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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d4a1293 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #69323 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/69323) diff --git a/old/69323-0.txt b/old/69323-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 13ed827..0000000 --- a/old/69323-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4319 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Black Nick, the hermit of the hills: -or, the expiated crime, by Frederick Whittaker - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Black Nick, the hermit of the hills: or, the expiated crime - A story of Burgoyne's surrender - -Author: Frederick Whittaker - -Release Date: November 10, 2022 [eBook #69323] - -Language: English - -Produced by: David Edwards, Krista Zaleski and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (Northern - Illinois University Digital Library) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BLACK NICK, THE HERMIT OF THE -HILLS: OR, THE EXPIATED CRIME *** - - - - - - BLACK NICK, - - THE HERMIT OF THE HILLS: - - OR, - - THE EXPIATED CRIME. - - A STORY OF BURGOYNE’S SURRENDER. - - BY FREDERICK WHITTAKER. - - NEW YORK: - BEADLE AND ADAMS, PUBLISHERS, - 98 WILLIAM STREET. - - - Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, by - BEADLE AND ADAMS, - In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. - - - - -BLACK NICK. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -THE WOOD FIEND. - - -In the midst of the lonely forest, that stretched in an almost unbroken -line of solitude from the head-waters of the Hudson to the Mississippi, -during the last century, a small party of Indian warriors, in full -war-paint, treading one in the other’s footsteps, to the number of -five, stole into a little clearing formed by the hand of Nature, and -halted by a spring. - -The sun was about to set, in an angry glow of crimson, that portended -bad weather. The fiery beams shot aslant through the open arches of the -forest, and the trunks of the trees stood out, as black as jet, against -the red glow of evening. - -“He has not been here,” remarked the warrior who seemed to be the -leader, as he scanned the earth around the little spring with a -practiced eye. - -“The pale-faces are all liars,” said a young brave, disdainfully, as he -leant upon his bow. “When was a Mohawk known to break his word?” - -“The Panther Cub is wrong,” he said, quietly. “There are good and bad -pale-faces. I have never known the white chief to fail before. He has -been stopped on the way. He will soon come, and show us how to strike -the children who have rebelled against the great father who dwells -beyond the sea.” - -“The Mohawk needs no white teacher,” returned Panther Cub, in the same -tone. “I can find a house to strike, and scalps to take, long before -the morning dawns, if need be.” - -“Has the Black Fox lost his eyes, that Panther Cub thinks he is the -only Mohawk that can see in the night?” asked the old chief, sternly. -“Let the young warriors be silent, while they have chiefs on the same -war-path. We have eaten of the white father’s bread, and he has -ordered us here to await his messenger. Black Fox will stay.” - -As he spoke, he leaned his rifle against the tree by which he stood, -drew up his blanket around his shoulders, and took his seat in -dignified silence. - -The other warriors, as if determined by his example, proceeded to make -their dispositions for the night. A flint and steel were produced, -tinder was found in a dead tree, and a small glowing fire was soon -started, around which the Indians clustered, eating their frugal meal -of dried venison and parched corn in silence. - -These Indians were a small scouting party from the flankers of -Burgoyne’s army, who had been dispatched through the woods to the west -of Albany, to meet an emissary of the British Government, who was to -give them certain instructions. - -Slowly the sun disappeared as they clustered round the fire, and the -crimson glow died away in the sky, to be replaced by a murky mass of -cloud of dark slaty gray, rapidly becoming black. Overhead the stars -shone out, but the clouds began to gather and hide them from view, and -a low moaning in the tops of the trees warned the hearers of a storm -brewing. - -Suddenly, as if by common consent, every Indian sprung to his feet, -and grasped his weapons, as the sound of snapping sticks, and of -horse-hoofs in rapid motion, approached the spot. There was no -underbrush in those primeval forests, as yet innocent of the ax of -the woodman, and a horseman could be seen in full career, rapidly -approaching the little glade. - -At a word from the chief, the four warriors resumed their seats by the -fire, while the old leader himself stalked forth from the group, and -drawing himself up, awaited the coming of the stranger, in an attitude -of dignity, grounding the butt of his rifle. - -The new-comer proved to be a man of large size, with a stern, -determined face, gloomy and lowering in expression. He was dressed like -a farmer, and well mounted on a stout horse, carrying holsters on the -saddle, from which peeped the butts of large pistols. Otherwise the -rider was unarmed, only carrying a horse-whip. He checked his horse, -and dismounted before Black Fox, who addressed him with the grave -reminder: - -“The Night Hawk is late.” - -“I couldn’t be earlier, Fox,” returned the other, in the Mohawk tongue. -“I was fired at by Schuyler’s pickets, and chased out of my path by a -patrol of the cursed mounted rifles of that fellow, Morgan. Here I am -at last. Go back to the General, and let him know that the rebels are -rousing everywhere. Schuyler has sent orders to rescue the fort beyond -Oriskany at any cost, and they will march in two days from now, a -thousand strong, under General Herkimer, to raise the siege. Have you a -swift runner here?” - -“The Panther Cub has long legs. He shall carry the Night Walker’s -words,” said the chief, sententiously. - -“Good. Let him run to General St. Leger, and warn him that his rear -will be attacked,” said the spy. “For the rest, back to Burgoyne. Tell -the General his foes are gathering. He must spring like the wild-cat, -or he will be trapped like the beaver. Tell him I will bring him more -news by way of the lakes, and that--” - -“HA! HA! HA! HA! I GATHER THEM IN! I GATHER THEM IN!” - -The interruption was sudden and startling. A loud, harsh voice, with -an accent of indescribably triumphant mockery, shouted these words -from the midst of the intense darkness, which had crept over the scene -during the short conference, since sunset. At the same moment, out -of the opening of a hollow tree that stood near the fire, a bright, -crimson glare of flame proceeded, in the midst of which appeared an -unearthly figure of gigantic hight, but lean and attenuated as a -skeleton. - -The appearance of this figure was singularly fearful, for it was -clothed in some tight black dress with steely gleams, that covered it -from head to foot, a pair of short, upright horns projecting from the -close skull-cap, and only leaving exposed a face of deathly pallor, -with great, burning black eyes, and a mustache that pointed upwards in -true diabolical fashion. - -There was but a moment to examine this figure, as it stood in the -cavity, outlined against the red glow. In one hand it brandished a -single javelin, in the other a bundle of similar darts. A second later -the red glow disappeared, and the figure with it, leaving the usually -stolid Indians and their companion struck aghast with astonishment and -awe. - -Then, ere a word could be spoken, the same demoniac laugh rung out, and -the gigantic apparition, with a bound, was in the midst of their little -fire, which it scattered in all directions with a single kick. - -Through the thick darkness that ensued, the white man heard the noise -of a confused struggle, that seemed to endure for about half a minute. -Firm and determined as was the spy, he recoiled in ungovernable terror -to the side of his horse, and snatched from the holsters his pistols, -one of which he fired in the direction of the sounds of battle. - -By the flash of the pistol he distinguished the terrible figure, in -an attitude of mad glee, brandishing its darts over the prostrate -bodies of three Indians, the fourth striving to rise, and transfixed -with a dart, while the fifth was fleeing for his life toward the spy. -Instinctively the white man climbed on his horse in the darkness, as a -wild peal of laughter greeted his shot. - -He had seen the demon leaping toward him! - -“HA! HA! HA!!! BLACK NICK HAS THEM FAST!” yelled the harsh voice, and -again, as if by magic, a red glow flashed over the place. - -In the midst of this glare, the spy beheld the black demon clutch the -fleeing Indian with his long arms, and go leaping back toward the -hollow tree, with the writhing form of the savage close clasped. Then -there was a blinding white glare, a cloud of smoke, and a loud report, -in the midst of which the demon leaped into the hollow, and vanished -from sight sinking visibly into a pit of darkness. - -With a muttered groan of terror, the now completely unnerved spy -wheeled round his frightened horse and fled, as fast as the animal -could carry him, while the forest resumed the gloom and silence of -night. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -THE AID-DE-CAMP’S DISCOVERY. - - -There are few sights in the world as beautiful as an American mountain -side, clothed with forest to the summit, when early frosts have begun -to touch the leaves, and wake them into color. - -In the midst of the wild mountains of Vermont, in those days almost -deserted by human beings, a young man on horseback was pursuing his -way at a smart trot along a narrow road that wound round the lower -ridges, in a way that showed the ingenuity of the rustic engineers in -economizing labor. - -To all appearance there was not a creature in sight, save the wild -animals and the lonely traveler, who pursued the path as if he knew it -well. Once, when he stopped to water his horse at a stream, he startled -a herd of deer who were coming to drink, and caused them to scurry away -through the bushes in alarm. - -The young traveler looked around him as the deer vanished in the -thicket, with great admiration. He was in the midst of a small valley, -hemmed in by rounded mountains, and through the midst of which ran a -brown, brawling stream, in which the spotted trout played by hundreds. -The mountains were clothed to the very summit with woods, and although -it was not yet the end of August, light frosts had already been there, -in the long nights on the mountain sides. Here and there amid the green -blazed out the scarlet of a distant tree, half of whose foliage had -been touched as with a fiery pencil, while the verdure of the rest -looked fresher by contrast. Now and then the golden hue of a maple -shed a glory of color over its vicinity, but there was, as yet, only -enough of this to set off the somber green of the pines and the lighter -foliage of the oak and birch. - -The traveler was a young man, and handsome withal. His dress was, -perhaps, the most picturesque in the annals of military history, -for the youth was evidently a soldier, and an officer at that. The -towering fur cap, narrowing as it rose, and ornamented with gold cord -and white plumes, the furred and braided jacket, hanging from his -shoulder, the still more gorgeous dolman that fitted his slight form to -a nicety, blazing with gold embroidery, all over the sky-blue ground of -the breast, the light buck-skin breeches, with braided pocket-covers, -and the scarlet morocco boots, rising mid-leg and tasseled with gold -were unfailing indications to the eye practiced in military costume, -that the wearer was an officer of some German corps of hussars, then at -the zenith of their reputation under the great Frederick of Prussia. -The young hussar was magnificently mounted on a dapple-gray horse of -wonderful bone and sinew, though quite low in flesh from campaigning, -and his housings were as splendid as his dress and arms. The latter, -saber, pistols, and light carbine, were all silver inlaid, and of -exquisite finish. - -To a hidden observer, the sight of this gay cavalier, alone in the -wilds of Vermont, would have suggested great wonder. How came he -there, and what was he doing? In those early days of the Revolutionary -struggle, rags and bare feet were the rule, brilliant uniforms the few -exceptions. There was no corps of hussars in the Continental service, -and the Hessians, on the English side, wore green, not pale blue. -Besides, the uniform of the hussar officer was distinctively Prussian, -the black eagle being worked on his horse’s housings. - -Whatever he was, he seemed to be quite at home in the woods, for his -blue eye was calm and fearless, and the long fair mustache that drooped -over his chin covered as resolute a mouth as ever closed firmly over -shut teeth. - -Having allowed his beast to drink, the young cavalier urged him through -the water to the other side, and trotted briskly up the lonely road -between the arches of the wood, till he had stopped opposite the ridge, -and beheld before him another valley and more hills. - -The ridge on which he stood happened to command an extensive view; -reining up, he scanned it with a practiced eye. - -“By heavens!” he exclaimed to himself, in a low tone, after a long and -searching look; “there is some one living on the haunted hill, where -even the Indians would not dare to go. I must investigate that.” - -So saying, he shook his rein, and galloped down the hillside, in the -direction of a mountain, the largest of any in sight, from the side of -which a thin column of smoke curled up in the air. - -Nothing very strange in that it may be said; but the young officer knew -better. - -He was passing through a country in which there was no settlements -in the path he was riding, till he came to Derry field. The mountain -before him was well-known by the name of “Haunted Hill” to the whites, -and had the reputation of being haunted by a demon, who frightened -away all the Indians who ventured near it. This was well known to the -young cavalier who, being free from superstition, had chosen that way -to escape any danger from the outlying Indians of Burgoyne’s army, -then lying between Ticonderoga and Albany, slowly advancing. The young -officer himself was on the staff of General Schuyler, who was then -retreating before his formidable foe, and who had sent the aid-de-camp -on a secret mission on which he was now proceeding. - -The sight of smoke on the side of the Haunted Hill excited the -curiosity of the young officer. Smoke meant settled habitation. -No Indian could be there, he felt certain, on account of their -superstitious fears of the mountain demon. If any one else were there, -might he not prove to be in some way connected with the mystery of the -demon? Full of curiosity, and for the moment forgetting his mission -the young aid-de-camp crossed the valley, and commenced to toil up the -sides of Haunted Hill. - -He was not aware, keen as was his glance, that one still keener was -watching him. Hardly had he gained the foot of the mountain, than an -Indian warrior looked out of the cover he had quitted, and giving a -rapid signal to some one behind, plunged down the hillside, skirting -the road and keeping the cover, followed at a loping trot by at least a -dozen more, in full war-paint. - -The course of the savages was after the cavalier, and so rapidly did -they run, that they reached the foot of the hill before he had got -half-way up the side of Haunted Hill. - -It is true that the hussar had slackened his pace, and was now toiling -up the steep ascent, holding by the mane of his steed. The Indians, -on the other hand, pressed along at the same rapid, tireless lope, and -quickly came in sight of the aid-de-camp, whose steps they seemed to be -dogging with true savage pertinacity. - -Once having him safe in sight, the warriors slackened their pace, and -contented themselves with following, step by step, gliding from tree to -tree, and keeping themselves carefully hidden. - -Meanwhile, the young officer pursued his way up the hill in the -direction that promised to bring him close to the mysterious smoke -which had excited his curiosity. - -In half an hour’s climbing he had reached the summit of the lower ridge -of Haunted Hill, and beheld before him a little basin, scooped by the -hand of nature in the side of the hill, about a hundred yards across, -bare of wood, in the center of which stood a low stone hut, thatched -with fir branches, from the summit of which curled the blue smoke that -he had first noticed. - -The little basin was bounded on one side by a precipice of rock about -fifty feet in hight, crowned with trees, and surmounted by the steep -ascent of the upper mountain. At the right it ended abruptly in a -second precipice, which fell away into the valley, while the tops of -lofty trees below just showed themselves over the edge. The forest -bounded the other side, and a little spring trickled over the edge of -the lower precipice with a tinkling sound. - -But what riveted the attention of the youth, was a group that he -discovered in the midst of the little valley standing in front of the -cabin door. - -Several tame deer were crowding eagerly around a young girl, in a -quaint, picturesque dress, in strange proximity to a huge black bear -and three tall bloodhounds of the largest breed. - -The officer reined in his horse in amazement as he looked, and -ejaculated aloud: - -“Heavens! It is Diana herself.” - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -THE ROCK NYMPH. - - -The sight of the horseman in that lonely place excited a strange -commotion. Hardly had the young officer uttered his involuntary -exclamation, when the three hounds set up a loud baying, and came -leaping toward him, the black bear waddled after them, while the timid -fawns bounded away into the forest in great alarm. - -The girl herself, who seemed to be the mistress of this menagerie, -turned toward the stranger with the port of the goddess to whom he -had compared her. In truth, she resembled nothing so much as a living -statue of Diana, for she wore the same short tunic and buskins, and -carried the bow and quiver of the patroness of hunting. Her figure and -face, with the simple antique knot in which her hair was arranged, -confirmed the likeness; and when she hastily fitted an arrow to the -bow she carried, it seemed to the young soldier as if he had indeed -insulted the privacy of some supernatural being. - -Most men in his position would have either turned to flee or made some -motion of defense. Not so the hussar. - -He remained sitting on his horse, in spite of the menacing appearance -of the bloodhounds, without moving a muscle; and the dogs, as soon as -they closed in, justified his course, by ceasing to bay, while they -ran inquisitively round, snuffing at the horse’s legs, now and then -uttering a low growl, but offering no actual violence. The black bear -likewise became peaceable, halting at a little distance and sitting up -on its haunches, surveying the intruder with a comical air of wisdom. - -The girl who had been disturbed, observing the passive attitude of the -hussar, hesitated a moment, and finally advanced toward him, with the -same haughty and insulted aspect however. - -As she came closer, and her eyes ran over the face and equipments of -the intruder, the severity of her glance insensibly relaxed. It was -not in female nature to look cross at such a dashing young cavalier. -He on his part, surveyed her with increasing admiration, as he beheld -her purely Grecian face with its frame of golden hair, lighted by great -solemn blue eyes. - -The girl was the first to speak, in a tone of displeasure. - -“Do you know where you are, sir?” she asked. “What made you venture -where all men shun to go?” - -“Fairest Diana,” began the hussar, half wondering if he were not -dreaming. - -The girl interrupted him with an expression of surprise. - -“How? You know my name?” - -“How could I mistake it?” said the hussar, with great adroitness. “The -beauty of Diana is famous the world over, and I am the humblest of her -worshipers.” - -The girl looked at him in amazement. She could not see that the -accomplished man of the world was but taking advantage of a lucky -accident, to feel his way into her confidence, by a mingling of truth -and falsehood in his manner. - -“Then who are you that knows me so well?” she asked, artlessly. “I -never thought human creature would come nigh our cottage, and you say -it is famous.” - -“For my name,” said the hussar, smiling, “you may call me Captain -Schuyler, if you will. If you would like a shorter name and a -pleasanter one, call me Adrian.” - -“Adrian is a pretty name,” said the girl, smiling with the frank, -fearless innocence that distinguished her every action. “Adrian and -Diana are both beautiful.” - -“Diana is beautiful,” said the hussar, meaningly; “how beautiful no one -knows but me.” - -Diana looked up at him inquiringly. Then something seemed to inform her -of his meaning, for she flushed hotly and drew herself up with sudden -haughtiness, asking: - -“What brought you here? Do you not know that it is death to intrude on -this mountain? Even the wild Indian shuns it.” - -“I have heard that a demon haunts it,” said the hussar, boldly; “but I -never dreamed that it wore such a shape as yours.” - -At the bold words of the intruder Diana turned pale, and looked -apprehensively around her, saying in low tones: - -“Do not mention him, foolish Adrian. He will seize you and plunge you -into a fiery pit if he hears you. Away, while you have time, or you may -repent it. Any moment he may be here.” - -“In that case I should like to see him,” said Schuyler, coolly. “I -don’t believe in demons, Diana. Your demon is a man, and I am curious -to see him. I rode over here expressly to do that.” - -“You rode over here to dare the mountain demon?” asked the girl, in a -faint tone, as if wonder-stricken. “Man, are you mad? I tell you he has -killed every creature that has passed this way for years, and he will -kill you, if he finds you.” - -The captain of hussars laughed carelessly, and threw up the flap of -one of his holsters, from whence he produced a long pistol of elegant -finish, and double-barreled. - -“That, for his demoniac majesty,” he said, holding up the weapon, “and -let him beware how he crosses my path. I have--” - -He was interrupted by a suspicious growl from one of the hounds, -who had been couched on the grass in seeming contentment since the -conference had become peaceful. - -The animal rose to its feet and stalked to the edge of the glade, -followed by its three companions, snuffing and growling. - -A moment later an arrow came from the cover of the mountain-side, -grazed the neck of the foremost hound, and whizzed past the hussar, -sticking harmlessly in a tree. - -The three hounds set up a simultaneous savage bay and dashed headlong -into the cover, from whence, a moment later, rose the appalling -war-whoop of the Mohawk, as a dozen warriors sprung out, and rushed -towards Schuyler and Diana. - -In a moment a fierce contest had commenced, the gallant hounds each -pinning an Indian by the throat, while the bear rushed into the fight -with a savage growl. Adrian Schuyler shot down a savage with his -pistol, and wounded a second, then drew his saber, and instinctively -looked around for the mysterious girl, Diana. - -She had vanished, as if the earth had swallowed her up! - -He was too much confused by the sudden attack to think of where -she had gone. Already two of the hounds were ripped up by Indian -scalping-knives, and the third was transfixed with an arrow. - -As he turned toward the Indians, his horse plunging and rearing, the -flashes of several rifles were followed by a sharp stinging sensation -in his side, and two warriors seized his bridle, while a third rushed -at him, tomahawk in hand. - -But the hussar was not the man to yield to a surprise. His keen saber -played round his head like a flash of light, and in a trice he had -cut down one assailant, while the other let go the bridle to escape a -second blow. - -With a shout of triumph he dashed in his spurs, and the gray charger -took him clear of his enemies with a bound. Then, lying down on his -saddle to escape the bullets, away went Captain Adrian Schuyler, late -of the Zieten Hussars of Prussia, at full speed, through the clearing, -passing the stone hut, which seemed to be quite deserted, and darting -into the forest beyond. - -Arrows and bullets whistled past him as he went, but he was untouched, -save by the first graze which he had lately felt. He heard the Indians -whooping behind him, and doubted not that they were pursuing, but he -felt secure on his swift steed, and his only anxiety seemed to be as to -the safety of the strange girl who called herself Diana. - -Where she had gone, and whether the Indians had seen her, was an -enigma to him as he fled away, but he had no time to lose. The young -aid-de-camp was even then on an important mission, and his detour to -the Haunted Mountain had cost him valuable time. - -Fully resolved to return with sufficient force to investigate the -mystery at some future time, the officer galloped on through the woods -till he regained once more the road to Derryfield, and pursued his -journey at a gallop. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -THE YOUNG CAPTAIN’S CAPTURE. - - -The sun was within about an hour of setting behind the western ridges -of the Green Mountains, as a tall, heavily-built man, with strong, -sullen face, sat at the door of a log cabin, within a few miles of the -settlement of Derryfield, looking across a lonely valley. - -The attire of this individual was that of a farmer, and a little patch, -of about half an acre, behind his cabin, showed by its ripening corn, -that his occupation was not wholly a fiction. Still, a certain air of -neglect about cabin and owner, and the presence of a long rifle that -lay across his knees, announced that his farming was at least eked out -by hunting, if not subordinated thereto. - -Although only a few miles from a settlement, the scene around the -seated man was completely wild and lonely, so much so that the people -had christened the owner the “Mountain Hermit.” His solitary habits and -sullen manner repelled strangers from forming his acquaintance, and -even his name was unknown to any one in the country side. - -He had first made his appearance there about three years before, had -built his own cabin in that solitary place, and resided there ever -since. The only occasions he was ever seen away, were when some hunter -caught sight of him in the woods on the same errand as himself, and -it remained a mystery where he procured powder and lead, for he never -entered Derryfield to buy any. - -Since the advance of Burgoyne’s army, people ceased to watch him. -It was well known that hordes of Indians were prowling about in the -vicinity of every settlement, and no one dared to venture away alone. -Still, the Mountain Hermit remained in his cabin, as if insensible to -danger, although “Indian sign” had been seen more than once near his -little clearing. - -On the evening in question he sat gazing at the sunset and -soliloquizing, according to the habit of most lonely men. - -“Let them come,” he muttered. “They cannot do as much harm to the -Puritanical hounds as I wish them. Let them scalp the women if they -please. There will be so many rebel brats the less, to grow up into -boors. Let them abuse me. I can stand the name of renegade, if I get my -revenge. Let us see their Washington, that they boast so much of, help -them out of this scrape.” - -As he spoke, his frown grew dark and gloomy, and he rose to his feet. -His manner was fretful and impatient. - -“Why don’t the fools come?” he muttered. “When there is no danger, who -so bold as an Indian? Let them once get a good scare, and you cannot -drive them into battle. It is beyond the chief’s time--no--there he -comes. After all, the brutes keep faith.” - -At the moment he uttered the last words, the stately form of an Indian -chief stepped into the clearing, as if he had issued from the ground, -and calmly advanced toward the recluse. - -The new-comer was a Mohawk on the war-path, from his paint and other -peculiarities. He carried a short rifle over his arm, and saluted the -hermit with grave courtesy. - -The white man opened the conversation with an air of authority to which -the Indian submitted quietly. - -“Bearskin is ready? Where are his warriors?” - -The chief waved his hand toward the exit of the valley. - -“My brothers are in wait by the white road that leads to the town. They -await the Night Hawk’s orders.” - -“Good. It is new moon. When the moon sinks, I will be there. Let them -stop every one that passes by the road; but no firing. Let the arrow do -its work silently. Is the town well watched all round?” - -“Not a creature will escape. My warriors are like the web of the -spider, the white men are like the flies. We shall suck their blood -before morning, and the squaws will be tired of counting the scalps.” - -“It is good,” said the Mountain Hermit, with a grim smile. “Let -Bearskin watch well. Has any one come along the road to-day?” - -The Indian answered not for a moment. His quick ear had caught a sound -to which the other was insensible, and he stood with his head bent on -one side listening intently. - -“One comes now,” said the white man, quickly. “Do not kill him on the -road, or the sight may deter others. Drag him into the forest, and keep -him till I come.” - -The Indian nodded silently, and plunged into the forest in a direction -that promised to take him toward the road that crossed the foot of the -valley almost within sight of the clearing. - -The recluse remained a moment listening, and presently caught the -sounds which the quicker senses of the chief had first announced. A -horseman was evidently galloping along the road toward him, and the -clatter of spur and scabbard told the nature of the traveler without -words. - -The recluse cast his rifle into the hollow of his arm, and struck -across the valley to a point where he could intersect the road in its -many curves at a much nearer point. He was a little curious to see who -the advancing dragoon might be. - -There was still plenty of light, although the sun was fast nearing the -mountain tops, and the long strides of the Mountain Hermit took him -across the stretch of woods that barred him from the road in a very -short time. - -As he neared it, the sound of horse-hoofs and the clatter of a -saber-scabbard were plainly audible, skirting the mountain-side beyond. - -At the point which the recluse had reached, the road came round a spur, -over the dividing ridge, and dived into the valley beyond. Waiting a -few moments, till the sound of hoofs was close by, the Mountain Hermit -stalked boldly into the road, just as the young hussar captain dashed -around the corner. - -At the sight of the stranger’s figure, Adrian Schuyler abruptly halted, -throwing his horse on its haunches close to the other, while the sharp -click of his pistol-lock enforced the stern command, “Halt!” - -The stranger quietly turned, and faced the hussar with a sullen frown, -asking: - -“Who are you to halt a peaceable farmer? I’ve as much right as you, and -more, in this place.” - -“Perhaps so,” said the hussar, coolly: “but in war-time we of the -light cavalry take liberties that we support with our weapons. Who are -you?” - -“A peaceable farmer, as I said before,” answered the other, with a -sullen scowl. “Who are you?” - -“An officer on duty, my man, who doesn’t care to be trifled with. There -are too many Indians and spies loose in these mountains for me to trust -strangers. If you’re a peaceable farmer, you’re as sulky a looking one -as I have seen. How far is it to Derryfield?” - -“Four miles,” said the sullen stranger, gruffly. Then he turned away as -if the colloquy was terminated, but the hussar was not going to let him -off so easy. - -“Halt!” he again cried, in his sharp tones, covering the other with his -pistol. “Move another step, and it’s your last.” - -The stranger obeyed the order with his usual sullen air, but the -hussar’s voice showed that he was in earnest. - -“Look here, Mr. Officer,” began the stranger, in a tone of injury, “I -don’t see what you have against me to treat me in this way. Let me -alone, or by the Lord, we’ll see if my rifle ain’t as good as your -pistol.” - -The hussar was close to him, as he spoke, and he was already beginning -to handle his long rifle, when Adrian’s horse, obedient to his master’s -will, made a sudden leap, which brought the soldier’s left hand to the -shoulder of the recluse. - -In a moment the muzzle of the pistol was at the sullen stranger’s ear, -as Adrian sternly ordered him: - -“Fire in the air, quick, or _I_ fire here. Not a word. Fire!” - -The sullen man cast one savage look up at the hussar’s face, but the -menace he met there was so unyielding that he obeyed the order. - -The harmless rifle-bullet whistled skywards, and the sharp report waked -the echoes for miles around, as the now disarmed man stood glaring -defiantly up at the hussar. - -“Now drop your gun,” said Adrian, sternly. - -The stranger obeyed, still with the same scowl. - -“It’s my impression,” pursued the officer, grimly, “that you’re a -spy of some sort, or you’d have treated a patriot officer with more -courtesy. Unbuckle your belt, and drop it. I see you have a knife -still. No fooling, sir. I shall be fully justified in shooting you if -you hesitate.” - -The stranger, without a word, did as he was told, still looking up -at the hussar with the same defiant scowl as ever. The soldier, -still keeping his strange captive under his eye, dived into the gay -saber-tasche that dangled beside his sword, and produced therefrom a -pair of delicate steel handcuffs. - -“Hold up your hands,” he said, quietly, “I’m going to take you into -Derryfield, dead or alive.” - -Still the stranger spoke not a word. His face wore the same expression -of bitter rage, without a trace of fear, though he stood there disarmed -and helpless. He held up his hands, and allowed Schuyler to handcuff -him, without a struggle. Then, as the officer passed a cord between his -manacled wrists, and fastened it to his saddle-bow, he uttered a short -laugh of bitter mockery. - -The captain did not deign to notice it. - -“Go on,” he said, spurring up his horse, “and run your best, or you’ll -find yourself dragged.” - -He set off at a slow trot, the prisoner running alongside, with -surprising power, and took the road to Derryfield. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -TURNING THE TABLES. - - -Captain Adrian Schuyler pursued his way toward Derryfield, pistol in -hand, keeping a vigilant watch over his prisoner. The altercation on -the road had detained him so long that the sun had kissed the mountain -tops ere he had crossed the valley, and a dark shadow had crept over -the landscape. - -The hussar felt uneasy, he hardly knew why, but the defiant manner -of his prisoner had roused strange misgivings in his breast. Still, -nothing occurred to disturb him on his passage through the valley, -and as he crossed the ridge on the other side, he came in sight of the -village of Derryfield, nestling in the wide valley, through which ran a -large tributary of the Connecticut, while the glimmer of lights stole -through the gathering darkness. - -“Thank Heaven, in sight at last!” ejaculated the officer, as he -involuntarily pulled up to gaze at the scene. The outlines of houses -could be distinguished in the twilight, but as some three miles still -intervened, every thing was misty and uncertain. The hussar chirruped -to his horse, and was about to ride on, when the hitherto silent -prisoner suddenly woke into terrible life and activity. - -Seizing the soldier by the belt with his manacled hands with the -strength of a giant, he endeavored to drag him down from the saddle, -uttering a shout as he did so. - -The hussar, though slight of frame, seemed to possess considerable -nerve and activity, for he resisted the effort with great adroitness, -by throwing himself to the further side of the saddle, while he -instinctively leveled his pistol and fired. - -The grim recluse uttered a savage cry of pain as the bullet plowed his -shoulder, and grappled the slender soldier with such power that he lost -a stirrup, let go his bridle and tried to push away his assailant with -his left hand, while he cocked the other barrel of his pistol with his -right. - -How the struggle might have terminated is uncertain, but just as the -soldier was almost out of the saddle, and bringing his pistol to bear, -a score of dark forms sprung from the roadside, and Adrian Schuyler was -seized by strong hands, the pistol going off in the struggle. - -A moment later he was a prisoner, while the charger, freed from his -burden, and snorting with terror, gave a series of flying kicks at -the crowd of Indians, broke loose from all restraint, snapping the -cord which bound him to the unknown spy, and galloped away toward -Derryfield, neighing as he went. - -“Hell’s furies, give him an arrow!” cried the spy, savagely. “Stop the -brute, or he’ll alarm the town! Fools, have ye no bows?” - -The answer was given in a shower of arrows after the flying steed, -which only seemed to increased its speed, for it soon vanished in the -gathering darkness, leaving its master a captive. - -The reflections of Adrian Schuyler were by no means pleasant at finding -himself in the power of his quondam prisoner. Too late he recognized -the trap into which he had fallen, and that he had made a bitter and -remorseless enemy. - -The spy, for such he evidently was, seemed to be the leader of the -Indians; he issued his orders as peremptorily as a chief, and was -implicitly obeyed. - -He did not deign to take any notice of the hussar himself, but in a few -moments the latter found himself stripped of all his weapons, while the -handcuffs were transferred from the wrists of the recluse to his own, -and he was hurried off into the darkening woods. - -The white leader remained on the spot where the fracas had occurred, -gazing angrily toward Derryfield, scowling and muttering to himself. - -“Curse the popinjay hussar! why did I let him stop me, when a bullet -would have kept his brute from giving the alarm? It is too late now. -Another goodly scheme thwarted by one of those cursed accidents that -none can foresee! We must retire. One comfort, I have _him_, and -I’ll take satisfaction out of his pretty face, when I see the flames -distorting it. Ay, ay, there you go, in the toll-gate. I thought the -brute would rouse ye.” - -As he spoke, several moving lights appeared in the distance, on the -way to Derryfield, and the sound of distant shouts, mingled with the -hoof-beats of the flying charger. The new moon shed a faint light over -the landscape, and the spy turned away into the woods on the track of -the Indians, who had already vanished. - -Adrian Schuyler, manacled and guarded, stumbled on through the -darkness, not knowing whither he was going. He judged that his escort -was numerous, from the constant rustle of leaves, and the sound of low -signals that echoed through the woods. - -He did not know that those signals were the recall of a numerous band -of Indians, who, but for his accidental presence and the escape of his -horse would, ere this, have been closing around Derryfield, for a -midnight massacre, as well planned as it was atrocious. - -Like the tiger, the Indian attacks only by surprise, and, that foiled, -is apt to slink away. Adrian Schuyler knew that a body of troops was -already gathered at Derryfield, militia, perhaps, but none the less the -victors of Lexington and Breed’s Hill. In a midnight surprise these men -would have fallen an easy prey to the waiting Indians, but their leader -knew too well that the flying horse with its bloody saddle would tell a -tale to the commander at Derryfield that the latter was not likely to -pass unheeded. - -For several hours the weary march through the woods was continued, -the Indians in sullen silence urging on their weary captive, till the -latter was ready to drop. He had been riding rapidly for at least ten -hours before, and was tired when he dismounted, and his high-heeled -boots were not the style of foot-gear to wind a way among rocks and -roots. - -At last, when the moon had been down for several hours, and the poor -hussar was nearly exhausted, the whistle of a whippowil, echoing -through the arches of the wood, brought the party guarding Schuyler to -a halt, and the sound of horse-hoofs announced that some one approached. - -Presently up rode the quondam farmer and Mountain Hermit, now revealed -in his true character as a partisan leader, and followed by several -men in green uniforms, wearing the brass and bear-skin helmets of a -well-known Tory corps, called after their leader the “Johnson Greens” -or “Rangers.” - -The spy was dressed as before in homespun clothes, but he rode a stout -horse, and wore a sword, while he seemed to be in authority over white -and red alike. - -He issued a few brief orders, after which he dismounted from his horse, -and the rangers and Indians proceeded to encamp. - -It was not long before a fierce fire was glowing under the arches of -the woods, the heat being very grateful to the frame of the captive -hussar, for the night was chilly, and he was wet and shivering, from -wading so many brooks. - -He had sunk down at the foot of a tree, quite tired out, when a ranger -stirred him up with the butt end of his rifle, and ordered him, in a -surly tone, to “get up, the captain wanted to see him.” - -Schuyler obeyed the ungracious order with patience, for he knew -the hands he had fallen into, and did not wish to provoke further -indignities. He followed the soldier to where his late enemy lay under -a tree, with his feet to the fire, gloomily meditating. - -The partisan looked up, and a grim smile lighted his face. - -“So, my young hussar, the tables are turned, it seems. It takes an old -warrior to keep Tony Butler in irons. Now, hand out your dispatches, -unless you prefer to be searched. Which shall it be?” - -The young officer smiled disdainfully. - -“My dispatches are in my brain,” he said. “All I carry in writing is -this.” - -And he drew a paper from his bosom and handed it to the captain of -rangers. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -A DEMONIACAL VISIT. - - -Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to -be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it -closely. - -“Why, this is only a commission,” he growled. “What do I care for that? -I want your dispatches, Captain Schuyler, since that seems to be your -name.” - -“I have none, on my word as an officer,” said Schuyler calmly. - -“Then what were you doing on the road to Derryfield?” asked Butler, -bending his shaggy brows on the other. - -“On duty,” was the laconic reply. - -“What kind of duty?” - -“That is my own affair and my General’s.” - -“Who is your General?” - -“General Philip Schuyler.” - -“So,” said the ranger leader, musingly. “Are you a relation of his?” - -“His second cousin.” - -“On his staff?” - -“As an aide--yes.” - -“What uniform is that you wear? I know none such among the rebel -ragamuffins.” - -“It is the uniform of the Zieten regiment of hussars, in the Prussian -service.” - -Butler looked at the other with more respect. At that time, the name -of Frederic of Prussia was as famous as that of Napoleon, twenty-five -years later, and the Tories, while despising the “rebels,” held a great -reverence for the few foreign officers who had found their way into the -American service. - -“Have you, indeed, served in the Zieten Hussars?” be asked. - -“Seven years,” said young Schuyler, proudly. - -“You must have been a boy when you entered.” - -“I was--a cadet.” - -“And what brought you back here to link your fortunes with these -rebels, sir?” - -“My country. She was in danger, and I owed her my life.” - -“What orders did you carry to Derryfield?” - -The hussar smiled slightly, and remained silent. - -Butler looked at him with a gloomy but hesitating manner. He did not -seem so much incensed against the hussar since he had discovered the -famous corps to which he belonged. - -“Look here, captain,” he said, suddenly, altering his manner to one of -complete cordiality, “there can be no use in hiding the truth from me. -I have no ill-feeling against you for treating me so roughly. It was -war-time, and a hussar should always be on the alert. But why should -an officer of your experience take a side which must be the losing one -in this struggle, when a commission in the king’s service awaits you, -if you wish? Already General Burgoyne has your cousin enveloped in the -toils, at Albany, and another week will see the rebels cut in half, -from the lakes to New York. I know why you went to Derryfield. It was -to try and rouse the Vermont militia. But it is of no use, I assure -you. Who is in command there, by the by?” - -Schuyler again smiled, but made no answer. - -The partisan leader frowned in a vexed manner at that. - -“Captain Schuyler,” he said, in a low, grating voice, “remember there -are Indians round you. For the last time, what was your errand?” - -“For the last time, Captain Butler, I will not tell you.” - -Butler changed his manner to its old repulsive sullenness. - -“Very well. Your blood on your own head.” - -He spoke a few words in the Mohawk tongue, and Schuyler was seized and -bound hand and foot in an incredibly short space of time, then cast -down at the foot of a tree, and left between two guards, to sleep if he -could. - -The last words of the partisan had led him to anticipate immediate -torture, at least, but such did not seem to be the intention of his -captors. He was left to himself, in a position far from uncomfortable -as regarded warmth, with a tree overhead and a fire near him, while his -bonds, though secure, were by no means painful. - -Meanwhile, the few simple preparations of the Indians for camping out -had been completed, and the whole band lay stretched around the fire, -with their feet in close proximity. The leader had wrapped himself -in a cloak and lain down a little apart, and every thing was quiet, -as Adrian Schuyler softly raised his head to look for his chances of -escape. He counted his enemies, and found that there were only thirteen -Indians and six soldiers present, including Butler. Where the other -bands had gone, he could not tell, but none were there. - -Young Schuyler had not served under the best light cavalry Generals -of Europe without acquiring much fertility of resource and boldness -of character. To be left alone was, with him, to plan some means of -escape, and as he lay there, he considered that in the morning his -chances would probably be desperate. - -He lay quite still for some time, till he heard the deep breathing of -sleepers on all sides. Then he rolled over to one side, nearer one of -his guards, the knife at whose belt excited his hopes. - -The instant he moved, a deep voice accosted him from behind a -neighboring tree, saying, in English: - -“Roll back!” - -The hussar obeyed, and his heart sunk as he did so. He was evidently -watched by a hidden sentry. - -A moment later the man moved out from the tree against which he had -been leaning, a stalwart ranger of the “Johnson Greens.” - -Without another word, he grounded his rifle-butt, and stood leaning on -the muzzle, looking at Schuyler with grave attention. From that moment -the young officer saw it was useless to move till that gaze was off him. - -Resigning himself to his fate, he pretended to go to sleep, and -insensibly the warmth and silence lulled him into a doze, from which -he woke with a sudden start, after a lapse of time that he could not -compute exactly. - -When he looked round, the fire was burning low, and all was in gloom. -The sentry had left his post, but Schuyler could distinguish the dark -outline of his form leaning against a tree. Silently as he could, the -hussar rolled over once more toward his nearest guard, and this time -there was no warning from the sentry. With his head bowed on his hands, -which were clasped on the muzzle of his rifle, the latter was sleeping -and snoring audibly. - -The prisoner raised his manacled hands to withdraw the knife from the -sleeping Indian’s belt, and was already in the act of touching him, -when a sudden interruption occurred to the quiet--an interruption of -the most awful character. - -A bright glare of red light shot over the scene from above, and the -astonished hussar beheld, in the midst of the branches of the tree over -his head, a blazing ball of crimson fire. - -On a lower branch, stood a gigantic black figure, which Schuyler -recognized, with an indescribable sensation of awe and superstition -which he could not conquer, as the very embodiment of the traditional -idea of the Genius of Evil himself. - -The gaunt, gigantic figure, with short, upright horns on its head, -black from head to foot, with steely gleams; the deathly white face, -with great burning eyes and pointed mustache, curved upwards in a -malicious grin of triumph; all were the usual and traditional aspects -of the fiend in art. - -For one moment the horrible demon stood erect on a branch, holding -another above his head, while he brandished a bundle of darts in his -left hand. - -Not a soul in camp was awake but Schuyler, who fancied himself for a -moment the victim of nightmare, so inexplicable was the vision to his -senses. - -Then there echoed a triumphant laugh from the tree, and a deep, hoarse -voice roared out: - -“HA! HA! HA! HA!!! I GATHER THEM IN! I GATHER THEM IN!” - -Even at the second word, every man in camp started up, and stood gazing -spellbound at the fearful figure. - -Then, with a final yell of fiendish laughter, the demon leaped down -on the head of an Indian, and cast a shower of his darts in all -directions. Every one went with fearful force and unerring aim straight -to the heart of a victim, and four men fell writhing to the earth in as -many seconds. - -Then, with a low wail of inexpressible terror, white and red, without -venturing a blow or shot for defense, flew in wild dismay in all -directions. - -As for Schuyler, he was too much astounded to move. His bonds also -prevented him, had he been so inclined. He lay mutely gazing up at the -extraordinary apparition as it stood over the fire dealing death around -it, expecting his own death to follow. - -Suddenly, almost in the instant that his captors fled, there was a loud -explosion in the top of the tree, and the red glare vanished to be -replaced by a profound darkness, in the midst of which the wild laugh -of the specter sounded fearfully distinct, while the rapid rush of feet -through the leaves told of the flight of every one else. - -Adrian Schuyler lay perfectly still. He was not naturally -superstitious, but the strange events he had witnessed were enough -to rouse the fears of the bravest. He remained where he had fallen, -listening to the receding feet, after which all was silent. - -How long he lay there he could not tell. The stillness of death hung -over the forest for hours, but he feared to move, least he might -attract the notice of the strange creature. Where it had gone to, he -did not know, but he fancied it must be near, from having heard nothing -of its departure. - -Thus the hussar lay on his back by the glimmering embers, till the -doubtful light of dawn stole over the scene, and revealed the empty -forest to his view, with a heap of corpses lying by an extinguished -fire. - -The demon had vanished. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -A STRANGE SERVICE. - - -Adrian Schuyler sat up, with some difficulty, owing to his bonds, and -looked around him. There lay the dead bodies, five in number, and every -one was that of an Indian. Strange to say, not a white man had fallen. -Each body was lying flat on its back, with a ghastly gash right over -the heart, that stretched across the whole length of the rib, leaving a -gaping red pit in the side. - -The javelins with which death had been inflicted had vanished, and the -footprints of some creature with _a cloven foot_ were plainly visible -by the side of the corpses. - -The light of day, instead of dispelling the mystery, only served to -render it deeper. The hussar could not tell where he was, for the thick -woods, but he noticed that the ground rose to the right of the camp, -with a steepness that told he was at the foot of a mountain. - -Now, unwatched by human eye, he rolled himself near the body of an -Indian, and using the latter’s knife with his own fettered hands, soon -cut the cords that bound his feet together. His own handcuffs remained, -but they were not an incumbrance to his further escape. Moreover, it -was not hard to find weapons. They lay by the bodies, or scattered in -terror over the ground, and a heap of abandoned horse equipments, -at the foot of a tree, showed where the demoralized rangers had fled -on barebacked horses. Lying among these equipments he found his own -weapons as they had been thrown there, and it was with great joy that -he resumed them, one by one. - -Putting on a sword-belt, when the person is handcuffed, is by no means -an easy operation, but Adrian managed it somehow, and then took his -departure for the mountain, presenting the strange spectacle of a fully -armed hussar roaming the woods, handcuffed like a prisoner. - -The irons were decidedly inconvenient, but he had no means to unlock -them. The key in his saber-tasche had been taken by his captors of the -evening to extricate their chief, and the latter had fled, carrying it -with him. - -In a short time the young officer had reached the ascent which he -judged to be the side of a mountain, and beheld his expectations -verified. A lofty mountain indeed was before him, and a break in the -woods, higher up, promised him a prospect of the surroundings. - -After some minutes of hard climbing he reached a flat rock that jutted -out many feet from the mountain-side, and around which the trees had -gradually thinned away, leaving a view of the usual sea of mountains -and valleys. - -Something in the scene seemed familiar to the hussar, who yet could not -exactly ascertain where he was. Casting his eyes to the right, over a -sea of foliage, he caught sight of a thin wreath of blue smoke curling -in the air, and at the same time, beheld a peculiar shaped cliff, -with a stream falling over its side, which he instantly recognized, -ejaculating: - -“_By heavens, it is the Haunted Hill!_” - -It was indeed, but the other side from that which he had seen the day -before. - -“The mystery is solved,” mused the hussar. “No wonder the Indians -fled. It must have been the Mountain Demon that saved me last night. -But, surely, it can not be possible that demon’s really in it. There -was none here yesterday, and the savages must have grown bold from its -absence. Who can it be, then?” - -As he thus mused, the clear silvery notes of a horn echoed from the -rocks overhead on the mountain-side, and soon after came the flying -feet of some creature rapidly approaching. - -Instinctively, Adrian Schuyler drew one of his pistols and cocked it, -ready to defend himself against any attack. - -The next moment one of the large bloodhounds he had seen the day -before, dashed over the rock at some distance, without noticing him, -and then came the graceful figure of the girl Diana, who bounded past -him within ten feet, and suddenly stopped, dumb with amazement, staring -at the handsome stranger. - -Adrian was the first to break the silence. - -“Fairest Diana,” he said, in his most winning tones, “well met once -more on the mountain.” - -“How came you here, rash man?” asked the girl, hastily, and turning -pale as she spoke. “Do you not know that this is fatal ground? Are you -tired of your life? If _he_ finds you here, he will kill you.” - -Schuyler smiled. - -“As to why I came here, it is easily answered. I was brought here a -prisoner, by a party of Indians and Tories, who camped with me in the -woods at the foot of the hill. Last night a strange apparition entered -our camp, killed or frightened away all the Indians, and released me. I -am trying now to find my way back to Derryfield.” - -Diana listened to his words with apparent wonder. - -“A strange apparition! What! is he here again?” - -“I know not to whom you refer, lady, but a creature in the likeness of -a man, but with cloven feet and horns, created such a panic among my -captors as I never saw paralleled.” - -“And still you dare stay here,” said the girl, in a tone of wonder. -“Oh, sir, if you value your life, let me entreat you to fly. The road -to Derryfield is straight and easy.” - -“And yet _you_ stay here,” said the hussar, meaningly. “Why should I -fear what you do not?” - -“Oh, sir, that is different. I am--I can not tell you what. But I -entreat you to fly.” - -“Madam,” said Schuyler, gravely, “I should be glad to do so, for my -duty calls me away. But I have no horse, and the woods are full of -enemies. If I go on foot, the chances are that I never get there.” - -“What then? You can not stay here--you say you saw _him_--what is to be -done? You must go back whence you came.” - -“I can not do it,” said Schuyler. “The scouts of Burgoyne’s army are -between me and home. I _must_ get to Derryfield, if I have to steal a -horse.” - -Diana wrung her hands in agony. - -“Man, man, I tell you he will kill you if you stay here. You _must_ go -away.” - -“I have a choice of deaths, then,” said the hussar, coolly. “I am safe -from the Indians, on this mountain, and as for the demon, if he kills -me, he will serve his enemies. On my mission to Derryfield depends the -whole future of a campaign.” - -As he spoke, the sound of another horn, deep, hoarse and bellowing, -echoed from the top of the hill, and the girl turned deadly pale, -ejaculating: - -“It is too late! He is here! You are lost!” - -In spite of his general courage and coolness, an involuntary thrill -of terror gathered over the heart of Adrian Schuyler, as he listened -to the mysterious sounds of the phantom horn. It echoed from hill to -hill in deep reverberations, and when it died away, left him with an -indescribable sense of awe. - -At the same moment, as if the mysterious demon had waited to sound -his horn till the aspects of nature were in harmony with diabolical -influences, a sudden shadow swept over the sun, and Adrian, looking -up, beheld a deep thundercloud, hitherto hidden behind the mountains, -swallow up the sun, and rush across the sky with wonderful swiftness, -while a powerful gust of wind shook and bowed the trees on the -mountain-side in a groaning chorus. - -He turned to Diana, and behold, she was gone! He just caught a glimpse -of her white deer-skin tunic vanishing in the upper woods on the -mountain-side, whence the sound of the horn had come, and he realized -that it had been a summons. - -“Man or demon--girl or spirit,” muttered Schuyler, as he entered the -woods in pursuit, “I’ll follow you, and find the mystery of this -mountain, if it costs me my life. I’ll _know_ the secret, at least.” - -He ran through the forest in swift pursuit of the vanishing girl, but -quickly realized that she was far swifter than he, for he soon lost -sight of her entirely, and came to a standstill. - -Not for long, however. - -The storm that was already brewing became more threatening every -moment, the clouds thicker and thicker, and a few drops began to patter -on the leaves overhead. Remembering the direction of the mountain -clearing, the hussar directed his course thereto, and pushed steadily -through the woods toward it. - -He had not far to go to reach it, and ten minutes brought him there, -but the storm had already set in, with rattle and crash of thunder, and -intense gloom, only broken by the vivid flashes of the lightning. - -As he looked into the clearing, a gray sheet of rain came driving down -over every thing, shutting out mountain and valley from sight, and -threatening to drench him to the skin. - -Schuyler was a bold, decided young fellow, as we have seen, and he -hesitated not to run across the clearing, and dash headlong into the -hut, where he found the door as open as on his former visit, and every -thing silent. - -Looking round, as soon as he had shaken himself clear of water, he -found himself in a circular room of rough stones, without plastering of -any sort, with a conical roof, supported by a central post of hemlock -with the bark on. At one side of the apartment was a huge fireplace, in -which blazed a big fire of logs, but the cabin was perfectly bare of -furniture, save for the two square blocks of stone, roughly trimmed, -one on each side of the fireplace. - -The hussar took his seat on one of these, and dried himself at the -fire, not without some trepidation, it must be owned. He was in the -supposed stronghold of the very demon that he had seen with his own -eyes the night before, and he knew not at what moment he might behold -that terrible form darken the doorway, and be engaged in a contest for -life with the terrible enigma. - -But as time wore on, and nothing appeared, while the rain descended in -torrents overhead, and the fire hissed and sputtered as it struggled -against the tempest, the hussar’s spirits insensibly rose, and with -them his curiosity. He began to long to see the fairy form of Diana, -and even caught himself wishing that the demon himself might appear. - -But still the solemn rain poured down amid peals of thunder without -cessation, and nothing came. The fire hissed and sputtered, and finally -roared up the wide chimney in triumph, the soldier dried his steaming -garments, and at last the storm slowly abated, and passed off, settling -into a gentle, drizzling rain, with a cold, gray sky, that looked as if -it had set in for a gloomy day. - -Then Adrian Schuyler began to cogitate within himself what was best -to do. He knew that if he could not get to Derryfield, his labor was -in vain, and he was equally aware that without a horse he could never -expect to get there alive. Puzzling over his future course, he was -startled by the footsteps of a horse outside, and clutching his carbine -with his manacled hands, he started up and turned to the door. The -chain that connected his irons just gave him sufficient play for his -hands to fire a gun, and he expected an enemy. - -What was his surprise at the group that met his view? - -A horse without a rider, but saddled and bridled, was being led to the -door of the hut by a huge black bear, the very creature that he had -beheld gamboling with the girl the day before. The bear walked sedately -forward, holding the bridle in his mouth, and the horse followed as if -he was perfectly content with his clumsy conductor. - -Full of amazement, Schuyler stepped out of the hut and looked around. -Not a human creature was to be seen, either in the clearing or at the -edge of the woods, but even as he stood there an arrow rose in the air -from the forest in a diagonal line, described a curve in the air, and -fell at his feet. - -A little white note was attached to the arrow. - -Instinctively Schuyler picked it up, just as the tame bear stopped in -front of him and stood rubbing his head against him, in a friendly and -confiding manner. The hussar opened the note and read as follows: - - “Ride the horse in sight of Derryfield. Then strip off his - bridle, and turn him loose. I have ventured much for your sake. - Keep our secret for mine. - - “DIANA.” - -“Ay, by heavens, I will, sweet Diana,” cried the hussar, in loud -tones, intended to catch the ear of a person concealed in the woods. -“A thousand blessings on your head. You have saved your country one -disaster.” - -Without a moment’s delay he took the bridle of the horse, cast it over -the animal’s head, and mounted. - -The horse was a nobly formed creature, but Schuyler could not help -noticing its strange appearance and trappings. The animal was -coal-black, without a white hair, and its housings were of the same -somber color, with a shabracque of black velvet, worked with a skull -and cross-bones on the covers. The same ghastly emblem was repeated on -the frontlet of the bridle in white, and the curb was shaped like a -human finger-bone. - -The hussar was too much rejoiced, however, to find any fault with his -equivocal mount. It was evidently a fine horse; and a moment later, he -was galloping through the woods to Derryfield. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -BURGOYNE’S IMP. - - -The night brooded over the white tents, and glimmering fires of a great -army, which lay on the open ground near Saratoga. Street after street -of tents and marquees, in martial array, stretched its long lines, now -silent and dark, perpendicular to the color line. Outside the camp -glimmered embers of the few fires that were left burning, and some -distance off, on the plain, and amid the little patches of wood, were -the brighter fires that told of the outlying pickets. - -Occasionally, the distant challenge of a sentry would be heard, to be -followed by the same routine of “Who goes there?” “Rounds.” “Halt, -rounds, advance one with the countersign. Countersign correct. Pass, -Rounds, and a-all’s well!” The last words drawn out into a long, -musical call, caught up and repeated along the line of outposts. - -Inside the camp there were no lights, save in one spot, around the -headquarter tents, which were clustered, in apparent confusion, in the -vicinity of a large, half-ruined house, in which the commander kept his -private quarters. - -In these tents lights were burning, fires were kindled in front, and a -number of officers were writing at different desks, while orderlies, at -short intervals, entered and emerged from the quartermaster-general’s -tent. - -In the large, old-fashioned parlor of the farm-house, which was -still comfortably furnished, and lighted with two wax-candles in -silver candlesticks, a stout officer, in the scarlet uniform of a -lieutenant-general, was walking up and down, with his hands behind his -back, occasionally stopping to speak to a second officer in the dark -green uniform of the Hessians, who stood in an attitude of attention, -to listen and answer the questions of his commander. - -General Sir John Burgoyne was a handsome and intellectual man, a little -past the prime of life, and by no means the tyrannical blockhead he -has been represented. On the contrary, his literary abilities were -quite considerable, his powers of mind great; and, up to this time, -his campaign had been conducted on sound military principles, his army -having carried all before it. - -The expression on his face that night, however, was one of decided -anxiety, as he conversed with the officer before mentioned. - -“How long has this been going on, baron?” he asked, at length. - -“For a whole week, General, as near as I can find,” was the reply, in -very pure English, for Baron Reidesel prided himself on his accent. - -“And you say that the Indians are beginning to leave us?” - -“General, they have already left us, in large numbers. If something be -not done to stop the panic, to-morrow they will leave in a body.” - -Sir John Burgoyne looked anxious and perplexed. - -“Would to heaven the Government would not employ them at all,” -he said. “They do us more harm with their atrocities, than their -services balance. That unfortunate affair of Jenny McCrea has raised -public feeling against us to a fearful extent, and now, when they -might be most useful, they are frightened to death, and deserting, -because of some masquerading rebel, who plays tricks on them with -raw-head-and-bloody-bones apparitions. Have the soldiers heard of the -panic, baron?” - -“I regret to say, General, that our own outposts are catching the -infection, since the Indian chief, Creeping Wolf, was killed in sight -of our pickets. The man or demon, whichever it be, seemed to laugh at -their bullets, and disappeared, so they say, in a blaze of red flame.” - -“Bah!” said Burgoyne, contemptuously, “’tis some conjuring trick. It -can not be possible that our men are so foolish as to fear it. I must -see that the rounds keep them awake. The fellows grow lazy, and dream. -I shall visit the pickets myself to-night.” - -Baron Reidesel brightened. - -“The very thing, General. If we keep up their spirits, they will -recover. I only hope we can gain the Indians back.” - -“There is only one way, that I see, baron. We must catch this fellow -who disturbs us, and hang him. Doubtless it is some rebel spy. One good -thing. St. Leger sends me word that Fort Schuyler must soon surrender, -and that will encourage the waverers. Then, Baum’s dragoons must be -at Bennington by this time. Let them bring us provisions, and I’ll -make short work of Schuyler’s militia. Go and ask General Fraser, and -Philips, and the rest, to come with us, baron. I’ll be ready in five -minutes, and will make a grand round of all the outposts.” - -“Very good, General,” was the reply, as the baron saluted and left the -apartment, while Burgoyne, mechanically putting on his sword, stood by -the fire, moodily cogitating. - -He was roused from his reverie by a slight noise in the room, and -looking, started in amazement. - -A man of wonderful hight, but gaunt as a skeleton, stood within six -feet of him, looking at him out of great cavernous eyes, that glared -from the midst of a deadly pale face. The man was muffled in a long -black cloak, and his face was shadowed by a broad slouched hat. He -stood regarding Burgoyne in silence. - -“Who the devil are you, sir?” asked the General, angrily, as soon as he -had recovered his first shock. - -“Your fate,” answered the stranger, in a hollow voice. - -“My fate?” echoed Burgoyne, contemptuously. “Perhaps, then, you are the -masquerading rebel who has frightened my Indians?” - -“I am the demon of the forest,” answered the other, in the same hollow -tones. - -Burgoyne laughed scornfully. - -“Indeed? Then you are just the man I want to see. Here, sentry?” - -He strode to the door and threw it open, expecting to see the sentry -usually stationed there. - -There, across the threshold, lay the dead body of the soldier, in a -pool of blood! - -Horror-stricken, Sir John recoiled a moment. Then, whipping out his -sword, he stalked up to the stranger, saying sternly: - -“_You_ have done this, but, by heaven, you shall not escape.” - -The unknown remained impassive, with his arms folded, and only smiled -sardonically. - -“I told you I was your fate,” he said. “Be warned in time. Go back -while you may. A week hence will be too late.” - -“Fool,” said the English General, contemptuously, “you may frighten -superstitious savages with your hocus-pocus, not me. Surrender, or you -are a dead man.” - -For all answer the stranger advanced on the General with folded arms, -while fire and smoke began to issue from his mouth! - -Incensed at the exhibition, Burgoyne made a violent thrust at the other -with his sword. - -The weapon snapped on the stranger’s body as if it had been made of -glass, and the next instant Burgoyne felt the pressure of long, skinny -fingers on his throat, which he in vain tried to throw off, while the -stranger, with gigantic strength, pressed him backward and backward, -till he lay bent over his knee, slowly choking to death. - -What would have been the result of this scene is not doubtful, but, -just at that moment, the sound of footsteps was heard in the passage, -with the clank of spurs and swords. - -The terrible stranger cast down the nearly senseless body of the -General with a crash to the ground, and stood up. - -A moment later, several general officers came up the passage, and -paused with horror at the sight which met them. - -The murdered sentry lay across the threshold; Burgoyne, apparently -dead, lay on the floor by the table, while over him towered a gigantic -figure, extending _black, shadowy wings_, his pale face and burning -eyes glaring from between upright black horns, while fire and smoke -came from his mouth! - -A moment later there was an unearthly laugh. The demon flapped his -wings over the table, and out went the lights in intense darkness! -Through the gloom came the hoarse shout: - -“HA! HA! HA! HA!!! I GATHER THEM IN! I GATHER THEM IN!” - -Then came a thundering report, as of the closing of a door and all was -still. The apparition had vanished. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -THE FIEND OF THE OUTPOSTS. - - -The scene of confusion in the room was, for some minutes, quite -animated. Burgoyne’s subordinates rushed in, with drawn swords, calling -for lights, and feeling around in the darkness with their weapons. Then -came the tramp of feet and clash of arms in the passage, as a number of -the headquarter dragoons came running in, some carrying torches, and -all with drawn pistols. - -The room was thoroughly explored, and the mystery deepened, for not -a trace of the intruder was found. There lay the murdered soldier, -and there was the commander, in the arms of Baron Reidesel, slowly -recovering from the rough handling he had undergone, but nothing -remained of the demoniac visitor, save the overturned candlesticks. -General Fraser--the quartermaster-general--General Philips, Sir Francis -Clark, and most of Burgoyne’s staff, searched the room, trying to -discover some means of exit, but found none. Every panel was sounded, -but none seemed hollow, and the General himself put an end to the -search by saying: - -“Let it pass, gentlemen. Some ingenious scoundrel has been here, but he -is doubtless away by this time. We will visit the pickets. It shall -never be said that his majesty’s officers were frightened by a juggler. -Order up the horses.” - -“But you are not fit to ride out, General,” objected Philips. - -“I am always fit to do my duty, sir,” answered Burgoyne, coldly. “Come, -gentlemen, we have wasted too much time already.” - -The courage of the commander was evidently far from being shaken by his -appalling visitation. He had not said a word of its nature yet, and his -staff were still puzzled, but Sir John’s decided manner overbore all -opposition, and they silently followed him to the horses, which were -already in waiting. Then, as calmly as if nothing had occurred, the -General proceeded on his trip to the outposts. - -Burgoyne’s manner was absent and thoughtful as he rode along, -mechanically taking the direction of the outposts. Two dragoons rode in -advance of the party to answer the challenges, and they soon arrived at -the picket reserve, toward the American army. - -The officer in command was called up, and taken aside by the General, -who questioned him closely. - -“Has any disturbance occurred in your front to-night, sir?” - -“Not yet, General, but--” - -“But what, sir? Speak out.” - -“We are led to expect one, General. Last night, it seems, that one -of the Indian scouts was murdered in sight of our advanced posts. My -predecessor warned me. A man on a black horse galloped by, and flames -of fire seemed to come from his mouth, they say. The moon was up, and -this Indian fired at the horseman, and then turned and ran in. The -horseman followed him, changing into the likeness of--I only tell it as -I was told, General--of the devil himself. Within fifty feet of this -reserve he overtook the Indian, and pierced him with a javelin. Then -came a red flash of fire, and the apparition threw the dead Indian over -his saddle, and fled like the wind, laughing in tremendous tones.” - -“Did the sentries fire at him?” - -“Yes, sir. They sent a regular volley after him, but he only laughed -louder and disappeared into the woods.” - -Sir John Burgoyne remained, silently musing over this story, but he -made no comment. He was, in fact, quite puzzled. - -Just as he was about to speak, an exclamation from one of the soldiers -caused him to look round. - -Then he struck his hand on his thigh with a muttered curse. - -“By heavens! there he comes again. Now let us see if he fools me a -second time.” - -It was indeed true. The same weird figure that has already been -described, was galloping up, on a black horse, flames and smoke -proceeding from his mouth, while a stream of sparks came from the -muzzle of his horse. He was coming from the extreme right of the -picket-line, galloping recklessly past the videttes, while shouts, -cries, and shots, followed his course as he came. - -Burgoyne turned to Sir Francis Clark, his favorite aid-de-camp. - -“Sir Francis,” he said, in the sharp, quick tones of a superior giving -orders, “take the escort with you, and follow that fellow, till you -catch or kill him. He is a rebel spy, and doubtless wants to draw some -of us into an ambush. If he leads you to the rebel lines, come back and -report. I shall know how to deal with him. If not, follow him, till -your horses drop, and shoot down his animal, if you can. Away, sir.” - -The aid-de-camp bowed low, and drew aside. The demoniac stranger was -still coming fearlessly on, in a direction that would bring him near to -their front, and Clark, gathering the twenty dragoons that composed the -escort, rode out to intercept him. - -On came the demon in silence, the red sparks streaming from horse and -rider, as if about to charge the whole party. - -Then, as he came within sixty feet, he uttered a loud, taunting peal of -laughter, and wheeled off toward the line of videttes. - -“Gallop, march!” shouted the aid-de-camp, firing his pistol, and -dashing after. A volley of carbine bullets whistled round the wild -rider, but away he went, fast leaving his pursuers, the same loud, -taunting laugh coming back on the wind. - -Away on his track went the whole party of dragoons, headed by Sir -Francis Clark, and in a few minutes the line of videttes was reached. -The alarm had already become general, and at least a dozen shots were -fired at the flying horseman, while a single vidette rode at him with -drawn saber. - -Sir Francis, better mounted than the rest, was close behind, as the -demon met the dragoon. He heard a clash of weapons, and the wild rider -darted out unharmed, while the soldier threw up his arms and fell back -off his saddle, dead! - -There was no time to lose, however. Shouting to his men to follow, the -English officer galloped on, keeping within thirty feet of the other, -till they reached the woods. Then, with a shrill laugh, the demon rider -darted under the arches of the forest, and Clark followed. - -The moon was not yet up, and the darkness in the woods was intense, -but still the foremost horseman galloped on as if horse and rider well -knew the way. Sir Francis followed, almost alone, for the dragoons were -already strung out behind, owing to the severity of the pace. - -Presently a crimson glow flashed up ahead, and the officer perceived a -long, flaring flame, that streamed from the head of the demoniac figure -in front, revealing the short black horns and the long cloak streaming -out behind, exactly like huge wings in appearance. - -Amazed, but still resolute, the aid-de-camp followed on, still riding -at the same rapid pace through the arches of the wood. - -The hoof-beats of the following dragoons grew fainter and fainter, and -still the two horsemen galloped on in a direction due west, away from -both armies. How long they rode, Clark could not tell, but hour after -hour passed by without any change in their relative positions. The -aid-de-camp rode a splendid horse, one of the few thoroughbreds then in -America, and horses of that blood, as is well known, will gallop till -they drop. - -At the pace at which they were going, four hours of this work took them -many a mile from settlements of any kind, till they entered a broken, -limestone region. Then, of a sudden, the red flame went out on the -demon’s head, and, with a loud, mocking laugh, horse and rider plunged -into a narrow black gully, almost hidden in bushes. - -A moment later, Clark pulled up, thoroughly bewildered, in thick -darkness. The light that had guided him had disappeared, and he was -alone in the woods. - -Too wary to venture himself in an unknown region, the officer sat in -his saddle, musing on the best course to pursue. Then, with a muttered, -“That’s it,” he turned his horse’s head on the way homeward. - -The animal, with the well-known instinct of his species, took up his -march without hesitation, as Clark had foreseen. The officer drew his -sword, and gave a slash at every tree he passed, leaving a white streak -in the bark. - -“You may hide, master juggler,” he said to himself; “but if I don’t -track you to your haunt by daylight, it will be because there is no -virtue in a blaze.” - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -MOLLY STARK’S HUSBAND. - - -The little mountain town of Derryfield[1] was full of the sounds of the -drum and fife, while companies of tall, raw-boned countrymen, some with -uniforms, more without, but all bearing arms and belts, were marching -to and fro in the streets, and on the green, to the lively notes of -“Yankee Doodle.” - -In the best parlor of the “Patriot Arms,” the principal tavern of the -village, a remarkably tall and scraggy-looking officer, in the uniform -of a Continental General, was standing before the fire, with one foot -on the huge andiron, looking shrewdly at our friend, Adrian Schuyler, -who stood before him, still shackled. - -The scraggy officer had very broad shoulders, and huge hands and -feet, but the flesh seemed to have been forgotten in the formation -of his powerful frame. He had a tall, narrow forehead, and a very -stern, shrewd-looking face of a Scotch cast of feature, with high -cheek bones, and very sharp black eyes. His nose and chin were both -long, the latter very firm withal. His manner was remarkably sharp and -abrupt. The nervous energy of the man seemed to be ever overflowing -in impatience and fiery ardor. Such was Brigadier-General--afterwards -Major-General--John Stark, the first leader of militia during the -Revolutionary War. - -“Well, sir,” he said, as Schuyler concluded his relation, “I’m very -sorry that the rascals stole your commission, but your face is -sufficient. I believe your story. What does Schuyler want me to do?” - -“To join him at Bemis’ Hights, General,” said the Hussar, with equal -business-like promptness. - -“Well, sir, I’ll see him hanged first,” said Stark, with a snap of his -teeth. - -Adrian hardly knew what to say to the eccentric brigadier, as he stood -there, nodding his head as if to confirm his words. - -“General,” he began, “if any unfortunate accident deprives me of -credit--if you don’t believe I am properly authorized--” - -“I told you I did, young man,” said Stark, with all his old abruptness. -“You’re enough like Phil Schuyler to let me see you’re his cousin.” - -“Then, General, what am I to understand?” - -“That I’ll see them all hanged first.” - -And the iron brigadier compressed his teeth like a vise. - -Adrian Schuyler began to wax indignant. Without even waiting for a -smith to file off his irons, he had ridden to Derryfield, turning loose -the black horse, as he had been bidden. Seeking General Stark in the -town, in his equivocal guise, he had been arrested by the patrol, and -brought in as a prisoner, when he had told his whole story without -reserve. - -The presence of his gray charger--which had been captured, the night -before, around the General’s quarters--confirmed the truth of part -of his statement, while Stark’s clear penetration told him that the -handsome, open face of Schuyler was not that of a traitor. Being so -fully believed, the General’s brusque answer to his message vexed and -surprised him beyond measure. - -“General Stark,” he began, indignantly, “do you call that a proper -answer to the lawful orders of a man like General Schuyler? Are you -aware--” - -Stark interrupted him in his gruff, abrupt manner: - -“Keep cool, young man. I know Phil better than you. He’s a good man--a -sight too good to be hustled from pillar to post by those asses of -Congressmen. They shan’t hustle _me_. I hold my commission from -New-Hampshire, and intend to stay here.” - -“And do you mean to say, General Stark,” asked the hussar, fiercely, -“that I am to go back and report to General Schuyler that you refuse -to come to his aid, when the enemy are pressing him hard, and you have -three thousand men under your orders?” - -Stark turned his head to the young man. - -“You can tell him and any one else,” he said emphatically, “that John -Stark’s a man, not a post. They can send me all the orders they like, -and I’ll see them hanged before I obey them.” - -Adrian Schuyler was now completely indignant, but he remained calm. -With quiet dignity, he said: - -“General Stark, I have only one request to make of you, in that case.” - -“Umph--umph! What is it?” grunted Stark, gruffly. - -“Allow your men to restore me my horse, which I see at your quarters, -and let me ride back to my chief.” - -“Umph--umph! Very good, very good. Have your irons off first, eh?” - -“No, sir,” cried Adrian, fiercely; “not a favor from you but my own -charger. I would sooner die than accept aught else from a man who -deserted his country in the hour of trial.” - -“Umph--umph! Gritty lad--gritty lad--like your pluck, by jingo--keep -cool--better have a smith and a dinner, eh? Look faint--_must_ have -dinner.” - -This was indeed true, for Adrian had not touched food for twenty-four -hours. He was too angry, however, to accept the offer and turned away -to the door, when Stark’s sharp, metallic voice asked: - -“Well, youngster, what are you going to tell Phil, if you get there -alive?” - -“That you refuse to fight,” said Adrian, angrily. - -“Oh, no, no--not a bit of it,” said Stark, in his quick manner; “not -by a big sight, youngster. You stay with me, and I’ll show you as much -fighting as any man wants, in two days.” - -Adrian paused, irresolute. There was something in the voice of Stark -that sounded as if he was mocking him. - -“What do you mean, General?” he asked sullenly. “If you are playing -with me, allow me to say that it is in bad taste to an officer in my -position, who has incurred danger to reach you.” - -The eccentric General changed his manner immediately. He came up to -Schuyler and forced him, with rough kindness, into a chair by the table. - -“You sit there,” he said gruffly. “I want to talk turkey to you.” - -Then he rung a bell, and as the orderly entered, he gruffly ordered up -the “nearest smith and a good dinner.” The orderly did not seem to be -amazed at the singular order. He was an old dragoon, who had once been -a ranger of Stark’s company in the French and Indian war. He saluted, -and wheeled swiftly about, departing without a word. - -“Now, see here, captain,” began the eccentric General, as the door -closed, “don’t misunderstand me. I’m going to keep you here, because -I know you can’t get back to your General now. Burgoyne has a body of -his infernal dragoons on the road here, and to-night I march to meet -them. I’ll not put myself under the orders of Congress--that’s flat. -They’ve cheated Arnold and me out of our fairly-won commissions, and my -State has granted what they refuse. I’m going to whip these British and -Hessian dragoons out of their boots, on my own hook, and if Congress -don’t like it, they can lump it. That’s flat, too. When I’ve whipped -the enemy, you can carry the news to Phil, if you please, and I shall -be glad of your help. What do you say now?” - -Adrian had been silent during this singular address, which was spoken -in short jerks, the General stumping round the room all the time. - -When he had finished, the hussar answered: - -“I say you’re a strange man, General; but I’ll stay with you, if you -like. At all events, I can help you, till the road’s clear.” - -Stark laughed in his abrupt manner, and clapped the other on the -shoulder, saying: - -“You’re the right grit, lad, and if I don’t show you a few English -flags, the day after to-morrow, it’s because Molly Stark will be a -widow.” - -The door opened, and in clamped a big country blacksmith, with his -basket of tools, while his blue coat, brass scales, and tall hat-plume -showed that he had just come in from “training.” - -“Hang it, Zeke, we don’t want to shoe a horse here,” said Stark, -grinning. “This gentleman has been unfortunate enough to fall into -British hands, and they’ve ornamented him with bracelets. File them -off, so he can dine with me.” - -“That’s me, Gineral,” said the smith, affably. “Ef I don’t hev them -irons off in five minutes, you kin take my hat.” - -He was as good as his word, filing away at the irons with great vigor, -and when the tavern waiter entered with a large tray, some five minutes -later, Adrian Schuyler was rubbing his released wrists with a sense of -gratitude, while the smith, who had been cheerfully whistling over his -task, and replying affably to his General’s dry jokes, had just picked -up his basket to leave. - -Adrian Schuyler, who was used to the formal discipline of the great -Frederick’s army, was wonderfully amused at the free and easy ways of -the General of militia, who behaved like an easy-going old father among -his uncouth soldiers. He had yet to learn that in that singular man, -John Stark, were concentrated the only qualities that enable a man to -drive up raw militia to the cannon’s mouth, with the steadiness of -veterans. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -THE MOUNTAIN QUEEN’S WARNING. - - -The rain poured steadily down in torrents, and the heavens were all one -unvarying mass of leaden clouds. The outlines of the Green Mountains -were wrapped in driving fleeces of gray mist, and the chilly north-east -wind drove the rain aslant, splashing up the pools that collected in -every hollow. - -Adrian Schuyler, at the head of a small party of horsemen, was slowly -riding along on his recovered charger, through the fields near the -little town of Bennington. He was wrapped in his long cloak, and -the rain dripped from his tall hussar-cap in a continued spout. His -followers were awkward, countryfied Green-Mountain Boys, but their -peculiar leathern costume told that they were all hunters, and not -agriculturists, by profession. Hunters they were, and first-class -shots, keen at detecting trails, and model scouts. - -They rode on behind their leader, in single file, watching every little -patch of wood that might hide an enemy. Two men rode on each flank at -easy rifle-shot distance, beating up the brushwood, and leaving nothing -unsearched. - -Their numbers and actions sufficiently told that they composed a -reconnoitering party, under command of the ex-hussar. It was a -noticeable fact in the history of the Revolutionary war, that those -officers who had served in European armies were treated with great -distinction whenever they could be induced to accept commands, and that -their career in American armies was generally very creditable, with the -exception of those coming from the English service. The latter, as in -the cases of Lee and Gates, were almost uniformly unfortunate, while -those provincials, such as Washington, Putnam, Stark, and Schuyler, -who had learned war in the French and Indian struggle, under English -tuition, were as uniformly good leaders. All which facts tend to prove -that the English system of war is inferior to that pursued, in Germany -especially, on the European continent; as also that American intellect -is able to attain a good result, even in a bad school. - -Adrian Schuyler was a model light cavalry officer, and conducted his -party with due caution. A rifle-shot ahead, was the best scout of the -party, and every now and then, silent signals were exchanged between -the advance and the main body, that communicated some intelligence. -Presently the scout in front halted, and crouched on his horse’s neck. -Instantly, at a low word from Adrian, his party stopped, and the -officer rode slowly up to the side of his advanced vidette, to see what -was the matter. - -“Thar they be, Cap,” said the scout, in a low tone, pointing to his -left front, “they’re gone into camp, as slick as molasses, and their -Dutch sentry ain’t got no eyes, I guess, for he’s a-blinkin’ this way, -jest like an owl on a fine day, and hain’t seen me.” - -Schuyler, sheltering himself behind the other, and bowing his head, so -as to hide his tall cap, slipped off his horse and leveled a telescope -over the croup of the scout’s steady animal. A bluish line of smoke, -clearly visible against the cold gray background of mist and rain, -pointed out the position of the camp of Baum and his Hessians, detached -from the army of Burgoyne, to seize the stores at Bennington. - -They lay in a square, compact mass, in a bend of the little rivulet, -called the Wollonsac, which covered their position. A green grove, at -the borders of the stream, furnished them with some shelter from the -rain, for otherwise they were compelled to trust to huts of straw. - -A brown line of fresh earth, covering the whole front of their -position, showed that their commander was a cautious man, who knew the -value of intrenchments. - -“There they are, sure enough, Kerr,” said Schuyler, as he shut up his -glass; “but I don’t see any Indians.” - -“I’d admire to see the reptyles,” said Kerr, spitefully, “sneaking -round when _our_ boys are here, Cap. No, no, thur ain’t one of ’em left -near us, since the Mountain Devil’s up and arter ’em.” - -“The Mountain Devil! Who’s that?” asked Adrian, surprised. It was the -first time he had heard allusions from others to the singular being -that had effected his own release from his late captors. - -“Wal, Cap, that’s hard to say,” responded the scout. “Some say he’s -a real devil, some say he’s only a feller that’s got a spite against -the Injins. All I know is, that he’s been round lately, and skeered -every one on ’em out of the country. Folks say he’s b’en dodgin’ round -Burgoyne’s men, playin’ the same games, and that thur leavin’ for hum.” - -“Has he been seen near our quarters?” asked the hussar. - -“Nary time, Cap. He may be a devil, but if so, he’s a mighty friendly -one fur our side. He don’t only kill Injins and Tories, and leaves our -folks alone. We hain’t so much as seen him, though prisoners tells -mighty tough stories about him, how he’s got horns and huffs, and sends -fire out of his mouth, and sich like.” - -Schuyler did not tell the scout of his own experience. He was too much -puzzled at the nature of the apparition. - -He remained watching the camp of the English dragoons in silence, -feeling certain that his presence was unseen by the army, then turning, -he led his horse away out of sight. - -He was about to lead his party round to reconnoiter from another -quarter, when one of the flanking scouts was seen to go off, at a -gallop, to the right, into the woods, as if in chase of something. A -moment later, a black horse, which the hussar recognized as the one he -had turned loose to go back to the Haunted Mountain, dashed out of the -woods, bearing a lady on his back, and came galloping up, pursued by -the scout. - -Schuyler waved his hand to the latter to halt, for he recognized the -figure of the lady. Then, up galloped the unknown fair one who called -herself Diana, and checked her horse with fearless grace in front of -the party. - -Diana was more beautiful, if possible, in the habiliments of -civilization, than she had been in her woodland guise. She was dressed -in a black riding-habit of velvet, laced across the breast in strange -imitation of a skeleton, in silver, and wore a little black hussar-cap, -with a skull and cross-bones in white on the front, the very costume -afterward used by the “Black Brunswickers” of Waterloo renown. She was -dripping with rain. - -Without the slightest hesitation, she addressed Schuyler, earnestly. - -“Sir,” she said, “you are in danger, and you know it not. A party of -savages, led by the Tory spy, Colonel Butler, are already between you -and your own forces, to cut you off. Retire, while there is time. I am -sent to warn you. They are now in yonder wood.” - -As she spoke, she pointed to a piece of woods in their rear, and -wheeled her horse as if to flee. Adrian Schuyler impulsively caught at -the bridle. - -“Tell me, at least,” he entreated, “that you will not run into danger -on our account. We are soldiers, you a woman.” - -“No time for talking,” she answered, sharply. “Look yonder.” - -He looked, and the edge of the wood was full of Indians. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -THE PARTISAN. - - -At the sight of the Indians, the American Rangers instinctively -clustered together, and the flankers came galloping in. - -That the enemy were in force was evident from the boldness with which -they showed themselves, coming running out, and spreading into a long -skirmish line, that threatened to cut off the rangers from any return -to their own army. - -It was evident that they were in a trap from which there was no escape, -except by cutting their way out, twenty white men against nearly a -hundred Indians. The hunters that followed Adrian, bold as they were -by nature, began to evince symptoms of shrinking from the test. Brave -militia, as far as service in war went, they were as yet only the raw -stuff that veterans are made of. Many cheeks were pale, and there was -much nervous fumbling at weapons, but they kept silence and anxiously -watched the countenance of their young leader for advice and succor. - -Adrian Schuyler had not served, as volunteer and officer, in the famous -corps of the Zieten Hussars, without profiting by the counsels of the -best leaders of light cavalry in Europe. He scanned the advancing line -of the enemy with great coolness, riding out in front of his men, and -using his telescope. - -His example was inspiring to his men, and insensibly the most nervous -forgot his tremors when he saw the coolness of his captain. - -The Indians were as yet out of gunshot, they were advancing on foot, -and some five or six horsemen were visible in their line. Adrian -watched them close, and saw that if he could break through the line he -could laugh at pursuit, all his men being mounted and most of the enemy -on foot. He turned his glass to the Hessian camp, and saw no symptoms -of disturbance there. The stolid dragoon sentries paced to and fro on -the parapet of the breastwork, and did not seem to notice the impending -conflict outside. - -Then he turned to speak to his men, and met the blue eyes of Diana. -She was watching him apprehensively, as if she sympathized with his -danger, and longed to avert it, while powerless. Schuyler pointed to -the distant woods, saying: - -“For God’s sake, young lady, ride away out of danger. The bullets will -soon be flying, and they will not respect even your beauty.” - -“Why not come with me?” she asked. “I can lead you away by a path where -there are no Indians.” - -“Thanks for your offer,” said the hussar, gratefully. “It is one that I -would accept, were it not that I have promised General Stark to be back -by a certain hour at his headquarters. My way lies through the enemy.” - -“And do you really mean to charge those fierce creatures?” she asked in -a tone of wonder. - -“I really do,” he said, quietly. “There’s not half as much danger as -you would think. Rapid motion will take us safe through.” - -“Then I go with you,” said the girl, firmly. - -Adrian laughed. - -“Nonsense, Diana. Your presence here shows that you’re on our side, -but you can do no good with us. Depart while you may. They are almost -within gunshot.” - -“I am going with you,” said Diana, firmly. “If it is a mere matter of -fast riding, I can ride too.” - -“But you may escape by going the other way,” objected Schuyler. - -“Which I shall not do,” she said. “I’ve taken a fancy to see what you -soldiers call a battle, and you can not stop me, so you may as well -attend to your men.” - -The hussar shrugged his shoulders, and turned away to his followers, -just as several white puffs of smoke came from the enemy’s skirmishers, -followed by the thump, thump, of two or three bullets, tearing up the -earth around them. The horses began to fidget, and the faces of the men -were somewhat uneasy. Adrian saw that they must be encouraged at once, -or possibly desert in confusion. - -He drew his sword and threw back the dripping cloak from his arm, while -he spoke to the rangers. - -“Men,” he said, “it’s time we were doing something. Never flinch from a -few bullets at long range. Those fellows are firing to no purpose. Fall -in, and deploy as skirmishers.” - -The rangers promptly obeyed the order. Adrian knew that in times of -danger, men should be occupied, and he insisted on his line being -formed in perfect order, even when the bullets began to whistle -unpleasantly near. The longer the men were exposed to a harmless fire, -the greater grew their confidence, and contempt for the enemy. As soon -as the line was formed, the hussar gave the signal to fall back, which, -as he anticipated, provoked a loud yell, and rattling volley from the -enemy, who took the run in their eagerness. The rangers retired at a -slow trot, the hussar keeping in the rear and watching his foe keenly, -till he saw that the rapid motion was producing the desired effect. - -The excited enemy were firing wild. - -“Halt!” he suddenly shouted. “Face about, lads! We’ve gone far enough. -Now, follow me, and charge!” - -A moment later, with the fair Diana at his side, the ex-hussar was -bearing down on the Indians at full speed, followed by his rangers. -Schuyler’s men all carried broadswords, in the use of which they were -somewhat clumsy, it is true, but strong arms made up the deficiency. - -The sudden change of demeanor on the part of the horsemen produced a -result highly favorable to them. The Indians, who always have a dread -of dragoons, fired a harmless, scattering volley, and were then left -with empty pieces while the patriots charged home. - -“Now we have them,” cried Adrian, exultingly. “Ride over them, lads, -and then on to our own camp. If a man gets wounded, I’m mistaken.” - -The example of their leader stimulated the men to greater courage, and -they uttered a hearty cheer as they drove on. The rain beat in their -faces, and the wind whistled past as they went, but the enemy were just -as much in the rain, and the Americans knew that the fire would damp -the powder of their foes. - -It took but a minute to decide the question. At the full gallop the -whole party of the rangers neared the enemy, and far in front rode -Adrian Schuyler, closely followed by Diana. - -The few horsemen who were with the Indians seemed to be officers, for -they were seen dashing up and down the line, encouraging the wavering -savages to stand. Adrian noticed one tall, powerful figure among them, -which he recognized as the Tory, Butler, and he bent his course toward -that part of the line, knowing that if he could overthrow the bold -leader, the followers would probably be demoralized. - -A moment later, he charged against the partisan, who met him, wielding -a long broadsword. - -Adrian was a splendid swordsman, and equally good horseman, and his -steed was perfectly trained, no slight advantage in a single combat, -mounted. His antagonist, however, proved to be equally matched. In -hight and weight he was far superior to Adrian, and his blows came like -those of sledgehammers, while his big horse obeyed the rein easily. - -But the hussar didn’t wait long to fight. There were too many enemies -near him. His men had already dashed through the line, and were past -him on their way to Stark’s forces, when his antagonist suddenly, -without any visible cause, turned pale, dropped his sword-hand, and -wrenched his horse back several paces, while he glared over his enemy’s -shoulder, as if at some frightful vision. - -Involuntarily Schuyler glanced back himself, and beheld the beautiful -face of the mysterious Diana close by, deadly pale with excitement, -while her long hair streamed over the cheeks, wet and clinging with -the rain, like that of a drowned person. - -He turned once more to his foe, and beheld the hitherto fierce face -drawn down with abject fear, as the dreaded partisan ground out the -single word “_Diana!_” and then turned to flee. - -Adrian’s horse bounded after him, and the hussar discharged a blow that -cut open the other’s shoulder, which, to his amazement, Butler never -even tried to parry. - -The spiteful hiss of a bullet past his ear, cutting away a curl in -its passage, told him that he was not wise to tarry longer. Turning -away, he found himself and Diana almost alone amid the enemy, who -were rallying from their discomfiture, and hastening to cut them off. -The hussar uttered a shout of defiance, seized the bridle of his fair -companion, and galloped away after his rangers. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -BENNINGTON. - - -The stars were shining bright and clear in the heavens, where the gray -light of early dawn was beginning to pale a few on the eastern horizon, -and the remains of the rain-clouds were driving toward the sea under -the chilly north-west wind that ended the rain-storm. - -A numerous force of men lay clustered in bivouac round the smoking -camp-fires, and at one fire, separated from the rest, General Stark was -walking to and fro, talking to Adrian Schuyler. - -“And you say the girl galloped away from you, and would not even give -you her name?” he said, inquiringly. - -“True, General.” - -“Why didn’t you chase her and bring her in?” - -“For two reasons, General. First, she had just rendered us an important -service. Secondly, her horse was too quick for any except mine.” - -“Umph! sorry for it. Never mind, she’s a friend of yours, any way, -and we’ll pay her for it, Schuyler, if she comes around. But you -have brought me good news. I’ll have those fellows before the sunset -to-night, and Burgoyne may whistle for his rations.” - -At that moment the clear note of a bugle, a little distance off, rose -sweetly over the silent landscape, blowing the reveille, and Stark -paused and consulted his watch, with a low chuckle, saying: - -“I tell you what, Cap, our boys may not be as smart-looking as your -Prussians, but you’ll find them pretty prompt for all that. I don’t -believe your great Frederick could put his men under arms any quicker -than Jack Stark puts his Green-Mountain Boys into the ranks. Look -there.” - -Adrian looked round, and smiled in approbation. - -At the close of the long-call the whole bivouac had changed its -appearance as if by magic, and where there had been rows of slumbering -figures, now stood long ranks of armed men, rapidly assuming the order -of perfectly straight lines. The voices of the sergeants calling the -rolls rose on the morning air before all the bugles had ceased blowing, -and the camp assumed an appearance of order and bustle, not often seen -outside of regular troops. - -Schuyler expressed his surprise at the discipline exhibited after so -short a training, and Stark abruptly broke him off. - -“No wonder, lad, no wonder. These are not German louts picked up -anywhere, with heads like oxen. These are free men, come down from the -times of Cromwell, with hardly a change. It needs only that they should -see the necessity of order, and they’ll come to it, fast enough. Ha! -what’s that?” - -His last words were elicited by the sound of a shot coming from the -picket-line, closely followed by two more. In a moment Adrian Schuyler -was on his feet, and standing close to his horse, which was tied to a -tree near by. The little squad of rangers under his orders, the only -cavalry in Stark’s command, was already ranged near by, answering -roll-call; and the captain sprung on his horse, with the intention of -calling them out, when the voice of Stark prevented him. - -“Let it go, Cap. ’Tis but a single man, coming this way!” - -Adrian followed the General’s pointing finger, and distinguished the -outline of a galloping horseman, rapidly approaching the fire in the -gray dawn. - -Presently up dashed a man on a black horse, and halted suddenly in -front of the fire. Of his figure all that could be seen was a shadow -in a loose cloak, and a shadowy hat was slouched over a face of marble -paleness. - -The strange horseman addressed himself to General Stark, as directly as -if he knew him well, saying in a deep, hollow voice: - -“John Stark, if you wish to save your country, march on the enemy -at once. Reinforcements are coming up, and will be here by sunset. -Exterminate what are here, before the others come up, and God speed -you. Farewell.” - -Then, before even the quick-witted General could guess his intention, -he was off, and galloping through the camp at full speed. Stark shook -his head as he looked after him. - -“Yonder goes a strange man,” he said to Adrian, “and if I did not know -him, I should say a spy.” - -“What, do you really know him?” asked Adrian, eagerly. “I, too, -recognized his face, but only as that of an apparition that--” - -“What apparition?” queried the General, sharply. “What do you mean by -talking of such stuff, sir?” - -“Only this, General,” said the hussar stoutly, “that the face I just -now saw under that shadowy hat is none other than that of the creature -your men call the Mountain Demon. I saw it only once, but I shall not -forget it in a hurry.” - -Stark uttered his customary grunt, but made no further observation on -the occurrence, and very soon the duties of the camp took them both -away. - -By the time the sun was up, the whole force was scattered round the -fires, busily engaged in cooking breakfast, and a short time after -columns of march were formed, and the little army of patriots took up -their march to the gay tune of the drum and fife. - - * * * * * - -The British bull-dog and the German boarhound stood stubbornly at bay -behind the brown trenches in the little curve of the Wollonsac. At the -summit of a hillock stood a battery of four brass pieces, behind which, -rank upon rank of riderless horses stood patiently at their posts, -awaiting the result of the battle. The whole of Baum’s force was made -up of dragoons, who fought desperately on foot, to defend their led -horses. - -All around the camp the grim circle of patriots was pressing closer and -closer on the British, in a ring of white smoke, through which the red -flashes of rifles shot incessantly. The rattle of musketry was, and -had been for three mortal hours, “one long clap of thunder,” as Stark -himself afterward wrote. - -And still the battle hung in suspense. The General’s horse was shot -under him, and he rushed about on foot, his drawn sword gleaming in his -hand, encouraging his troops to stand up against the fearful fire. The -Americans had no artillery, and no bayonets on their rifles, but they -rushed on to the charge with just as much vigor as veterans, and still -the battle wavered. - -It was just at this doubtful moment, when the least influence, one way -or the other was important, that a loud, ringing cheer was heard over -the roar of the musketry-firing, and through the white smoke rushed -several horsemen at full speed, riding up the hillocks on whose summit -the English battery was planted. - -First on a charger as black as jet, rode a tall, thin officer in the -broad-plumed hat and black curling wig of many a long year before. His -black velvet coat and bright steel breastplate were those one sees in -the portraits of Louis the Fourteenth of France, and he waved a long -rapier in his hand, of the same antique fashion. - -Even in the momentary glimpse caught of him amid the battle smoke, men -marveled at the paleness of his face, and at the weird fire in his -cavernous black eyes. - -Following him closely was Adrian Schuyler, with his score of mounted -rangers, but all seemed to be under the sway and control of the pale -man on the black horse. A moment later, the black charger was among the -guns, and the long blade flashed in the air, as the pale rider smote -right and left with fearful strength. - -Then like a wave, the handful of horse dashed on the dismounted -dragoons and cut their way through. It was but a trifling aid, but -all-sufficient. - -The sight encouraged one party and discouraged the other -proportionately. - -With a roar and a volley, the Americans followed, and the German -dragoons broke and fled. - -Past the swaying, helpless herd of led horses they were driven, too -much harassed to be allowed time to mount. Pell-mell after them -followed the Green-Mountain Boys, and Bennington was won. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -THE PANIC. - - -Behind the ramparts of Fort Schuyler, near the present site of the -town of Rome, an officer in the uniform of a Continental colonel, was -standing in the twilight, looking out over the beleaguering camp of -St. Leger, with his Tories and Indians, at the siege batteries. The -increasing gloom alone made the situation tenable, for all day long the -Indian riflemen had been lying down outside the fort, behind stumps and -logs, picking off every one who ventured to show his head above the -rampart. - -The position of the fort had been growing more desperate daily, for -its defenses were but slight at the best of times, and St. Leger’s -artillery had been battering at them steadily ever since the siege -first began, three weeks before. Provisions were growing scarce, and -the Indian scouts, constantly creeping closer to the fort, rendered a -sortie for forage impossible. - -Colonel Gansevoort, the American leader, looked anxious and gloomy. -Before his men and the enemy he kept up appearances nobly, but now that -he was alone, the desolate nature of his position rushed on his mind -with overpowering force, and compelled a feeling of almost despair. - -Two weeks before, the column sent to his relief under General Herkimer, -had been repulsed and almost annihilated, at the desperate battle of -Oriskany, and since that time not a word had reached him from the outer -world, save through the threatening dispatches of his foes. - -All round the fort stretched the silent, primeval forest, for Fort -Schuyler was then at the extreme bounds of civilization. Out of those -woods came nothing but the whoop of the beleaguering savage, the -spiteful crack of the rifle-shot, and the booming report of the brass -howitzers. - -There was not a ray of hope apparent to tell the Americans whether -they were not vainly persisting in a struggle which could have but one -termination, torture and death at the stake from the merciless allies -of the English General. - -As Gansevoort was thus looking from the low log parapet, at the -twinkling circle of English fires, he was surprised to hear a low voice -from the ditch of the bastion on which he stood, calling him by name. -Starting, he hastily asked: - -“Who’s there!” - -“A friend,” replied the low voice, “with news from Schuyler. Come down -to the sallyport, for I must away when I have given my news.” - -Without a moment’s hesitation the colonel left the rampart, and -hastened down to the sallyport spoken of by the other. This was a low -heavy door on the inner side of the ditch, approached by an underground -passage, and protected by the fire of two faces of the fort, and the -colonel emerged from this, finding himself confronted by a figure of -great hight, but thin and attenuated as a specter. This figure was -wrapped in a long, flowing cloak, and its face was hidden by a broad, -shadowy hat. - -Under any circumstances, it is probable that Gansevoort would have felt -some distrust of the other, but as it was, he was too eager to hear the -news to be particular about how it came. - -“The news, quick, man, what is it?” he whispered. “Good or bad?” - -“Good,” answered the stranger, in the same low tone. “Read this letter.” - -As he spoke, he extended both arms, the shadowy cloak hanging from -them, so as to conceal what passed from the view of any lurking -besieger. Gansevoort then noticed, for the first time, that the other -bore, at his belt, a small dark-lantern. He eagerly grasped the letter -which the stranger extended to him, and beheld the well-known bold -clerkly hand of General Schuyler. Quickly he ran it over. - - [2]“STILLWATER, August 15th, 1777. - - “DEAR COLONEL: A body of troops left this place yesterday, - and others are following to raise the siege of Fort Schuyler. - Everybody here believes you will defend it to the last, and - I strictly enjoin you so to do. General Burgoyne is at Fort - Edward--our army at Stillwater--great reinforcements coming - from the eastward, and we trust all will be well and the enemy - repulsed. - - “Yours faithfully, - “PH. SCHUYLER. - - “COLONEL GANSEVOORT, - “Com’d’g Post at Fort Schuyler, - “By Capt. Erastus Benedict, A. D. C.” - -For a moment Gansevoort’s feelings overcome him. The revulsion from -anxiety to hope was so great that he nearly choked, in his efforts to -suppress emotion. Then he turned to the tall stranger, seized his hand -and shook it earnestly. - -“God in heaven bless you, captain,” he said, with trembling voice. “You -have saved a soldier from disgrace, and America from destruction. We -were nearly spent. Defend it to the last? Ay Captain Benedict, I will -do it now with tenfold the vigor I did. God bless the General for his -confidence in me, and all the brave fellows with him.” - -The stranger’s hand, long, cold, and bony, lay passively in the grasp -of the colonel, till the latter had finished. Then he said, quietly: - -“You mistake. I am not Captain Benedict. He is dead.” - -“Who are you, then?” asked the American, starting. - -“A friend to the cause. Let that suffice,” said the stranger in his -deep, hollow voice, dropping his cloak so as to conceal his lantern. -“I found Benedict in the hands of the Mohawks, dead and scalped. I -killed them and brought his letter. Now farewell. Whatever you see -to-night do not wonder. It bodes no ill, save to the enemy.” - -He turned and vanished in the thick darkness that had now fallen over -fort and forest, and Gansevoort slowly and thoughtfully left the spot -and re-entered the fort. - -A few minutes later, he was reading aloud to his officers the welcome -letter of Schuyler, and gladness diffused itself in every heart. - - * * * * * - -The star that rose in the east at sunset was high in the zenith over -the besiegers’ camp, and the Indians were slumbering around their -camp-fires, while the nodding picket sentry hardly kept awake on his -post, when the loud blast of a horn echoed through the silent arches of -the forest, followed by a chorus of yells and cries that roused every -one in an instant. - -Bewildered and half-awake, Tory and Indian scrambled up to their feet, -and the English General rushed out of his tent, half-dressed, to know -the meaning of the outcry. - -Two Indians, yelling as they ran, were coming in from the outposts at -headlong speed, and their cries seemed to spread a panic among all the -neighboring savages, for wherever they were heard, Mohawk and Oneida, -Seneca and Tuscarora, alike joined the swelling mob that came rushing -through the camp. - -“The rebels! the rebels are coming! Run! Run!” was the cry that was -speedily taken up, by white and red alike, when they heard the alarm -more plainly. - -Although not a foeman was to be seen, there were sounds of a trampling -in the woods, the snapping of sticks and an occasional shout in the -distance, which gave color to the panic. - -In vain St. Leger and Sir John Johnson rushed to and fro, trying to -arrest the causeless rout. The tumult was too great for their voices -to be heard. The Indians, from the very first, commenced a retreat -_en masse_, as if by previous concert; then one regiment of rangers -gave way and scattered through the woods, despite the cries of their -officers, going to the rear at a run, shouting, “The rebels are coming!” - -In less than ten minutes from the first blast of the horn, the two -English leaders were left almost alone, and when the glare of torches -in the distance, with the sight of armed men on horseback, showed them -that an enemy was indeed approaching, they found that they had not -sufficient following to resist a squadron of dragoons. Utterly amazed -and demoralized, the two Englishmen were fain to follow the example of -their followers, and hastily mounting their horses, galloped away to -join the rout. - -Meanwhile the trampling came nearer and nearer, and soon, out of the -woods rode Adrian Schuyler, at the center of a long, scattered skirmish -line of American Rangers, in the white frocks of Morgan’s Rifles, every -man bearing a torch of pitch pine. - -They advanced warily, but boldly, only to find the enemy’s camp -deserted, the idle artillery silent in the batteries, the ground -strewed with forsaken weapons and stores. - -Adrian rode up to the bastion on whose summit stood the amazed -garrison, and waved his torch in salute, crying: - -“Gentlemen, you are saved. We are the advance of the relief column -under General Arnold. Burgoyne has lost all his cavalry at Bennington, -and lies at Stillwater, surrounded by our men. Hurrah for Independence!” - -The cheer was given with a will. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -THE EXPEDITION. - - -Two months have passed away, and the scarlet and gold of the fall is on -all the vast forest that borders the Mohawk river. - -In the English camp near Bemis Hights, General Burgoyne is holding a -council of war with his officers, and the tall, burly form of Colonel -Butler, in the dark green frock of the Johnson Greens, is conspicuous -among the scarlet of the Generals. Butler has his left arm in a sling, -still, from the effect of Adrian Schuyler’s cut, and his face is heavy -and lowering as ever, as he urges some measure on the council with -great energy. - -“I hardly think, colonel, that the end warrants the risk attending -the expedition,” said Burgoyne, at last. “This unfortunate affair at -Bennington has crippled us badly, and we must not risk the little -cavalry we have left on an uncertainty. The enemy’s parties are bold -and wary, and there is no assurance that the whole party will not be -taken prisoners or killed.” - -“General Burgoyne,” said the partisan, grimly, “I stake my head on the -result. I have not lived in this country for twenty years, without -knowing every secret path. I will take your men by a way that no rebel -shall hear of, and if I do not clear up this mystery of the Mountain -Demon I will consent to be shot.” - -“Your death would be a poor satisfaction for failure,” cried Sir John. -“What do you expect if you succeed?” - -“To save the army,” said Butler, boldly. “A month ago we were in good -position, our allies swarming all round our flanks, bringing us news -of the enemy. This juggler or demon has done more to drive away the -faithless hounds of savages than anything else. - -“While he remains a mystery not an Indian will stay in your camp. Let -me once expose and unmask him, and they will flock to your standards -anew. General, I speak as I feel, strongly. Twice has this fellow -caused me to fail in my plans by his diabolical appearance, frightening -away all my followers, and once even myself. At last I hit upon a clue -to his identity, and Sir Francis Clark’s story confirms my suspicions. -The place where he disappeared is well known to me, and if you will -give me one squadron of dragoons, I engage to bring the impostor back, -and with him our reassured Indian allies. I say that the gain is well -worth the risk.” - -When the partisan had finished, there was a deep silence in the room. -Even Burgoyne felt the force of his words. It was true that his Indian -allies had deserted him, wholesale, till he was left alone in an -enemy’s country, without the means of obtaining intelligence, while his -situation daily grew more desperate. - -Excepting for the short intervals at the battle of Bennington and -the flight of St. Leger, the ubiquitous visitor who had haunted his -outposts so long made its appearance nightly, sometimes in one shape, -sometimes another. Though chased and fired at, horse and rider were -never harmed. Sometimes in the same likeness in which it had loomed -through the battle smoke of Bennington, sometimes in the shape of the -enemy of mankind, sometimes as a living skeleton gleaming in fire -through the darkness, every night when the moon was absent the specter -appeared. - -The Indians were thoroughly cowed from the first when a white female -figure was seen on the croup of the black horse, misty and ghost-like, -as happened at the first visit. The wanton murder of poor Jenny McCrea -recurred to their minds and they guiltily believed that her ghost was -haunting them. - -When the last Indian had fled, there was a short respite from this -persecution of the outposts, only to return in a new form. - -Since the flight of St. Leger, the English soldiery, harassed as they -were by short commons in the day were deprived of sleep during the -night by constant alarms. When the camp was at its quietest, and all -were hoping for a quiet night, suddenly would come the blast of a horn, -followed by shouts and shots, and they would see a squad of fiery -figures on fiery horses galloping through the pickets cutting down the -surprised soldiers. - -Before a resistance could be organized, the unearthly visitors would -disappear; leaving their marks in the shape of two or three videttes or -sentries shot down. The attacks were never serious, never pushed far, -but they occurred every night, sometimes in one quarter, sometimes in -another, always coming suddenly and without a moment’s warning, till -the pickets began to become demoralized, and the men could hardly be -induced to stand guard at any distance from the camp. - -It was under these circumstances that Colonel Butler, the partisan, -offered his services at the council of war, to solve the mystery of the -demon and his crew. - -General Burgoyne was the first to break the silence that ensued on -Butler’s speech. - -“Gentlemen, you have heard Colonel Butler. You know the risk. We have -but one squadron of cavalry left. Shall we venture it? General Fraser, -are you in favor of risk?” - -“I am,” replied the officer addressed. - -“And you, Philips?” - -“Decidedly.” - -“And you, baron?” - -“Certainly. If we lose them, we are no worse off, behind our works. If -we stop the enemy from annoying us, we have gained something.” - -“Enough, gentlemen. Sir Francis Clark will accompany Colonel Butler, -and guide the party to the place to which he tracked the strange being -when he followed him, a few weeks ago. The council is dismissed.” - - * * * * * - -On the afternoon of the 5th October, a strong party of dragoons left -the English camp headed by the bold and wary partisan who has figured -in our pages under so many different names, in reality the most trusty -spy and best leader of Indians in the pay of Burgoyne. Of his former -history even his commander knew nothing, save that he had joined to -volunteer his services at the taking of Ticonderoga. - -Some baleful spirit seemed now to animate the partisan, urging him on -to feverish eagerness, as he hurried the departure of the dragoons, and -rode off, accompanied by Sir Francis Clark. The sound of the American -bands behind Gates’ intrenchments, could be distinctly heard; for, -since the battle of the 19th September, the English had moved forward -to within cannon-shot of the American lines, where they had fortified -themselves. - -Butler shook his clenched hand at the enemy’s quarters with a look of -rage, muttering to Clark, as he rode away: - -“Let them blow and whistle, Clark. Once give me back my Indians, and -we’ll soon sweep them out of the path.” - -“If we can not do it without Indian help,” said the aid-de-camp, -coldly, “I see but little chance of success. The Indians are but -unreliable cattle at the best.” - -Clark was by no means an admirer of Butler or his allies. In common -with most of the cultivated English officers, he fell a strong -repugnance to the employment of such barbarous allies. - -Butler laughed sardonically. - -“Ay, ay, that’s the way they all talk when ill luck falls on a man. I -am no leader of pipeclayed grenadiers, and you look down on me. But by -the light of heaven, Sir Francis, once let me get my warriors back, -with my old corps of rangers, and I’ll show you that Indians can fight.” - -The officer made no answer, and they rode on into the woods, till they -struck the blaze that Sir Francis had made with his sword, which they -followed without much difficulty. - -Once on the track, the partisan took the lead at a rapid pace. His keen -and practiced eye read the signs of the forest with far more ease than -the aid-de-camp, even though the latter was following his own trail. -The length of time since the blaze was made, and the faint nature of -the marks would have puzzled the officer not a little, but to the -partisan the task was but child’s play. - -On they went at a pace of seven or eight miles an hour, through the -rapidly darkling woods, till they found themselves, at sunset, in a -country broken by ravines, where the blaze abruptly ended before a -thicket of wild raspberries, which hid the entrance to a narrow gorge -in the side of a hill. - -Here Butler dismounted, and examined the vicinity carefully, when -he announced to the aid-de-camp that a party of Indians were in the -vicinity, and that he was going to seek them out and call them to his -assistance. - -The marks of moccasins had not deceived him. When he sounded a peculiar -call on his turkey-bone whistle, it was answered almost immediately, -and, soon after, a war-party of Mohawks made its appearance. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -THE DEMON’S HAUNT. - - -The Mohawks proved to be a small party who had fled from Burgoyne, -and when they were informed of the errand on which the white men had -visited that lonely spot, one and all expressed unbounded terror. In -coming into the wilderness they had hoped to escape the presence of the -demon whose presence they associated with Vermont and Stillwater. - -When they were told by Butler of the scene which he himself had -witnessed on that very spot--the one described in the commencement of -our tale--and learned that the Mountain Demon had frequently made his -appearance in those very woods, had in fact been tracked thither, the -bravest warriors trembled, and began to look apprehensively around -them, to flee. - -Butler checked them from flight with consummate craft. - -“Whither would my brothers fly?” he asked. “If this be a demon, he will -catch you in the woods; and when was he known to spare a Mohawk? With -us lies your only safety. I am the Night Hawk, that sees in the thick -shades, and my spirit is more powerful than his. Remain with us, and I -will show you that all the demons of wood and mountain can not frighten -the Night Hawk. This is a cunning medicine-man of the rebels, but I -also am a cunning medicine-man, and I will show you that I am stronger -than he.” - -This address reassured the warriors somewhat. They had a profound -respect for the partisan, and the mere fact of his coming there -expressly to solve the mystery of the demon argued that he had no fear -of him. When the Night Hawk called on them to follow him, they made no -more objections and the party advanced. - -The dragoons dismounted--part of them--and gave up their horses to -the third of their companions, who remained in the saddle, under -Sir Francis, to guard the horses. The men on foot, looking to their -muskets, and fastening their sabers to the saddle, under Butler’s -orders, formed in rear of the Indians, both to support them and to -guard against their flight. - -Then, with the partisan at their head, they advanced to the hollow tree -in which the demon had once disappeared, which, as Butler had surmised, -proved to be the entrance to a cavern. - -Looking into the hollow, a gulf of unknown depth appeared below them, -and the partisan hesitated a moment. Then he drew back and called for a -lantern. Several had been brought, and they were quickly lighted, when -Butler, boldly taking the initiative, leaped down the cavity and found -himself on firm ground, not six feet from the surface. - -With a cheery call, he held up the lantern to his followers, and -disclosed the entrance to a rude flight of steps, cut downward into -the earth, in a bed of solid rock. In a few moments an Indian chief -followed, trembling visibly, but resolved not to give way before the -white men. - -Fastening the lantern to his belt, and holding his rifle ready for use, -the resolute partisan slowly descended the steps, emerging at last -into a lofty hall, crusted with stalactites, on which the light of the -lantern flashed as if on a wall of diamonds. - -He heard the soft, moccasined footsteps of the Indians, then the heavy -clatter of spurs, as the dragoons descended, and at last the whole -party entered the chamber, and stood gazing in wonder around them. - -All were much more at their ease now. There were no signs of the demon -as yet, and of caves all had heard. - -Butler now made a fresh disposition of his forces. Of lanterns there -were seven, of that kind called bull’s-eyes, and he ordered the -soldiers bearing them to form a line behind him and advance abreast, -casting a broad glare ahead. He knew that the Indians would not dare to -leave him in the thick darkness of that cave. - -They advanced through the long chamber, the only sounds audible being -their own footsteps, and the hurried breathing of the excited men. -Presently a narrow passage compelled them to stoop low and go in single -file over a broken, crooked path, till they emerged into a second -chamber, larger than the first, and the light of the lanterns came -back to them from the mirror-like surface of a black pool, into which -Butler had nearly fallen. - -As he recovered himself with an involuntary exclamation, a loud, -mocking peal of laughter sounded from the roof above them, and the -sound, repeated by the echoes, came with a terrible effect to the ears -of the explorers. As if to test their nerves to the utmost, there was -a rushing in the air, close by, and a swarm of bats swished past them, -brushing them with their wings and tangling in the long hair of several -dragoons. - -The confusion in the narrow passage was indescribable. The German -dragoons cursed in guttural accents, the Indians uttered their startled -“Hugh!” and all struggled together to flee, jammed up against the rocks. - -The thundering voice of Butler recalled them to their senses. - -“Halt, fools!” shouted the enraged partisan. “Do ye fear the empty -laugh of a single man, and a few bats? Forward, and keep your rifles -ready! We are hunting this juggler to his hole at last. He is here. -Follow me, and we’ll soon find out.” - -No sooner had he finished than the same demoniac peal of laughter -echoed through the cave, seeming to come from overhead. The bold -partisan shouted defiantly back, and his men, reassured, followed him -onward into the cave, skirting the black lake as they went. It was a -large chamber in which they found themselves, but its border was very -narrow round the lake. After the second peal of laughter, all was -silent. - -Butler paused at a place where the white rock shelved out into the -water making a broader platform. He cast the light of his lantern all -round the cave, but could see no further path on the shore. The inky -waters came up to the platform and another step would only plunge them -into its icy depths. - -Then he turned his gaze on the wall of rock and perceived a rude -pathway leading up in a zigzag and reaching a platform above that on -which he stood. Beyond it was a great black opening in the midst of -which stood a sheeted ghost, gleaming snow white against the black -background with all the startling effect of reality. - -For a moment the blood rushed to the heart of the bold partisan, so -weird was the vision. The men behind him had also caught sight of the -fearful figure and uttered low exclamations of terror. Butler was the -first to recover. - -“Follow me, fools” he said. “’Tis only a stalactite after all. See it -glitter.” - -“HA! HA! HA! HA!!!” - -Again the fearful hollow laugh sounded above them, with its peculiarly -ghastly mockery, and the echoes in the cave repeated the sound again -and again, till it seemed as if a legion of demons was loose. - -But Butler was not to be longer daunted by sounds, however fearful. Up -the steep path he rushed, rifle in hand, toward the white figure in the -gloomy portal, and his men after a little hesitation followed him. - -Hardly had they reached the top, than a bright glare of crimson fire -illuminated the rocky cavern, making every thing bright as day, and -turning the whole vast chamber into a palace of jewels. - -The glare came from a column of red flame that shot up in the midst -of the dark archway, where the great white stalactite shone out with -startling vividness. - -Not a living creature was visible before them, but the column of flame -made it certain that some one must be near by to have lighted it. -Butler rushed forward, calling to his men to follow, and then suddenly -recoiled, as _three_ fiery figures sprung out from the wall and rushed -forward waving burning swords that shone with blue flames. - -The effect was instantaneous on all but Butler. The Indians yelled with -terror and plunged down the path, running headlong for the opening by -the merciful light of the flame. The dragoons fired a hasty random -volley with their rifles and fled after them, and the next moment out -went the light and the three fiery figures went sailing through the -air over the black lake like birds of hell, uttering the same fearful -screeches that had driven the savages to flight. - -In a moment more Butler was alone on the platform, and one of the fiery -figures, waving its wings, swooped down on him, and striking him with -unmistakably solid feet, sent him headlong into the black lake with a -splash. - -Then with a final peal of demoniac laughter all three of the -apparitions circled back to the rock and disappeared, leaving Indians -and dragoons to find their way out as they could. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -THE LAST BATTLE. - - -A silent and dejected cavalcade was slowly emerging from the woods -behind Burgoyne’s quarters, on the morning of the 7th of October. It -was the returning party under Butler, disappointed of their aim, beaten -and dispirited. - -The partisan, after his ducking in the lake and the flight of his men, -had certainly evinced rare courage, for he had actually returned to the -assault on the following morning, provided with a quantity of torches -of flaring pitch pine. - -Under the stimulus of plenty of light, the dragoons had behaved better, -although nothing could induce the Indians to venture back. They had -thoroughly explored the first and second cave without any further -annoyance, but neither did they make any more discoveries. By what -means the three strange apparitions had managed to execute their flight -over the lake, remained a mystery, but they had evidently vanished, for -not a trace of living creature, save bats, was found. - -Chamber after chamber, grand, beautiful, grotesque, and horrible, was -passed, but they heard no more the mocking echo of demoniac laughter. - -Full of rage and disappointment, Butler returned to the outer air, -to find that his Indians, useless and superstitious as they were -underground, had made an important discovery by the light of day, -outside the limits of the cavern. - -The tracks of three horses were found, quite fresh, at a little -distance from the cave mouth, and they led toward the camp of Burgoyne, -from another ravine. - -The back trail, when followed, led to another opening in the hillside, -and it became evident that the tenants of the cave, human or -supernatural, had escaped. - -The brow of the partisan grew dark and gloomy when he heard the news, -but he made no remark. Even since the plunge into the subterranean -lake, he had been much depressed in spirits, and now it was with sullen -apathy that he agreed to the proposal of Sir Francis Clark, and led the -return to Burgoyne’s camp. - -The distance was so great--nearly forty miles--and their pace so slow, -that it was not till the dawn of the following day that they came in -sight of the English army, and started to hear the first guns of the -decisive battle of Bemis’ Hights, better known as Saratoga. - -Sir Francis Clark started when he heard the sound, and when a second -report came booming through the woods, he gathered up his reins, turned -to Butler hastily, and said: - -“Excuse me, colonel. Bring on the party as slowly as you like. _My_ -duty takes me to the General.” - -Then waving his hand, he struck spurs into his thoroughbred, and -galloped off down the road, at full speed, toward the sound of the -distant firing. - -Butler hardly seemed to notice his departure or the firing. The whole -air of the man was that of gloomy depression, with a certain expectant -apprehensive look, as if fearing coming evil. He rode slowly on, while -the sound of the cannon became more frequent, sounding dull and hollow -behind the encircling woods. - -The men behind him conversed together in whispers. They did not seem -to have the eagerness of Sir Francis Clark to go into the battle. Old -soldiers seldom do. They know too well what is coming. The German -dragoons that followed Butler were all veterans, and though they would -go into any danger unmurmuringly, there was a kind of stolid caution -about them that prevented any eagerness. - -Besides, the gradual approach, at a slow pace, to a battle, that one -hears, but cannot see, especially if the prospect is limited by woods -in all directions, is peculiarly depressing to the boldest spirits, and -causes unwonted silence to most men, who would march gayly on, in an -open country. - -Thus the dragoons following Butler ceased to converse at all, and -pressed silently on behind their dogged leader, who took his way -forward on the narrow, dusty road, the boom of guns growing more and -more frequent, and answered by the more distant reports of the cannon -from the intrenchments of Gates. - -At last, an opening appeared in the trees ahead, and a white cloud of -smoke was visible, hanging in the air over a stubble field, beyond -which a little brown house nestled in the corner of a wood. - -The sight seemed to have an effect on Butler which hearing had failed -to produce. Instinctively he gathered up his reins and quickened his -pace, while his eye roamed over the battle-field with a practiced -glance. It was evident, to a soldier, that no serious fighting had yet -begun, for the guns were firing at regular intervals, and the scarlet -lines of the grenadiers stood behind them, while the dark green masses -of the Hessians were scattered over the ground to the left, near the -glaring stacks of arms. - -On the American side, all was quiet. No motion could be perceived -behind the dark curtain of the woods, flecked with gold and crimson as -it was, in the tints of Indian summer. - -Occasionally, however, the distant report of a heavy gun was followed -by the whirr and hum of a round shot, which came high over the trees, -and plunged into the ground in front of the British lines. - -“Artillery duel--much noise and no damage,” muttered Butler, in a tone -of scorn, as he watched the scene. “If I had my will, they would try a -night attack. The cursed Yankees can beat them at shooting.” - -His course led him toward the rear of the British, and he was nearing -the line, when something caught his quick eye, and he halted. - -Three figures on horseback were riding slowly toward the American -lines, in a hollow that hid them from British view, and he recognized -them in an instant. - -One wore the broad-plumed hat and strange, antique dress of the -mysterious being that had haunted him so long, the second was Adrian -Schuyler, in his gay hussar trappings, and the third was the same girl -who had a month or two before caused such a shock to the generally -immovable courage of the partisan. - -Butler uttered a low, inexpressibly savage blasphemy, as he looked at -the three figures, riding so tranquilly past, with their backs toward -him, and evidently unconscious of his presence. - -“Now,” he muttered, in a tone of intense eagerness, “now I have them at -last, in daylight, and they shall fool me no longer. What if the girl -does wear _her_ face? _He_ at least, I know, and hate. I have shamed -him once, and now I’ll have sweet revenge, if I lose life for it.” - -He turned in his saddle, and drew his sword. - -“Men,” he said, in a low voice, “yonder are three rebel spies. Follow -me and take them, if it costs us all our heads. Will you come?” - -In a moment twenty swords were out, and the soldiers answered him with -eager assent. - -“Charge!” shouted Butler, driving in his spurs, and away he went at -full speed after the three quiet equestrians. - -The tall cavalier in the Louis XIV dress turned quietly in his saddle -when he heard the thunder of hoofs on the road behind him, and spoke a -few words to his companions, with a gesture of contempt. - -Then, as Butler came within a hundred yards, the two black horses and -the dapple-gray started at a tremendous rate of speed, which speedily -distanced the lumbering dragoons, and taxed the utmost exertions of the -steed of the partisan himself, to maintain his place. - -In vain he plied his spurs. His horse was doing its best and nothing -could be gained. Presently the road gave a turn round the wood, and -they came in sight of the American lines, as also within gunshot of a -long rank of horsemen, in the white frocks of Morgan’s riflemen. The -tall cavalier pulled up, and turned to meet Butler, at that sight, -while Adrian and Diana rode on. - -The dogged courage of the partisan never failed him, though his men -were not within supporting distance. He thundered on to meet the -stranger, and broadsword and long rapier met with a savage clang. - -“_Alphonse de Cavannes! I have you at last!_” - -“_Pierce Harley, your time is come!_” - -Hissing the fierce greetings between their teeth, the combatants closed -in a mortal struggle. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -THE SKIRMISH. - - -It was evident that both men recognized each other as old enemies, for -they met with a ferocity that told of undying hate. The long rapier and -the broadsword clashed together and played in circles of angry light, -and the horses wheeled and bounded, obedient to hand and heel, as if -they shared every wish of their masters. - -The combatants were by no means unequally matched. The dark stranger -with the pallid face was much the taller, but his long, lean frame -lacked the compactness and solid force of the Herculean partisan. The -inferiority in strength was fully made up by an activity and fierce -energy that bordered on the supernatural, and the stranger fought with -all the vigor of the demon he had so successfully personated. - -The partisan, without the lightning velocity and energy of the other, -had yet a towering strength, joined to consummate skill with his -weapon, that made him a terrible antagonist. His horse was much heavier -than that of his foe, and seemed to be equally well trained. Whenever -they clashed together, the heavy steed of Butler sent the slight black -charger reeling from the shock, and the fierce blows of the partisan -beat down the guard of the unknown at every encounter. - -The pale cavalier, however, found his revenge in the more insidious -and deadly thrusts, which he found occasion to deliver at intervals, -with his longer and lighter weapon; and twice did he draw blood with -his point, while he received in return a single slash only, which fell -short of its full intention, and plowed a long gash in his thigh, with -the point of the broadsword. - -All these cuts and points passed in the space of half a minute, -during which the two men fought with a fury that must have completely -exhausted them in a short time. - -Then the combat was interrupted as suddenly as it had begun, by the -thunder of hoofs close by, as the German dragoons swept down on the -contending parties, with loud hurrahs, in a cloud of dust! - -He who had been called De Cavannes broke away from his enemy as the -dragoons rushed in, and was soon surrounded with foes, whom he bandied -with a coolness and vigor that showed the great difference between them -and their leader. Then came a counter rush of hoofs, with the cracking -of rifles and the whistle of bullets, and down galloped a troop of -Morgan’s redoubted Mounted Rifles, yelling their war-cry. In the midst -of the new-comers rode the dashing hussar, Adrian Schuyler, his pelisse -flying behind him, his saber waving, while the dapple-gray charger -swept on like a storm-gust. - -In the first assault his sword clashed against that of a German -dragoon, and then darted through a man’s body up to the hilt like a -flash. The hussar’s horse, rushing on, actually bore the poor wretch -out of his saddle by the leverage of the sword, and Adrian was not -able to extricate it in time to guard a blow from one of the German’s -comrades. The long, straight broadsword, whistling as it came, -descended on the summit of the tall fur cap, and clove it down on the -hussar’s skull with crushing force, stunning him so that he fell over -on his saddle-bow, confused and almost senseless. How he might have -fared is doubtful, had not De Cavannes, at the same moment, caught the -dragoon across the face with a backhanded slash of his long keen sword, -that divided his nose, and sent him reeling back in his saddle, giving -Adrian time to recover himself. - -Then the conflict waxed furious. - -Morgan’s men were superior in numbers to the dragoons, but their arms -were by no means equal to those of the others in a close fight on -horseback. Few had any thing but rifles and pistols, and those few who -carried short hangers knew but little of their use, compared to the -well-instructed German swordsmen. - -On the other hand, their numbers and courage told in their favor. Many -clubbed their rifles, and laid about them with a vigor that laughed at -the broadswords. Where a man was cut down or run through, some comrade -would fell his slayer with the butt of a rifle. Only the terrible -partisan, Butler, made his heavy sword of more weight than the clubbed -rifle. He raged through the fight, driving back the stoutest riflemen -like children, with his enormous strength. Meeting Adrian Schuyler, -when the press prevented maneuvering, he beat down his guard, and -felled him to the earth with a single stroke, then turned to face De -Cavannes, who was making toward him through the swaying crowd. - -But such savage fighting could not last long. Strong and brave as were -the dragoons, the increasing numbers of Morgan’s men bore down their -opposition by sheer weight of horse-flesh, and the whole mass drove -down toward Burgoyne’s lines, struggling and shouting, but too closely -packed to allow the use of weapons of any size. - -Then, at last, the hunting-knives of the riflemen came into play, and -they made it too hot for the dragoons, who, one by one, broke out of -the fight, and fled toward the English army, pursued by the shouting -riflemen. - -Even the generally indomitable Butler was fain to turn his horse, his -vengeance unsatisfied, and quit a fight in which he had only overthrown -one of his enemies. - -Adrian Schuyler, stunned and bleeding from a head wound, scrambled to -his feet in the dusty road, and beheld De Cavannes, dismounted, and -approaching him as if to assist him. - -It seemed as if some mutual understanding existed between the two, -however originating, for Adrian evinced no surprise at the other’s -coming. He staggered slightly and put his hand to his head, saying -faintly: - -“I fear, count, that I have not done you credit to-day. The villain has -escaped, and ’tis my fault.” - -The mysterious stranger smiled gravely, as he answered: - -“Boy, you did your best, but fate must be fulfilled. He will not escape -forever. No! If he did, I should almost believe there is no God of -Justice.” - -Seen by the light of day, the strange being was of noble figure. His -great hight and spare make did not detract from, but rather added to -the air of mystery and dignity that surrounded him. His pallid face, -not now distorted by assumed expressions, was noble and intellectual -in outline, and the antique dress that he wore, with the flowing, -black, full-bottomed wig, added to the majesty of his looks, while the -long, black mustache evinced that its wearer must have been a cavalry -officer, that facial ornament being peculiar to the mounted service, in -those days. - -“Are you badly hurt, _mon ami_?” he asked, with a slight French accent. - -“I don’t know,” said Adrian, faintly. “I feel stupid and weak, but -there is little pain. I think I have a cut on the head.” - -De Cavannes advanced and examined the wound of the other with great -care, and nodded his head as if reassured. - -“There is no great harm done,” he said. “The sword must have turned -in his hand, and your cap helped you. But you cannot go into battle -to-day. Your General has been superseded by the vain fool, Gates. -Let us depart. When the battle is over it will be time to see to our -purpose.” - -Slowly he led the hussar away to his horse just as the first scattering -rifle-shots told that the contest was opening in earnest, and when the -volleys of musketry pealed out from the wheat-fields, Adrian Schuyler -was resting by a spring in the forest, while the beautiful Diana was -bathing his head and binding up his wounds. - - * * * * * - -It is not our purpose to describe the battle of Saratoga in these -pages. That has been well done in the glowing pages of Irving, Headley, -and Lossing; and to attempt the task were but a repetition of their -words. Let the reader imagine the increasing thunder of answering -guns, the rapid roll of the volleys, and the charging cheer of the -English, Hessian, and Yankee volunteer, the field wrapped in bluish -clouds of smoke, where the fierce powder-smell stings the nostrils, and -the spiteful red flashes answer each other out of the haze, where the -bullets hiss and the round shot hum, while the grape-shot come by with -a heavy swish, and in the midst of all, wild Arnold rages up and down -like a lion at bay, driven to frenzy by his foes. - -Alas for Arnold, that his greatest and most glorious field should have -been his last! Nevermore to direct the tide of victory thereafter, on -that stricken field he leaped to a light of glory, from whence, three -years later, he was to plunge into an abyss of infamy, covered with -the curses of honest men, his only hope of mercy lying in friendly -oblivion. - -Let the field of Saratoga go by, with its well-known result, while -we turn to the few characters of our story around whom our plot has -revolved, and draw the shifting drama to a close. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -THE CAPITULATION. - - -In the room of a farm-house in the American lines near Saratoga, a -large gathering of officers was assembled. The scarlet of the British, -the dark green of the Hessian, and the homely blue and buff of the -American officers, mingled in friendly union for the first time. - -The British officers looked gloomy and depressed, while the Americans -treated them with marked courtesy and consideration. A carriage rolled -up to the door of the farm-house, attended by a single dragoon, and a -lady with two little children was helped out by one of the American -officers, whose plain uniform bore no distinctive marks of rank. - -This same officer had a peculiarly kind and benevolent expression on -his face. He took up the frightened little ones in his arms as readily -as if he had been their proper parent, kissed them affectionately, -and turned to welcome the mother, with all the kindly courtesy of a -gentleman of the old school. - -The lady was the Baroness Reidesel, wife of the Hessian commander, and -her heart was at once won to the kind stranger. - -“Oh, sir,” she said, impulsively, “you are very, very kind, to us who -have injured you so much.” - -“Dear madam,” said the stranger, “that was but the fortune of war. -You are trembling. Do not be alarmed, I pray you. Probably it may -be somewhat embarrassing to you to be the only lady in such a large -company of gentlemen. Pray let me take you and the children to my tent, -where I will try to entertain you as best I can.” - -The tears rushed to the eyes of the lady, as she said: - -“Oh, sir, you must be a husband and father to show me so much kindness. -Tell me only to whom I am indebted.” - -“The debt is mine, madam,” said the officer, politely. “I am General -Schuyler.” - -And indeed it was that noblest of all heroes of the Revolution, after -Washington, the General to whose genius the capture of Burgoyne was -owing, and who was yet superseded in the hour of his triumph by the -intrigues of the unscrupulous Gates, around whose brows the laurels -were placed that really belonged to Schuyler. The baroness in her -memories has left us this little incident, illustrative of the real -nobility of the man. - -In Schuyler’s tent, in which the baroness soon found herself, she was -greeted with respectful cordiality by a young lady, one of the most -beautiful creatures she had ever seen, who was introduced to her by the -General as “Mademoiselle Diane de Cavannes, the betrothed wife of my -cousin, Captain Schuyler.” - -Sitting down to dinner, the baroness was soon after introduced to -a remarkably handsome young officer of hussars, as the cousin in -question, who entered while they were at table. - -The conversation was carried on indifferently in English, German, -and French, for every one at table seemed to be a good linguist, and -before half an hour had passed the baroness felt as happy as if she had -been among intimate friends instead of being, as she really was in an -enemy’s camp, her husband and all his army prisoners. - -While they were still at table, however, an incident occurred which -showed that war was not at rest entirely. - -A disturbance was heard outside, some shouting, the reports of two -muskets, followed by the gallop of a horse near the tent. - -Adrian Schuyler jumped up, at a signal from the General, and went -out to see what was the matter. The baroness full of vague fears, as -was natural to a lady in her lonely position, remained silent and -absent minded, in spite of the assiduous attentions of her host and -Mademoiselle de Cavannes to continue the conversation. - -It was not long however before she was reassured by the entrance of -Adrian, who was accompanied by Baron Reidesel himself. - -“Ah, _mon ami_,” exclaimed the anxious wife, “I feared some terrible -thing had happened to thee.” - -The baron, after bowing to General Schuyler, whom he seemed to know, -explained the disturbance in a few words. - -It seemed that Burgoyne and his principal officers had been dining with -Gates and his staff, and that all were somewhat the worse for wine, as -was common in those days of hard drinking. - -That one of Burgoyne’s officers, who, it appeared, had held an -independent command among the rangers and Indians attached to the -expedition, had distinguished himself by the depths of his potations -which yet had no apparent effect on him save to make him more sullen -and reserved. - -“He was always a surly fellow, that Butler,” said the baron; “and none -of us had liked him much, but he was a valuable officer at collecting -intelligence and planning surprises, and brought us in more news than -all our scouts, so Sir John tolerated him. Once or twice, I believe he -went out as a spy among your people, General. Pretty soon, a dispute -arose at table about that unfortunate affair of Miss McCrea, and -although both Generals tried to stop it, words waxed high. Then on a -sudden this Butler chimed in with the disputants in the most insulting -manner, and the end of it was that he gave the lie direct to Colonel -Morgan of the Rifles. One of Morgan’s officers, who sat next to Butler, -maddened by his potations, so far forgot himself as to strike Butler. -I shall never forget the scene that followed. Butler caught up a -carving-knife, and before any one could interfere he literally hacked -the other to pieces. Then with a savage curse, he flung the knife at -Gates, rushed from the house, knocking down two officers that tried -to stop him, as if they were children, sprung on the horse of Gates -himself, that stood by the door, and actually escaped. I tell you, -General, that sobered us all. Such an affair I never saw before, nor -hope to again. It has cured me of deep drinking for a long while.” - -Even as he was finishing, a tall gentleman entered the tent, with -a hasty apology, went up to Schuyler and whispered in his ear. The -General looked grave and troubled but he answered, hastily: - -“Certainly, count, certainly. I have no command here, and Adrian’s -duties are merely honorary. He can go.” - -The Count de Cavannes, for it was none other, turned to Adrian Schuyler -and the young lady, who was known as Diane de Cavannes, and spoke -rapidly in French: - -“My children, we must be in the saddle in an hour. The enemy of my -house is at large, and I have sworn never to rest till he is past doing -further mischief. Make your excuses and follow.” - -Then, with a hurried bow to the rest of the company that told of the -highbred courtesy that even haste could not extinguish, the mysterious -count left the tent. - -Baron Reidesel remained staring at the tent door in blank surprise -after his departure for some minutes. Then he turned to Schuyler and -asked, in a low voice: - -“Excuse the question, Monsieur le General, but who is that tall -gentleman that has gone out?” - -“The Count de Cavannes, father to this young lady,” said the General, -with a wave of his hand toward Mademoiselle. - -“And, excuse me, does he hold a commission in your forces?” - -“That is a question, baron, I can not in honor answer,” said the other, -gravely. “He is a true friend to our cause, I will say.” - -“Eh, _mon Dieu_, it is explained, then,” muttered the baron. “He is an -agent of the Secret Service.” - -Schuyler smiled but made no answer, and after fidgeting for some -minutes, the baron resumed: - -“Will you excuse one more question?” - -“Certainly, baron. If I can answer, I will.” - -“The count, is he a--well, a conjuror.” - -“I can answer that,” interposed Diana, who had listened to the colloquy -with an amused smile. “My father was a member of the French Academy of -Sciences, baron, and a pupil of the great Cagliostro himself. Have you -seen him before, that you ask?” - -“_Mon Dieu_, Mademoiselle, I should think I had. Did he not enter the -quarters of Burgoyne himself in spite of his sentries and frighten us -all out of our senses, in the likeness of the king of evil himself?” - -To his surprise, both Adrian and Diana burst into a hearty laugh, and -the former said: - -“I do not wonder, baron. The count frightened me, once, in a way -I shall never forget. But now I know him, let me say that a more -honorable and braver gentleman never made use of the artifices of war -to deceive and entrap an enemy. Farewell, baron. The day will come when -you will know and respect De Cavannes, as I do.” - -And he left the tent with Diana. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -THE MOUNTAIN HOME. - - -Once more we are in Vermont, in the little valley scooped in the side -of the haunted hill. The rough stone cottage still stands in the middle -of the clearing, but it is no longer lonely. Several horses are tied to -the trees around, two of them jet-black, the rest caparisoned chargers, -in the midst of which the dapple-gray steed of Adrian Schuyler is -noticed. Several rangers were lounging about and in the hut, and the -smoke curls up from the wide chimney, showing blue amid the silvery -haze of Indian summer. - -But a feature has been added to the scene since we were last there. It -is not the vivid dyes of autumn alone. The mountain sides glow with -crimson and gold, but that is not all. - -The change consists in the fact that a lofty portal has been revealed, -cut into the precipice that borders one side of the glade, while -the cavern to which it gives entrance, instead of being dark, is -illuminated from within, and shows as bright as day. - -No rough, damp cavern is it either, but a lofty apartment, the rocks -hidden with hangings of white and crimson cloth, while within, -gathered around a table, are General Schuyler, the Count de Cavannes, -Adrian, and Diana, at the close of a dinner, waited on by black -servants. - -The General holds up his glass to the light and addresses De Cavannes, -saying, “Count, to your future life. May it be happier than the past. -It is time to redeem your promise, and tell your children all.” - -The count’s face was grave and sad as he replied: - -“Philip, you say true, but you can not tell what it is to me to harrow -up those recollections. Still, it must be done, for I have promised.” - -Then turning to the young people, who were respectfully listening, he -addressed them: - -“Adrian Schuyler, I have trusted thee as I never have trusted living -man since--since--something happened in my past life. What that was, -thou shalt learn. I trusted thee, not alone for thine honest face, -but for the name thou bearest. Thy cousin Philip and I were once -fellow-students and travelers, and I never knew one of his blood that -was a traitor. Diana, my daughter, thou hast, for many a year, held -more fear than love to thy father. Now thou shalt learn the cause that -drove me to the wilderness, and made of me, once as frank as the day, -the gloomy hater of my kind that I was before Adrian came to us, to -bring light from the outer world.” - -Then, while his audience gathered round him, hanging with intense -interest on his words, the count told them the story of his life, which -we shall epitomize as briefly as possible. - -Alphonse de Cavannes, count in France, baron in Germany, and even -duke of a small Italian province, was, at thirty, an object of envy -to half of Europe, for his riches and social position. Descended from -a family which united the best bloods of three kingdoms, he inherited -vast estates in all, greatest of all in France. Such was the frank -generosity of his nature, that his parasites were numerous, but to none -of them had he shown so much kindness as to a young English officer, a -scion of the noble house of Oxford, Pierce Harley by name. This youth -had been taken prisoner by the count in the famous battle of Fontenoy, -thirty-two years before the date of our tale, and his captor, instead -of leaving him, as he well might have done, to the fate of an officer -on parole, on scanty pay, had taken him into his own house in Paris, -and treated him with the kindness of a brother. He had been induced to -this course chiefly from the finding that Harley was a distant relation -of the young Countess de Cavannes, who was, by birth, English, and -whom her husband positively adored. Young Harley, then a handsome, -athletic young fellow, had professed himself extremely grateful for -this kindness. Being a younger son, without fortune, the friendship -of the great French lord was of much value to him. When peace was -concluded, moreover, instead of allowing Harley to go back to England, -the generous count insisted on his resigning his commission, and -remaining in France as steward of all De Cavannes’ estates, everywhere -treated as the trusted friend of their owner. Harley accepted it, and -for twelve years occupied the post, doing exactly as he pleased. It -was during this period that Schuyler, then on a visit to Europe, met -his old fellow-student, and witnessed, with amazement, the splendor -of his establishment. The count was then deep in those expensive -scientific experiments to which he owed all his subsequent resources as -a conjuror and magician, in company with the celebrated or notorious -Count Cagliostro. It was Schuyler who induced the count to pay a visit -to America, and Harley managed all the details of the expedition, which -was made in princely style. On arrival in America, De Cavannes was -so much charmed with the beauty and grandeur of the scenery, that he -decided that he would buy an estate near Albany, and spend at least a -portion of his time there. - -It was only then, after twelve years of apparently faithful service -on the part of Harley, that De Cavannes discovered that all was not -right in his affairs. Expecting to be able to raise money to purchase -in America by a mortgage on his French estates, he found to his -surprise and dismay, that every acre of land which he held in Europe -was already heavily incumbered. Schuyler, whose keen, solid intellect -had from the first led him to suspect maladministration on account of -the reckless extravagance he had witnessed, persuaded his friend to go -to Europe and make a secret investigation of his affairs in company -with himself, leaving Harley in America to put the Albany estate in -condition. To do this, the generous American himself secretly advanced -the purchase-money for the estate, and undertook the task of lulling -Harley’s suspicions, which the open-hearted count was hardly capable -of doing, in the first revulsion of suspicion. To be brief, the scheme -was carried out. The countess was left in America under charge of the -suspected agent, along with the baby Diana, who had been born a few -days previous to the discovery of Harley’s monetary faithlessness. Of -any thing worse than reckless incapacity the count never suspected him. - -The friends went to Europe and found that the trusted friend and petted -steward, Pierce Harley, had not only robbed his benefactor for his -own benefit, but had actually forged his name to mortgages, so that -two-thirds of the count’s income was swallowed up in paying interest on -loans of which he had never reaped any benefit. - -De Cavannes, once undeceived, was a changed man. With noble magnanimity -he would not take advantage of the people who had been victimized by -the forgeries. Neither would he continue to pay the interest. He took -a middle course, conveying all his estates to a board of his creditors -to apply the proceeds to the extinction of the principal of these -sums that he had never received, and reserving to himself only enough -to repay the generous Schuyler and to supply a year’s expenses for a -small household in America. Then he took passage back, and arrived at -Albany with Schuyler to find the country in a state of war, and Howe’s -expedition to Ticonderoga on foot. - -Full of fury at the recent discoveries, he summoned Harley to his -presence, informed him in a few stinging words of his estimate of his -character, then bid him draw and defend himself. To his surprise, -Harley, usually a man of obstinate courage, turned pale, and without -a word fled from his presence, while the count, too proud to pursue a -wretch so sordid as he deemed him, contented himself with throwing a -drinking-cup after him with a force that cut the villain’s head as he -went. Then the disdainful noble went to seek his wife, whom he had not -yet seen. - -Then, and then only, did he sound the last depth of Harley’s perfidy. -The false steward was discovered in the countess’ chamber, and she was -hanging on his neck, weeping bitterly while Harley rained kisses on her -lips! - -Here the count stopped, and his paleness became livid, while his voice -sunk to a grating whisper. - -“I killed Diana. Do you blame me? I would have killed him, but he left -again. I could not let _both_ escape.” - -There was a dead silence in the room as he paused. A moment later, he -said, in a quiet almost indifferent tone: - -“That night the Indians burned my house to the ground and scalped me, -leaving me for dead, and I recognized Pierce Harley for their leader. -He had the better of me at every point.” - -Again there was a dead silence, again the count spoke. - -“You found me, Philip, and nursed me to life. You do not wonder that -when I recovered I vowed vengeance on Pierce Harley and all his crew -of red devils. I have kept the vow well. Twenty long years have I -hung on the trail of the Mohawks, now in one place, now in another. I -found this cave first, and afterwards the one near Oriskany. The idea -struck me that by keeping the secret of the caves and working on the -superstition of the Indians, I might acquire a double power over them. -I hid the entrance to this, and no one knew where the other was. It was -your help, Philip, that supplied me with the means to personate the -demon and frighten the savages with red fire. That and my own activity -and caution, sharpened tenfold by woodcraft, taught me how to make -myself dreaded and shunned by every warrior of this nation. - -“But in all that time I never could find Pierce Harley, though I sought -him everywhere. Diana shared my solitude after her fourteenth year, and -no one in the convent-school at Montreal dreamed, when Mademoiselle -De Cavannes left them a finished pupil, that she went to the woods to -share the trials of a moody, misanthropical outcast, whose bidding she -obeyed with fear and trembling, but whose secrets she kept with the -true fidelity of a daughter. You little thought, Adrian Schuyler, when -you met the simple-seeming girl in rustic tunic, that her innocent air -was really a piece of consummate art, and that your cousin Philip knew -the whole secret. The bear and the tame deer, the Spanish hounds, the -voices in the air, the supernatural figures, they were all very awful -to you at first, were they not? But, now that you know all, you do not -wonder that I would not trust you before Bennington. I sent you my -horse on purpose to test your truth, and you proved a true Schuyler. -May you be happy with Diana.” - -The count had hardly finished his story when there was a noise without. -He started up. - -“I thought so,” he exclaimed, “the scouts have tracked him to earth, -and are driving him hither.” - -The next moment a horseman dashed up to the cave, leaped off his beast, -and strode in, bearing a long rifle. - -It was the dreaded Butler. - -Behind him, at a distance, rode up a dozen rangers. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -THE PARTISAN’S REVELATION. - - -The gloomy-looking partisan crossed the threshold, grounded the butt of -his rifle, and faced the count without a word. - -De Cavannes rose to his feet, and his eye gleamed, as he said: - -“I knew you would come. After all you are no coward, if you are a -villain, Pierce.” - -The partisan laughed sardonically. - -“Do you render that much justice to me, Alphonse? You are growing -rational. I remember when you would not hear a word, and murdered an -innocent woman in your frenzy.” - -The count shook his head, and all the fire died out of his eyes. - -“Pierce Harley,” he said, “if you could prove that, no living man would -be more glad than I to spend the rest of my life in the torments of -hell on earth, that I might see her once more, to ask her forgiveness -one moment. But it is useless. Traitor and false friend, who bit the -hand that fed you, it is vain to defend her from what I know.” - -“Let it pass then,” said Butler--or Harley as he must now be -called--gloomily. “Your words are true as regards me. You can not -believe what I say about her, of course. Let it pass.” - -“Tell me then,” said the count, doubtfully, “why you came here.” - -“To die,” was the laconic reply. - -De Cavannes laughed scornfully. - -“Have you realized that? Why did you not come before? You knew I was -not dead, though you once thought I was. The day of Saratoga told you -that I was no ghost, if you half suspected before. Did you fear to meet -me, that you waited till my rangers drove you from your hut, and chased -you here?” - -“I did,” said Harley, with the same sullen manner. - -“I wish you had come alone,” said the count, in his grand manner. “It -would have saved me the trouble of pitying you, for I do not care to -kill a man that fears death.” - -Again Harley laughed sardonically. - -“You are wrong, Alphonse, as wrong as you once were about your wife. I -don’t fear you. I waited to see if you hated me enough to take trouble -for my death.” - -“And you are satisfied that you deserve it?” said the count, gravely. - -“I suppose so, according to one law,” returned Harley, coldly. “By the -law of vengeance you have your rights. Take them. I’m weary of life.” - -“Pierce Harley,” said the count, solemnly, “my men are round you, and -you are doomed to die. In the presence of God, tell the truth. What had -I done to you that you should turn traitor to me as you did, trying -your best to ruin one who never done you aught but benefits.” - -Harley turned his eyes gloomily round the apartment till they rested on -the lovely face of Diana. Then he said: - -“You see that girl. As she looks now, thirty-five years ago looked her -mother, and I loved her before she ever saw you. You have your answer.” - -“This is no answer,” said the count, fiercely. “What had I done to you -to provoke such treason?” - -“I loved Diana Harley, fool. She was my cousin by blood, and I loved -her before you saw her. I was poor, you were rich. She went to France, -secretly betrothed to me, and she broke her troth, forced to it by -Oxford, her father. You knew she did not love _you_. What do you -Frenchmen care for love in a young wife? She loved me first, and I -loved her. If I had not, do you think I could have forgiven her the -wrong she did me? I did forgive her, when I saw her in Paris, but I -swore revenge on you and I have kept my oath.” - -The count had listened to the other with iron composure, but with -perfect courtesy, not seeking to interrupt him in any manner. When -Harley had finished there was a short silence, broken by the count. - -“Then I am to understand, monsieur, that you do me the honor to avow -that you sought my house for the deliberate purpose of destroying my -happiness and ruining my wife.” - -“The man that says that Diana Harley was ruined by me, lies,” said -the partisan, in harsh tones. “I loved her, but you--curse you--had -her--she was your wife. From that moment I swore to kill _you_, but -nothing would have tempted me to stain _her_ by so much as one word a -maiden or chaste wife might not hear.” - -De Cavannes, for the first time looked incredulous, and Harley, -noticing the look, laughed a strange, hollow, despairing laugh. - -“You Frenchmen could not understand that of a cold, brutal Englishman, -could you? Fool; in the apathetic seeming hearts of the North, love -burns with a fervor you mincing dancing-masters never dreamed of, as -white as the furnace flame that melts steel and as pure of dross. I -tell you I _loved_ Diana. In that love an angel might have gloried. -It was pure at least. If I sinned it was like Lucifer, not like your -gentlemen of the court, who counted every woman fair prey.” - -Here, for the first time, the count interposed. - -“Stop, monsieur; you know better than that with me. Besides, you who -boast of your purity in love, what meant that scene I witnessed, Diana -in your arms before my very face? Ha, monsieur, does that make you -wince?” - -The iron firmness which had so far distinguished Harley was indeed -giving way to all seeming. The strong man trembled violently, and -turned a gaze, half piteous half fierce on the second Diana, whose -marvelous likeness to the first had been declared. Then he suddenly -ground his teeth and turned on the count with a ferocity that bordered -on insanity, while he burst out: - -“Ay, glory in it, Alphonse. I ruined you, and you detected me. My -defeat and disgrace were complete, and in that disgrace she pitied -me and allowed her long-smothered love to burst forth. And I, weak -fool that I was, lost control of myself when I saw her tears. In one -mad moment I told her all my long love, and that moment was her last. -You saw us, and stabbed her. Do you know why I did not kill you then, -Alphonse de Cavannes? Because you would have gone to meet her. You were -a noble man, then. Now, you have stained your hands with blood, and are -doomed. I hate you now, as I always did. Now take my curse and speed to -hottest hell, to meet me when I come!” - -As he spoke he flung his rifle into the palm of his hand with a clash, -and the flash and report instantly followed. - -That moment would have been the last of the Count de Cavannes, but for -the promptitude of Adrian Schuyler. The active hussar had been watching -the partisan keenly, and in the nick of time his saber left its sheath -striking up the barrel of the piece, to be plunged the next instant -into the very heart of Pierce Harley. - -Without a groan, the grim partisan dropped dead, as Diana threw her -arms round her father’s deliverer with a shriek. - - * * * * * - -There is but little more to add to our tale now. - -The reader will comprehend how Adrian, meeting De Cavannes and Diana at -Bennington, and taken into the confidence of the former, had assisted -him in the ghostly manifestations in the cavern by the aid of De -Cavannes’ thorough knowledge of the locality and ropes fixed to some of -the stalactites for the purpose of executing their aërial flight over -the lake, shining in suits covered with phosphorus. - -It only remains to add that Adrian and Diana were married the year -after, and departed with the count to Europe. By this time the count’s -estates had paid off their incumbrances by the rents in the course of -twenty years, and De Cavannes was once more a rich man. - -He was one of the few nobles of France who took the popular side along -with Lafayette during the French Revolution, and lived to see Adrian -a General under the Empire. But all his subsequent fortunes never -wiped out the memories of the past, and he often recounted to his -grandchildren the pranks he played the savages in America under the -name of BLACK NICK. - - -THE END. - - - - - FOOTNOTES: - - [1] Now Manchester. - - [2] Historically correct. - - - - -Transcriber’s Notes - -Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Black Nick, the hermit of the hills: or, the expiated crime</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:0; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1em;'>A story of Burgoyne's surrender</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Frederick Whittaker</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: November 10, 2022 [eBook #69323]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: David Edwards, Krista Zaleski and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (Northern Illinois University Digital Library)</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BLACK NICK, THE HERMIT OF THE HILLS: OR, THE EXPIATED CRIME ***</div> - - - - -<h1> BLACK NICK,</h1> - -<p class="center xbig"> THE HERMIT OF THE HILLS:</p> - -<p class="center small"> OR,</p> - -<p class="center big"> THE EXPIATED CRIME.</p> - -<p class="center p4"> A STORY OF BURGOYNE’S SURRENDER.</p> -<hr> -<p class="center"> BY FREDERICK WHITTAKER.</p> -<hr> -<p class="center p6"> NEW YORK:<br> - BEADLE AND ADAMS, PUBLISHERS,<br> - 98 WILLIAM STREET. -</p> - - -<p class="center p6"> -Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, by<br> -BEADLE AND ADAMS,<br> -In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.<br> -</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="BLACK_NICK">BLACK NICK.</h2> -</div> - -<table class="autotable"> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I.</a></td><td class="tdl"> THE WOOD FIEND.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II.</a></td><td class="tdl"> THE AID-DE-CAMP’S DISCOVERY.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III.</a></td><td class="tdl"> THE ROCK NYMPH.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV.</a></td><td class="tdl"> THE YOUNG CAPTAIN’S CAPTURE.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V.</a></td><td class="tdl"> TURNING THE TABLES.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI.</a></td><td class="tdl"> A DEMONIACAL VISIT.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII.</a></td><td class="tdl"> A STRANGE SERVICE.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII.</a></td><td class="tdl"> BURGOYNE’S IMP.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX.</a></td><td class="tdl"> THE FIEND OF THE OUTPOSTS.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X.</a></td><td class="tdl"> MOLLY STARK’S HUSBAND.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI.</a></td><td class="tdl"> THE MOUNTAIN QUEEN’S WARNING.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII.</a></td><td class="tdl"> THE PARTISAN.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII.</a></td><td class="tdl"> BENNINGTON.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV.</a></td><td class="tdl"> THE PANIC.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV.</a></td><td class="tdl"> THE EXPEDITION.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI.</a></td><td class="tdl"> THE DEMON’S HAUNT.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII.</a></td><td class="tdl"> THE LAST BATTLE.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII.</a></td><td class="tdl"> THE SKIRMISH.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX.</a></td><td class="tdl"> THE CAPITULATION.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XX">CHAPTER XX.</a></td><td class="tdl"> THE MOUNTAIN HOME.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXI">CHAPTER XXI.</a></td><td class="tdl"> THE PARTISAN’S REVELATION.</td> -</tr> -</table> - - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I.</h2> -</div> - -<h3>THE WOOD FIEND.</h3> - - -<p>In the midst of the lonely forest, that stretched in an almost unbroken -line of solitude from the head-waters of the Hudson to the Mississippi, -during the last century, a small party of Indian warriors, in full -war-paint, treading one in the other’s footsteps, to the number of -five, stole into a little clearing formed by the hand of Nature, and -halted by a spring.</p> - -<p>The sun was about to set, in an angry glow of crimson, that portended -bad weather. The fiery beams shot aslant through the open arches of the -forest, and the trunks of the trees stood out, as black as jet, against -the red glow of evening.</p> - -<p>“He has not been here,” remarked the warrior who seemed to be the -leader, as he scanned the earth around the little spring with a -practiced eye.</p> - -<p>“The pale-faces are all liars,” said a young brave, disdainfully, as he -leant upon his bow. “When was a Mohawk known to break his word?”</p> - -<p>“The Panther Cub is wrong,” he said, quietly. “There are good and bad -pale-faces. I have never known the white chief to fail before. He has -been stopped on the way. He will soon come, and show us how to strike -the children who have rebelled against the great father who dwells -beyond the sea.”</p> - -<p>“The Mohawk needs no white teacher,” returned Panther Cub, in the same -tone. “I can find a house to strike, and scalps to take, long before -the morning dawns, if need be.”</p> - -<p>“Has the Black Fox lost his eyes, that Panther Cub thinks he is the -only Mohawk that can see in the night?” asked the old chief, sternly. -“Let the young warriors be silent, while they have chiefs on the same -war-path. We have eaten of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</span> the white father’s bread, and he has -ordered us here to await his messenger. Black Fox will stay.”</p> - -<p>As he spoke, he leaned his rifle against the tree by which he stood, -drew up his blanket around his shoulders, and took his seat in -dignified silence.</p> - -<p>The other warriors, as if determined by his example, proceeded to make -their dispositions for the night. A flint and steel were produced, -tinder was found in a dead tree, and a small glowing fire was soon -started, around which the Indians clustered, eating their frugal meal -of dried venison and parched corn in silence.</p> - -<p>These Indians were a small scouting party from the flankers of -Burgoyne’s army, who had been dispatched through the woods to the west -of Albany, to meet an emissary of the British Government, who was to -give them certain instructions.</p> - -<p>Slowly the sun disappeared as they clustered round the fire, and the -crimson glow died away in the sky, to be replaced by a murky mass of -cloud of dark slaty gray, rapidly becoming black. Overhead the stars -shone out, but the clouds began to gather and hide them from view, and -a low moaning in the tops of the trees warned the hearers of a storm -brewing.</p> - -<p>Suddenly, as if by common consent, every Indian sprung to his feet, -and grasped his weapons, as the sound of snapping sticks, and of -horse-hoofs in rapid motion, approached the spot. There was no -underbrush in those primeval forests, as yet innocent of the ax of -the woodman, and a horseman could be seen in full career, rapidly -approaching the little glade.</p> - -<p>At a word from the chief, the four warriors resumed their seats by the -fire, while the old leader himself stalked forth from the group, and -drawing himself up, awaited the coming of the stranger, in an attitude -of dignity, grounding the butt of his rifle.</p> - -<p>The new-comer proved to be a man of large size, with a stern, -determined face, gloomy and lowering in expression. He was dressed like -a farmer, and well mounted on a stout horse, carrying holsters on the -saddle, from which peeped the butts of large pistols. Otherwise the -rider was unarmed, only carrying a horse-whip. He checked his horse, -and dismounted<span class="pagenum" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</span> before Black Fox, who addressed him with the grave -reminder:</p> - -<p>“The Night Hawk is late.”</p> - -<p>“I couldn’t be earlier, Fox,” returned the other, in the Mohawk tongue. -“I was fired at by Schuyler’s pickets, and chased out of my path by a -patrol of the cursed mounted rifles of that fellow, Morgan. Here I am -at last. Go back to the General, and let him know that the rebels are -rousing everywhere. Schuyler has sent orders to rescue the fort beyond -Oriskany at any cost, and they will march in two days from now, a -thousand strong, under General Herkimer, to raise the siege. Have you a -swift runner here?”</p> - -<p>“The Panther Cub has long legs. He shall carry the Night Walker’s -words,” said the chief, sententiously.</p> - -<p>“Good. Let him run to General St. Leger, and warn him that his rear -will be attacked,” said the spy. “For the rest, back to Burgoyne. Tell -the General his foes are gathering. He must spring like the wild-cat, -or he will be trapped like the beaver. Tell him I will bring him more -news by way of the lakes, and that—”</p> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">Ha! ha! ha! ha! I gather them in! I gather them in!</span>”</p> - -<p>The interruption was sudden and startling. A loud, harsh voice, with -an accent of indescribably triumphant mockery, shouted these words -from the midst of the intense darkness, which had crept over the scene -during the short conference, since sunset. At the same moment, out -of the opening of a hollow tree that stood near the fire, a bright, -crimson glare of flame proceeded, in the midst of which appeared an -unearthly figure of gigantic hight, but lean and attenuated as a -skeleton.</p> - -<p>The appearance of this figure was singularly fearful, for it was -clothed in some tight black dress with steely gleams, that covered it -from head to foot, a pair of short, upright horns projecting from the -close skull-cap, and only leaving exposed a face of deathly pallor, -with great, burning black eyes, and a mustache that pointed upwards in -true diabolical fashion.</p> - -<p>There was but a moment to examine this figure, as it stood in the -cavity, outlined against the red glow. In one hand it brandished a -single javelin, in the other a bundle of similar<span class="pagenum" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</span> darts. A second later -the red glow disappeared, and the figure with it, leaving the usually -stolid Indians and their companion struck aghast with astonishment and -awe.</p> - -<p>Then, ere a word could be spoken, the same demoniac laugh rung out, and -the gigantic apparition, with a bound, was in the midst of their little -fire, which it scattered in all directions with a single kick.</p> - -<p>Through the thick darkness that ensued, the white man heard the noise -of a confused struggle, that seemed to endure for about half a minute. -Firm and determined as was the spy, he recoiled in ungovernable terror -to the side of his horse, and snatched from the holsters his pistols, -one of which he fired in the direction of the sounds of battle.</p> - -<p>By the flash of the pistol he distinguished the terrible figure, in -an attitude of mad glee, brandishing its darts over the prostrate -bodies of three Indians, the fourth striving to rise, and transfixed -with a dart, while the fifth was fleeing for his life toward the spy. -Instinctively the white man climbed on his horse in the darkness, as a -wild peal of laughter greeted his shot.</p> - -<p>He had seen the demon leaping toward him!</p> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">Ha! ha! ha!!! Black Nick has them fast!</span>” yelled the harsh -voice, and again, as if by magic, a red glow flashed over the place.</p> - -<p>In the midst of this glare, the spy beheld the black demon clutch the -fleeing Indian with his long arms, and go leaping back toward the -hollow tree, with the writhing form of the savage close clasped. Then -there was a blinding white glare, a cloud of smoke, and a loud report, -in the midst of which the demon leaped into the hollow, and vanished -from sight sinking visibly into a pit of darkness.</p> - -<p>With a muttered groan of terror, the now completely unnerved spy -wheeled round his frightened horse and fled, as fast as the animal -could carry him, while the forest resumed the gloom and silence of -night.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II.</h2> -</div> - -<h3>THE AID-DE-CAMP’S DISCOVERY.</h3> - - -<p>There are few sights in the world as beautiful as an American mountain -side, clothed with forest to the summit, when early frosts have begun -to touch the leaves, and wake them into color.</p> - -<p>In the midst of the wild mountains of Vermont, in those days almost -deserted by human beings, a young man on horseback was pursuing his -way at a smart trot along a narrow road that wound round the lower -ridges, in a way that showed the ingenuity of the rustic engineers in -economizing labor.</p> - -<p>To all appearance there was not a creature in sight, save the wild -animals and the lonely traveler, who pursued the path as if he knew it -well. Once, when he stopped to water his horse at a stream, he startled -a herd of deer who were coming to drink, and caused them to scurry away -through the bushes in alarm.</p> - -<p>The young traveler looked around him as the deer vanished in the -thicket, with great admiration. He was in the midst of a small valley, -hemmed in by rounded mountains, and through the midst of which ran a -brown, brawling stream, in which the spotted trout played by hundreds. -The mountains were clothed to the very summit with woods, and although -it was not yet the end of August, light frosts had already been there, -in the long nights on the mountain sides. Here and there amid the green -blazed out the scarlet of a distant tree, half of whose foliage had -been touched as with a fiery pencil, while the verdure of the rest -looked fresher by contrast. Now and then the golden hue of a maple -shed a glory of color over its vicinity, but there was, as yet, only -enough of this to set off the somber green of the pines and the lighter -foliage of the oak and birch.</p> - -<p>The traveler was a young man, and handsome withal. His dress was, -perhaps, the most picturesque in the annals of military history, -for the youth was evidently a soldier, and an<span class="pagenum" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</span> officer at that. The -towering fur cap, narrowing as it rose, and ornamented with gold cord -and white plumes, the furred and braided jacket, hanging from his -shoulder, the still more gorgeous dolman that fitted his slight form to -a nicety, blazing with gold embroidery, all over the sky-blue ground of -the breast, the light buck-skin breeches, with braided pocket-covers, -and the scarlet morocco boots, rising mid-leg and tasseled with gold -were unfailing indications to the eye practiced in military costume, -that the wearer was an officer of some German corps of hussars, then at -the zenith of their reputation under the great Frederick of Prussia. -The young hussar was magnificently mounted on a dapple-gray horse of -wonderful bone and sinew, though quite low in flesh from campaigning, -and his housings were as splendid as his dress and arms. The latter, -saber, pistols, and light carbine, were all silver inlaid, and of -exquisite finish.</p> - -<p>To a hidden observer, the sight of this gay cavalier, alone in the -wilds of Vermont, would have suggested great wonder. How came he -there, and what was he doing? In those early days of the Revolutionary -struggle, rags and bare feet were the rule, brilliant uniforms the few -exceptions. There was no corps of hussars in the Continental service, -and the Hessians, on the English side, wore green, not pale blue. -Besides, the uniform of the hussar officer was distinctively Prussian, -the black eagle being worked on his horse’s housings.</p> - -<p>Whatever he was, he seemed to be quite at home in the woods, for his -blue eye was calm and fearless, and the long fair mustache that drooped -over his chin covered as resolute a mouth as ever closed firmly over -shut teeth.</p> - -<p>Having allowed his beast to drink, the young cavalier urged him through -the water to the other side, and trotted briskly up the lonely road -between the arches of the wood, till he had stopped opposite the ridge, -and beheld before him another valley and more hills.</p> - -<p>The ridge on which he stood happened to command an extensive view; -reining up, he scanned it with a practiced eye.</p> - -<p>“By heavens!” he exclaimed to himself, in a low tone, after a long and -searching look; “there is some one living on the haunted hill, where -even the Indians would not dare to go. I must investigate that.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</span></p> - -<p>So saying, he shook his rein, and galloped down the hillside, in the -direction of a mountain, the largest of any in sight, from the side of -which a thin column of smoke curled up in the air.</p> - -<p>Nothing very strange in that it may be said; but the young officer knew -better.</p> - -<p>He was passing through a country in which there was no settlements -in the path he was riding, till he came to Derry field. The mountain -before him was well-known by the name of “Haunted Hill” to the whites, -and had the reputation of being haunted by a demon, who frightened -away all the Indians who ventured near it. This was well known to the -young cavalier who, being free from superstition, had chosen that way -to escape any danger from the outlying Indians of Burgoyne’s army, -then lying between Ticonderoga and Albany, slowly advancing. The young -officer himself was on the staff of General Schuyler, who was then -retreating before his formidable foe, and who had sent the aid-de-camp -on a secret mission on which he was now proceeding.</p> - -<p>The sight of smoke on the side of the Haunted Hill excited the -curiosity of the young officer. Smoke meant settled habitation. -No Indian could be there, he felt certain, on account of their -superstitious fears of the mountain demon. If any one else were there, -might he not prove to be in some way connected with the mystery of the -demon? Full of curiosity, and for the moment forgetting his mission -the young aid-de-camp crossed the valley, and commenced to toil up the -sides of Haunted Hill.</p> - -<p>He was not aware, keen as was his glance, that one still keener was -watching him. Hardly had he gained the foot of the mountain, than an -Indian warrior looked out of the cover he had quitted, and giving a -rapid signal to some one behind, plunged down the hillside, skirting -the road and keeping the cover, followed at a loping trot by at least a -dozen more, in full war-paint.</p> - -<p>The course of the savages was after the cavalier, and so rapidly did -they run, that they reached the foot of the hill before he had got -half-way up the side of Haunted Hill.</p> - -<p>It is true that the hussar had slackened his pace, and was now toiling -up the steep ascent, holding by the mane of his<span class="pagenum" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</span> steed. The Indians, -on the other hand, pressed along at the same rapid, tireless lope, and -quickly came in sight of the aid-de-camp, whose steps they seemed to be -dogging with true savage pertinacity.</p> - -<p>Once having him safe in sight, the warriors slackened their pace, and -contented themselves with following, step by step, gliding from tree to -tree, and keeping themselves carefully hidden.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, the young officer pursued his way up the hill in the -direction that promised to bring him close to the mysterious smoke -which had excited his curiosity.</p> - -<p>In half an hour’s climbing he had reached the summit of the lower ridge -of Haunted Hill, and beheld before him a little basin, scooped by the -hand of nature in the side of the hill, about a hundred yards across, -bare of wood, in the center of which stood a low stone hut, thatched -with fir branches, from the summit of which curled the blue smoke that -he had first noticed.</p> - -<p>The little basin was bounded on one side by a precipice of rock about -fifty feet in hight, crowned with trees, and surmounted by the steep -ascent of the upper mountain. At the right it ended abruptly in a -second precipice, which fell away into the valley, while the tops of -lofty trees below just showed themselves over the edge. The forest -bounded the other side, and a little spring trickled over the edge of -the lower precipice with a tinkling sound.</p> - -<p>But what riveted the attention of the youth, was a group that he -discovered in the midst of the little valley standing in front of the -cabin door.</p> - -<p>Several tame deer were crowding eagerly around a young girl, in a -quaint, picturesque dress, in strange proximity to a huge black bear -and three tall bloodhounds of the largest breed.</p> - -<p>The officer reined in his horse in amazement as he looked, and -ejaculated aloud:</p> - -<p>“Heavens! It is Diana herself.”</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III.</h2> -</div> - -<h3>THE ROCK NYMPH.</h3> - - -<p>The sight of the horseman in that lonely place excited a strange -commotion. Hardly had the young officer uttered his involuntary -exclamation, when the three hounds set up a loud baying, and came -leaping toward him, the black bear waddled after them, while the timid -fawns bounded away into the forest in great alarm.</p> - -<p>The girl herself, who seemed to be the mistress of this menagerie, -turned toward the stranger with the port of the goddess to whom he -had compared her. In truth, she resembled nothing so much as a living -statue of Diana, for she wore the same short tunic and buskins, and -carried the bow and quiver of the patroness of hunting. Her figure and -face, with the simple antique knot in which her hair was arranged, -confirmed the likeness; and when she hastily fitted an arrow to the -bow she carried, it seemed to the young soldier as if he had indeed -insulted the privacy of some supernatural being.</p> - -<p>Most men in his position would have either turned to flee or made some -motion of defense. Not so the hussar.</p> - -<p>He remained sitting on his horse, in spite of the menacing appearance -of the bloodhounds, without moving a muscle; and the dogs, as soon as -they closed in, justified his course, by ceasing to bay, while they -ran inquisitively round, snuffing at the horse’s legs, now and then -uttering a low growl, but offering no actual violence. The black bear -likewise became peaceable, halting at a little distance and sitting up -on its haunches, surveying the intruder with a comical air of wisdom.</p> - -<p>The girl who had been disturbed, observing the passive attitude of the -hussar, hesitated a moment, and finally advanced toward him, with the -same haughty and insulted aspect however.</p> - -<p>As she came closer, and her eyes ran over the face and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</span> equipments of -the intruder, the severity of her glance insensibly relaxed. It was -not in female nature to look cross at such a dashing young cavalier. -He on his part, surveyed her with increasing admiration, as he beheld -her purely Grecian face with its frame of golden hair, lighted by great -solemn blue eyes.</p> - -<p>The girl was the first to speak, in a tone of displeasure.</p> - -<p>“Do you know where you are, sir?” she asked. “What made you venture -where all men shun to go?”</p> - -<p>“Fairest Diana,” began the hussar, half wondering if he were not -dreaming.</p> - -<p>The girl interrupted him with an expression of surprise.</p> - -<p>“How? You know my name?”</p> - -<p>“How could I mistake it?” said the hussar, with great adroitness. “The -beauty of Diana is famous the world over, and I am the humblest of her -worshipers.”</p> - -<p>The girl looked at him in amazement. She could not see that the -accomplished man of the world was but taking advantage of a lucky -accident, to feel his way into her confidence, by a mingling of truth -and falsehood in his manner.</p> - -<p>“Then who are you that knows me so well?” she asked, artlessly. “I -never thought human creature would come nigh our cottage, and you say -it is famous.”</p> - -<p>“For my name,” said the hussar, smiling, “you may call me Captain -Schuyler, if you will. If you would like a shorter name and a -pleasanter one, call me Adrian.”</p> - -<p>“Adrian is a pretty name,” said the girl, smiling with the frank, -fearless innocence that distinguished her every action. “Adrian and -Diana are both beautiful.”</p> - -<p>“Diana is beautiful,” said the hussar, meaningly; “how beautiful no one -knows but me.”</p> - -<p>Diana looked up at him inquiringly. Then something seemed to inform her -of his meaning, for she flushed hotly and drew herself up with sudden -haughtiness, asking:</p> - -<p>“What brought you here? Do you not know that it is death to intrude on -this mountain? Even the wild Indian shuns it.”</p> - -<p>“I have heard that a demon haunts it,” said the hussar, boldly; “but I -never dreamed that it wore such a shape as yours.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</span></p> - -<p>At the bold words of the intruder Diana turned pale, and looked -apprehensively around her, saying in low tones:</p> - -<p>“Do not mention him, foolish Adrian. He will seize you and plunge you -into a fiery pit if he hears you. Away, while you have time, or you may -repent it. Any moment he may be here.”</p> - -<p>“In that case I should like to see him,” said Schuyler, coolly. “I -don’t believe in demons, Diana. Your demon is a man, and I am curious -to see him. I rode over here expressly to do that.”</p> - -<p>“You rode over here to dare the mountain demon?” asked the girl, in a -faint tone, as if wonder-stricken. “Man, are you mad? I tell you he has -killed every creature that has passed this way for years, and he will -kill you, if he finds you.”</p> - -<p>The captain of hussars laughed carelessly, and threw up the flap of -one of his holsters, from whence he produced a long pistol of elegant -finish, and double-barreled.</p> - -<p>“That, for his demoniac majesty,” he said, holding up the weapon, “and -let him beware how he crosses my path. I have—”</p> - -<p>He was interrupted by a suspicious growl from one of the hounds, -who had been couched on the grass in seeming contentment since the -conference had become peaceful.</p> - -<p>The animal rose to its feet and stalked to the edge of the glade, -followed by its three companions, snuffing and growling.</p> - -<p>A moment later an arrow came from the cover of the mountain-side, -grazed the neck of the foremost hound, and whizzed past the hussar, -sticking harmlessly in a tree.</p> - -<p>The three hounds set up a simultaneous savage bay and dashed headlong -into the cover, from whence, a moment later, rose the appalling -war-whoop of the Mohawk, as a dozen warriors sprung out, and rushed -towards Schuyler and Diana.</p> - -<p>In a moment a fierce contest had commenced, the gallant hounds each -pinning an Indian by the throat, while the bear rushed into the fight -with a savage growl. Adrian Schuyler shot down a savage with his -pistol, and wounded a second, then drew his saber, and instinctively -looked around for the mysterious girl, Diana.</p> - -<p>She had vanished, as if the earth had swallowed her up!</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</span></p> - -<p>He was too much confused by the sudden attack to think of where -she had gone. Already two of the hounds were ripped up by Indian -scalping-knives, and the third was transfixed with an arrow.</p> - -<p>As he turned toward the Indians, his horse plunging and rearing, the -flashes of several rifles were followed by a sharp stinging sensation -in his side, and two warriors seized his bridle, while a third rushed -at him, tomahawk in hand.</p> - -<p>But the hussar was not the man to yield to a surprise. His keen saber -played round his head like a flash of light, and in a trice he had -cut down one assailant, while the other let go the bridle to escape a -second blow.</p> - -<p>With a shout of triumph he dashed in his spurs, and the gray charger -took him clear of his enemies with a bound. Then, lying down on his -saddle to escape the bullets, away went Captain Adrian Schuyler, late -of the Zieten Hussars of Prussia, at full speed, through the clearing, -passing the stone hut, which seemed to be quite deserted, and darting -into the forest beyond.</p> - -<p>Arrows and bullets whistled past him as he went, but he was untouched, -save by the first graze which he had lately felt. He heard the Indians -whooping behind him, and doubted not that they were pursuing, but he -felt secure on his swift steed, and his only anxiety seemed to be as to -the safety of the strange girl who called herself Diana.</p> - -<p>Where she had gone, and whether the Indians had seen her, was an -enigma to him as he fled away, but he had no time to lose. The young -aid-de-camp was even then on an important mission, and his detour to -the Haunted Mountain had cost him valuable time.</p> - -<p>Fully resolved to return with sufficient force to investigate the -mystery at some future time, the officer galloped on through the woods -till he regained once more the road to Derryfield, and pursued his -journey at a gallop.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV.</h2> -</div> - -<h3>THE YOUNG CAPTAIN’S CAPTURE.</h3> - - -<p>The sun was within about an hour of setting behind the western ridges -of the Green Mountains, as a tall, heavily-built man, with strong, -sullen face, sat at the door of a log cabin, within a few miles of the -settlement of Derryfield, looking across a lonely valley.</p> - -<p>The attire of this individual was that of a farmer, and a little patch, -of about half an acre, behind his cabin, showed by its ripening corn, -that his occupation was not wholly a fiction. Still, a certain air of -neglect about cabin and owner, and the presence of a long rifle that -lay across his knees, announced that his farming was at least eked out -by hunting, if not subordinated thereto.</p> - -<p>Although only a few miles from a settlement, the scene around the -seated man was completely wild and lonely, so much so that the people -had christened the owner the “Mountain Hermit.” His solitary habits and -sullen manner repelled strangers from forming his acquaintance, and -even his name was unknown to any one in the country side.</p> - -<p>He had first made his appearance there about three years before, had -built his own cabin in that solitary place, and resided there ever -since. The only occasions he was ever seen away, were when some hunter -caught sight of him in the woods on the same errand as himself, and -it remained a mystery where he procured powder and lead, for he never -entered Derryfield to buy any.</p> - -<p>Since the advance of Burgoyne’s army, people ceased to watch him. -It was well known that hordes of Indians were prowling about in the -vicinity of every settlement, and no one dared to venture away alone. -Still, the Mountain Hermit remained in his cabin, as if insensible to -danger, although “Indian sign” had been seen more than once near his -little clearing.</p> - -<p>On the evening in question he sat gazing at the sunset and -soliloquizing, according to the habit of most lonely men.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</span></p> - -<p>“Let them come,” he muttered. “They cannot do as much harm to the -Puritanical hounds as I wish them. Let them scalp the women if they -please. There will be so many rebel brats the less, to grow up into -boors. Let them abuse me. I can stand the name of renegade, if I get my -revenge. Let us see their Washington, that they boast so much of, help -them out of this scrape.”</p> - -<p>As he spoke, his frown grew dark and gloomy, and he rose to his feet. -His manner was fretful and impatient.</p> - -<p>“Why don’t the fools come?” he muttered. “When there is no danger, who -so bold as an Indian? Let them once get a good scare, and you cannot -drive them into battle. It is beyond the chief’s time—no—there he -comes. After all, the brutes keep faith.”</p> - -<p>At the moment he uttered the last words, the stately form of an Indian -chief stepped into the clearing, as if he had issued from the ground, -and calmly advanced toward the recluse.</p> - -<p>The new-comer was a Mohawk on the war-path, from his paint and other -peculiarities. He carried a short rifle over his arm, and saluted the -hermit with grave courtesy.</p> - -<p>The white man opened the conversation with an air of authority to which -the Indian submitted quietly.</p> - -<p>“Bearskin is ready? Where are his warriors?”</p> - -<p>The chief waved his hand toward the exit of the valley.</p> - -<p>“My brothers are in wait by the white road that leads to the town. They -await the Night Hawk’s orders.”</p> - -<p>“Good. It is new moon. When the moon sinks, I will be there. Let them -stop every one that passes by the road; but no firing. Let the arrow do -its work silently. Is the town well watched all round?”</p> - -<p>“Not a creature will escape. My warriors are like the web of the -spider, the white men are like the flies. We shall suck their blood -before morning, and the squaws will be tired of counting the scalps.”</p> - -<p>“It is good,” said the Mountain Hermit, with a grim smile. “Let -Bearskin watch well. Has any one come along the road to-day?”</p> - -<p>The Indian answered not for a moment. His quick ear<span class="pagenum" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</span> had caught a sound -to which the other was insensible, and he stood with his head bent on -one side listening intently.</p> - -<p>“One comes now,” said the white man, quickly. “Do not kill him on the -road, or the sight may deter others. Drag him into the forest, and keep -him till I come.”</p> - -<p>The Indian nodded silently, and plunged into the forest in a direction -that promised to take him toward the road that crossed the foot of the -valley almost within sight of the clearing.</p> - -<p>The recluse remained a moment listening, and presently caught the -sounds which the quicker senses of the chief had first announced. A -horseman was evidently galloping along the road toward him, and the -clatter of spur and scabbard told the nature of the traveler without -words.</p> - -<p>The recluse cast his rifle into the hollow of his arm, and struck -across the valley to a point where he could intersect the road in its -many curves at a much nearer point. He was a little curious to see who -the advancing dragoon might be.</p> - -<p>There was still plenty of light, although the sun was fast nearing the -mountain tops, and the long strides of the Mountain Hermit took him -across the stretch of woods that barred him from the road in a very -short time.</p> - -<p>As he neared it, the sound of horse-hoofs and the clatter of a -saber-scabbard were plainly audible, skirting the mountain-side beyond.</p> - -<p>At the point which the recluse had reached, the road came round a spur, -over the dividing ridge, and dived into the valley beyond. Waiting a -few moments, till the sound of hoofs was close by, the Mountain Hermit -stalked boldly into the road, just as the young hussar captain dashed -around the corner.</p> - -<p>At the sight of the stranger’s figure, Adrian Schuyler abruptly halted, -throwing his horse on its haunches close to the other, while the sharp -click of his pistol-lock enforced the stern command, “Halt!”</p> - -<p>The stranger quietly turned, and faced the hussar with a sullen frown, -asking:</p> - -<p>“Who are you to halt a peaceable farmer? I’ve as much right as you, and -more, in this place.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps so,” said the hussar, coolly: “but in war-time<span class="pagenum" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</span> we of the -light cavalry take liberties that we support with our weapons. Who are -you?”</p> - -<p>“A peaceable farmer, as I said before,” answered the other, with a -sullen scowl. “Who are you?”</p> - -<p>“An officer on duty, my man, who doesn’t care to be trifled with. There -are too many Indians and spies loose in these mountains for me to trust -strangers. If you’re a peaceable farmer, you’re as sulky a looking one -as I have seen. How far is it to Derryfield?”</p> - -<p>“Four miles,” said the sullen stranger, gruffly. Then he turned away as -if the colloquy was terminated, but the hussar was not going to let him -off so easy.</p> - -<p>“Halt!” he again cried, in his sharp tones, covering the other with his -pistol. “Move another step, and it’s your last.”</p> - -<p>The stranger obeyed the order with his usual sullen air, but the -hussar’s voice showed that he was in earnest.</p> - -<p>“Look here, Mr. Officer,” began the stranger, in a tone of injury, “I -don’t see what you have against me to treat me in this way. Let me -alone, or by the Lord, we’ll see if my rifle ain’t as good as your -pistol.”</p> - -<p>The hussar was close to him, as he spoke, and he was already beginning -to handle his long rifle, when Adrian’s horse, obedient to his master’s -will, made a sudden leap, which brought the soldier’s left hand to the -shoulder of the recluse.</p> - -<p>In a moment the muzzle of the pistol was at the sullen stranger’s ear, -as Adrian sternly ordered him:</p> - -<p>“Fire in the air, quick, or <i>I</i> fire here. Not a word. Fire!”</p> - -<p>The sullen man cast one savage look up at the hussar’s face, but the -menace he met there was so unyielding that he obeyed the order.</p> - -<p>The harmless rifle-bullet whistled skywards, and the sharp report waked -the echoes for miles around, as the now disarmed man stood glaring -defiantly up at the hussar.</p> - -<p>“Now drop your gun,” said Adrian, sternly.</p> - -<p>The stranger obeyed, still with the same scowl.</p> - -<p>“It’s my impression,” pursued the officer, grimly, “that you’re a -spy of some sort, or you’d have treated a patriot<span class="pagenum" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</span> officer with more -courtesy. Unbuckle your belt, and drop it. I see you have a knife -still. No fooling, sir. I shall be fully justified in shooting you if -you hesitate.”</p> - -<p>The stranger, without a word, did as he was told, still looking up -at the hussar with the same defiant scowl as ever. The soldier, -still keeping his strange captive under his eye, dived into the gay -saber-tasche that dangled beside his sword, and produced therefrom a -pair of delicate steel handcuffs.</p> - -<p>“Hold up your hands,” he said, quietly, “I’m going to take you into -Derryfield, dead or alive.”</p> - -<p>Still the stranger spoke not a word. His face wore the same expression -of bitter rage, without a trace of fear, though he stood there disarmed -and helpless. He held up his hands, and allowed Schuyler to handcuff -him, without a struggle. Then, as the officer passed a cord between his -manacled wrists, and fastened it to his saddle-bow, he uttered a short -laugh of bitter mockery.</p> - -<p>The captain did not deign to notice it.</p> - -<p>“Go on,” he said, spurring up his horse, “and run your best, or you’ll -find yourself dragged.”</p> - -<p>He set off at a slow trot, the prisoner running alongside, with -surprising power, and took the road to Derryfield.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V.</h2> -</div> - -<h3>TURNING THE TABLES.</h3> - - -<p>Captain Adrian Schuyler pursued his way toward Derryfield, pistol in -hand, keeping a vigilant watch over his prisoner. The altercation on -the road had detained him so long that the sun had kissed the mountain -tops ere he had crossed the valley, and a dark shadow had crept over -the landscape.</p> - -<p>The hussar felt uneasy, he hardly knew why, but the defiant manner -of his prisoner had roused strange misgivings in his breast. Still, -nothing occurred to disturb him on his<span class="pagenum" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</span> passage through the valley, -and as he crossed the ridge on the other side, he came in sight of the -village of Derryfield, nestling in the wide valley, through which ran a -large tributary of the Connecticut, while the glimmer of lights stole -through the gathering darkness.</p> - -<p>“Thank Heaven, in sight at last!” ejaculated the officer, as he -involuntarily pulled up to gaze at the scene. The outlines of houses -could be distinguished in the twilight, but as some three miles still -intervened, every thing was misty and uncertain. The hussar chirruped -to his horse, and was about to ride on, when the hitherto silent -prisoner suddenly woke into terrible life and activity.</p> - -<p>Seizing the soldier by the belt with his manacled hands with the -strength of a giant, he endeavored to drag him down from the saddle, -uttering a shout as he did so.</p> - -<p>The hussar, though slight of frame, seemed to possess considerable -nerve and activity, for he resisted the effort with great adroitness, -by throwing himself to the further side of the saddle, while he -instinctively leveled his pistol and fired.</p> - -<p>The grim recluse uttered a savage cry of pain as the bullet plowed his -shoulder, and grappled the slender soldier with such power that he lost -a stirrup, let go his bridle and tried to push away his assailant with -his left hand, while he cocked the other barrel of his pistol with his -right.</p> - -<p>How the struggle might have terminated is uncertain, but just as the -soldier was almost out of the saddle, and bringing his pistol to bear, -a score of dark forms sprung from the roadside, and Adrian Schuyler was -seized by strong hands, the pistol going off in the struggle.</p> - -<p>A moment later he was a prisoner, while the charger, freed from his -burden, and snorting with terror, gave a series of flying kicks at -the crowd of Indians, broke loose from all restraint, snapping the -cord which bound him to the unknown spy, and galloped away toward -Derryfield, neighing as he went.</p> - -<p>“Hell’s furies, give him an arrow!” cried the spy, savagely. “Stop the -brute, or he’ll alarm the town! Fools, have ye no bows?”</p> - -<p>The answer was given in a shower of arrows after the flying steed, -which only seemed to increased its speed, for it<span class="pagenum" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</span> soon vanished in the -gathering darkness, leaving its master a captive.</p> - -<p>The reflections of Adrian Schuyler were by no means pleasant at finding -himself in the power of his quondam prisoner. Too late he recognized -the trap into which he had fallen, and that he had made a bitter and -remorseless enemy.</p> - -<p>The spy, for such he evidently was, seemed to be the leader of the -Indians; he issued his orders as peremptorily as a chief, and was -implicitly obeyed.</p> - -<p>He did not deign to take any notice of the hussar himself, but in a few -moments the latter found himself stripped of all his weapons, while the -handcuffs were transferred from the wrists of the recluse to his own, -and he was hurried off into the darkening woods.</p> - -<p>The white leader remained on the spot where the fracas had occurred, -gazing angrily toward Derryfield, scowling and muttering to himself.</p> - -<p>“Curse the popinjay hussar! why did I let him stop me, when a bullet -would have kept his brute from giving the alarm? It is too late now. -Another goodly scheme thwarted by one of those cursed accidents that -none can foresee! We must retire. One comfort, I have <i>him</i>, and -I’ll take satisfaction out of his pretty face, when I see the flames -distorting it. Ay, ay, there you go, in the toll-gate. I thought the -brute would rouse ye.”</p> - -<p>As he spoke, several moving lights appeared in the distance, on the -way to Derryfield, and the sound of distant shouts, mingled with the -hoof-beats of the flying charger. The new moon shed a faint light over -the landscape, and the spy turned away into the woods on the track of -the Indians, who had already vanished.</p> - -<p>Adrian Schuyler, manacled and guarded, stumbled on through the -darkness, not knowing whither he was going. He judged that his escort -was numerous, from the constant rustle of leaves, and the sound of low -signals that echoed through the woods.</p> - -<p>He did not know that those signals were the recall of a numerous band -of Indians, who, but for his accidental presence and the escape of his -horse would, ere this, have been<span class="pagenum" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</span> closing around Derryfield, for a -midnight massacre, as well planned as it was atrocious.</p> - -<p>Like the tiger, the Indian attacks only by surprise, and, that foiled, -is apt to slink away. Adrian Schuyler knew that a body of troops was -already gathered at Derryfield, militia, perhaps, but none the less the -victors of Lexington and Breed’s Hill. In a midnight surprise these men -would have fallen an easy prey to the waiting Indians, but their leader -knew too well that the flying horse with its bloody saddle would tell a -tale to the commander at Derryfield that the latter was not likely to -pass unheeded.</p> - -<p>For several hours the weary march through the woods was continued, -the Indians in sullen silence urging on their weary captive, till the -latter was ready to drop. He had been riding rapidly for at least ten -hours before, and was tired when he dismounted, and his high-heeled -boots were not the style of foot-gear to wind a way among rocks and -roots.</p> - -<p>At last, when the moon had been down for several hours, and the poor -hussar was nearly exhausted, the whistle of a whippowil, echoing -through the arches of the wood, brought the party guarding Schuyler to -a halt, and the sound of horse-hoofs announced that some one approached.</p> - -<p>Presently up rode the quondam farmer and Mountain Hermit, now revealed -in his true character as a partisan leader, and followed by several -men in green uniforms, wearing the brass and bear-skin helmets of a -well-known Tory corps, called after their leader the “Johnson Greens” -or “Rangers.”</p> - -<p>The spy was dressed as before in homespun clothes, but he rode a stout -horse, and wore a sword, while he seemed to be in authority over white -and red alike.</p> - -<p>He issued a few brief orders, after which he dismounted from his horse, -and the rangers and Indians proceeded to encamp.</p> - -<p>It was not long before a fierce fire was glowing under the arches of -the woods, the heat being very grateful to the frame of the captive -hussar, for the night was chilly, and he was wet and shivering, from -wading so many brooks.</p> - -<p>He had sunk down at the foot of a tree, quite tired out, when a ranger -stirred him up with the butt end of his rifle,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</span> and ordered him, in a -surly tone, to “get up, the captain wanted to see him.”</p> - -<p>Schuyler obeyed the ungracious order with patience, for he knew -the hands he had fallen into, and did not wish to provoke further -indignities. He followed the soldier to where his late enemy lay under -a tree, with his feet to the fire, gloomily meditating.</p> - -<p>The partisan looked up, and a grim smile lighted his face.</p> - -<p>“So, my young hussar, the tables are turned, it seems. It takes an old -warrior to keep Tony Butler in irons. Now, hand out your dispatches, -unless you prefer to be searched. Which shall it be?”</p> - -<p>The young officer smiled disdainfully.</p> - -<p>“My dispatches are in my brain,” he said. “All I carry in writing is -this.”</p> - -<p>And he drew a paper from his bosom and handed it to the captain of -rangers.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI.</h2> -</div> - -<h3>A DEMONIACAL VISIT.</h3> - - -<p>Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to -be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it -closely.</p> - -<p>“Why, this is only a commission,” he growled. “What do I care for that? -I want your dispatches, Captain Schuyler, since that seems to be your -name.”</p> - -<p>“I have none, on my word as an officer,” said Schuyler calmly.</p> - -<p>“Then what were you doing on the road to Derryfield?” asked Butler, -bending his shaggy brows on the other.</p> - -<p>“On duty,” was the laconic reply.</p> - -<p>“What kind of duty?”</p> - -<p>“That is my own affair and my General’s.”</p> - -<p>“Who is your General?”</p> - -<p>“General Philip Schuyler.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</span></p> - -<p>“So,” said the ranger leader, musingly. “Are you a relation of his?”</p> - -<p>“His second cousin.”</p> - -<p>“On his staff?”</p> - -<p>“As an aide—yes.”</p> - -<p>“What uniform is that you wear? I know none such among the rebel -ragamuffins.”</p> - -<p>“It is the uniform of the Zieten regiment of hussars, in the Prussian -service.”</p> - -<p>Butler looked at the other with more respect. At that time, the name -of Frederic of Prussia was as famous as that of Napoleon, twenty-five -years later, and the Tories, while despising the “rebels,” held a great -reverence for the few foreign officers who had found their way into the -American service.</p> - -<p>“Have you, indeed, served in the Zieten Hussars?” be asked.</p> - -<p>“Seven years,” said young Schuyler, proudly.</p> - -<p>“You must have been a boy when you entered.”</p> - -<p>“I was—a cadet.”</p> - -<p>“And what brought you back here to link your fortunes with these -rebels, sir?”</p> - -<p>“My country. She was in danger, and I owed her my life.”</p> - -<p>“What orders did you carry to Derryfield?”</p> - -<p>The hussar smiled slightly, and remained silent.</p> - -<p>Butler looked at him with a gloomy but hesitating manner. He did not -seem so much incensed against the hussar since he had discovered the -famous corps to which he belonged.</p> - -<p>“Look here, captain,” he said, suddenly, altering his manner to one of -complete cordiality, “there can be no use in hiding the truth from me. -I have no ill-feeling against you for treating me so roughly. It was -war-time, and a hussar should always be on the alert. But why should -an officer of your experience take a side which must be the losing one -in this struggle, when a commission in the king’s service awaits you, -if you wish? Already General Burgoyne has your cousin enveloped in the -toils, at Albany, and another week will see the rebels cut in half, -from the lakes to New York. I know why you went to Derryfield. It was -to try and rouse<span class="pagenum" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</span> the Vermont militia. But it is of no use, I assure -you. Who is in command there, by the by?”</p> - -<p>Schuyler again smiled, but made no answer.</p> - -<p>The partisan leader frowned in a vexed manner at that.</p> - -<p>“Captain Schuyler,” he said, in a low, grating voice, “remember there -are Indians round you. For the last time, what was your errand?”</p> - -<p>“For the last time, Captain Butler, I will not tell you.”</p> - -<p>Butler changed his manner to its old repulsive sullenness.</p> - -<p>“Very well. Your blood on your own head.”</p> - -<p>He spoke a few words in the Mohawk tongue, and Schuyler was seized and -bound hand and foot in an incredibly short space of time, then cast -down at the foot of a tree, and left between two guards, to sleep if he -could.</p> - -<p>The last words of the partisan had led him to anticipate immediate -torture, at least, but such did not seem to be the intention of his -captors. He was left to himself, in a position far from uncomfortable -as regarded warmth, with a tree overhead and a fire near him, while his -bonds, though secure, were by no means painful.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, the few simple preparations of the Indians for camping out -had been completed, and the whole band lay stretched around the fire, -with their feet in close proximity. The leader had wrapped himself -in a cloak and lain down a little apart, and every thing was quiet, -as Adrian Schuyler softly raised his head to look for his chances of -escape. He counted his enemies, and found that there were only thirteen -Indians and six soldiers present, including Butler. Where the other -bands had gone, he could not tell, but none were there.</p> - -<p>Young Schuyler had not served under the best light cavalry Generals -of Europe without acquiring much fertility of resource and boldness -of character. To be left alone was, with him, to plan some means of -escape, and as he lay there, he considered that in the morning his -chances would probably be desperate.</p> - -<p>He lay quite still for some time, till he heard the deep breathing of -sleepers on all sides. Then he rolled over to one side, nearer one of -his guards, the knife at whose belt excited his hopes.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</span></p> - -<p>The instant he moved, a deep voice accosted him from behind a -neighboring tree, saying, in English:</p> - -<p>“Roll back!”</p> - -<p>The hussar obeyed, and his heart sunk as he did so. He was evidently -watched by a hidden sentry.</p> - -<p>A moment later the man moved out from the tree against which he had -been leaning, a stalwart ranger of the “Johnson Greens.”</p> - -<p>Without another word, he grounded his rifle-butt, and stood leaning on -the muzzle, looking at Schuyler with grave attention. From that moment -the young officer saw it was useless to move till that gaze was off him.</p> - -<p>Resigning himself to his fate, he pretended to go to sleep, and -insensibly the warmth and silence lulled him into a doze, from which -he woke with a sudden start, after a lapse of time that he could not -compute exactly.</p> - -<p>When he looked round, the fire was burning low, and all was in gloom. -The sentry had left his post, but Schuyler could distinguish the dark -outline of his form leaning against a tree. Silently as he could, the -hussar rolled over once more toward his nearest guard, and this time -there was no warning from the sentry. With his head bowed on his hands, -which were clasped on the muzzle of his rifle, the latter was sleeping -and snoring audibly.</p> - -<p>The prisoner raised his manacled hands to withdraw the knife from the -sleeping Indian’s belt, and was already in the act of touching him, -when a sudden interruption occurred to the quiet—an interruption of -the most awful character.</p> - -<p>A bright glare of red light shot over the scene from above, and the -astonished hussar beheld, in the midst of the branches of the tree over -his head, a blazing ball of crimson fire.</p> - -<p>On a lower branch, stood a gigantic black figure, which Schuyler -recognized, with an indescribable sensation of awe and superstition -which he could not conquer, as the very embodiment of the traditional -idea of the Genius of Evil himself.</p> - -<p>The gaunt, gigantic figure, with short, upright horns on its head, -black from head to foot, with steely gleams; the deathly white face, -with great burning eyes and pointed mustache, curved upwards in a -malicious grin of triumph;<span class="pagenum" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</span> all were the usual and traditional aspects -of the fiend in art.</p> - -<p>For one moment the horrible demon stood erect on a branch, holding -another above his head, while he brandished a bundle of darts in his -left hand.</p> - -<p>Not a soul in camp was awake but Schuyler, who fancied himself for a -moment the victim of nightmare, so inexplicable was the vision to his -senses.</p> - -<p>Then there echoed a triumphant laugh from the tree, and a deep, hoarse -voice roared out:</p> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">Ha! ha! ha! ha!!! I gather them in! I gather them in!</span>”</p> - -<p>Even at the second word, every man in camp started up, and stood gazing -spellbound at the fearful figure.</p> - -<p>Then, with a final yell of fiendish laughter, the demon leaped down -on the head of an Indian, and cast a shower of his darts in all -directions. Every one went with fearful force and unerring aim straight -to the heart of a victim, and four men fell writhing to the earth in as -many seconds.</p> - -<p>Then, with a low wail of inexpressible terror, white and red, without -venturing a blow or shot for defense, flew in wild dismay in all -directions.</p> - -<p>As for Schuyler, he was too much astounded to move. His bonds also -prevented him, had he been so inclined. He lay mutely gazing up at the -extraordinary apparition as it stood over the fire dealing death around -it, expecting his own death to follow.</p> - -<p>Suddenly, almost in the instant that his captors fled, there was a loud -explosion in the top of the tree, and the red glare vanished to be -replaced by a profound darkness, in the midst of which the wild laugh -of the specter sounded fearfully distinct, while the rapid rush of feet -through the leaves told of the flight of every one else.</p> - -<p>Adrian Schuyler lay perfectly still. He was not naturally -superstitious, but the strange events he had witnessed were enough -to rouse the fears of the bravest. He remained where he had fallen, -listening to the receding feet, after which all was silent.</p> - -<p>How long he lay there he could not tell. The stillness<span class="pagenum" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</span> of death hung -over the forest for hours, but he feared to move, least he might -attract the notice of the strange creature. Where it had gone to, he -did not know, but he fancied it must be near, from having heard nothing -of its departure.</p> - -<p>Thus the hussar lay on his back by the glimmering embers, till the -doubtful light of dawn stole over the scene, and revealed the empty -forest to his view, with a heap of corpses lying by an extinguished -fire.</p> - -<p>The demon had vanished.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII.</h2> -</div> - -<h3>A STRANGE SERVICE.</h3> - - -<p>Adrian Schuyler sat up, with some difficulty, owing to his bonds, and -looked around him. There lay the dead bodies, five in number, and every -one was that of an Indian. Strange to say, not a white man had fallen. -Each body was lying flat on its back, with a ghastly gash right over -the heart, that stretched across the whole length of the rib, leaving a -gaping red pit in the side.</p> - -<p>The javelins with which death had been inflicted had vanished, and the -footprints of some creature with <i>a cloven foot</i> were plainly -visible by the side of the corpses.</p> - -<p>The light of day, instead of dispelling the mystery, only served to -render it deeper. The hussar could not tell where he was, for the thick -woods, but he noticed that the ground rose to the right of the camp, -with a steepness that told he was at the foot of a mountain.</p> - -<p>Now, unwatched by human eye, he rolled himself near the body of an -Indian, and using the latter’s knife with his own fettered hands, soon -cut the cords that bound his feet together. His own handcuffs remained, -but they were not an incumbrance to his further escape. Moreover, it -was not hard to find weapons. They lay by the bodies, or scattered in -terror over the ground, and a heap of abandoned horse<span class="pagenum" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</span> equipments, -at the foot of a tree, showed where the demoralized rangers had fled -on barebacked horses. Lying among these equipments he found his own -weapons as they had been thrown there, and it was with great joy that -he resumed them, one by one.</p> - -<p>Putting on a sword-belt, when the person is handcuffed, is by no means -an easy operation, but Adrian managed it somehow, and then took his -departure for the mountain, presenting the strange spectacle of a fully -armed hussar roaming the woods, handcuffed like a prisoner.</p> - -<p>The irons were decidedly inconvenient, but he had no means to unlock -them. The key in his saber-tasche had been taken by his captors of the -evening to extricate their chief, and the latter had fled, carrying it -with him.</p> - -<p>In a short time the young officer had reached the ascent which he -judged to be the side of a mountain, and beheld his expectations -verified. A lofty mountain indeed was before him, and a break in the -woods, higher up, promised him a prospect of the surroundings.</p> - -<p>After some minutes of hard climbing he reached a flat rock that jutted -out many feet from the mountain-side, and around which the trees had -gradually thinned away, leaving a view of the usual sea of mountains -and valleys.</p> - -<p>Something in the scene seemed familiar to the hussar, who yet could not -exactly ascertain where he was. Casting his eyes to the right, over a -sea of foliage, he caught sight of a thin wreath of blue smoke curling -in the air, and at the same time, beheld a peculiar shaped cliff, -with a stream falling over its side, which he instantly recognized, -ejaculating:</p> - -<p>“<i>By heavens, it is the Haunted Hill!</i>”</p> - -<p>It was indeed, but the other side from that which he had seen the day -before.</p> - -<p>“The mystery is solved,” mused the hussar. “No wonder the Indians -fled. It must have been the Mountain Demon that saved me last night. -But, surely, it can not be possible that demon’s really in it. There -was none here yesterday, and the savages must have grown bold from its -absence. Who can it be, then?”</p> - -<p>As he thus mused, the clear silvery notes of a horn echoed from the -rocks overhead on the mountain-side, and soon after came the flying -feet of some creature rapidly approaching.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</span></p> - -<p>Instinctively, Adrian Schuyler drew one of his pistols and cocked it, -ready to defend himself against any attack.</p> - -<p>The next moment one of the large bloodhounds he had seen the day -before, dashed over the rock at some distance, without noticing him, -and then came the graceful figure of the girl Diana, who bounded past -him within ten feet, and suddenly stopped, dumb with amazement, staring -at the handsome stranger.</p> - -<p>Adrian was the first to break the silence.</p> - -<p>“Fairest Diana,” he said, in his most winning tones, “well met once -more on the mountain.”</p> - -<p>“How came you here, rash man?” asked the girl, hastily, and turning -pale as she spoke. “Do you not know that this is fatal ground? Are you -tired of your life? If <i>he</i> finds you here, he will kill you.”</p> - -<p>Schuyler smiled.</p> - -<p>“As to why I came here, it is easily answered. I was brought here a -prisoner, by a party of Indians and Tories, who camped with me in the -woods at the foot of the hill. Last night a strange apparition entered -our camp, killed or frightened away all the Indians, and released me. I -am trying now to find my way back to Derryfield.”</p> - -<p>Diana listened to his words with apparent wonder.</p> - -<p>“A strange apparition! What! is he here again?”</p> - -<p>“I know not to whom you refer, lady, but a creature in the likeness of -a man, but with cloven feet and horns, created such a panic among my -captors as I never saw paralleled.”</p> - -<p>“And still you dare stay here,” said the girl, in a tone of wonder. -“Oh, sir, if you value your life, let me entreat you to fly. The road -to Derryfield is straight and easy.”</p> - -<p>“And yet <i>you</i> stay here,” said the hussar, meaningly. “Why should -I fear what you do not?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, sir, that is different. I am—I can not tell you what. But I -entreat you to fly.”</p> - -<p>“Madam,” said Schuyler, gravely, “I should be glad to do so, for my -duty calls me away. But I have no horse, and the woods are full of -enemies. If I go on foot, the chances are that I never get there.”</p> - -<p>“What then? You can not stay here—you say you saw <i>him</i>—what is -to be done? You must go back whence you came.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</span></p> - -<p>“I can not do it,” said Schuyler. “The scouts of Burgoyne’s army are -between me and home. I <i>must</i> get to Derryfield, if I have to -steal a horse.”</p> - -<p>Diana wrung her hands in agony.</p> - -<p>“Man, man, I tell you he will kill you if you stay here. You -<i>must</i> go away.”</p> - -<p>“I have a choice of deaths, then,” said the hussar, coolly. “I am safe -from the Indians, on this mountain, and as for the demon, if he kills -me, he will serve his enemies. On my mission to Derryfield depends the -whole future of a campaign.”</p> - -<p>As he spoke, the sound of another horn, deep, hoarse and bellowing, -echoed from the top of the hill, and the girl turned deadly pale, -ejaculating:</p> - -<p>“It is too late! He is here! You are lost!”</p> - -<p>In spite of his general courage and coolness, an involuntary thrill -of terror gathered over the heart of Adrian Schuyler, as he listened -to the mysterious sounds of the phantom horn. It echoed from hill to -hill in deep reverberations, and when it died away, left him with an -indescribable sense of awe.</p> - -<p>At the same moment, as if the mysterious demon had waited to sound -his horn till the aspects of nature were in harmony with diabolical -influences, a sudden shadow swept over the sun, and Adrian, looking -up, beheld a deep thundercloud, hitherto hidden behind the mountains, -swallow up the sun, and rush across the sky with wonderful swiftness, -while a powerful gust of wind shook and bowed the trees on the -mountain-side in a groaning chorus.</p> - -<p>He turned to Diana, and behold, she was gone! He just caught a glimpse -of her white deer-skin tunic vanishing in the upper woods on the -mountain-side, whence the sound of the horn had come, and he realized -that it had been a summons.</p> - -<p>“Man or demon—girl or spirit,” muttered Schuyler, as he entered the -woods in pursuit, “I’ll follow you, and find the mystery of this -mountain, if it costs me my life. I’ll <i>know</i> the secret, at -least.”</p> - -<p>He ran through the forest in swift pursuit of the vanishing girl, but -quickly realized that she was far swifter than he, for he soon lost -sight of her entirely, and came to a standstill.</p> - -<p>Not for long, however.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</span></p> - -<p>The storm that was already brewing became more threatening every -moment, the clouds thicker and thicker, and a few drops began to patter -on the leaves overhead. Remembering the direction of the mountain -clearing, the hussar directed his course thereto, and pushed steadily -through the woods toward it.</p> - -<p>He had not far to go to reach it, and ten minutes brought him there, -but the storm had already set in, with rattle and crash of thunder, and -intense gloom, only broken by the vivid flashes of the lightning.</p> - -<p>As he looked into the clearing, a gray sheet of rain came driving down -over every thing, shutting out mountain and valley from sight, and -threatening to drench him to the skin.</p> - -<p>Schuyler was a bold, decided young fellow, as we have seen, and he -hesitated not to run across the clearing, and dash headlong into the -hut, where he found the door as open as on his former visit, and every -thing silent.</p> - -<p>Looking round, as soon as he had shaken himself clear of water, he -found himself in a circular room of rough stones, without plastering of -any sort, with a conical roof, supported by a central post of hemlock -with the bark on. At one side of the apartment was a huge fireplace, in -which blazed a big fire of logs, but the cabin was perfectly bare of -furniture, save for the two square blocks of stone, roughly trimmed, -one on each side of the fireplace.</p> - -<p>The hussar took his seat on one of these, and dried himself at the -fire, not without some trepidation, it must be owned. He was in the -supposed stronghold of the very demon that he had seen with his own -eyes the night before, and he knew not at what moment he might behold -that terrible form darken the doorway, and be engaged in a contest for -life with the terrible enigma.</p> - -<p>But as time wore on, and nothing appeared, while the rain descended in -torrents overhead, and the fire hissed and sputtered as it struggled -against the tempest, the hussar’s spirits insensibly rose, and with -them his curiosity. He began to long to see the fairy form of Diana, -and even caught himself wishing that the demon himself might appear.</p> - -<p>But still the solemn rain poured down amid peals of thunder<span class="pagenum" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</span> without -cessation, and nothing came. The fire hissed and sputtered, and finally -roared up the wide chimney in triumph, the soldier dried his steaming -garments, and at last the storm slowly abated, and passed off, settling -into a gentle, drizzling rain, with a cold, gray sky, that looked as if -it had set in for a gloomy day.</p> - -<p>Then Adrian Schuyler began to cogitate within himself what was best -to do. He knew that if he could not get to Derryfield, his labor was -in vain, and he was equally aware that without a horse he could never -expect to get there alive. Puzzling over his future course, he was -startled by the footsteps of a horse outside, and clutching his carbine -with his manacled hands, he started up and turned to the door. The -chain that connected his irons just gave him sufficient play for his -hands to fire a gun, and he expected an enemy.</p> - -<p>What was his surprise at the group that met his view?</p> - -<p>A horse without a rider, but saddled and bridled, was being led to the -door of the hut by a huge black bear, the very creature that he had -beheld gamboling with the girl the day before. The bear walked sedately -forward, holding the bridle in his mouth, and the horse followed as if -he was perfectly content with his clumsy conductor.</p> - -<p>Full of amazement, Schuyler stepped out of the hut and looked around. -Not a human creature was to be seen, either in the clearing or at the -edge of the woods, but even as he stood there an arrow rose in the air -from the forest in a diagonal line, described a curve in the air, and -fell at his feet.</p> - -<p>A little white note was attached to the arrow.</p> - -<p>Instinctively Schuyler picked it up, just as the tame bear stopped in -front of him and stood rubbing his head against him, in a friendly and -confiding manner. The hussar opened the note and read as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Ride the horse in sight of Derryfield. Then strip off his -bridle, and turn him loose. I have ventured much for your sake. -Keep our secret for mine.</p> - -<p class="right"> -“<span class="smcap">Diana.</span>” -</p> -</div> - -<p>“Ay, by heavens, I will, sweet Diana,” cried the hussar, in loud -tones, intended to catch the ear of a person concealed in the woods. -“A thousand blessings on your head. You have saved your country one -disaster.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</span></p> - -<p>Without a moment’s delay he took the bridle of the horse, cast it over -the animal’s head, and mounted.</p> - -<p>The horse was a nobly formed creature, but Schuyler could not help -noticing its strange appearance and trappings. The animal was -coal-black, without a white hair, and its housings were of the same -somber color, with a shabracque of black velvet, worked with a skull -and cross-bones on the covers. The same ghastly emblem was repeated on -the frontlet of the bridle in white, and the curb was shaped like a -human finger-bone.</p> - -<p>The hussar was too much rejoiced, however, to find any fault with his -equivocal mount. It was evidently a fine horse; and a moment later, he -was galloping through the woods to Derryfield.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII.</h2> -</div> - -<h3>BURGOYNE’S IMP.</h3> - - -<p>The night brooded over the white tents, and glimmering fires of a great -army, which lay on the open ground near Saratoga. Street after street -of tents and marquees, in martial array, stretched its long lines, now -silent and dark, perpendicular to the color line. Outside the camp -glimmered embers of the few fires that were left burning, and some -distance off, on the plain, and amid the little patches of wood, were -the brighter fires that told of the outlying pickets.</p> - -<p>Occasionally, the distant challenge of a sentry would be heard, to be -followed by the same routine of “Who goes there?” “Rounds.” “Halt, -rounds, advance one with the countersign. Countersign correct. Pass, -Rounds, and a-all’s well!” The last words drawn out into a long, -musical call, caught up and repeated along the line of outposts.</p> - -<p>Inside the camp there were no lights, save in one spot, around the -headquarter tents, which were clustered, in apparent confusion, in the -vicinity of a large, half-ruined house, in which the commander kept his -private quarters.</p> - -<p>In these tents lights were burning, fires were kindled in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</span> front, and a -number of officers were writing at different desks, while orderlies, at -short intervals, entered and emerged from the quartermaster-general’s -tent.</p> - -<p>In the large, old-fashioned parlor of the farm-house, which was -still comfortably furnished, and lighted with two wax-candles in -silver candlesticks, a stout officer, in the scarlet uniform of a -lieutenant-general, was walking up and down, with his hands behind his -back, occasionally stopping to speak to a second officer in the dark -green uniform of the Hessians, who stood in an attitude of attention, -to listen and answer the questions of his commander.</p> - -<p>General Sir John Burgoyne was a handsome and intellectual man, a little -past the prime of life, and by no means the tyrannical blockhead he -has been represented. On the contrary, his literary abilities were -quite considerable, his powers of mind great; and, up to this time, -his campaign had been conducted on sound military principles, his army -having carried all before it.</p> - -<p>The expression on his face that night, however, was one of decided -anxiety, as he conversed with the officer before mentioned.</p> - -<p>“How long has this been going on, baron?” he asked, at length.</p> - -<p>“For a whole week, General, as near as I can find,” was the reply, in -very pure English, for Baron Reidesel prided himself on his accent.</p> - -<p>“And you say that the Indians are beginning to leave us?”</p> - -<p>“General, they have already left us, in large numbers. If something be -not done to stop the panic, to-morrow they will leave in a body.”</p> - -<p>Sir John Burgoyne looked anxious and perplexed.</p> - -<p>“Would to heaven the Government would not employ them at all,” -he said. “They do us more harm with their atrocities, than their -services balance. That unfortunate affair of Jenny McCrea has raised -public feeling against us to a fearful extent, and now, when they -might be most useful, they are frightened to death, and deserting, -because of some masquerading rebel, who plays tricks on them with -raw-head-and-bloody-bones apparitions. Have the soldiers heard of the -panic, baron?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</span></p> - -<p>“I regret to say, General, that our own outposts are catching the -infection, since the Indian chief, Creeping Wolf, was killed in sight -of our pickets. The man or demon, whichever it be, seemed to laugh at -their bullets, and disappeared, so they say, in a blaze of red flame.”</p> - -<p>“Bah!” said Burgoyne, contemptuously, “’tis some conjuring trick. It -can not be possible that our men are so foolish as to fear it. I must -see that the rounds keep them awake. The fellows grow lazy, and dream. -I shall visit the pickets myself to-night.”</p> - -<p>Baron Reidesel brightened.</p> - -<p>“The very thing, General. If we keep up their spirits, they will -recover. I only hope we can gain the Indians back.”</p> - -<p>“There is only one way, that I see, baron. We must catch this fellow -who disturbs us, and hang him. Doubtless it is some rebel spy. One good -thing. St. Leger sends me word that Fort Schuyler must soon surrender, -and that will encourage the waverers. Then, Baum’s dragoons must be -at Bennington by this time. Let them bring us provisions, and I’ll -make short work of Schuyler’s militia. Go and ask General Fraser, and -Philips, and the rest, to come with us, baron. I’ll be ready in five -minutes, and will make a grand round of all the outposts.”</p> - -<p>“Very good, General,” was the reply, as the baron saluted and left the -apartment, while Burgoyne, mechanically putting on his sword, stood by -the fire, moodily cogitating.</p> - -<p>He was roused from his reverie by a slight noise in the room, and -looking, started in amazement.</p> - -<p>A man of wonderful hight, but gaunt as a skeleton, stood within six -feet of him, looking at him out of great cavernous eyes, that glared -from the midst of a deadly pale face. The man was muffled in a long -black cloak, and his face was shadowed by a broad slouched hat. He -stood regarding Burgoyne in silence.</p> - -<p>“Who the devil are you, sir?” asked the General, angrily, as soon as he -had recovered his first shock.</p> - -<p>“Your fate,” answered the stranger, in a hollow voice.</p> - -<p>“My fate?” echoed Burgoyne, contemptuously. “Perhaps, then, you are the -masquerading rebel who has frightened my Indians?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</span></p> - -<p>“I am the demon of the forest,” answered the other, in the same hollow -tones.</p> - -<p>Burgoyne laughed scornfully.</p> - -<p>“Indeed? Then you are just the man I want to see. Here, sentry?”</p> - -<p>He strode to the door and threw it open, expecting to see the sentry -usually stationed there.</p> - -<p>There, across the threshold, lay the dead body of the soldier, in a -pool of blood!</p> - -<p>Horror-stricken, Sir John recoiled a moment. Then, whipping out his -sword, he stalked up to the stranger, saying sternly:</p> - -<p>“<i>You</i> have done this, but, by heaven, you shall not escape.”</p> - -<p>The unknown remained impassive, with his arms folded, and only smiled -sardonically.</p> - -<p>“I told you I was your fate,” he said. “Be warned in time. Go back -while you may. A week hence will be too late.”</p> - -<p>“Fool,” said the English General, contemptuously, “you may frighten -superstitious savages with your hocus-pocus, not me. Surrender, or you -are a dead man.”</p> - -<p>For all answer the stranger advanced on the General with folded arms, -while fire and smoke began to issue from his mouth!</p> - -<p>Incensed at the exhibition, Burgoyne made a violent thrust at the other -with his sword.</p> - -<p>The weapon snapped on the stranger’s body as if it had been made of -glass, and the next instant Burgoyne felt the pressure of long, skinny -fingers on his throat, which he in vain tried to throw off, while the -stranger, with gigantic strength, pressed him backward and backward, -till he lay bent over his knee, slowly choking to death.</p> - -<p>What would have been the result of this scene is not doubtful, but, -just at that moment, the sound of footsteps was heard in the passage, -with the clank of spurs and swords.</p> - -<p>The terrible stranger cast down the nearly senseless body of the -General with a crash to the ground, and stood up.</p> - -<p>A moment later, several general officers came up the passage, and -paused with horror at the sight which met them.</p> - -<p>The murdered sentry lay across the threshold; Burgoyne,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</span> apparently -dead, lay on the floor by the table, while over him towered a gigantic -figure, extending <i>black, shadowy wings</i>, his pale face and -burning eyes glaring from between upright black horns, while fire and -smoke came from his mouth!</p> - -<p>A moment later there was an unearthly laugh. The demon flapped his -wings over the table, and out went the lights in intense darkness! -Through the gloom came the hoarse shout:</p> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">Ha! ha! ha! ha!!! I gather them in! I gather them in!</span>”</p> - -<p>Then came a thundering report, as of the closing of a door and all was -still. The apparition had vanished.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX.</h2> -</div> - -<h3>THE FIEND OF THE OUTPOSTS.</h3> - - -<p>The scene of confusion in the room was, for some minutes, quite -animated. Burgoyne’s subordinates rushed in, with drawn swords, calling -for lights, and feeling around in the darkness with their weapons. Then -came the tramp of feet and clash of arms in the passage, as a number of -the headquarter dragoons came running in, some carrying torches, and -all with drawn pistols.</p> - -<p>The room was thoroughly explored, and the mystery deepened, for not -a trace of the intruder was found. There lay the murdered soldier, -and there was the commander, in the arms of Baron Reidesel, slowly -recovering from the rough handling he had undergone, but nothing -remained of the demoniac visitor, save the overturned candlesticks. -General Fraser—the quartermaster-general—General Philips, Sir Francis -Clark, and most of Burgoyne’s staff, searched the room, trying to -discover some means of exit, but found none. Every panel was sounded, -but none seemed hollow, and the General himself put an end to the -search by saying:</p> - -<p>“Let it pass, gentlemen. Some ingenious scoundrel has been here, but he -is doubtless away by this time. We will<span class="pagenum" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</span> visit the pickets. It shall -never be said that his majesty’s officers were frightened by a juggler. -Order up the horses.”</p> - -<p>“But you are not fit to ride out, General,” objected Philips.</p> - -<p>“I am always fit to do my duty, sir,” answered Burgoyne, coldly. “Come, -gentlemen, we have wasted too much time already.”</p> - -<p>The courage of the commander was evidently far from being shaken by his -appalling visitation. He had not said a word of its nature yet, and his -staff were still puzzled, but Sir John’s decided manner overbore all -opposition, and they silently followed him to the horses, which were -already in waiting. Then, as calmly as if nothing had occurred, the -General proceeded on his trip to the outposts.</p> - -<p>Burgoyne’s manner was absent and thoughtful as he rode along, -mechanically taking the direction of the outposts. Two dragoons rode in -advance of the party to answer the challenges, and they soon arrived at -the picket reserve, toward the American army.</p> - -<p>The officer in command was called up, and taken aside by the General, -who questioned him closely.</p> - -<p>“Has any disturbance occurred in your front to-night, sir?”</p> - -<p>“Not yet, General, but—”</p> - -<p>“But what, sir? Speak out.”</p> - -<p>“We are led to expect one, General. Last night, it seems, that one -of the Indian scouts was murdered in sight of our advanced posts. My -predecessor warned me. A man on a black horse galloped by, and flames -of fire seemed to come from his mouth, they say. The moon was up, and -this Indian fired at the horseman, and then turned and ran in. The -horseman followed him, changing into the likeness of—I only tell it as -I was told, General—of the devil himself. Within fifty feet of this -reserve he overtook the Indian, and pierced him with a javelin. Then -came a red flash of fire, and the apparition threw the dead Indian over -his saddle, and fled like the wind, laughing in tremendous tones.”</p> - -<p>“Did the sentries fire at him?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir. They sent a regular volley after him, but he only laughed -louder and disappeared into the woods.”</p> - -<p>Sir John Burgoyne remained, silently musing over this<span class="pagenum" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</span> story, but he -made no comment. He was, in fact, quite puzzled.</p> - -<p>Just as he was about to speak, an exclamation from one of the soldiers -caused him to look round.</p> - -<p>Then he struck his hand on his thigh with a muttered curse.</p> - -<p>“By heavens! there he comes again. Now let us see if he fools me a -second time.”</p> - -<p>It was indeed true. The same weird figure that has already been -described, was galloping up, on a black horse, flames and smoke -proceeding from his mouth, while a stream of sparks came from the -muzzle of his horse. He was coming from the extreme right of the -picket-line, galloping recklessly past the videttes, while shouts, -cries, and shots, followed his course as he came.</p> - -<p>Burgoyne turned to Sir Francis Clark, his favorite aid-de-camp.</p> - -<p>“Sir Francis,” he said, in the sharp, quick tones of a superior giving -orders, “take the escort with you, and follow that fellow, till you -catch or kill him. He is a rebel spy, and doubtless wants to draw some -of us into an ambush. If he leads you to the rebel lines, come back and -report. I shall know how to deal with him. If not, follow him, till -your horses drop, and shoot down his animal, if you can. Away, sir.”</p> - -<p>The aid-de-camp bowed low, and drew aside. The demoniac stranger was -still coming fearlessly on, in a direction that would bring him near to -their front, and Clark, gathering the twenty dragoons that composed the -escort, rode out to intercept him.</p> - -<p>On came the demon in silence, the red sparks streaming from horse and -rider, as if about to charge the whole party.</p> - -<p>Then, as he came within sixty feet, he uttered a loud, taunting peal of -laughter, and wheeled off toward the line of videttes.</p> - -<p>“Gallop, march!” shouted the aid-de-camp, firing his pistol, and -dashing after. A volley of carbine bullets whistled round the wild -rider, but away he went, fast leaving his pursuers, the same loud, -taunting laugh coming back on the wind.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</span></p> - -<p>Away on his track went the whole party of dragoons, headed by Sir -Francis Clark, and in a few minutes the line of videttes was reached. -The alarm had already become general, and at least a dozen shots were -fired at the flying horseman, while a single vidette rode at him with -drawn saber.</p> - -<p>Sir Francis, better mounted than the rest, was close behind, as the -demon met the dragoon. He heard a clash of weapons, and the wild rider -darted out unharmed, while the soldier threw up his arms and fell back -off his saddle, dead!</p> - -<p>There was no time to lose, however. Shouting to his men to follow, the -English officer galloped on, keeping within thirty feet of the other, -till they reached the woods. Then, with a shrill laugh, the demon rider -darted under the arches of the forest, and Clark followed.</p> - -<p>The moon was not yet up, and the darkness in the woods was intense, -but still the foremost horseman galloped on as if horse and rider well -knew the way. Sir Francis followed, almost alone, for the dragoons were -already strung out behind, owing to the severity of the pace.</p> - -<p>Presently a crimson glow flashed up ahead, and the officer perceived a -long, flaring flame, that streamed from the head of the demoniac figure -in front, revealing the short black horns and the long cloak streaming -out behind, exactly like huge wings in appearance.</p> - -<p>Amazed, but still resolute, the aid-de-camp followed on, still riding -at the same rapid pace through the arches of the wood.</p> - -<p>The hoof-beats of the following dragoons grew fainter and fainter, and -still the two horsemen galloped on in a direction due west, away from -both armies. How long they rode, Clark could not tell, but hour after -hour passed by without any change in their relative positions. The -aid-de-camp rode a splendid horse, one of the few thoroughbreds then in -America, and horses of that blood, as is well known, will gallop till -they drop.</p> - -<p>At the pace at which they were going, four hours of this work took them -many a mile from settlements of any kind, till they entered a broken, -limestone region. Then, of a sudden, the red flame went out on the -demon’s head, and, with a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</span> loud, mocking laugh, horse and rider plunged -into a narrow black gully, almost hidden in bushes.</p> - -<p>A moment later, Clark pulled up, thoroughly bewildered, in thick -darkness. The light that had guided him had disappeared, and he was -alone in the woods.</p> - -<p>Too wary to venture himself in an unknown region, the officer sat in -his saddle, musing on the best course to pursue. Then, with a muttered, -“That’s it,” he turned his horse’s head on the way homeward.</p> - -<p>The animal, with the well-known instinct of his species, took up his -march without hesitation, as Clark had foreseen. The officer drew his -sword, and gave a slash at every tree he passed, leaving a white streak -in the bark.</p> - -<p>“You may hide, master juggler,” he said to himself; “but if I don’t -track you to your haunt by daylight, it will be because there is no -virtue in a blaze.”</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X.</h2> -</div> - -<h3>MOLLY STARK’S HUSBAND.</h3> - - -<p>The little mountain town of Derryfield<a id="FNanchor_1" href="#Footnote_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> was full of the sounds of the -drum and fife, while companies of tall, raw-boned countrymen, some with -uniforms, more without, but all bearing arms and belts, were marching -to and fro in the streets, and on the green, to the lively notes of -“Yankee Doodle.”</p> - -<p>In the best parlor of the “Patriot Arms,” the principal tavern of the -village, a remarkably tall and scraggy-looking officer, in the uniform -of a Continental General, was standing before the fire, with one foot -on the huge andiron, looking shrewdly at our friend, Adrian Schuyler, -who stood before him, still shackled.</p> - -<p>The scraggy officer had very broad shoulders, and huge hands and -feet, but the flesh seemed to have been forgotten in the formation -of his powerful frame. He had a tall, narrow<span class="pagenum" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</span> forehead, and a very -stern, shrewd-looking face of a Scotch cast of feature, with high -cheek bones, and very sharp black eyes. His nose and chin were both -long, the latter very firm withal. His manner was remarkably sharp and -abrupt. The nervous energy of the man seemed to be ever overflowing -in impatience and fiery ardor. Such was Brigadier-General—afterwards -Major-General—John Stark, the first leader of militia during the -Revolutionary War.</p> - -<p>“Well, sir,” he said, as Schuyler concluded his relation, “I’m very -sorry that the rascals stole your commission, but your face is -sufficient. I believe your story. What does Schuyler want me to do?”</p> - -<p>“To join him at Bemis’ Hights, General,” said the Hussar, with equal -business-like promptness.</p> - -<p>“Well, sir, I’ll see him hanged first,” said Stark, with a snap of his -teeth.</p> - -<p>Adrian hardly knew what to say to the eccentric brigadier, as he stood -there, nodding his head as if to confirm his words.</p> - -<p>“General,” he began, “if any unfortunate accident deprives me of -credit—if you don’t believe I am properly authorized—”</p> - -<p>“I told you I did, young man,” said Stark, with all his old abruptness. -“You’re enough like Phil Schuyler to let me see you’re his cousin.”</p> - -<p>“Then, General, what am I to understand?”</p> - -<p>“That I’ll see them all hanged first.”</p> - -<p>And the iron brigadier compressed his teeth like a vise.</p> - -<p>Adrian Schuyler began to wax indignant. Without even waiting for a -smith to file off his irons, he had ridden to Derryfield, turning loose -the black horse, as he had been bidden. Seeking General Stark in the -town, in his equivocal guise, he had been arrested by the patrol, and -brought in as a prisoner, when he had told his whole story without -reserve.</p> - -<p>The presence of his gray charger—which had been captured, the night -before, around the General’s quarters—confirmed the truth of part -of his statement, while Stark’s clear penetration told him that the -handsome, open face of Schuyler was not that of a traitor. Being so -fully believed, the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</span> General’s brusque answer to his message vexed and -surprised him beyond measure.</p> - -<p>“General Stark,” he began, indignantly, “do you call that a proper -answer to the lawful orders of a man like General Schuyler? Are you -aware—”</p> - -<p>Stark interrupted him in his gruff, abrupt manner:</p> - -<p>“Keep cool, young man. I know Phil better than you. He’s a good man—a -sight too good to be hustled from pillar to post by those asses of -Congressmen. They shan’t hustle <i>me</i>. I hold my commission from -New-Hampshire, and intend to stay here.”</p> - -<p>“And do you mean to say, General Stark,” asked the hussar, fiercely, -“that I am to go back and report to General Schuyler that you refuse -to come to his aid, when the enemy are pressing him hard, and you have -three thousand men under your orders?”</p> - -<p>Stark turned his head to the young man.</p> - -<p>“You can tell him and any one else,” he said emphatically, “that John -Stark’s a man, not a post. They can send me all the orders they like, -and I’ll see them hanged before I obey them.”</p> - -<p>Adrian Schuyler was now completely indignant, but he remained calm. -With quiet dignity, he said:</p> - -<p>“General Stark, I have only one request to make of you, in that case.”</p> - -<p>“Umph—umph! What is it?” grunted Stark, gruffly.</p> - -<p>“Allow your men to restore me my horse, which I see at your quarters, -and let me ride back to my chief.”</p> - -<p>“Umph—umph! Very good, very good. Have your irons off first, eh?”</p> - -<p>“No, sir,” cried Adrian, fiercely; “not a favor from you but my own -charger. I would sooner die than accept aught else from a man who -deserted his country in the hour of trial.”</p> - -<p>“Umph—umph! Gritty lad—gritty lad—like your pluck, by jingo—keep -cool—better have a smith and a dinner, eh? Look faint—<i>must</i> -have dinner.”</p> - -<p>This was indeed true, for Adrian had not touched food for twenty-four -hours. He was too angry, however, to accept the offer and turned away -to the door, when Stark’s sharp, metallic voice asked:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</span></p> - -<p>“Well, youngster, what are you going to tell Phil, if you get there -alive?”</p> - -<p>“That you refuse to fight,” said Adrian, angrily.</p> - -<p>“Oh, no, no—not a bit of it,” said Stark, in his quick manner; “not -by a big sight, youngster. You stay with me, and I’ll show you as much -fighting as any man wants, in two days.”</p> - -<p>Adrian paused, irresolute. There was something in the voice of Stark -that sounded as if he was mocking him.</p> - -<p>“What do you mean, General?” he asked sullenly. “If you are playing -with me, allow me to say that it is in bad taste to an officer in my -position, who has incurred danger to reach you.”</p> - -<p>The eccentric General changed his manner immediately. He came up to -Schuyler and forced him, with rough kindness, into a chair by the table.</p> - -<p>“You sit there,” he said gruffly. “I want to talk turkey to you.”</p> - -<p>Then he rung a bell, and as the orderly entered, he gruffly ordered up -the “nearest smith and a good dinner.” The orderly did not seem to be -amazed at the singular order. He was an old dragoon, who had once been -a ranger of Stark’s company in the French and Indian war. He saluted, -and wheeled swiftly about, departing without a word.</p> - -<p>“Now, see here, captain,” began the eccentric General, as the door -closed, “don’t misunderstand me. I’m going to keep you here, because -I know you can’t get back to your General now. Burgoyne has a body of -his infernal dragoons on the road here, and to-night I march to meet -them. I’ll not put myself under the orders of Congress—that’s flat. -They’ve cheated Arnold and me out of our fairly-won commissions, and my -State has granted what they refuse. I’m going to whip these British and -Hessian dragoons out of their boots, on my own hook, and if Congress -don’t like it, they can lump it. That’s flat, too. When I’ve whipped -the enemy, you can carry the news to Phil, if you please, and I shall -be glad of your help. What do you say now?”</p> - -<p>Adrian had been silent during this singular address, which was spoken -in short jerks, the General stumping round the room all the time.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</span></p> - -<p>When he had finished, the hussar answered:</p> - -<p>“I say you’re a strange man, General; but I’ll stay with you, if you -like. At all events, I can help you, till the road’s clear.”</p> - -<p>Stark laughed in his abrupt manner, and clapped the other on the -shoulder, saying:</p> - -<p>“You’re the right grit, lad, and if I don’t show you a few English -flags, the day after to-morrow, it’s because Molly Stark will be a -widow.”</p> - -<p>The door opened, and in clamped a big country blacksmith, with his -basket of tools, while his blue coat, brass scales, and tall hat-plume -showed that he had just come in from “training.”</p> - -<p>“Hang it, Zeke, we don’t want to shoe a horse here,” said Stark, -grinning. “This gentleman has been unfortunate enough to fall into -British hands, and they’ve ornamented him with bracelets. File them -off, so he can dine with me.”</p> - -<p>“That’s me, Gineral,” said the smith, affably. “Ef I don’t hev them -irons off in five minutes, you kin take my hat.”</p> - -<p>He was as good as his word, filing away at the irons with great vigor, -and when the tavern waiter entered with a large tray, some five minutes -later, Adrian Schuyler was rubbing his released wrists with a sense of -gratitude, while the smith, who had been cheerfully whistling over his -task, and replying affably to his General’s dry jokes, had just picked -up his basket to leave.</p> - -<p>Adrian Schuyler, who was used to the formal discipline of the great -Frederick’s army, was wonderfully amused at the free and easy ways of -the General of militia, who behaved like an easy-going old father among -his uncouth soldiers. He had yet to learn that in that singular man, -John Stark, were concentrated the only qualities that enable a man to -drive up raw militia to the cannon’s mouth, with the steadiness of -veterans.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI.</h2> -</div> - -<h3>THE MOUNTAIN QUEEN’S WARNING.</h3> - - -<p>The rain poured steadily down in torrents, and the heavens were all one -unvarying mass of leaden clouds. The outlines of the Green Mountains -were wrapped in driving fleeces of gray mist, and the chilly north-east -wind drove the rain aslant, splashing up the pools that collected in -every hollow.</p> - -<p>Adrian Schuyler, at the head of a small party of horsemen, was slowly -riding along on his recovered charger, through the fields near the -little town of Bennington. He was wrapped in his long cloak, and -the rain dripped from his tall hussar-cap in a continued spout. His -followers were awkward, countryfied Green-Mountain Boys, but their -peculiar leathern costume told that they were all hunters, and not -agriculturists, by profession. Hunters they were, and first-class -shots, keen at detecting trails, and model scouts.</p> - -<p>They rode on behind their leader, in single file, watching every little -patch of wood that might hide an enemy. Two men rode on each flank at -easy rifle-shot distance, beating up the brushwood, and leaving nothing -unsearched.</p> - -<p>Their numbers and actions sufficiently told that they composed a -reconnoitering party, under command of the ex-hussar. It was a -noticeable fact in the history of the Revolutionary war, that those -officers who had served in European armies were treated with great -distinction whenever they could be induced to accept commands, and that -their career in American armies was generally very creditable, with the -exception of those coming from the English service. The latter, as in -the cases of Lee and Gates, were almost uniformly unfortunate, while -those provincials, such as Washington, Putnam, Stark, and Schuyler, -who had learned war in the French and Indian struggle, under English -tuition, were as uniformly good leaders. All which facts tend to prove -that the English system of war is inferior to that pursued, in Germany -especially, on the European continent; as also that American intellect -is able to attain a good result, even in a bad school.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</span></p> - -<p>Adrian Schuyler was a model light cavalry officer, and conducted his -party with due caution. A rifle-shot ahead, was the best scout of the -party, and every now and then, silent signals were exchanged between -the advance and the main body, that communicated some intelligence. -Presently the scout in front halted, and crouched on his horse’s neck. -Instantly, at a low word from Adrian, his party stopped, and the -officer rode slowly up to the side of his advanced vidette, to see what -was the matter.</p> - -<p>“Thar they be, Cap,” said the scout, in a low tone, pointing to his -left front, “they’re gone into camp, as slick as molasses, and their -Dutch sentry ain’t got no eyes, I guess, for he’s a-blinkin’ this way, -jest like an owl on a fine day, and hain’t seen me.”</p> - -<p>Schuyler, sheltering himself behind the other, and bowing his head, so -as to hide his tall cap, slipped off his horse and leveled a telescope -over the croup of the scout’s steady animal. A bluish line of smoke, -clearly visible against the cold gray background of mist and rain, -pointed out the position of the camp of Baum and his Hessians, detached -from the army of Burgoyne, to seize the stores at Bennington.</p> - -<p>They lay in a square, compact mass, in a bend of the little rivulet, -called the Wollonsac, which covered their position. A green grove, at -the borders of the stream, furnished them with some shelter from the -rain, for otherwise they were compelled to trust to huts of straw.</p> - -<p>A brown line of fresh earth, covering the whole front of their -position, showed that their commander was a cautious man, who knew the -value of intrenchments.</p> - -<p>“There they are, sure enough, Kerr,” said Schuyler, as he shut up his -glass; “but I don’t see any Indians.”</p> - -<p>“I’d admire to see the reptyles,” said Kerr, spitefully, “sneaking -round when <i>our</i> boys are here, Cap. No, no, thur ain’t one of ’em -left near us, since the Mountain Devil’s up and arter ’em.”</p> - -<p>“The Mountain Devil! Who’s that?” asked Adrian, surprised. It was the -first time he had heard allusions from others to the singular being -that had effected his own release from his late captors.</p> - -<p>“Wal, Cap, that’s hard to say,” responded the scout.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</span> “Some say he’s -a real devil, some say he’s only a feller that’s got a spite against -the Injins. All I know is, that he’s been round lately, and skeered -every one on ’em out of the country. Folks say he’s b’en dodgin’ round -Burgoyne’s men, playin’ the same games, and that thur leavin’ for hum.”</p> - -<p>“Has he been seen near our quarters?” asked the hussar.</p> - -<p>“Nary time, Cap. He may be a devil, but if so, he’s a mighty friendly -one fur our side. He don’t only kill Injins and Tories, and leaves our -folks alone. We hain’t so much as seen him, though prisoners tells -mighty tough stories about him, how he’s got horns and huffs, and sends -fire out of his mouth, and sich like.”</p> - -<p>Schuyler did not tell the scout of his own experience. He was too much -puzzled at the nature of the apparition.</p> - -<p>He remained watching the camp of the English dragoons in silence, -feeling certain that his presence was unseen by the army, then turning, -he led his horse away out of sight.</p> - -<p>He was about to lead his party round to reconnoiter from another -quarter, when one of the flanking scouts was seen to go off, at a -gallop, to the right, into the woods, as if in chase of something. A -moment later, a black horse, which the hussar recognized as the one he -had turned loose to go back to the Haunted Mountain, dashed out of the -woods, bearing a lady on his back, and came galloping up, pursued by -the scout.</p> - -<p>Schuyler waved his hand to the latter to halt, for he recognized the -figure of the lady. Then, up galloped the unknown fair one who called -herself Diana, and checked her horse with fearless grace in front of -the party.</p> - -<p>Diana was more beautiful, if possible, in the habiliments of -civilization, than she had been in her woodland guise. She was dressed -in a black riding-habit of velvet, laced across the breast in strange -imitation of a skeleton, in silver, and wore a little black hussar-cap, -with a skull and cross-bones in white on the front, the very costume -afterward used by the “Black Brunswickers” of Waterloo renown. She was -dripping with rain.</p> - -<p>Without the slightest hesitation, she addressed Schuyler, earnestly.</p> - -<p>“Sir,” she said, “you are in danger, and you know it not.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</span> A party of -savages, led by the Tory spy, Colonel Butler, are already between you -and your own forces, to cut you off. Retire, while there is time. I am -sent to warn you. They are now in yonder wood.”</p> - -<p>As she spoke, she pointed to a piece of woods in their rear, and -wheeled her horse as if to flee. Adrian Schuyler impulsively caught at -the bridle.</p> - -<p>“Tell me, at least,” he entreated, “that you will not run into danger -on our account. We are soldiers, you a woman.”</p> - -<p>“No time for talking,” she answered, sharply. “Look yonder.”</p> - -<p>He looked, and the edge of the wood was full of Indians.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII.</h2> -</div> - -<h3>THE PARTISAN.</h3> - - -<p>At the sight of the Indians, the American Rangers instinctively -clustered together, and the flankers came galloping in.</p> - -<p>That the enemy were in force was evident from the boldness with which -they showed themselves, coming running out, and spreading into a long -skirmish line, that threatened to cut off the rangers from any return -to their own army.</p> - -<p>It was evident that they were in a trap from which there was no escape, -except by cutting their way out, twenty white men against nearly a -hundred Indians. The hunters that followed Adrian, bold as they were -by nature, began to evince symptoms of shrinking from the test. Brave -militia, as far as service in war went, they were as yet only the raw -stuff that veterans are made of. Many cheeks were pale, and there was -much nervous fumbling at weapons, but they kept silence and anxiously -watched the countenance of their young leader for advice and succor.</p> - -<p>Adrian Schuyler had not served, as volunteer and officer, in the famous -corps of the Zieten Hussars, without profiting by the counsels of the -best leaders of light cavalry in Europe. He scanned the advancing line -of the enemy with great coolness,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</span> riding out in front of his men, and -using his telescope.</p> - -<p>His example was inspiring to his men, and insensibly the most nervous -forgot his tremors when he saw the coolness of his captain.</p> - -<p>The Indians were as yet out of gunshot, they were advancing on foot, -and some five or six horsemen were visible in their line. Adrian -watched them close, and saw that if he could break through the line he -could laugh at pursuit, all his men being mounted and most of the enemy -on foot. He turned his glass to the Hessian camp, and saw no symptoms -of disturbance there. The stolid dragoon sentries paced to and fro on -the parapet of the breastwork, and did not seem to notice the impending -conflict outside.</p> - -<p>Then he turned to speak to his men, and met the blue eyes of Diana. -She was watching him apprehensively, as if she sympathized with his -danger, and longed to avert it, while powerless. Schuyler pointed to -the distant woods, saying:</p> - -<p>“For God’s sake, young lady, ride away out of danger. The bullets will -soon be flying, and they will not respect even your beauty.”</p> - -<p>“Why not come with me?” she asked. “I can lead you away by a path where -there are no Indians.”</p> - -<p>“Thanks for your offer,” said the hussar, gratefully. “It is one that I -would accept, were it not that I have promised General Stark to be back -by a certain hour at his headquarters. My way lies through the enemy.”</p> - -<p>“And do you really mean to charge those fierce creatures?” she asked in -a tone of wonder.</p> - -<p>“I really do,” he said, quietly. “There’s not half as much danger as -you would think. Rapid motion will take us safe through.”</p> - -<p>“Then I go with you,” said the girl, firmly.</p> - -<p>Adrian laughed.</p> - -<p>“Nonsense, Diana. Your presence here shows that you’re on our side, -but you can do no good with us. Depart while you may. They are almost -within gunshot.”</p> - -<p>“I am going with you,” said Diana, firmly. “If it is a mere matter of -fast riding, I can ride too.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</span></p> - -<p>“But you may escape by going the other way,” objected Schuyler.</p> - -<p>“Which I shall not do,” she said. “I’ve taken a fancy to see what you -soldiers call a battle, and you can not stop me, so you may as well -attend to your men.”</p> - -<p>The hussar shrugged his shoulders, and turned away to his followers, -just as several white puffs of smoke came from the enemy’s skirmishers, -followed by the thump, thump, of two or three bullets, tearing up the -earth around them. The horses began to fidget, and the faces of the men -were somewhat uneasy. Adrian saw that they must be encouraged at once, -or possibly desert in confusion.</p> - -<p>He drew his sword and threw back the dripping cloak from his arm, while -he spoke to the rangers.</p> - -<p>“Men,” he said, “it’s time we were doing something. Never flinch from a -few bullets at long range. Those fellows are firing to no purpose. Fall -in, and deploy as skirmishers.”</p> - -<p>The rangers promptly obeyed the order. Adrian knew that in times of -danger, men should be occupied, and he insisted on his line being -formed in perfect order, even when the bullets began to whistle -unpleasantly near. The longer the men were exposed to a harmless fire, -the greater grew their confidence, and contempt for the enemy. As soon -as the line was formed, the hussar gave the signal to fall back, which, -as he anticipated, provoked a loud yell, and rattling volley from the -enemy, who took the run in their eagerness. The rangers retired at a -slow trot, the hussar keeping in the rear and watching his foe keenly, -till he saw that the rapid motion was producing the desired effect.</p> - -<p>The excited enemy were firing wild.</p> - -<p>“Halt!” he suddenly shouted. “Face about, lads! We’ve gone far enough. -Now, follow me, and charge!”</p> - -<p>A moment later, with the fair Diana at his side, the ex-hussar was -bearing down on the Indians at full speed, followed by his rangers. -Schuyler’s men all carried broadswords, in the use of which they were -somewhat clumsy, it is true, but strong arms made up the deficiency.</p> - -<p>The sudden change of demeanor on the part of the horsemen produced a -result highly favorable to them. The Indians, who always have a dread -of dragoons, fired a harmless,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</span> scattering volley, and were then left -with empty pieces while the patriots charged home.</p> - -<p>“Now we have them,” cried Adrian, exultingly. “Ride over them, lads, -and then on to our own camp. If a man gets wounded, I’m mistaken.”</p> - -<p>The example of their leader stimulated the men to greater courage, and -they uttered a hearty cheer as they drove on. The rain beat in their -faces, and the wind whistled past as they went, but the enemy were just -as much in the rain, and the Americans knew that the fire would damp -the powder of their foes.</p> - -<p>It took but a minute to decide the question. At the full gallop the -whole party of the rangers neared the enemy, and far in front rode -Adrian Schuyler, closely followed by Diana.</p> - -<p>The few horsemen who were with the Indians seemed to be officers, for -they were seen dashing up and down the line, encouraging the wavering -savages to stand. Adrian noticed one tall, powerful figure among them, -which he recognized as the Tory, Butler, and he bent his course toward -that part of the line, knowing that if he could overthrow the bold -leader, the followers would probably be demoralized.</p> - -<p>A moment later, he charged against the partisan, who met him, wielding -a long broadsword.</p> - -<p>Adrian was a splendid swordsman, and equally good horseman, and his -steed was perfectly trained, no slight advantage in a single combat, -mounted. His antagonist, however, proved to be equally matched. In -hight and weight he was far superior to Adrian, and his blows came like -those of sledgehammers, while his big horse obeyed the rein easily.</p> - -<p>But the hussar didn’t wait long to fight. There were too many enemies -near him. His men had already dashed through the line, and were past -him on their way to Stark’s forces, when his antagonist suddenly, -without any visible cause, turned pale, dropped his sword-hand, and -wrenched his horse back several paces, while he glared over his enemy’s -shoulder, as if at some frightful vision.</p> - -<p>Involuntarily Schuyler glanced back himself, and beheld the beautiful -face of the mysterious Diana close by, deadly pale with excitement, -while her long hair streamed over<span class="pagenum" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</span> the cheeks, wet and clinging with -the rain, like that of a drowned person.</p> - -<p>He turned once more to his foe, and beheld the hitherto fierce face -drawn down with abject fear, as the dreaded partisan ground out the -single word “<i>Diana!</i>” and then turned to flee.</p> - -<p>Adrian’s horse bounded after him, and the hussar discharged a blow that -cut open the other’s shoulder, which, to his amazement, Butler never -even tried to parry.</p> - -<p>The spiteful hiss of a bullet past his ear, cutting away a curl in -its passage, told him that he was not wise to tarry longer. Turning -away, he found himself and Diana almost alone amid the enemy, who -were rallying from their discomfiture, and hastening to cut them off. -The hussar uttered a shout of defiance, seized the bridle of his fair -companion, and galloped away after his rangers.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII.</h2> -</div> - -<h3>BENNINGTON.</h3> - - -<p>The stars were shining bright and clear in the heavens, where the gray -light of early dawn was beginning to pale a few on the eastern horizon, -and the remains of the rain-clouds were driving toward the sea under -the chilly north-west wind that ended the rain-storm.</p> - -<p>A numerous force of men lay clustered in bivouac round the smoking -camp-fires, and at one fire, separated from the rest, General Stark was -walking to and fro, talking to Adrian Schuyler.</p> - -<p>“And you say the girl galloped away from you, and would not even give -you her name?” he said, inquiringly.</p> - -<p>“True, General.”</p> - -<p>“Why didn’t you chase her and bring her in?”</p> - -<p>“For two reasons, General. First, she had just rendered us an important -service. Secondly, her horse was too quick for any except mine.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</span></p> - -<p>“Umph! sorry for it. Never mind, she’s a friend of yours, any way, -and we’ll pay her for it, Schuyler, if she comes around. But you -have brought me good news. I’ll have those fellows before the sunset -to-night, and Burgoyne may whistle for his rations.”</p> - -<p>At that moment the clear note of a bugle, a little distance off, rose -sweetly over the silent landscape, blowing the reveille, and Stark -paused and consulted his watch, with a low chuckle, saying:</p> - -<p>“I tell you what, Cap, our boys may not be as smart-looking as your -Prussians, but you’ll find them pretty prompt for all that. I don’t -believe your great Frederick could put his men under arms any quicker -than Jack Stark puts his Green-Mountain Boys into the ranks. Look -there.”</p> - -<p>Adrian looked round, and smiled in approbation.</p> - -<p>At the close of the long-call the whole bivouac had changed its -appearance as if by magic, and where there had been rows of slumbering -figures, now stood long ranks of armed men, rapidly assuming the order -of perfectly straight lines. The voices of the sergeants calling the -rolls rose on the morning air before all the bugles had ceased blowing, -and the camp assumed an appearance of order and bustle, not often seen -outside of regular troops.</p> - -<p>Schuyler expressed his surprise at the discipline exhibited after so -short a training, and Stark abruptly broke him off.</p> - -<p>“No wonder, lad, no wonder. These are not German louts picked up -anywhere, with heads like oxen. These are free men, come down from the -times of Cromwell, with hardly a change. It needs only that they should -see the necessity of order, and they’ll come to it, fast enough. Ha! -what’s that?”</p> - -<p>His last words were elicited by the sound of a shot coming from the -picket-line, closely followed by two more. In a moment Adrian Schuyler -was on his feet, and standing close to his horse, which was tied to a -tree near by. The little squad of rangers under his orders, the only -cavalry in Stark’s command, was already ranged near by, answering -roll-call; and the captain sprung on his horse, with the intention of -calling them out, when the voice of Stark prevented him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</span></p> - -<p>“Let it go, Cap. ’Tis but a single man, coming this way!”</p> - -<p>Adrian followed the General’s pointing finger, and distinguished the -outline of a galloping horseman, rapidly approaching the fire in the -gray dawn.</p> - -<p>Presently up dashed a man on a black horse, and halted suddenly in -front of the fire. Of his figure all that could be seen was a shadow -in a loose cloak, and a shadowy hat was slouched over a face of marble -paleness.</p> - -<p>The strange horseman addressed himself to General Stark, as directly as -if he knew him well, saying in a deep, hollow voice:</p> - -<p>“John Stark, if you wish to save your country, march on the enemy -at once. Reinforcements are coming up, and will be here by sunset. -Exterminate what are here, before the others come up, and God speed -you. Farewell.”</p> - -<p>Then, before even the quick-witted General could guess his intention, -he was off, and galloping through the camp at full speed. Stark shook -his head as he looked after him.</p> - -<p>“Yonder goes a strange man,” he said to Adrian, “and if I did not know -him, I should say a spy.”</p> - -<p>“What, do you really know him?” asked Adrian, eagerly. “I, too, -recognized his face, but only as that of an apparition that—”</p> - -<p>“What apparition?” queried the General, sharply. “What do you mean by -talking of such stuff, sir?”</p> - -<p>“Only this, General,” said the hussar stoutly, “that the face I just -now saw under that shadowy hat is none other than that of the creature -your men call the Mountain Demon. I saw it only once, but I shall not -forget it in a hurry.”</p> - -<p>Stark uttered his customary grunt, but made no further observation on -the occurrence, and very soon the duties of the camp took them both -away.</p> - -<p>By the time the sun was up, the whole force was scattered round the -fires, busily engaged in cooking breakfast, and a short time after -columns of march were formed, and the little army of patriots took up -their march to the gay tune of the drum and fife.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</span></p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>The British bull-dog and the German boarhound stood stubbornly at bay -behind the brown trenches in the little curve of the Wollonsac. At the -summit of a hillock stood a battery of four brass pieces, behind which, -rank upon rank of riderless horses stood patiently at their posts, -awaiting the result of the battle. The whole of Baum’s force was made -up of dragoons, who fought desperately on foot, to defend their led -horses.</p> - -<p>All around the camp the grim circle of patriots was pressing closer and -closer on the British, in a ring of white smoke, through which the red -flashes of rifles shot incessantly. The rattle of musketry was, and -had been for three mortal hours, “one long clap of thunder,” as Stark -himself afterward wrote.</p> - -<p>And still the battle hung in suspense. The General’s horse was shot -under him, and he rushed about on foot, his drawn sword gleaming in his -hand, encouraging his troops to stand up against the fearful fire. The -Americans had no artillery, and no bayonets on their rifles, but they -rushed on to the charge with just as much vigor as veterans, and still -the battle wavered.</p> - -<p>It was just at this doubtful moment, when the least influence, one way -or the other was important, that a loud, ringing cheer was heard over -the roar of the musketry-firing, and through the white smoke rushed -several horsemen at full speed, riding up the hillocks on whose summit -the English battery was planted.</p> - -<p>First on a charger as black as jet, rode a tall, thin officer in the -broad-plumed hat and black curling wig of many a long year before. His -black velvet coat and bright steel breastplate were those one sees in -the portraits of Louis the Fourteenth of France, and he waved a long -rapier in his hand, of the same antique fashion.</p> - -<p>Even in the momentary glimpse caught of him amid the battle smoke, men -marveled at the paleness of his face, and at the weird fire in his -cavernous black eyes.</p> - -<p>Following him closely was Adrian Schuyler, with his score of mounted -rangers, but all seemed to be under the sway and control of the pale -man on the black horse. A moment later, the black charger was among the -guns, and the long blade<span class="pagenum" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</span> flashed in the air, as the pale rider smote -right and left with fearful strength.</p> - -<p>Then like a wave, the handful of horse dashed on the dismounted -dragoons and cut their way through. It was but a trifling aid, but -all-sufficient.</p> - -<p>The sight encouraged one party and discouraged the other -proportionately.</p> - -<p>With a roar and a volley, the Americans followed, and the German -dragoons broke and fled.</p> - -<p>Past the swaying, helpless herd of led horses they were driven, too -much harassed to be allowed time to mount. Pell-mell after them -followed the Green-Mountain Boys, and Bennington was won.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV.</h2> -</div> - -<h3>THE PANIC.</h3> - - -<p>Behind the ramparts of Fort Schuyler, near the present site of the -town of Rome, an officer in the uniform of a Continental colonel, was -standing in the twilight, looking out over the beleaguering camp of -St. Leger, with his Tories and Indians, at the siege batteries. The -increasing gloom alone made the situation tenable, for all day long the -Indian riflemen had been lying down outside the fort, behind stumps and -logs, picking off every one who ventured to show his head above the -rampart.</p> - -<p>The position of the fort had been growing more desperate daily, for -its defenses were but slight at the best of times, and St. Leger’s -artillery had been battering at them steadily ever since the siege -first began, three weeks before. Provisions were growing scarce, and -the Indian scouts, constantly creeping closer to the fort, rendered a -sortie for forage impossible.</p> - -<p>Colonel Gansevoort, the American leader, looked anxious and gloomy. -Before his men and the enemy he kept up appearances nobly, but now that -he was alone, the desolate nature of his position rushed on his mind -with overpowering force, and compelled a feeling of almost despair.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</span></p> - -<p>Two weeks before, the column sent to his relief under General Herkimer, -had been repulsed and almost annihilated, at the desperate battle of -Oriskany, and since that time not a word had reached him from the outer -world, save through the threatening dispatches of his foes.</p> - -<p>All round the fort stretched the silent, primeval forest, for Fort -Schuyler was then at the extreme bounds of civilization. Out of those -woods came nothing but the whoop of the beleaguering savage, the -spiteful crack of the rifle-shot, and the booming report of the brass -howitzers.</p> - -<p>There was not a ray of hope apparent to tell the Americans whether -they were not vainly persisting in a struggle which could have but one -termination, torture and death at the stake from the merciless allies -of the English General.</p> - -<p>As Gansevoort was thus looking from the low log parapet, at the -twinkling circle of English fires, he was surprised to hear a low voice -from the ditch of the bastion on which he stood, calling him by name. -Starting, he hastily asked:</p> - -<p>“Who’s there!”</p> - -<p>“A friend,” replied the low voice, “with news from Schuyler. Come down -to the sallyport, for I must away when I have given my news.”</p> - -<p>Without a moment’s hesitation the colonel left the rampart, and -hastened down to the sallyport spoken of by the other. This was a low -heavy door on the inner side of the ditch, approached by an underground -passage, and protected by the fire of two faces of the fort, and the -colonel emerged from this, finding himself confronted by a figure of -great hight, but thin and attenuated as a specter. This figure was -wrapped in a long, flowing cloak, and its face was hidden by a broad, -shadowy hat.</p> - -<p>Under any circumstances, it is probable that Gansevoort would have felt -some distrust of the other, but as it was, he was too eager to hear the -news to be particular about how it came.</p> - -<p>“The news, quick, man, what is it?” he whispered. “Good or bad?”</p> - -<p>“Good,” answered the stranger, in the same low tone. “Read this letter.”</p> - -<p>As he spoke, he extended both arms, the shadowy cloak<span class="pagenum" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</span> hanging from -them, so as to conceal what passed from the view of any lurking -besieger. Gansevoort then noticed, for the first time, that the other -bore, at his belt, a small dark-lantern. He eagerly grasped the letter -which the stranger extended to him, and beheld the well-known bold -clerkly hand of General Schuyler. Quickly he ran it over.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p class="right"> -<a id="FNanchor_2" href="#Footnote_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a>“<span class="smcap">Stillwater</span>, August 15th, 1777.<br> -</p> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">Dear Colonel</span>: A body of troops left this place -yesterday, and others are following to raise the siege of Fort -Schuyler. Everybody here believes you will defend it to the -last, and I strictly enjoin you so to do. General Burgoyne is -at Fort Edward—our army at Stillwater—great reinforcements -coming from the eastward, and we trust all will be well and the -enemy repulsed.</p> - -<p class="center"> -“Yours faithfully, -</p> - -<p class="right"> -“<span class="smcap">Ph. Schuyler</span>. -</p> - -<p class="ml10">“<span class="smcap">Colonel Gansevoort</span>,</p> -<p class="ml20">“Com’d’g Post at Fort Schuyler,</p> -<p class="ml30">“By Capt. Erastus Benedict, A. D. C.”</p> -</div> -<p>For a moment Gansevoort’s feelings overcome him. The revulsion from -anxiety to hope was so great that he nearly choked, in his efforts to -suppress emotion. Then he turned to the tall stranger, seized his hand -and shook it earnestly.</p> - -<p>“God in heaven bless you, captain,” he said, with trembling voice. “You -have saved a soldier from disgrace, and America from destruction. We -were nearly spent. Defend it to the last? Ay Captain Benedict, I will -do it now with tenfold the vigor I did. God bless the General for his -confidence in me, and all the brave fellows with him.”</p> - -<p>The stranger’s hand, long, cold, and bony, lay passively in the grasp -of the colonel, till the latter had finished. Then he said, quietly:</p> - -<p>“You mistake. I am not Captain Benedict. He is dead.”</p> - -<p>“Who are you, then?” asked the American, starting.</p> - -<p>“A friend to the cause. Let that suffice,” said the stranger in -his deep, hollow voice, dropping his cloak so as to conceal his -lantern. “I found Benedict in the hands of the Mohawks, -dead and scalped. I killed them and brought his letter. Now farewell. -Whatever you see to-night do not wonder. It bodes no ill, save to the -enemy.”</p> - -<p>He turned and vanished in the thick darkness that had<span class="pagenum" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</span> now fallen over -fort and forest, and Gansevoort slowly and thoughtfully left the spot -and re-entered the fort.</p> - -<p>A few minutes later, he was reading aloud to his officers the welcome -letter of Schuyler, and gladness diffused itself in every heart.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>The star that rose in the east at sunset was high in the zenith over -the besiegers’ camp, and the Indians were slumbering around their -camp-fires, while the nodding picket sentry hardly kept awake on his -post, when the loud blast of a horn echoed through the silent arches of -the forest, followed by a chorus of yells and cries that roused every -one in an instant.</p> - -<p>Bewildered and half-awake, Tory and Indian scrambled up to their feet, -and the English General rushed out of his tent, half-dressed, to know -the meaning of the outcry.</p> - -<p>Two Indians, yelling as they ran, were coming in from the outposts at -headlong speed, and their cries seemed to spread a panic among all the -neighboring savages, for wherever they were heard, Mohawk and Oneida, -Seneca and Tuscarora, alike joined the swelling mob that came rushing -through the camp.</p> - -<p>“The rebels! the rebels are coming! Run! Run!” was the cry that was -speedily taken up, by white and red alike, when they heard the alarm -more plainly.</p> - -<p>Although not a foeman was to be seen, there were sounds of a trampling -in the woods, the snapping of sticks and an occasional shout in the -distance, which gave color to the panic.</p> - -<p>In vain St. Leger and Sir John Johnson rushed to and fro, trying to -arrest the causeless rout. The tumult was too great for their voices to -be heard. The Indians, from the very first, commenced a retreat <i>en -masse</i>, as if by previous concert; then one regiment of rangers -gave way and scattered through the woods, despite the cries of their -officers, going to the rear at a run, shouting, “The rebels are coming!”</p> - -<p>In less than ten minutes from the first blast of the horn, the two -English leaders were left almost alone, and when the glare of torches -in the distance, with the sight<span class="pagenum" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</span> of armed men on horseback, showed them -that an enemy was indeed approaching, they found that they had not -sufficient following to resist a squadron of dragoons. Utterly amazed -and demoralized, the two Englishmen were fain to follow the example of -their followers, and hastily mounting their horses, galloped away to -join the rout.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile the trampling came nearer and nearer, and soon, out of the -woods rode Adrian Schuyler, at the center of a long, scattered skirmish -line of American Rangers, in the white frocks of Morgan’s Rifles, every -man bearing a torch of pitch pine.</p> - -<p>They advanced warily, but boldly, only to find the enemy’s camp -deserted, the idle artillery silent in the batteries, the ground -strewed with forsaken weapons and stores.</p> - -<p>Adrian rode up to the bastion on whose summit stood the amazed -garrison, and waved his torch in salute, crying:</p> - -<p>“Gentlemen, you are saved. We are the advance of the relief column -under General Arnold. Burgoyne has lost all his cavalry at Bennington, -and lies at Stillwater, surrounded by our men. Hurrah for Independence!”</p> - -<p>The cheer was given with a will.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV.</h2> -</div> - -<h3>THE EXPEDITION.</h3> - - -<p>Two months have passed away, and the scarlet and gold of the fall is on -all the vast forest that borders the Mohawk river.</p> - -<p>In the English camp near Bemis Hights, General Burgoyne is holding a -council of war with his officers, and the tall, burly form of Colonel -Butler, in the dark green frock of the Johnson Greens, is conspicuous -among the scarlet of the Generals. Butler has his left arm in a sling, -still, from the effect of Adrian Schuyler’s cut, and his face is heavy -and lowering as ever, as he urges some measure on the council with -great energy.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</span></p> - -<p>“I hardly think, colonel, that the end warrants the risk attending -the expedition,” said Burgoyne, at last. “This unfortunate affair at -Bennington has crippled us badly, and we must not risk the little -cavalry we have left on an uncertainty. The enemy’s parties are bold -and wary, and there is no assurance that the whole party will not be -taken prisoners or killed.”</p> - -<p>“General Burgoyne,” said the partisan, grimly, “I stake my head on the -result. I have not lived in this country for twenty years, without -knowing every secret path. I will take your men by a way that no rebel -shall hear of, and if I do not clear up this mystery of the Mountain -Demon I will consent to be shot.”</p> - -<p>“Your death would be a poor satisfaction for failure,” cried Sir John. -“What do you expect if you succeed?”</p> - -<p>“To save the army,” said Butler, boldly. “A month ago we were in good -position, our allies swarming all round our flanks, bringing us news -of the enemy. This juggler or demon has done more to drive away the -faithless hounds of savages than anything else.</p> - -<p>“While he remains a mystery not an Indian will stay in your camp. Let -me once expose and unmask him, and they will flock to your standards -anew. General, I speak as I feel, strongly. Twice has this fellow -caused me to fail in my plans by his diabolical appearance, frightening -away all my followers, and once even myself. At last I hit upon a clue -to his identity, and Sir Francis Clark’s story confirms my suspicions. -The place where he disappeared is well known to me, and if you will -give me one squadron of dragoons, I engage to bring the impostor back, -and with him our reassured Indian allies. I say that the gain is well -worth the risk.”</p> - -<p>When the partisan had finished, there was a deep silence in the room. -Even Burgoyne felt the force of his words. It was true that his Indian -allies had deserted him, wholesale, till he was left alone in an -enemy’s country, without the means of obtaining intelligence, while his -situation daily grew more desperate.</p> - -<p>Excepting for the short intervals at the battle of Bennington and -the flight of St. Leger, the ubiquitous visitor who had haunted his -outposts so long made its appearance nightly,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</span> sometimes in one shape, -sometimes another. Though chased and fired at, horse and rider were -never harmed. Sometimes in the same likeness in which it had loomed -through the battle smoke of Bennington, sometimes in the shape of the -enemy of mankind, sometimes as a living skeleton gleaming in fire -through the darkness, every night when the moon was absent the specter -appeared.</p> - -<p>The Indians were thoroughly cowed from the first when a white female -figure was seen on the croup of the black horse, misty and ghost-like, -as happened at the first visit. The wanton murder of poor Jenny McCrea -recurred to their minds and they guiltily believed that her ghost was -haunting them.</p> - -<p>When the last Indian had fled, there was a short respite from this -persecution of the outposts, only to return in a new form.</p> - -<p>Since the flight of St. Leger, the English soldiery, harassed as they -were by short commons in the day were deprived of sleep during the -night by constant alarms. When the camp was at its quietest, and all -were hoping for a quiet night, suddenly would come the blast of a horn, -followed by shouts and shots, and they would see a squad of fiery -figures on fiery horses galloping through the pickets cutting down the -surprised soldiers.</p> - -<p>Before a resistance could be organized, the unearthly visitors would -disappear; leaving their marks in the shape of two or three videttes or -sentries shot down. The attacks were never serious, never pushed far, -but they occurred every night, sometimes in one quarter, sometimes in -another, always coming suddenly and without a moment’s warning, till -the pickets began to become demoralized, and the men could hardly be -induced to stand guard at any distance from the camp.</p> - -<p>It was under these circumstances that Colonel Butler, the partisan, -offered his services at the council of war, to solve the mystery of the -demon and his crew.</p> - -<p>General Burgoyne was the first to break the silence that ensued on -Butler’s speech.</p> - -<p>“Gentlemen, you have heard Colonel Butler. You know the risk. We have -but one squadron of cavalry left. Shall<span class="pagenum" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</span> we venture it? General Fraser, -are you in favor of risk?”</p> - -<p>“I am,” replied the officer addressed.</p> - -<p>“And you, Philips?”</p> - -<p>“Decidedly.”</p> - -<p>“And you, baron?”</p> - -<p>“Certainly. If we lose them, we are no worse off, behind our works. If -we stop the enemy from annoying us, we have gained something.”</p> - -<p>“Enough, gentlemen. Sir Francis Clark will accompany Colonel Butler, -and guide the party to the place to which he tracked the strange being -when he followed him, a few weeks ago. The council is dismissed.”</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>On the afternoon of the 5th October, a strong party of dragoons left -the English camp headed by the bold and wary partisan who has figured -in our pages under so many different names, in reality the most trusty -spy and best leader of Indians in the pay of Burgoyne. Of his former -history even his commander knew nothing, save that he had joined to -volunteer his services at the taking of Ticonderoga.</p> - -<p>Some baleful spirit seemed now to animate the partisan, urging him on -to feverish eagerness, as he hurried the departure of the dragoons, and -rode off, accompanied by Sir Francis Clark. The sound of the American -bands behind Gates’ intrenchments, could be distinctly heard; for, -since the battle of the 19th September, the English had moved forward -to within cannon-shot of the American lines, where they had fortified -themselves.</p> - -<p>Butler shook his clenched hand at the enemy’s quarters with a look of -rage, muttering to Clark, as he rode away:</p> - -<p>“Let them blow and whistle, Clark. Once give me back my Indians, and -we’ll soon sweep them out of the path.”</p> - -<p>“If we can not do it without Indian help,” said the aid-de-camp, -coldly, “I see but little chance of success. The Indians are but -unreliable cattle at the best.”</p> - -<p>Clark was by no means an admirer of Butler or his allies. In common -with most of the cultivated English officers, he fell a strong -repugnance to the employment of such barbarous allies.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</span></p> - -<p>Butler laughed sardonically.</p> - -<p>“Ay, ay, that’s the way they all talk when ill luck falls on a man. I -am no leader of pipeclayed grenadiers, and you look down on me. But by -the light of heaven, Sir Francis, once let me get my warriors back, -with my old corps of rangers, and I’ll show you that Indians can fight.”</p> - -<p>The officer made no answer, and they rode on into the woods, till they -struck the blaze that Sir Francis had made with his sword, which they -followed without much difficulty.</p> - -<p>Once on the track, the partisan took the lead at a rapid pace. His keen -and practiced eye read the signs of the forest with far more ease than -the aid-de-camp, even though the latter was following his own trail. -The length of time since the blaze was made, and the faint nature of -the marks would have puzzled the officer not a little, but to the -partisan the task was but child’s play.</p> - -<p>On they went at a pace of seven or eight miles an hour, through the -rapidly darkling woods, till they found themselves, at sunset, in a -country broken by ravines, where the blaze abruptly ended before a -thicket of wild raspberries, which hid the entrance to a narrow gorge -in the side of a hill.</p> - -<p>Here Butler dismounted, and examined the vicinity carefully, when -he announced to the aid-de-camp that a party of Indians were in the -vicinity, and that he was going to seek them out and call them to his -assistance.</p> - -<p>The marks of moccasins had not deceived him. When he sounded a peculiar -call on his turkey-bone whistle, it was answered almost immediately, -and, soon after, a war-party of Mohawks made its appearance.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI.</h2> -</div> - -<h3>THE DEMON’S HAUNT.</h3> - - -<p>The Mohawks proved to be a small party who had fled from Burgoyne, -and when they were informed of the errand on which the white men had -visited that lonely spot, one and all expressed unbounded terror. In -coming into the wilderness they had hoped to escape the presence of the -demon whose presence they associated with Vermont and Stillwater.</p> - -<p>When they were told by Butler of the scene which he himself had -witnessed on that very spot—the one described in the commencement of -our tale—and learned that the Mountain Demon had frequently made his -appearance in those very woods, had in fact been tracked thither, the -bravest warriors trembled, and began to look apprehensively around -them, to flee.</p> - -<p>Butler checked them from flight with consummate craft.</p> - -<p>“Whither would my brothers fly?” he asked. “If this be a demon, he will -catch you in the woods; and when was he known to spare a Mohawk? With -us lies your only safety. I am the Night Hawk, that sees in the thick -shades, and my spirit is more powerful than his. Remain with us, and I -will show you that all the demons of wood and mountain can not frighten -the Night Hawk. This is a cunning medicine-man of the rebels, but I -also am a cunning medicine-man, and I will show you that I am stronger -than he.”</p> - -<p>This address reassured the warriors somewhat. They had a profound -respect for the partisan, and the mere fact of his coming there -expressly to solve the mystery of the demon argued that he had no fear -of him. When the Night Hawk called on them to follow him, they made no -more objections and the party advanced.</p> - -<p>The dragoons dismounted—part of them—and gave up their horses to -the third of their companions, who remained in the saddle, under -Sir Francis, to guard the horses. The men on foot, looking to their -muskets, and fastening their sabers to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</span> the saddle, under Butler’s -orders, formed in rear of the Indians, both to support them and to -guard against their flight.</p> - -<p>Then, with the partisan at their head, they advanced to the hollow tree -in which the demon had once disappeared, which, as Butler had surmised, -proved to be the entrance to a cavern.</p> - -<p>Looking into the hollow, a gulf of unknown depth appeared below them, -and the partisan hesitated a moment. Then he drew back and called for a -lantern. Several had been brought, and they were quickly lighted, when -Butler, boldly taking the initiative, leaped down the cavity and found -himself on firm ground, not six feet from the surface.</p> - -<p>With a cheery call, he held up the lantern to his followers, and -disclosed the entrance to a rude flight of steps, cut downward into -the earth, in a bed of solid rock. In a few moments an Indian chief -followed, trembling visibly, but resolved not to give way before the -white men.</p> - -<p>Fastening the lantern to his belt, and holding his rifle ready for use, -the resolute partisan slowly descended the steps, emerging at last -into a lofty hall, crusted with stalactites, on which the light of the -lantern flashed as if on a wall of diamonds.</p> - -<p>He heard the soft, moccasined footsteps of the Indians, then the heavy -clatter of spurs, as the dragoons descended, and at last the whole -party entered the chamber, and stood gazing in wonder around them.</p> - -<p>All were much more at their ease now. There were no signs of the demon -as yet, and of caves all had heard.</p> - -<p>Butler now made a fresh disposition of his forces. Of lanterns there -were seven, of that kind called bull’s-eyes, and he ordered the -soldiers bearing them to form a line behind him and advance abreast, -casting a broad glare ahead. He knew that the Indians would not dare to -leave him in the thick darkness of that cave.</p> - -<p>They advanced through the long chamber, the only sounds audible being -their own footsteps, and the hurried breathing of the excited men. -Presently a narrow passage compelled them to stoop low and go in single -file over a broken, crooked path, till they emerged into a second -chamber, larger than the first, and the light of the lanterns came -back to them from<span class="pagenum" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</span> the mirror-like surface of a black pool, into which -Butler had nearly fallen.</p> - -<p>As he recovered himself with an involuntary exclamation, a loud, -mocking peal of laughter sounded from the roof above them, and the -sound, repeated by the echoes, came with a terrible effect to the ears -of the explorers. As if to test their nerves to the utmost, there was -a rushing in the air, close by, and a swarm of bats swished past them, -brushing them with their wings and tangling in the long hair of several -dragoons.</p> - -<p>The confusion in the narrow passage was indescribable. The German -dragoons cursed in guttural accents, the Indians uttered their startled -“Hugh!” and all struggled together to flee, jammed up against the rocks.</p> - -<p>The thundering voice of Butler recalled them to their senses.</p> - -<p>“Halt, fools!” shouted the enraged partisan. “Do ye fear the empty -laugh of a single man, and a few bats? Forward, and keep your rifles -ready! We are hunting this juggler to his hole at last. He is here. -Follow me, and we’ll soon find out.”</p> - -<p>No sooner had he finished than the same demoniac peal of laughter -echoed through the cave, seeming to come from overhead. The bold -partisan shouted defiantly back, and his men, reassured, followed him -onward into the cave, skirting the black lake as they went. It was a -large chamber in which they found themselves, but its border was very -narrow round the lake. After the second peal of laughter, all was -silent.</p> - -<p>Butler paused at a place where the white rock shelved out into the -water making a broader platform. He cast the light of his lantern all -round the cave, but could see no further path on the shore. The inky -waters came up to the platform and another step would only plunge them -into its icy depths.</p> - -<p>Then he turned his gaze on the wall of rock and perceived a rude -pathway leading up in a zigzag and reaching a platform above that on -which he stood. Beyond it was a great black opening in the midst of -which stood a sheeted ghost, gleaming snow white against the black -background with all the startling effect of reality.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</span></p> - -<p>For a moment the blood rushed to the heart of the bold partisan, so -weird was the vision. The men behind him had also caught sight of the -fearful figure and uttered low exclamations of terror. Butler was the -first to recover.</p> - -<p>“Follow me, fools” he said. “’Tis only a stalactite after all. See it -glitter.”</p> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">Ha! ha! ha! ha!!!</span>”</p> - -<p>Again the fearful hollow laugh sounded above them, with its peculiarly -ghastly mockery, and the echoes in the cave repeated the sound again -and again, till it seemed as if a legion of demons was loose.</p> - -<p>But Butler was not to be longer daunted by sounds, however fearful. Up -the steep path he rushed, rifle in hand, toward the white figure in the -gloomy portal, and his men after a little hesitation followed him.</p> - -<p>Hardly had they reached the top, than a bright glare of crimson fire -illuminated the rocky cavern, making every thing bright as day, and -turning the whole vast chamber into a palace of jewels.</p> - -<p>The glare came from a column of red flame that shot up in the midst -of the dark archway, where the great white stalactite shone out with -startling vividness.</p> - -<p>Not a living creature was visible before them, but the column of flame -made it certain that some one must be near by to have lighted it. -Butler rushed forward, calling to his men to follow, and then suddenly -recoiled, as <i>three</i> fiery figures sprung out from the wall and -rushed forward waving burning swords that shone with blue flames.</p> - -<p>The effect was instantaneous on all but Butler. The Indians yelled with -terror and plunged down the path, running headlong for the opening by -the merciful light of the flame. The dragoons fired a hasty random -volley with their rifles and fled after them, and the next moment out -went the light and the three fiery figures went sailing through the -air over the black lake like birds of hell, uttering the same fearful -screeches that had driven the savages to flight.</p> - -<p>In a moment more Butler was alone on the platform, and one of the fiery -figures, waving its wings, swooped down on him, and striking him with -unmistakably solid feet, sent him headlong into the black lake with a -splash.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</span></p> - -<p>Then with a final peal of demoniac laughter all three of the -apparitions circled back to the rock and disappeared, leaving Indians -and dragoons to find their way out as they could.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII.</h2> -</div> - -<h3>THE LAST BATTLE.</h3> - - -<p>A silent and dejected cavalcade was slowly emerging from the woods -behind Burgoyne’s quarters, on the morning of the 7th of October. It -was the returning party under Butler, disappointed of their aim, beaten -and dispirited.</p> - -<p>The partisan, after his ducking in the lake and the flight of his men, -had certainly evinced rare courage, for he had actually returned to the -assault on the following morning, provided with a quantity of torches -of flaring pitch pine.</p> - -<p>Under the stimulus of plenty of light, the dragoons had behaved better, -although nothing could induce the Indians to venture back. They had -thoroughly explored the first and second cave without any further -annoyance, but neither did they make any more discoveries. By what -means the three strange apparitions had managed to execute their flight -over the lake, remained a mystery, but they had evidently vanished, for -not a trace of living creature, save bats, was found.</p> - -<p>Chamber after chamber, grand, beautiful, grotesque, and horrible, was -passed, but they heard no more the mocking echo of demoniac laughter.</p> - -<p>Full of rage and disappointment, Butler returned to the outer air, -to find that his Indians, useless and superstitious as they were -underground, had made an important discovery by the light of day, -outside the limits of the cavern.</p> - -<p>The tracks of three horses were found, quite fresh, at a little -distance from the cave mouth, and they led toward the camp of Burgoyne, -from another ravine.</p> - -<p>The back trail, when followed, led to another opening in the hillside, -and it became evident that the tenants of the cave, human or -supernatural, had escaped.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</span></p> - -<p>The brow of the partisan grew dark and gloomy when he heard the news, -but he made no remark. Even since the plunge into the subterranean -lake, he had been much depressed in spirits, and now it was with sullen -apathy that he agreed to the proposal of Sir Francis Clark, and led the -return to Burgoyne’s camp.</p> - -<p>The distance was so great—nearly forty miles—and their pace so slow, -that it was not till the dawn of the following day that they came in -sight of the English army, and started to hear the first guns of the -decisive battle of Bemis’ Hights, better known as Saratoga.</p> - -<p>Sir Francis Clark started when he heard the sound, and when a second -report came booming through the woods, he gathered up his reins, turned -to Butler hastily, and said:</p> - -<p>“Excuse me, colonel. Bring on the party as slowly as you like. -<i>My</i> duty takes me to the General.”</p> - -<p>Then waving his hand, he struck spurs into his thoroughbred, and -galloped off down the road, at full speed, toward the sound of the -distant firing.</p> - -<p>Butler hardly seemed to notice his departure or the firing. The whole -air of the man was that of gloomy depression, with a certain expectant -apprehensive look, as if fearing coming evil. He rode slowly on, while -the sound of the cannon became more frequent, sounding dull and hollow -behind the encircling woods.</p> - -<p>The men behind him conversed together in whispers. They did not seem -to have the eagerness of Sir Francis Clark to go into the battle. Old -soldiers seldom do. They know too well what is coming. The German -dragoons that followed Butler were all veterans, and though they would -go into any danger unmurmuringly, there was a kind of stolid caution -about them that prevented any eagerness.</p> - -<p>Besides, the gradual approach, at a slow pace, to a battle, that one -hears, but cannot see, especially if the prospect is limited by woods -in all directions, is peculiarly depressing to the boldest spirits, and -causes unwonted silence to most men, who would march gayly on, in an -open country.</p> - -<p>Thus the dragoons following Butler ceased to converse at all, and -pressed silently on behind their dogged leader, who took his way -forward on the narrow, dusty road, the boom of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</span> guns growing more and -more frequent, and answered by the more distant reports of the cannon -from the intrenchments of Gates.</p> - -<p>At last, an opening appeared in the trees ahead, and a white cloud of -smoke was visible, hanging in the air over a stubble field, beyond -which a little brown house nestled in the corner of a wood.</p> - -<p>The sight seemed to have an effect on Butler which hearing had failed -to produce. Instinctively he gathered up his reins and quickened his -pace, while his eye roamed over the battle-field with a practiced -glance. It was evident, to a soldier, that no serious fighting had yet -begun, for the guns were firing at regular intervals, and the scarlet -lines of the grenadiers stood behind them, while the dark green masses -of the Hessians were scattered over the ground to the left, near the -glaring stacks of arms.</p> - -<p>On the American side, all was quiet. No motion could be perceived -behind the dark curtain of the woods, flecked with gold and crimson as -it was, in the tints of Indian summer.</p> - -<p>Occasionally, however, the distant report of a heavy gun was followed -by the whirr and hum of a round shot, which came high over the trees, -and plunged into the ground in front of the British lines.</p> - -<p>“Artillery duel—much noise and no damage,” muttered Butler, in a tone -of scorn, as he watched the scene. “If I had my will, they would try a -night attack. The cursed Yankees can beat them at shooting.”</p> - -<p>His course led him toward the rear of the British, and he was nearing -the line, when something caught his quick eye, and he halted.</p> - -<p>Three figures on horseback were riding slowly toward the American -lines, in a hollow that hid them from British view, and he recognized -them in an instant.</p> - -<p>One wore the broad-plumed hat and strange, antique dress of the -mysterious being that had haunted him so long, the second was Adrian -Schuyler, in his gay hussar trappings, and the third was the same girl -who had a month or two before caused such a shock to the generally -immovable courage of the partisan.</p> - -<p>Butler uttered a low, inexpressibly savage blasphemy, as he<span class="pagenum" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</span> looked at -the three figures, riding so tranquilly past, with their backs toward -him, and evidently unconscious of his presence.</p> - -<p>“Now,” he muttered, in a tone of intense eagerness, “now I have them at -last, in daylight, and they shall fool me no longer. What if the girl -does wear <i>her</i> face? <i>He</i> at least, I know, and hate. I have -shamed him once, and now I’ll have sweet revenge, if I lose life for -it.”</p> - -<p>He turned in his saddle, and drew his sword.</p> - -<p>“Men,” he said, in a low voice, “yonder are three rebel spies. Follow -me and take them, if it costs us all our heads. Will you come?”</p> - -<p>In a moment twenty swords were out, and the soldiers answered him with -eager assent.</p> - -<p>“Charge!” shouted Butler, driving in his spurs, and away he went at -full speed after the three quiet equestrians.</p> - -<p>The tall cavalier in the Louis XIV dress turned quietly in his saddle -when he heard the thunder of hoofs on the road behind him, and spoke a -few words to his companions, with a gesture of contempt.</p> - -<p>Then, as Butler came within a hundred yards, the two black horses and -the dapple-gray started at a tremendous rate of speed, which speedily -distanced the lumbering dragoons, and taxed the utmost exertions of the -steed of the partisan himself, to maintain his place.</p> - -<p>In vain he plied his spurs. His horse was doing its best and nothing -could be gained. Presently the road gave a turn round the wood, and -they came in sight of the American lines, as also within gunshot of a -long rank of horsemen, in the white frocks of Morgan’s riflemen. The -tall cavalier pulled up, and turned to meet Butler, at that sight, -while Adrian and Diana rode on.</p> - -<p>The dogged courage of the partisan never failed him, though his men -were not within supporting distance. He thundered on to meet the -stranger, and broadsword and long rapier met with a savage clang.</p> - -<p>“<i>Alphonse de Cavannes! I have you at last!</i>”</p> - -<p>“<i>Pierce Harley, your time is come!</i>”</p> - -<p>Hissing the fierce greetings between their teeth, the combatants closed -in a mortal struggle.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII.</h2> -</div> - -<h3>THE SKIRMISH.</h3> - - -<p>It was evident that both men recognized each other as old enemies, for -they met with a ferocity that told of undying hate. The long rapier and -the broadsword clashed together and played in circles of angry light, -and the horses wheeled and bounded, obedient to hand and heel, as if -they shared every wish of their masters.</p> - -<p>The combatants were by no means unequally matched. The dark stranger -with the pallid face was much the taller, but his long, lean frame -lacked the compactness and solid force of the Herculean partisan. The -inferiority in strength was fully made up by an activity and fierce -energy that bordered on the supernatural, and the stranger fought with -all the vigor of the demon he had so successfully personated.</p> - -<p>The partisan, without the lightning velocity and energy of the other, -had yet a towering strength, joined to consummate skill with his -weapon, that made him a terrible antagonist. His horse was much heavier -than that of his foe, and seemed to be equally well trained. Whenever -they clashed together, the heavy steed of Butler sent the slight black -charger reeling from the shock, and the fierce blows of the partisan -beat down the guard of the unknown at every encounter.</p> - -<p>The pale cavalier, however, found his revenge in the more insidious -and deadly thrusts, which he found occasion to deliver at intervals, -with his longer and lighter weapon; and twice did he draw blood with -his point, while he received in return a single slash only, which fell -short of its full intention, and plowed a long gash in his thigh, with -the point of the broadsword.</p> - -<p>All these cuts and points passed in the space of half a minute, -during which the two men fought with a fury that must have completely -exhausted them in a short time.</p> - -<p>Then the combat was interrupted as suddenly as it had begun, by the -thunder of hoofs close by, as the German dragoons<span class="pagenum" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</span> swept down on the -contending parties, with loud hurrahs, in a cloud of dust!</p> - -<p>He who had been called De Cavannes broke away from his enemy as the -dragoons rushed in, and was soon surrounded with foes, whom he bandied -with a coolness and vigor that showed the great difference between them -and their leader. Then came a counter rush of hoofs, with the cracking -of rifles and the whistle of bullets, and down galloped a troop of -Morgan’s redoubted Mounted Rifles, yelling their war-cry. In the midst -of the new-comers rode the dashing hussar, Adrian Schuyler, his pelisse -flying behind him, his saber waving, while the dapple-gray charger -swept on like a storm-gust.</p> - -<p>In the first assault his sword clashed against that of a German -dragoon, and then darted through a man’s body up to the hilt like a -flash. The hussar’s horse, rushing on, actually bore the poor wretch -out of his saddle by the leverage of the sword, and Adrian was not -able to extricate it in time to guard a blow from one of the German’s -comrades. The long, straight broadsword, whistling as it came, -descended on the summit of the tall fur cap, and clove it down on the -hussar’s skull with crushing force, stunning him so that he fell over -on his saddle-bow, confused and almost senseless. How he might have -fared is doubtful, had not De Cavannes, at the same moment, caught the -dragoon across the face with a backhanded slash of his long keen sword, -that divided his nose, and sent him reeling back in his saddle, giving -Adrian time to recover himself.</p> - -<p>Then the conflict waxed furious.</p> - -<p>Morgan’s men were superior in numbers to the dragoons, but their arms -were by no means equal to those of the others in a close fight on -horseback. Few had any thing but rifles and pistols, and those few who -carried short hangers knew but little of their use, compared to the -well-instructed German swordsmen.</p> - -<p>On the other hand, their numbers and courage told in their favor. Many -clubbed their rifles, and laid about them with a vigor that laughed at -the broadswords. Where a man was cut down or run through, some comrade -would fell his slayer with the butt of a rifle. Only the terrible -partisan, Butler, made his heavy sword of more weight than the clubbed -rifle.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</span> He raged through the fight, driving back the stoutest riflemen -like children, with his enormous strength. Meeting Adrian Schuyler, -when the press prevented maneuvering, he beat down his guard, and -felled him to the earth with a single stroke, then turned to face De -Cavannes, who was making toward him through the swaying crowd.</p> - -<p>But such savage fighting could not last long. Strong and brave as were -the dragoons, the increasing numbers of Morgan’s men bore down their -opposition by sheer weight of horse-flesh, and the whole mass drove -down toward Burgoyne’s lines, struggling and shouting, but too closely -packed to allow the use of weapons of any size.</p> - -<p>Then, at last, the hunting-knives of the riflemen came into play, and -they made it too hot for the dragoons, who, one by one, broke out of -the fight, and fled toward the English army, pursued by the shouting -riflemen.</p> - -<p>Even the generally indomitable Butler was fain to turn his horse, his -vengeance unsatisfied, and quit a fight in which he had only overthrown -one of his enemies.</p> - -<p>Adrian Schuyler, stunned and bleeding from a head wound, scrambled to -his feet in the dusty road, and beheld De Cavannes, dismounted, and -approaching him as if to assist him.</p> - -<p>It seemed as if some mutual understanding existed between the two, -however originating, for Adrian evinced no surprise at the other’s -coming. He staggered slightly and put his hand to his head, saying -faintly:</p> - -<p>“I fear, count, that I have not done you credit to-day. The villain has -escaped, and ’tis my fault.”</p> - -<p>The mysterious stranger smiled gravely, as he answered:</p> - -<p>“Boy, you did your best, but fate must be fulfilled. He will not escape -forever. No! If he did, I should almost believe there is no God of -Justice.”</p> - -<p>Seen by the light of day, the strange being was of noble figure. His -great hight and spare make did not detract from, but rather added to -the air of mystery and dignity that surrounded him. His pallid face, -not now distorted by assumed expressions, was noble and intellectual -in outline, and the antique dress that he wore, with the flowing, -black, full-bottomed wig, added to the majesty of his looks, while the -long, black mustache evinced that its wearer must have been a cavalry<span class="pagenum" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</span> -officer, that facial ornament being peculiar to the mounted service, in -those days.</p> - -<p>“Are you badly hurt, <i>mon ami</i>?” he asked, with a slight French -accent.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know,” said Adrian, faintly. “I feel stupid and weak, but -there is little pain. I think I have a cut on the head.”</p> - -<p>De Cavannes advanced and examined the wound of the other with great -care, and nodded his head as if reassured.</p> - -<p>“There is no great harm done,” he said. “The sword must have turned -in his hand, and your cap helped you. But you cannot go into battle -to-day. Your General has been superseded by the vain fool, Gates. -Let us depart. When the battle is over it will be time to see to our -purpose.”</p> - -<p>Slowly he led the hussar away to his horse just as the first scattering -rifle-shots told that the contest was opening in earnest, and when the -volleys of musketry pealed out from the wheat-fields, Adrian Schuyler -was resting by a spring in the forest, while the beautiful Diana was -bathing his head and binding up his wounds.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>It is not our purpose to describe the battle of Saratoga in these -pages. That has been well done in the glowing pages of Irving, Headley, -and Lossing; and to attempt the task were but a repetition of their -words. Let the reader imagine the increasing thunder of answering -guns, the rapid roll of the volleys, and the charging cheer of the -English, Hessian, and Yankee volunteer, the field wrapped in bluish -clouds of smoke, where the fierce powder-smell stings the nostrils, and -the spiteful red flashes answer each other out of the haze, where the -bullets hiss and the round shot hum, while the grape-shot come by with -a heavy swish, and in the midst of all, wild Arnold rages up and down -like a lion at bay, driven to frenzy by his foes.</p> - -<p>Alas for Arnold, that his greatest and most glorious field should have -been his last! Nevermore to direct the tide of victory thereafter, on -that stricken field he leaped to a light of glory, from whence, three -years later, he was to plunge into an abyss of infamy, covered with -the curses of honest men, his only hope of mercy lying in friendly -oblivion.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</span></p> - -<p>Let the field of Saratoga go by, with its well-known result, while -we turn to the few characters of our story around whom our plot has -revolved, and draw the shifting drama to a close.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX.</h2> -</div> - -<h3>THE CAPITULATION.</h3> - - -<p>In the room of a farm-house in the American lines near Saratoga, a -large gathering of officers was assembled. The scarlet of the British, -the dark green of the Hessian, and the homely blue and buff of the -American officers, mingled in friendly union for the first time.</p> - -<p>The British officers looked gloomy and depressed, while the Americans -treated them with marked courtesy and consideration. A carriage rolled -up to the door of the farm-house, attended by a single dragoon, and a -lady with two little children was helped out by one of the American -officers, whose plain uniform bore no distinctive marks of rank.</p> - -<p>This same officer had a peculiarly kind and benevolent expression on -his face. He took up the frightened little ones in his arms as readily -as if he had been their proper parent, kissed them affectionately, -and turned to welcome the mother, with all the kindly courtesy of a -gentleman of the old school.</p> - -<p>The lady was the Baroness Reidesel, wife of the Hessian commander, and -her heart was at once won to the kind stranger.</p> - -<p>“Oh, sir,” she said, impulsively, “you are very, very kind, to us who -have injured you so much.”</p> - -<p>“Dear madam,” said the stranger, “that was but the fortune of war. -You are trembling. Do not be alarmed, I pray you. Probably it may -be somewhat embarrassing to you to be the only lady in such a large -company of gentlemen. Pray let me take you and the children to my tent, -where I will try to entertain you as best I can.”</p> - -<p>The tears rushed to the eyes of the lady, as she said:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</span></p> - -<p>“Oh, sir, you must be a husband and father to show me so much kindness. -Tell me only to whom I am indebted.”</p> - -<p>“The debt is mine, madam,” said the officer, politely. “I am General -Schuyler.”</p> - -<p>And indeed it was that noblest of all heroes of the Revolution, after -Washington, the General to whose genius the capture of Burgoyne was -owing, and who was yet superseded in the hour of his triumph by the -intrigues of the unscrupulous Gates, around whose brows the laurels -were placed that really belonged to Schuyler. The baroness in her -memories has left us this little incident, illustrative of the real -nobility of the man.</p> - -<p>In Schuyler’s tent, in which the baroness soon found herself, she was -greeted with respectful cordiality by a young lady, one of the most -beautiful creatures she had ever seen, who was introduced to her by the -General as “Mademoiselle Diane de Cavannes, the betrothed wife of my -cousin, Captain Schuyler.”</p> - -<p>Sitting down to dinner, the baroness was soon after introduced to -a remarkably handsome young officer of hussars, as the cousin in -question, who entered while they were at table.</p> - -<p>The conversation was carried on indifferently in English, German, -and French, for every one at table seemed to be a good linguist, and -before half an hour had passed the baroness felt as happy as if she had -been among intimate friends instead of being, as she really was in an -enemy’s camp, her husband and all his army prisoners.</p> - -<p>While they were still at table, however, an incident occurred which -showed that war was not at rest entirely.</p> - -<p>A disturbance was heard outside, some shouting, the reports of two -muskets, followed by the gallop of a horse near the tent.</p> - -<p>Adrian Schuyler jumped up, at a signal from the General, and went -out to see what was the matter. The baroness full of vague fears, as -was natural to a lady in her lonely position, remained silent and -absent minded, in spite of the assiduous attentions of her host and -Mademoiselle de Cavannes to continue the conversation.</p> - -<p>It was not long however before she was reassured by the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</span> entrance of -Adrian, who was accompanied by Baron Reidesel himself.</p> - -<p>“Ah, <i>mon ami</i>,” exclaimed the anxious wife, “I feared some -terrible thing had happened to thee.”</p> - -<p>The baron, after bowing to General Schuyler, whom he seemed to know, -explained the disturbance in a few words.</p> - -<p>It seemed that Burgoyne and his principal officers had been dining with -Gates and his staff, and that all were somewhat the worse for wine, as -was common in those days of hard drinking.</p> - -<p>That one of Burgoyne’s officers, who, it appeared, had held an -independent command among the rangers and Indians attached to the -expedition, had distinguished himself by the depths of his potations -which yet had no apparent effect on him save to make him more sullen -and reserved.</p> - -<p>“He was always a surly fellow, that Butler,” said the baron; “and none -of us had liked him much, but he was a valuable officer at collecting -intelligence and planning surprises, and brought us in more news than -all our scouts, so Sir John tolerated him. Once or twice, I believe he -went out as a spy among your people, General. Pretty soon, a dispute -arose at table about that unfortunate affair of Miss McCrea, and -although both Generals tried to stop it, words waxed high. Then on a -sudden this Butler chimed in with the disputants in the most insulting -manner, and the end of it was that he gave the lie direct to Colonel -Morgan of the Rifles. One of Morgan’s officers, who sat next to Butler, -maddened by his potations, so far forgot himself as to strike Butler. -I shall never forget the scene that followed. Butler caught up a -carving-knife, and before any one could interfere he literally hacked -the other to pieces. Then with a savage curse, he flung the knife at -Gates, rushed from the house, knocking down two officers that tried -to stop him, as if they were children, sprung on the horse of Gates -himself, that stood by the door, and actually escaped. I tell you, -General, that sobered us all. Such an affair I never saw before, nor -hope to again. It has cured me of deep drinking for a long while.”</p> - -<p>Even as he was finishing, a tall gentleman entered the tent,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</span> with -a hasty apology, went up to Schuyler and whispered in his ear. The -General looked grave and troubled but he answered, hastily:</p> - -<p>“Certainly, count, certainly. I have no command here, and Adrian’s -duties are merely honorary. He can go.”</p> - -<p>The Count de Cavannes, for it was none other, turned to Adrian Schuyler -and the young lady, who was known as Diane de Cavannes, and spoke -rapidly in French:</p> - -<p>“My children, we must be in the saddle in an hour. The enemy of my -house is at large, and I have sworn never to rest till he is past doing -further mischief. Make your excuses and follow.”</p> - -<p>Then, with a hurried bow to the rest of the company that told of the -highbred courtesy that even haste could not extinguish, the mysterious -count left the tent.</p> - -<p>Baron Reidesel remained staring at the tent door in blank surprise -after his departure for some minutes. Then he turned to Schuyler and -asked, in a low voice:</p> - -<p>“Excuse the question, Monsieur le General, but who is that tall -gentleman that has gone out?”</p> - -<p>“The Count de Cavannes, father to this young lady,” said the General, -with a wave of his hand toward Mademoiselle.</p> - -<p>“And, excuse me, does he hold a commission in your forces?”</p> - -<p>“That is a question, baron, I can not in honor answer,” said the other, -gravely. “He is a true friend to our cause, I will say.”</p> - -<p>“Eh, <i>mon Dieu</i>, it is explained, then,” muttered the baron. “He -is an agent of the Secret Service.”</p> - -<p>Schuyler smiled but made no answer, and after fidgeting for some -minutes, the baron resumed:</p> - -<p>“Will you excuse one more question?”</p> - -<p>“Certainly, baron. If I can answer, I will.”</p> - -<p>“The count, is he a—well, a conjuror.”</p> - -<p>“I can answer that,” interposed Diana, who had listened to the colloquy -with an amused smile. “My father was a member of the French Academy of -Sciences, baron, and a pupil of the great Cagliostro himself. Have you -seen him before, that you ask?”</p> - -<p>“<i>Mon Dieu</i>, Mademoiselle, I should think I had. Did he<span class="pagenum" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</span> not enter -the quarters of Burgoyne himself in spite of his sentries and frighten -us all out of our senses, in the likeness of the king of evil himself?”</p> - -<p>To his surprise, both Adrian and Diana burst into a hearty laugh, and -the former said:</p> - -<p>“I do not wonder, baron. The count frightened me, once, in a way -I shall never forget. But now I know him, let me say that a more -honorable and braver gentleman never made use of the artifices of war -to deceive and entrap an enemy. Farewell, baron. The day will come when -you will know and respect De Cavannes, as I do.”</p> - -<p>And he left the tent with Diana.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XX">CHAPTER XX.</h2> -</div> - -<h3>THE MOUNTAIN HOME.</h3> - - -<p>Once more we are in Vermont, in the little valley scooped in the side -of the haunted hill. The rough stone cottage still stands in the middle -of the clearing, but it is no longer lonely. Several horses are tied to -the trees around, two of them jet-black, the rest caparisoned chargers, -in the midst of which the dapple-gray steed of Adrian Schuyler is -noticed. Several rangers were lounging about and in the hut, and the -smoke curls up from the wide chimney, showing blue amid the silvery -haze of Indian summer.</p> - -<p>But a feature has been added to the scene since we were last there. It -is not the vivid dyes of autumn alone. The mountain sides glow with -crimson and gold, but that is not all.</p> - -<p>The change consists in the fact that a lofty portal has been revealed, -cut into the precipice that borders one side of the glade, while -the cavern to which it gives entrance, instead of being dark, is -illuminated from within, and shows as bright as day.</p> - -<p>No rough, damp cavern is it either, but a lofty apartment, the rocks -hidden with hangings of white and crimson cloth,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</span> while within, -gathered around a table, are General Schuyler, the Count de Cavannes, -Adrian, and Diana, at the close of a dinner, waited on by black -servants.</p> - -<p>The General holds up his glass to the light and addresses De Cavannes, -saying, “Count, to your future life. May it be happier than the past. -It is time to redeem your promise, and tell your children all.”</p> - -<p>The count’s face was grave and sad as he replied:</p> - -<p>“Philip, you say true, but you can not tell what it is to me to harrow -up those recollections. Still, it must be done, for I have promised.”</p> - -<p>Then turning to the young people, who were respectfully listening, he -addressed them:</p> - -<p>“Adrian Schuyler, I have trusted thee as I never have trusted living -man since—since—something happened in my past life. What that was, -thou shalt learn. I trusted thee, not alone for thine honest face, -but for the name thou bearest. Thy cousin Philip and I were once -fellow-students and travelers, and I never knew one of his blood that -was a traitor. Diana, my daughter, thou hast, for many a year, held -more fear than love to thy father. Now thou shalt learn the cause that -drove me to the wilderness, and made of me, once as frank as the day, -the gloomy hater of my kind that I was before Adrian came to us, to -bring light from the outer world.”</p> - -<p>Then, while his audience gathered round him, hanging with intense -interest on his words, the count told them the story of his life, which -we shall epitomize as briefly as possible.</p> - -<p>Alphonse de Cavannes, count in France, baron in Germany, and even -duke of a small Italian province, was, at thirty, an object of envy -to half of Europe, for his riches and social position. Descended from -a family which united the best bloods of three kingdoms, he inherited -vast estates in all, greatest of all in France. Such was the frank -generosity of his nature, that his parasites were numerous, but to none -of them had he shown so much kindness as to a young English officer, a -scion of the noble house of Oxford, Pierce Harley by name. This youth -had been taken prisoner by the count in the famous battle of Fontenoy, -thirty-two years before the date of our tale, and his captor, instead -of leaving him, as he<span class="pagenum" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</span> well might have done, to the fate of an officer -on parole, on scanty pay, had taken him into his own house in Paris, -and treated him with the kindness of a brother. He had been induced to -this course chiefly from the finding that Harley was a distant relation -of the young Countess de Cavannes, who was, by birth, English, and -whom her husband positively adored. Young Harley, then a handsome, -athletic young fellow, had professed himself extremely grateful for -this kindness. Being a younger son, without fortune, the friendship -of the great French lord was of much value to him. When peace was -concluded, moreover, instead of allowing Harley to go back to England, -the generous count insisted on his resigning his commission, and -remaining in France as steward of all De Cavannes’ estates, everywhere -treated as the trusted friend of their owner. Harley accepted it, and -for twelve years occupied the post, doing exactly as he pleased. It -was during this period that Schuyler, then on a visit to Europe, met -his old fellow-student, and witnessed, with amazement, the splendor -of his establishment. The count was then deep in those expensive -scientific experiments to which he owed all his subsequent resources as -a conjuror and magician, in company with the celebrated or notorious -Count Cagliostro. It was Schuyler who induced the count to pay a visit -to America, and Harley managed all the details of the expedition, which -was made in princely style. On arrival in America, De Cavannes was -so much charmed with the beauty and grandeur of the scenery, that he -decided that he would buy an estate near Albany, and spend at least a -portion of his time there.</p> - -<p>It was only then, after twelve years of apparently faithful service -on the part of Harley, that De Cavannes discovered that all was not -right in his affairs. Expecting to be able to raise money to purchase -in America by a mortgage on his French estates, he found to his -surprise and dismay, that every acre of land which he held in Europe -was already heavily incumbered. Schuyler, whose keen, solid intellect -had from the first led him to suspect maladministration on account of -the reckless extravagance he had witnessed, persuaded his friend to go -to Europe and make a secret investigation of his affairs in company -with himself, leaving Harley in America<span class="pagenum" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</span> to put the Albany estate in -condition. To do this, the generous American himself secretly advanced -the purchase-money for the estate, and undertook the task of lulling -Harley’s suspicions, which the open-hearted count was hardly capable -of doing, in the first revulsion of suspicion. To be brief, the scheme -was carried out. The countess was left in America under charge of the -suspected agent, along with the baby Diana, who had been born a few -days previous to the discovery of Harley’s monetary faithlessness. Of -any thing worse than reckless incapacity the count never suspected him.</p> - -<p>The friends went to Europe and found that the trusted friend and petted -steward, Pierce Harley, had not only robbed his benefactor for his -own benefit, but had actually forged his name to mortgages, so that -two-thirds of the count’s income was swallowed up in paying interest on -loans of which he had never reaped any benefit.</p> - -<p>De Cavannes, once undeceived, was a changed man. With noble magnanimity -he would not take advantage of the people who had been victimized by -the forgeries. Neither would he continue to pay the interest. He took -a middle course, conveying all his estates to a board of his creditors -to apply the proceeds to the extinction of the principal of these -sums that he had never received, and reserving to himself only enough -to repay the generous Schuyler and to supply a year’s expenses for a -small household in America. Then he took passage back, and arrived at -Albany with Schuyler to find the country in a state of war, and Howe’s -expedition to Ticonderoga on foot.</p> - -<p>Full of fury at the recent discoveries, he summoned Harley to his -presence, informed him in a few stinging words of his estimate of his -character, then bid him draw and defend himself. To his surprise, -Harley, usually a man of obstinate courage, turned pale, and without -a word fled from his presence, while the count, too proud to pursue a -wretch so sordid as he deemed him, contented himself with throwing a -drinking-cup after him with a force that cut the villain’s head as he -went. Then the disdainful noble went to seek his wife, whom he had not -yet seen.</p> - -<p>Then, and then only, did he sound the last depth of Harley’s perfidy. -The false steward was discovered in the countess’<span class="pagenum" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</span> chamber, and she was -hanging on his neck, weeping bitterly while Harley rained kisses on her -lips!</p> - -<p>Here the count stopped, and his paleness became livid, while his voice -sunk to a grating whisper.</p> - -<p>“I killed Diana. Do you blame me? I would have killed him, but he left -again. I could not let <i>both</i> escape.”</p> - -<p>There was a dead silence in the room as he paused. A moment later, he -said, in a quiet almost indifferent tone:</p> - -<p>“That night the Indians burned my house to the ground and scalped me, -leaving me for dead, and I recognized Pierce Harley for their leader. -He had the better of me at every point.”</p> - -<p>Again there was a dead silence, again the count spoke.</p> - -<p>“You found me, Philip, and nursed me to life. You do not wonder that -when I recovered I vowed vengeance on Pierce Harley and all his crew -of red devils. I have kept the vow well. Twenty long years have I -hung on the trail of the Mohawks, now in one place, now in another. I -found this cave first, and afterwards the one near Oriskany. The idea -struck me that by keeping the secret of the caves and working on the -superstition of the Indians, I might acquire a double power over them. -I hid the entrance to this, and no one knew where the other was. It was -your help, Philip, that supplied me with the means to personate the -demon and frighten the savages with red fire. That and my own activity -and caution, sharpened tenfold by woodcraft, taught me how to make -myself dreaded and shunned by every warrior of this nation.</p> - -<p>“But in all that time I never could find Pierce Harley, though I sought -him everywhere. Diana shared my solitude after her fourteenth year, and -no one in the convent-school at Montreal dreamed, when Mademoiselle -De Cavannes left them a finished pupil, that she went to the woods to -share the trials of a moody, misanthropical outcast, whose bidding she -obeyed with fear and trembling, but whose secrets she kept with the -true fidelity of a daughter. You little thought, Adrian Schuyler, when -you met the simple-seeming girl in rustic tunic, that her innocent air -was really a piece of consummate art, and that your cousin Philip knew -the whole secret. The bear and the tame deer, the Spanish hounds, the -voices<span class="pagenum" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</span> in the air, the supernatural figures, they were all very awful -to you at first, were they not? But, now that you know all, you do not -wonder that I would not trust you before Bennington. I sent you my -horse on purpose to test your truth, and you proved a true Schuyler. -May you be happy with Diana.”</p> - -<p>The count had hardly finished his story when there was a noise without. -He started up.</p> - -<p>“I thought so,” he exclaimed, “the scouts have tracked him to earth, -and are driving him hither.”</p> - -<p>The next moment a horseman dashed up to the cave, leaped off his beast, -and strode in, bearing a long rifle.</p> - -<p>It was the dreaded Butler.</p> - -<p>Behind him, at a distance, rode up a dozen rangers.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXI">CHAPTER XXI.</h2> -</div> - -<h3 class="nobreak">THE PARTISAN’S REVELATION.</h3> - - -<p>The gloomy-looking partisan crossed the threshold, grounded the butt of -his rifle, and faced the count without a word.</p> - -<p>De Cavannes rose to his feet, and his eye gleamed, as he said:</p> - -<p>“I knew you would come. After all you are no coward, if you are a -villain, Pierce.”</p> - -<p>The partisan laughed sardonically.</p> - -<p>“Do you render that much justice to me, Alphonse? You are growing -rational. I remember when you would not hear a word, and murdered an -innocent woman in your frenzy.”</p> - -<p>The count shook his head, and all the fire died out of his eyes.</p> - -<p>“Pierce Harley,” he said, “if you could prove that, no living man would -be more glad than I to spend the rest of my life in the torments of -hell on earth, that I might see her once more, to ask her forgiveness -one moment. But it is useless. Traitor and false friend, who bit the -hand that fed you, it is vain to defend her from what I know.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</span></p> - -<p>“Let it pass then,” said Butler—or Harley as he must now be -called—gloomily. “Your words are true as regards me. You can not -believe what I say about her, of course. Let it pass.”</p> - -<p>“Tell me then,” said the count, doubtfully, “why you came here.”</p> - -<p>“To die,” was the laconic reply.</p> - -<p>De Cavannes laughed scornfully.</p> - -<p>“Have you realized that? Why did you not come before? You knew I was -not dead, though you once thought I was. The day of Saratoga told you -that I was no ghost, if you half suspected before. Did you fear to meet -me, that you waited till my rangers drove you from your hut, and chased -you here?”</p> - -<p>“I did,” said Harley, with the same sullen manner.</p> - -<p>“I wish you had come alone,” said the count, in his grand manner. “It -would have saved me the trouble of pitying you, for I do not care to -kill a man that fears death.”</p> - -<p>Again Harley laughed sardonically.</p> - -<p>“You are wrong, Alphonse, as wrong as you once were about your wife. I -don’t fear you. I waited to see if you hated me enough to take trouble -for my death.”</p> - -<p>“And you are satisfied that you deserve it?” said the count, gravely.</p> - -<p>“I suppose so, according to one law,” returned Harley, coldly. “By the -law of vengeance you have your rights. Take them. I’m weary of life.”</p> - -<p>“Pierce Harley,” said the count, solemnly, “my men are round you, and -you are doomed to die. In the presence of God, tell the truth. What had -I done to you that you should turn traitor to me as you did, trying -your best to ruin one who never done you aught but benefits.”</p> - -<p>Harley turned his eyes gloomily round the apartment till they rested on -the lovely face of Diana. Then he said:</p> - -<p>“You see that girl. As she looks now, thirty-five years ago looked her -mother, and I loved her before she ever saw you. You have your answer.”</p> - -<p>“This is no answer,” said the count, fiercely. “What had I done to you -to provoke such treason?”</p> - -<p>“I loved Diana Harley, fool. She was my cousin by blood,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</span> and I loved -her before you saw her. I was poor, you were rich. She went to France, -secretly betrothed to me, and she broke her troth, forced to it by -Oxford, her father. You knew she did not love <i>you</i>. What do you -Frenchmen care for love in a young wife? She loved me first, and I -loved her. If I had not, do you think I could have forgiven her the -wrong she did me? I did forgive her, when I saw her in Paris, but I -swore revenge on you and I have kept my oath.”</p> - -<p>The count had listened to the other with iron composure, but with -perfect courtesy, not seeking to interrupt him in any manner. When -Harley had finished there was a short silence, broken by the count.</p> - -<p>“Then I am to understand, monsieur, that you do me the honor to avow -that you sought my house for the deliberate purpose of destroying my -happiness and ruining my wife.”</p> - -<p>“The man that says that Diana Harley was ruined by me, lies,” said -the partisan, in harsh tones. “I loved her, but you—curse you—had -her—she was your wife. From that moment I swore to kill <i>you</i>, -but nothing would have tempted me to stain <i>her</i> by so much as one -word a maiden or chaste wife might not hear.”</p> - -<p>De Cavannes, for the first time looked incredulous, and Harley, -noticing the look, laughed a strange, hollow, despairing laugh.</p> - -<p>“You Frenchmen could not understand that of a cold, brutal Englishman, -could you? Fool; in the apathetic seeming hearts of the North, love -burns with a fervor you mincing dancing-masters never dreamed of, as -white as the furnace flame that melts steel and as pure of dross. -I tell you I <i>loved</i> Diana. In that love an angel might have -gloried. It was pure at least. If I sinned it was like Lucifer, not -like your gentlemen of the court, who counted every woman fair prey.”</p> - -<p>Here, for the first time, the count interposed.</p> - -<p>“Stop, monsieur; you know better than that with me. Besides, you who -boast of your purity in love, what meant that scene I witnessed, Diana -in your arms before my very face? Ha, monsieur, does that make you -wince?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</span></p> - -<p>The iron firmness which had so far distinguished Harley was indeed -giving way to all seeming. The strong man trembled violently, and -turned a gaze, half piteous half fierce on the second Diana, whose -marvelous likeness to the first had been declared. Then he suddenly -ground his teeth and turned on the count with a ferocity that bordered -on insanity, while he burst out:</p> - -<p>“Ay, glory in it, Alphonse. I ruined you, and you detected me. My -defeat and disgrace were complete, and in that disgrace she pitied -me and allowed her long-smothered love to burst forth. And I, weak -fool that I was, lost control of myself when I saw her tears. In one -mad moment I told her all my long love, and that moment was her last. -You saw us, and stabbed her. Do you know why I did not kill you then, -Alphonse de Cavannes? Because you would have gone to meet her. You were -a noble man, then. Now, you have stained your hands with blood, and are -doomed. I hate you now, as I always did. Now take my curse and speed to -hottest hell, to meet me when I come!”</p> - -<p>As he spoke he flung his rifle into the palm of his hand with a clash, -and the flash and report instantly followed.</p> - -<p>That moment would have been the last of the Count de Cavannes, but for -the promptitude of Adrian Schuyler. The active hussar had been watching -the partisan keenly, and in the nick of time his saber left its sheath -striking up the barrel of the piece, to be plunged the next instant -into the very heart of Pierce Harley.</p> - -<p>Without a groan, the grim partisan dropped dead, as Diana threw her -arms round her father’s deliverer with a shriek.</p> - -<hr class="tb"> - -<p>There is but little more to add to our tale now.</p> - -<p>The reader will comprehend how Adrian, meeting De Cavannes and Diana at -Bennington, and taken into the confidence of the former, had assisted -him in the ghostly manifestations in the cavern by the aid of De -Cavannes’ thorough knowledge of the locality and ropes fixed to some of -the stalactites for the purpose of executing their aërial flight over -the lake, shining in suits covered with phosphorus.</p> - -<p>It only remains to add that Adrian and Diana were married the year -after, and departed with the count to Europe.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</span> By this time the count’s -estates had paid off their incumbrances by the rents in the course of -twenty years, and De Cavannes was once more a rich man.</p> - -<p>He was one of the few nobles of France who took the popular side along -with Lafayette during the French Revolution, and lived to see Adrian -a General under the Empire. But all his subsequent fortunes never -wiped out the memories of the past, and he often recounted to his -grandchildren the pranks he played the savages in America under the -name of <span class="smcap">Black Nick</span>.</p> - - -<p class="center p2">THE END.</p> - - - - -<p class="p4"><b>FOOTNOTES</b>:</p> - - -<div class="footnote"> - -<a id="Footnote_1" href="#FNanchor_1" class="label">[1]</a> Now Manchester. -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> -<a id="Footnote_2" href="#FNanchor_2" class="label">[2]</a> Historically correct. - -</div> - -<p class="p6"></p> - -<div class="transnote"> - -<h3>Transcriber’s Notes</h3> - -<p>Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. Variations -in hyphenation and accents have been standardised but all other -spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.</p> -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BLACK NICK, THE HERMIT OF THE HILLS: OR, THE EXPIATED CRIME ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ -concept and trademark. 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