Whiz! the ball flew. The very instant it struck, the bloodthirsty monster fell dead. When John reached the spot, there was scarcely the quiver of a limb, so well had the work of death been accomplished. Yet the wolfish face grinned still a savage, horrible defiance.
"Here, Caesar", he exclaimed, in a boastful tone, "do you know that this old fellow lying here, won"t get the drink out of the veins of that dainty creature he was so thirsty for? No! nor ever cheat any sweet little Red Riding Hood into thinking him her grandmother? This is the last of him. Didn"t I do the neat thing, Caesar?"
Caesar threw his head on one side, with an air of admiration and gave a low whinny, that betokened a state of intense satisfaction at the whole transaction.
It may appear frivolous to those who have read with unwavering credulity the olden tales of the prowess and achievements of knights errant in the days of chivalry, that one should stop to relate such a commonplace incident as the shooting of a wolf, and above all, that the hero of this narrative, should betray, even to his horse, such a decided emotion of self admiration for having performed the feat. Such a trifle would not indeed be worth mentioning in company with the marvellous deeds and mysterious sorceries of the old romaunt, but this being a true story, the hero young, and this the first game of the kind he has yet brought down, it must be excused.
After a critical examination of his victim, our traveller mounted his horse and proceeded on his journey, much gratified at his afternoon"s work, and inwardly resolving how he would make the eyes of James and Aunt Esther stand out, while listening to the account of it he should give them, on his return home.
In about seventeen days after his departure from P., John safely accomplished his journey. Amidst the subsequent hardships, rough fare and toils of that journey, which, in truth, thirty-five years ago, were things not to be laughed at, he had a constant satisfaction in the recollection of having, with one keen shot, killed a large, fierce, gray wolf.
CHAPTER VIII.
A FUNERAL.
The day following the call made by Mr. Norton on Micah Mummychog, the last-named personage came to Mr. Dubois"s house and Adele happening to open the outside door, just as he hove in sight, he called out, "Miss Ady, do ye know where that individooal that ye brought to my heouse yisterday, is?"
"You mean the missionary?" said Adele.
"Well, yis, I spose so; where is he?"
"He is engaged with a sick gentleman we have here. He has taken the place of Aunt Patty, who is tired out and has gone to rest".
"Well, that piece of flesh, what"s called McNab, has the greatest fakkilty of gittin" tired eout when there"s any work reound, that ever I see. Any heow, she"s got to stir herself this time. But I want to see the minister, neow".
"Yes, I will speak to him. But I shall not call Aunt Patty. She _is_ tired now. I can take care of the sick gentleman. But what has happened, Micah?"
"Well, there"s goin" to be a funeral. I can"t jestly tell ye abeout it neow. Ye can ax yer sir, when he comes in", said Micah, reluctant to go into particulars which he knew would shock Adele.
"Well, Captin", said Micah, when Mr. Norton made his appearance at the door, here"s a reg"lar wind-fall for ye. Here"s an Irishman over here, as is dead as a door nail. He"s goin" to be buried to-night, "beout sunset, and I dun no but what I can git a chance for ye to hold forth a spell in the grove, jest afore they put him under greound".
"Dead! the poor man dead! indeed!" exclaimed Mr. Norton.
"Yis. He was shot right through his heart, and I hope a swingin" cuss "ill come on him that put the ball threough, tew".
"Why, how was it, Mr. Micah?" said Mr. Norton earnestly.
"Well, yeou jest tell me fust wether yeou"ll say prayers, or somethin"
or "nother over the poor chap"s reeliks".
"Certainly, I will, Mr. Micah".
"Well, ye see, Pat McGrath lived back here, half a mile or so, an"
he"s got lots o" cousins an" friends "ut live all along on this "ere river, more or less, till ye git to Chartham, _that"s_ sitooated to the mouth. Well, these fellers has been in the habit o" gittin"
together and goin" deown river and hirin" once in a spell, some sort of old, cranky craft and goin" skylarking reound to Eastport and Portland. Arter a while they"d c.u.m back and smuggle in a cargo o"
somethin" or "nother from the States, and sheirk the dooties. Well, "beout a week ago, there was a confounded old crittur "ut lives halfway from here to Chartham, that informed on" em. So they jes"
collected together--"beout twenty fellers--and mobbed him. And the old cuss fired into "em and killed this "ere man. So neow they"ve brought his body hum, and his wife"s a poor shiftless thing, and she"s been a hollerin" and screechin" ever sence she heerd of it".
"Poor woman!" said Mr. Norton, greatly shocked.
"Well, I might as well tell yer the whole on"t", said Micah, scratching his head. "Yer see, he was one o" these Catholics, this Pat was, and the fellers went to the priest (he lives deown river, little better"n ten mile from here) in course to git him to dew what"s to be done to the funeral, and the tarnal old heathen wouldn"t dew it. He sed Pat had gone agin the law o" the kentry, and he wouldn"t hev anything to do "beout it. So the fellers brought the body along, and I swear, Pat McGrath shall hev a decent funeral, any way".
"Where is the funeral to be?" asked Mr. Norton, after listening attentively to the account Micah had given him.
"O! deown here "n the grove. The body"s to my heouse, and Maggie his wife"s there a screechin". The graveyard"s close here, and so they didn"t carry him hum".
"I"ll, go down and see this poor Maggie", said Mr. Norton.
"Don"t, for the Lord"s sake. I"m eenermost crazy neow. The heouse is jammed full o" folks, and there ain"t nothin, ready. You jes" wait here, till I git things in shape and I"ll c.u.m arter ye".
Micah then departed to complete his arrangements, and Mr. Norton returned to his post, in the sick-room.
It was nearly five o"clock in the afternoon, before a messenger came to inform him that the hour of burial had arrived.
A strange scene presented itself to his view, as he approached the grove. A motley company, composed of the settlers of every grade and condition for miles around, had collected there. Men, women, and children in various costume--the scarlet and crimson shirt, or tunic, carrying it high above all other fashions--were standing, or walking among the trees, conversing upon the event that had brought them together.
As the missionary approached, the loud indignant voices subsided into a low murmur, and the people made way for him to reach the centre of the group.
Here he found the coffin, placed upon a pile of boards, entirely uncovered to the light of day and to the inspection of the people, who had, each in turn, gazed with curious eyes upon the lifeless clay it enclosed.
In the absence of Mrs. McNab, who was still sleeping away the effects of her late fatigues at the house of Mr. Dubois, the women of the neighborhood had arrayed Patrick McGrath, very properly, in a clean shirt of his accustomed wearing apparel, so arranging it that the folds of the red tunic could be lifted in order to expose to those who came to look upon him the wound he had received. There he lay, the rude smuggler, turned gently upon his side, one cheek pressing the pillow. Death had effaced from his countenance every trace of the stormy pa.s.sions which raged in his breast when the fatal bullet struck him, and had sealed it with even a pleasant serenity.
Not so with the compeers of his race, who encircled the coffin. _They_ scowled a fierce fury from beneath their bushy brows and muttered vows of vengeance. The rays of the sun, now rapidly declining, shot into their angry faces, the evening breeze shook out their matted locks of hair. A peculiar glow was cast over their wild, Erin features, now gleaming with unholy pa.s.sion.
Mr. Norton bent for a few minutes over the coffin, while an expression of sorrow and deep commiseration overspread his countenance. Then he stepped upon a slight knoll of ground near by, raised himself to his full height and began to speak in a voice that rose above the crowd, clear, melodious, full and penetrating as the notes of a bugle. It thrilled on every ear and drew instant attention.
"Friends, brethren, fellow-sinners, one of our number has been suddenly struck down by the relentless hand of death, and we are here to pay the last honors to his mortal remains,--each and all to learn a solemn lesson while standing at the mouth of the grave. Brethren, we are to learn anew from this occasion that death often comes to man with the suddenness of the lightning flash. One moment before your comrade was struck by the fatal bullet, his eye glowed as keenly and his right arm was as powerful as yours. The next moment he was prostrate on the ground, with no power to move a single limb of his body, or utter a single sigh, or breathe a single prayer. He was dead".
"I am ignorant whether he was prepared to make such a sudden transit from this world to that scene of judgment to which he has been summoned. _You_ know, who were his friends and comrades, what his former course has been, and whether he was prepared to meet the Judge of all the earth. I know nothing of all this, but I fervently hope that at the last erring, awful moment, when he had just committed an act of transgression against the laws of his country, he had in his heart, and did, offer up this prayer, "G.o.d be merciful to me, a sinner." We must leave him in the hands of the Almighty, who is both merciful and just. We cannot change his lot, but we have it in our power to profit by the circ.u.mstances of his death. Beholding how suddenly he has been cut off, in the prime and strength of his days, we may learn that we too may be called at some unexpected moment, and that it behooves us to be found ever in the right path, so living, so acting, that we shall be ready, when death comes, to meet our Judge without fear and with the a.s.surance that when we depart this life, through the righteousness of Christ, we shall be introduced into a better and n.o.bler country. I beg of you earnestly, my dear brethren, in order to secure this happy result, to turn immediately from your sins, repenting of them without delay, and apply to Christ whose blood can alone wash them away. Take the Bible, this precious gift from Heaven, for your counsellor and guide, follow its instructions, and you will be safe and happy, whether in life or in death".
"My brethren, I will say but one word more; that word I earnestly implore you to listen to. This book from G.o.d says, vengeance is mine; I will repay. I fear it is in your hearts to seek revenge upon him who is the author of your comrade"s death. I beseech you not to do it. G.o.d knows where the wrong is, in this case, and He, the great Avenger, will not suffer it to go unpunished. Sooner or later He brings every wicked and wrong-doer to a just reward. Leave all in His righteous hands, and stain not your souls with blood and violence. Let us seek the divine blessing".
Mr. Norton then offered a short and simple prayer, imploring the forgiveness of sins, and blessings upon Patrick"s wife, his companions, and the community.
Maggie, who had wailed herself into perfect exhaustion and almost stupor, sat gazing fixedly in his face; the rest seemed hushed as by a spell, and did not begin to move until some moments after his voice ceased.
Then the tongues were loosened, and amid the ebbs and flows of murmuring sound, the coffin was covered, placed upon a bier and borne to the grave, followed by the crowd.
"And shure", said a poor Irishwoman to her crony, as they trudged along behind, "the praste"s voice sounded all the while like a great blessed angel, a blowin" through a silver trumpet. Shure, he"s a saint, he is".
CHAPTER IX.