"Bob tell me: how was it that we were found out?"
"Well, you see, Miss--Ma"am--when you were at Dunville, where you was said to have staid all night, there was a fellow there who had a habit for which he ought to be hung--of looking through the key-holes and watching ladies when they thought themselves unseen. And this fellow saw you take off your red wig."
"And so discovered and denounced me?"
"No, he didn"t, Ma"am; he didn"t even suspect who you was. He took you for a circus woman. And as for reporting what he had seen to anybody in that house, it would have been as much as his life was worth. Old Colonel Purley--he"s a uncle of our bailiff--old Colonel Purley would have peeled the skin offen his body, if he had a-known he had done such a mean thing in his tavern."
"Then how--"
"I"ll tell you, Ma"am. It was this way. That fellow which, his name was Batkin, was on his way to Blackville. And all along the road he kept telling the yarn about the beautiful black-haired young lady he had seen, and who had disfigured herself by wearing of a red wig; and of course he raised suspicions there. And when he was questioned farther, he described the wagon and horses, and the man and the woman, so accurately that the authorities thought it worth while to take the description down; and old Purley has it in his pocket along with the warrant. And then, as I told you, the bailiffs all resigned rather than go after you; and old Purley had to be appointed. And I applied, and got appointed too, only to help you!"
"Heaven reward you for the kind thought! But, Bob, there were some of the old set found who were willing to take me; for they went to Annapolis after me, armed with warrant for my arrest."
"Yes; them two: Smith and Jones! Sink "em! I"ve swore a oath to thrash "em both within an inch of their lives the first time I set eyes on them! Well, they didn"t find you, Satan burn "em! that"s one comfort."
"How was it that you found us?"
"Oh, Miss Sybil--Mrs. Berners, I should say--we did it easy when we once had got the clue. We went first to Dunville to inquire after the gray-bearded man and his red-headed daughter, and we learned the road you had taken, and followed you from stage to stage until we got to Norfolk. There we inquired in the neighborhood of the market, and found where you had put up. Then, at the "Farmers" Hotel," we were told, you had left for home that afternoon. Of course we knew _that_ was a ruse.
We knew that if you had left, it was for the deck of some outward bound ship. So we inquired, and found out that the Enterprise was to sail in the morning. And we staid at this house all night, and boarded the ship this morning as you saw."
"Oh, Bob! if you could have delayed for a half hour, the ship would have sailed, and I should have been free!" sighed Sybil.
"I did all I could to make a delay. I put laudanum in his coffee last night. I was afraid to put in too much for fear of killing him, so I suppose I didn"t put in enough, for he laid wide awake all night."
"Ah, yes! that would be the effect of an under-dose of laudanum."
"Well then, Ma"am, I put back our watches a whole hour. But, bless you, he didn"t go by the watches, he went by the sun; and as soon as it was light he was up, and he sent me down to order an early breakfast. And then I got a chance to put laudanum in his coffee again, and this time I overdid it and put in too much, for he tasted something wrong, and he said it was vile stuff, and he wouldn"t drink it! No, Miss--Ma"am, I didn"t neglect no means to let you get clean off. But you see it was no go this time; and I had to help old Purley to arrest you. I"m glad you didn"t know me, hows"ever. And I would advise you not to know me at all whenever old Purley is about. Keep dark, Miss Sybil, and I"ll find a way to get you off. I haven"t been hiding and seeking and hunting among the red-skins these eight years for nothing. Hish-sh! Here they come,"
whispered Bob Munson, creeping away to the other end of the room, and putting himself on guard.
The elder officer unlocked the door, and entered, followed by Mr.
Berners. He announced that the wagon was at the door, and that they were ready to start on the return journey. And then Purley gave his arm to Sybil, and led her to the wagon, and placed her on the back seat, while Mr. Berners and Bob Munson lingered behind, the former to gather up Sybil"s little personal effects, and the latter to settle the hotel bill. But there was no opportunity, among the crowd of guests and servants, for Munson to make his friendly intentions known to Mr.
Berners by any other means than a significant look and a pressure of the hand, which Lyon Berners could not more than half understand. He felt, however, that in his younger officer he and his unhappy wife had a friend. They went out together, followed closely by the hostler, who wanted his own fee; but both Mr. Berners and Bob Munson were too much annoyed by his presence to feel like rewarding his attendance.
Lyon Berners mounted to the seat beside his wife, and Bob Munson to that beside Purley, who held the reins. And in this manner they set out on their return journey.
They crossed the ferry without attracting particular attention.
CHAPTER x.x.xII.
A DESPERATE VENTURE
I have set my life upon a cast.
And I will stand the hazard of the die.--SHAKESPEARE.
It was yet so early in the morning that they drove ten miles out to a small village on the road before they thought of breakfast. There Mr.
Berners reminded the officer in charge that Sybil had not yet broken her fast. Whereupon Purley drew up before the one little tavern of the place, alighted, and a.s.sisted his charge to alight, and then keeping fast hold of her arm, led her into the house, and ordered breakfast.
While the meal was being got ready he kept his party of four well together in the sitting-room where they waited. And as soon as breakfast was over, they all reentered the wagon and resumed their journey. They travelled twenty miles before stopping to dine at a lonely roadside tavern, where again Purley watched his charge with such vigilance that she had no opportunity to speak privately either to her husband or their friend. Still she hoped this opportunity would be afforded when they should stop for the night. After an hour"s rest they went on again, travelling with moderate haste all the afternoon. They made fifteen more miles before sunset, and then, having driven forty-five miles that day, and finding their horses very tired, they determined to put up for the night at a small hamlet, whose comfortable little hotel promised rest and refreshment.
Still Purley kept close to his charge. They all had supper in a private sitting-room. And when that meal was over and the hour for retirement arrived, Purley himself accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Berners to their bedroom to see that it was secure. It was a front chamber, on the upper floor, with two front windows overlooking the village street, and but one door, which opened upon the pa.s.sage.
"That is all safe," said Purley, casting a glance around. "So I may leave you two alone here together, where no doubt, you are glad enough to be. But I"m sorry to say I must turn the key on you; not that I have any right to lock you up, sir, without your consent; but of course you _will_ consent to that, for the sake of staying with your wife."
"Of course I will; and thank you for the privilege," answered Mr.
Berners.
"All right then. Good-night to you both," said Purley, closing and locking the door, and withdrawing the key.
And then he took a farther precaution for the security of his charge, by ordering a mattress to be brought and laid down before that chamber door. And there he and his companion stretched themselves to rest like a pair of watch dogs.
As soon as Sybil found herself alone with her husband, she beckoned him to that end of the room which was farthest from the door, and when he was close beside her she whispered in the lowest tone:
"Did you observe anything peculiar in the manner of that younger bailiff?"
"I observed that he tried to attract my particular attention whenever we happened to be unnoticed for a moment. But as we were so very closely watched I had no opportunity of asking, or he of telling, what he meant," said Lyon Berners.
"Then I will tell you all about it. When Mr. Purley went away with you, and left that young man guarding me, the first thing he did was to make himself known to me, and to place himself at my service even to the death!"
"Who was he?"
"Robert Munson; a boy that I was so fortunate as to be kind to in his childhood and mine. Afterwards he was a private soldier in Captain Pendleton"s company, and served under him for eight years, fighting the Indians on the frontier. At Captain Pendleton"s suggestion, and with his own hearty free will, he volunteered for this service of pursuing me, only that he might more effectually try to free me."
"Sybil, what are you saying? Have we a friend in one of our captors?"
exclaimed Lyon, in astonishment.
"Yes; a friend who will serve us to the death! Listen, dear Lyon, and I will tell you all about it," answered Sybil.
And she commenced, and related all the circ.u.mstances of her acquaintance with Robert Munson; of his motives for entering upon his present avocation, and of his discovery of himself to her in the hotel at Portsmouth.
"Now may heaven grant that some day I may have an opportunity of rewarding that good fellow for his willing service, whether it ever avail us or not," said Lyon Berners, earnestly.
"But dear Lyon, we must be very careful not to betray by any word or look that we have any acquaintance, much less understanding, with Munson, for to do so would be to ruin our only chance of escape," said Sybil.
"Of course! of course! I understand that perfectly well!"
"But watch your opportunity, and when you feel it to be perfectly safe, communicate with Robert Munson.
"I understand, dear Sybil, and I shall be very prudent and very vigilant," answered Mr. Berners.
And then they retired to rest.
Very early the next morning they were aroused by their keeper who never left his post at their door until he saw them come out of their room.
And then he drew Mrs. Berner"s arm within his own and led her down to breakfast.