"Oh! mother," cried Netta, "don"t let them whip him! He never was whipped in his life!"
Mrs. Lee advanced a few paces from the back gallery whence they had been watching the proceedings and called, "Charlie!"
The boy sprang towards his mistress, his captors not venturing to be too rash at the outset.
"I want this boy for a moment," explained the lady. In sullen silence they waited.
"Going to buy him up to secrecy," derided the Captain, "but I guess we"ll work it out of him when he comes back. We"ve got him, sure, and can afford to wait."
But Charlie did not come back. Thrusting a bill into his hand his mistress said: "Fly for your life, to Columbus and tell Col. Scale that we must have protection. There is no train. Take the old country road and lose no time!"
Nor did the terrified boy let the gra.s.s grow under his steps. Ere the next sun rose he was in Columbus, footsore, but safe.
Again baffled, the desperadoes took horse, and held a consultation.
"If I thought they knew," muttered the Captain, "by ---- they would be made to tell. There"s no other way--we must search that d---- thicket.
You know what Jem heard at the window the other night."
With this they galloped down the road, taking a more circuitous route to Dry Thicket than the little path hidden from view behind Lee Villa. In an agony of foreboding Netta exclaimed: "Oh, mother, we must save them.
Let"s get ready and go at once. I know every part of Dry Thicket!"
Hurriedly donning the homespun dresses, the mother and daughters set out, leaving a maid in the house, and the old cabin "Granny"
still smoking serenely over her knitting. They were soon on the spot where the jewels had been buried. The shock of the moment may be better conceived than described, when they saw an open pit, a pile of freshly-turned earth, and no trace of their carefully-concealed treasures! The blood receded from every face. Gone--all gone! The exquisite bridal presents--the diamonds from her betrothed, the ancient pearls, Aunt Winifred"s family jewels, the heirlooms of plate--all vanished as utterly as if they had never been.
In sheer feebleness the stunned party sank down upon the prostrate log.
They now observed the charred remains of a camp fire, and shreds of grey blanket adhering to the tenacious Tie-Vine.
"What _shall_ we do?" broke from Netta in despair. The loss of her superb ornaments for the time took the place of every other sentiment.
Even the safety of her loved ones was forgotten.
"Well," said Mary, recovering herself, "it is no use grieving. We had better be looking for Lawrence and Richard. You know those villains hung Colonel Harris by the neck till he was nearly dead, because he would not tell where his money was."
"Hush, Mary," said her mother, "don"t suggest such horrible things."
But their search was unavailing. That night was one of agonizing suspense. Next day the noon train brought Charlie with a note from Colonel Scale, saying that Lawrence would return home as soon as orders could reach him.
The story of the missing jewels was freely discussed, and friends came in numbers to condole with the bride-elect, and rehea.r.s.e similar depredations that had come to their ears.
At last flashed the news that the State Militia had surrounded the daring invaders, by a well-executed maneuver, and had disarmed them. The leader fought desperately and was mortally wounded. The prisoners were forced to reveal the place where their ill-gotten gains were stored, and the owners were publicly summoned to identify their property. But the Lee jewels were not found, and the gang obstinately disclaimed all knowledge of them.
Suspense in regard to them was, however, soon to be relieved. Two more days of waiting, and the close of a lovely afternoon was made memorable by the return of the wanderers to Lee Villa. A torrent of questions and incidents so a.s.sailed them that they could not intelligibly answer the one, or comment on the other.
"And, oh! Richard," faltered Netta, "they have stolen our box--all my beautiful presents!"
"And the spoons," chimed in Mary, loyal to the family heirlooms.
"You"d better say the money," said Bertha with conviction. "I would rather have lost anything else than all that gold and silver."
"Only give us a chance," said her brother appealingly, "and we will relieve your anxiety on this point."
"You have it! You have it!" cried the girls excitedly crowding upon him.
"No," said Richard laughing heartily, while the brother endeavored to extricate himself. "He hasn"t it but if I can have a hearing I will tell you of its fate. We hoped you would not miss it. Nor would you," he added, looking archly at Netta, "if you had obeyed my injunction not to try to find us."
All anxiety, his auditors were profoundly attentive while Richard narrated the adventures that had befallen them in the thicket. They were hotly pursued and closely surrounded several times, so determined were the raiders upon capturing the horses, but friendly arbors screened them from view, and the sagacious animals were as quiet as their preservers.
On the night of their arrival at the thicket with the horses, Richard suggested that it might be wise to remove the box, since in case the ladies were surprised they might be forced to disclose the secret.
Accordingly he and his companion dismounted, secured the horses, and penetrated on foot to the place. What was their amazement to see the smouldering light of a fire and a man stretched upon the ground in a deep sleep. A grey blanket served him for a pillow. Ere they could reach him he stirred uneasily, started up, seized his blanket, and sprang away among the trees. But they were too quick for him, especially as the clinging vine impeded his progress. They captured him, and he confessed that he was one of Baywater"s scouts, and that he had spent two days in the thicket searching for the box of jewels he had seen through the window of the villa.
The young men secured their prisoner, whom one guarded at the pistol"s point, while the other pushed on, buried the box in another place, and then they conveyed the ruffian to Columbus.
"Three nights ago," concluded Richard, "we were so closely cornered that there was no help but in flight. We rode continuously till our horses were safe on the Lester plantation, but my Bonnie Bess is done for, I fear," and he glanced compa.s.sionately at the reeking animal, his own especial property.
Poor Bess! Ere another twenty-four hours had gone by, her sorrowful master was called away from the villa to see her die of lockjaw. He had ridden her to her death in the performance of his duty.
After his interesting recital the ladies refused to wait till morning to regain the buried treasures. They would go at once, and a number of friends who had gathered to welcome the returned wanderers, and congratulate their prowess, volunteered to accompany the party. So they started, quite a procession, relying upon the lately frequented path to save their garments from rents.
The new spot chosen for the little pit was only a few yards from the original place, and seemed sunken for several feet in all directions--a significant fact as it proved.
This time Charlie wielded the pick, and with such exaggerated force that the earth was loosened for quite a s.p.a.ce around the box. Some excitement attended the rescue of the precious casket from fancied peril, and the dense bower resounded with an animated discussion of late events.
Warned by the lengthening shadows they turned to depart when a bystander suddenly peering forward, said: "Look there, Lee. What is that? There, close to the tree. Temple, do you see?"
"The root of a tree, I think," replied Lawrence, stooping down to examine a dark object that jutted out of the newly opened pit.
Clearing the earth away with his hands he discovered, not a root, but what seemed to be the corner of an iron box. Richard, who was beside him, fell to work, and a further exploration revealed a band of some metal, probably bra.s.s. Intense curiosity now prevailed.
"Charlie, go to the house and bring some torches," said his master. Then to Richard: "We must get at the bottom of this. The ladies had better go--it is nearly night."
But the ladies would do nothing of the kind. Here was something that promised to be a mystery indeed. They remained till an iron, bra.s.s-bound box, not large but heavy, had been disinterred and with difficulty lifted to the surface. With still more difficulty it was conveyed to the villa, where the expectant group waited for a smith to come and open it.
When the rusty lock was made to unclasp, the top was raised, and there, in numerous rouleaux, was gold coin to the amount of thousands of dollars. Excitement was now but a faint term for the sensation.
The young men were congratulated upon their find till their hands were sore from pressure, and the ladies were embraced in proportion by enthusiastic friends.
How came it there? Who had buried it and when? There was a legend in those parts that four wealthy Spaniards had been pursued and butchered by the Indians in the early days, and that they had, while fleeing away, buried the gold in an Alabama wild. Another tradition was, that during the siege of New Orleans, some French settlers had run the blockade and penetrated far into the country with vast wealth that was never traced afterwards. Some of the older citizens had also heard of a miserly ancestor of the Lawrences (Mrs. Lee had been a Lawrence) who lived a hermit life in the villa when it was only a log cabin; who denied himself the simplest comforts, and who died in want; but he had been seen by the curious counting his gold at night.
Whatever the mystery it was never solved. The facts as known were widely published, but no rival claimant ever appeared.
The wedding was a brilliant social affair. The Lee family were recognized leaders, and their ancestral home was noted for its elegant appointments and generous hospitality.
"And where will you and d.i.c.k live, Netta?" asked a Columbus belle.
"We think of building in the thicket."
"What! Bury yourself in Dry Thicket? That horrible place?"
"Soyez tranquille, ma chere," playfully answered the young bride. "Dry Thicket has proved too great a blessing to us to be dreaded. However, come and see us one day and judge for yourself."