The Continental Dragoon

by Robert Neilson Stephens

  CHAPTER XIII.

  THE UNEXPECTED.

  Peyton's somewhat elate exit from the parlor was followed by a momentof silence and inertia on the part of the three who remained there.But Elizabeth's chagrin was speedily translated into anger againstMajor Colden.

  "Why didn't you fight him?" she demanded of that gentleman, who wasflinching inwardly, but who maintained a pale and haughty exterior.

  "What was the use?" he replied. "He's reserved for the gallows. If mytwo men were here! Why not send your servants after him? Sam is apowerful fellow, and Williams is shrewd and strong."

  Elizabeth ignored Colden's reply, and answered her own question,thus:

  "It was because you remembered the time he disarmed you, three yearsago."

  "You may think so, if you choose," he replied, in the patient mannerof one who quietly endures unjust reproaches when self-defence isuseless.

  "You will find refreshments in the dining-room," said Elizabeth,coldly. "Sam will show you to your room."

  "I would rather remain with you," he replied.

  "I would rather be alone with my aunt a while."

  A deep sigh expressed his dejecting sense of how futile it would be tooppose her.

  "As you will," he then said, and, bowing gravely, left the parlor.

  Elizabeth's feelings now burst out.

  "Oh," she exclaimed to her aunt, "what a chicken-hearted copy of aman! And he calls himself a soldier! I wonder where he found thespirit to volunteer!"

  "From you, my dear," replied Miss Sally. "Didn't you urge him to takea commission?"

  "And that rebel fellow had the best of it all through," Elizabeth wenton. "I was to see him laid low by his rival, as my crowning revenge!How he swaggered out! with what a look of triumph in his eye!And--aunt Sally! He won't come back! I shall never see him again!"

  "Why, child, do you wish to?"

  "Of course not! But I can't have him go away with the laugh on hisside! He made me ridiculous after my trying to stab him with my lovefor the other man. _Such_ another man! Oh, the rebel must come back!"

  "But he isn't likely to," said Miss Sally.

  "Oh, what shall I do?" wailed the niece.

  "Elizabeth, I'll wager you're still in love with him!"

  "I'm not! I hate him!--Well, what if I am? He loved me, I'm sure, thelast time he said it. But, good heavens, he's going farther away everyinstant!"

  She clasped her hands, and, for once, looked at her aunt for help,like a distressed child on the verge of weeping.

  "Why don't you call him back?" said Miss Sally.

  "I? Not if I die for want of seeing him!--I know! I _will_ send theservants after him." And she started for the door, but stopped at heraunt's comment:

  "But that will be as bad as calling him yourself."

  "Not at all, you empty pate!" cried Elizabeth, who had become, in amoment, all action. "While he's going around by the road, Williams andSam shall cut across the garden, lie in wait, and take him bysurprise. He has no weapon but a broken sword, and they can make himprisoner. They shall bring him back here bound, and he'll think he'sto be turned over to the British after all!"

  "But what then?"

  "Why, he shall be left alone here, well guarded, for half an hour,and then I'll happen in, give him an opportunity to make love again,and I can yield gracefully! Don't you see?"

  "Then you _do_ love him?" said the aunt.

  "I don't know. However, I don't love Jack Colden. Not a word to him,of this! I'm going to give orders to the men."

  As she entered the hall, she met Colden, who was coming from thedining-room with Mr. Valentine. The major had limited his refreshmentsto two glasses of brandy and water, swallowed in quick succession. Mr.Valentine, who was smoking his pipe, held Colden fraternally by thearm.

  "What, Elizabeth, are you still angry?" said Colden, stopping as shepassed.

  "Excuse me, I have something to see to," said the girl, coolly,hurrying away from him.

  He made a slight movement to follow her, but old Valentine drew himinto the parlor, saying:

  "Come, major, you'll see the lady enough after she's married to you. Iwas just going to say, the last lot of tobacco I got--"

  "Oh, damn your tobacco!" said the other, jerking his arm from the oldman's tremulous grasp.

  "Damn my tobacco?" echoed Mr. Valentine, quite stupefied.

  "Yes. I've matters more important on my mind just now."

  "The deuce!" cried the old man. "What could be more important thantobacco?"

  And he stood looking into the fire, muttering to himself betweenfurious puffs.

  Colden sought comfort of Miss Sally. "Was ever a woman as unreasonableas Elizabeth?" he said to her. "She'd have had me lower myself to meetthat rebel vagabond as one gentleman meets another."

  But Miss Sally was not going to betray her own disappointment byshowing a change from her oft-expressed opinion of the rebelcaptain,--particularly in the presence of Mr. Valentine. So sheanswered:

  "You met him so once, three years ago."

  "I had a less scrupulous sense of propriety then," replied Colden,raging inwardly.

  "But, as he's a rebel and deserter," pursued Miss Sally, "was it notyour duty as a soldier to take him, just now?"

  "I'd have done so, had my men been here," growled the major."Elizabeth ought to've had her servants hold him. I had half a mind toorder them, in the King's name, but I never can bring myself to opposeher, she's so masterful! By George, though, I'll have him yet! My twofellows will soon come up. They shall give chase. He will leave tracksin the snow."

  Colden went to the window, and peered out as Peyton himself had donenot long before. The flakes were coming down as thick as ever.

  "I don't see my rascals yet!" he muttered. "They've stopped at thetavern, I'll warrant."

  And he continued to gaze eagerly out, impatient that his men shouldarrive before the new-fallen snow should cover his enemy's tracks.

  Old Mr. Valentine, having exhausted his present stock of mutterings,now walked over to Miss Sally, who had sat down near the spinet.

  "Miss Williams," said he, "this is the first chance I've had to speakto you alone in a week."

  "But we're not alone," said Miss Sally, motioning her head towardsColden.

  "He's nobody," contemptuously replied the octogenarian. "A man thatdamns tobacco is nobody. So you may go ahead and speak out. What'syour answer, ma'am?"

  "Oh, Mr. Valentine, not now! You must give me time."

  "That's what you said before," he complained.

  She had, indeed, said it before, scores of times.

  "Well, give me more time, then," she replied.

  "How much?" asked the old man, in a matter-of-fact way.

  "Oh, I don't know! Long enough for me to make up my mind."

  Thus far, this conversation had followed in the exact lines of manythat had preceded it, but now Mr. Valentine made a departure from thecustomary form.

  "I think," said he, "if my other two wives had taken as long as you tomake up their minds, I shouldn't have been twice a widower by now."

  "Oh, Mr. Valentine!" said Miss Sally, in a sweetly reproachful way."Now you know--"

  But he cut her speech off short. "Very likely," said he. "I don'tknow. Well, take your time. Only please remember I haven't so verymuch time left! Better take me while I'm here to be had! Good night,ma'am!" And he went to the dining-room to fortify himself for his longhomeward walk through the snow.

  In crossing the hall, he saw Cuff on the settle in Sam's place. In thedining-room he met Molly, who was clearing the table of the supperthat Colden had disdained. He asked her the whereabouts of Williams,and she replied that the steward and Sam had gone out on some order ofMiss Elizabeth's. Deciding to await Williams's return, the old man satdown before the dining-room fire, and was soon peacefully snoring.

  Elizabeth had gone up-stairs to watch from her darkened window theissue of the expedition of Williams and Sam, who had gone out by thekitchen, equipped respectivel
y with rope and pistol. While they werein the immediate vicinity of the house, she could not see them fromher elevation, but presently she beheld them glide swiftly across awhite open space in the garden, cross a stile, and disappear among thetrees and bushes between the garden and the post-road. Turning hereyes to the road itself, that lonely highway now called Broadway,[9]she made out a solitary figure toiling forward through the whirlingwhiteness,--and she gave a sigh, the deepest and longest with whichher frame had ever trembled.

  Meanwhile Miss Sally remained in the parlor, thinking it best not togo to Elizabeth unless sent for; while Colden continued to stand atthe window, showing his impatience for the arrival of his two soldiersin a tense contracting of the brow, in a restless shifting from footto foot, and in intermittent stifled curses.

  As he kept his eyes on the place where the branch road left thehighway, he did not see that part of the lawn walk which led from thegarden. But suddenly a slight noise drew his look towards the porticobefore the east hall.

  "Who are these coming?" he cried, startling Miss Sally out of hermusings and her chair.

  "Are they your men?" she asked, hastening to join him at the window.

  "No, mine are mounted," said he. "Why,--these are Williams andSam,--and they are bringing,--yes, it is he! They're bringing him backa prisoner! She has done it, after all, without consulting me!" And hestrode to the centre of the room, in the utmost elation.

  Miss Sally weakened at the imminent prospect of a meeting between thetwo enemies in the changed circumstances, and felt the need of herniece's support.

  "I must tell Elizabeth they have him," she said, and ran out to theeast hall, and thence to the dining-room, just in time to avoid seeingPeyton led in through the outer door, which Cuff had opened atWilliams's call.

  The steward and Sam conducted their prisoner immediately into theparlor. There Colden stood, with a rancorously jubilant smile, toreceive him.

  Peyton's wrists were as Williams had tied them. He was without hishat, which had been knocked off in a brief struggle he had essayedagainst his captors in a moment when Sam had lowered the pistol. Therewas a little fresh snow on his hair, and more on his shoulders. Thefeet of his boots were cased with it. His left arm was held byWilliams, who carried the broken sword, having taken it from thescabbard at the first opportunity. Peyton's other arm was grasped bythe huge, bony left hand of Sam, who held the cocked pistol in hisright. The two men walked with him to the centre of the parlor, andstopped.

  "By George," said he, turning his face towards Sam, with fire in hiseyes, "had the snow not killed the sound of your sneaking footstepstill you'd caught my arms behind, I'd have done for the two of you!"

  "Good, Williams!" said Colden. "Place him on that chair, and leave himhere with me. But stay in the hall on guard."

  "So Miss Elizabeth ordered us, sir," said Williams, dryly, and, withSam, conducted Peyton to the chair, on which he sat willingly.

  "Of course she did," replied Colden. "Was it not at my suggestion?"

  Peyton looked sharply up at the major, who regarded him with theundisguised pleasure of hate about to be satisfied.

  Williams handed the broken sword to Colden, saying, "This was the onlyweapon he had, sir. We grabbed him before he could use it. We ran outbehind him from the roadside, and he couldn't hear us for the snow."

  "Ay, or the pair of you couldn't have taken me!" said Peyton, with hotscorn and defiant gameness.

  Colden, with the piece of sword, motioned Williams to go from theroom.

  "Leave the door ajar a little," he added, "so you can hear if Icall."

  Peyton uttered a short laugh of derision at this piece of prudence.The steward and Sam withdrew to the hall, where Sam remained, whileWilliams went in search of Elizabeth for further orders. As soon asshe had assured herself, by watching and listening, that Peyton wassafe in the parlor, she had stolen quietly down-stairs to thedining-room, where she had met her aunt, with whom the steward nowfound her sitting. She told him to get the duck-gun, make sure it wasloaded and primed, and to wait with Sam on the settle in the hall. Shethen requested her aunt to remain in the dining-room, silentlyreturned to the hall, and took station by the door leading from theparlor,--the door which Williams, at Colden's command, had leftslightly ajar. Her original plan, she felt, might have to be alteredby reason of Colden's having obtruded his hand into the game, apossibility she had not, in roughly sketching that plan, taken intoaccount. It was in order to have the guidance of circumstance, thatshe now put herself in the way of hearing, unseen, what might passbetween the two men. Meanwhile, through the snow-storm, Colden's twosoldiers, who had indeed tarried at the tavern for the heating up oftheir interiors, were blasphemously urging their sleepy horses towardsthe manor-house.

  In the parlor, the two enemies were facing each other, Peyton on hischair, his tied wrists behind him, Colden standing at some distancefrom him, holding the broken sword. As soon as they were alone, Peytonuttered another one-syllabled laugh, and said:

  "The hospitality of this house beats my recollection. One is alwayscoming back to it."

  "You'll not come back the next time you leave it!" said Major Colden,his eyes glittering with gratified rancor.

  "And when shall that time be?" asked Peyton, airily.

  "As soon as two of my men arrive, whom I outrode on my way hitherto-night. They attended me out of New York. I shall be generous andgive them over to you, to attend you _into_ New York."

  "Thanks for the escort!"

  "'Tis the only kind you rebels ever have, when you enter New York,"sneered the major.

  "We shall enter it with an escort of our own choosing some day! And asorry day that for you Tories and refugees, my dear gentleman!"

  "But if that day ever comes, _you'll_ have been rotting underground along time,--and thanks to _me_, don't forget that!"

  "Thanks to _her_, you coward!" cried Peyton. "'Twas she that sent herservants after me! You didn't dare try taking me, alone!"

  "Bah!" said Colden, hotly, "I might have pistolled you hereto-night"--and he placed his hand on the fire-arm in his belt--"butfor the presence of the ladies!"

  "Was it the ladies' presence," retorted Peyton, contemptuously, "orthe fact that you're a devilish bad shot?"

  Neither man heard the door moved farther open, or saw Elizabeth stepthrough the aperture to the inner side of the threshold, where shestopped and watched. Peyton's back was towards her, and Colden's rageat the last words was too intense to permit his eyes to rove from itsobject.

  "Damn you!" cried the major. "I'd show you how bad a shot I am, butthat I'd rather wait and see you on the gallows!"

  "Will _she_ come to see me there, I wonder?" said Peyton, halfthoughtfully. "She ought to, for it's her work sends me there, notyours! 'Twill not be _your_ revenge when they string me up, my jollyfriend!"

  Taunted beyond all self-control, the Tory yelled:

  "Not mine, eh? Then I'll have mine now, you dog!"

  With that, he strode forward and struck Harry a fierce blow across theface with the flat side of Harry's own broken sword.

  Harry merely blinked his eyes, and did not flinch. He turned pale,then red, and in a moment, first clearing his voice of a slighthuskiness, said, quietly:

  "That blow I charge against you both,--the lady as well as you!"

  Colden had stepped back some distance after delivering the blow.Something in Harry's answer seemed to infuriate still further thedevil awakened in the Tory's body, for he cried out:

  "The lady as well as me,--yes! And this, too!"

  And he advanced on Peyton, to strike a second time.

  "Stop! How dare you?"

  The cry was Elizabeth's. It startled Colden so that he loosened hishold of the broken sword before he could deliver the blow. At thatinstant, she caught his arm in her one hand, the sword-guard in herother. She tore the weapon from his grasp, and faced him with acountenance as furious as his own.

  "What do you mean?" he cried.

  For answer she struck h
im in the face with the flat of the sword, ashe had struck Peyton. "You sneak!" she said.

  He recoiled, and stood staring, a ghastly image of bewilderment andconsternation. After a moment he turned livid.

  "Ah! I see now!" he gasped. "You love him!"

  "Yes!" came the answer, prompt and decided.

  He gazed at her with such an expression as a painter of hell mightput into the face of a lost soul, and he said, faintly, in a kind ofarticulate moan:

  "I might have known!"

  Suddenly there came from the outer night the exclamation, quick anddistinct:

  "Whoa!"