University of Virginia Library

8. CHAPTER VIII.

Perhaps there is no kind of hatred, that finds
harbor in the human breast, more deadly and inveterate
than that which is entertained by the perpetrators
of base actions against those who have detected

them in guilt. Nor does the degree of inveteracy,
with which this fiendish feeling is secretly
cherished by the former, appear to be very often
lessened by any forbearance which may be exercised
by the latter in not exposing their baseness,
or bringing them to punishment. We will not detain
the reader, however, with any speculations of
our own on this dark and somewhat singular leaf in
the history of the human passions, but leave the
subject to be illustrated by those incidents of our
story, by which these remarks were here suggested.

When the discomfitted soldier retreated from the
presence of Warrington and the rescued maiden,
he concealed himself in a thicket, from which he
could espy the movements of the couple till they
separated. And when this had taken place, he
proceeded directly to his boat, and, entering it,
pushed for the opposite shore, plying his oars with
a sort of nervous and spiteful energy, as if impelled
by the commingling feelings of chagrin and revenge,
that were working within him at the thoughts
of his defeat, and the conscionsness that he had
disgraced himself forever in the eyes of the girl, as
well as exposed himself to the contempt and abhorrence
of her deliverer.

`Fool! fool!' he angrily muttered to himself, as
he urged his skiff through the waters, which, as if
in mockery at the dark turmoil of his breast, were
now sparkling in cheerful brightness in the rays of
the setting sun; `stupid fool, to think a timid girl
would listen to me in such a place! And more fool
still to manage so blunderingly as to alarm her,
when, if I had begun right, I might have told her
all, or at least found out whether she would have
made it to my advantage to do it. And then to

mend the matter, I must try, in my eagerness, to
stop her! which brought down that cursed interloper
upon me, as if the old boy sent him just at
that moment to make an affair out of the trifle!
I wonder what they supposed I wanted to do?—
that is plain, however, what they thought; but they
are mistaken: Bill Darrow for once is accused of
what he is not guilty! ha! ha! aint that a curiosity!
Well, the plan, like every woman plan I ever
laid, is all blown to the devil now, I suppose:
though I can yet bring it about with the old man,
if I choose. But that scoundrel, d—n him! whoever
he may be, I'll dog him to the death, but I'll
pay him for his rascally interference!'

While thus reasoning and raving by turns, in the
way of soothing his smarting feelings, he had nearly
reached his destined landing, a small cove about
a furlong north of the fort, when he caught a
glimpse of a man standing among the bushes on
the shore, apparently awaiting the approach of the
boat.

`Ah! who have we here?' resumed the desperado,
as, shading his eyes with his hand from the
blinding rays of reflected light that fell in his face,
he threw a scrutinizing glance at the person of the
other; `why! can it be?—it is—Jake Sherwood
himself! What in the devil's name brought him
here just at this time? Ah! my dear fellow, you
may thank your good stars, and evil ones, that you
are not by this time pretty devilishly well dished!—
But can he have mistrusted my good will? No,
no!—the secret is still my own, and for the present
shall remain so, as my best stock in trade. Yet
what can he want with me? Some beelzebub errand
to be done, I'll warrant me! Well, he shall

pay roundly for doing it, besides shelling out something
more than promises on the old score, or I'll
yet put him in a spot he will little relish, I am thinking.'

`Well, Darrow,' said Sherwood, as the former
now reached the shore, and, pulling up his boat,
mounted the bank; `sporting a little over yonder
this afternoon, eh? What luck? None!—
Well, that is the way sometimes. But come, take a
seat on this old log here, in the bushes. I should
like a little talk with you; so lay aside that grim
scowl of yours, and be sociable once, if you can.'

`Sociable! hum! I should like to know who in
hell could feel sociable, or wear a decent face while
his conscience is loaded down with such soul-damning
secrets as these of yours.'

`My secrets! ha! ha!—as if they were not
yours, too!

`And they may be somebody's else, too, unless you
mend your manners, and show yourself a little more
liberal than you have been lately, Jake Sherwood.
But what brings you here now, and what would you
have with me?'

`O, nothing very special—nothing of any great
consequence'—

`Nothing very special, hey? When did Jake
Sherwood, or his father before him, ever call on
Bill Darrow without a special object, I should like
to know?'

`Well, well, supposing I have an errand, what
then?—what is there so out of the way in that, you
surly one?'

`Why, nothing out of the way, but exactly in the
way, as I said. But what is the use of puttering
with your round-about moonshine?—out with it!'

`Darrow,' said the other, after glancing about him
as if to make sure that there was no one within
hearing; `there are several of the York outlaws
prowling about Otter Creek. We came near seizing
them a few days ago at lake Dunmore, though
they escaped us, and that was not all—but no matter—they,
day before yesterday, went down the
Creek to the Lower Falls, and took, and laid waste
colonel Reed's plantation there. And their leader,
one Warrington, with part of his gang, has since
moved off somewhere in this direction. Now there
is a reward of about two hundred crowns to be had
for taking this fellow. I have had my eye on him
some time, and now I have some particular reasons
for wishing him secured.'

`What a kind of a looking fellow is he?' asked
Darrow, with considerable interest. `Do you know
him by sight?'

`Yes—a tall, square built, and rather good looking
fellow—that is, he might appear so to one who
did not know him for a scoundrel.'

`The same, by heavens!' exclaimed Darrow after
musing a moment. `Yes, he must be the very
fellow I saw not two hours ago, as I was skirting
along Captain Hendee's clearing over yonder. He
was walking with a woman near the woods.'

`How! what woman?—not Alma Hendee?'

`Can't say.'

`No, no, it must have been the maid—and yet—
but confound the audacious scoundrel, how came
he there, and so soon acquainted with either maid
or mistress, unless my suspicions are right?'

`All that you can answer as well as I—though
come to think more about the woman's make and
gear, I'll be hanged if I dont believe that it was the
old man's daughter.'

`Fire and furies! it must be so.'

`Why, what are you so wrathy about?' said Darrow,
with a malicious smile. `You are not afraid the
fellow will run away with your girl, are you, Jake?'

`My girl! who told you so? Not mine, unless I
please, I would have you to know! No, no, sir, no
fear of this poltroon in that. But still I can't exactly
comprehend the movement. If he was reconnoitering
with a view to ousting the old man, would
he be walking out so familiarly with his daughter?
It don't look like it—no, it means something else,
which must the sooner be seen to. And thanks to
the rascal's boldness, he has put his fate in my power
quicker than I expected.'

`How—in what way?'

`Why, don't you see, Bill?' said Sherwood, turning
with a familiar and coaxing air to the minion,
`dont you see how easily he can be entrapped, if
he remains at Hendee's to night, or repeats his visit?'

`Ay, but how would you manage the business?'

`You are a sergeant—take a file of men, go over,
surround the house and take him. Your superior
won't object.'

`But how am I to know when he is to be found
there?'

`I will go over myself, reconnoiter as soon as dark,
without showing myself to alarm him, and if I find
the game, be there, I will make a torch signal at the
landing. You must keep watch, and as soon as you
see the light, come over with your men. If he is
not there to night, he will be soon: Alma Hendee is
not a girl to be once seen and draw no second visit.
Yes, by the powers of darkness, I have him at last!
But supposing he does not come into this trap, he

certainly is prowling somewhere near; and you can
prowl too, Bill. And—and at the last pinch—you
are a good rifle shot, I think, Darrow?'

`Ha! ha! out at last then! I thought it would finally
come to that. Jake Sherwood, you are a book
that I can read by looking on the cover.'

`Then you know what I would have you do.'

`Yes, but where would be the reward in that
case? The Yorkers don't pay for heads that have
been bored, do they?'

`The governor's proclamation dont say delivered
alive, but only delivered. But whatever question
there might be about that in some cases, there shall
be no failure in this. I have influence enough at
head quarters to see that your bill is footed, if you
bring this about, in any shape.'

`And you will do it?'

`Upon honor.'

`Upon interest, you mean.'

`Upon both, if you please.'

`That will do, and for this d—n'd good reason—
if the security is weak, I know of that which can
easily be made to enforce the bargain. Jake Sherwood,
I am your man.'

`Now that looks like a cheerful good will, without
your usual drawback of grumbling. Well, we understand
each other, do we?'

`Hum! a d—n'd sight too well, Jake!'

`Why, we part friends, don't we?'

`Yes, and it rests with you whether we remain
so. But I must be back to the fort. And, as it is
getting dusk, you go directly over, I suppose?'

`Soon—but you understand that we are to try
to cage him at Hendee's, first. Remember to look
out for the signal!'

`Ay, ay!'

`Yes, my suspicions were right about him and the
girl,' soliloquized the plotting agent, after the departure
of his reckless minion., But never mind, I
have put the blood-hound on the scent; and if the
animal don't forget his own nature, in addition to
putting a stop to this business, I shall soon have the
pleasure of seeing that haughty leader of these savage
rebels atone for every blow which he caused to
be inflicted on me at that accursed lake! And that
jeering lieutenant and all the rest, reward or no reward,
shall have their turn next. And then their
executioner, if I can contrive to make the hated
scoundrel such, must be made in some shape to follow
them. Perhaps, however, he may be disposed
of in the war, said to be brewing. At all events, he
is too dangerous a fellow to my interests to be suffered
to remain here long, to say nothing of the insults,
which I am compelled to bear, and seem to
take in good part, from his devil's tongue. I wonder,
though, what made him undertake this dangerous
business so readily?—the reward, I suppose;—
well let him have it—revenge is dearer to me than
money. But perhaps I can contrive it to get both
—if I could but manage, after securing this renegade
Captain, to make Darrow and some of the
rest mutual executioners—ha! that would be gloririous!
But of that hereafter, now for the first object.'

So saying, and partially arousing himself from his
reverie, he proceeded along the shore a few rods to
a point where he had left his skiff, and, entering it,
began to pull slowly for the residence, on the opposite
shore, already described, to which we will next
take the reader, for the purpose of introducing some

new characters, and making the place the future
scene of a large portion of the incidents to follow.