CHAPTER XXII
_Showing the Desperate and Bloody Combat which took place in the DarkVaults._
'You will pray for death in vain; death shall not come to your relieffor years,' were the words of the miscreant who had shut up poor Frankin that loathsome dungeon;--and like a weight of lead, that awful doomoppressed and crushed the heart of our hero, as he lay stretched uponthe stone floor of the cell, with the maniac Dwarf gibbering beside him,and staring at him with its serpent-like and malignant eyes.
While lying there, weak with hunger, and his soul filled with despair, awild delirium took possession of his senses, and in his diseased mindhorror succeeded horror. First, the misshaped Dwarf seemed transformedinto a huge vulture, about to tear him to pieces with its strong talons;then it became a gigantic reptile, about to discharge upon him a delugeof poisonous slime; then it changed to the Evil One, come to bear him toperdition. Finally, as the wildest paroxysms of his delirium subsided,the creature stood before him as the Image and spirit of the Dead Man,appointed to torture and to drive him mad.
'Die, thou fiend incarnate!' he exclaimed, in a phrenzy of rage anddespair; and starting from the ground, he rushed upon the creature andattempted to strangle it. But with an appalling yell, it struggled fromhis grasp, and leaping upon his shoulders bore him to the earth with aforce that stunned him; and then it fastened its teeth in his flesh andbegan to drink his blood.
But the fates willed that Sydney was not thus to die; for at that momentthe iron door was suddenly thrown open, and the glare of a lantern shoneinto the dungeon; then there entered a person whose features wereconcealed by a hideous mask, and the dwarf quitted its hold of thevictim, and flew screaming into a corner.
'He must be revived ere he is brought to judgement,' said the Mask; andhe raised Sydney in his arms, carried him out of the dungeon, andfastened the door.
Then the Mask stepped upon the platform with his burden, and descendedinto the dark abyss. When Frank recovered his senses, he found himselfin a sort of cavern which was lighted by a lamp suspended from theceiling. He was lying upon a rude bed; and near him, silent andmotionless, sat a masked figure.
'Where am I--and who art thou?' demanded our hero, in a feeble tone, asa vague terror stole over him.
The Mask replied not, but rising, brought him a cup of wine and somefood, of which he partook with eagerness. Much refreshed, he sank backupon his pillow, and fell into a long, deep slumber. When he awoke, hefound himself in the same cavern, on the same bed, and guarded as beforeby the mysterious Mask, who now spoke for the first time.
'Arise and follow me,' said he.--Sydney obeyed, and followed the Unknownthrough a long passage, and into a vast hall or cavern, brilliantlylighted. Glancing around him, he saw at once that he was in the DarkVaults, in that part called the 'Infernal Regions,' the rendezvous ofthe band of miscreants known as the 'Jolly Knights of the Round Table.'
Seated around that table was a company of men, to the number of aboutfifty, all so hideously masked, that they seemed like a band of demonsjust released from the bottomless pit. They sat in profound silence, andwere all so perfectly motionless that they might have been taken forstatues rudely chiseled from the solid rock.
In the centre of the table, upon a coffin, sat the Judge of that awfultribunal, arrayed from head to foot in a blood-red robe: he wore nomask--why need he? What mask could exceed in hideousness the countenanceof the Dead Man?
Sydney was compelled to mount the table, and seat himself before hisJudge, who thus addressed him:--
'Prisoner, you are now in the presence of our august and powerfulband,--the Knights of the Round Table, of which I have honor to be theCaptain. I am also Judge and Executioner.--The charges I have againstyou are already known to every Knight present. It but remains for themto pronounce you guilty, and for me to pass and execute sentence uponyou. Attention, Knights! those of you who believe the prisoner to beguilty, and worthy of such punishment as I shall choose to inflict uponhim, will _stand up_!'
Every masked figure arose, excepting _one_! and that one remained silentand motionless. To him the judge turned with a savage scowl.
'How now, Doctor!' he cried in a voice of thunder--'do you dare dissentfrom the decision of your comrades? Stand upon your feet, or by G----I'll spring upon you and tear you limb from limb!'
But the Doctor stirred not.
'By hell!' roared the Dead Man, foaming with rage--'dare you disobey theorders of your Captain? Villain, do you seek your own death?'
'_Dare?_' exclaimed the Doctor, tearing off his mask, and confrontinghis ruffian leader with an unquailing eye--'_dare!_ Why, thouwhite-livered hound, I dare spit upon and spurn ye! And forsooth, yecall me a villain--you coward cut-throat, traitor, monster, murderer ofweak women and helpless babes! I tell you, Dead Man, your Power is at anend in these Vaults. There are robbers, there may be murderershere--although thank God, _I_ never shed human blood--but bad as we are,your damnable villainy, your cruelty and your tyranny have disgusted us.I for one submit to your yoke no longer; so may the devil take you, andwelcome!'
Sydney now for the first time recognized in the speaker, the sameindividual who sought to rob him one night in the Park, and whosegratitude he had won by presenting him with a fifty dollar bill.
The Dead Man glared from some moments in silence upon the bold fellowwho thus defied him. At length he spoke--
'Fool! you have presumed to dispute my authority as Captain of thisband, and your life is forfeit to our laws. But, by Satan! I admire yourcourage, and you shall not die without having a chance for your life.You shall fight me, hand to hand--here to-night, at once; the Knightsshall form a ring, and we will arm ourselves with Bowie knives; _cutand slash_ shall be the order of the combat; no quarters shall be shown;and he who cuts out his adversary's heart, and presents it to the bandon the point of his knife, shall be Captain of the Round Table. Say doyou agree to this?'
'Yes!' replied the Doctor, much to the disappointment of his challenger,who would have been glad had the offer been rejected. However, there wasno retracting, and instant preparations were made for the combat. Sydneywas placed in charge of two men, in order to prevent his escape; and theKnights formed themselves into a large ring, while the combatantsprepared for the encounter. Both men stripped to the skin; around theirleft arms they wrapped blankets to serve as shields; and in their righthands, they grasped long, sharp Bowie knives, whose blades glittered inthe brilliant light of the many candles. All was soon ready, and theadversaries entered the ring, amid profound silence.--Poor Sydneycontemplated the scene with painful interest; how sincerely he prayedthat the Doctor might prove victorious in the combat!
Gaunt and bony, the Dead Man looked like a skeleton; yet the immensemuscles upon his fleshless arms, indicated prodigious strength. Helooked terribly formidable, with his livid face, deadly eye and jawsfirmly set--his long fingers clutching his knife with an iron grasp, andhis left arm raised to protect himself.--The Doctor was a large,dark-complexioned, handsome man--an Apollo in beauty and a Hercules instrength, presenting a singular contrast to the hideous, misshapen beingwith whom he was about to engage in deadly conflict.
Cautiously they advanced towards each other, with knives upraised.Standing scarce five feet apart, they eyed each other for two minutes;not a muscle moved; with a howl like that of a hyena, the Dead Mansprang upon his enemy, and gave him a severe gash upon his shoulder; butthe Doctor, who was an accomplished pugilist, knocked his assailantdown, and favored him with a kick in the jaw that left its mark for manya day, and did not enhance his beauty.
The Dead Man arose, grinding his teeth with passion, but advancing withextreme caution. By a rapid and dexterous movement of his foot, hetripped the Doctor down, and having him at that disadvantage, was aboutto bury his knife in his heart, when several of the band rushed forwardand prevented him, exclaiming--
'When you were down, the Doctor suffered you to regain your feet, andyou shall allow him the same privilege. Begin again on equal terms, andhe who g
ets the first advantage, shall improve it.'
'Curses on you for this interference,' growled the ruffian, as hereluctantly suffered the Doctor to arise. The combat was then renewedwith increased vigor on both sides. Severe cuts were given and received;two of the Doctor's fingers were cut off, and Sydney began to fear thathe would be vanquished, when, rallying desperately, he closed with theDead Man, and with one tremendous stroke, severed the miscreant's righthand from his wrist! Thus disabled, he fell to the ground, bathed inblood.
'I'll not take your life, miserable dog,' cried the Doctor, as hesurveyed his fallen adversary with a look of contempt--'as I havedeprived you of that murderous hand, you shall live. You are nowcomparatively harmless--an object of pity rather than of fear. I am asurgeon, and will exert my skill to stop the effusion of blood.'
The Dead Man had fainted. He was laid upon the Round Table, and theDoctor dressed the wound. Then he turned to his comrades, and said,'Gentlemen of the Round Table, you will admit that I have fairlyconquered our leader; I have spared his life not in the hope that hewill ever become a better man, for that is impossible--but that he maybe reserved for a worse fate than death by my knife. He shall live todie a death of horror.'
The band crowded around the Doctor, clapping their hands, andexclaiming--'Hail to our new Captain!'
'Not so,' cried the Doctor--'to-night I leave this band forever. Nay,hear me, comrades--you know that I am not a bad man by nature--you areaware that I have been driven to this life by circumstances which Icould not control. You are satisfied that I never will betray you; letthat suffice. Should any of you meet me hereafter, you will find in me afriend, provided you are inclined to be honest.--I have a word to say inregard to this prisoner; he is my benefactor, having once supplied mywants when I was in a condition of deep distress. I am grateful to him,and wish to do him a service. He has been brought before you by theCaptain, for some private wrongs, which have not affected you as a band.Say, comrades, will you set him free?'
Many of the band seemed inclined to grant this favor; but one, whopossessed much influence, turned the current of feeling against Sydney,by saying--
'Comrades, listen to me. Though our Captain is conquered, we will not dohim injustice. This man is his prisoner, captured by his hand, and _he_alone can justly release him. Let the Doctor depart, since he wishes it;but let the prisoner be kept in custody; to be disposed of as ourCaptain may see proper.'
This speech was received with applause by the others. The Doctor knew itwould be useless to remonstrate; approaching Sydney, he whispered--
'Have courage, sir--in me you have a friend who will never desert you. Ishall be constantly near you to aid you at the first opportunity.Farewell.'
He pressed Sydney's hand, bade adieu to his comrades, and left theVaults.
The Dead Man slowly revived; on opening his eyes, his first glancerested upon his prisoner, and a gleam of satisfaction passed over hisghastly visage. At his request, two of the band raised him from thetable, and placed him in a chair; then, in a feeble voice, he said--
'Eternal curses on you all, why have you suffered the Doctor to escape?Hell and fury--my right hand cut off!--But no matter; I shall learn tomurder with the other. Ha, Sydney! you are there, I see; the Doctor maygo, in welcome, since _you_ are left to feel my vengeance. I am too weakat present to enjoy the sight of your torture, and the music of yourgroans. Back to your dungeon, dog; yet stay--the dwarf may kill you, andthus cheat me of my revenge; it is not safe to confine you with him anylonger. Maggot and Bloodhound, take Sydney and shut him up in the_Chamber of Death_.'
Two of the worst villains of the gang, who answered to the singularnames of Maggot and Bloodhound, seized Sydney by his arms, and draggedhim along one of the dark passages which branched off from the Vault.The Dead Man himself followed, bearing a lantern in his only remaininghand.
They arrived at a low iron door, in which was a grating formed of thickbars of the same metal. This door being opened, the party descended aflight of stone steps, and entered an apartment of great extent wherethe damp, chill air was so charged with noxious vapours, that the lightof the lantern was almost extinguished. The stone walls and floor ofthis dungeon were covered with green damp; and from the ceiling in manyplaces dripped a foul moisture. The further extremity of the place wasinvolved in a profound darkness which could not be dissipated by feeblerays of the lamp.
'Here,' said the Dead Man, addressing his prisoner--'you will be kept inconfinement for the rest of your life--a confinement varied only bydifferent modes of torture which I shall apply to you, from time totime. This dungeon is called the Chamber of Death--for what reason youwill ere long find out. It is built directly under the sewers of thecity, which accounts for the liquid filth that oozes through theceiling. Many persons have been shut up in this place, for offencesagainst our band and against me; and not one of them has ever got out,either alive or dead! To-morrow I shall visit you, and bring youfood--for I do not wish you to die of hunger; I will endeavor toprotract, not shorten your life, so that I may longer enjoy the pleasureof torturing you. To-morrow, perhaps, you shall receive your firstlesson in my methods of torture. Adieu--come, comrades, let's leave himthe lamp, that he may contemplate the horrors of the place--for darknesshere is bliss.'
The three villains ascended the steps and left the dungeon, having firstcarefully locked the door.
Poor Sydney fell upon his knees on the cold, damp floor, and prayedearnestly for either a safe deliverance from that awful place, or aspeedy death. Somewhat comforted by the appeal to a Supreme Being, whoseexistence all men acknowledge in times of peril, he arose, and takingthe lamp resolved to explore the dungeon. He had not proceeded farbefore a spectacle met his gaze which caused him to pause in horror andaffright.
Seated around a vast table, was a row of figures fantastically dressedand in every extravagant attitude. At first, Frank thought that theywere living creatures; but observing that they did not move, heapproached nearer, and discovered that they were skeletons. Some weredressed as males, others as females; and many of them, in fearfulmockery of death, had been placed in attitudes the most obscene andindecent. Presiding over this ghastly revel, was a gigantic skeleton,arrayed in what had once been a splendid theatrical dress, and graspingin its fleshless hand a large gilt goblet; this figure was seated on asort of throne, made of rough boards.
These were the skeletons of those who had died in the Vaults, as well asof those persons who, having fallen into the power of the band ofvillains, had been murdered in that dungeon, by starvation or torture.With infernal ingenuity, the Dead Man had arrayed the skeletons infanciful costumes, which had been plundered from the wardrobe of atheatre; and placed them in the most absurd and indecent positions hishellish fancy could devise. The large skeleton, which seemed to presideover the others, was the remains of a former Captain of the band,celebrated for his many villainies and gigantic stature.
While gazing upon this figure, Sydney distinctly saw the head, or skull,nod at him. Astonished at this, yet doubting the evidence of his owneyesight, he approached nearer, and held the lamp close up to it; againit moved, so plainly as to admit of no further doubt. Our hero was notsuperstitious, but the strangeness of this incident almost terrifiedhim, and he was about to make a rapid retreat to the other side of thedungeon, when the mystery was explained in a manner that would have beenludicrous under any other circumstances: a large cat leaped from theskull, where it had taken up an abode, and scampered off, to the greatrelief of Sydney, who was glad to find that the nod of the skeletonproceeded from such a trifling cause.
On the back of each chair whereon was seated a member of the ghostlycompany was written the name which he or she had borne during life.Judges, magistrates and police officers were there, who had renderedthemselves obnoxious to the gang, in years past, by vigilance indetecting, or severity in passing sentences upon many of its members.These individuals had been waylaid by their ruffian enemies, and made todie a lingering death in that dungeon; their fate was ne
ver known totheir friends, and their sudden and unaccountable removal from theworld, was chronicled in the newspapers, at the time, under the head of_mysterious disappearance_. Ladies, whose testimony had tended to theconviction of the band, were there; but their fate had been doublyhorrible, for previous to their imprisonment in the dungeon, they hadbeen dishonored by the vile embraces of almost every ruffian in theVaults; and even after death, they had been placed in attitudes unseemlyand shameful. But the horror of Sydney, while beholding these things,was soon absorbed in a discovery which to him was ten times morehorrible than all the rest; for written on the chair of a female figure,was the name of his aunt Mrs. Stevens!
It will be remembered that this lady was murdered by the Dead Man, ather residence in Grand Street; on the night of the masquerade ball, inorder to prevent her giving favorable testimony at the trial of Sydney.Having been found, suspended by the neck, it was at first supposed thatshe committed suicide; but that belief was removed from the public mind,when it was found that a robbery had been committed in the house. It wasthen apparent that she had been inhumanely murdered. Her servanttestified that a strange man had called on her mistress that eveningwhom she would not be able to recognize, his face having been concealedin the folds of his cloak. After admitting him into the house, andcalling Mrs. Stevens, the girl had gone out on a short errand, and onher return, found her mistress in the situation described, and quitedead. The old lady was buried; but her murderer broke open the tomb, andcarried the corpse to the dungeon of the Vaults, where he had placed herwith the other victims, in the position in which Sydney, her nephew, nowfound her.
'It is as I suspected,' thought our hero, as he sadly viewed the remainsof his poor aunt--'that villain murdered her, and now it is forever outof my power to avenge her blood. Ha! what's this?--_my name_, upon anempty chair.'
And so it was; the name, Francis Sydney, was written out on the back ofan unoccupied chair; he comprehended that this was designated to be_his_ seat when he should form one of that awful crew, in the chamber ofDeath.
Suddenly, the damp, foul air of the place extinguished the light of hislamp, and he found himself in total darkness.
City Crimes; Or, Life in New York and Boston Page 22
