+By JOHN CHARLES MCNEILL. Second edition, with portrait. Price
+$1.00 net; by mail $1.06.
+
+     "McNeill was a poet because he looked life straight in the eyes,
+     felt the virgin wonder and glory of it all, and knew how to body
+     forth his feeling in lines of exquisite art and compelling appeal.
+     I would rather have written 'Songs Merry and Sad' than to have the
+     costliest monument in the State erected to my memory. The equal
+     of that little volume has not appeared in the South since Sidney
+     Lanier fell on sleep twenty-six years ago."--_C. Alphonso Smith._
+
+
+Lyrics from Cotton Land
+
+By JOHN CHARLES MCNEILL. Illustrated with drawings by A. B.
+Frost and E. W. Kemble and photographs by Mrs. A. M. Kibble, with
+portrait and biographical sketch of the author; also description and
+picture of famous "Patterson" Cup. Price $1.50, postpaid.
+
+     "'Lyrics from Cotton Land' will remain a priceless legacy to
+     the children of the South. It is a voice that had become almost
+     a memory. It is a key to the treasure-house of a period fast
+     receding. It glorifies with simple and soulful melody 'the tender
+     grace of a day that is dead.' 'Uncle Remus,' up to the advent of
+     the brilliant young Scotchman, was the most faithful and accurate
+     exponent of 'Mr. Nigger' in the realm of letters; but Joel
+     Chandler Harris is not a whit more lifelike in his portrayal of
+     the language as well as of the spirit of the old time darkey than
+     John Charles McNeill."--_Charity & Children._
+
+
+STONE & BARRINGER CO.
+PUBLISHERS
+CHARLOTTE      NORTH CAROLINA
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of For the Love of Lady Margaret: A
+Romance of the Lost Colony, by William Thomas Wilson
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 58690 ***