SMALL | MEDIUM
"These likelihoods confirm her flight from hence,
Therefore, I pray you, stay not to discourse,
But mount you presently; -- "
Shakspeare.
rent questions and answers, before Middleton, hanging
over his recovered treasure with that sort of jealous
watchfulness with which a miser would regard his
hoards, closed the disjointed narrative of his own
proceedings by demanding --
"And you, my Inez; in what manner were you
treated?"
"In every thing, but the great injustice they did
in separating me so forcibly from my friends, as well
perhaps as the circumstances of my captors would
allow. I think the man, who is certainly the master
here, is but a new beginner in wickedness. He quar-
relled frightfully in my presence, with the wretch
who seized me, and then they made an impious bar-
gain, to which I was compelled to acquiesce, and to
which they bound me as well as themselves by oaths.
Ah! Middleton, I fear the heretics are not so heed-
ful of their vows as we who are nurtured in the
bosom of the true church!"
"Believe it not; these villains are of no religion;
did they forswear themselves?"
"No, not perjured: but was it not awful to call
upon the good God to witness so sinful a compact?"
"And so we think, Inez, as truly as the most vir-
tuous cardinal of Rome. But how did they observe
their oath, and what was its purport?"
"They conditioned to leave me unmolested, and
free from their odious presence, provided I would
give a pledge to make no effort to escape; and that
"And that time?" demanded the impatient Mid-
dleton, who so well knew the religious scruples of
his wife -- "That time?"
"It is already passed. I was sworn by my patron
saint, and faithfully did I keep the vow, until the man
they call Ishmael forgot the terms by offering vio-
lence. I then made my appearance on the rock,
for the time too was passed; though I even think
father Ignatius would have absolved me from the
vow, on account of the treachery of my keepers."
"If he had not," muttered the youth between his
compressed teeth, "I would have absolved him for-
ever from his spiritual care of your conscience!"
"You, Middleton!" returned his wife looking up
into his flushed face, while a bright blush suffused
her own sweet countenance; "you may receive my
vows, but surely you can have no power to absolve
me from their observance!"
"No, no, no. Inez, you are right. I know but
little of these conscientious subtilties, and I am any
thing but a priest: yet tell me, what has induced
these monsters to play this desperate game -- to trifle
thus with my happiness?"
"You know my ignorance of the world, and how
ill I am qualified to furnish reasons for the conduct
of beings so different from any I have ever seen be-
fore. But does not love of money drive men to acts
even worse than this? I believe they thought that
an aged and wealthy father could be tempted to pay
them a rich ransom for his child; and, perhaps," she
added, stealing an inquiring glance, through her
tears, at the attentive Middleton, "they counted
something on the fresh affections of a bridegroom."
"They might have extracted the blood from my
heart, drop by drop!"
"Yes," resumed his young and timid wife, instant-
"It must be so; and now Inez, though I am here
to guard you with my life, and we are in possession
of this rock, our difficulties, perhaps our dangers
are not ended. You will summon all your courage
to meet the trial and prove yourself a soldier's wife,
my Inez?"
"I am ready to depart this instant. The letter,
you sent by the physician, had prepared me to hope
for the best, and I have every thing arranged for flight,
at the shortest warning."
"Let us then leave this place and join our friends."
"Friends!" interrupted Inez, glancing her eyes
around the little tent in quest of the form of Ellen.
"I, too, have a friend who must not be forgotten,
but who is pledged to pass the remainder of her life
with us. She is gone!"
Middleton gently led her from the spot, as he
smilingly answered --
"She may have had, like myself, her own private
communications for some favoured ear."
The young man had not however done justice to
the motives of Ellen Wade. The sensitive and in-
telligent girl had readily perceived how little her
presence was necessary in the interview that has
just been related, and had retired with that intuitive
delicacy of feeling which seems to belong more prop-
erly to her sex. She was now to be seen seated on a
point of the rock, with her person so entirely envel-
oped in her dress as entirely to conceal her features.
The first act of Paul Hover, on finding himself the
master of Ishmael's citadel, had been to sound the
note of victory, after the quaint and ludicrous man-
ner that is so often practised among the borderers of
the West. Flapping his sides with his hands, as the
conquering game-cock is wont to do with his wings,
he raised a loud and laughable imitation of the exul-
tation of this bird; a cry which might have proved
a dangerous challenge had any one of the athletic
sons of the squatter been within hearing.
"This has been a regular knock-down and drag-
out," he cried, "and no bones broke! How now,
old trapper, you have been one of your training,
platoon, rank and file soldiers in your day, and have
seen forts taken and batteries stormed before this --
am I right?"
"Ay, ay, that have I," answered the old man, who
still maintained his post at the foot of the rock, so
little disturbed by what he had just witnessed, as to
return the grin of Paul, with a hearty indulgence in
his own silent and peculiar laughter; "you have
gone through the exploit like men!"
"Now tell me, is it not in rule, to call over the
names of the living, and to bury the dead, after eve-
ry bloody battle?"
"Some did and other some didn't. When Sir
William push'd the German, Dieskau, thro' the de-
files at the foot of the Hori -- "
"Your Sir William was a drone to Sir Paul, and
knew nothing of regularity. So here begins the roll-
call -- by-the-bye old man, what between bee-hunting
and buffaloe humps and certain other matters, I have
been too busy to ask your name, for I intend to begin
"Lord, lad, I've been called in my time by as
many names as there are people among whom I've
dwelt. Now, the Delawares nam'd me for my eyes,
and I was called after the far-sighted hawk. Then,
ag'in, the settlers in the Otsego hills christened me
anew, from the fashion of my leggings; and various
have been the names by which I have gone through
life; but little will it matter when the time shall
come, that all are to be muster'd, face to face, by
what titles a mortal has played his part! I humbly
trust I shall be able to answer to any of mine in a
loud and manly voice."
Paul paid little or no attention to this reply, more
than half of which was lost in the distance, but pur-
suing the humour of the moment, he called out in a
stentorian voice to the naturalist to answer to his
name. Dr. Battius had not thought it necessary to
push his success beyond the comfortable niche, which
accident had so opportunely formed for his protec-
tion, and in which he now reposed from his labours
with a pleasing consciousness of security, added to
great exultation at the possession of the botanical
treasure, already mentioned.
"Mount, mount, my worthy mole-catcher! come
and behold the prospect of skirting Ishmael; come
and look nature boldly in the face, and not go sneak-
ing any longer, among the prairie grass and mullein
tops, like a gobbler nibbling for grasshoppers."
The mouth of the light-hearted and reckless bee-
hunter was instantly closed, and he was rendered as
mute, as he had just been boisterous and talkative,
by the appearance of Ellen Wade. When the mel-
ancholy maiden took her seat on the point of the
rock as mentioned, Paul affected to employ himself
in conducting a close inspection of the household
effects of the squatter. He rummaged the drawers
In the bustle and confusion that were likely to suc-
ceed such a mandate, there was little opportunity to
indulge in complaints or reflections. As the adven-
turers had not come unprepared for victory, each in-
dividual employed himself in such offices as was
best adapted to his strength and situation. The trap-
per had already made himself master of the patient
Asinus, who was quietly feeding at no great distance
from the rock, and he was now busy in fitting his
back with the complicated machinery that Dr. Bat-
tius saw fit to term a saddle of his own invention
The trapper bestowed such articles as he conceiv-
ed were necessary to the comfort of the weaker and
more delicate members of the party in those pock-
ets, from which he had so unceremoniously expelled
the treasures of the unconscious naturalist, and then
gave way for Middleton to place Inez in one of those
seats, which he had prepared on the back of the
animal for her and her companion.
"Go, child," the old man said, motioning to Ellen
to follow the example of the lady, and turning his
head a little anxiously to examine the waste behind
him. "It cannot be long afore the owner of this
place will be coming to look after his household;
and he is not a man to give up his property, however
obtained, without complaint!"
"It is true," cried Middleton; "we have wasted
moments that are precious, and have the utmost
need of all our industry."
"Ay, ay, I thought it; and would have said it,
captain; but I remembered how your grand'ther
used to love to look upon the face of her he led
away for a wife, in the days of his youth and his
Ellen advanced to the side of the beast, and seiz-
ing Inez by the hand, she said, with heart-felt
warmth, after struggling to suppress an emotion that
nearly choked her --
"God bless you, sweet lady! I hope you will for-
get and forgive the wrongs you have received from
my uncle -- "
The humbled and sorrowful girl could say no
more, her voice becoming entirely inaudible in an
ungovernable burst of grief.
"How is this?" cried Middleton; "did you not
say, Inez, that this excellent young woman was to
accompany us, and to live with us for the remainder
of her life; or, at least, until she found some more
agreeable residence for herself?"
"I did; and I still hope it. She has always given
me reason to believe, that after having shown so
much commiseration and friendship in my misery,
she would not desert me, should happier times re-
turn."
"I cannot -- I ought not," continued Ellen, getting
the better of her momentary weakness. "It has
pleased God to cast my lot among these people, and
I ought not to quit them. It would be adding the
appearance of treachery to what will already seem
bad enough, with one of his opinions. He has been
kind to me, an orphan, after his rough customs, and
I cannot steal from him at such a moment."
"She is just as much a relation of skirting Ish-
mael, as I am a bishop!" said Paul, with a loud hem,
as if his throat wanted clearing. "If the old fellow
has done the honest thing by her in giving her a mor-
sel of venison, now and then, or a spoon around his
homminy dish, hasn't she pay'd him in teaching the
young devils to read their bible, or in helping old
"It is but little matter who owes me, or where I
am in debt. There are none to care for a girl who
is fatherless and motherless, and whose nearest kin
are the offcasts of all honest people. No, no; go,
lady, and Heaven for ever bless you! I am better
here, in this desert, where there are none to know
my shame."
"Now, old trapper," retorted Paul, "this is what
I call knowing which way the wind blows! You ar'
a man that has seen life, and you know something of
fashions; I put it to your judgment, plainly, isn't it
in the nature of things for the hive to swarm when
the young get their growth, and if children will quit
their parents, ought one who is of no kith nor kin -- "
"Hist!" interrupted the man he addressed, " Hec-
tor is discontented. Say it out, plainly, pup; what
is it dog -- what is it?"
The venerable hound had risen, and was scenting
the fresh breeze which continued to sweep heavily
over the prairie. At the words of his master he
growled and contracted the muscles of his lips, as if
half disposed to threaten with the remnants of his
teeth. The younger dog, who was resting after the
chace of the morning, also made some signs that his
nose detected a taint in the air, and then the two
resumed their slumbers, as though they had done
enough.
The trapper seized the bridle of the ass and cri-
ed, as he urged the beast onward --
"There is no time for words. The squatter an
his brood are within a mile or two of this blessed
spot."
Middleton lost all recollection of Ellen, in the
danger which now so imminently beset his recovered
Following the route indicated by the old man,
they turned the rock in a body, and pursued their
way as fast as possible across the prairie, under the
favour of the cover the light afforded.
Paul Hover, however, remained in his tracks, sul-
lenly leaning on his rifle. Near a minute had elapsed
before he was observed by Ellen, who had buried
her face in her hands, as if to conceal her fancied
desolation from herself.
"Why do you not fly?" the weeping girl exclaim-
ed, the instant she perceived that she was not alone.
"I'm not used to it."
"My uncle will soon be here! you have nothing
to hope from his pity."
"Nor from that of his niece, I reckon. Let him
come; he can only knock me on the head."
"Paul, Paul, if you love me, fly."
"Alone! -- if I do may I be -- ."
"If you value your life, fly!"
"I value it not, compared to you."
"Paul!"
"Ellen!"
She extended both her hands and burst into an-
other and a still more violent flood of tears. The
bee-hunter put one of his sturdy arms around her
thin waist, and in another moment he was urging
her over the plain, in rapid pursuit of their flying
friends.