CHAPTER V.
When Virginia arrived at the foot of the hill, and looked back, she could see the Herculean figure of the Recluse, throwing its tall shadow far down the face of the cliff, as he paced his narrow court exactly as she had found him doing.
The surrounding scenery now looked doubly brilliant to her confused senses, after the gloomy contrasts of her late subterranean journey. The fleeting clouds were entirely dispersed, and the moonbeams shone clearly forth in undimmed splendour, tipping with silver light each tree and shrub, on the hill side and in the dale, and sparkling like gems along the rippling current of the purling brook on the banks of which Bacon waited her approach.
Although the language of the Recluse was somewhat dark and oracular, it was sufficiently explicit to produce a very sensible effect upon the mind of Virginia, which our hero was not long in discovering; for as he extended his hand to a.s.sist her across the brook, she tacitly declined the proffered aid, as if un.o.bservant of his intention, and leaped the streamlet una.s.sisted. He was the more astonished, that in the whole of their long intercourse he could not recollect such a whim or freak occurring towards himself. She seemed reserved and formal too, as they moved up the opposite hill; but without remarking on her altered mood, he sought to draw from her the result of her expedition. Barely communicating so much as she had been directed to do, however, she remained to him inexplicably silent.
While he was revolving these things in his mind his companion, silently and moodily walking at his side, without availing herself of his offered arm, they met Brian O"Reily somewhat farther down the hill than the spot where they had left him--the bridle of a horse slung upon each arm--a handkerchief tied round his waist, into which were stuck two pertronels from his own saddlebow; and in his hand his master"s ready for use.
"In the name of all the saints in Ireland, what is the matter, Brian?"
exclaimed Bacon.
"Oh! an be the Holy Father at Rome, is it there"ye are? Sure as death, but I"m the boy that thought ye were clane murthered iny"way."
"Murdered! why who was to murder us?"
"Faix, an there"s enough iv them to do that same in _this_ b.l.o.o.d.y place.
Barrin the tay party wid the great inimy in the side iv the hill yonther, a"int there enough iv the b.l.o.o.d.y nagurs (the savages,) ranting about like so many wild bastes, ready to peale the tap iv your heads like a pair of onions or murpheys--divil a word a lie"s in that iny way."
"Are there any of the savages abroad to-night?"
"Be the contints iv the book, but there is five yallow rascals gone over the hill towards the city half an hour since. Oh, by my purty, but I was as near putting a key note to one of their whistles, as two tin pinnies, only, that I was jalous iv your own safety, and the beauty by your side at that same reckning."
"I commend your discretion in not shooting--and I wonder at your sobriety, considering the condition in which we left you."
"Oh, is it Brian O"Reily"s discretion your haner"s after namin?--an is"nt it me that"s a pathern o" sobriety? Oh, by the five cra.s.ses, but it all comes iv the dhrap o" the crathur I got by the larnin iv you, ye beauty; divil a word a lie"s in that."
"Gone towards the town have they?" said Bacon, musing--and then examining the priming of his petronels, he took them--placed them in their holsters, and mounted his horse, motioning to his attendant at the same time, to a.s.sist Virginia to the pillion. She being mounted, he continued his discourse to her. "Keep up your courage my brave pupil; no danger shall molest you unencountered."
"Strange as it may appear," replied she, for the first time uttering something more than a monosyllable. "The real danger in which we seem placed, has few terrors, after my late subterranean visit." This last part of the sentence was said in an under tone, as they cantered over the hill.
"You have done bravely, Virginia, and now Brian it is our turn. Do you ride foremost--but on no account pull trigger, or draw your sword, without my orders. We are at peace with the confederated tribes of the peninsula:--should the party therefore prove to be any of these, bloodshed will be, unnecessary. Remember, and be watchful!"
"Oh! be the powers iv mud and darkness, but there"s no more profit in watchin these skulking nagurs, than there is in spakin to the fish to make them take the bate; both the one and the tother o" them bites when you laste expect it. Oh! would"nt it be a fine thing to have a praste to walk along afore ye wid the contints of the book spread out before him?"
"Get along O"Reily with your nonsense; one would suppose, to hear you talk, that you were the greatest coward in Christendom."
The conversation of the Hibernian was at all times amusing to our adventurers, and was enjoyed with more zest, doubtless, on account of the many excellent qualities which they knew him to possess, being as they knew, brave, devotedly attached to them both, and of unvarying good humour. On the present occasion, Bacon encouraged his volubility in order to divert his companion"s attention from dwelling upon the danger which he but too clearly saw might await them on their pa.s.sage to the city; and thus was the time beguiled, until they arrived at the top of the hill commanding the town and river, without encountering a single foe, or meeting with any adventure worth recording. As they descended towards the river, and O"Reily was just felicitating himself "that there was a clane path intirely across the stream." A sudden exclamation of surprise from Bacon, induced him to rein up his steed, in order to ascertain the cause. This however was clearly seen before the retrograde movement was completed.
"Oh! the murtherin thaves iv the world," said O"Reily, "there they are in our boat too, as sure as my name"s Brian O"Reily. Your haner"s a good shot across that same little river, any way, and by these pair o"
beauties that never lie nor chate" he continued, unslinging his arms, "but I"ll be bound for a couple or three more iv them. By the vestments but we"ll put some o" them to slape, wid a tune that"ll ring in their ears to the day o" their deaths."
"Softly! softly, O"Reily" said Bacon, "you are as far on the one extreme now as I thought you on the other a while ago. Don"t you see that two watch on this side, besides the three in the boat? And as I live, they are preparing to push off. Quick, Brian, dismount and follow me behind these bushes! we must despatch these two, at least, without the use of firearms. And you, my gentle pupil, must remain with the horses. If we fall, remain quiet until they have carried off whatever it is they are endeavouring to steal, and then leave the horses, and seek a pa.s.sage by the bridge. I know your situation is a trying one, but it is the best we can do under the circ.u.mstances."
"Oh! no, no, Nathaniel!" said Virginia, suddenly recovering her feelings as well as her voice. "It is not the best we can do. Stay here yourself, and I can slip round, unperceived, to the gate of the bridge, and from thence alarm the city. Do, Nathaniel, suffer me to go."
"Not for worlds!" answered Bacon; "do you not perceive that it would be impossible for you to pa.s.s the two on this side unnoticed? Besides, were you even to gain the gate, they would tomahawk you before you could arouse one person in the town. No, no, you must remain. Seat yourself on the sward and hide your eyes, if you will, until we despatch these two, and then we can hold the others at bay."
"But what is the necessity of attacking them at all, Nathaniel?"
"Do you not see that they have been committing some depredation?--perhaps worse, and would be sure to make fight were we to show ourselves in so small force. But come, O"Reily, we are losing precious time; follow me, and for your life do not shoot."
This short and earnest dialogue was held in whispers, and in much less time than we have taken to record it.
The precaution against using firearms was doubtless given for fear of betraying to the inhabitants of the town the delicate and apparently equivocal position in which Virginia was placed. "We must be upon these two with our good swords, O"Reily," said Bacon, "before the others can join them, and if possible before they perceive us."
"Devil burn me but my hand itches to get acquainted wid the taste o"
their skulls any way. Oh! if we can only smash these two but we"ll keep the others to see their own funerals iny way."
In a few moments, Bacon and his trusty follower were silently gliding through the bushes on the banks of the river, and advanced to within a few rods of the savages, unperceived either by the party on the beach or those loading the boat on the opposite sh.o.r.e. But as they were just emerging from the last bush which protected their movements, a characteristic and startling exclamation "hugh!" from the watch stationed in the boat, at once precipitated their movements, and put the two on their guard whom they were about to attack.
There was at that day no male inhabitant of Jamestown or the surrounding Colony, arrived at the years and vigour of manhood, who was entirely unacquainted with the mode and usual end of Indian warfare. Of course, on such occasions as the present, the contest was for life or death.
Bacon, notwithstanding his youth, had already acquired some renown as a warrior in these desperate single-handed conflicts, which doubtless gave him and his companion more a.s.surance of success on this occasion, notwithstanding the fearful odds which it was possible might be brought against them. Springing upon their adversaries, who, as has been seen, were on their guard, the conflict at once became desperate, while those in the boat made the utmost efforts to join their companions and overpower their unexpected enemies. No sooner were the two good swords of Bacon and O"Reily flashing in the moonbeams, than corresponding motions of the savage war clubs gave evidence that they also were ready for battle. Many and hard were the blows which were given on both sides in the struggle, a mere protraction of which Bacon perceived was destruction. Accordingly bracing up his own nerves, and cheering O"Reily, he made a vigorous and successful lunge at his immediate antagonist, but not before the reinforcement of the enemy was on the ground to take his place. A contest of this kind, when the parties were any thing like equal in number, was generally not long doubtful--victory in most instances being upon the side of superior skill and weapons. But O"Reily, although a veteran soldier, had met his match in this instance, his antagonist being a tall and brawny warrior of most fearful proportions. Yet he laid about him stoutly, while Bacon, merely having time to catch his breath, renewed the unequal contest with two of the new a.s.sailants, the third at the same time joining his already too powerful chief against the Irishman. The conflict was now desperate and b.l.o.o.d.y; our adventurers fought well and skilfully, every blow was followed by a crimson stream, and they too in their turn were more than once beaten to their knees by the terrific sweep of the war clubs. At one time Bacon was entirely prostrated, but instantly recovering and rising to his knees he continued to defend himself until he had once more regained his feet.
This warfare had now lasted for some minutes, which seemed an age to the trembling maiden who stood an unwilling yet enchained spectator on the side of the hill above them. But victory appeared at length about to crown the desperate efforts of her friends, whose a.s.sailants were now reduced to exactly their own number, and one; the tall old chief opposed to Brian, covered with his own blood and just ready to fall, when a sudden and terrific yell immediately behind them announced a reinforcement; and Virginia sank upon the earth in terror and despair.
"Plunge into the stream and swim for your life," shouted Brian--"Oh! but I"ll keep their hands busy till ye go clear, even wid a stack of the yellow devils afore me!"
Six horrid and painted human monsters, (so they seemed to our adventurers) now leaped into the midst of the conflict, relieving their own brethren and thundering their blows upon the heads of their already exhausted adversaries. In vain they made furious lunges, forgetting the cunning of fence in the perfect desperation of the hopeless conflict.
At length they both fell under the weapons of their new enemies and two of the savages, flashing their knives from their sheaths, prepared to complete the sacrifice; indeed a despairing yell from O"Reily announced that the butchery had already commenced; when in an instant the head of the old Chief stooping over him was severed from the trunk, and in the next a second blow from the same gigantic arm prostrated the one about to tear the b.l.o.o.d.y trophy from the fallen Cavalier.
Virginia had by this time ventured another despairing look upon the fate of him who was the cherished companion of her childhood. In that moment, doubtless, all the warnings and injunctions of the Recluse were forgotten, or if remembered, instantly set aside as the over prudential suggestions of pride in rank, or wealth, or power, governing the feelings of her friends, or of him who undertook to give her counsel in their stead.
But there were still enemies left besides the two who had flourished the scalping knife over our prostrate adventurers. With these the Recluse (for he it was who had come so opportunely to the rescue) at once renewed the conflict. Placing his back against a tree, and throwing away his castor and scabbard, he joined in the strife with a zest like that of an epicure who bares his arm to the exercise of the carving knive--whirling his enormous weapon amidst the falling clubs with the precision, ease and coolness of a professor exhibiting his skill with the harmless foils. His first exertions were, of course, on the defensive, among so many a.s.sailants, but if his blows were rare they were sure and fatal. He was evidently but putting in practice a sort of exercise in which he must have both delighted and excelled in days long past.
At every blow or thrust a savage went down to rise no more, Bacon, too, now rallied his scattered senses and exhausted strength, and resumed his part in the conflict, with enough of both to render him a valuable auxiliary in the way of defence, which the Recluse perceiving, sprang into the midst of the enemy and speedily put to flight, or the sword, the exhausted and disheartened remnant. When Virginia saw this devoutly-prayed-for termination to the battle, she sank upon the ground as powerless and exhausted as if she too had been actively engaged. The Recluse stooping over O"Reily and feeling his head and wrist, hastened to the boat, and seizing the wooden vessel with which the water was usually bailed out, returned and bathed his face and temples. Not so swift were his motions however as to prevent his stopping for a moment at the boat and gazing with astonishment at Something which it contained; but there was little time for wonder, and he hastened on his errand. When Brian"s face was cleansed from blood it was found that the scalping knife of the old warrior had probably been struck from its intended destination so that the point had caught in one corner of his mouth and inflicted a wound of some magnitude across his face. While he was thus attended, Bacon hastened, with what speed he was able to exert, toward the spot where he had left his helpless companion. He found her just recovering from the listless stupor in which we left her. "Oh, Nathaniel!" was all that she was enabled to articulate as she fell into his arms, forgetting in the deep excitement of the moment every feeling save the strong and innocent affection which had so long existed between them.
Bacon placed her upon his horse, and taking the bridle in one hand, and holding her steady in her seat with the other, proceeded to the scene of the late mortal struggle. They found O"Reily sitting up, with his mouth already bandaged, and his late a.s.sistant and protector gone, having first, as Brian indistinctly muttered, pointed to the boat, as if there were something there which craved attention. Their own perceptions were now startled from the same quarter, by the sound of groans. Bacon ran to the spot, and found a female bound, and lying upon her face in the bottom of the boat. Having cut the cords and bathed her swollen face and temples, he speedily restored her to something like consciousness, and then bore her to the sh.o.r.e and laid her upon the ground. O"Reily now recognised her as Mrs. Jamieson, wife of Jamie Jamieson, princ.i.p.al fisherman to the town, whose hut, for convenient purposes in his avocation, was situated without the protection of the fort. This statement also accounted to Bacon for the presence of a quant.i.ty of fish netting in the boat, which doubtless excited the cupidity of the poor ignorant savages, who lay cold and lifeless at his feet.
New embarra.s.sments seemed to stare our wanderers in the face at every step on this eventful night. Scarcely was O"Reily restored to his senses, and Mrs. Jamieson to such a state as to give hopes of recovery, when it occurred to our hero that something must be done with the dead bodies. But when he came to reflect upon the appearance which the battle ground itself would present, he determined to leave the rest to chance, and to say nothing himself or through his follower, and thus leave the gossips of the town to account for the slaughter of the Indians as they might. Mrs. Jamieson was now carefully replaced in the boat, and O"Reily a.s.sisted to his post at the _tiller_, while Bacon, having seated Virginia, occupied Brian"s usual place at the oar, being the least injured of the two.
The former was for once in his life perfectly silent, perhaps owing to the awkward accident which had happened to his mouth, thereby rendering it difficult for him to enunciate with the true Hibernian pathos.
The females having been landed, Bacon desiring Virginia to sit by the still benumbed Mrs. Jamieson, returned for his horses, which were led by the side of the boat without any difficulty.
The whole party now proceeded to the fisherman"s hut, Bacon supporting the feeble steps of its exhausted mistress. Here a new disaster awaited them. A few yards from the house towards the river, they discovered the body of the fisherman himself, cold, stiff, and lifeless. O"Reily was directed to remain with the woman of the house until she should completely recover her senses, but on no account to stay longer, or enter into any explanations.
Bacon and Virginia entered the gate of the fort unchallenged, and proceeded to the house of Mr. Fairfax, when the latter entered as quietly and as unperceived as she had sallied forth; while he officiated as ostler to his own steed, which service being finished to his satisfaction he sought his apartment; the morning being far advanced towards the dawn of day. His slumbers, it may be readily imagined, were not profound and undisturbed,--the restless nervousness of over exertion in mind and body, being very similar in its effects to that of too much repose.
CHAPTER VI.