University of Virginia Library

22. CHAPTER XXII.

Leaving the chief of police and his officers
to follow up their search for the fugitives we
will return to the little shallop. Favored by
a fresh breeze, which blew in a favorable
direction, the light vessel went bounding
away down the harbor like a bird escaped
from its prison. All was joy and congratulation
on board. Each moment separated
them farther and farther from pursuit and
danger. Thirty minutes after leaving the
pier they passed the castle, whose frowning
walls rose high above their heads. They
could hear the sentry's call of `all's well,'
and the tramp of the relief guard as it went
its rounds. When Hugh saw the castle
astern he breathed more freely.

`You are now safe, father,' he said, interrupting
Gordon, who was just completing
to him his narrative of the plan pursued
towards effecting his escape. `We are a
league from the town, and no one will think
of pursuing by water.'

`I feel safe. I am full of gratitude to you
my son, and to Lieutenant Hays and this fair
maiden, and to all who have aided me. I am
just beginning to realize my safety. Having
made up my mind to die it is hard to believe
that I am rescued from the horrible death
which menaced me, and from which there
seemed no reprieve by human means. The
transition from this state of horror to one
of peace and security overwhelms me.'

`The city is quiet,' said the captain.

`We can't hear the bells at this distance,'
said Gordon. I have no doubt the most
vigorous exertions will be made to recover
you, colonel. You are a prisoner of distinction,
and under the peculiar circumstances
every effort will be made to re-capture you.'

`That I well know,' said Hugh, gloomily,
yet resolutely. But whoever re-takes my father
will have to fight for him. But I do not
fear pursuit.'

`I am not disposed, gentlemen,' said Capt.
Alison, who was seated aft upon the taffrail,
while the colonel reclined upon a settee opposite,
for his long imprisonment ending in his
hard ride to the pier had almost overcome
his physical strength. Near the colonel, on
another settee sat Gordon with Jennette by
his side, her hand fondly held in his. Hugh
stood amidst this group at the helm, steering
the shallop, and giving from time to time orders
to the crew. Cæsar seemed to be in
his element, and took charge of the main
sheet prompt to obey the slightest sound of
the young helmsman's voice. Forward were
the old man and two boys who constituted
the remainder of the shallop's crew. The
wind blew fresh, and drove the swiftly sailing
craft along at the rate of eight miles an
hour. As they passed island after island their

confidence in their security from pursuit increased.

`I do not apprehend any pursuit now,'
said Gordon in allusion to the remark made
by Hugh, `but it is likely that if they do pursue
it will be by water.'

`They will not suppose carriage or horses
left the city by water,' answered Hugh.

`No; but the watchmen who followed us
to the wharf will of course report that those
who came in the coach and upon the horses
took boat.'

`I did not think of that,' answered Hugh.
Ease off that fore sheet a little. A small
pull upon the main halyards, Cæsar. The
gaft dips a little.' These and other directions
showed Jennette that he feared pursuit still.
She felt alarmed at the thought, for Gordon
was involved in the peril of a rescue. Of
her own danger she did not once think. Her
fears were for the colonel and for her lover.

`Do you think we may be pursued?' she
asked in an under tone, of Gordon. `Lieutenant
Ogilvie seems to look anxious.'

`It is possible, dear Jennette. The watchmen
will of course direct the police how to
follow; for they will not question but that
the party they saw drive down the wharf and
sail away in such a hurry contains in its
number the escaped prisoner. But do not
be alarmed, Jennette. We have so much
the start of all pursuers that we have nothing
to fear.'

`I do not fear for myself, but for Colonel
Ogilvie and for you. I am not thinking of
my own danger.'

`I well know that, noble Jennette. But
we are in safety. Here we are nearly down
as far as Nix's mate. This is full six miles
from the city.'

`What is your future plan? Which course
do you steer after getting outside?' asked
Captain Alison.

`My plan was to sail direct for Nova Scotia
if I had come on board the shallop only with
my father,' answered Hugh. `But I have
no power to take you with me with your
daughter and Lieutenant Hays. Indeed I am
not provisioned for so large an accession, nor
indeed are there accommodations for Miss
Aliion.'

`You can touch at Gloucester, at Cape
Ann, and leave us,' said Gordon. `We can
easily find conveyance back to Boston by the
post coach.'

`That will be the best plan. With this
wind we shall be off Cape Ann by four o'clock
in the morning. I can run into the harbor
and leave you at the first pier in the town and
by sunrise be a league at sea again.'

`I am glad that you can do this, my son,'
answered Colonel Ogilvie; `for I have been
in great distress touching the presence of
these my friends with me. I would rather
have remained in prison than involve them in
my fate should we be overtaken. If it were
possible, Hugh, I could wish you might land
them at some nearer point.'

`I cannot, dear father, unless I leave them
upon one of these barren islands. Cape
Ann is most accessible, the best out of our
course, and but thirty miles from Boston
They can return to the city without suspicion.'

`I am glad no suspicion can fasten upon
them.'

`It cannot, as we have not been seen in
our proper characters. Jennette was disguised
as a strawberry girl, and, being naturally
pale, was highly rouged, while I was
not seen at all. As to the captain he remained
at home, and only got into the shallop
in the hurry of our departure lest he
should be qnestioned too closely if he remained.'

`And also to accompany my dear child,'
added the captain, with a smile. `I would
have hardly let her gone alone with you into
this danger.'

`We have now the light abeam, Gordon,'
said Hugh. `We shall soon be dancing on
on the waves of the open sea as free as they.'

`Let me take the helm, Hugh,' said Gordon.
`You must be weary.'

`Weary, with my father safe? Oh no.
But you may relieve me for a while, Gordon.
I wish to take your seat and thank Miss Alison
for the part she has taken in this night's
affair. `Never,' he added, as he resigned
the helm to his friend, `never was so much
self-possession shown as Miss Jennette exhibited
during the trying time she was talking
with the keeper. She had the most perfect
command of her countenance and voice, and
conducted her part so bewitchingly that I am
not surprised that the keeper was captivated.
But I think he will take care how he tries to
get up an admiration again for a pretty strawberry
girl. To your courage and presence
of mind, Miss Alison, all our success is owing,'
he added, with grateful enthusiasm.

`For this I am most thankful,' responded
Jennette.

`It makes me proud of my child,' said the
captain, with emotion.

`She is very dear to us all,' said the colonel.
`From this time I shall feel towards
her as a daughter.'

`I should like to know how the keeper
felt when he came to himself!' said Gordon.

`Perhaps your portion was so powerful he
sleeps yet,' said Hugh.

`No, or the alarm would not have been given.'

`True, true.'

`A taut haul on the fore-halyards,' said
Gordon to the old seaman forward. `That
will do. Now haul aft the jib-sheet all it
will bear. We must lay close to the wind
with it from this quarter, now we are laying
our course for Cape Ann.'

`Then we are fairly out of the harbor,'
cried the colonel.

`Yes, father, and are now stretching our
way between the Graves and Nahant for
Gloucester.'

`Then I have reason to pour out my heart
in gratitude to you and heaven. I now feel
that I am in safety.'

`In three days we can reach the British
Provinces, father, where the laws of the
United States cannot reach you.'

`Alas! I shall enjoy liberty and life there,
my friends, it is true; but what do I leave
behind me in my native land? The name
and infamy of a felon! The consciousness
of innocence in heart of the act of my hand
alone can make life endearable. In the sight
of heaven I know that I am acquitted—I
know that the deed I was engaged in when I
unfortunately shot the driver was an honest
and good one.'

`No one doubts it, sir,' answered Captain
Alison, between whom and the colonel there
had been a renewal and revival of their
former acquaintance. `By and by the world
will do you justice. None of your friends
believe you had any other motives than an
honorable purpose in view in stopping the
mail bags. But it is a pity it was done.'

`I regret it now. It would have been
better the young man's fortune should have
been lost to him than that ruin and disgrace
should fall upon me and mine. But I
could not foresee this,' added the colonel,
sighing.

`Where is this base lawyer, sir, whose villany
caused you all the wrong you have sufered?'
asked the captain.

`He is in Boston still, I doubt not, practising
his roguery.'

`But you saved the estates to the young
gentleman?' observed the captain interrogatively.

`Yes, and this is some satisfaction.'

`But he has proved unworthy of all that
has been done for him,' said Hugh, indignantly.
`When he heard that my father was arrested
and thrown into prison, he at once,
without communicating with him, made an
application to the Probate court to have a
change of guardians. And though my father
wrote to him saying that he wished to see
him, he paid no attention to his request, and
eved returned his letter to him.'

`Doubtless a young man proud and selfish,
with but a shallow mind,' said the captain.

`No, on the contrary a young man of fine
intellect,' said the colonel, `though he was

proud, but I thought only enough so, till he
cast me off as soon as he thought I had degraded
him. Well, I do not blame him. All
the world did the same. Appearances were
against me.'

`But did he not understand that you incurred
your ruin by an effort in his behalf?'
asked Gordon earnestly.

`No. I did not tell him. I should have
thereby opened to him the charge made by
Parchnip of legitimacy, which would have
been a terrible blow to him. Though not
true it would have preyed upon his mind.'

`And you did not then bring in that plea
in defence at your trial?' cried the captain,
with surprise.

`No. I merely told my council that I
had stopped the mail, to obtain from it a parcel
that involved the ruin of the happiness of
others, that my unfortunate recounter with
the driver was purely accidental. This was
sufficient, for the particulars would not have
a vailed me more.'

`Not unless the court would compel Parchnip
to state on oath that he had put such
a parcel into the mail, and intended to use it
to the injury of the heir; but of course,' added
the captain, `he could not have been
made to do this.'

`No one who has ever known your, sir,'
said Gordon, `doubts your uprightness
of intention, Colonel Ogilvie, in that unhappy
affair. You were not so much tried for
highway robbery (of which nobody believed
you guilty in intention) but for the death of
the coachman.'

`Yes, yes. I know that. Poor fellow. I
would that I could recall that hour. He
would not have fallen had he not turned my
pistol in the struggle upon himself. I did
not fire. The weapon went off in my hands.
But I shall never forget it. His blood is upon
my head.' As he spoke he dropped his face
into his hands, and seemed absorbed in
grief.

`What is the name of this young heir?'
Lieutenant Ogilvie? asked the captain.

`Heber Deforrest. He is now in New
York I believe, for he has left the University
and come into the possession of his large fortune.'

`He should know that Colonel Ogilvie suffered
all he has done for his sake,' said
the captain warmly. `You should inform him.'

`Not I,' answered Hugh haughtily. When
we meet it shall be as foes.'

`Nay, my son—'

`Nay, my dear father, not one word. Heber
Deforrest and I never meet as friends.'

`I have a great fancy to see this Parchnip,'
said Gornon after a few moments' silence, during
which only the dash of waters about the
low sides of the shallop reached their ears, `I
would like to meet him if only to see what
sort of a complexioned villain he is.'

`We may both one day have this privilege,'
answered Hugh.

`What is that ahead?' cried Colonel Ogilvie
quickly, as a large dark object loomed up
in their course.

`It is a ship. I see it plainly now,' responded
Gordon.

`Keep her away sharp, Gordon,' cried
Hugh. `She is standing right dead against
us.'

`I will clear her,' answered Gordon, as he
put the helm hard up.

The next moment the lofty column of spars
and canvass passed them with a majestic uplifting
of its bows upon the ocean swell, and
the shallop was almost lost in its magnitude
as it flew by. In a few seconds afterwards
the tall ship was lost in the darkness and
distance astern. Jennette had never been
out to sea before. She looked around her
but no land was visible. The great breadth
of the starry skies above her head and the
dark boundless ocean around her filled her
soul with awe, and she held firmly the hand
of Gordon, trembling at her nothingness in
that vastness of space amid which she seemed
to be suspended; for stars were as numerous
in the sea beneath as in the sky above, and all
seemed to be as the firmament about her.