"Aunt, she"s lost," he exclaimed; "the brain of my _colleen dhas_ is turned!"
"John, won"t you save me from the Dead Boxer? There"s n.o.body able to do it but you, Lamh Laudher Oge!"
"Aunt, aunt, my girl"s destroyed," said John, "her heart"s broke!
Ellen!"
"But to-morrow, John--to-morrow--sure yo" won"t fight him to-morrow?--if you do--if you do he"ll kill you--an" "twas I that--that"----
O"Rorke had not thought of raising her from the posture in which she addressed him, so completely had he been overcome by the frantic vehemence of her manner. He now s.n.a.t.c.hed her up, and placed her in the little arm-chair alluded to; but she had scarcely been seated in it, when her hands became clenched, her head sank, and the heavy burthen of her sorrows was forgotten in a long fit of insensibility.
Lamh Laudher"s distraction and alarm prevented him from rendering her much a.s.sistance; but the aunt was more cool, and succeeded with considerable difficulty in restoring her to life. The tears burst in thick showers from her eyelids, she drew her breath vehemently and rapidly, and, after looking wildly around her, indulged in that natural grief which relieves the heart by tears. In a short time she became composed, and was able to talk collectedly and rationally.
This, indeed, was the severest trial that Lamh Laudher had yet sustained. With all the force of an affection as strong and tender as it was enduring and disinterested, she urged him to relinquish his determination to meet the Dead Boxer on the following day. John soothed her, chid her, and even bantered her, as a cowardly girl, unworthy of being the sister of Meehaul Neil, but to her, as well as to all others who had attempted to change his purpose, he was immovable. No; the sense of his disgrace had sunk too deep into his heart, and the random allusions just made by Ellen herself to the Dead Boxer"s villainy, but the more inflamed his resentment against him.
On finding his resolution irrevocable, she communicated to him in a whisper the message which the stranger had sent him. Lamh Laudher, after having heard it, raised his arm rapidly, and his eye gleamed with something like the exultation of a man who has discovered a secret that he had been intensely anxious to learn. Ellen could now delay no longer, and their separation resembled that of persons who never expected to meet again. If Lamh Laudher could at this moment have affected even a show of cheerfulness, in spite of Ellen"s depression it would have given her great relief. Still, on her part, their parting was a scene of agony and distress which no description could reach, and on his, it was sorrowful and tender; for neither felt certain that they would ever behold each other in life again.
A dark sunless morning opened the eventful day of this fearful battle.
Gloom and melancholy breathed a sad spirit over the town and adjacent country. A sullen breeze was abroad, and black clouds drifted slowly along the heavy sky. The Dead Boxer again had recourse to his pageantries of death. The funeral bell tolled heavily during the whole morning, and the black flag flapped more dismally in the sluggish blast than before. At an early hour the town began to fill with myriads of people. Carriages and cars, hors.e.m.e.n and pedestrians, all thronged in one promiscuous stream towards the scene of interest. A dense mult.i.tude stood before the inn, looking with horror on the death flag, and watching for a glimpse of the fatal champion. From this place hundreds of them pa.s.sed to the house of Lamh Laudher More, and on hearing that the son resided in his aunt"s they hurried towards her cabin to gratify themselves with a sight of the man who dared to wage battle with the Dead Boxer. From this cabin, as on the day before, they went to the church-yard, where a platform had already been erected beside the grave.
Against the railings of the platform stood the black coffin intended for Lamh Laudher, decorated with black ribbons that fluttered gloomily in the blast. The sight of this and of the grave completed the wonder and dread which they felt. As every fresh ma.s.s of the crowd arrived, low murmurs escaped them, they raised their heads and eyes exclaiming--
"Poor Lamh Laudher! G.o.d be merciful to him!"
As the morning advanced, O"Rorke"s faction, as a proof that they were determined to consider the death of their leader as a murder, dressed themselves in red ribbons, a custom occasionally observed in Ireland even now, at the funerals of those who have been murdered. Their appearance pa.s.sing to and fro among the crowd made the scene with all its a.s.sociations absolutely terrible. About eleven o"clock they went in a body to widow Rorke"s, for the purpose of once more attempting to dissuade him against the fight. Here most unexpected intelligence awaited them--_Lamh Laudher Oge_ had disappeared. The aunt stated that he had left the house with a strange man, early that morning, and that he had not returned. Ere many minutes the rumor was in every part of the town, and strong disappointment was felt, and expressed against him in several round oaths, by the mult.i.tude in general. His father, however, declared his conviction that his son would not shrink from what he had undertaken, and he who had not long before banished him for cowardice, now vouched for his courage. At the old man"s suggestion, his friends still adhered to their resolutions of walking to the scene of conflict in a body. At twenty minutes to twelve o"clock, the black flag was removed from the inn window, the m.u.f.fled drums beat, and the music played the same dead march as on the days of uttering the challenge.
In a few minutes the Dead Boxer, accompanied by some of the neighboring gentry, made his appearance, preceded by the flag. From another point, the faction of Lamb Laudher fluttering in blood-red ribbons, marched at a solemn pace towards the church-yard. On arriving opposite his aunt"s, his mother wept aloud, and with one voice all the females who accompanied her, raised the Irish funeral cry. In this manner, surrounded by all the solemn emblems of death, where none was dead, they slowly advanced until they reached the platform. The Dead Boxer, attended by his own servant, as second, now ascended the stage, where he stood for a few minutes, until his repeater struck twelve. That moment he began to strip, which having done, he advanced to the middle of the stage, and in a deep voice required the authorities of the town to produce their champion. To this no answer was returned, for not a man of them could account for the disappearance of Lamh Laudher. A wavy motion, such as pa.s.ses over the forest top under a low blast, stirred the whole mult.i.tude; this was the result of many feelings, but that which prevailed amongst them was disappointment. A second time the Dead Boxer repeated the words, but except the stir and hum which we have described, there was not a voice heard in reply. Lamh Laudher"s very friends felt mortified, and the decaying spirit of Lamh Laudher More rallied for a moment. His voice alone was heard above the dead silence,--
"He will come, back," said he, "my son will come; and I would now rather see him dead than that he should fear to be a man."
He had scarcely spoken, when a loud cheer, which came rapidly onward, was heard outside the church-yard. A motion and a violent thrusting aside, accompanied by a second shout, "he"s here!" gave intimation of his approach. In about a minute, to the manifest delight of all present, young Lamh Laudher, besmeared with blood, leaped upon the platform.
He looked gratefully at the crowd, and in order to prevent perplexing inquiries, simply said--
"Don"t be alarmed--I had a slight accident, but I"m not the worse of it."
The cheers of the mult.i.tude were now enough to awaken the dead beneath them; and when they had ceased, his father cried out--
"G.o.d support you, boy--you"re my true son; an" I know you"ll show them what the Lamh Laudher blood an" the Lamh Laudher blow is."
The young man looked about him for a moment, and appeared perplexed.
"I"m here alone," said he; "is there any among you that will second me?"
Hundreds immediately volunteered this office; but there was one who immediately sprung upon the stage, to the no small surprise of all present--it was Meehaul Neil. He approached Lamh Laudher and extended his hand, which was received with cordiality.
"Meehaul," said O"Rorke, "I thank you for this."
"Do not," replied the other; "no man has such a right to stand by you now as I have. I never knew till this mornin" why you did not strike me the last night we met."
The Dead Boxer stood with his arms folded, sometimes looking upon the crowd, and occasionally glaring at his young" and fearless antagonist.
The latter immediately stripped, and when he "stood out erect and undaunted upon the stage, although his proportions were perfect, and his frame active and ma.s.sy, yet when measured with the Herculean size of the Dead Boxer, he appeared to have no chance.
"Now," said he to the black, "by what rules are we to fight?"
"If you consult me," said the other, "perhaps it is best that every man should fight as he pleases. You decide that. I am the challenger."
"Take your own way, then," said O"Rorke; "but you have a secret, black--do you intend to use it?"
"Certainly, young fellow."
"I have my secret, too," said Lamh Laudher; "an" now I give you warning that I will put it in practice."
"All fair; but we are losing time," replied the man of color, putting himself in an att.i.tude. "Come on."
Their seconds stood back, and both advanced to the middle of the stage.
The countenance of the black, and his huge chest, resembled rather a colossal statue of bronze, than the bust of a human being. His eye gleamed at Lamh Laudher with baleful flashes of intense hatred. The spectators saw, however, that the dimensions of Lamh Laudher gained considerably by his approximation to the black. The dusky color of the Boxer added apparently to his size, whilst the healthful light which lay upon the figure of his opponent took away, as did his elegance, grace, and symmetry, from the uncommon breadth and fulness of his bust.
Several feints were made by the black, and many blows aimed, which Lamh Laudher, by his natural science and activity, parried; at length a blow upon the temple shot him to the boards with great violence, and the hearts of the spectators, which were all with him, became fearfully depressed.
O"Rorke, having been raised, shook his head as if to throw off the influence of the blow. Neil afterwards declared that when coming to the second round, resentment and a sense of having suffered in the opinion of the mult.i.tude by the blow which brought him down, had strung his muscular power into such a state of concentration, that his arms became as hard as oak. On meeting again he bounded at the Boxer, and by a single blow upon the eye-brow felled him like an ox. So quickly was it sent home, that the black had not activity to guard against it; on seeing which, a short and exulting cheer rose from the mult.i.tude. We are not now giving a detailed account of this battle, as if reporting it for a newspaper; it must suffice to say, that Lamh Laudher was knocked down twice, and the Dead Boxer four times, in as many rounds. The black, on coming to the seventh round, laughed, whilst the blood trickled down his face. His frame appeared actually agitated with inward glee, and indeed a more appalling species of mirth was never witnessed.
It was just when he approached Lamh Laudher, chuckling hideously, his black visage reddened with blood, that a voice from the crowd shouted--
"He"s laughing--the blow"s coming--O"Rorke, remember your instructions."
The Boxer advanced, and began a series of feints, with the intention of giving that murderous blow which he was never known to miss. But before he could put his favorite stratagem in practice, the activity of O"Rorke antic.i.p.ated his _ruse_, for in the dreadful energy of his resentment he not only forgot the counter-secret which had been, confided to him, but every other consideration for the moment. With the spring of a tiger he leaped towards the black, who by the act was completely thrown off his guard. This was more than O"Rorke expected. The opportunity, however, he did not suffer to pa.s.s; with the rapidity of lightning he struck the savage on the neck, immediately under the ear. The Dead Boxer fell, and from his ears, nostrils, and mouth the clear blood sprung out, streaking, in a fearful manner, his dusky neck and chest. His second ran to raise him, but his huge woolly head fell from side to side with an appearance of utter lifelessness. In a few minutes, however, he rallied, and began to snort violently, throwing his arms and limbs about him with a quivering energy, such as, in strong men who die unwasted by disease, frequently marks the struggle of death. At length he opened his eyes, and after fastening them upon his triumphant opponent with one last glare of hatred and despair, he ground his teeth, clenched his gigantic hands, and stammering out, "Fury of h.e.l.l! I--I--d.a.m.nation!" This was his last exclamation, for he suddenly plunged again, extended his shut fist towards Lamh Laudher, as if he would have crushed him even in death, then becoming suddenly relaxed, his head fell upon his shoulder, and after one groan, he expired on the very spot where he had brought together the apparatus of death for another.
CHAPTER VIII.
When the spectators saw and heard what had occurred, their acclamations rose to the sky; cheer after cheer pealed from the graveyard over a wide circuit of the country. With a wild luxury of triumph they seized O"Rorke, placed him on their shoulders, and bore him in triumph through every street in the town. All kinds of mad but good-humored excesses were committed. The public houses were filled with those who had witnessed the fight, songs were sung, healths were drank, and blows given. The streets, during the remainder of the day, were paraded by groups of his townsmen belonging to both factions, who on that occasion buried their mutual animosity in exultation for his victory.
The worthy burghers of the corporation, who had been both frightened and disgusted at the dark display made by the Dead Boxer previous to the tight, put his body in the coffin that had been intended for Lamh Laudher, and without any scruple, took it up, and went in procession with the black flag before them, the death bell again tolling, and the musicians playing the dead march, until they deposited his body in the inn.
After Lamh Laudher had been chaired by the people, and borne throughout every nook of the town, he begged them to permit him to go home. With a fresh volley of shouts and hurras they proceeded, still bearing him in triumph towards his father"s house, where they left him, after a last and deafening round of cheers. Our readers can easily fancy the pride of his parents and friends on receiving him.
"Father," said he, "my name"s" cleared. I hope I have the Lamh Laudher blood in me still. Mother, you never doubted me, but you wor forced to give way."
"My son, my son," said the father, embracing him, "my n.o.ble boy! There never was one of your name like you. You"re the flower of us all!"
His mother wept with joy and pressed him repeatedly to her heart; and all his relations were as profuse as they were sincere in their congratulations.
"One thing troubles us," observed his parents, "what will become of his wife? John dear," said his mother, "my heart aches for her."
"G.o.d knows and so does mine," exclaimed the father; "there is goodness about her."
"She is freed from a tyrant and a savage," replied their son, "for he was both, and she ought to be thankful that she"s rid of him. But you don"t know that there was an attempt made on my life this mornin"."