with lee in virginia-第43节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





〃BY　THE　way；　Dan；〃　Vincent　said　when　the　negro　had　finished　his

meal；　〃we　have　not　talked　over　that　matter　of　my　clothes。　　I　can't

imagine　how　that　letter　saying　that　one　of　us　was　disguised　as　a

minister　and　would　have　a　negro　servant　came　to　be　written。　　Did

you　ever　tell　the　people　you　lodged　with　anything　about　the

disguise？〃



〃No；　sah；　neber　said　one　word　to　dem　about　it；　dey　know　nothing

whatsoeber。　　De　way　me　do　wid　your　letter　was　dis。　　Me　go　outside

town　and　wait　for　long　time。　　At　last　saw　black　follow　coming

along。　　Me　say　to　him；　'Can　you　read？'　and　he　said　as　he　could。　　I

said　'I　got　a　letter；　I　want　to　read　him；　I　gib　you　a　quarter　to　read

him　to　me；'　so　he　said　yes；　and　he　read　do　letter。　　He　a　long　time　of

making　it　out；　because　he　read　print　but　not　read　writing　well。　　He

spell　it　out　word　by　word；　but　I　don't　tink　he　understand　dat　it

come　from　prison；　only　dat　it　come　from　some　one　who　wanted

some　rope　and　a　turn…screw。　　Me　do　just　de　same　way　wid　de

second　letter。　　As　for　de　clothes；　me　buy　dem　dat　day；　make　dem

up　in　bundle；　and　not　go　back　to　lodging　at　all。　　Me　not　know　how

any　one　could　know　dat　I　buy　dat　minister　clothes　for　you；　sah。　

Me　told　de　storekeeper　dat　dey　was　for　cousin　of　mine；　who　preach

to　de　colored　folk；　and　dat　I　send　him　suit　as　present。　Onless　dat

man　follow　me　and　watch　me　all　de　time　till　we　go　off　together；

sah；　me　no　see　how　de　debbil　he　guess　about　it。〃



〃That's　quite　impossible；　Dan；　it　never　could　have　been　that　way。　

It　is　very　strange；　for　it　would　really　seem　that　no　one　but　you　and　I

and　the　other　two　officers　could　possibly　know　about　it。〃



〃Perhaps　one　of　dem　want　to　do　you　bad　turn；　massa；　and　write　so

as　to　get　you　caught　and　shut　up　again。〃



Vincent　started　at　the　suggestion。　　Was　it　possible　that　Jackson

could　have　done　him　this　bad　turn　after　his　having　aided　him　to

make　his　escape　　It　would　be　a　villainous　trick；　but　then　he　had

always　thought　him　capable　of　villainous　tricks；　and　it　was　only

the　fact　that　they　were　thrown　together　in　prison　that　had　induced

him　to　make　up　his　quarrel　with　him；　but　though　Jackson　had

accepted　his　advances；　it　was　probable　enough　that　he　had　retained

his　bad　feeling　against　him；　and　had　determined；　if　possible；　to

have　his　revenge　on　the　first　opportunity。



〃The　scoundrel；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃after　my　getting　him　free；　to

inform　against　me！　　Of　course　I　have　no　proof　of　it；　but　I　have　not

the　least　doubt　that　it　was　him。　If　we　ever　meet　again；　Mr。　Jackson；

I　will　have　it　out　with　you。〃



〃You　got　two　pistols；　sah；〃　Dan　said　presently。　　〃How　you　get

dem？〃



〃The　lady　of　that　house　gave　them　to　me；　Dan；　they　are　one　for　you

and　one　for　me。〃



〃Dis　chile　no　want　him；　sah；　not　know　what　to　do　wid　him。　　Go　off

and　shoot　myself；　for　sure。〃



〃Well；　I　don't　suppose　you　would　do　much　good　with　it；　Dan。　　As　I

am　a　good　shot；　perhaps　I　had　better　keep　them　both。　　You　might

load　them　for　me　as　I　fire　them。〃



〃Berry　well；　sah；　you　show　me　hew　to　load；　me　load。〃



Vincent　showed　Dan　how　to　extricate　the　discharged　cartridge…

cases　and　to　put　in　fresh　ones；　and　after　a　quarter　of　an　hour's

practice　Dan　was　able　to　do　this　with　some　speed。



〃When　we　going　on；　sah？〃　he　said　as；　having　learned　the　lesson；　he

handed　the　pistol　back　to　Vincent。



〃We　are　not　going　on　until　the　evening；　Dan。　　When　it　gets　dark

the　lady　is　going　to　take　us　to　a　place　where　there　is　a　boat　hidden；

and　we　shall　then　be　able　to　cross　the　river。〃



〃Den　I　will　hab　a　sleep；　sah。　　Noting　like　sleeping　when　there　is　a

chance。〃



I　believe　you　could　sleep　three…quarters　of　your　time；　Dan。　

However；　you　may　as　well　sleep　now　if　you　can；　for　there　will　be

nothing　to　do　till　night。〃



Vincent　went　back　to　the　edge　of　the　wood；　and　sat　down　where　he

could　command　a　view　of　the　cottage。　　The　country　was　for　the

most　part　covered　with　wood；　for　it　was　but　thinly　inhabited　except

in　the　neighborhood　of　the　main　roads。　　Few　of　the　farmers　had

cleared　more　than　half　their　ground；　many　only　a　few　acres。　　The

patch；　in　which　the　house　with　its　little　clump　of　trees　stood　nearly

in　the　center；　was　of　some　forty　or　fifty　acres　in　extent；　and　though

now　rank　with　weeds；　had　evidently　been　carefully　cultivated；　for

all　the　stumps　had　been　removed；　and　the　fence　round　it　was　of　a

stronger　and　neater　character　than　that　which　most　of　the

cultivators　deemed　sufficient。



Presently　he　heard　the　sound　of　horses'　feet　in　the　forest　behind

him；　and　he　made　his　way　back　to　a　road　which　ran　along　a

hundred　yards　from　the　edge　of　the　wood。　　He　reached　it　before　the

horsemen　came　up；　and　lay　down　in　the　underwood　a　few　yards

back。　　In　a　short　time　two　horsemen　came　along　at　a　walking　pace。



〃I　call　this　a　fool's　errand　altogether；〃　one　of　them　said　in　a

grumbling　tone。　　〃We　don't　know　that　they　have　headed　this　way；

and　if　they　have；　we　might　search　these　woods　for　a　month　without

finding　them。〃



〃That's　so；〃　the　other　said；　〃but　Mullens　has　set　his　heart　on　it；　and

we　must　try　for　another　day　or　two。　　My　idea　is　that　when　the

fellow　heard　what　sort　of　a　chap　Mullens　was；　he　took　the　hack

train　that　night　and　went　up　north　again。〃



Vincent　heard　no　more；　but　it　was　enough　to　show　him　that　a　sharp

hunt　was　being　kept　up　for　him；　and　although　he　had　no　fear　of

being　caught　in　the　woods；　he　was　well　pleased　at　the　thought　that

he　would　soon　be　across　the　water　and　beyond　the　reach　of　his

enemy。　　He　went　back　again　to　the　edge　of　the　clearing　and

resumed　his　watch。　It　was　just　getting　dusk；　and　he　was　about　to

join　Dan　when　he　saw　a　party　of　twelve　men　ride　out　from　the

other　side　of　the　wood　and　make　toward　the　house。　　Filled　with　a

vague　alarm　that　possibly　some　one　might　have　caught　sight　of

him　and　his　follower　on　the　previous　day；　and　might；　on　being

questioned　by　the　searchers；　have　given　them　a　clew　as　to　the

direction　in　which　they　were　going；　Vincent　hurried　to　the　spot

where　he　left　Dan。　　The　negro　jumped　up　as　he　approached。



〃Me　awake　long　time；　sah。　　Began　to　wonder　where　you　had　got

to。〃



〃Take　your　stick　and　come　along；　Dan；　as　fast　as　you　can。〃



Without　another　word　Vincent　led　the　way　along　the　edge　of　the

wood　to　the　point　where　the　clump　of　trees　at　the　back　of　the

house　hid　it　from　his　view。



〃Now；　Dan　stoop　low　and　get　across　to　those　trees。〃



Greatly　astonished　at　what　was　happening；　but　having　implicit

faith　in　his　master；　Dan　followed　without　a　question。



It　was　but　ten　minutes　since　Vincent　had　seen　the　horse…men；　but

the　darkness　had　closed　in　rapidly；　and　he　had　little　fear　of　his

approach　being　seen。　　He　made　his　way　through　the　trees；　and

crept　up　to　the　house；　and　then　kept　close　along　it　until　he　reached

the　front。　　There　stood　the　horses；　with　the　bridles　thrown　over

their　neck。。　The　riders　were　all　inside　the　house。



〃Look　here；　Dan；〃　he　whispered；　〃you　keep　here　perfectly　quiet

until　I　join　you　again　or　you　hear　a　pistol…shot。　If　you　do　bear　a

shot；　rush　at　the　horses　with　your　stick　and　drive　them　off　at　full

gallop。　　Drive　them　right　into　the　woods　if　you　can　and　then　lie

quiet　there　till　you　hear　me　whistle　for　you。　　If　you　don't　hear　my

whistle　you　will　know　that　something　has　happened　to　me；　and

then　you　must　make　your　way　home　as　well　as　you　can。〃



〃Oh；　Master　Vincent；〃　Dan　began；　but　Vincent　stopped　him。



〃It's　no　use　talking；　Dan；　you　must　do　as　I　order　you。　I　hope　all　will

be　well；　but　it　must　be　done　anyhow。〃



〃Let　me　come　and　load　your　pistol　and　fight　with　you；　sah。〃



〃You　can　do　more　good　by　stampeding　the　horses；　Dan。　Perhaps；

after　all；　there　will　be　no　trouble。〃



So　saying；　leaving　Dan　with　the　tears　running　down　his　cheeks；

Vincent　went　to　the　back　of　the　house　and　tried　the　door　there。　　It

was　fastened。　　Then　he　went　to　the　other　side；　and　here；　the　light

streaming　though　the　window；　which　was　open；　and　the　sound　of

loud　voices；　showed　him　the　room　where　the　party　were。　　He　crept

cautiously　up　and　looked　in。　　Mullens　was　standing　facing　Lucy

Kingston；　the　rest　of　the　men　were　standing　behind　him。　The　girl

was　as　pale　as　death；　but　was　quiet　and　composed。



〃Now；〃　Mullens　said；　〃I　ask　you　for　the　last　time。　You　have

admitted　that　a　man　has　been　here　to…day；　and　that　you　gave　him

food。　　You　say　he　is　not　in　the　house；　and　as　we　have　searched　it

pretty　thoroughly；　we　know　that's　right　enough。　　You　say　you　don't

know　where　he　is；　and　that　may　be　true　enough　in　a　sense；　but　I

have　asked　you　whether　he　is　coming　back　again；　and　you　won't

answer　me。　　I　just　give　you　three　seconds；〃　and　he　held　out　his　arm

with　a　pistol　in　it。　　〃One！〃　　As　the　word　〃Two〃　left　his　lips；　a　pistol

cracked；　and　Mullens　fell　back　with　a　bullet　in　his　forehead。



At　the　same　time　Vincent　shouted　at　the　top　of　his　voice；　〃Come

on；　lads；　wipe　'em　out　altogether。　　Don't　let