59. CHAPTER LIX.
TEMPTATION.
“What is that?” demanded Virus, as a flash of light
illuminated the sky seen through the half-closed windows.
“It must be a rocket?” said Windvane.
“Will it not mislead the men at the bridge?”
“How can it? They can do nothing before the carriage
arrives. Have they been instructed how to act in the event
of Randolph making resistance?”
“Oh, yes. They are merely to capture him.”
“Between us, I think they ought to put an end to him.
If they do not, I fear the business will not end here. Perhaps
a lucky shot or thrust may settle it—but if not, it is
too late to give other orders. Hark! That is Abel! From
the footsteps several others must be with him. Let us ignite
fresh cigars and meet them in the hall. Not a moment
should be lost!”
And while Windvane was scratching his lucifer match
against the floor, Bim, just outside of the door, was doing
the same thing on the sole of his shoe, and was the first to
succeed in obtaining a light.
“Now, gentlemen conspirators,” said he, thrusting open
the door, “by your leave we'll enter and take possession.”
“Who are you?” demanded Virus, drawing a pistol, and
the action was imitated by Windvane, who turned very
pale.
“I am Captain Bim, of the Blue Caps,” said Bim. “And
unless you are prepared to kill six of us, you can't fail to see
at a glance how much the odds are against you.”
“We have no intention to assault you, Captain Bim,”
said Virus. “It was our purpose merely to defend ourselves,
not knowing who you were, or what your purpose.”
“That is a very satisfactory explanation. And now, as
we have no intention to injure a hair of your heads, and as
there can be no possible use for your pistols, we will very
gently relieve you of the burden!”
This said, Bim, without further parley, wrenched the
weapons from their hands.
“What does this mean?” demanded Windvane. “I am
an officer of the Government!”
“And I,” said Bim, “am an officer of the army. I don't
think, I merely obey. And I have no time even to talk.
So come along!”
“Captain Bim!” said Virus, “do you not know me?”
“It is possible I may have had the pleasure of your
acquaintance, Mr. Virus; but it was in times gone by. At
present I am not instructed to know anybody or anything
but my duty.”
“I think it your duty, Captain Bim,” said Virus, “and
likewise your interest, to make a friend of the Protector's
chief officer of State. I am Virus—one whose recommendation
can make any man's fortune. General Ruffleton, the
Protector of his country, will be here in an hour, and Captain
Bim might be Colonel Bim.”
“Captain Bim means to be General Bim, under President
Randolph!” was the response. “So Mr. Virus, you didn't
bid high enough. But, once for all, I'd rather step back
and be only a Sergeant again, under Randolph, than to be
a Major General in the bogus army of the d—d infernal
despot, Ruffleton! Now—if you think you can tamper
with my fidelity after that, you are at liberty to try it!”
Virus was silent. There was no room for diplomacy on
that barren heath. And soon after they came to where the
President and Alice were seated in a boat, in readiness to
depart for the opposite shore of the Potomac.
“Bim,” said Randolph, who evinced no recognition of
the prisoners, “your company has gone with Captain Fink's
to the Canal Bridge, to bring away some traitors lying there
in ambush. You have permission to join them in the expedition.”
“I thank your excellency,” said Bim, “and—and, if Miss
Alice—”
“Oh yes—it has my concurrence, Captain,” said Alice.
“Then I'll lose no time!” said Bim, vanishing immediately,
and leaving the prisoners in charge of his subaltern,
who was to await further orders.
“Mr. President!” said Virus, “am I a prisoner?”
“You! who are you? Is it possible? Why, Virus, I
thought you had returned to Ruffleton with my ultimatum!
A prisoner? No, sir. Negotiators with flags are not made
prisoners. And Presidents are not to be made prisoners.
So we have a mutual understanding, and you may put it in
a protocol. Excuse me, sir; I am in haste, for the dew is
falling. Rowers! bend to your oars!”
“Mr. President! Mr. President!” cried Windvane, striding
through the mud in his endeavors to keep pace with
the boat as it moved down the outlet.
“Who are you? What do you want?” asked the President.
“I am—Mr. Windvane, your—”
“Windvane? Really I don't know you, Sir. But this I
know, the wind does not blow in the right direction!”
“Gone!” said Windvane.”
“Never mind, Windvane!” said Virus. “But we are in
a most uncomfortable predicament! The mud is half way
up my legs. And must we wait, Sergeant, until an order
be transmitted from the other side of the river?”
“You must wait till doomsday, sir, unless an order comes.
But there is a boat, which you might sit in, if you didn't
prefer standing.”
“Prefer standing!” said Virus, leading the way into the
boat, where Wiry Willy, and four oarsmen, seemed to be
awaiting him.
“I hope there is room for both of us?” said Windvane,
crowding in.
“Oh, yes,” said Willy, “it was designed to hold us all.”
“Designed?” said Virus.
“Yes, sir; an hour ago it was determined that you would
be here exactly at this time.”
“Do you hear that, Windvane? Randolph had information.”
“He knows everything!” said Windvane.
“Gad, he didn't seem to know you, Windvane.”
“That was the unkindest cut of all. I had a speech in
readiness, but forgot all about it!”
“A strange man! But where are we going? Rowers,
who told you to follow the other boat?”
“They are obeying orders, sir,” said Willy, as the boat
glided out into the river; “but we are not to follow the
President far.”
“Not to follow him far? Then what is to become of us?
We are pursuing the same direction. Is it the design to
pitch us out in the middle of the river? If so, we shall resist!”
“Such is not the order, sir,” said Willy; “but if it were,
resistance would be vain. The rowers are dragoons, well-armed,
and the strongest men in the Blue Caps.”
“But they are certainly rowing out into the middle of
the stream!” said Windvane.
“To the island,” said Willy.
“But the tide is rising,” said Windvane, “and the water
will be over it.”
“Not more than knee deep,” said Willy.
There was no alternative but submission; and the two
conspirators were under the necessity of stepping out of
the boat into the slime among the spatterdocks in the middle
of the river. And soon after a whole fleet of little
boats glided out of the canal, bearing the entire detachment
that had been ordered to capture the President.
“Is that you, Wiry Willy?” said Bim, who was at the
head of the aquatic procession.
“Yes, Captain,” said Willy, “and I see that you have
executed the President's orders—”
“Miss Alice's, sir—yes, executed them to the letter, without
the loss of a man—I mean with the loss of but one
man, and that couldn't be prevented. It was the nigger in
the carriage, and he jumped into the canal and drowned
himself.”
“And what became of the carriage, Captain?”
“It went over the long bridge.”
Soon after all the captives were landed in the mud, and
abandoned to their fate.
