"Why don"t yer yell fer help?" said Bute, in a hoa.r.s.e whisper.
"Because he knows I"d shoot him if he did," remarked Brandt, coolly.
"Come, old man," said Jack, "luck"s agin yer. Ef there"s any hollerin"
ter be done, yer"s as able ter do that as I be."
"Quick, quick! jerk him out of bed and get him into his clothes. I won"t permit one false move."
Jack now believed that his only means of safety was to be as expeditious as possible, and that if Bute was taken safely he would be left unmolested. People of their cla.s.s rarely keep faith with one another when it is wholly against their interests to do so. Therefore, in spite of the wounded man"s groans, he was quickly dressed and his hands tied behind him. As he opened his mouth to give expression to his protests, he found himself suddenly gagged by Brandt, who stood behind him. Then a strap was buckled about his feet, and he lay on the floor helpless and incapable of making a sound.
"Now, Jack," said Brandt, "go before me and bridle and saddle the pony; then bring him to the door."
Jack obeyed.
"Now put Bute upon him. I"ll hold his head; but remember I"m covering you with a dead bead all the time."
"No need of that. I"m civil enough now."
"Well, you know we"re sort of strangers, and it"s no more than prudent for me to be on the safe side till we part company. That"s right, strap his feet underneath. Now lead the pony in such directions as I say.
Don"t try to make off till I"m through with you, or you"ll be shot instantly. I shall keep within a yard of you all the time."
They were not long in reaching the horse that Brandt had borrowed, and Jack said, "I s"pose I kin go now."
"First untie Bute"s hands so he can guide the pony."
As the fellow attempted to do this, and his two hands were close together, Brandt slipped a pair of light steel handcuffs over his wrists, and the man was in his power. Almost before the new prisoner could recover from his surprise, he was lifted on the borrowed horse, and his legs also tied underneath.
"This ain"t fa"r. You promised ter let me go when you got Bute off."
"I haven"t got him off yet. Of course I can"t let you go right back and bring a dozen men after us. You must be reasonable."
The fellow yelled for help; but the wind swept the sound away.
"If you do that again, I"ll gag you too," said Brandt. "I tell you both once more, and I won"t repeat the caution, that your lives depend on obedience." Then he mounted, and added, "Bute, I"m going to untie your hands, and you must ride on ahead of me. I"ll lead Jack"s horse."
In a moment he had his prisoners in the road, and was leaving the mine at a sharp pace. Bute was so cowed and dazed with terror that he obeyed mechanically. The stream was no longer a shallow brook, but a raging torrent which almost swept them away as Brandt urged them relentlessly through it. The tavern was dark and silent as they pa.s.sed quickly by it. Then Brandt took the gag from Bute"s mouth, and he groaned, cursed, and pleaded by turns. Hour after hour he urged them forward, until at last Bute gave out and fell forward on the pony"s neck. Brandt dismounted and gave the exhausted man a draught from his flask.
"Oh, shoot me and have done with it!" groaned Bute; "I"d rather be shot than hanged anyhow."
"Couldn"t think of it," replied the detective, cheerily. "My rule is to take prisoners alive, so that they can have a fair trial and be sure that they get justice. I"d take you the rest of the way in a bed if I could, but if you can"t sit up, I"ll have to tie you on. We"ll reach a friend of mine by daylight, and then you can ride in a wagon, so brace up."
This the outlaw did for a time, and then he gave out utterly and was tied more securely to the pony. Out of compa.s.sion, Brandt thereafter travelled more slowly; and when the sun was an hour high, he led his forlorn captives to the house of a man whom he knew could be depended upon for a.s.sistance. After a rest sufficient to give Bute time to recover somewhat, the remainder of the journey was made without any incident worth mentioning, and the prisoners were securely lodged in jail on the evening of the 24th of December.
CHAPTER V
WHAT BRANDT SAW CHRISTMAS EVE
Brandt"s words and effort had had their natural effect on the mind of Clara Heyward. They proved an increasing diversion of her thoughts, and slowly dispelled the morbid, leaden grief under which she had been sinking. Her new anxiety in regard to her lover"s fortune and possible fate was a healthful counter-irritant. Half consciously she yielded to the influence of his strong, hopeful spirit, and almost before she was aware of it, she too began to hope. Chief of all, his manly tenderness and unbargaining love stole into her heart like a subtle balm; and responsive love, the most potent of remedies, was renewing her life.
She found herself counting the days and then the hours that must intervene before the 25th. On Christmas eve her woman"s nature triumphed, and she instinctively added such little graces to her toilet as her sombre costume permitted. She also arranged her beautiful hair in the style which she knew he admired. He might come; and she determined that his first glance should reveal that he was not serving one who was coldly apathetic to his brave endeavor and loyalty.
Indeed, even she herself wondered at the changes that had taken place during the brief time which had elapsed since their parting. There was a new light in her eyes, and a delicate bloom tinged her cheeks.
"Oh," she murmured, "it"s all so different now that I feel that I can live for him and make him happy."
She was sure that she could welcome him in a way that would a.s.sure him of the fulfilment of all his hopes; but when he did come with his eager, questioning eyes, she suddenly found herself under a strange restraint, tongue-tied and embarra.s.sed. She longed to put her arms about his neck and tell him all--the new life, the new hope which his look of deep affection had kindled; and in effort for self-control, she seemed to him almost cold. He therefore became perplexed and uncertain of his ground, and took refuge in the details of his expedition, meanwhile mentally a.s.suring himself that he must keep his word and put no constraint on the girl contrary to the dictates of her heart.
As his mind grew clearer, his keen observation began to reveal hopeful indications. She was listening intently with approval, and something more in her expression, he dared to fancy. Suddenly he exclaimed, "How changed you are for the better, Clara! You are lovelier to-night than ever you were. What is it in your face that is so sweet and bewildering? You were a pretty girl before; now you are a beautiful woman."
The color came swiftly at his words, and she faltered as she averted her eyes, "Please go on with your story, Ralph. You have scarcely begun yet. I fear you were in danger."
He came and stood beside her. "Clara," he pleaded, "look at me."
Hesitatingly she raised her eyes to his.
"Shall I tell you what I hope I see?"
The faintest suggestion of a smile hovered about her trembling lips.
"I hope I see what you surely see in mine. Come, Clara, you shall choose before you hear my story. Am I to be your husband or friend? for I"ve vowed that you shall not be without a loyal protector."
"Ralph, Ralph," she cried, springing up and hiding her face on his shoulder, "I have no choice at all. You know how I loved papa; but I"ve learned that there"s another and different kind of love. I didn"t half understand you when you first spoke; now I do. You will always see in my eyes what you"ve seen to-night."
FOUND YET LOST
CHAPTER I
LOVE IN THE WILDERNESS
Hopeless indeed must that region be which May cannot clothe with some degree of beauty and embroider with flowers. On the 5th day of the month the early dawn revealed much that would charm the eyes of all true lovers of nature even in that section of Virginia whose characteristics so grimly correspond with its name--The Wilderness. The low pines and cedars, which abound everywhere, had taken a fresh green; the deciduous trees, the tangled thickets, impenetrable in many places by horse or man, were putting forth a new, tender foliage, tinted with a delicate semblance of autumn hues. Flowers bloomed everywhere, humbly in the gra.s.s close to the soil as well as on the flaunting sprays of shrubbery and vines, filling the air with fragrance as the light touched and expanded the petals. Wood-thrushes and other birds sang as melodiously and contentedly as if they had selected some breezy upland forest for their nesting-place instead of a region which has become a synonym for gloom, horror, and death.
Lonely and uninhabited in its normal condition, this forbidding wilderness had become peopled with thousands of men. The Army of the Potomac was penetrating and seeking to pa.s.s through it. Vigilant General Lee had observed the movement, and with characteristic boldness and skill ordered his troops from their strong intrenchments on Mine Run toward the Union flank. On this memorable morning the van of his columns wakened from their brief repose but a short distance from the Federal bivouac. Both parties were unconscious of their nearness, for with the exception of a few clearings the dense growth restricted vision to a narrow range. The Union forces were directed in their movements by the compa.s.s, as if they were sailors on a fog-enshrouded sea; but they well knew that they were seeking their old antagonist, the Army of Northern Virginia, and that the stubborn tug-of-war might begin at any moment.
When Captain Nichol shook off the lethargy of a brief troubled sleep, he found that the light did not banish his gloomy impressions. Those immediately around him were still slumbering, wrapped in their blankets. Few sounds other than the voices of the awakening birds broke the silence. After a little thought he drew his notebook from his pocket and wrote as follows:
"MY DARLING HELEN--I obey an impulse to write to you this morning. It is scarcely light enough to see as yet; but very soon we shall be on the move again to meet--we known not what, certainly heavy, desperate fighting. I do not know why I am so sad. I have faced the prospect of battles many times before, and have pa.s.sed through them unharmed, but now I am depressed by an unusual foreboding. Naturally my thoughts turn to you. There was no formal engagement between us when I said those words (so hard to speak) of farewell, nor have I sought to bind you since. Every month has made more clear the uncertainty of life in my calling; and I felt that I had no right to lay upon you any restraint other than that of your own feelings. If the worst happened you would be free as far as I was concerned, and few would know that we had told each other of our love. I wish to tell you of mine once more--not for the last time, I hope, but I don"t know. I do love you with my whole heart and soul; and if I am to die in this horrible wilderness, where so many of my comrades died a year ago, my last thoughts will be of you and of the love of G.o.d, which your love has made more real to me. I love you too well to wish my death, should it occur, to spoil your young life. I do not ask you to forget me--that would be worse than death, but I ask you to try to be happy and to make others happy as the years pa.s.s on. This b.l.o.o.d.y war will come to an end, will become a memory, and those who perish hope to be remembered; but I do not wish my memory to hang like a cloud over the happy days of peace. I close, my darling, in hope, not fear--hope for you, hope for me, whatever may happen to-day or on coming days of strife. It only remains for me to do my duty. I trust that you will also do yours, which may be even harder.
Do not give way to despairing grief if I cannot come back to you in this world. Let your faith in G.o.d and hope of a future life inspire and strengthen you in your battles, which may require more courage and unselfishness than mine.