Full text of "The Spy"
This is a digital copy of a book that was preserved for generations on library shelves before it was carefully scanned by Google as part of a project
to make the world's books discoverable online.
It has survived long enough for the copyright to expire and the book to enter the public domain. A public domain book is one that was never subject
to copyright or whose legal copyright term has expired. Whether a book is in the public domain may vary country to country. Public domain books
are our gateways to the past, representing a wealth of history, culture and knowledge that's often difficult to discover.
Marks, notations and other marginalia present in the original volume will appear in this file - a reminder of this book's long journey from the
publisher to a library and finally to you.
Usage guidelines
Google is proud to partner with libraries to digitize public domain materials and make them widely accessible. Public domain books belong to the
public and we are merely their custodians. Nevertheless, this work is expensive, so in order to keep providing this resource, we have taken steps to
prevent abuse by commercial parties, including placing technical restrictions on automated querying.
We also ask that you:
+ Make non-commercial use of the files We designed Google Book Search for use by individuals, and we request that you use these files for
personal, non-commercial purposes.
+ Refrain from automated querying Do not send automated queries of any sort to Google's system: If you are conducting research on machine
translation, optical character recognition or other areas where access to a large amount of text is helpful, please contact us. We encourage the
use of public domain materials for these purposes and may be able to help.
+ Maintain attribution The Google "watermark" you see on each file is essential for informing people about this project and helping them find
additional materials through Google Book Search. Please do not remove it.
+ Keep it legal Whatever your use, remember that you are responsible for ensuring that what you are doing is legal. Do not assume that just
because we believe a book is in the public domain for users in the United States, that the work is also in the public domain for users in other
countries. Whether a book is still in copyright varies from country to country, and we can't offer guidance on whether any specific use of
any specific book is allowed. Please do not assume that a book's appearance in Google Book Search means it can be used in any manner
anywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liability can be quite severe.
About Google Book Search
Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers
discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web
at |http : //books . google . com/
AL io-?7, LIZ
®®
HARVARD
COLLEGE
LIBRARY
r
Digit
:ed by
Google
^s>
Digitized by
Google
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY.
Digitized by
Google
Digitized by
Google
•^'
THE SPY:
A TALE OF THE ITEirTRAL GEOUKD.
BT
J. FENIMORE COOPER.
* Breathes there a man with soul bo dead.
Who never to himself hath said,
This is my own, n^ native laadl— ^
NEW YORK:
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY,
649 & 681 BBOADWAY.
1876.
Digitized by
Google
Ai- ;<?7z<i/^
->
H/ "^
UNiVtRSIlY
LIBRARY
KvnRBD, sceordhig to tbe Act of Congress, in tlie jear 1881^ bj
W. A, TOWNSBIO) & CO.,
In tti« Cleric's oiBce of tbe District Court for tbe sontbem dietrkt of New Yoi^
Digitized by VjOOQIC
i
INTRODUCTION.
The author has often been asked if there were any
foundation in real life, for the delineation of the prin-
cipal character in this book. He can give no clearer
answer to the question, than by laying before his read-
ers a simple statement of the facts connected with its
original publication.
Many years since, the writer of this volume was at
the residence of an illustrious man, who had been
employed in various situations of high trust during
the darkest days of the American revolution. The
discourse turned upon the effects which great political
excitement produce on character, and the purifying con-
sequences of a love of country, when that sentiment is
powerfully and generally awakened in a people. He
who, from his years, his services, and his knowledge of
Digitized by VjOOQIC
V^ INTKODUOT103f.
men, was best qualified to take the lead in such a con-
versation, was the principal speaker. After dwelling
on the marked manner in which the great struggle of
the nation, during the war of 1775, had given a new
and honorable direction to the thoughts and practices
of multitudes whose time had formerly been engrossed
by the most vulgar concerns of life, he illustrated his
opinions by relating an anecdote, the truth of which he
could attest as a personal witness.
The dispute between England and the United States
of America, though not strictly a family quarrel, had
many of the features of a'^civil war. The people of the
latter were never properly and constitutionally subject
to the people of the former, but the inhabitants of both
countries owed allegiance to a common king. The
Americans, as a nation, disavowed this allegiance, and
the English choosing to support their sovereign in the
attempt to regain his power, most of the feelings of an
internal struggle were involved in the conflict. A
large proportion of the emigrants from Europe, then
established in the colonies, took part with the crown ;
and there were many districts in which their influence,
united to that of the Americans who refused to lay
aside their allegiance, gave a decided preponderance
to the royal cause. America was tlien too young, and
too much in need of every heart and hand, to regard
these partial divisions, small as they were in actual
amount, with indifference. The evil was greatly in-
creased by the activity of the Ertgli^ in profiting by
these internal dissensions ; and it became doubly serious
Digitized by
Google
9
IXTRODUCTIOX.
when it was found that attempts were made to raise
various corps of provincial troops, who were to be
banded with those from Europe, to reduce the young
republic to subjection. Congress named an especial
and a secret committee, therefore, for the express pur-
pose of defeating this object. Of this committee Mr.
, the narrator of the anecdote, was chairman.
In the discharge of the novel duties which now de-
volved on him, Mr. had occasion to employ an
agent whose services differed but little from those of a
common spy. This man, as will easily be understood,
belonged to a condition in life which rendered him the
least reluctant to appear in so equivocal a character.
He was poor, ignorant, so far as the usual instruction
was concerned ; but cool, shrewd, and fearless by na-
ture. It was his office to learn in what part of the
country the agents of the crown were making their
efforts to embody men, to repair to the place, enlist,
appear zealous in the cause he affected to serve, and
otherwise to get possession of as many of the secrets of
the enemy as possible. The last he of course commu-
nicated to his employers, who took all the means in
their power to counteract the plans of the English, and
frequently with success.
It wiU readily be conceived that a service like this
was attended with great personal hazard. In addition
to the danger of discovery, there was the daily risk of
falling into the hands of the Americans themselves,
who invariably visited sins of this nature more severely
on the natives of the country than on the Europeans
Digitized by
Google
INTRODUCTION^.
who fell into tlicir hands. In fact, the agent of Mr
was several times arrested by tlie local authorities ;
and, in one instance, he was actually condemned by
his exasperated countrymen to the gallows. Speedy
and private orders to his gaoler alone saved him from
an ignominious death. He was permitted to escape ;
and this seeming, and indeed actual, peril was of great
aid in supporting liis assumed character among the
English. By the Americans, in his little sphere, he
was denounced as a bold and inveterate Tory. In this
manner he continued to serve his country in secret
during the early years of the struggle, hourly environed
by danger, and the constant subject of unmerited op-
probrium.
Li the year Mr. was named to a high and
honorable employment at a European court. Before
vacating his seat in Congress, he reported to that body
an outline of the circumstances related, necessarily
suppressing the name of his agent, and demanding an
appropriation in behalf of a man who had been of so
much use, at so great risk. A suitable sum was voted,
and its delivery was confided to the chairman of the
secret committee.
Mr. took the necessary means to summon his
agent to a personal interview.- They met in a wood,
at midnight. Here Mr. complimented his com-
panion on his fidelity and adroitness ; explained the
necessity of their communications being closed ; and
finally tendered the money. The other drew back, and
declined receiving it. " The country has need of all its
Digitized by
Google
IXTBODUCTION.
means," he said; " as for myself, I can work, or gain a
avelihood in various ways." Persuasion was useless,
for patriotism was uppermost in the heart of this re-
markable individual; and Mr. departed, bearing
with him the gold he had brought, and a deep respect
for the man who had so long hazarded his life, unre-
quited, for the cause they served in common.
The writer is under an impression that, at a later day,
the agent of Mr. consented to receive a remuner-
ation for what he had done ; but it was not until his
cotmtry was entirely in a condition to bestow it.
It is scarcely necessary to add, that an anecdote like
this, simply but forcibly told by one of its principal
actors, made a deep impression on all who heard it.
Many years later, circumstances, which it is unnecessary
to relate, and of an entirely adventitious nature, in-
duced the writer to publish a novel, which proved to
be, what he little foresaw at the time, the first of a tol-
erably long series. The same adventitious causes which
gave birth to the book, determined its scene and its
general character. The former was laid in a foreign
country ; and the latter embraced a crude effort to de-
scribe foreign manners. "When this tale was published,
it became matter of reproach among the author's friends,
that he, $,n American in heart as in birth, should give
to the world a work which aided perhaps, in some
slight degree, to feed the imaginations of the young and
unpractised among his own countrymen, by pictures
drawn from a state of society so different from that to
which he belonged. The writer, while he ki?ew how
Digitized by
Google
\
INTEODUCTION {•
much of what he had done was purely accidental, fell
the reproach to be one that, in a measure, was just.
A.S the only atonement in his power, he determined tc
inflict a second book, whose subject should admit of no
cavil, not only on the world, but on himself. He chose
patriotism for his theme ; and to those who read this
introduction and the book itself, it is scarcely necessary
to add, that he took the hero of the anecdote just related
as the best illustration of his subject.
Since the original publication of " Tlie Spy," there
have appeared several accounts of different persons who
are supposed to have been in the author's mind while
writing the book. As Mr. did not mention the
name of his agent, the writer never knew any more of )
his identity with this or that individual, than has been
here explained. Both "Washington and Sir Henry
Clinton had an unusual number of secret emissaries ; in
a war that partook so much of a domestic character,
and in which the contending parties were people of the
same blood and language, it could scarcely be otherwise.
The style of the book has been revised by the author
in this edition. In this respect, he has endeavored to
make it more worthy of the favor with which it has
been received ; though he is compelled to admit there
are faults so interwoven with the structure of the tale
that, as in the case of a decayed edifice, it would cost
perhaps less to reconstruct than to repair. Five-and- •
twenty years have been as ages with most things con-
nected with America. Among other advances, that of
her literature has not been the least. So little was ex-
Digitized by
Google
INTRODUCTION.
pectcd fTOin the publication of an original work of this
description, at the time it was written, that the first
volume of "Tlie Spy" was actually printed several
months, before the author felt a suflScient inducement
to write a line of the second. The efforts expended on
a hopeless task are rarely worthy of him who makes
them, however low it may be necessary to rate the
standard of his general merit.
One other anecdote connected with the history of
this book, may give the reader some idea of the hopes
of an American author, in the first quarter of the pres-
ent century. As the second volume was slowly print-
ing, from manuscript that was barely dry when it went
into the compositor's hands, the publisher intimated
that the work might grow to a length that would con-
sume the profits. To set his mind at rest, the last
chapter was actually written, printed and paged, sev-
eral weeks before the chapters which precede it were
even thought of. Tliis circumstance, while it cannot
excuse, may serve to explain the manner in which the
actors arc hurried off the scene.
A great change has come over the country since
this book was originally written. The nation is passing
from the gristle into the bone, and the common mind
is beginning to keep even pace with the growth of the
body politic. Tlie march from Yera Cruz to Mexico
was made under the orders of that gallant soldier who,
u quarter of a century before, was mentioned with
honor, in the last chapter of this very book. Glorious
as was that march, and brilliant as were its results in
Digitized by
Google
Xii INTEODUCTION.
a inilitaiy point of view, a stride was then made by
the nation, in a moral sense, that has hastened it by an
age, in its progress toward real independence and high
political influence. The guns that filled the valley
of the Aztecs with their thunder, have been heard in
echoes on the other side of the Atlantic, producing
equally hope or apprehension.
Thei^e is now no enemy to fear, but the one that re-
sides within. By accustoming ourselves to regard even
the people as erring beings, and by using the restraints
that wisdom has adduced from experience, there is
much reason to hope that the same Providence which
has so well aided us in our infancy, may continue to
smile on our manhood.
COOPERSTOWN, March 29, 1849.
i
I
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY.
CHAPTER I.
And though amidst the calm of thouglit entire;
Some high and haughty features might betraj
A soul impetuous once -*- 'twas earthly Are
That fled composure's intellectual ray.
As Etna's fires grow dim before the rising day.
Obtrude of Wyoming,
It was near the close of the year 1780, that a solitary travcllei
was seen pursuing his way through one of the numerous little Yal*
leys of West-Chester.* The easterly wind, with its chilling damp-
ness and increasing yiolence, gave unerring notice of the approach
of a storm, which as usual might be expected to continue for several
days : and the experienced eye of the traveller waa turned in vain,
through the darkness of the evening, in quest of some convenient
shelter, in which, for the term of his confinement by the rain that
ahreadj began to mix with the atmosphere in a thick mist, he might
obtain such accommodations as his purposes required. Nothing
however ofiered but the small and inconvenient tenements of the
lower order of the inhabitants, with whom, in that immediate neigh-
bourhood, he did not think it either safe or politic to trust himself.
* As each state of the American Union has its own counties, it often hap-
pens that there are several which bear the same name. The scene of this
tale is in New York, whose county of West-Chester is the nearest adjoining
to the city.
Digitized by
Google
12 T n E 8 P Y.
The comity of West Chester, after the British had obtained pes-
session of the island of New York,* became common ground, in
which both parties continued to act for the remainder of the war of
the revolution. A large proportion of its inhabitants, either
restrained by their attachments, or influenced cy their fears, affected
a neutrality they did not feel. The lower towns were, of course,
more particularly under the dominion of the crown, while the upper,
finding a security from the vicinity of the continental troops, were
bold in asserting their revolutionary opinions, and their right to
govern themselves. Great numbers, however, wore masks, which
even to this day have not been thrown aside ; and many an indivi-
dual haa gone down to the tomb, stigmatised as a foe to the rights
of his countrymen, while, in secret, he haa been the useful agent
of the leaders of the revolution ; and, on the other hand, could the
liidden repositories of divers flaming patriots have been opened to
the light of day, royal protections would have been discovered con-
cealed under piles of British gold.
At the sound of the tread of the noble horse ridden by the tra-
veller, the mistress of the farm-house he was passing at the time
might be seen cautiously opening the door of the building to
examine the stranger; abd perhaps, with an averted face, communi-
cating the result of her observations to her husband, who, in the
rear of the building, was prepared to seek, if necessary, his ordinary
place of concealment in the adjacent woods. The valley was situ-
ated about mid-way in the length of the county, and was sufficiently
* The city of Kew Tork is situate on an island called Manhattan ; but it
is, at one point, separated from the county of "West-Chester by a creek of only
a few feet in width. The bridge at this spot is called King's Bridge. It
was the scene of many skirmishes during the war, and is alluded to in this
lale. Every Manhattanese knows the difference between "Manhattan
Island" and " the island of Manhattan." The first is applied to a small dis-
trict in the vicinity of Corlaer's Hook, while the last embraces the whole
Island ; or the city and county of New York, as it is termed in the laws.
Digitized by
Google
1
THE 8PT. 18
near to both armies to make the restitution of stolen goods no un-
common occurrence in that vicinity. It is true, the same articles
wore not always regained; but a summary substitute was generally
resorted to, in the absence of legal justice, which restored to the
loser the amount of his loss, and frequently with no inconsiderable
addition for the temporary use of his property. In short, the law
was momentarily extinct in that particular district, and justice waf\
administered subject to the bias of personal interests, and the pas
sions of the strongest.
The passage of a stranger, with an appearance of somewhat
doubtful character, and mounted on an animal which, althou»4i
unfurnished with any of the ordinary trappings of war, partook
largely of the bold and upright carriage that distinguished his rider,
gave rise to many surmises among the gazing inmates of the different
habitations; and in some instances, where conscience was more than
ordinarily awake, to no little alarm.
Tired with the exercise of a day of unusual fatigue, and anxious
to obtain a speedy shelter from the increasing violence of the storm,
that now began to change its character to large drops of driving
rain, the traveller determined, as a matter of necessity, to make an
application for admission to the next dwelling that offered. An
opportunity was not long wanting; and, riding through a pair of
neglected bars, he knocked loudly at the outer door of a building,
of a very humble exterior, without quitting his saddle. A female
of middle age, with an outward bearing but little more prepossessing
than that of her dwelling, appeared to answer the summons. The
startled woman half closed her door again in affright, as she saw, by
the glare of a large wood fire, a mounted man so unexpectedly near
its threshold; and an expression of terror mingled with her natural
curiosity, aa she required his pleasure.
Although the door was too nearly closed to admit of a minute
scrutiny of the accommodations within, enough had been seen to
3aasc the horseman to endeavour, once more, to penetrate the gloom.
Digitized by CjOOQIC
14 THE SPY.
with longing eyes, in search of a more promising roof, before, with
an ill-concealed reluctance, he stated his necessities and wishes. His
request was listened to with' evident unwillingness, and, while yet
unfinished, it was eagerly interrupted by the reply —
^' I can't say I like to give lodgings to a stranger in these ticklish
tunes," said the female in a pert sharp key; "I'm nothing but a for-
lorn lone body; or, what's the same thing, there's nobody but tlie
old gentleman at home ; but a half mile further up the road is a
house where you can get entertainment, and that for nothing. I am
sure 'twill be much convenienter to them, and more agreeable to
me; because, as I said before, Harvey is away — ^I wish he'd take
advice, and leave off wandering; he's well to do in the world, by
this time ; and he ought to leave off his uncertain courses, and settle
himself, handsomely, in life, like other men of his years and pro-
perty. But Harvey Birch will have his own way, and die vagabond
after all!" ' .
The horseman did not wait to hear more than the advice to pursue
his course up the road; but he had slowly turned his horse towards
the bars, and was gathering the folds of an ample cloak around his
manly form, preparatory to facing the storm again, when something
in the speech of the female suddenly arrested the movement.
" Is this, then, the dwelling of Harvey Birch ?" he enquired, in
an involuntary manner, apparently checking himself, as he waa about
to utter more.
" Why, one can hardly say it is his dwelling," replied the other,
drawing a hurried breath, like one eager to answer; "he is never in
it, or so seldom, that I hardly remember his face, when he docs
think it worth hid while to show it to his poor old &.ther and me.
But it matters little to me, I'm sure, if he ever comes back again. .
or not; — ^tum in the first gate on your left; — no, I care but little
for my part, whether Harvey ever shows his face again or not — no< {
I ;" — and she closed the door abruptly on the horseman, who gladl* '
Digitized by CjOOQLC
THE SPY. 15
extended his ride a half mile further^ to obtain lodgings whioh pro>
mised both more comfort and greater security.
Sufficient light yet remained to enable the traveller to distinguish
the improvements* which had been made in the cultivation^ and in
tfao general appearance of the grounds around the building to which
he was now apprc^hing. The house was of stone^ long, low; and
with a small wing at each extremity. A piazza, extending along
the &ont, with neatly turned pillars of wood, together with the good
or4cr and preservation of the fences and out-buildings, gave the
place an air altogether superior to the common fimn-houses of the
country. After leading his horse behind an angle of the wall, where
it was in some degree protected from the wind and rain, the traveller
threw his vallise over his arm, and knocked loudly at the entrance
of the building for admission. An aged black soon appeared; and
without seeming to think it necessary, under the circumstances, to
consult his superiors — ^first taking one prying look at the applicuit,
Dy the li^t of the candle in his hand — he acceded to the request
for accommodations. The traveller was shown into an extremely
neat parlour, where a fire had been lighted to cheer the dulness
of an easterly storm, and an October evening. After giving the
vallise into the keeping of his civil attendant, and politely repeating
his request to the old gentleman, who arose to receive him, and
paying his compliments to the three ladies who were seated at work
with their needles, the stranger commenced laying aside some of the
outer garments which he had worn in his ride.
On taking an extra handkerchief from his neck, and removing a
cloak of blue cloth, with a surtout of the same material, he exhibited
to the scrutiny of the observant fimulypaxfy, a tall and extremely
graceful person, of apparently fifty years of age. — His countenance
♦Improvements is used by the Americans to express every degree of
changrc in converting land from its state of wilderness to that of cultivation
In this meaning of the word it is an improvement to fell the trees ; and it
-^19 valued precisely by tlie supposed amount of the cost.
Digitized by CjOOQIC
16 THE SPY.
evinced a settled composure and dignity ; his nose was straiglit, and
approacliing to Grecian; his eye, of a grey colour, was quiet,
thoughtful, and rather melancholy; the mouth and lower part of his
face being expressive of decision and much character. His dress,
being suited to the road, was simple and plain, but such as was worn
by the higher class of his countrymen ; he wore hig^ own hair, dressed
in a maipiner that gave a military air to his appearance, and which
was rather heightened by his erect and conspicuously gracefid car-
riage. His whole appearance was so impressive and so decidedly
that of a gentleman, that as he finished laying aside the garments,
the ladies arose from their seats, and, together with the master of
the house, they received anew, and returned the complimentary
greetings which were again offered.
The host was by several years the senior of the traveller, and by
his manner, dress, and every thing around him, showed he had seen
much of life and the best society. The ladies were, a maiden of
forty, and two much younger, who did not. seem, indeed, to have
reached half those years. The bloom of the elder of these ladies
had vanished, but her eyes and fine hair gave an extremely agreeable
expression to her countenance; and there was a softness and an affa-
bility in her deportment, that added a charm many more juvenile
faces do not possess. The sisters, for such the resemblance between
the younger females denoted them to be, were in all the pride of
youth, and the roses, so eminently the property of the West-Chester
fair, glowed on their cheeks, and lighted their deep blue eyes with
that lustre which gives so much pleasure to the beholder, and which
indicates so much internal innocence and peace. There was much
of that feminine delicacy in the appearance of the three, which dis-
tinguishes the sex in this country; and, like the gentleman, their
demeanour proved them to be women of the higher order of life.
After handing a glass of excellent Madeira to his guest, Mr.
Wharton, for so was the owner of this retired estate called, resumed
his seat by the fire, with another in his own hand. For a moment
Digitized by VjOOQLC
THE SPY.
17
her paused; as if debating with his politeness, but at length threw an
enquiring glance on the stranger, as he enquired —
" To whose health am I to have the honour of drinking ?"
The traveller had also seated himself, and he sat unconsciously
gazing on the fire, while Mr. Wharton spoke; turning his eyes
slowly on his host with a look of close observation, he replied, while
a feint tinge gathered on his features —
"Mr. Harper."
" Mr. Harper," resumed the other, with the formal precision of
tliat day, " I have the honour to drink your health, and to hope you .
will sustain no injury from the rain to which you have been
exposed."
Mr. Harper bowed in silence to the compliment, and he soon
resumed the meditations from which he had been interrupted, and
for which the long ride he had that day made, in the wind, might
seem a very natural apology.
The young ladies had again taken their scats beside the work-
stand, while their aunt. Miss Jeanette Peyton, withdrew, to super-
intend the preparations necessary to appease the hunger of their
unexpected visiter. A short 'silence prevailed, during which Mr.
Harper was apparently enjoying the change in his situation, when
Mr. Wharton again broke it, by enquiring whether smoke was disa-
greeable to his companion ; to which, receiving an answer in the
negative, he immediately resumed the pipe which Jhad been laid
aside at the entrance of the traveller.
There was an evident desire on the part of the host to enter into
conversation, but either from an apprehension of treading on dan-
gerous ground, or an unwillingness to intrude upon the rather studied
taciturnity of his guest, he several times hesitated, before he could
venture to make any farther remark. At length, a movement from
Mr. Harper, as he raised his eyes to the party in the room, encou-
raged him to proceed.
'^ I find it very difficult," said Mr. Wharton, cautiously avoiding,
Digitized by Google
18 THE SPY.
at first; such subjects aa lie wished to introduce, "to procure that
quality of tobacco for my evenings' amusement, to which I have
been accustomed."
" I should think the shops in New York might furnish the best
in the country/' calmly rejoined the other.
" Why — yes," returned the host, in rather a hesitating manner,
lifting his eyes to the face of Harper, and lowering them quickly
under his steady look, " there must be plenty in town ; but the war
has made communication with the city, however innocent, too dan-
gerous to be risked for so trifling an article as tobacco."
The box from which Mr. Wharton had just taken a supply for
his pipe waa lying open, within a few inches of the elbow of Harper,
who took a small quantity from its contents, and applied it to his
tongue, in a manner perfectly natural, but one that filled his compa^
nion with alarm. Without, however, observing that the quality
was of the most approved kind, the traveller relieved his host by
relapsing again into his meditations. Mr. Wharton now felt unwil-
ling to lose the advantage he had gained, and, making an efifort of
more than usual vigour, he continued —
" I wish, from the bottom of my*heart, this imnatural struggle
was over, that we might again meet our friends and relatives in
peace and love."
"It is much to be desired," said Harper, emphatically, again
raising his eyes to the countenance of his host.
" I hear of no movement of consequence, since the arrival of our
new allies," said Mr. Wharton, shaking the ashes from his pipe,
and turning his back to the other, under the pretence of receiving a
coal from his youngest daughter.
" None have yet reached the public, I believe."
" Is it thought any important steps are about to be taken ?" con-
tinued Mr. Wharton, still occupied with his daughter, yet imcon*
sdously suspending his employment, in expectation of a reply.
** Is it intimated any are in agitation ?"
Digitized by CjOOQIC
T HE SP Y. 19
'<0h! nothing in particular; but it is natural to expect some
new enterprise from so powerful a force as that under Eochambeau/'
Harper made an assenting inclination with his head, but no othei
reply, to this remark ; while Mr. Wharton, after lightmg his pipe,
resumed the subject.
^ They appear more active in the south ; (Jates and Comwallis
BGom willing to bring the war to an issue, there.''
The brow of Harper contracted, and a deeper shade of melan-
choly crossed^ his features; his eye kindled with a transient beam
of fire, that spoke a latent source of deep feeling. The admiring
gaze of the younger of the sisters had barely time to read its expres-
sion, before it passed away, leaving in its room the acquired compo-
sure which marked the countenance of the stranger, and that im-
pressive dignity which so conspicuously denotes the empire of
reason.
The elder sister made one or two movements in her chair, before
she ventured to say, in a tone which partook in no small measure
of triumph—
'^ Greneral Gkites has been less fortunate with the Earl, than with -
General Burgoyne.'*
^^ But Gkneral Gates is an Englishman, Sarah,'' cried the younger
lady, with quickness; then, colouring to the eyes at her own bold-
ness, she employed herself in tumbling over the contents of her
work-basket, silently hoping the remark would be unnoticed.
The traveller had turned his face from one sister to the other, as
they had spoken in succession, and an almost imperceptible move-
ment of the muscles of his mouth betrayed a new emotion, as he
playfully enquired of the younger —
" May I venture to ask, what inference you would draw from that
fectr
Frances blushed yet deeper at this direct appeal to her opinions
Dpon a subject on which she had incautiously spoken in the pre-
sence of a stranger; but, finding an answer necessary, after som
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
20 THE SPY.
little hesitation, and with a good deal of stammeriug in her manncrj
she replied —
" Only — only — sir — my sister and myself sometimes differ in our
opinions of the prowess of the British." A smile of much meaning
played on a face of infantile innocency; as she concluded.
" On what particular points of their prowess do you differ ?" con-
tinued Harper, meeting her look of animation with a smile of almost
paternal softness.
" Sarah thinks the British are never beaten, while I do not put
so much faith in their invincibility."
The traveller listened to her with that pleased indulgence, with
• which virtuous age loves to contemplate the ardour of youthful in-
nocence ; but making no reply, he turned to the fire, and continued
for some time gazing on its embers, in silence*
Mr. Wharton had in vain endeavoured to pierce the disguise of
his guest's political feelings; but, while there waa nothing forbid-
ding in his countenance, there was nothing communicative; on the
contrary, it was strikingly reserved ; and the master of the house
arose, in profound ignorance of what, in those days, was the most
material point in the character of his guest, to lead the way into
another room, and to the supper table. Mr. Harper offered his
hand to Sarah Wharton, and they entered the room together; while
Frances followed, greatly at a loss to know, whether she had not
wounded the feelings of her father's inmate.
The storm began to rage with great violence without ; and the
dashing rain on the sides of the building awakened that silent sense
of enjoyment, which is excited by such sounds in a room of quiet
comfort and warmth, when a loud summons at the outer door again
called the faithful black to the portal. In a minute the servant
returned, and informed his master that another traveller, overtaken
by the storm, desired to be admitted to the house for a shelter
through the night.
At the first sounds of the impatient summons of this new apph*
Digitized by CjOOQIC
THE SPY. 21
cant, Mr. Wharton had risen from his scat in evident uneasiness;
and, with eyes gkncing with quickness from his guest to the door
of the room, he seemed to be expecting something to proceed from
this second interruption, connected with the stranger who had occa-
sioned the first. He scarcely had time to bid the black, with a faint
voice, ta show this second comer in, before the door was thrown
hastily open, and the stranger himself entered the apartment. Ho
paused a moment, as the person of Harper met his view, and then,
in a more formal manner, repeated the request he had before made
through the servant. Mr. "Wharton and his family disliked the ap-
pearance of this new visitor excessively; but the inclemency of the
weather, and the uncertainty of the consequences, if he were refused
the desired lodgings, compelled the old gentleman to give a reluctant
acquiescence.
Some of the dishes were replaced by the orders of Miss Peyton,
and the weather-beaten intruder was invited to partake of the re-
mains of the repast, from which the party had just risen. Throwing
aside a rough great-coat, he very composedly took the offered chair,
and unceremoniously proceeded to allay the cravings of an appetite,
which appeared by no means delicate. But at every mouthful he
would tm-n an unquiet eye on Harper, who studied his appearance
with a closeness of investigation, that was very embarrassing to its
subject. At length, pouring out a glass of wine, the new comer
nodded significantly to his examiner, previously to swallowing the
liquor, and said, with something of bitterness in his manner —
" I drink to our better acquaintance, sir ; I believe this is the
first time we have met, though your attention would seem to say
otherwise."
The quality of the wine seemed greatly to his fancy, for, on re-
placuig the glass upon the table, he gave his lips a smack, that
resounded through the room ; and, taking up the bottle, he held it
between himself and the light, for a moment, in silent contemplation
of its clear and brilliant colour.
Digitized by VjOOQLC
22 T H E s p r.
'' I think we have never met before, sir/' replied Harper, wWi a .
slight smile on his features, as he observed the movements of the
other; but appearing satisfied with his scrutinjj'he turned to Slurah
Wharton, who sat next him, and carelessly remarked^- |
"You, doubtless, find your present abode solitary^ after being
accustomed to the gayeties of the city."
"Oh! excessively so,*' said Sarah, hastily. "I do wish. With
my father, that this cruel war was at an end, that we might rdtum
to our friends once more."
" And you, Miss Frances, do you long as ardently for peaqo aa
your aster?"
"On many accounts I certainly do," returned the other, ven-
turing to steal a timid glance at her interrogator; and, meeting the
same benevolent expression of feeling as before, she continued, aa
her own face lighted into one of its animated and bright smiles of
intelligence, "but not at the expense of the rights of my coun-
trymen."
"Rights!" repeated her sister, impatiently; "whose rights can
be stronger than those of a sovereign; and what duty is clearer,
than to obey those who have a natural right to command ?"
"None, certainly," said Frances, laughing with great pleasantry;
and, taking the hand of her sister afiectionately within both of her
own, she added, with a smile directed towards Harper —
" I gave you to understand, that my sister and myself differed in
our political opinions; but we haver an impartial umpire in my
fother, who loves his own countrymen, and he loves the British,—
so he takes sides with neither."
"Yes," said Mr. Wharton, in a little alarm, eyeing first one
guest, and then the other; "I have near friends in both armies,
and I dread a victory by either, as a source of certain private mis-
fortune."
"I take it, you have little reason to apprehend much from the
Digitized by VjOOQIC
V
T n E B p r . 23
Yankees; in that way ;" interrupted the guest at the table, coolly
helping himself to another glass, from the bottle he had admired. .
" His Majesty may have more experienced troops than the con-
tinentals," answered the host fearfully, "but the Americans have
met with distinguished success.''
Harper disregarded the observations of both; and, rising, he
desired to be shown to his place of rest. A small boy was directed
to guide him to his room; and wishing a courteous good-night to
the whole party, the traveller withdrew. The knife and fork fell
from the hands of the tiiiwelcome intruder, as the door closed on
the retiring %ure of Harper; — he arose slowly from his seat; —
listening attentively, he approached the door of the room — opened
it — seemed to attend to the retreating footsteps of the other —
and, amidst the panic and astonishment of his companions, he closed
it again. In an instant, the red wig which concealed his black
locks, the large patch, which hid half his face from observation, the
stoop, that had made him appear fifty years of age, disappeared.
"My father! — my dear father!" — cried the handsome young
man; "and you, my dearest sisters and aunt! — have I at last
met you, again?"
*^ Heaven bless you, my Henry, my son !" exclaimed tho aston-
ished, but delighted parent; while his sisters sunk on his shoulders,
dissolved in tears.
The faithful old black, who had been reared from infancy in the
house of his master, and who, as if in mockery of his degraded
state, had been complimented with the name of CsBsar, was the
only other witness of- this unexpected discovery of the son of Mr.
Wharton. After receiving ike extended hand of his young master,
and imprinting on it a fervent kiss, Cassar withdrew. The boy did
not re-enter the room; and the black himself, after some time,
returned, just as the young British captain was exclaiming —
" But who is this Mr. Harper ? — is he likely to betray me ?"
"No — no — no — Massa Harry," cried the negro, shaking his
Digitized by CjOOQIC
2
24 THB BPr.
/
grey head confidently; "I been to see — Massa Harper en-lrt
knee-— pray to God — no gemman who pray to God, tell of good
son, come to see old fader — Skinner do that — no Christian \"
This poor opinion of the Skinners was not confined to Mr. Caesar
Thompson, as he called himself — but Caosar Wharton, as he was
styled by the litUe world to which he was known. The con-
venience, and perhaps the necessities, of the leaders of the American
arms, in the neighbourhood of New York, had induced them to
employ certain subordinate 'agents, of extremely irregular habits, in
executing their lesser plans of annoying the enemy. It was not a
moment for fiistidious inquiries into abuses of any description, and
oppression and injustice were the natural consequences of the pos-
session of a military power that was uncurbed by the restraints of
civil authority. In time, a distinct order of the commimity was
formed, whose sole occupation appears to have been that of relieving
their fellow-citizens from any little excess of temporal prosperity
they might be thought to enjoy, under the pretence of patriotism,
and the love of liberty.
Occasionally, the aid of military authority was not wanting, in
enforcing these arbitrary distributions of worldly goods; and a
petty holder of a commission in the state militia was to be seen giv-
ing the sanction of something like legality to acts of the most unli-
censed robbery, and, not unfrequently, of bloodshed.
On the part of the British, the stimulus of loyalty was by no
means suffered to sleep, where so fruitful a field offered, on which it
might be expended. But their freebooters were enrolled, and their
efforts more systematised. Long experience had taught their leaders
the efficacy of concentrated force ; and, unless tradition does great
injustice to their exploits, the result did no littie credit to their fore-
light. The corps — we presume, from their known affection to that
useful animal — had received the quaint appellation of ^Cow-Boys.'
Caesar was, however, far too loyal to associate men, who held the
commission of George III., with the irregular warriors, whoso ex-
Digitized by CjOOQLC
THE SPY.
25
cesses he had so often witnessed^ and from whose rapacitj^ neithei
Ms poverty nor his bondage had suffered even hun to escape unin-
jured. The Cow-Boys, therefore, did not receive their proper por-
tion of the black's censure, when he said, no Christian, nothing but
a " Skinner," could betray a pious child, while nonouring his father
with a visit so full of peril
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER IL
And many a halcyon day he llv'd to see
Unbroken, but by one miafortane dire.
When &te had reft his mntual heart— but she
Was gone — and Gertrude climb'd a widowed fathei^s knee.
Gertrude of Wyoming.
The father of Mr. WLarton was a native of England, and of a
family whose parliamentary interest had enabled them to provide for
a younger son in the colony of New York. The yonng man, like
hundreds of others in his situation, had settled permanently in the
country. He married ; and the sole issue of his connexion had
been sent early in life to receive the benefits of the English schools.
After taking his degrees at one of the universitiea of the mother
country, the youth had been suffered to acquire a knowledge of life
with the advantages of European society. But the death of his
father recalled him, after passing two years in this manner, to the
possession of an honourable name, and a very ample estate.
It was much the fashion of that day to place the youth of certain
families in the army or navy of England, as the regular stepping-
stones to preferment. Most of the higher offices in the colonies were
filled by men who had made arms their profession ; and it was even
no uncommon sight to see a veteran warrior laying aside the sword
to assume the ermine on the benches of the highest judicial
authority.
In conformity with this system, the senior Mr. "Wharton had
Intended his son for a soldier ; but a natural imbecility of character
in his child interfered with his wishes.
Digitized by
Google
THR SPY. 27
A twclyemonth had been spent by the yonng man in weighing tho
compaxative advantages of the different dasses of troopS; when tho
death of his father occurred. The ease of his situation^ and the
attentions lavished npon a youth in the actual enjoyment of one of
the largest estates in th6 colonies^ interfered greatly with his ambi«
tious projects. Love decided the matter; and Mr. Wharton, in
becoming a husband, ceased to think of becoming a soldier. Foi
many years he continued happy in his family, and sufficiently re-
spected by his countrymen, as a man of integrity and consequence,
when all his enjoyments yanished, as it were, at a blow. His only
son, the youth introduced in the preceding chapter, had entered the
army, and had arrived in his native country, but a short time before
the commencement of hostilities, with the reinforcements the min-
istry had thought it prudent to throw into the disaffected parts of
North America. His daughters were just growing into life, oud
their education required all the advantages the ciiy could afford.
His wife had been for some years in declining health, and had barely
time to fold her son to her bosom, and rejoice in the re-union of her
family, before the revolution burst forth, in a continued blaze, from
Georgia to Massachusette. The shock was too much for the feeble
condition of the mother, who saw her child called to the field to
combat against the members of her own family in the South, and
she sunk imder the blow.
There was no part of the continent where the manners of Eng-
land, and its aristocratical notions of blood and alliances, prevailed
with more force, than in a certain circle immediately around the me-
tropolis of New York. The customs of the early Dutch inhabitants
had, indeed, blended in some measure with the English manners;
but still the latter prevailed. This attachment to Great Britain was
mcreased by the frequent intermarriages of the officers of the mother-
country with the wealthier and more powerful families of the vicinity,
ontil, at the commencement of hostilities, their united influence had
very nearly thrown the colony into tho scale on the side of tho crown.
Digitized by CjOOQIC
2y THJi SPT.
A ibw; however; of the leading families espoused the cansc of the
people ; and a sufficient stand was made against the efforts of the
ministerial party, to organise, and, aided by the army of the con-
federation, to maintain, an Independent and republican form of gov-
ernment.
The city of New-York and the adjacent territory were alone ex-
em jtted from the rule of the new commonwealth ; while the royal
authority extended no further than its digidty could be supported by
the presence of an army. In this condition of things, the loyalists
of influence adopted such measures as best accorded with their dif-
ferent characters and situations. Many bore arms in support of the
crown, and, by their bravery and exertions, endeavoured to secure
what they deemed to be the rights of their prince, and their own
estates, from the effects of the law of attainder. Others left the
country; seeking in that place they emphatically called home, an
asylum, as they fondly hoped, for a season only, against the confu-
sion and dangers of war. A third, and a more wary portion, re-
mained in the place of their nativity, with a prudent regard to their
ample possessions, and, perhaps, influenced by their attachments to
the scenes of their youth. Mr. Wharton was of this description.
After making a provision against future contingencies, by secretly
transmitting the whole of his money to the British funds, ihis gen-
tleman determined to continue in the theati*e of strife, and to main-
tain so strict a neutrality, as to ensure the safety of his large estate,
whichever party succeeded. He was apparently engrossed in the
education of his daughters, when a relation, high in office in the new
state, intimated, that a residence in what was now a British camp
differed but little, in the eyes of his countrymen, from a residence in
the British capital. Mr. Wharton soon saw this was an unpardon-
able offence in the existing state of things, and he instantly deter-
mined to remove the difficulty, by retiring to the country. He pos-
sessed a residence in the county of West-Chester; and having been
for many years in the habit of withdrawing thither during the heats
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THS SPY. 29
of the smomer months, it was kept fdmlshec/, and ready for hk
accommodation. Hia eldei^t daughter was already admitted into the
society of women ; but Frances^ the younger, required a year or two
more of the usual cultivation, to appear with proper eclat : at least
80 thought Miss Jeanette Peyton; and as this lady, a younger sister
of their deceased mother, had left her paternal home, in the colony
of Yirginia, with the deyotedness and affection peculiar to her sex,
to superintend the wcl£a« of her orphan nieces, Mr. Wharton felt
that her opinions were entitled to respect. In conformity to her
advice, therefore, the feelings of the parent were made to yield to
the welfare of his children.
Mr. Wharton withdrew to the ^* Locusts," with a heart rent with
the pain of separating from all that was left him of a wife he had
adored, but in obedience to a constitutional prudence that pleaded
loudly in behalf of his worldly goods. His handsome town resi-
dence was inhabited, in the mean while, by his daughters and their
aunt. The regiment to which Captain Wharton belonged formed
part of the permanent garrison of the city; and the knowledge of
the presence of his son was no little relief to the father, in his un-
ceasing meditati(»is on his absent daughters. But Captain Wharton
was a young man and a soldier; his estimate of character was not
always the wisest; and his propensities led him to imagine that a
red coat never concealed a dishonourable heart.
The house of Mr. Wharton became a fashionable lounge to the
officers of the royal army, as did that of every other family that was
tfiought worthy of their notice. The consequences of this associa-
tion were, to some few of the visited, fortunate ; to more, injurious,
by exciting expectations which were never to be realized, and,
unhappily, to no small number ruinous. The known wealth of the
£ither, and, possibly, the presence of a high-spirited brother, forbade
any apprehension of the latter danger to the young ladies : but it
^ as impossible lliat all the admiration bestowed on the fine figure
and lovely face of Sarah Wharton should be thrown away. Her
Digitized by
Google
80 THE SPY.
person this formed with the early maturity of the climate, and a
strict cultivation of the graces had made her^ decidedly, the belle
of the city. No one promised to dispute with her this female
sovereigniy, unless it might he her younger aster. Frances^ how*
ever, wanted some months to the charmed age of sixteen; and the
idea of competition was far &om tiie minds of either of the affec-
tionate girls. Indeed; next to the conversation of Colonel WeUmerC;
the greatest pleasure of Sarah was in contemplating the budding
beauties of the little Hebe, who played around her with all the
innocency of youth^ with aU the enthusiasm of her ardent temper,
and with no littie of the archness of her native humour. Whether
or not it was owing to the feet that Frances receiyed none of the
compliments which fell to the lot of her elder sister, in the often
repeated discussions on the merits of the war, between the military
beaus who frequented the house, it is certain their effects on the
sisters were exactiy opposite. It was much the fashion then for the
British officers to speak slightingly of their enemies; and Sarah
took all the idle vapouring of her danglers to be truths. The first
political opinions which reached the ears of Frances were coupled
witii sneers on the conduct of her coimtrymen. At first she
believed them; but there was occasionally a general, who was
obliged to do justice to his enemy in order to obtain justice for
himself; and Frances became somewhat skeptical on the subject
of the inefficiency of her countrymen. Colonel Wellmere was
among those who delighted most in expending his wit on the unfor*
tunate Americans; and, in time, Frances began to listen to his
eloquence with great suspicion, and sometimes with resentment.
It was on a hot sultry day, that the three were in the parlour of
Mr. Wharton's house, the Colonel and Sarah seated on a sofa,
engaged in a combat of the eyes, aided by the usual flow of small
talk, and Frances was occupied at her tambouring frame, in
an opposite comer of the room, when the gentieman suddenly
exclaimed —
Digitized by
Google
THE spy. 3i
^* How gay the anival of the axmy under General Burgoyne vill
toake the city, Miss Wharton I"
^^ Oh I how pleasant it must be/' said the thoughtless Sarah, in
reply; '^I am told there are many charming women with that
»rmy; as you say, it will make us all life and gayety."
Frances shook back the abundance of her golden hair, and raised
her eyes, dancing with the ardour of nati(»ial feeling; then laugh-
ing, with a concealed humour, she asked —
^^ Is it so certain, that Greneral Burgoyne will be permitted to
•each the city?"
" Permitted I" echoed the Colonel : " who is there to prevent it,
my pretty Miss Fanny?"
Frances was precisely at that age, when young people are most
jealous of their station in society; neither quite a woman, nor yet
a child. The "pretty JMiss Fanny" was too familiar to be relished,
and she dropped her eyes on her work again, with cheeks that
glowed like crimson.
" Greneral Stark took the Germans into custody," she answered,
compressing her lip; — "may not General Gates think the British
too dangerous to go at large?"
" Oh ! they were Germans, as you say," cried the Colonel, exces-
sively vexed at the necessity of explaining at all; "mere mercenary
troops; but when the really British regiments come in question, you
will see a very different result."
" Of that there is no doubt," cried Sarah, without in the least
partaking of the resentment of the Colonel to her sister, but hailing
already in her heart, the triumph of the British.
"Pray, Colonel Wellmere," said Frances, recovering her good
humour, and raising her joyous eyes once more to the face of the
gentieman, "was the Lord Percy of Lexington, a kinsman of him
who fought at Chevy Chase ?"
"Why, Miss Fanny, you are becoming a rebel," said the Colonel,
endeavouring to laugh away the anger he felt; " what you are phased
Digitized by
Google
32 THE STY,
to insinuato was a chsise at Lexington, was nothing more than a jndi
cious retreat — a — kind of — "
•'Running fight/' interrapted the good-humoured ^1, laying
great emphasis on the first word.
"Positively, young lady—" Colonel Wellmere was interrupted by
a laugh from a person who had hitherto been unnoticed.
There was a small family apartment, adjoining the room occupied
by the trio, and the air had blown open the door communicating
between the two. A fine young man was now seen sitting near the
entrance, who, by his smiling countenance, was evidently a pleased
listener to the conversation. He rose instantly, and coming through
the door, with his hat in his hand, appeared a tall graceful youth,
of dark complexion, and sparkling eyes of black, from which the
mirth had not yet entirely vanished, as he made his bow to the ladies.
*^ Mr. Dunwoodie I" cried Sarah, in surprise ; " I was ignorant of
your being in the house ; you will find a cooler seat in this room."
" I thank you," replied the young man, " but I must go and seek
your brother, who placed me there in ambuscade, as he called it,
with a promise of returning an hour ago." Without making any fur-
ther explanation, the youth bowed politely to the young women,
distantly and with hauteur to the gentleman, and withdrew. Prances
followed him into the hall, and blushing richly, enquired, in a hur-
ried voice —
" But why — why do you leave us, Mr. Dunwoodie ? — Henry must
soon return."
The gentleman caught one of her hands in his own, and the stem
expression of his countenance gave place to a look of admiration, as
{ic replied —
" You managed him famousJfy, my dear little kinswoman ; never —
no never, forget the land of your birth; remember, if you are tbe
grand-daughter of an EngSshman, you are, also, the grand-daughter
of a Peyton."
" Oh I" retimied the laughing girl, '' it would be difficult to forget
Digitized by
Google
THE s]^r. 33
that, T^ith th« constant lectures on genealogy before us, with which
we are favoured by aunt Jeanette — ^but why do you go ?"
" I ana on the wing for Virginia, and have much to do." He
pressed her hand as he spoke, and looking back, while in the act of
closing the door, exclaimed, "Be true to your country — ^be Ameri-
can." The ardent girl kissed her hand to him as he retired, and
then instantly applying it with its beautiful fellow to her burning
cheeks, ran into her own apartment to hide her confusion.
Between the open sarcasm of Frances, and the ill-concealed dis-
dain of the young man, Colonel Wellmere had felt himself placed
in an awkward predicament ; but ashamed to resent such trifles in
the presence of his mistress, he satisfied himself with observing,
superciliously, as Dunwoodie left the room —
" Quite a liberty for a youth in his situation ; a shop-boy with a
bundle, I fancy."
The idea of picturing the graceful Peyton Dunwoodie as a shop-
boy could never enter the mind of Sarah, and she looked around
her in surprise, when the Colonel continued —
" This Mr. Dun— Dun— "
" Dunwoodie ! Oh no — he is a relation of my aunt>" cried the
young lady, " and an intimate friend of my brother ; they were at
school together, and only separated in England, when one went
into the army, and the other to a French military academy."
" His money appears to have been thrown away," observed the
Colonel, betraying the spleen he was unsuccessfully striving to
conceal.
" We ought to hope so," added Sarah, with a smile ; " for it ig
said he intends joining the rebel army. He was brought in here,
in a French ship, and has just been exchanged ; you may scon
meet him in arms,"
" Well, let him — I wish Washington plenty of such heroes ;" and
he turned to a more pleasant subject, by changing the discourse tc
-themselves.
Digitized by
Google
34 THE SPY.
A few weeks after this scene occurred, thie army of Burgoyne
laid down their arms, Mr, Wharton, beginning to think the result
of the contest doubtful, resolved to conciliate his countrymen, and
gratify himself by calling his daughters into his own abode. Miss
Peyton consented to be their companion ; and from that time, until
the period at which we commenced our narrative, they had formed
one family.
Whenever the main army made any movements. Captain Whar-
ton had, of course, accompanied it ; and onco or twice, under the
protectior. of strong parties, acting in the neighbourhood of the
Locusts, he had enjoyed rapid and stolen interviews with his friends,
A twelvemonth had, however, passed without his seeing them ;
and the impatient Henry had adopted the disguise we have men-
tioned, and unfortunately arrived on the very evening that an
unknown and rather suspicious guest was an inmate of the house,
which seldom contained any other than its regular inhabitants.
^' But, do you think he suspects me ?" asked the captain, with
anxiety, after pausing to listen to Caesar's opinion of the Skinners.
" How should he ?" cried Sarah, " when your sisters and father
could not penetrate your disguise."
" There is something mysterious in his manner ; his looks are
too prying for an indifferent observer," continued young Wharton
thoughtfully, " and his face seems familiar to me. The recent fate
of Andre has created much irritation on both sides. Sir Henry
threatens retaliation for his death ; and Washington is as firm as if
half the world were at his command. The rebels would think me
a fit subject for their plans just now, should I be so unlucky as to
fall into their hands."
" But, my son," cried his father, in great alarm, " you are not a
spy ; you are not within the rebel — that is, the American lines ; —
there is nothing here to spy."
" That might be disputed," rejoined the young man, musing :
"their pickets were as low as the White Plains when I passed
Digitized by
Google
T H B S~F T • 3d
•iirongh in disguise. It is true my purposes ore innocent; but how
IS it to appear? My yisit to you would seem a cloak to other de>
Bigos. Eemember, sir, the treatment you received not a year smoe,
for sending me a supply of &uit for the winter/'
^^ That proceeded firom the misrepresentations of my kind neigh-
hours/' said Mr. Wharton, "who hoped, by getting my estate con-
fiscated, to purchase good fiinns, at low prices. * Peyton Bunwoodio,
however, soon obtained our discharge; we were detained but a
month,"
"WeP repeated the son, in anuusement; "did they take my
sisters, also? — Fanny, you wrote me nothing of this/'
^^ I believe,'' said Frances, colouring highly^ '^ I mentioned the
kind treatment we received firom your old friend, Major Bunwoodie ;
and that he procured my father's release."
" True ; — but were you with him in the rebel camp ?"
" Yes," said the father, kindly; " Fanny would not suffer me to
go alone. Jeanette and Sarah took charge of the Locusts, and this
little girl was my companion, in captivity.!'
"And Fanny returned from such a scene a greater rebel than
ever," cried Sarah, indignantly; *^ono would think the hardships
"her father suffered would have cured her of such whims."
"What say you to the charge, my pretty sister?" cried the Cap-
tain gaily; — "did Peyton strive to make you hate your king, more
than he does himself?"
" Peyton Dunwoodie hates no one," said Frances, quickly ; then,
blushing at her own ardour, she added immediately, " he loves you,
Henry, I know ; for ho has told me so again and again."
Young Wharton tapped his sister on the cheek, with a smile, as
he asked her, in an affected whisper — "Did he tell you also that he
loved my little sister Fanny?"
"Nonsense," said Frances; and the remnants of the supper-table
60on disappeared under her superintendence.
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER m.
Twas when the fields were swept of Autumn's store.
And growling winds the fading ibiiage tore.
Behind the Lowmon hill, the short-lived light.
Descending slowly, usher'd in the night ;
When firom the noisy town, with mournful look*
His lonely way the meagre pedler took.
WUaom.
A STORM below the highlands of the Hudson, if it be introduced
with an easterly wind, seldom lasts less than two days. Accordingly,
as the inmates of the Locusts assembled, on the following morning,
around their early breakfast, the driving rain was seen to strike in
nearly horizontal lines against the windows of the building, and for-
bade the idea of exposing either man or beast to the tempest. Har-
per was the last to appear : after taking a view of the state of the
weather, he apologised to Mr. Wharton for the necessity that existed
for his trespassing on his goodness for a longer time. To appear-
ances, the reply was as courteous as the excuse ; yet Harper wore
a resignation in his deportment that was widely different from the
uneasy manner of the father. Henry Wharton had resumed his
disguise with a reluctance amounting to disgust, but in obedience to
the commands of his parent. No communications passed between
him and the stranger, after the first salutations of the morning had
been paid by Harper to him, in common with the rest of the family.
Frances had, indeed, thought there wa§ somethiug like a smile pass-
ing over the features of the traveller, when, on entering the room,
he first confronted her brother ; but it was confined to the eyes,
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY. 37
seeming to want power to affect the muscles of the face, and was
soon lost in the settled and benevolent expression which reigned io
his countenance, with a sway but seldom interrupted- The eyes of
the affectionate sister were turned in anxiety, for a moment, on her
brother, and glancing again on their unknown guest, met his look,
as he offered her, with marked attention, one of the little civilities
of the table; and the heart of the girl, which had begun to throb
with violence, regained a pulsation as tempered as youth, health,
and buoyant spirits could allow. While yet seated at the table,
Caesar entered, and, laying a small parcel in silence by the side of
his master, modestly retired behind his chair, where, placing one
hand n its back, he continued in an attitude half ^uniliar, half re*
spectful, a listener.
"What is- this, Caesar?" enquired Mr. Wharton, turning the
bundle over to examine its envelope, and eyeing it rather suspb
ciously.
"The 'baccy, sir; Harvey Birch, he got home, and he bring you
a little good 'ba^cy from York."
"Harvey Birch I" rejoined the master with great deliberation,
stealing a look at his guest. " I do not remember desiring him to
purchase any tobacco for me ; but as he haa brought it, he must be
paid for his trouble."
For an instant only, as the negro spoke, did Harper suspend his
silent meal ; his eye moved slowly from the servant to the master,
and again all remained in its impenetrable reserve.
To Sarah Wharton, this intelligence gave unexpected pleasure ;
riang from her seat, with impatience, she bade the black show Birch
into the apartment ; when, suddenly recollecting herself, she turned
to the traveller with an apologising look, and added, " if Mr. Harper
will excuse the presence of a pedler."
The indulgent benevolence expressed in the countenance of the
tranger, aa he bowed a silent acquiescence, spoke more eloquently
than the nicest framed period, and the young lady repeated her
Digitized by CjOOQLC
88 THE s p r,
order^ with a confidence in its truth that removed all embarrass*
ment.
In the deep recesses of the windows of the cottage were seats of
panelled work ; and the rich da.Tna,sk curtainS; that had ornamented
the parlour in Queen Street,* had been transferred to the Locusts,
and gave to the room that indescribable air of eomfort, which so
gratefully announces the approach of a domestic Mdnter. Into one
of these recesses Captain Wharton now threw himself; drawing the
curtain before him in such a manner as to conceal most of his person
from observation; while his younger sister, losing her natural £rank«
ness of manner, in an air of artificial constraint, silently took pos-
session of the other.
Harvey Birch had been a pedler from his youth ; at least so he
frequently asserted, and his skill in the occupation went far to prove
the truth of the declaration. He was a native of one of the eastern
colonies; and, from something of superior intelligence which be-
longed to his father, it was thought they had known better fortunes
in the land of their nativity. Harvey possessed, however, the com-
mon manners of the country, and was in no way distinguished from
men of his class, but by his acuteness, and the mystery which enve-
loped his movements. Ten years before, they had arrived together
in the vale, and, purchasing the humble dwelling at which Harper
had made his unsuccessful application, continued ever since peaceful
inhabitants, but little noticed and but little known. Until age and
infirmities had prevented, the father devoted himself to the cultiva-
tion of the small spot of ground belonging tp his purchase, while tho
son pursued with avidity his humble barter. Their orderly quietude
* The Americans changed the names of many towns and streets at ilro
revolution, as has since been done in France. Thus, in the city of New York,
Crown Street has become Liberty Street; King Street, Pine Street; and QuecD
Street, then one of the most fashionable quarters of the town, Pearl Street.
Pearl Street is now chiefly occupied by the auction dealers, and the wholesale
dry-goods merchants, for warehouses and counting-rooms.
Digitized by
Google
THB SPY. 30
had soon given them so much consideration in the neighbourhood^
as to induce a maiden of five-and-thirty to forget the punctilio of her
BOX; and to accept the office of presiding over their domestic com«
forts. The roses had long before yanished from the cheeks of Katy
Hajues, and she had seen in suooessiony both her nude and female
acquaintances forming the union so desirable to her sex, with but
little or no hope left for herself, yrhea, with -views of her own, she
entered the family of the'Birohes. Necessity is a hard master, and,
for the want of a better companion, the &ther and son were induced
to accept her services; but still Eaty was not wanting in some qua*
lities, which made her a very tolerable housekeeper. On the one
hand, she was neat, industrious, honest, and a good manager. On
the other, she was talkative, selfish, superstitious, and inquisitive
By dint of using the latter quality with consummate industry, she
had not lived in the £unily five years when she triumphantly do«
clared, that she had heard, or rather overheard, sufficient to enable
her to say what had been the former fate of her associates. Could
Katy have possessed enough of divination to pronounce upon their
future lot, her task would have been accomplished. From the pri-
vate conversations of the parent and child, she learnt that a fire had
reduced them from competence to poverty, and at the same time
diminished the number of their family to two. There was a tremu-
lousness in the voice of- the father, as he touched lightly on the
event, which affected even the heart of Eaty; but no barrier is suffih
T^ient to repel vulgar curiosity. She persevered, until a very direct
intimation from Harvey, by threatening to supply her place with a
female a few years younger than herself, gave her aw^ warning
that there were bounds beyond which she was not to pass. From
that period the curiosity of the housekeeper had been held in such
salutary resteiint, that, although no opportunity of listening waa ever
neglected, she had been able to add but little to her stock of know-
ledge. There was, however, one piece of intelligence, and that of no
tttle interest to herself, which she had succeeded in obtaining; and
Digitized by CjOOQLC
<0 YHK spr.
from the moment of its acquisition, she directed her energies to the
accomplishment of one object, aided by the double stimulus of lovci
and avarice.
Harvey was in the frequent habit of paying mysterious visits, in
the depth of the night, to the fire-place of the apartment, that served
for both kitchen and parlour. Hero he was observed by Elaty; and,
availing herself of his absence, and the occupations of the father, by
removing one of the hearth-stones, she discovered an iron pot, glit-
tering wit^ a metal that seldom Mis to soften the hardest heart.
Katy succeeded in replacing the stone without discovery, and never
dared to trust herself with another visit. From that moment, how-
over, tiie heart of the virgin lost its obduracy; and nothing inter*
posed between Harvey and his happiness, but his own want of ob-
servation.
The war did not interfere with the traffic of the pedler, who seized
on the golden opportunity, which the interruption of the regular
trade afforded, and appeared absorbed in the one grand object of
amassing money. For a year or two, his employment was uninter-
rupted, and his success proportionate ; but, at length, dark and threat-
ening hints began to throw suspicion around his movements, and the
civil authority thought it incumbent on them to examine narrowly
into his mode of life. His imprisonments, though frequent, were
not long; and his escapes from the guardians of the law easy, com-
pared to what he endured from the persecution of the military. Still
Birch survived, and still he continued his trade, though compelled'
to be very guarded in his movements, especially whenever he ap-
preached the northern boundaries of the county; or, in other words,
the neighbourhood of the American lines. His visits to the Locusts
had become less frequent, and his appearance at his own abode so
seldom, as to draw forth from the disappointed Katy, in the fulness
of her heart, the complaint we have related, in her reply to Harper.
Nothing, however, seemed to interfere with the pursuits of this indo-
fjitigablc trader; who with a view to dispose of certain articles for
Digitized by CjOOQLC
THE SPY. 41
which he could only find pfurchaflers in the very wealthiest families
of the county^ had now braved the f uiy of the tempest; and ventoiod
to cross the half milo between his own residence and the house of
Mr. Wharton.
In a few minutes after receiving the commands of his young mis*
tresS; Gaasar re-appeared, ushering into the apartment the subject of
the foregoing digression. In person, the pedler was a man above
the middle height, spare, but full of bone and muscle. At first
sdght, his strength seemed unequal to manage the unwieldy burden
of his pack; yet he threw it on and off with great dexterity, and
with as much apparent ease as if it had been filled with feathers.
His eyes were grey, sunken, restless, and, for the flitting moments
that they dwelt on the countenances of those with whom he con-
versed, they seemed to read the very soul. They possessed, how-
ever, two distinct expressions, which, in a great measure, character- .
ised the whole man. When engaged in traffic, the intelligence of
his &ce appeared lively, active, and flexible, though uncommonly
acute; if the conversation turned on the ordinary transactions of
life, his air became abstracted and restless; but if, by chance, the
revolution and the country were the topic, his whole system seemed
altered — all his faculties were concentrated : he would listen for a
great length of time, without speaking, and then would break silence
by some light and jocular remark, that was too much at variance
with his former manner, not to be affectation. But of the war, and
of his father, he seldom spoke, and always &om some very obvious
neoesfflty.
To a superficial observer, avarice would seem his ruling passion —
and, all things considered, he was as unfit a subject for the plans of
Katy Haynes as can be readily imagined. On entering the room,
the pedler relieved himself from his burden, which, as it stood on
th^ floor, reached nearly to his shoulders, and saluted the family with
modest civility. To Harper he made a silent bow, without lifting
his eyes from the carpet : but the curtain prevented any notioe of
Digitized by
Google
i2 THE SPY.
fcho preseuce of Captain Wharton. Sarah gave but little time for
the usual salutations; before she commenced her survey of the con«
tents of the pack ; and, for several minutes, the two were engaged
in bringing to light the various articles it contained. The tables,
chairs, and floor, were soon covered with silks, crapes, gloves, mus-
lins, and all the stock of an itinerant trader. Csesar was employed
to hold open the mouth of the pack, as its hoards were discharged,
and occasionally he aided his young lady, by directing her admiration
to some article of finery, which, from its deeper contrast in colours,
he thought more worthy of her notice. At length, Sarah, having
selected several articles, and satisfactorily arranged the prices, ob-
served in a cheerful voice —
" But, Harvey, you have told us no news. Has Lord ComwaUis
beaten the rebels again ?"
The question could not have been heard; for the pedler, burying
his body in the pack, brought forth a quantity of lace of exquisite
fineness, and, holding it up to view, he required the admiration of
the young lady. Miss Peyton dropped the cup she was engaged
in washing, from her hand; and Frances exhibited the whole of
that lovely fece, which had hitherto only suffered one of its joyous
eyes to be seen, beaming with a colour that shamed^ the damask
which enviously concealed her figure.
The aunt quitted her employment; and Birch soon disposed of a
large portion of -this valuable article. The praises of the ladies had
drawn the whole person of the younger sister into view ; and Frances
was slowly rising from the window, as Sarah repeated her question,
with an exultation in her voice, that proceeded more from pleasure
in her purchase, than her political feelings. The younger sister re-
sumed her seat, apparently examining the state of the clouds, whilo
the pedler, finding a reply was expected, answered slowly—
^^ There is some talk, below, about Tarleton having defeated Gen-
eral Sumpter, on the Tiger river."
Captain Wharton now involuntarily thrust his head between the
Digitized by CjOOQIC
TUB SPY* 43
dpcning of the cnrtainB into the room ; and Frances turning her ear
m breathless silence; noticed the qniet eyes of Harper looking at the
pcdler, over the book he was affecting to read, with an expression
that denoted him to be a listener of no ordinary interest
" Indeed P cried the exalting Sarah; '^Snmpter — Sumptcr—
who is he? I'll not buy even a pin, until you tell me all the
news/' she continued, laughing, and throwing down a muslin sho
had been examining.
For a moment the pedler hesitated : his eye glanced towards Har-
per, who was yet gazing at him with settled meaning, and the whole
manner of Birch was altered. Approaching the fire, he took from
his mouth a large allowance of the Virginian weed, and depositing
it, with the superabtmdance of its juices, without mercy to Miss
Peyton's shining andirons, he returned to his goods.
<^ He lives somewhere among the niggars to the south," answered
the pedler, abruptly.
^^ No more niggar than be yourself, Mister Birch," interrupted
Gaosar tartly, dropping, at the same time, the covering of the goods
in high displeasure.
" Hush, Caesar — ^hush — ^never mind it now," said Sarah Wharton
soothingly, impatient to hear further.
"A black man so good as white. Miss Sally," continued the of-
fended negro, " so long as he behavo heself."
" And frequently he is much better," rejoined his mibtiess : " but,
Harvey, who is this Mr. Sumpter?"
A slight indication of humour showed itself on the face of the
pedler — but it disappeared, and he continued as if the discourse had
met with no inteiruption from the sen^tiveness of the domestic.
** As I was sayii^, he lives among the coloured people in the
south'* — Cassar resumed his occupation — " and he has lately had a
Tkrimmage with this Colonel Tarleton — ^"
^' Who defeated him of course," cried Sarah, with confidence.
*' So say tlo troops at Morrisania."
Digitized by
Google
44 THE SPT.
"But wLat do you say ?" Mr. Wharton veiitured to cnquiiO; yet
speaking in a low tone.
" I repeat but what I hear," said Birch, ofiering a piece of cloth
to the inspection of Saiuh, who rejected it in silence, evidently de-
termined to hear more before she made another purchase.
" They say, however, at the Plains," the pedler continued, first
throwing his eyes agsdn round the room, and letting them rest for
an instant on Harper, "that Sumpter and one or two more were all
that were hurt, and that the rig'lars weare all cut to pieces, for the
militia were fixed snugly in a log bam."
"Not very probable," said Sarah, contemptuously, "though I
make no doubt the rebels got behind the logs."
"I think," said the pedler, coolly, again oiffering the silk, "it's
quite ingenious to get a log between one and a gun, instead of get-
ting between a gun and a log."
The eyes of Harper dropped quietly on the pages of the volume
in his hand, while Frances, rising, came forward with a smile in her
6ioe, as she enquired, in a tone of affability that the pedler had never
before witnessed from the younger aster —
" Have you more of the lace, Mr. Birch ?"
The desired article was immediately produced, and Frances
became a purchaser also. By her order a glass of liquor was offered
to the trader, who took it with thanks, and, having paid his
compliments to the master of the house and the ladies, drank the
beverage.
"So, it is thought that Colonel Tarleton has worsted General
Sumpter ?" said Mr. Wharton, affecting to be employed in mending
the cup that was broken by the eagerness of his sister-in-law.
" I believe they think so at Morrisania," said Birch, dryly.
" Have you any other news, friend ?" asked Captain Wharton,
rcnturing to thrust his face without the curtains again.
" Have you heard that Major Andre has been hanged ?"
Captain Wharton started, and for a moment glances of great-
Digitized by
Google
THE Sl-1. 46
igBifieaaoe were eschanged between Mm and the trader, when he
observed; with affected indifTerence; '^that must have been aooM^
weeks ago/'
'^Poes his execution make much noise?'' asked the &ther,
striving to make the broken china unite.
"People will talk, you know, 'Squire."
"Is there any probability of movements below, my friend, that
will make travelling dangerous V asked Harper, looking steadily at
the other, in expectation of his reply.
Some bunches of ribands fell £ram the hands of Birch ; his coun-
tenance changed instantly, losing its keen expression in intent
meaning, as he answered slowly — " It is some time mnce the rig'lar
Bavalry were out, and I saw some of Be laakoefB men cleaning
their arms, as I passed their quarters; it would be no wonder
^f they took the scent soon, for the Virginia horse are low in
'lie county."
" Are they in much force ?" asked Mr. Wharton, suspending al]
employment in anxiety.
"I did not count them."
Frances was the only observer of the change in the manner
of Birch, and, on turning to Harper, he had resumed his book iu
silence. She took some of the ribands in her hand — laid them
down again — and, bending over the goods, so that her hair, filing
in rich curls, shaded her face, she observed, blushing with a colour
that suffused her neck —
" I thought the southern horse had marched towards the Bek-
ware."
"It may be so," said Birch; "I passed the troops at a dis-
tance."
Csesar had now selected a piece of calico, in which the gaudy
colours of yellow and red were contrasted on a white ground, and,
ifler admiring it for several minutes, he laid it doim with a sigh, as
4ie exclaimed, " Berry pretty calico."
Digitized by VjOOQIC
46 k THE sf>r.
" That/' said Sarah } " jeff, that would make a proper gown for
your wife, Caesar."
"Yes, Miss Sally," cried the delighted black, "it make old
Dinah heart leap for joy — so berry genteel."
"Yes," added the pedler, quaintly, "that is only wanting to
make Dinah look like a rainbow."
Caesar eyed his young mistress eagerly, until she enquired of
Harvey the price of the article.
" Why, much as I light of chaps," said the pedler.
" How much V demanded Sarah in surprise.
"According to my luck in finding purchasers; for my friend
Dinah, you may have it at four shillings."
" It is too much," said Sarah, turning to some goods for herself.
"Monstrous price for coarse calico. Mister Birch," grumbled
Caesar, dropping the opening of the pack again.
" We will say three, then," added the pedler, " if you like that
better,"
" Bo sure he like 'em better," said Caesar, smiling good-humour-
edly, and re-opening the pack — "Miss SaUy like a free shilling
when she give, and a four shilling when she take."
The bargain was immediately concluded; but in measuring, the
cloth wanted a little of the well-known ten yards required by the
dimensions of Dinah. By dint of a strong arm, however, it grew to
the desired length, under the experienced eye of the pedler, who
conscientiously added a riband of corresponding brilliancy with the
calico; and Caesar hastily withdrew, to communicate the joyful
intelligence to his aged partner.
During the movements created by the conclusion of the purchase.
Captain Wharton had ventured to draw aside the curtain, so as to
admit a view of his person, and he now enquired of the pedler, who
had begun to collect the scattered goods, at what time he had left
the cily.
"At early twilight," was the answer.
Digitized by V3OOQ iC 4
\
THS SPY. 47
^' So lately !'' eried the other in saiprise 5 aD4 then correcting his
manner^ by aflsnming a more guarded air, he continued — ^'Conld
you pass the pickets at so lato an hour ?"
"I did/' was the laconic reply.
''You must be well known by this time, Harvey, to the officers
c^ the British aimj" cried Sarah, smiling knowingly on the pedler.
''I know some of- them by sight,'' said Birch, glancing his eyes
round the apartment, taking in thdr course Captain Wharton, and
resting for an instant on the countenance of Harper.
Mr. Wharton had listened intently to each speaker, in succesfflon,
and had so far lost the affectation of indifference, as to be crushing
in his hand the pieces of china on which he had expended so much
labour in endeavouring to mend it ; when, observing the pedler tying
the last knot in his pack, he asked abruptly —
''Are we about to be disturbed again with the enemy?"
"Who do you call the enemy?" said the pedler, raising himself
erect, and giving the other a look, before which the. eyes of Mr.
Wharton sunk in instant conf osioL
"All are enemies who disturb our peace," said Miss Peyton, ob-
serving that her brother was unable to speak. " But are the royal
troops out from below ?"
" 'Tis quite likely they soon may be," returned Birch, raising his
pack from the floor, and preparing to leave the room.
" And the continentals," contiQued Miss Peyton mildly, "are the
continentals in the county ?"
Harvey was about to utter something in reply, when the door
opened, and Csosor made his appearance, attended by his delighted
spouse*
The race of blacks of which Caesar was a favourable specimen is
becoming very rare. The old family servant, who, bom and reared
in the dwelling of his master, identified himself with the welfare of
those whom it was his lot to serve, is giving place in every direction
to that vagrant class which has sprung up within the last thirty
Digitized by VjOOQIC
<|S THE SPY.
years, and whose members roam through ihe country unfettered by
prindjleS; and uninfluenced by attachments. For it is one of the
«urses of slavery; that its victims become incompetent to the attri-
butes of a freeman. The short curly hair of Caesar had acquired
from age a colouring of grey, that added greatly to the venerable
cast of his appearance. Long and inde&tigable applications of the
comb had straightened the close curls of his forehead, until they
stood erect in a stiff and formal brush, that gave at least two inches
to his stature. The shining black of his youth had lost its glistening
hue, and it had been succeeded by a dingy brown. His eyes, which
stood at a most formidable distance from each other, were small, and
characterised by an expression of good feeling, occasionally inter-
rupted by the petulance of an indulged servant; they, however, now
danced with inward delight. His nose possessed, in an eminent
manner, all the requisites for smelling, but with the most modest «
unobtrusiveness; the nostrils being abundantly capacious, without
thrusting themselves in the way of thek neighbours. His mouth
was capacious to a fault, and was only tolerated on account of the
double row of pearls it contained. In person Caesar was short, and
we should say square, had not all the angles and curves of his figure
bid defiance to any thing like mathematical symmetry. His arms
were long and muscular, and terminated by two bony hands, that
exhibited on one fflde, a colouring of blackish grey, and on the other,
a faded pink. But it was in his legs that nature had indulged her
most capricious humour. There was an abundance of material inju-
diciously used. The calves were neither before nor behind, but
rather on the outer side of the limb, inclining forward, and so close
to the knee as to render the free use of that joint a subject of doubt.
In the foot, considering it as a base on which the body was to rest,
CsDsar had no cause of com|daint, unless, indeed, it might be that
the log was placed so near the centre, as to make it sometimes a
matter of dispute, whether he was not walking backwards. Hut
whatever might be the feults a statuary coidd discover in his pei-sM^j^i^
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY. 49
the heart of Caesar Thompson was in the right place, and, we
doubt not, of very just dimensions.
Accompanied by his ancient companion, Caesar now advanced,
and paid his tribute of gratitude in words. .Sarah received them
with great complacency, and made a few compliments to the
taste of the husband, and the probable appearance of the wife.
Frances, with a face beammg with a look of pleasure that cor-
responded to the smiling countenances of the blacks, offered the
service of her needle in fitting the admired calico to its future
uses. The offer was humbly and gratefully accepted.
As Caesar followed his wife and the pedler from the apart-
ment, and was in the act of closing the door, he indulged him-
self in a grateful soliloquy, by saying aloud —
" Gk)od little lady — ^Miss Fanny — ^take care of he fader — ^love
t(r make a gown for old Dinah, too." What else his feelings
might have induced him to utter is unknown, but the sound of
his voice was heard some time after the distance rendered his
words indistinct.
Etoper had dropped his book, and he sat an admiring witness
of the scene ; and Frances enjoyed a double satisfaction, as she
received an approving smile from a face which concealed, under
the traces of deep thought and engrossing care, the benevolent
expression which characterises all the best feelings of the human
heart
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER IV.
** It is the form, tlie eye, the word,
The bearing' of that stranger Lord
His stature, manly, bold, and tall.
Built like a castle's battled wall.
Yet moulded in such just degrees,
His giant strengrth seems lighteome ease.
Weather and war their rougher trace
Have left on that majestic face }-^
But *tis his dignity of eye !
There, if a suppliant, would I fly.
Secure, 'mid danger, wrongs, and grief^
Of sympathy, redress, relief —
That glance, if guilty, would I dread
More than the doom that spoke me dead.'*
** Enough, enough !" the princess cried,
" 'Tis Scotland's hope, her joy, her pride !"
Waltkr Scott.
The party sat in silence for many minutes after the pedler had
withdrawn. Mr. Wharton had heard enough to increase his unead-
nesS; without in the least removing his apprehensions on behalf of
his son. The Captain was impatiently wishing Harper in any othei
place than the one he occupied with such apparent composure, while
Miss Peyton completed the disposal of her breakfast equipage, with
the mild complacency of her nature, aided a little by an inward satis-
faction at possessing so large a portion of the trader's lace — Sarah
was busily occupied in arranging her purchases, and Frances was
kindly assisting in the occupation, disregarding her own neglected
bargains, when the stranger suddenly broke the silence by saying —
" If any apprehensions of me induo Captain Wharton to maintain
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY. 61
his disguise, 1 wish him to be imdeceived; had I motives for betray-
ing him, they could not operate under present circumstances/'
The younger sister sank into her seat colourless and astonished.
Miss Peyton dropped the tea-tray she was lifting from the table, and
Sarah sat with her purchases unheeded in her lap, in speechless sur«
prise. Mr. Wharton was stupified; but the Captam, hesitating a
moment from astonishment, sprang into the middle of the room, and
exclaimed, as he tore off the instruments of his disguise —
'^ I believe you from my soul, and this tiresome imposition shtdl
continue no longer. Yet I am at a loss to conceive in what manner
you should know me."
'* You really look so much better in your proper person. Captain
Wharton," said Harper, with a slight smile, <^ I would advise you
never to conceal it in future. There, is enough to betray you, if
other sources of detection were wanting :" as he spoke, he pointed
to a picture suspended over the mantel-piece, which exhibited the
British officer in his regimentals.
" I had flattered myself," cried young Wharton, with a laugh,
^^ that I looked better on the canvass than in a masquerade. You
mu£(t be a close observer, sir."
"Necessity has made me one," said Harper, rising from his seat.
Frances met him as he was about to withdraw, and, taking hia
hand between both her own, said with earnestness, her cheeks man-
tling with their richest vermilion — " You cannot — you will not be- •
tray my brother."
For an instant Harper paused in silent admiration of the lovely
pleader, and then, folding her hands on his breast, he replied so-
lemnly — "I cannot, and I will not;" he released her hands, and
laying his own on her head gently, continued — " If the blessing of
a stranger can profit you, receive it." He turned, and, bowing low,
retired, with a delicacy that was duly appreciated by those he quitted,
to his own apartment.
The whole party were deeply impressed with the ingenuous and
Digitized by VjOOQIC
52 THE SPY.
solemn manner of the traveller^ and all but the father found imme-
diate relief in his declaration. Some of the cast-off clothes of the
captain, which had been removed Tnth the goods from the city, were
produced; and young Wharton, released from the uneasiness of his
disguise, began at last to enjoy a visit which had been undertaken at
80 much personal risk to himself. Mr. Wharton retiring to his
apartment, in pursuance of his regular engagements, the ladies, mth
the young man, were left to an uninterrupted conmiunication on
such subjects as were most agreeable. Even Miss Peyton was af-
fected with the spirits of her yoimg relatives; and they sat for an
hour enjoying, in heedless confidence, the pleasures of an unrestrained
conversation, without reflecting on any danger which might be im-
pending over them. The city and their acquaintances were not long
neglected; for Miss Peyton, who had never forgotten the many-
agreeable hours of her residence within its boundaries, soon enquired,
among others, after their old acquaintance. Colonel Wellmere.
" Oh !'' cried the Captain, gaily, " he yet continues there, as hand-
some and as gallant as ever."
Although a woman be not actually in love, she seldom hears with-
out a blush the name of a man whom she might love, and who has
been connected with herself, by idle gossips, in the amatory rumour
of the day. Such had been the case with Sarah, and she dropped
her eyes on the carpet with a smile, that, aided by the blush
' which suffused her cheek, in no degree detracted from her native
charms.
Captain Wharton, without heeding this display of interest in hia
sister, immediately continued — "At times he is melancholy — ^we tell
him it must be love." Sarah raised her eyes to the face of her
brother, and was consciously turning them on the rest of the party,
when she met those of her sister, laughing with good humour and
high spirits, as she cried, " Poor man, does he despair ?"
"Why, no — one would think he could not; the eldest son of a
man of wealth, so handsome, and a Colonel."
Digitized by CjOOQIC
THE SPY. 53
** Strong reasons, indeed, why he should prevail/' sadd Sarah, en-
dcavouring to laugh; " more particularly the latter."
*' Let me tfeU you/' replied the Captain, gravely, " a Lieutenant-
Colonelcy in the Guards is a very pretty thing."
''And Colonel Wellmere a very pretty man/' added Frances.
''Nay, Ibrances," returned her sister, "Colonel Wellmere was
never a favourite of yours; he is too loyal to his king to be agreeable
to your taste ?"
Frances quickly answered, "And is not Henry loyal to his king?"
" Come, come/' said Miss Peyton, " no difference of opinion about
the Colonel — ^he is a favourite of mine."
" Fanny likes Majors better/' cried the brother, pulling her upon
his knee.
"Nonsense/' said the blushing girl, as she endeavoured to extri-
cate herself from the grasp of h&c laughing brother.
" It surprises me," continued the Captain, " that Peyton, when
he procured the release of my father, did not endeavour to detain
my sister in the rebel camp."
^' That might have endangered his own liberty/' said the smiling
girl, resuming her seat; "you know it is liberty for which Major
Dunwoodie is fighting."
^' Liberty 1" exclaimed Sarah; "very pretty liberty which ex-
changes one master for fifty."
" The privilege of changing masters at all is a liberty."
" And one you ladies would sometimes be glad to exercise/' cried
the Captain.
" We like, I believe, to have the liberty of choosing who they
^all be in the first place/' said the laughing girl; "don't we, aunt
Jeanette ?"
**Me!" cried Miss Peyton, starting; "what do I know of such
things, child ? you must ask some one else, if you wish to learn such
matters."
" Ah ! you would have us think you were never young; but what
Digitized by CjOOQIC
54 T H E B i* r .
am I to believe of all the ^es I have heard about the baii(}somc
Miss Jeanette Peyton ?*
'' Nonsense^ mj dear^ nonsense/' said the atmt; endeavouring to
suppress a smile ; " it is very silly to believe all you hear/'
"Nonsense, do you call it?" cried the Captain, gaily; "to this
hour General Montrose toasts Miss Peyton; I heard him within the
week, at Sir Henry's table.^
"Why, Henry, you are as saucy as your aster; and to break in
upon your folly, I must take you to see my new home-made manu-
factures, which I will be bold enough to put in contrast with the
finery of Birch."
The young people rose to follow their aunt, in perfect good hu-
mour with each other and the world. On ascending the stairs to
the place of deposit for Miss Peyton's articles of domestic economy,
she availed herself, however, of an opportunity to enquire of her
nephew, whether General Montrose suffered as much from the .gout,
as he had done when she knew him.
It is a painful discovery we make, as we advance in life, that even
those we most love are not exempt &om its frailties. When the
heart is fresh, and the view of the future unsullied by the blemishes
which have been gathered from the experience of the past, our feel-
ings are most holy; we love to identify with the persons of our
natural friends all those qualities to which we ourselves aspire, and
all those virtues we have been taught to revere. The confidence
with which we esteem seems a part of our nature ; and there is a
purity thrown around the affections which tie us to our kindred, that
after life can seldom hope to see uninjured. The family of Mr.
Wharton continued to enjoy, for ihe remainder of the day, a happi-
ness to which they had long been strangers ; and one that sprung,
In its younger members, from the delights of the most confident
affection, and the exchange of the most disinterested endearments.
Harper appeared only at the dinner table, and ho retired with thf
cloth, under the pretence of some engagements in his own room
Digitized by VjOOQLC
THE SPY« 6^
Notmthstanding the confidcnoo created by liis manner^ the family
felt his absence a relief; for the visit of Captain Wharton was ne«
eessarilj to be confined to a yery few days^ both from the limitation
of his leave of absence^ and the danger of a discovery.
All dread of consequences^ however, was lost in the pleasure of
the meeting. Once or twice during the day, Mr. Whart(xi had sug-
gested a doubt as to the character of his xmknown guest, and the
possibility of the detection of his son proceeding in some manner
from his information : but the idea was earnestly opposed by all his
children; even Sarah uniting with her brother and coster in pleading
warmly in favour of the sincerity expressed in the outward appear-
ance of the traveller.
" Such appearances, my children," replied the desponding parent^
^^are but too often deceitful; when men like Major Andre lend
themselves to the purposes of fraud, it is idle to reason from quali-
ties, much less externals.''
"Fraud!" cried his son quickly; "surely, sir, you forgot that
Major Andre was serving his king, and that the usages of war justi-
fied the measure."
"And did not the usages of war justify his death, Henry V in-
quired Frances, speaking in a low voice, unwilling to abandon what
she thought the cause of her country, and yet unable to suppress her
feelings for the man.
" Never V exclaimed the young man, springing from his seat, and
pacing the floor rapidly — ^" Frances, you shock me; suppose it should
be my fate, even now, to fall into the power of the rebels ; you would
vindicate my execution — perhaps exult in the cruelty of Washing-
ton."
*' Heniy I" said Frances, solemnly, quivering with emotion, and
with a face pale as death, "you little know my heart."
"Pardon me, my sister — my little Fanny," cried the repentant
youth, pressing her to his bosom, and kissing off the tears which had
burst, spite of her resolution, from her eyes.
Digitized by VjOOQIC.
_J
50 THE S P Y.
" Ifc is very foolish to regard your haaty words, I know/'- said
. Frances, extricating herself from his arms, and raising her yet humid
eyes to his face with a smile; "but reproach from those we love is
most severe, Henry; particularly — where we — we think — we
know" — her paleness gradually gave place to the colour of the rose,
as she conchided in a low voice, with her eyes directed to the carpet,
" we are undeserving of it."
Miss Peyton moved from her own seat to the one next her niece,
and, kindly taking her hand, observed, " You should not suffer the
impetuosity of your brother to affect you so much; boys, you know,
are proverbially ungovernable."
"And, from my conduct, you might add cruel," said the captain,
seating himself on the other side of his sister ; " but on the subject
of the death of Andre we are all of us uncommonly sensitive. You
did not know him ; he was all that was brave — ^that was accomplish-
ed — that was estimable." Frances smiled faintly, and shook her
head, but made no reply. Her brother, observing the marks of in-
credulity in her countenance, continued — " You doubt it, and justify
his death?"
" I do not doubt his worth," replied the maid, mildly, "^or his
being deserving of a more happy fate ; but I cannot doubt the pro-
priety of Washington's conduct. I know but little of the customs
of war, and wish to know less; but with what hoped o5P success could
the Americans contend, if they yielded all the principles which long
usage had established, to the exclusive purposes of the British ?"
" Why contend at all ?" cried Sarah, impatiently; "besides, being
rebels, all their acts are illegal."
"Women are but mirrors, which reflect the images before them,"
cried the captain, good-naturedly. " In Frances I see the picture of
Major Dunwoodie, and.in Sarah — *'
" Colonel Wellmere," interrupted the younger sister, laughing,
and blushing crimson. " I must confess I am indebted to the Major
for my reasoning — am. I not, aunt Jeanette ?"
Digitized by VjOOQIC
T U E S P T . 57
'* I believe it is something like his logic, indeed, child."
*<I plead guilty; and you, Sarah, have not forgotten the learned
discussions of Colonel Wellmere."
*'l trust I never forget the right^" said Sarah, emulating her
Hster in colour, and rising, under the pretence of avoiding the heat
3f ^e fire.
Nothing occurred of any moment during the rest of the day; but
in Ihe evening Oaosar reported that he had overheard voices in the
room of Harper conversing in a low tone. The apartment occupied
by the traveller was the wing at the extremity of the building, oppo-
site to the parlour in which the family ordinarily assembled; and it
seems, that Caesar had established a regular system of espionage,
with a view to the safety of his young niaster. This intelligence
gave some uneasiness to all the members of the family; but the en-
trance of Harper himself, with the air of benevolence and sincerity
whidi shone through his reserve, soon removed the doubts from the
breast of all but Mr. Wharton. His children and sister believed
Cassar to have been mistaken, and the evening passed oflf without any
additional alarm.
On the afternoon of the succeeding day, the party were assembled
in the parlour around the tea-table of Miss Peyton, when a change
in the weather occurred. The thin scad, that apparently floated but
a short distance above the tops of the hills, began to drive from the
west towards the east in astonishing rapidity. The rain yet continued
to beat against the eastern windows of the house with fury ; in that
direction the heavens were dark and gloomy. Frances was gazing at
tlie scene with the desire of youth to escape from the tedium of con-
finement, when, as if by magic, all was still. The rushing winds had
reased, the pelting of the storm was over, and, springing to the win-
dow, with delight pictured in her face, she saw a glorious ray of sun-
shine lighting the opposite wood. The foliage glittered with the
checkered beauties of the October leaf, reflecting back from the
jioistened boughs the richest lustre of an American autumn. In an
• Digitized by VjOOQIC
ll
#
58 T H E S P Y .
instant, the piazza, which opened to the south, was thronged with tho
inmates of the cottage. The air was mild, balmy, and refreshing;
in the east, clouds, which might be likened to the retreating masses
of a discomfited army, hung around the horizon in awful and in-
creasing darkness. At a little elevation above the cottage, the thin
vapour was still rushing towards the east with amazing velocity;
while in the west the sun had broken forth and shed his parting
radiance on the scene below, aided by the fullest richness of a clear
atmosphere and a freshened herbage. Lguch moments belong only fa
the climate of America, and are enjoyed in a degree proportioned to
the suddenness of the contrast, and the pleasure we experience in
escaping from the turbulence of the elements to the quiet of a peace-
ful evening, and an air still as the softest mornings in June.
" What a magnificent scene V said Harper, in a low tone ; " how
grand ! how awfully^ublime ! — ^may such a quiet speedily await the
struggle in which my country is engaged, and such a glorious even-
ing follow the day of her adversity V*
Frances, who stood next to him, alone heard the voice. Turning
in amazement from the view to the speaker, she saw him standing
bare-headed, erect, and with his eyes lifted to Heaven. There was
no longer the quiet which had seemed their characteristic, but they
were lighted into something like enthusiasm, and a slight flush passed
over his features.
There can be no danger apprehended from such a man, thought
Frances; such feelings belong only to the virtuous.!
The musings of the party were now interrupted by the sudden
appearance of the pedler. He had taken advantage of the first gleam
of sunshine to hasten to the cottage. Heedless of wet or dry as it
lay in his path, with arms swinging to and fro, and with his head
bent forward of his body several inches, Harvey Birch approached
the piazza, with a gait peculiarly his own. — :It was the quick, lengUi-
ened pace of an itinerant vender cf goods.
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY. 60
" Fine evening/' said the pedler^ saluting the partj^ without roia-
mg bis eyes; ''quite warm and agreeable for the season." .
Mr. Wharton assented to the remark^ and enquired kindly after
the bealtii of his father. Harvey heard him^ and oontmued standing
for some time in moody silence ; but the question being repeated, he
answered with a slight tremour in his voice —
^' He fails fast; old age and hardships will do their work.'' The
pedler turned his £ioe £rom the view of most of the &mily; but
Frances noticed his glistening eyes and quivering lip, and, for the .
second time, Harvey rose in her estimation. /
The valley in which the residence of Mr. Wharton stood ran in a
direction from north-west to south-east, and the house was placed on
the side of a hill which terminated its length in the former direction.
A small opening, occa^oned by the receding of the opposite hill, and
the fall of the land to the level of the tide water, afforded a view of
the Sound* over the tops of the distant woods on its margin. The
surface of the water which had so lately been lashing the shores with
boisterous fury, was already losing its ruffled darkness in the long
and regular undulations that succeeded a tempest, while the light air
from the south-west was gently touching their summits, lending its
feeble aid in stilling the waters. Some dark spots were now to bo
distinguished, occasionally rudng into view, and again sinking behind
the lengthened waves which interposed themselves to the sight.
They were unnoticed by all but the pedler. He had seated himself
on the piazza, at a distance from Harper, and appeared to have for*
gotten the object of his visit. His roving eye, however, soon caught
a glimpse of these new objects in the view, and he sprang up with
alacrity, gazing intently towards the water. He changed his place,
• An island mor#than forty leagues in length lies opposite the coasts of
New York and Connecticut. The arm of the sea which separates it from
oie main is technically called a sound, and in that part of the country, par
excdlence. The Sound. This sheet of water varies in its hreadth from five to
thirty miles.
Digitized by CjOOQLC
CO TUB SPY.
glanced his eye with marked uneasiness on Harper, and then said
with great emphasis —
" The rig'lars must be out from below."
"Why do you think so?" enquired Captain Wharton, eagerly.
" God send it may be true ; I want their escort in again."
" Them ten whale-boats would not move so fast unless they were
better manned than common."
" Perhaps," cried Mr. Wharton in alarm, " they are — ^they aro
continentals returning from the island."
"They look like rig'lars," said the pedler, with meaning,
^^Look I" repeated the captain, "there is nothing but spots to bo
seen."
Harvey disregarded his observation, but seemed to be soliloquizing,
as he said in an under tone, " They came out before the gale — ^have
laid on the island these two days — ^horse are on the road — ^there will
soon be fighting near us." During this speech. Birch several times
glanced his eye towards Harper, with evident imeasiness, but no cor-
responding emotion betrayed any interest of that gentleman in the
scene. He stood in silent contemplation of the view, and seemed
enjoying the change in the air. As Birch concluded, however, Har-
per turned to his host, and mentioned that his business would not
admit of unnecessary delay; he would, therefore, avail himself of
the fine evening to ride a few miles on his journey. Mr. Wharton
made many professions of regret at losing so agreeable an inmate;
but was too mindful of his duty not to speed the parting guest, and
orders were instantiy given to that effect.
The uneasiness of the pedler increased in a manner for which
nothing apparent could account; his eye was constantiy wandering
towards the lower end of the vale, as if in expectation of some inter'
ruption from that quarter. At length Caesar appeared, leading the
noble beast which was to bear the weight of the traveller. The ped-
ler officiously assisted to tighten the girths, and fasten the blue cloak
and valhse to the mail-straps.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE spy. 61
Every preparation being completed, Harper proceeded to take his
leaYC. To Sarali and her aunt he paid his compliments with ease
and kindness; but when he came to Frances, he paused a moment^
while his toco assumed an expression of more than ordinary benig-
nity. His eye repeated the blessing which had before fallen from
his lips, and the girl felt her cheeks glow, and her heart beat, with
a quicker pulsation, as he spoke his adieus. There was a mutual,
exchange of polite courtesy between the host and his parting guest;
but as Harper frankly offered his hand to Captain Wharton, he re-
marked, in a manner of great solemnity —
" The step you have undertaken is one of much danger, and dis-
agreeable consequences to yourself may result from it; in such a
case, I inay have it in my power to prove the gratitude I owe your
family for its kindness.^'
'^ Surely, sir," cried the father, losing sight of delicacy in appre-
hension for his child, "you will keep secret the discovery which your
being in my house has enabled you to make."
Harper turned quickly to the speaker, and then, losing the stern-
ness which had begun to gather on his countenance, he answered
mildly, " I have learnt nothing in your family, sir, of which I was-
ignorant before ; but your son is safer from my knowledge of his
visit than he would be without it."
He bowed to the whole party, and without taking any notice of
the pedler, other than by simply thanking him for his attentions,
mounted his horse, and, riding steadily and gracefully through the
little gate, was soon lost behind the hill which sheltered the valley
to the northward.
The eyes of the pedler followed the retiring figure of the horseman
go long as it continued within view, and as it disappeared from his
right, he drew a long and heavy sigh, as if relieved from a load of
apprehension. The Whartons had meditated in silence on the char
raoter and visit of their unknown guest for the same period, when
the father approached Birch, and observed —
Digitized by VjOOQIC
62 TUB SPY.
" I am yet your debtor, Harvey, for the tobacco you were so kind
as to bring me from the city/'
" If it should not prove so good as the first," replied the pedler,
fixing a last and lingering look in the direction of Harper's route,
" it is owing to the scarcity of the article/'
"I like it much," continued the other; "but you have forgotten
,to name the price."
The countenance of the trader changed, and, losing its expression
of deep care in a natural acuteness, he answered —
" It is hard to say what ought to be the price; I believe I must
leave it to your own generosity."
Mr. Wharton had taken a hand well filled with the images
of Carolus HI. from his pocket, and now extended it towards Birch
with three of the pieces between his finger and thumb. Harvey's
eyes twinkled as he contemplated the reward; and rolling over in
his mouth a large quantity of the article in question, coolly stretched
forth his hand, into which the dollars fell with a most agreeable
sound; but not satisfied with the transient music of their fall, the
pedler gave each piece in succession a ring on the stepping-stone of
the piazza, before he consigned it to the safe keeping of a huge deer-
skin purse, which vanished from the sight of the spectators so dex-
terously, that not one of them could have told about what part of
his person it was secreted.
This very material point in his business so satisfactorily com-
pleted, the pedler rose from his seat on the floor of the piazza, and
approached to where Captain Wharton stood, supporting his sisters
on either arm, as they listened with the lively interest of affection to
his conversation.
The agitation of the preceding incidents had caused such an
expenditure of the juices which had become necessary to the mouth
of the pedler, that a new supply of the weed was required before he
couIq turn his attention to business of lesser moment This done
he asked abruptly —
Digitized by V3OOQ iC
THE SPY. 63
^ Captain Wharton, do you go in to-night T
" No I" said the Captain, laconically, and looking at his lovely
burdens with great affection. ^^Mr. Birch, would you have me
leave such company so soon, when I may never enjoy it again V
'^ Brother V said Frances, ^'jesting on such a subject is cruel.''
"I rather guess," continued the pedler, coolly, "now the storm
is over, the Skinners may be moving; you had better shorten your
visit, Captain Wharton."
" Oh !" cried the British officer, " a few guineas will buy off those
rascals at any time, should I meet them. No, no, Mr. Birch, here
I stay until morning."
• " Money could not liberate Major Andre," said the pedler, dryly.
Both the sisters now turned to the Captain in alarm, and the
elder observed — '
"You had better take the advice of Harvey; rest assured, bro-
ther, his opinion in such matters ought not to be disregarded."
"Yes," added the younger, "if, as I suspect, Mr. Birch assisted
you to come here, your safety, our happiness, dear Henry, requires
you to listen to him now."
" I brought myself out, and can take myself in," said the Captain,
positively; "our bargain went no further than to procure my dis-
guise, and to let me know when the coast was clear; and in the
latter particular, you were mistaken, Mr. Birch."
"I was," said the pedler, with some interest, "and the greater is
the reason why you should get back to-night; the pass I gave you
will serve but once."
"Cannot you forge another?"
The pale cheek of the trader showed an unusual colour, but he
continued silent, with his eyes fixed on the ground, until the young
nan added, with great positiveness — "Here I stay this night, come
Krhat will."
" Captain Wharton," said the pedler, with great deliberation and
marked emphasis, " beware a tall Virginian, with huge whiskers I
Digitized by VjOOQIC
04 THE SPY,
he is below you to my know ledge ; the devil can't decei\« him ; I
never could but once."
"Let liim beware of me/' said Wharton, haughtily; "but, Mr.
Birch, I exonerate you from further responsibility."
" Will you give me that in writing ?" asked the cautious Birch.
"Oh! cheerfully," cried the Captain, with a laugh; "Caesar!
pen, ink, and paper, while I write a discharge for my trusty attend*
ant, Harvey Birch, pedler, &c. &c.
The implements for writing were produced, and the Captain, with
great gaiety, wrote the desired acknowledgment in language of hia
own ; which the pedler took, and carefully depositing it by the side
of the images of his Catholic Majesty, made a sweeping bow to the
whole family, and departed as he had approached. He was soon
seen at a distance, stealing into the door of his own humble dwelling.
The father and sisters of the Captain were too much rejoiced in
retaining the young man, to express, or even entertain, the appre-
hensions his situation might reasonably excite ; but on retiring to
their evening repast, a cooler reflection induced the Captain to think
of changing his mind. Unwilling to trust himself out of the pro-
tection of his father's domains, the young man despatched Caesar to
desire another interview with Harvey. The black soon returned
with the unwelcome intelligence that it was now too late. Katy had
told him that Harvey must be miles on his road to the northward,
" having left home at early candle-light with his pack." Nothing
now remained to the Captain but patience, until the morning should
afford further opportunity of deciding on the best course for him to
pursue.
"This Harvey Birch, with his knowing looks and portentous
(vamings, gives me more uneasiness than I am willing to own," said
Captain Wharton, rousing himself from a fit of musing, in which
the danger of his situation made no small part of his meditations.
" How is it that he is able to travel to and fro in these dificult
'times, without molestation?" enquired Miss Peyton.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY. 05
^^ Why ihe rebels suffer him to escape so easily^ is more than I
can answer/'' returned the other; "but Sir llenry would not permit
a hair of his jj^ead to be injured."
"Indeed I" cried Frances, with interest; "is he then known to
Sir Henry Clinton?''
'•'At least he ought to be."
" Do you think, my son/' asked Mr. Wharton, " there is no dan-
ger of his betraying you?"
• "Why — no; I reflected <m that before I trusted myself to his
power/' said the Captain, thoughtfully : " he seems to be faithful in
matters of business. The danger to himself, should ho return to
the city, would prevent such an act of villany."
" I think/' said Frances, adopting the manner of her brother,
" Harvey Birch is not without good feelings ; at least, he has the
appearance of them at times."
" Oh I" cried his sister, exulting, " he has loyalty, and that with
lue is a cardinal virtue."
" I am afiraid/' said her brother, laughing, " love of money is a
stronger passion than love of his king."
" Then/' said the father, " you cannot be safe while in his power
— for no love will withstand the temptation of money, when offered
to avarice."
" Surely, sir," cried the youth, recovering his gaiety, " there must
be one love that can resist any thing — is there not, Fanny f"
" Hero is your candle, you ke3p your father up beyond his usual
hour."
Digitized by
Google
I
.*
»
CHAPTER 7.
Through Solway sands, through Tafoss moss.
Blindfold, he knew the j^ths to Cross;
By wily turns, hy desj^rate bounds,
Had bafBcd Percy^s t>cst blood^hounds.
In Eske, or Liddcl, &rds were none.
But he would ride them, one by one;
Alike to him was time, or tide,
December's snow, or July's pride;
Alike to hiin was tide, or time.
Moonless midnight, or matin prime.
Walter Scott
All the members of the Wharton family laid their heads on their
pillows that night, with a foreboding of some interruption to their
ordinary quiet. Uneasiness /kept the sisters from enjoying their
usual repose, and they rose from their beds, on the following morn-
ing, Tinrefreshed, and almost without having closed their eyes.
On talking an eager and hasty survey of the valley from the win-
dows of their room, nothing, however, but its usual serenity was to
be seen. It was glittering with the opening brilliancy of one of
those lovely, mild days, which occur about the time of the falling of
the leaf; and which, by their frequency, class the American autumn
with the most delightful seasons of other countries. We have no
spring; vegetation seems to leap into existence, instead of creeping,
as in the same latitudes of the old world : but how gracefully it
retires ! September, October, even November and December, com-
pose the season for enjojrment in the open air; they have their
storms, but they are distinct, and not of long continuance, leaving a
clear atmosphere und a cloudless sky.
Digitized by
Google
TUK SPY. 67
As nothing could be seen likely to interrupt the eDJoyments and
harmony of such a day^ the sisters descended to the parlour^ with a
returning confidence in their brother's security, and their own happi*
ncss.
The family were early in assembling around the break£ist table;
and Miss Peyton, with a little of that minute precision which creeps
into the habits of single life, had pleasantly insisted that the absence
of her nephew should in no manner interfere with the regular hours
she had established; consequently, the party were already seated
when the Captain made his- appearance ; though the untasted coffee
sufficiently proved, that by none of his relatives was his absence dis-
regarded.
" I think I did much better," he cried, taking a chair between his
sisters, and receiving their offered salutes, ^' to secure a good bed and
guch a plentiful breakfeat, instead of trusting to the hospitality of
that renowned corps, the Cow-Boys."
^' If you could sleep," said Sarah, "you were more fortunate than
Frances and myself; every murmur of the night air sounded to me
like the approach of the rebel army."
"Why," said the Captain, laughing,"! do acknowledge a little
inquietude myself— but how was it with you ?" turning to his younger
and evidently favourite sister, and tapping her cheek ; " did you see
banners in the clouds, and mistake Miss Peyton's -ffiolian harp for
rebellious music ?"
" Nay, Henry," rejoined the maid, looking at him affectionately,
" much as I love my own country, the approach of her troops just
now woul^ give me great pain."
The brother made no reply; but returning the fondness expressed
in her eye by a look of fraternal tenderness, he gently pressed her
hand in silence ; when CsBsar, who had participated largely in the
anxiety of the family, and who had risen with the dawn, and kept a
n'gilant watch on the surrounding objects, as he stood gazing from
Digitized by VjOOQIC
38 THff s py.
one of the windows, exclaimed with a face that approached to some
thing like the hues of a white man —
"Run — massa Harry — run — if he love old Caesar, run — here
come a rebel horse."
^' Knn I" repeated the British officer, gathering himself up in mili-
tary pride; " no, Mr. Caesar, running is not my trade." While speak-
ing, he walked deliberately to the window, where the family were
already collected in the greatest consternation.
At the distance of more than a mile, about fifty dragoons were to
be seen, winding down one of the lateral entrances of the yalley. In
advance with an officer, was a man attired in the dress of a country-
man, who pointed in the direction of the cottage. A small party now
left the main body, and moved rapidly towards the object of their
destination.
On reaching the road which led through the bottom of the valley,
they turned their horses' heads to the north. The Whartons con-
tinued chained in breathless silence to the spot, watching their move-
ments, when the party, having reached the dwelling of Birch, made
a rapid circle around his grounds, and in an instant his house waa
surrounded by a dozen sentinels.
Two or three of the dragoons now dismounted and disappeared :
in a few minutes, however, they returned to the yard, followed by
Katy, from whose violent gesticulations, it was evident that matters
of no trifling concern were on the carpet. A short communication
with the loquacious housekeeper followed the arrival of the main
body of the troop, and the advanced party remounting, the whole
moved towards the Locusts with great speed.
As yet none of the fimiily had sufficient presence of mind to de-
vise any means of security for Captain Wharton ; but the danger
now became too pressing to admit of longer delay, and various means
3f secreting him were hastily proposed; but they were all haughtily
rejected by the young man, as unworthy of his character. It was
too late to retreat tc the woods in the rear of the cottage, for h«
Digitized by CjOOQLC
would unavoidably be seen^ and, followed by a troop of horse, as in-
evitably taken.
At length, his sisters, with trembling hands, replaced his original
disguise, the instruments of which had been carefully kept at hand
by Caesar, in expectation of some sudden emergency.
This arrangement was hastily and imperfectly completed, as the
dragoons entered the lawn and orchard of the Locusts, riding with
the rapidity of the wind; and in their turn the Whartons were sur<
rounded.
Nothing remained now, but to meet the impending examination
with as much indifference as the £imily could assume. The leader
of the horse dismounted, and, followed by a couple of his men, he
approached the outer door of the building, which was slowly and
reluctantly opened for his admission by Caesar. The heavy tread
of the trooper, as he followed the black to the door of the parlour,
rang in the ears of the females as it approached nearer and nearer,
and drove the blood from their faces to their hearts, with a chill that
nearly annihilated feeling.
A man, whose colossal stature manifested the possession of vast
strength, entered the room, and removing his cap, he saluted the
family with a mildness his appearance did not indicate as belonging
to his nature. His dark hair himg around his brow in profusion,
though stained with the powder which was worn at that day, and
his fiice was nearly hid in the whiskers by which it was disfigured.
Still, the expression of his eye, though piercing, was not bad, and
his voice, though deep and powerful, was far from unpleasant.
Frances ventured to throw a timid glance at his figure as he entered,
and saw at once the man, from whose scrutiny, Harvey Birch had
warned them, there was so much to be apprehended.
*^ You have no cause for alarm, ladies," said the officer, pausing a
moment, and contemplating the pale faces around him — " my busi-
ness will be confined to a few questions, which, if freely answered,
will instantly remove us from your dwelling."
Digitized by CjOOQIC
70 THE SPY.
" And what may they be, sir?" stammered Mr. Wharton, rising
from his chair, and waiting anxiously for the reply.
" Has there been a strange gentleman staying with you during
the storm ?'' continued the dragoon, speaking with interest, and in
some degree sharing in the evident anxiety of the father.
"This gentleman — here — favour-ed us with his company during
the rain, and has not yet departed."
" This gentleman !" repeated the other, turning to Captain Whar-
ton, and contemplating his figure for a moment, until the anxiety
of his countenance gave place to a lurking smile. He approached
the youth with an air of comic gravity, and with a low bow, con-
ninued — " I am sorry for the severe cold you have in your head,
tjir.''
" I !" exclaimed the Captain, in surprise ; " I have no cold in my
head."
'^ I fancied it then, from seeing you had covered such handsome
black locks with that ugly old wig; it was my mistake, you will
please to pardon it."
Mr. Wharton groaned aloud; but the ladies, ignorant of the extent
of their visitor's knowledge, remained in trembling yet rigid silence.
The Captain himself moved his hand involuntarily to his head, and
discovered that the trepidation of his sisters had left some of his
natural hair exposed. The dragoon watched the movement with a
continued smile, when, seeming to recollect himself, turning to the
father, he proceeded —
*' Then, Sir, I am to understand there has not been a Mr. Harper
here, within the week."
<^ Mr. Harper," echoed the other, feeling a load removed from his
heart — "yes, — I had forgotten; but he is gone; and if there be
any thing wrong in his charaxjter, we are in entire ignorance of it-—
to me he was a total stranger."
" You have but little to apprehend from his character/' answered
the dragoon dryly ; " but he is gone — how — when — and whither ?"
Digitized by VjOOQIC
TUK SPY. 71
^* He departed as lie arrive*!," said Mr. Wharton, gathering ro-
aewed confidence from the manner of the trooper; ^'on horseback;
Jist evening, and he took the northern road."
The officer listened to him with intense interest, his countenance
gradually lighting into a smile of pleasure ; and the instant Mr.
Wharton concluded his laconic reply, he turned on his heel and left
the apartment. The Whartons, jud^g from his manner, thought
he was about to proceed in quest of the object of his enquiries.
They observed the dragoon, on gaining the lawn, in earnest, and
apparently pleased conversation with his two subalterns. In a few
moments orders were given to some of the troop, and horsemen left
the valley, at full speed, by its various roads.
The suspense of the party within, who were all highly interested
witnesses of this scene, was shortly terminated; for the heavy tread
of the dragoon soon announced his second approach. He bowed
again politely as he re-entered the room, and walking up to Captain
Wharton, said, with comic gravity —
'^ Now, sir, my principal business being done, may I beg to exa-
mine the quality of that wig V
The British officer imitated the manner of the other, as he delibe-
rately uncovered- his head, and handing him the wig, observed, "1
hope, sir, it is to your liking."
*'I cannot, without violating the tnith, say it is," returned the
dragoon ; " I prefer your ebony hair, from which you seem to have
combed the powder with great industry. But that must have been
a sad hurt you have received under this enormous black patch."
" You appear so close an observer of things, I should like your
opinion of it, sir," said Henry, removing the silk, and exhibiting
the cheek free from blemish.
" Upon my word, you improve most rapidly in externals," added
the trooper, preserving his muscles in inflexible gravity : "if I could
but persuade you to exchange this old surtout for that handsome
blue coat by your side, I think T never could witness a more agree-
4 Digitized by CjOOQIC
72 THB SPY.
able metamorphosis, since I was cbanged myself from a lieutenant
to a captain/'
Yomig Whaxton very composedly did as was required; and stood
an extremely handsome, well-dressed young man. The dragoon
looked at him for a minute with the drollery that characterised his
manner, and then continued —
^^This is a new comer in the scene; it is usual, you know, for
strangers to be introduced; I am Captain Lawton, of the Yirgiiiia
horse/'
" And I, sir, am Captain Wharton, of his Majesty's 60th regi-
ment of foot/' returned Henry, bowing stiffly, and recovering his
natural manner.
The countenance of LiKwton changed instantly, and his assumed
quaintness vanished. He viewed the %ure of Captain Wharton, as
he stood proudly swelling with a pride that disdained further con-
cealment, axid exclaimed, with great earnestness —
" Captain Wharton, from my soul I pity you !"
"Oh I then," cried the father in agony, "if you pity him, dear
sir, why molest him? he is not a spy; nothing but a desire to see
his friends prompted him to venture so far from the regular army in
disguise. Leave him with us; there is no reward, no sum, which 1
will not cheerfully pay."
" Sir, your anxiety for your friend excuses your language," said
Lawton, haughtily; "but you forget I am a Virginian, and a gen-
tleman." Turning to the young man, he continued — "Were you
ignorant. Captain Wharton, that our pickets have been below you
for several days?"
" I did not know it until I reached them, and it was then too lato
to retreat," said Wharton, sullenly. " I came out, as my fiither has
mentioned, to see my friends, understanding your parties to be at
Peekskill, and near the Highlands, or surely I would not have ven-
tured."
^ All this may be very true ; but the affair of Andre has made us
Digitized by VjOOQIC
. THIS SPY. 73
ou the alert When treason reaches the g/ade of general offioersj
Captain Wharton, it behoves the friends of liberty to be vigilant'*
Henry bowed to this remark in distant silenoe^ but Sarah ventured
to uige something in behalf of her brother. The dragoon heard
her politely; and apparently with commiseration ; but willihg to avoid
useless and embarrassing petitions, he answered mildly —
^'I am not the commander of the party, madam; Major Dun-
woodie will decide what must be done with your brother; at all
events, he will receive nothing but kind and gentle treatment/'
"Dunwoodie!" exclaimed Frances, with a face, in which the
roses contended for the mastery with the paleness of apprehension ;
'^ thank Gh)d! then Henry is safe!"
Lawton regarded her with a mingjied expression of pity and admi-
ration; then shaking his head doubtingly, he continued —
" I hope so ; and with your permission, we will leave the matter
for his decision."
The colour of Frances changed from the paleness of fear to the
glow of hope. Her dread on behalf of her brother was certainly
greatly diminished; yet her form shook, her breathing became short
and irregular, and her whole frame gave tokens of extraordinarj
agitation. Her eyes rose from the floor to the dragoon, and were
again fixed immovably on the carpet — she evidently wished to utter
something, but was unequal to the effort. Miss Peyton was a close
observer of these movements of her niece, and advancing with an air
of feminine dignity, enquired —
" Then, sir, we may expect the pleasure of Major Dunwoodie's
company shortly?"
" Inmiediately, madam," answered the dragoon, withdrawing his
admiring gaze from the person of Frances; "expresses are already
on the road to announce to him our situation, and the intelligence
will speedily bring him to this valley; unless, indeed, some private
reasons may exist to make a visit particularly unpleasant."
" We shall always be happy to see Major Dunwoodie"
Digitized by
Google
74 THE SPY.
'^Oh! doubtless; he is a general favourite. May I presume on
it so far as to ask leave to dismount and refresh my men, who com
pose a part of his squadron ?"
There was a manner about the trooper, that would have made the
omission of such a request easily for^ven by Mr. Wharton, but he
was fairly entrapped by his own eagerness to conciliate, and it Was
useless to withhold a consent which he thought would probably be
extorted ; he, therefore, made the most of necessity, and gave such
orders as would facilitate the wishes of Captain Lawton.
The officers were invited to take their moming^s repast at the
family break^t table, and having made their arrangements without,
the invitation waa frankly accepted. None of the watchfulness,
which was so necessary to their situation, was neglected by the-wary
partisan. Patroles were seen on the distant hills, taking then: pro-
tecting circuit around their comrades, who were enjoying, in the
midst of dangers, a security that can only spring from the watehful-
ness of discipline, and the indifference of habit.
The addition to the party at Mr. Wharton's table was only three,
and they were all of them men who, under the" rough exterior in-
duced by actual and arduous service, concealed the maimers of gen-
tlemen. Consequently, the interruption to the domestic privacy^ of
the family was marked by the observance of strict decorum. The
ladies left the table to their guests, who proceeded, without much
superfluous diffidence, to do proper honours to the hospitality of Mr.
Wharton.
At length. Captain Lawton suspended for a moment his violent .
attacks on the buckwheat cakes, to enquire of the master of tlio
house, if there was not a pedler of the name of Birch who lived in
the valley at times.
"At times only, I believe, sir," replied Mr. Wharton, cautiously :
" be is seldom here ; I may say I never see him."
" That is strange, too/' said the trooper, looking at the discon-
certed host intently, "considering he is your next neighbour; he
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY, 75
must be quite domestic^ sir; and to the ladies it must be somewhat
tnconyenient. I doubt not that that muslin in the window-seat cost
twice as much as he would have asked them for it'^
Mr. Wharton turned in consternation, and saw some of the recent
purchases scattered about the room.
The two subalterns struggled to conceal their smiles; but the
Captain resumed his breakfast with an eagerness that created a
doabt^ whether he ever expected to enjoy another. The necessity
of a supply from the dominion of Dinah soon, however, afforded
another respite, of which Lawton availed himself.
'^ I had a wish to break this Mr. Birch of his unsocial habits, and
gave him a call this morning,'' he said : ^^ had I found him within,
I should have placed him where he would enjoy life in the midst of
society, for a short time at least.''
''And where might that be, sir ?" asked Mr. Wharton, conceiving
it necessary to say sometJiing.
'^ The guard-room," said the trooper, dryly.
''What is the offence of poor Birch V* asked Miss Peyton, hand-
ing the dragoon a fourth dish of coffee.
'' Poor !" cried the Captain ; " if he is poor. King Greorge is a bad
paymaster."
" Yes, indeed," said one of the subalterns, " his Majesty owes him
a dukedom."
"And congress a halter," continued the commanding officer, com-
mencing anew on a fresh supply of the cakes.
" I am sorry," said Mr. Wharton, " that any neighbour of mine
should incur the displeasure of our rulers."
"If i catch him," cried the dragoon, while buttering another
cake, " he "will dangle from the limbs of one of his namesakes."
" He would make no bad ornament, suspended from one of those
locusts before his own door," added the Lieutenant.
"Never mind," continued the Captain; "I will have him yet
before I'm a ma]or."
Digitized by
Google
70 THE SPY.
As the language of those officers appeared to be sincere, and such
as disappointed men in their rough occupations are but too apt to
use, the Whartons thought it prudent to discontinue the subject
It was no new intelligence to any of the family, that Harvey Birch
was distrusted, and greatly harassed, by the American army. His
escapes from their hands, no less than his imprisonments, had been
the conyersation of the country in too many instances, and under
circumstances of too great mystery, to be easily forgotten. In fact,
no small part of the bitterness, expressed by Captain Lawton against
the pedler, arose from the unaccountable disappearance of the latter,
when intrusted to the custody of two of his most faithful dragoons.
A twelvemonth had not yet elapsed, since Birch had been seen
lingering near the head-quarters of the conunander-in-chief, and at
a time when important movements were expected hourly to occur.
So soon as the information of this fawjt wSs communicated to the
officer, whose duty it was to guard the avenues of the American
camp, he despatched Captain Lawton in pursuit of the pedler.
Acquainted with all the passes of the hills, and inde^tigable in
the discharge of his duty, the trooper had, with much trouble and
toil, succeeded in effecting his object. The party had halted at a
farm-house for the purposes of refreshment, and the prisoner was
placed in a room by himself, but under the keeping of the two men
before mentioned; all that was known subsequently is, that a woman
was seen busily engaged in the employments of the household near
the sentinels, and was particularly attentive to the wants of the cap-
tain, until he was deeply engaged in the employments of the supper-
table.
Afterwards, neither woman nor pedler was to be found. The
vack, indeed, was discovered open, and nearly empty, and a sma.l
door, communicating with a room adjoining to the one in which the
pedler had been secured, was ajar.
Captain Lawton never could forgive the deception : his antipathies
to his enemies were not very moderate, but this was adding an insult
Digitized by CjOOQIC ^
THE SPY.
77
k) liis penetration that rankled deeply. He sat in portentous silence,
brooding over the exploit of his prisoner, yet mechanically pursuing
the business before him, until, after sufficient time had passed to
make a veiy comfortable meal, a trumpet suddenly broke on the ears
of the party, sending its martial tones up the valley, in startling
melody. The trooper rose instantly from the table, exclaiming —
"Quick, gentlemen, to your horses; there comes Dunwoodie ;'
and, followed by his officers, he precipitately left the room.
With the exception of the sentinels left to guard Captain Whar-
ton, the dragoons mounted, and marched out to meet their comrades.
None of the watchfulness necessary in a war, in which similarity
of language, appearance, and customs, rendered prudence doubly
necessaiy, was omitted by the cautioas leader. On getting suffi-
ciently near, however, to a body of horse of more than double his
own number, to distinguish countenances, Lawton plunged his rowels
into his charger, and in a moment he was by the side of his com-
mander.
The ground in front of the cottage was again occupied by the
horse; and, observing the same precautions as before, the newly
arrived troops hastened to participate in the cheer prepared for their
comrades.
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER VI.
- and let conquerors boast
Their fields of fame — he who m virtue arms
A young warm spirit against beauty's charms.
Who feels her brightness, yet defies her thrall,
Is the best, bravest conqueror of them all.
Moore,
Xhe ladies of the Whaxton family had collected about a window,
deeply interested in the scene we have. related. ^,
Sarah viewed the approach of her countrymen with a smile of
contempfeuons indifference; for she even nndervalned the personal
appearance of men, whom she thought arrayed in the unholy cause
of rebellion. Miss Peyton looked on the gallant show with an ex-
ulting pride, which arose in the reflection, that the warriors before
her were the chosen troops of her native colony; while Frances gazed
with a singleness of interest that absorbed all other considerations.
The two parties had not yet joined, before her quick eye distin-
guished one horseman in particular from those around him. To her
it appeared that even the steed of this youthful soldier seemed to be
conscious that he sustained the weight of no conmion man : — his
hoofs but lightly touched the earth, and his airy tread was the curbed
motion of a blooded charger.
The dragoon sat in the saddle, with a firmness and ease that
showed him master of himself and horse, — his figure uniting the
. just proportions of strength and activity, being tall, round, and mus-
cular. To this officer Lawton made his report, and, side by side,
they rode into the field opposite to the cottage. -
Digitized by
Goo^^
THE S l» V. 7i^
The heart of Frances beat with a pulsation nearly stifling, as he
paused for a moment, and took a survey of the building, with an eye
whose dark and sparkling glance could be seen, notwithstanding tha
distance : — her colour changed, and for an instant, as she saw the
youth throw himself from the saddle, she was compelled to seek
relief for her trembling limbs in a chair.
The officer gave a few hasty orders to his second in command,
walked rapidly into the lawn, and approached the cottage. Frances
rose from her seat, and vanished from the apartment. The dragoon
ascended the steps of the piazza, and had barely time to touch the
outer door, when it opened to his admission.
The youth of Frances, when she left the city, had prevented her
sacrificing, in conformity to the customs of that day, all her native
beauties on the altar of fashion. Her hair, which was of a golden j \
richness of colour, was left, untortured, to fall in the natural ringlets
of infancy, and it shaded a face which was glowing with the united
charms of health, youth, and artlessness; — her eyes spoke volumes,
but her tongue was silent; — her hands were interlocked before her,
and, aided by her taper form, bending forward in an attitude of ex-
pectation, gave a loveliness and an interest to her appearance, thaf
for a moment chained her lover in silence to the spot.
Frances silently led the way into a vacant parlour, opposite to the
one in which the family were assembled, and turning to the soldier
frankly, placing both her hands in his own, exclaimed —
"Ah, Dunwoodie ! how happy, on many accounts, I am to see
you ! I have brought you in here, to proparo you to meet an unex-
pected friend in the opposite room."
" To whatever cause it may be owing," cried the youth, pressing
Uer hands to his lips, " I, too, am happy in being able to see you
alone. Frances, the probation you have decreed is cruel; war and
iiatance may shortly separate us for ever."
" We must submit to the necessity which governs us. But it is n» t
Digitized by VjOOQ IC .
80 . THE SPY.
tove speeclies I would hear now : I have other and more important
matter for your attention/'
" What can be of more importance than to make you mine by a
tie that will be indissoluble ! Frances, you are cold to me — me —
from whose mind, days of service and nights of alarm have never
been able to banish your image for a single moment."
" Dear Dunwoodie,'' said Frances, softening nearly to tears, and
igain extending her hand to him, as the richness of her colour gra-
dually returned, "you know my sentiments — this war once ended,
and you may take that hand for ever — but I can never consent to
I tie myself to you by any closer union than already exists, so long as
you are arrayed in arms against my only brother. Even now, that
brother is awaiting your decision to restore him to liberty, or to con-
duct him to a probable death.''
"Your brother!" cried Dunwoodie, starting and turning pale;
"your brother I explain yourself — what dreadful meaning is con
cealed in your words ?"
" Has not Captain Lawton told you of the arrest of Henry by
himself this very morning ?" continued Frances, in a voice barely
audible, and fixing on her lover a look of the deepest concern.
" He told me of arresting a captain of the 60th in disguise, but
without mentioning where or whom," replied the Major in a similar
tone ; and dropping his head between his hands, he endeavoured to
conceal his feelings from his companion.
" Dunwoodie ! Dunwoodie I" exclaimed Frances, losing all her
former confidence in the most fearful apprehensions, "what moans
this agitation ?" As the Major slowly raised his face, in which was
pictured the most expressive concern, she continued, " Surely, surely,
you will not betray your friend — my brother — ^your brother — ^to an
ignominious death."
"Frances I' exclaimed the young man in agony, " what can I do ?"
"Do !" she repeated, gazing at him wildly; "would Major Dun-
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY.
f^oodic yield his friend to his enemies — the brother of his betrothod
wifer
" Oh speak not so unkindly to me, dearest Miss Wharton' — my
own Frances. I would this moment die for you — ^for Henry — but I
cannot forget my duty — cannot forfeit my honour; you yourself
would be the first to despise me if I did.''
<< Peyton Dunwoodie V said FranoeS; solemnly, and with a face of
ashy paleness, " you have told me — you have sworn, that you loved
me—
" I do," interrupted the soldier, with fervour; — but motioning for
silence, she continued, in a voice that trembled with her fears —
^^ Do you think I can throw myself into the arms of a man, whoso
hands are stained with the blood of my only brother I''
" Frances ! you wring my very heart;" then pausing, to struggle
with his feelings, he endeavoured to force a smile, as he added, '^ but,
after all, we may be torturing ourselves with unnecessary fears, and
Henry, when I know the circumstances, may be nothing more than
a prisoner of war ; in which case, I can liberate him on parole."
There is no more delusive passion than hope ; and it seems to bo
the happy privilege of youth to cull all the pleasures that can be
gathered from its indulgence. It is when we are most worthy of
confidence ourselves, that we are least apt to distrust others ; and
what we think ought to be, we are prone to think will be.
The half-formed expectations of the young soldier were commu-
nicated to the desponding sister, more by the eye than the voice, and
the blood rushed again to her cheek, as she cried —
"Oh I there can be no. just grounds to doubt it: I knew — I
knew — Dunwoodie, you would never desert us in the hour of our
greatest need!" The violence of her feelings prevailed, and the
agitated girl found relief in a flood of tears.
The office of consoling those we love is one of the dearest preroga-
tives of affection ; and Major Dunwoodie, although but little encou-
^ged by his own momentary suggestion of relief, could not undo-
Digitized by VjOOQLC
THK S P T.
ceive the lovely girl, who leaned on his shoulder, as l^c wiped the
traces of her feeling from her face, with a trembling, but reviring
confidence, in the safety of her brother, and the protection of her
lover.
Frances having suflSciently recovered her recollection to command
herself, now eagerly led the way into the opposite room, to commu-
nicate to her family the pleasing intelligence which she already con*
ceived so certain.
Dunwoodie followed her reluctantly, and with forebodings of the
result; but, a few moments brought him into the presence of his
relatives, and he summoned all his resolution to meet the trial with
firmness.
The salutations of the young men were cordial and frank, and,
on the part of Henry Wharton, as collected as if nothing had
occurred to disturb his self-possession.
The abhorrence of being, in any manner, auxiliary to the arrest
of his friend; the danger to the life of Captain Wharton; and the
heart-breaking declarations of Frances, had, however, created an
uneasiness in the bosom of Major Dunwoodie, which all his efforts
could not conceal. His reception by the rest of the family was kind
and sincere, both from old regard, and a remembrance of former
obligations, heightened by the anticipations they could not fail to
read in the expressive eyes of the blushing girl by his side. After
exchanging greetings with every member of the family. Major Dun-
woodie beckoned to the sentinel, whom the wary prudence of Cap-
tain Lawton had left in charge of the prisoner, to leave the room.
Turning to Captain Wharton, he enquired mildly —
" Tell me, Henry, the circumstances of this disguise, in which
Captain Lawton reports you to have been found, and remember —
remember — Captain Wharton — your answers are entirely volun-
tary."
'^ Q^hc disguise was used by me. Major Dunwoodie," replied the
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY. 83
English o£5iCer^ grayelj; ^^ to enable me to visit my friends^ without
incurring the danger of becoming a prisoner of war."
^^But you did not wear it, until you saw the troop of Lawton
approaching 2^'
^^ Oh I no/' interrupted Erances, eagerly, forgetting all the cir-
cumstances in her anxiety for her brother; "Sarah and myself
placed them on him when the dragoons appeared 3 it was our awk«
wardness that led to the discovery."
The countenance of Dunwoodie brightened, as, turning his eyes
in fondness on the speaker, he listened to her explanation.
^'Probably some articles of your own,'' he continued, "which
were at hand, and were usod on the spur of the moment."
^' No," said Wharton, with dignity ; " the clothes were worn by
me from the city; they were procured for the purpose to which they
were applied, and I intended to use them in my return this very
day."
The appalled Frances shrunk back from between her brother and
lover, where her ardent feelings had carried her, as the whole truth
glanced over her mind, and she sunk into a seat, gazing wildly od
the young men.
"But the pickets — the party at the Plains?" added Dunwoodie,
turning pale.
" I passed them, too, in disguise. I made use of this pass, for
which I paid; and, as it bears the name of Washington, I presume
it is forged."
Dunwoodie caught the paper from his hand, eagerly, and stood
gazing on the signature for some time in silence, during which the
soldier gradually prevailed over the man ; when he turned to the
prisoner, with a searching look, as he asked—
" Captain Wharton, whence did you procure this paper?"
" That is a question, I conceive. Major Dunwoodie has no right
to ask."
Digitized by
Google
B4 T n E s p r.
"Your pardon, sir; my feelings may have led mc into an impro-
priety."
Mr. Wharton, who had been a deeply interested auditor, now so
far conquered his feelings as to say, ^' Surely, Major Dunwoodie, the
paper cannot he material ; such artifices are used daily in war/^
<< This name is no counterfeit," said the dragoon, studying the
characters, and speaking in a low voice : "is treason yet among us
undiscovered ? The confidence of Washington has been abused, for
the fictitious name is in a different hand from the pass. Captain
Wharton, my duty will not suffer me to grant you a parole : you
must accompany me to the Highlands."
" I did not expect otherwise. Major Dunwoodie."
Dunwoodie turned slowly towards the sisters, when the figure of
Frances once more arrested his gaze. She had risen from her seat,
and stood again with her hands clasped before him in an attitude of
petition : feeling himself unable to contend longer with his feelings,
he made a hurried excuse for a temporary absence, and lefb the room.
Frances followed him, and, obedient to the direction of her eye, the
soldier re-entered the apartment in which had been their first inter-
view.
" Major Dunwoodie," said Frances, in a voice barely audible, as
she beckoned to him to be seated; her cheek, which had been of a
chilling whiteness, was flushed with a suffusion that crimsoned her
whole countenance ; she struggled with herself for a moment, and
continued — " I have already acknowledged to you my esteem ; even
now, when you most painfully distress me, I wish not to conceal it.
Believe me, Henry is innocent of everything but imprudence. Our
country can sustain no wrong." Again she paused, and almost
gasped for breath ; her colour changed rapidly from red to white,
until the blood rushed into her face, covering her features with tho
brightest vermilion ; and she added hastily, in an under tone, " I
have promised, Dunwoodie, when peace shall be restored to our
country, to bec(Mne your wife ; give to my brother his liberty on
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY. Sb
parole, and I will this day go with you to the alttir, fi)llow you to
the camp, and, in becoming a soldier's bride, learn to endure a sol-
dier's privations/'
Dunwoodie seized the hand which the blushing girl, in her a^
dour, had extended towards him, and pressed it for a moment to his
bosom; then rising from his seat, he paced the room in excessive
agitation.
" Frances, say no more, I conjure you, unless you wish to break
mj heart/'
" You then reject my oflfered hand ?" she said, rising with dig-
nity, though ler pale cheek and quivering lip plainly showed the
conflicting passions within.
" Reject it ! Have I not sought it with entreaties — ^with tears ?
Has it not been the goal of all my earthly wishes? But to take it
under such conditions would be to dishonour both. We will hope
for better things. Henry must be acquitted; perhaps not tried.
No intercession of mine shall be wanting, you must well know ; and
believe me, Frances, I am not without favour with Washington."
" That very paper, that abuse of his confidence, to which you al-
luded, will steel him to my brother's case. If threats or entreaties
could move his stern sense of justice, would Andre have suffered ?"
As Frances uttered these words, she fled from the room in despair.
Dunwoodie remained for a minute nearly stupified ; and then he
followed with a view to vindicate himself, and to relieve her appre-
hensions. On entering the hall that divided the two parlours, ho
was met by a small ragged boy, who looked one moment at his dress,
and placing a piece of paper in his hands, immediately vanished
through the outer door of the building. The bewildered state of
his mind, and the suddenness of the occurrence, gave the Major
barely time to observe the messenger to be a country lad, meanly
attired, and that he held in his hand one of those toys which are to
be bought in cities, and which he now apparently contemplated with
the conscious pleasure of having fairly' purchased, by the perform -
Digitized by CjOOQLC
/
8d TIIK SPY.
ance of the service required. The soldier turned his ejes to the
subject of the note. It was written on a piece of torn and soiled
paper, and in a hand barely legible ; but, after some little labour,
he was able to make out as follows : —
" The rigHars are at Jiandj horse andfoot?"^*
* There died a few years since, in Bedford, West Chester, a yeoman
named Elisha H . This person was employed by Washmgton as one of
his most confidential spies. By the conditions of their bargain, H was
never to be required to deal with third parties, since his'risks were too immi.
nent Ho was allowed to enter also into the service of Sir Henry Clinton ;
and so much confidence had Washington in his love of country and discre-
tion, that he was oflen intrusted with the minor military movements, in order
that he might enhance his value with the English general, by communicat-
ing them. In this manner, H had continued to serve for a long period,
when chance brought him into the city (then held by the British) at a mo-
ment when an expedition was about to quit it, to go against a small post
established at Bedford, his native village, where the Americans had a depot
of provisions. H- easily ascertained the force and destination of the de-
tachment ordered on this service, but he was at a loss in what manner to
communicate his information to the officer in command at Bed&rd, without
betraying his own true character to a third person. . There was not time to
reach Washington, and under the circumstances, he finally resolved to hazard
a short note to the American commandant, stating the danger, and naming
the time when the attack might be expected. To this note he even ventured
to affix his own initials E. H., though he had disguised the hand, under a
beUef that, as he knew himself to be suspected by his countrymen, it might
serve to give more weight to his warning. His family being at Bedford, the
note was transmitted with facility, and arrived in good season, H him
self remaining in New York.
The American commandant did what every sensible officer, in a similai
case, would have done. He sent a courier with the note to Washington, de
manding orders, while he prepared his little party to make the best dcfcnct
in his power.
The head-quarters of tae American army were, at that time, in tlie High,
lands. Fortunately, the express met Washington^ on a tour of observation
near tlieir entrance. The note was given to him, and he read it in tlie sad
Digitized by
Google
T II E S P Y. 87
Dunwoodic started j and, forgetting every thing but the duties of
a soldier, he precipitately left the house. While walking rapidly
towards the troops, he noticed on a distant hill a vidette riding with
^peed : several pistols were fired in quick succession ; and the next
instant the trumpets of the corps rang in his ears with the enlivening
strain of ^^ To arms V* By the time he had reached the ground oc-
cupied by his squadron, the Major saw that every man was in active
motion. Lawton was already in the saddle, eyeing the opposite
extremity of the valley with the eagerness of expectation, and crying
to the musicians, in tones but little lower than their own —
" Sound away, my lads, and let these Englishmen know, that the
Virginia horse are between them and the end of their journey."
The videttes and patrols now came pouring in, each making in
succession his hasty report to the commanding officer, who gave his
orders coolly, and with a prompitude that made obedience certain.
Once only, as he wheeled his horse to ride over the ground in front,
did Dunwoodie trust himself with a look at the cottage, and his heart
beat with unusual rapidity as he saw a female figure standing, with
clasped hands, at a window of the room in which he had met Fran-
die ; adding, in pencil, *• Believe all that E. H. tells you. George Washing,
ton." He returned it to the courier, with an injunction to ride for life or
death.
The cottrler reached BedJford after the British had made their attack.
The commandant read the reply, and put it in his pocket The Americans
were defeated, and their leader killed. The note of H , witli the line
written on it by Washington, was found on his person.
The following day H was simimoned to the presence of Sir Henry
Clinton. After the latter had put several general questions, he suddenly gave
the note to the spy, and asked if he knew the hand-writing, and demandmg
who the E. H. was. ** It is Elijah Hadden, the spy you hanged yesterday
at Fowles Hook." The readiness of this answer, connected with the fact
ixat a spy having the same initials had been executed the day before, and
the coolness of H i saved him. Sir Henry Clinton allowed him to quit
loJB presence, and he never saw him afterwards.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
88 THE SPY.
ces. The distance was too great to distinguish her features; but the
Boldier could not doubt that it was his mistress. The paleness of
his cheek and the languor of his eye endured but for a moment
longer. As he rode towards the intended battle-ground, a flush of
ardour began to show itself on his sun-burnt features ; and his dra-
goons, who studied the face of their leader, as the best index to theii
own fate, saw again the wonted flashing of the eyes, and the cheerful
animation, which they had so often witnessed on the eve of battle.
By the additions of the videttes and parties that had been out, and
which now had all joined, the whole number of the horse was in-,
creased to nearly two hundred. There was also a small body of
men, whose ordinary duties were those of guides, but who, in cases
of emergency, were embodied and did duty as foot-soldiers; these
were dismounted, and proceeded, by the order of Dunwoodie, to level
the few fences which might interfere with the intended movements
of the cavalry. The neglect of husbandry, which had been occa-
sioned by the war, left this task comparatively easy. Those long
lines of heavy and durable walls, which now sweep through every
part of the country, forty years ago were unknown. The slight and
tottering fences of stone were then used more to clear the land for
the purposes of cultivation than as permanent barriers, and required
the constant attention of the husbandman, to preserve them against
the fury of the tempests and the frosts of winter. Some few of them
had been built with more care immediately around the dwelling of
Mr. Wharton ; but those which had intersected the vale below were
now generally a pile of ruins, over which the horses of the Yirgini-
ans would bound with the fleetness of the wind. Occasionally a
short line yet preserved its erect appearance ; but as none of these
crossed the ground on which Dunwoodie intended to act, there ro-
mained only the slighter fences of rails to be thrown down. Their
duty was hastily, but effectually, performed; and the guides with-
drew to the post assigned to them for the approaching fight.
Major IHmwoodie had received from his scouts all the intelligence
Digitized byCjOO^lC
TUK SPY. 89
tcnceming his foe, which was necessary to enable him to make his
arrangements. The bottom of the valley was an even plain, that
fell with a slight inclination from the foot of the hills on either side,
to the level of a natural meadow that wound through the country
on the banks of a small stream, by whose waters it was often inun-
dated and fertilised. This brook was easily forded in any part of
its course; and the only impediment it offered to the movements of
the horse, was in a place where it changed its bed from the western
to the eastern side of the valley, and where its banks were more
steep and difficult of access than common. Here the highway crossed
it by a rough wooden bridge, as it did again at the distance of half
a mile above the Locusts.
The hills on the eastern side of the valley were abrupt, and fre-
quently obtruded themselves in rocky prominences into its bosom,
lessening the width to half the usual dimensions. One of these
projections was but a short distance in the rear of the squadron of
dragoons, and Dunwoodie directed Captain Lawton to withdraw, with
two troops, behind its cover. The officer obeyed with a kind of
surly reluctance, that was, however, somewhat lessened by the anti-
cipations of the effect his sudden appearance would make on the
enemy. Dunwoodie knew his man, and had selected the captain for
this service, both because he feared his precipitation in the field, and
knew, when needed, his support would never fail to appear. It was
only in front of the enemy that Captain Lawton was hasty ; at all
other times his discermLant and self-possession were consummately
preserved ; but he sometimes forgot them in his eagerness to engage.
On the left of the ground on which Dunwoodie intended to meet
his foe, was a close wood, which skirted that side of the valley for
the distance of a mile. Lite this, then, the guides retired, and took
their station near its edge, in such a manner as would enable them
to maintain a scattering, but effectual fire, on the advancing column
rf the enemy.
It cannot be supposed that all these preparations were made un-
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
do THE spy.
heeded by the inmates of the cottage ; on the contrary, oveiy feeling
which can agitate the human breast, in witnessing such a scene, was
actively alive. Mr. Wharton alone saw no hopes to himself in the
termination of the conflict. If the British shoidd prevail, his son
would bo liberated ; but what would then be his own fate ! He had
hitherto preserved his neutral character in the midst of trying cir-
cumstances. The fact of his having a son in the royal, or, as it was
called, the regular army, had very nearly brought his estates to the
hammer. Nothing had obviated this result, but the powerful inte-
rest of the relation, who held a high political rank in the state, and
his own vigilant prudence. In his heart, he was a devoted loyalist ;
and when the blushing Frances had communicated to him th« wishes
of her lover, on their return from the American camp the preceding
spring, the consent he had given, to her future union with a rebel,
was as much extracted by the increasing necessity which existed for
his obtaining republican support, as by any considerations for the
happiness of his child. Should his son now be rescued, he would,
in the public mind, be united with him as a plotter against the free-
dom of the States ; and should he remain a captive, and undergo the
impending trial, the consequences might be still more dreadful.
Much as he loved his wealth, Mr. Wharton loved his children bet-
ter; and he sat gazing on the movements without, with a listless
vacancy in his countenance, that fully denoted his imbecility of
character.
Far different were the feelings of the son. Captain Wharton had
been left in the keeping of two dragoons ; one of whom marched to
and fro on the piazza with a measured tread, and the other had been
direct^ to continue in the same apartment with his prisoner. The
young man had witnessed all the movements of Dunwoodie with
admiration mingled with fearful anticipations of the consequences to
his friends. lie particularly disliked the ambush of the detachment
under Lawton, who could be distinctly seen from the windows of
the cottage, cooling his impatience, by pacing on foot the ground ia
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THK SPY. 01
front of his meiL Henry Wharton threw several hasty and enquir-
ing glances arcrand, to see if no means of liberation would offer, but
invariably found the eyes of his sentinel fixed on him with the
watchfulness of an Argus, He longed, with the ardour of youth,
to join in the glorious fray, but was compelled to remain a dissatis-
fied spectator of a scene in which he would so cheerfully have been
an actor. Miss Peyton and Sarah continued gazing on the prepara-
tions with varied emotions, in which concern for the fate of the Cap-
tain formed the most prominent feeling, until the moment the shed-
ding of blood seemed approaching, when, with the timidity of their
sex, they sought the retirement of an inner room. Not so Frances :
she returned to the apartment where she had left Dunwoodie, and,
from one of its windows, had been a deeply interested spectator of
all his movements. The wheelings of the troops, the deadly prepa-
rations, had all been unnoticed; she saw her lover only, and with
mingled emotions of admiration and dread that nearly chilled her.
At one moment the blood rushed to her heart, as she saw the young
warrior riding through his ranks, giving life and courage to all whom
he addressed ; and the next, it curdled with the thought, that the
very gallantry she so much valued might prove the means of placing
the grave between her and the object of her regard. Frances gazed
until she could look no longer.
In a field on the left of the cottage, and at a short distance in the
rear of the troops, was a small group, whose occupation seemed to
differ from that of all around them. They were in number only
three, being two men and a mulatto boy. The principal personage
of this party was a man, whose leanness made his really tall stature
appear excessive. He wore spectacles — was unanned, had dis-
mounted, and seemed to be dividing his attention between a segar, a
book, and the incidents of the field before him. To this party
Frances determined to send a note, directed to Dunwoodie. She
wrote hastily, with a pencil, " Come to mc, Peyton^ if it he hut for
a moment " and Caesar emerged from the cellar kitchen, taking the
Digitized by VjOOQLC
92 T H E S P X" .
precaution to go by the rear of the building, to avoid the sentinel ot
the piazza, who had very cavalierly ordered all the fiainily to remain
housed. The black delivered the note to the gentleman, with a
request that it might be forwarded to Major Dunwoodie. It was the
surgeon of the horse to whom Caesar addressed himself; and the
teeth of the African chattered, as he saw displ^^yed upon the ground
the several instruments which were in preparation for the anticipated
operations. The doctor himself seemed to view the arrangement
with great satisfaction, as he deliberately raised his eyes from his
book to order the boy to convey the note to his commanding officer,
and then dropping them quietly on the page, he continued his occu-
pation. Caesar waa slowly retiring, as the third personage, who by
his dress might be an inferior assistant of the surgical department^
coolly enquired " if he would have a leg taken oflf ?" This question
seemed to remind the black of the existence of those limbs; for he
made such use of them as to reach the piazza at the same instant
that Major Dunwoodie rode up, at half speed. The brawny sentinel
squared himself, and poised his sword with military precision, as he
stood on his post, while his officer passed; but no sooner had the
door closed, than, turning to the negro, he said, sharply —
" Harkee, blackey, if you quit the house again without my know-
ledge, I shall turn barber, and shave off one of those ebony ears
with this razor.''
Thus assailed in another member, Caesar hastily retreated into his
kitchen, muttering something, in which the words " Skinner, and
rebel rascal," formed a principal part of his speech.
" Major Dunwoodie," said Frances to her lover as he entered, " I
may have done you injustice; if I have appeared harsh — "
The emotions of the agitated girl prevailed, and she burst into
tears.
" Frances," cried the soldier with warmth, "you are never harsh,
never imjust, but when you doubt my love."
"Ah I Dunwoodie," added the sobbing girl, "you are about to
Digitized by VjOOQLC
THE SPY. 93
risk your life in battle ; remember that there is one heart whose
happiness is built on your safety j brave I know you are ; be pru-
dent—^'
" For your sake ?" enquired the delighted youth.
" For my sake/' replied Frances, in a voice barely audible, and
dropping on his bosom.
Xhinwoodie folded her to his heart, and was about to speak, as a
trumpet sounded in the southern end of the vale. Imprinting one
long kiss of affection on her unresisting lips, the soldier tore himself
from his mistress, and hastened to the scene of strife.
Frances threw herself on a sofa, buried her head imder its cushion,
and with her shawl drawn over her face, to exclude as much of sound
as possible, continued there until the shouts of the combatants, the
rattling of the fire-arms, and the thundering tread of the horses, had
ceased.
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER YIL
-The game 's afooi ;
Follow your spirit.
Shakspeare.
The rough and unimproved face of the country, the frequency of
covers, together with the great distance from their own country, and
the facilities afforded them for rapid movements to the difierent
N^^ points of the war, by the undisputed command of the ocean, had
united to deter the English from employing a heavy force in cavalry,
in theur early efforts to subdue the revolted colonies.
Only one regiment of regular horse was sent from the mother
country, during the struggle. But legions and independent corps
were formed in different places, as it best accorded with the views
of the royal commanders, or suited the exigency of the times. These
were not unfrequently composed of men raised in the colonies, and
at other times drafts were had from the regiments of the line, and
the soldier was made to lay aside the musket and bayonet, and taught
to wield the sabre and carabine. One particular body of the subsi-
diary troops was included in this arrangement, and the Hessian
yagers were transformed into a corps of heavy and inactive horse.
Opposed to them were the hardiest spirits of America. Most of
the cavalry regiments of the continental army were led and officered
by gentlemen from the south. The high and haughty courage of
the commanders had communicated itself to the privates, who wero
men selected with care and great attention to the sendee they were
intended to perform.
Digitized by
Google
THB SPY. 95
While the British were confined to their empty conquests in the
possession of a few of the larger towns, or marched through counties
that were swept of every thing like military supplies, the light troops
of their enemies had the range of the whole interior.
The sufferings of the line of the American army were great be- \
yond example; but possessing the power, and feeling themselves
engaged in a cause which justified severity, the cavalry officers were
vigilant in providing for their wants, and the horse were well
mounted, well fed, and consequently eminently effective. Perhaps
the world could not furnish more brave, enterprising, and resistless
corps of light cavalry, than a few that were in the continental service /
at the time of which we write.
Dunwoodie's men had often tried their prowess against the enemy,
and they now sat panting to be led once more against foes whom
they seldom charged in vain. Their wishes were soon to be gratified ;
for their commander had scarcely time to regain his seat in the sad-
dle, before a body of the enemy <|bne sweeping round the base of
the hill, which intersected the vilw to the south. A few minutes
enabled the Major to distinguish their character. In one troop he
saw the green coats of the Cow-Boys, and in the other the leathern
helmets and wooden saddles of the yagers. Their numbers were
about equal to the body under his immediate orders.
On reaching the open space near the cottage of Harvey Birch,
the enemy halted and drew up his men in line, evidently making
preparations for a charge. At this moment a column of foot ap-
peared in the vale, and pressed forward to the bank of the brook we
have already mentioned.
Major Dunwoodie was not less distinguished by coolness and
judgment, than, where occasion offered, by his dauntless intrepidity.
He at once saw his advantage, and determined to profit by it. The
column he led began slowly to retire from the field, when the youth-
ful German, who commanded the enemy's horse, fearful of missing
on easy conquest, gave the word to charge. Few troops were more
5 Digitized by Google
DC THE SPY.
hardy than the Cow-Boys ; they sprang eagerly forward in the pur-
Buit, with a confidence created by the retiring foe and the column in
their rear; the Hessians followed more slowly, but in better order
The trompets of the YiigLoians now sounded long and lively; they
were answered by a strain from the party in ambush that went to
the hearts of their enemies. The column of Dunwoodie wheeled in
perfect order, opened, and, as the word to charge was ^yen, the
troops of Lawton emeiged from their cover, with their leader in ad-
vance, waving his sabre over his head, and shouting, in a voice that
was heard above the clangour of the martial music.
The charge threatened too much for the refugee troop. They
scattered in every direction, flying from the field as fast as their
horses, the chosen beasts of West-Chester, could cany them. Only
a few were hurt-: but such as did meet the arms of their avenging
countrymen never survived the blow, to tell who struck it. It was
upon the poor vassals of the German tyrant that the shock fell.
Disciplined to the most exact obedience, these ill-fiited men met the
charge bravely, but they were swept before the mettled horses and
nervous arms of their antagonists like chaff before the wind. Many
of them were literally ridden down, and Dunwoodie soon saw the
field without an opposing foe. The proximity of the infantry pre-
vented pursuit, and behind its column the few Hessians who escaped
unhurt sought protection.
The more cunning refugees dispersed in small bands, taking va-
rious and devious routes back to their old station in front of Harlaem.
Many was the sufferer, in cattle, furniture, and person, that was
created by this rout; for the dispersion of a troop of Cow-Boys was
only the extension of an eviL
Such a scene could not be expected to be acted so near them,
and the inmates of the cottage take no interest in the result. In
truth, the feelings it excited pervaded every bosom, from the kitchen
to the parlour. Terror and horror had prevented the ladies from
being spectators, but they did not feel the less. Frances continued
" - Digitized by VjOOQ IC
TnE SPY. 97
lying in the posture we have mentioned^ offering up fervent and in-
coherent petitions for the safety of her countrjrmen, although in hei
inmost heart she had personified her nation by the graceful image of !
Peyton Dunwoodie. Her aunt and sister were less exclusive in thoii ;
devotions; but Sarah began to feel^ as the horrors of war were thus
brought home to her senses, less pleasure in her anticipated triumphs.
The inmates of Mr. Wharton's kitchen were four — ^namely, Caesai *
and his spouse, their grand-daughter, a jet-black damsel of twenty,
and the boy before alluded to. The blacks were the remnants of a
race of negroes which had been entailed on his estate from Mr.
Wharton's maternal ancestors, who were descended from the early
Dutch colonists. Time, depravity, and death had reduced them to
this small number ; and the boy, who was white, had been added by
Miss Peyton to'^the establishment, as an assistant, to perform the
ordinary services of a footman. Caesar, after first using the precau-
tion to place himself under the cover of an angle in the wall, for a
screen against any roving bullet which might be traversing the air,
became an amused spectator of the skirmish. The sentinel on the
piazza was at the distance of but a few feet from him, and he entered
into the spirit of the^chase with all the ardour of a tried blood-hound :
he noticed the approach of the black, and his judicious position, with
a smile of contempt, as he squared himself towards the enemy, offer-
ing his unprotected breast to any dangers which might come.
Afler considering the arrangement of Caesar, for a moment, with
ineffable disdain, the dragoon said, with great coolness —
" You seem very careful of that beautiful person of yours, Mr.
Blueskm."
''A bullet hurt a coloured man as much as a white," muttered the
black, surlily, casting a glance of much satisfaction at his rampart.
" Suppose I make the experiment," returned the sentinel : as he
spoke, he deliberately drew a pistol from his belt, and levelled it at
the black. Caesar's teeth chattered at the appearance of the dragoon,
ilthough he believed nothing serious was intended. At this moment
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
08 THE spr.
ihe column of Dunwoodie began to retire, and the royal cavalry
commenced their charge.
"There, Mister Light-Horseman/' said Caesar eagerly, who be-
lieved the Americans were retiring in earnest; "why you rebels
don't fight — see — see how King George's men make Major Dun-
woodie run I Good gentleman, too, but he don't like to fight a rig'lar/'
" Damn your regulars," cried the other, fiercely : " wait a minute,
blackey, and you'll see Captain Jack Lawton come out from behind
yonder hill, and scatter these Cow-Boys like wild geese who 've lost
their leader."
Caesar supposed the party under Lawton to have sought the
shelter of the hill from motives similar to that which had induced
him to place the wall between himself and the battle-ground ; but
the fact soon verified the trooper's prophecy, and the black wit-
nessed with consternation the total rout of the ro3ral horse.
The sentinel manifested his exultation at the success of his com-
rades with loud shouts, which soon brought his companion, who had
been left in the more immediate charge of Henry Wharton, to the
open window of the parlour:
"See, Tom, see," cried the dehghted trooper, "how Captain
Lawton makes that Hessian's leather cap fly; and now the Major
has killed the officer's horse — zounds, why didn't he kill the
Dutehman, and save the horse?"
A few pistols were discharged at the flying Cow-Boys, and a spent
bullet broke a pane of glass within a few feet of Caesar. Lnitating
the posture of the great tempter of our race, the black sought the
protection of the inside of the building, and immediately ascended
to the parlour.
The lawn in front of the Locusts was hidden from the view of the
road by a close line of shrubbery, and the horses of the two dragoons
had been left, linked together, under its shelter to await the move-
mcnts of their masters.
At this moment two Cow-Boys, who had been cut off from a
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
THE SPY. 90
retreat to their own pai-ty, rode furiously through the gate, with
an intention of escaping to the open wood in the rear of the cottage.
The victorious Americans pressed the retreating Germans until
they had driven them under the protection of the fire of the
infantry; and feeling themselves, in the privacy of the lawn,
relieved from any immediate danger, the predatory warriors yielded
to a temptation that few of the corps were ever known to resist —
opportunity and horseflesh. With a hardihood and presence of
mind that could only exist from long practice in similar scenes,
they made towards their intended prizes, by an almost spontaneous
movement' They were busily engaged in separating the fastenings
of the horses, when the trooper on the piazza discharged his pistols,
and rushed, sword in hand, to the rescue.
The entrance of Cassar into the parlour had induced the wary
dragoon within, to turn his attention more closely on his prisoner ;
but this new interruption drew him again to the window. He threw
his body out of the building, and with dreadful imprecations endea-
voured, by his threats and appearance, to frighten the marauders
from their prey. The moment was enticing. Three hundred
of his comrades were within a' mile of the cottage; unridden horses
were running at large in every direction, and Henry Wharton
seized the unconscious sentinel by his legs, and threw him headlong
into the lawn. — Caesar vanished from the room, and drew a bolt
of the outer door.
The fell of the soldier was not great, and recovering his feet, he
turned his fury for a moment on his prisoner. To scale the window
in the fece of such an enemy, was, however, impossible, and on trial
he found the nudn entrance barred.
His comrade now called loudly upon him for aid, and forgetful
of every thing ehe^ the discomfited trooper rushed to his assistance.
One horse was instantly liberated, but the other was already
fastened to the saddle of a Cow-Boy, and the four retired behind
ihe building, cutting furiously at each other with their sabres, and
Digitized by CjOOQIC
100 ' THE SPY.
making the air resound with their imprecations. Ca3sar threw llic
outer door open, and pointing to the remaining horse, that was
quietly biting the faded herbage of the lawn, he exclaimed —
a i^un — now — run — Massa Harry, run/'
"Yes,'' cried the youth as he vaulted into the saddle, "now,
indeed, my honest fellow, is the time to run." He beckoned
hastily to his father, who stood at the window in speechless anxiety,
with his hands extended towards his child in the attitude of bene-
diction, and adding, "God bless you, Caesar, salute the girls,""
he dashed through the gate, with the rapidity of lightning.
The African watehed him with anxiety as he gained the highway,
saw him incline to the right, and riding furiously under the brow of
some rocks, which on that side rose perpendicularly, disappear be-
hind a projection, which soon hid him from view.
The delighted Caesar closed the door, pushing bolt after bolt, and
turning the key xmtil it would turn no more, soliloquising the whole
time on the happj escape of his young master.
" How well he ride — ^teach him good deal myself — salute a young
lady — Miss Fanny wouldn't let old coloured man kiss a red cheek.'*
When the fortune of the day was decided, and the time arrived
for the burial of the dead, two Cow-Boys and a Virginian were found
in the rear of the Locusts, to be included in the number.
Happily for Henry Wharton, the searching eyes of his captor
were examining, through a pocket-glass, the column of infantry that
still held ite position on the bank of the stream, while the remnants
of the Hessian yagers were seeking its firiendly protection. His
liorso was of the best blood of Virginia, and carried him with the
swiftness of the wind along the valley; and the heart of the youth
was already beating tumultuously with pleasure at his deliverance
when a well-known voice reached his startled ear, crjring aloud —
"Bravely done. Captain! Don't spare the whip, and turn to
your left before you cross the brook."
Wharton turned his head in surprisai and saw, sitting on the
, Digitized by VjOOQLC
THE spir. 101
point of a jutting rock that commanded a bird's e} o view of the val-
ley, his former guide, Harvey Birch. His pack, much diminished
in size, lay at the feet of the pedler, who waved his hat to the youth,
exultingly, as the latter flew by him. The English captain took the
advice of this mysterious being, and finding a good road, which led
to the highway that intersected the valley, turned down its direction,
and was soon opposite to his friends. The next minute he crossed
the bridge, and stopped his charger before his old acquaintance,
Colonel Wellmere.
'^ Captain Wharton !" exclaimed the astonished commander of the
English troops, ^^ dressed in mohair, and mounted on a rebel dragoon
horse ! are you from the clouds in this attire, and in such a style V
^^ Thajik God !" cried the youth, recovering his breath, " I am
safe, and have escaped from the hands of my enemies; but five
minutes since and I was a prisoner, and threatened with the gallows."
<^The gallows, Captain Wharton! surely those traitors to tho
king would never dare to commit another murder in cold blood; is
it not enough that they took the life of Andr^ ? wherefore did they
threaten you with a similar &.te V*
^^ Under the pretence of a similar offence," said the captain, briefly
explaining to the group of listeners the manner of his capture, the
grounds of his personal apprehensions, and the method of his escape.
By the time he had concluded his narration, the fugitive Germans
were collected in the rear of the column of infantry, and Colonel
Wellmere cried aloud —
" From my soul I congratulate you, my brave friend ; mercy is a
quality with which these traitors are unacquainted, and you are
doubly fortunate in escaping from their hands uninjured. Prepare
yourself to grant me your assistance, and I will soon afford you a
noble revenge."
" I do not think there was danger of personal outrage to any man,
Colonel Wellmere, from a party that Major Dunwoodie oonunands,''
returned young Wharton, with a slight glow on his face : " his chft^
Digitized by CjOOQLC
102 THE SPY,
racter is above the imputatioii of such an offence ; neither do I ihiuk
it altogether prudent to cross this brook into the open plain^ in the
face of those Virginian horse, flushed as they must be with the suc-
cess they have just obtained."
^^ Do you call the rout of those irregulars and these sluggish Hes-
sians a deed to boast of?" said the other with a contemptuous smile :
'^ you speak of the sSair, Captain Wharton, as if your boasted Mr.
Dunwoodie, for Major he is none, had discomfited the body guards
of your king."
" And I must be allowed to say, Colonel Wellmere, that if the
body guards of my king were in yon field, they would meet a foe
that it would be dangerous to despise. Sir, my boasted Mr. Dun-
woodie is the pride of Washington's army as a cavalry officer/' cried
Henry, with warmth.
" Dunwoodie — Dunwoodie I" repeated the Colonel slowly } "surely
I have met the gentleman before."
" I have been told you once saw him for a moment, at the town
residence of my sisters," replied Wharton, with a lurking smile.
"Ah! I do remember me of such a youth; and does the most
potent congress of these rebellious colonies intrust their soldiers to
the leading of such a warrior!"
"Ask the commander of yon Hessian horse, whether he thinks
Major Dunwoodie worthy of the confidence."
Colonel Wellmere was fiix from wanting that kind of pride which
makes a man bear himself bravely in the presence of his enemies.
He had served in America a long time, without ever meeting with
any but new raised levies, or the militia of the country. These
would sometimes fight, and that fearlessly, but they as often chose
to run away without pulling a trigger He was too apt to judge
from externals, and thought it impossible for men whose gaiters
were so clean, whose tread so regular, and who wheeled with
BO much accuracy, to be beaten. In addition to all these, they
were Englishmen, and their success was certain. Colonel Wellmere
Digitized by
Google
THE spv. 103
had never been kept much in the field, or these notions, which he
had brought with him from home, and which had been greatly
Increased by the vapouring of a garrisoned town, would have long,
since vanished. He listened to the warm reply of Captain Wharton
with a supercilious smile, and then enquired —
" You would not have us retire, sir, before these boasted horse-
men, without doing something that may deprive them of part of the
glory which you appear to think they have gained?"
'' I would have you advised, Colonel Wellmere, of the danger you
are about to encounter."
*^ Danger is but an unseemly word for a soldier," continued the
British commander with a sneer.
^ And one as little dreaded by the 60th as any corps who wcai
the royal livery," cried Henry Wharton, fiercely; "give but the
word to charge, and let our actions speak."
"Now again I know my young friend," said Wellmere, sooth-
ingly ; " but if you have any thing to say before we fight, that can
in any manner help us in our attack, we '11 listen. You know the
force of the rebels : are there more of them in ambush ?"
" Yes," replied the youth, chafing still with the other's sneers,
" in the skirt of this wood on our right are a small party of foot :
their horse are all before you."
" Where they will not continue long," cried Wellmere, turning
to the few officers around him. "Gentlemen, we will cross the
stream in column, and display on the plain beyond, or else we shall
not be able to entice these valiant Yankees within the reach of our
muskets. Captain Wharton, I claim your assistance as an aide-
de-camp."
The youth shook his head in disapprobation of a movement which
his good sense taught him was rash, but prepared with ala<;rity to
perform his duty in the impending trial.
During this conversation, which was held at a small distance in
idvance of the British column, and in full view of the Americans,
Digitized by
Google
104 T n E 8 p r .
Dunwoodie had been collecting his scattered troops, securing his few
prisoners; and retiring to the ground where he had been posted at
the first appearance of his enemy. Satisfied with the success he
had abcady obtained, and believing the English too wary to give
him an opportunity of harassing them farther, he was about to with-
draw the guides; and, leaving a strong party on the ground to
watch the movement of the regulars, to fall back a few miles, to a
favourable place for taking up his quarters for the night. Captain
Lawton was reluctantly listening to the reasoning of his commander,
and had brought out his favourite glass, to see if no opening could
bo found for an advantageous attack, when he suddenly exclaimed —
"How's this? a blue coat among those scarlet gentry. As I
hope to live to see old Virginia, it is my masquerading friend of the
60th, the handsome Captain Wharton, escaped from two of my
best men!"
He had not done speaking when the survivor of these heroes
joined his troop, bringing with him his own horse and those of the
Cow-Boys : he reported the death of his comrade, and the escape
of his prisoner. As the deceased was the immediate sentinel over
the person of young Wharton, and the other was not to be blamed
for defending the horses, which were more particularly under his
care, his captain heard him with uneasiness, but without anger.
This intelligence made an entire change in the views of Major
Dunwoodie. He saw at once that his own reputation was involved
in the escape of his prisoner. The order to recall the guides waa
countermanded, and he now joined his second in command, watching
as eagerly as the impetuous Lawton himself, for some opening to
assail his foe to advantage.
But two hours before, and Dunwoodie had felt the chance which
inade Henry Wharton his captive, as the severest blow he had ever
sustained. Now he panted for an opportunity in which, by risking
his own life, he might recapture his friend. All other considerations
were lost in the goadings of a wounded spirit, and he might have
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY. IOC
Booa emulated Lawton in hardihood, had not Wellmerc and his
troops at this moment crossed the brook into the open plain.
^' There," cried the delighted Captain, as he pointed out the
movement with his finger, ^^ there comes John Bull into the mouse-
trap, and with eyes wide open,"
" Surely," said Dunwoodie, eagerly, " he will not display his co-
lumn on that flat : Wharton must tell him of the ambush. But if
he does — ^"
*^ We will not leave him a dozen sound skins in his battalion,"
interrupted the other, springing into his saddle.
The truth was soon apparent; for the English column, alter ad-
vancing for a short distance on the level land, displayed with an
accuracy that would have done them honour on a field-day in their
own Hyde Park.
** Prepare to mount — mount!" cried Dunwoodie ; the last word
Ixiing repeated by Lawton in a tone that rang in the ears of Caesar,
who stood at the open window of the cottage. The black recoiled in
dismay, having lost all his confidence in Captain Lawton's timidity;
for he thought he yet saw him emerging from his cover and waving
his sword on high.
As the British line advanced slowly and in exact order, the guides
opened a galling fire. It began to annoy that part of the royal
troops which was nearest to them. Wellmere listened to the advice
of the v^ran who was next to him in rank, and ordered two com-
panies to dislodge the American foot from their hiding-plaoe. Tho
movement created a slight confusion; and Dunwoodie seized the
opportunity to charge. No ground could be more favourable for the
manoeuvres of horse, and the attack of the Virginians was irresistible.
It was aimed chiefly at the bank opposite to the wood, in order to
clear the Americans from the fire of their friends who were concealed;
and it was completely successful. Wellmere, who was on the left
of his line, was overthrown by the impetuous fury of his assailants.
Dunwoodie was in time to save him from the impending blow of one
Digitized by VjOOQIC
106 THE SPY.
3f bis men; and raised hiin from the ground^ had him placed on a
horse, and delivered tc the custody of his orderly. The officer who
had suggested the attack upon the guides had been intrusted with
Its execution, but the menace was sufficient for these irregulars. In
feet, their duty was performed, and they retired along the skirt of
the wood, with intent to regain their horses, which had been left
under a giiard at the upper end of the valley.
The left of the British line was outflanked by the Americans,
who doubled in their rear, and thus made the rout in that quai-ter
total. But the second in command, perceiving how the battle went,
promptly wheeled his party, and threw in a heavy fire on the dra-
goons, as they paased him to the charge ; with this party was Henry
Wharton, who had volunteered to assist in dispersing the guides : a
ball struck his bridle-arm, and compelled him to change hands. As
the dragoons dashed by them, rending the air with their shouts, and
with trumpets sounding a lively strain, the charger ridden by the
youth became ungovernable — he plunged, reared, and his rider
being unable, with his wounded xmn, to manage the impatient ani<
mal, Henry Wharton found himself, in less than a minute, unwill-
ingly riding by the side of Captain Lawton. The dragoon compre-
hended at a glance the ludicrous situation of his new comrade, but
had only time to cry aloud, before they plunged into the English
Une —
"The horse knows the righteous cause better than his rider.
Captain Wharton, you are welcome to the ranks of freedom."
No time was lost, however, by Lawton, after the charge was com-
pleted, in securing his prisoner again; and, perceiving him to be
hurt, he directed him to be conveyed to the rear.
The Virginian troopers dealt out their favours, with no gentle
hands, on that part of the royal foot who were thus left in a great
measure at their mercy. Bunwoodie, observing that the remnant
of the Hessians had again ventured on the plain, led on in pursuit^
Digitized by
Google
THE 8Pr. ' lO'J
and easily overtaking their light and half-fed horses, soon destroyed
the remainder of the detachment.
In tiie mean while; great numbers of the English, taking advan-
tage of the smoke and confusion in the field, were enabled to get in
the rear of the body of their conntrymen, which still preserved its
order in a line pwallel to the wood, but which had been obliged to
hold its fire, fix)m the fear of injuring friends as well as foes. The
fugitives were directed to form a second line within the wood itself,
and imder cover of the trees. This arrangement was not yet com-
pleted, when Captain Lawton called to a youth, who commanded
the other troop left with that part of the force which remained on
the ground, and proposed charging the unbroken line of the British.
The proposal was as promptly accepted as it had been made, and
the. troops were arrayed for the purpose. The eagerness of their
leader prevented the preparations necessary to ensure success, and
the horse, receiving a destructive fire as they advanced, were thrown
into additional confusion. Both Lawton and his more juvenile
comrade fell at this discharge. Fortunately for the credit of tho
Virginians, Major Dunwoodie re-entered the field at this critical
instant; he saw his troops in disorder; at his feet lay weltering in
blood George Singleton, a youth endeared to him by numberless
virtues, and Lawton was unhorsed, and stretched on the plain. The
eye of the youthful warrior flashed fire. Riding between this
squadron and the enemy, in a voice that reached the hearts of his
dragoons, he recalled them to their duty. His presence and words
axited like magic. The clamour of voices ceased; the line was
formed promptly and with exactitude; the charge sounded; and,
led on by their commander, the Virginians swept across the plain
with an impetuosity that nothing could withstand, and the field was
instantly cleared of the jenemy: those who were not destroyed
sought a shelter in the woods. Dunwoo^e slowly withdrew from
the fire of the English who were covered by the trees, and com-
menced the painful duty of collecting his dead and wounded.
Digitized by
Google
108 THE a P 7 .
Tlie sergeant, charged with conducting Henry Wharton to p.
place where he might procure surgical aid, set about performing his
duty with alacrity, in order to return as soon as possible to the scene
of strife. They had not reached the middle of the plain, before the
captain noticed a man whose appearance and occupation forcibly
arrested his attention. His head was bald and. bare, but a well*
powdered wig was to be seen, half-concealed, in the pocket of his
breeches. His coat was off, and his arms were naked to the elbow ;
blood had disfigured much of his dress, and his hands, and even
face, bore this mark of his profession ; in his mouth was a segar ;
in his right hand some instruments of strange formation, and in his
'eft the remnants of an apple, with which he occasionally relieved
«;he duty of the before*mentioned segar. He was standing, lost in
the contemplation of a Hessian, who lay breathless before him. At
a little distance were three or four of the guides, leaning on their
muskets, and straining their eyes in the direction of the combatants,
and at his elbow stood a man who, from the implements in his hand,
and his bloody vestments, seemed an assistant
" Ther(^ sir, is the doctor," said the attendant of Henry, very
coolly ; " he will patch up your arm in the twinkling of an eye ;"
and beckoning to the guides to approach, he whispered and pointed
to his prisoner, and then galloped furiously towards his com-
rades.
"Wharton advanced to the side of this strange figure, and observ-
ing himself to be unnoticed, was about to request his assistance,
when the other broke silence in a soliloquy —
" Now, I know this man to have been killed by Captain Lawton,
as well as if I had seen him strike the blow. How often have I
strove to teach him the manner in which he can disable his adver-
sary, without destroying life I It is cruel thus unnecessarily to cut
off the human race, and furthermore, sMch blows as these rendei
professional assistance unnecessary ; it is in a measure treating the
lights of science with disrespect."
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY. lOS
" If, sir, your leisure will admit," said Henry Wharton, " I must
beg your attention to a slight hurt."
'^Ah r^ cried the other, starting, and examining him from head to
foot, "you are from the field below; is there much business there,
sirr
^* Indeed,'^ answered Henry, accepting the offer of the surgeon tc
assist in removing his coat, " 't is a stirring time, I can assure you/'
*^ Stirring !" repeated the surgeon, busily employed with his dress-
ings; "you give me great pleasure, sir; for so long as they can stir
there must be life; and while there is life, you know, there is hope ;
but here my art is of no ujse. I did put in the brains of one patient,
but* I rather think the man must have been dead before I saw him.
It is a curious case, sir; I will take you to see it — only across the
fence there, where you may perceive so many bodies together. Ah !
the ball has glanced around the bone without shattering it; you arc
fortunate in falling into the hands of an old practitioner, or you
might have lost this limb."
" Indeed 1" said Henry, with a slight uneasiness; "I did not
apprehend the injury to be so serious."
" Oh ! the hurt is not bad, but you have such a pretty arm for an
operation; the pleasure of the thing might have tempted a novice."
"The devil!" cried the Captain; "can there be any pleasure in
mutilating a fellow-creature?"
" Sir," said the surgeon, with gravity, " a scientific amputation is
a very pretty operation, and doubtless might tempt a younger man,
in the hurry of business, to overlook all the particulars of the case."
Further conversation was interrupted by the appearance of the
dragoons, slowly marching towards their former halting-place, and
new applications from the slightly wounded soldiers, who now came
tiding in, making hasty demands on the skill of the doctor.
The guides took charge of Wharton, and, with a heavy heart, the
pung man retraced his steps to his father's cottage.
The English had lost in the several charges about one-third of
Digitized by
Google
110
THE spr.
their foot, but the remainder were rallied in the wood ; and Dun-
woodie, perceiving them to bo too strongly posted to assail, had left
a strong party with Captain Lawton, with orders to watch their mo-
tions, and to seize every opportunity to harass them before they ro-
embarked.
Intelligence hod reached the Major of another party being out, by
the way of the Hudson, and his duty required that he should hold
himself in readiness to defeat the intentions of these also. Captain
Lawton received his orders, with strong injunctions to make no assault
on the foe, unless a favourable chance should offer. The injmy re-
ceived by this officer was in the head, being stunned by a glancing
bullet; and parting with a laughing declaration from the Major, that
if he again forgot himself, they should all think him more materially
hurt, each took his own course.
The British were a light party without baggage, that had been
sent out to destroy certain stores, understood to be collecting for the
use of the American army. They now retired through the woods to
the heights, and, keeping the route along their summits, in places
unassailable by cavalry, commenced a retreat to their boats.
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER VIII.
*• With fire and sword the conntry round
Was wasted far and wide ;
And many a diilding mother then.
And new-hom infant, died ;
But tilings like these, you know, must bo
At every famous victory."
TuE last sounds of the combat died on the cars of the anxious listen-
ers in the cottage^ and were succeeded hy the stillness of suspense.
Frances had continued by herself, striving to exclude tLo uprotir,
and yainly endeavouring to summon resolution to meet the dreaded
result The ground where the charge on the foot had taken place
was but a short mile from the Locusts, and, in the intervals of the
musketry, the cries of the soldiers had even reached the cars of its
inhabitants. After witnessing the escape of his son, Mr. Wharton
bad joined his sister and eldest daughter in their retreat, and the
three continued fearftdly waiting for news from the field. Unable
longer to remain under the painful uncertainty of her situation,
Frances soon added herself to the uneasy group, and Caesar was di*
rected to examine -ihto the state of things without, and report on
whose banners victory had alighted. The father now briefly related
to Ids astonished children the circumstance and manner of their bro-
ther's escape. They were yet in the freshness of their surprise,
when the door opened, and Captain Wharton, attended by a couple
of the guides, and followed by the black, stood before them.
" Henry — ^my son, my son," cried the agitated parent, stretching
Digitized by VjOOQLC
112 THE SPY.
mt his arms, yet unable to rise from his seat; "what is it I see?
are you agsdn a captive, and in danger of your life ?"
" The better fortune of these rebels has prevailed,'' said the youth,
endeavouring to force a cheerful smile, and taking a hand of each
of his distressed sisters. " I strove nobly for my liberty ; but the
perverse spirit of rebellion has even lighted on their horses. The
steed I mounted carried me, greatly against my will, I acknowledge,
into the very centre of Donwoodie's men."
" And you were again captured," continued tho father, casting a
fcarfdl glance on the armed attendants who had entered the room.
" That, sir, you may safely say : this Mr. Lawton, who sees so
far, had me in custody again immediately."
" Why you no hold 'em in, Massa Harry ?" cried Caesar, pettishly.
" That," said Wharton, smiling, " was a thing easier said than
done, Mr. Caesar, especially as these gentlemen" (glancing his eyes
at the guides) ^' had seen proper to deprive me of the use of my
better arm."
" Wounded !" exclaimed both sisters in a breath.
" A mere scratch, but disabling me at a most critical moment,"
continued the brother, kindly, and stretching out the injured limb
to manifest the truth of his declaration. Caesar threw a look of
bitter animosity on the irregular warriors who were thought to have
had an agency in the deed, and left the room. A few more words
sufficed to explain all that Captain Wharton knew relative to the
fortune of the day. The result he thought yet doubtful, for when
he left the ground, the Virginians were retiring from the field of
battle.
" They had tree'd the squirrel," said one of the sentinels abruptly^,
*^ and didn't quit the ground without leaving a good hound for the
chase, when he comes down."
"Ay," added his comrade, drily. "I'm thinking Captain Lawton
vvill count the noses of what are left before they sec their whafe-
boats."
Digitized by CjOOQIC
THE SPY. 113
Fnyaccs had stood supporting herself by the back of a chair, dur-
ing this dialogue; catching in breathless anxiety every syllable as it
was uttered; her colour changed rapidly; her limbs shook under
her; until, with desperate resolution, she enquired —
" Is any officer hurt on — the — on either side ?"
"Yes," answered the man, cavalierly, "these southern youths
are so full of mettle, that it 's seldom we fight but one^or two gets
knocked over; one of the wounded, who came up before the troops,
told me that Captain Singleton was killed, and Major Dunwoodie — "
Frances heard no more, but fell lifeless in the chair behind her.
The attention of her friends soon revived her, when the Captain,
turning to the man, said, fearfully —
" Surely Major Dunwoodie is unhurt?"
" Never fear him," added the guide, disregarding the agitation of
the family; "they say a man who is bom to be hanged wiQ never
be drowned : if a bullet could kill the Major, he would have been
dead long ago. I was going to say, that the Major is in a sad taking
because of the Captain's being killed; but had I known how much
store the lady set by him, I would n't have been so plain-spoken."
Frances now rose quickly from her seat, with cheeks glowing with
confusion, and, leaning on her aunt, was about to retire, when Dun^
woodie himself appeared. The first emotion of the agitated girl was
unalloyed happiness; in the next instant she shrank back appalled
from the unusual expression that reigned in his countenance. The
sternness of battle yet sat on his brow ; his eye was fixed and severe.
The smile of affection that used to lighten his dark features on meet*
ing his mistress, was supplanted by the lowering look of care; his
whole soul seemed to be absorbed in one engrossing emotion, and he
proceeded at once to his object.
" Mr. Wharton," he earnestly began, " in times like these, we
need not stand on idle ceremony : one of my officers, I am afraid, is
hurt mortally; and, presuming on your hospitality, I have brought
oim to your door."
Digitized by VjOOQIC
114 THE spy.
" I am Bappy, sir, that you nave done so," said Mr. Wliarton, at
once perceiving the importance of conciliating the American troops i
'^ the necessitous are always welcome, and doubly so, in being the
fiicnd of Major Dunwoodie/'
" Sir, I thank you for myself, and in behalf of him who is unable
to render you his thanks," returned the other, hastily; "if you
please, we ijill have him conducted where the surgeon may see and
report upon his case, without delay." To this there could be no
objection; and Frances felt a chill >at her heart, as her lover with-
drew, without casting a solitary look on herself.
There is a devotedness in female love that admits of no rivalry.
All the tenderness of the heart, all the powers of the imagination,
are enlisted in behalf of the tyrant pasaon ; and where all is given,
much is looked for in return. Frances had spent hours of anguish,
of torture, on account of Dunwoodie, and he now met her without a
" smile, and left her without a greeting. The ardour of her feelings
was unabated, but the elasticity of her hopes was weakened. As tne
supporters of the nearly lifeless body of Dunwoodie's friend passed
her, in their way to the apartment prepared for his reception, she
caught a view of this seeming rival.
His pale and ghastly countenance, sunken eye, and difficult breath-
ing, gave her a glimpse of death in its most fearful form. Dunwoo-
die was by his side, and held his hand, giving frequent and stem
injunctions to the men to proceed with care, and, in short, manifest-
ing all the solicitude that the most tender friendship could, on such
tm occasion, inspire. Frances moved lightly before them, and, with
an averted face, she held open the door for their passage to the bed ;
it was only as the Major touched her garments, on entering the room,
that she ventured to raise her mild blue eyes to his face. But the
glance was unretumed, and Frances unconsciously sighed as she
sought the solitude of her own apartment.
Captain Wharton voluntarily gave a pledge to his keepers not to
att<3mp^ ag-air) escaping, and then pro?ccdcd to execute those duties,
Digitized by VjOQQ IC
THE SPY. 115
on behalf of his father, which were thought necessary in a host. On
entering the passage for that purpose, he Inet the operator who had
60 dexterous! J dressed his arm, advancing to the room of the wounded
officer.
"Ah !" cried the disciple of Esculapios, "I see you are doing well;
but stop ; have you a pin ? No I here, I have one ; you must keep
the cold air from your hurt, or some of the youngsters will be at
work at you yet"
" God forbid,'' muttered the Captain, in an under-tone, attentively
adjusting the bandages; when Dunwoodie appeared at the door,
impatiently crying aloud —
" Hasten, Sitgreaves, hasten ; or George Singleton will die from
loss of blood."
" What ! Singleton ! God forbid I Bless me — is it George —
poor little George ?" exclaimed the surgeon, as he quickened his pace
with evident concern, and hastened to the side of the bed; "he is
alive, though, and while there is life there is hope. This is the first
serious case I have had to-day, where the patient was not already
dead. Captain Lawton teaches his men to strike with so little dis-
cretion — poor George — bless me, it is a musket bullet"
The youthful sufferer turned his eyes on the man of science, and
with a faint smile endeavoured to streteh forth his hand. There
was an appeal in the look and action that touched the heart of the
operator. The surgeon removed his spectacles to wipe an unusual
moisture from his eyes, and proceeded carefdlly to the discharge of
his duty. While the previous arrangements were, however, making,
bo gave vent in some measure to his feelings, by saying —
" When it is only a bullet, I have always some hopes ; there is a
chance that it hits nothing vital ; but, bless me. Captain Lawton's
men cut so at random — generally sever the jugular or the carotid
artery, or let out the brains, and all are so difficult to remedy — ^the
patient mostly d^ing before one can get at him. I never had suc-
cess but once in replacing a man's brains, although I have tried
Digitized by CjOOQIC
110 THE 8PY.
Qaiee this very day. It is easy to tell where Lawton's troop charge
ia a battle, they cut so atTandom/'
The group around the bed of Qaptain Singleton were too much
accustomed to the manner of their surgeon to regard or to reply to
his soliloquy; but they quietly awaited the moment when he was to
commence his examination. This now took place, and Dunwoodie
stood looking the operator in the face, with an expression that seemed
to read his soul. The patient shrunk from the application of the
probe, and a smile stole over the features of the surgeon, as he mut-
tered —
" There has been nothing before it in that quarter." He now
applied himself in earnest to his work, took off his spectacles, and
threw aside his wig. All this time Dunwoodie stood in feverish
silence, holding one of the hands of the sufferer in both his own,
watching the countenance of Doctor Sitgreaves. At length Single-
ton gave a slight groan, and the surgeon rose with alacrity, and said
aloud —
"Ah I there is some pleasure in following a bullet; it maybe
said to meander through the human body, injuring nothing vital;
but as for Captain Lawton's men — "
^' Speak," interrupted Dunwoodie ; " is there hope ? — can you find
the ball?"
"It's no difficult matter to find that which one has in his hand.
Major Dunwoodie," replied the surgeon, coolly, preparing his dress-
ings ; " it took what that literal fellow. Captain Lawton, calls a cir-
cumbendibus, a route never taken by the swords of his men, not-
withstanding the multiplied pains I have been at to teach him how
to cut scientifically. Now, I saw a horse this *day with his head
lialf severed from his body."
" That," said Dunwoodie, as the blood rudied to his cheeks again,
and his dark eyes sparkled with the rays of hope, " was some of my
handiwork ; I killed that horse myself."
Digitized by
Google
THE spr. 117
^^ You V exclaimed the surgeon, droppiug his dressing in surpriso^
*you I but you knew it was a horse V
<^I had such suspicions, I own/' said the Major, smiling, and
-holding a beverage to the lips of his friend.
^< Such blows alighting on the htman frame are &tal," continued
the Doctor, pursuing his business; ^'they set at nought the benefits
which flow from the lights of science ; they are useless in a battle,
for disabling your foe is all that is required. I have sat. Major
Dunwoodie, many a cold hour, while Captain Lawton has been en-
gaged, and after all my expectation, not a single case worth record-
ing has occurred — all scratches or death-wounds; ah I the sabre is a
sad weapon in unskilful hands ! Yes, Major Dunwoodie, many are
the hours I have thrown away in endeavouring to impress this truth
on Captain John Lawton/'
The impatient Major pointed silently to his friend, and the sur-
geon quickened his movements.
"Ah I poor George, it is a narrow chance; -but — '' he waa inter-
rupted by a messenger requiring the presence of the commanding
officer in the field. Dunwoodie pressed the hand of his friend, and
beckoned the Doctor to follow him, bs he withdrew.
"What think you?" he whispered, on reaching tho passage;
"will he live?"
"He will."
" Thank God 1" cried the youth, hastening below.
Dunwoodie for a moment joined the fiunily, who were now col-
lecting in the ordinary parlour. His &ce was no longer wanting in
smiles, and his salutations, though hasty, were cordial. He took n%
notice of the escape and recapture of Henry Wharton, but seemed
to think the young man had continued where he had left him before
the encounter. On the ground they had not met. The English
officer withdrew in haughty silence to a window, leaving the Major
uninterrupted to make his communications.
The excitement produced by the events of the day in the youthful
Digitized by VjOOQIC
118 THE SPY.
feelings of the sisters, had been succeeded by a languor that kept
them both silent, and Dunwoodic held his discourse with Miss Peyton.
^' Is there any hope, my cousin, that your friend can survive his -
wound V said the lady, advancing towards her kinsman, with a snulo
of benevolent regard. •
" Every thing, my dear madam, every thing," answered the sol-
dier cheerfully. " Sitgreaves says he will live, and he has never
deceived me/'
" Your pleasure is not much greater than my own at this intelli
gence. One so dear to Major Dimwoodie cannot fail to excite an
interest in the bosom of his friends."
" Say one so deservedly dear, madam," returned the Major, with
warmth : *' he is the beneficent spint of the corps, equally beloved
by us all j so mild, so equal, so just, so generous, with the meekness
of a lamb and the fondness of a dove — ^it is only in the hour of battle
that Singleton is a lion."
'^You speak of him as if he were your mistress. Major Dun-
woodic," observed the smiling spinster, glancing her eye at her niece,
who sat pale and listening, in a comer of the room.
" I love him as one," cried the excited youth ; " but he requires
care and nursing; all now depends on the attention he receives."
" Trust me, sir, he will want for nothing under this roof."
" Pardon me, dear madam ; you are all that is benevolent, but
Singleton requires a care which many men would feel to be irksome.
It is at moments like these, and in sufferings like this, that the sol-
dier most finds the want of female tenderness." As he spoke, he
turned his eyes on Prances with an expression that again thrilled to
the heart of his mistress: she rose from her seat with burning
cheeks, and said —
" All the attention that can with propriety be given to a stranger,
will be cheerfully bestowed on your friend."
" Ah I" cried the Maj«, shaking his head, " that cold word pro
prioty will kill him ; he must be fostered, cherished, soothed."
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE spr. 119
•^ These ore offices for a sbter or a wife."
^' A custer r repeated the soldier, the blood rushing to his own
&CC tnnmltaonslj; '^ a sister! he has a sister; and one that might
be here with to-morrow's son." He pansed, mused in silence, gkncod
his eyes uneasily at Frances, and mattered in an under tone — ^' Sin-
gleton requires it, and it must be done.''
The ladies had watched his Yarying countenance in some surprise,
and Miss Peyton now observed that —
" If there were a sister of Captain Singleton near them, her pre-
sence would be gladly requested both by herself and nieces."
^^ It must be, madam; it cannot well be otherwise," replied Dun-
woodie, with a hesitation that but ill agreed with his former deckt-
rations ; ^^ she shall be sent for express this veiy night" And then,
as if willing to change the subject, be approached Captain Wharton,
and continued, mildly —
'^ Henry Wharton, to me honour is dearer than life ; but in your
hands I know it can safely be confided; remain here unwatched,
until we leave the county, which will not be for some days."
The distance in the manner of the English officer vanished, and
taking the offered hand of the other, he replied with warmth —
'^ Your generous confidence, Peyton, will not be abused, even though
the gibbet on which your Washington hung Andre be ready for my
own execution."
"Henry, H[enry Wharton," said Dunwoodie reproachfully, "you
little know the man who leads our armies, or you would have spared
him that reproach; but duty calls me without I leave you where
I could wish to stay myself, and where you cannot be wholly
unhappy."
In passing Frances, she received another of those smiling looks
of affection she so much prized, and for a season the impression
made by his appearance after the battle was forgotten.
Among the veterans that had been impelled by the times to
abandon the quiet of age for the service of their .country, was
^ Digitized by Google
120 THE SPY.
Colonel Singleton. He was a native of Georgia, and had been for
the earlier years of his life a soldier by profession. When the
struggle for liberty commenced, he offered his services to his
country, and from respect to his character they had been accepted.
His years and health had, however, prevented his discharging the
active duties of the field, and he had been kept in command of
different posts of trust, where his country might receive the benefits
of his vigilance and fidelity without inconvenience to himself. Foi*
the last year he had been intrusted with the passes into the High-
lands, and was now quartered, with his daughter, but a short day's
march above the valley where Bunwoodie had met the enemy.
His only other child was the wounded officer we have m^jntioned.
Thither, then, the Major prepared to despatch a messenger with the
unhappy news of the Captain's situation, and charged with such an
invitation from the ladies as he did not doubt would speedily bring
the sister to the couch of her brother.
This duty performed, though with an unwillingness that only
could make his former anxiety more perplexing, Bunwoodie pro-
ceeded to the field where his troops had halted. The remnant of
the English were already to be seen, over the tops of the trees,
marching along the heights towards their boats, in compact order
and with, great watchfulness. The detachment of the dragoons
under Lawton were a short distance on their flank, eagerly awaiting
a favourable moment to strike a blow. In this manner both parties
were soon lost to view.
A short distance above the Locusts was a small hamlet, where
several roads intersected each other, and from which, consequently,
access to the surrounding country was easy. It was a favourito
halting-place of the horse, and frequently held by the light parties
of the American army during their excursions below. Ihinwoodic
had been the first to discover its advantages, and as it was necessary
tor him to remain in the county until further orders from abo^'c, it
cannot be supposed he overlooked them now. To this plae<» the
Digitized by CjOOQLC
TKK SPT.
121
troops were directed to retire, carrying with them their wounded ;
parties, were already employed in the sad4uty of interring the dead.
In making these arrangements, a new object of embarrassment pre-
sented itself to our young soldier. In moving through the field,
he was struck with the appearance of Colonel Wellmere, seated by
himself, brooding over his misfortunes, uninterrupted by any thing
out the passing civilities of the American officers. His anxiety on
behalf of Singleton had hitherto banished the recollection of his
captive from the mind of Dunwoodie, and he now approached him
with apologies for his neglect. The Englishman received his cour-
tesies with coolness, and complained of being injured by what he
ofifected to think was the accidental stumbling of his horse. Bun-
woodie, who had seen one of his own men ride him down, and that
with very little ceremony, slightly smiled, as he offered him surgical
assistance. This could only be procured at the cottage, and thither
they both proceeded.
" Colonel Wellmere V cried young Wharton in astonishment as
they entered, " has the fortune of war been thus cruel to you also ?
— but you are welcome to the house of my father, although I could
wish the introduction to have taken place under more happy circum-
stances."
Mr. Wharton received this new guest with the guarded caution
. that distinguished his manner, and Ihinwoodie left the room to seek
the bedside of his friend. Every thing here looked propitious, and
he acquainted the surgeon that another patient waited his skill in
the room below. The sound of the word was enough to set the
doctor in motion, and seizing his implements of office, he went in
quest of this new applicant. At the door of the parlour he was met
by the ladies, who were retiring. Miss Peyton detained him for a
moment, to enquire into the welfare of Captain Singleton. Frances
smiled with something of her natural archness of manner, as she
contemplated the grotesque appearance of the bald- headed practi-
tioner ; but Sarah was too much agitated, with the surprise of the
Digitized by VjOOQIC
122 THE SPT.
unexpected interview with the British Colonel, to obserre him. It
has already been intimated that Colonel Wellmere was an old
Bcquaintance of the family. Sarah had been so long absent from
the city^ that she had m some measm'e been banished from the
remembrance of the gentleman ; bnt the recollections of Sarah were
more vivid. There is a period in the life of every woman when she
may be said to be predisposed to love ; it is at the happy age when
infancy is lost in opening maturity — when the guileless heart beats
with those anticipations of life which the truth can never realize —
and when the ima^ation forms images of perfection that are copied
after its own imsullied visions. At this happy age Sarah left the
dty, and she had brought with her a picture of futurity, faintly
impressed, it is true, but which gained durability from her solitude,
and in which Wellmere had been placed in the foreground. The
surprise of the meeting had in some measure overpowered her, and
after receiving the salutations of the colonel, she had risen, in com-
pliance with a signal from her observant aunt, to withdraw.
" Then, sir,'' observed Miss Peyton, after listening to the surgeon's
account of his young patient, " we may be flattered with the expec-
tation that he will recover."
" 'T is certain, madam," returned the doctor, endeavouring, out of
respect to the ladies, to replace his wig; '^'tis certain, with care and
good nursing."
" In those he shall not be wanting," said the spinster, mildly
^^ Every thing we have he can command, and Major Bunwoodie has
despatched an express for his sister."
^ " His sister !" echoed the practitioner, vdth a look of particular
meaning; "if the Major has sent for her, she will come."
" Her brother's danger would induce her, one would imagine."
" No doubt, madam," continued the doctor, laconically, bowing
low, and giving room to the ladies to pass. The words and the
manner were not lost on the younger sister, in whose presence the
name of Bunwoodie was never mentioned unheeded.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY. 123
" Sir/' cried Dr. Sitgreaves, on entering the parlour, addressiDg
ibimself to the only coat of scarlet in the room, " I ani advised you
arc in want of my aid. God send 'tis not Captain Lawton with
whom you came in contact, in which case I may be too late."
*^ There must be some mistake, bit," said Wellmere, haughtily;
" it was a surgeon that Major Dunwoodie was to send me, and not
fin old woman."
" 'T is Dr. Sitgreayes," said Henry Wharton, quickly, though with
difficulty suppressiQg a laugh ; ^^ the multitude of his engagements,
to-day, has prevented his usual attention to his attire."
"Your pardon, sir," added Wellmere, very ungraciously proceed-
ing to lay aside his coat, and exhibit what he called a wounded arm.
"If, sir," said the surgeon, drily, "the degrees of Edinburgh —
walking your London hospitals — amputating some hundreds of limbs
— operating on the human £rame in every shape that is warranted
by the lights of science, a dear conscience, and the commission of
the Continental Congress, can make a surgeon, I am one."
"Your pardon, sir," repeated the Colonel, stiffly. "Captam
Wharton has accounted for my error."
" For which I thank Captain Wharton," said the surgeon, pro-
ceeding coolly to arrange his amputating instruments, with a formal*
ity that made the Colonel's blood run cold. " Where are you hurt^
sir? What! is it then this scratch in your shoulder? In what
manner might you have received this wound, sir?"
" From the sword of a rebel dragoon," said the Colonel, with
emphasis.
"Never. Even the gentle (Jeorge Singleton would not have
breathed on you so harmlessly." He took a piece of sticking-plaster
from his pocket, and applied it to the part. " There, sir; that wiU
jnswer your purpose, and I am certain it is all that is required
%f me."
" What do you take to be my purpose; then, sir V
^To report yourself wounded in your despatches," replied the
Digitized by VjOOQIC
124 THE SPY.
doctor, with great steadiness ; " and you may say diat an old woman
dressed your hurts -^ for if one did not, one easily might!"
" Very extraordinary language/' muttered the Englishman.
Here Captain Wharton interfered ; and, by explaining the mistake
of Colonel Wellmere to proceed from his irritated mind and pain of
body, he in part succeeded in mollifying the insulted practitioner,
who consented to look further into the hurts of the other. They
were chiefly bruises from his fall, to which Sitgreaves made some
hasty applications, and withdrew.
The horse, having taken their required refreshment, prepared to
fall back to their intended position, and it became incumbent on
Bunwoodie to arrange the disposal of his prisoners. Sitgreaves ho
determined to leave in the cottage of Mr. Wharton, in attendance on
Captain Singleton. Henry came to him with a request that Colonel
Wellmere might also be left behind, under his parole, until the
troops marched higher into the country. To this the Major cheer-
fully assented ; and as all the rest of the prisoners were of the vulgar
herd, they were speedily collected, and, under the care of a strong
guard, ordered to the interior. The dragoons soon after marched ;
and the guides, separating in small parties, accompanied by patrolea
from the horse, spread themselves across the country, in such a man-
ner as to make a chain of sentinels from the waters of the Sound to
those of the Hudson.*
J)unwoodie had lingered in front of the cottage, after he paid his
parting compliments, with an unwillingness to return, that ho thought
proceeded from his solicitude for his wounded friends. The heart
which has not become callous, soon sickens with the glory that haa
been purchased with a waste of human life. Peyton Bunwoodie,
left to himself, and no longer excited by the visions which youthful
ardour had kept before him throughout the day, began to feel there
were other ties than those which bound the soldier within the rigid
• The scene of this tale is between lliese two waters, which are but a few
miles from each otlier.
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY. 125
rules of honour. He did not waver in liis duty, yet he felt how
Etrong was the temptation. His blood had ceased to flow with the
impulse created by the battle. The stem expression of his eye gra-
dually gave place to a look of softness ; and his reflections on the
victory brought with them no satisfaction that compensated for the
sacrifices by which it had been purchased. While turning his last
lingering gaze on the Locusts, he remembered only that it contained
all that he most valued. The friend of his youth was a prisoner,
under circumstances iliat endangered both life and honour. The
gentle companion of his toils, who could throw around the rude en-
joyments of a soldier the graceful mildness of peace, lay a bleeding
victim to his success. The image of the maid who had held, during
the day, a disputed sovereignty in his bosom, again rose to his view
with a loveliness that banished her rival, glory, from his mind.
The last lagging trooper of the corps had already disappeared be-
hind the northern hill, and the Major unwillingly turned his horse
in iJie same direction. Frances, impelled by a restless inquietude,
now timidly ventured on the piazza of the cottage. The day had
been mild and clear, and the sim was shining brightly in a cloudless
sky. The tumult, which so lately disturbed the valley, was suc-
ceeded by the stillness of death, and the fair scene before her looked
as if it had never been marred by the passions of men. One solitary
cloud, the collected smoke of the contest, hung over the field; and
this was gradually dispersing, leaving no vestige of the conflict above
the peaceful graves of its victims. All the conflicting feelings, all
the tumultuous circumstances of the eventfal day, appeared like the
deceptions of a troubled vision. Frances turned, and caught a glimpse
of the retreating figure of him who had been so conspicuous an actor
in the scene, and the illusion vanished. She recognised her lover,
and, with the truth, came other recollections that drove her to the
room, with a heart as sad as that which Dunwoodie himself born
from the valley.
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER IX.
A moment gazed adown the dale,
A moment snuff 'd the tainted gale,
A moment listened to the cry.
That thickenM as the chase drew nigh
Then, as the headmost foe appear'd.
With one brave bound the copse he clear'4»
And, stretching forward fiee and far.
Sought the wild heaths of Uam-Var.
Walter Scott
The party under Captain Lawton had watched the retiring fee ai
his boats with the most unremitting vigilance^ without finding any
fit opening for a charge. The experienced successor of Colonel
WeUmere knew too well the power of his enemy to leaye the uneven
surface of the heights^ until compelled to descend to the leyel of the
water. Before he attempted this hazardous movement^ he threw
his men into a compact square^ with its outer edges bristling with
bayonets. In this podtion, the impatient trooper well understood
that brave men could never be assailed by cavalry with success^ and
he was reluctantly obliged to hover near them^ without seeing any
opportunify of stopping their slow but steady march to the beach.
A small schooner; which had been their convoy &om the dty, lay
with her guns bearing on the place of embarkation. Against this
combination of force and discipline^ Lawton had sufficient prudence
to see it would be folly to contend^ and the English were suffered to
embark without molestation. The dragoons lingered on the shore
till the last moment^ and then they reluctantly commenced their own
retreat back to the main body of the corps.
Digitized by
Google
THE SPT, 127
Tho gathering mists of the evening had begun to darken the val-
lejj as the detachment of Lawton made its le-appearanoe, at its
southern extremity. The march of the troops was slow, and their
line extended, for the benefit of ease. In the front rode the Captain,
side by side with his senior subaltern, apparently engaged in close
conference, while the rear was brought up by a young cornet, hum-
ming an air, and thinking of the sweets of a straw bed after the
fatigues of a hard da/s duty.
" Then it struck you too V said the Captain. " The instant 1
placed my eyes on her, I remembered the face; it is one not easily
forgotten. By my faith, Tom, the ^1 does no discredit to the Ma-
jor's taste."
"She would do honour to the corps," replied the Lieutenant,
with some warmth; "those blue eyes might easily win a man to
gentler employments than this trade of ours. In sober truth, I can
easily imagine, such a ^1 might tempt even me to quit the broad-
sword and saddle, for a darning-needle and pillion."
"Mutiny, sir, mutiny," cried the other, laughing; "what, you,
Tom Mason, dare to rival the gay, admired, and withal rich. Major
Dunwoodie in his love I You, a lieutenant of cavalry, with but one
horse, and he none of the best! whose captain is as tough as a pep-
erage log, and has as many lives as a cat."
" Faith," said the subaltern, smiling in his turn, " the log may
yet be split, and Grimalkin lose his lives, if you often charge as
madly as you did this morning. What think you of many raps from
such a beetle as laid you on your back to-day ?"
"Ah I don't mention it, my good Tom; the thought makes my
head ache," replied the other, shrugging up his shoulders ; " it is
what I call forestalling night."
"The night of death?"
" No, sir, the night that follows day. I saw myriads of stars,
things which should hide their faces in the presence of the lordly
Digitized by
Google
128 r 11 E STY.
sun. I do thiak nothing but this thick cap saved me for your com*
fort a little longer, maugre the cafs lives."
'^ I have much reason to be obliged to the cap/' said Mason, drily ;
^ that or the skull must have had a reasonable portion of thickness,
I admit"
"Como, come, Tom, you are a licensed joker, so I'll not feign
anger with you," returned the Captain, good-humouredly; "but
Singleton's lieutenant, I am fearful, will fare better than yourself
for this day's service."
" I believe both of us will be spared the pain of receiving promo-
tion purchased by the death of a comrade and friend," observeil
Mason, kindly; "it was reported that Sitgreaves said he would
live."
" From my soul I hope so," exclaimed Lawton : "for a beardless
face, that boy carries the stoutest heart I have ever met with. It
surprises me, however, that, as we both fell at the same instant, the
men behaved so well."
" For the compliment, I might thank you," cried the Lieutenant
with a laugh; "but modesty forbids; I did my best to stop them,
but without success."
" Stop them !" roared the Captain ; " would you stop men in the
middle of a charge?"
"I thought they were going the wrong way," answered the
subaltern.
"Ah I our fall drove them to the right about?"
"It was either your fall, or apprehensions of their own; until
the Major rallied us, we were in admirable disorder."
' " Dunwoodie ! the Major was on the crupper of the Dutchman."
I " Ah I but he managed to get off the crupper of the Dutchman.
He came in, at half-speed, with the other two troops, and ridmg
between us and the enemy, with that imperative way he has when
roused, brought us in line in the twinkling of an eye. Then it waa,"
added the Lieuter^t, with animation, " that we sent John Bull to
Digitized by CjOOQLC
THE SPY. 129
Uic bushes. Oh ! it was a sweet charge — heads and tailS; until we
were upon them."
"ThedevUl What a sight I missed 1"
"You slept through it all."
"Yes," returned the other, with a sigh; "it was all lost to me
and poor George Singleton. But^ Tom, what will George's sister
say to this fiiir4iaired maiden, in yonder white building ?"
"Hang herself in her garters," said the subaltern. "I owe a
proper respect to my superiors, but two such angels are more than
justly falls to the share of one man, unless he be a Turk or
a Hindoo."
"Yes, yes," said the Captain, quickly, "the Major is ever
preaching morality to the youngsters, but he is a sly fellow in the
main. Do you observe how fond he is of the cross roads above this
valley ? Now, if I were to halt the troops twice in the same place,
you would all swear there was a petticoat in the wind."
"You are well known to the corps."
"WeU, Tom, a slanderous propensity is incurable — but,"
stretching forward his body in the direction he was gazing, as if to
aid him in distinguishing objects through the darkness, "what
animal is moving through the field on our right?"
"'Tis a man," said Mason, looking intently at the suspicious
object.
"By his hump 'tis a dromedary I" added the Captain, eyemg it
keenly. Wheeling his horse suddenly from ihe highway, he
exclaimed — " Harvey Birch ! — take him, dead or alive I"
Mason and a few of the leading dragoons only understood the
sudden cry, but it was heard throughout the line. A dozen of the
men, with the Lieutenant at their head, followed the impetuous
Lawton, and their speed threatened the pursued with a sudden ter-
mination of the race.
Birch prudently kept his position on the rock, where he had been
seen by the passing glance of Henry Wharton, until evening had
Digitized by
Google
130 THE SPY.
begun to shroud the surrounding objects in darkneiss. From thia
height ho had seen all the events of the day as they occurred. Ho
had watched^ with a bleating hearty the departure of the troops under
Dunwoodie^ and with difficulty had curbed Ids impatience until the
obscurity of night should render his moving free from danger. He
had not, how^Yer; completed a fourth of his way to his own resi-
dence, when his quick ear distinguished the tread of the approaching
horse. Trusting to the increasing darkness, he determined to per-
severe. By crouching and moving quickly along the surface of the
ground, he hoped yet to escape unseen. Captain Lawton was too
much engrossed with the foregoing conversation to suffer his eyes to
indulge in their usual wandering; and the pedler, perceiving by the
voices that the enemy he most feared had passed, yielded to hia
impatience, and stood erect, in order to make greater progress.
The moment Ids body arose above the shadow of the ground, it was
seen and the chase conunenced. For a single instant. Birch was
helpless, his blood curdling in his veins at the imminence of the
danger, and his legs refusing their natural and necessary office.
But it was only for a moment. Casting his pack where he stood,
and instinctively tightening the helt he wore, the pedler betook
himself to flight. He knew that by bringing himself in a line with
his pursuers and the wood, his form would be lost to sight. This
he soon effected, and he was straining every nerve to gain the wood
itself, when several horsemen rode by him but a short distance on
his left, and cut him off from this place of refuge. The pedler
threw himself on the ground as they came near him, and was passed -
unseen. But delay, now, became too dangerous for him to remain
in that position. He accordingly arose, and still keeping in the
shadow of the wood, along the skirts of which he heard voices
crying to each other to be watchful, he ran with incredible speed in
a parallel line, but in an opposite direction, to the march of tho
dragoons.
The confusion of the chase had been heard by the whole of the
Digitized by
Google
THE SFT. 131
men; though none distinctlj understood the order of Lawton but
those who followed. The remainder were lost in doubi a£r to the
duty that was required of them; and the aforesaid comet was
making eager enquiries of the trooper near him on the subject^ when
a mau; at a short distance in his rear, crossed the road at a single
bound. At the same instant, the stentorian voice of Lawton rang
through the valley, shouting —
"Harvey Birch — take him, dead or alive P
Fifty pistols lighted the scene, and the bullets whistled in every
direction round the head of the devoted pedler. A feeling of
despair seized his heart, and in the bitterness of that moment
he exclaimed —
" Hunted like a beast of the forest P
He felt life and its accompaniments to be a burden, and was about
to yield himself to his enemies. Nature, however, prevailed. If
taken, there was great reason to apprehend that he would not be
honoured with the forms of a trial, but that most probably the morn-
ing sun would witness his ignominious execution ; for he had already
been condemned to death, and had only escaped that &te by strata-
gem. These considerations, with the approaching footsteps of his
pursuers, roused him to new exertions. He again fled before them.
A fragment of a wall, that had withstood the ravages made by war
in the adjoining fences of wood, fortunately cross.4 his path. He
hardly had time to throw his exhausted limbs over this barrier,
before twenty of his enemies reached its opposite side. Their horses
refused to take the leap in the dark, and amid the confusion of the
rearing 'chargers, and the execrations of their riders. Birch was
enabled to gain a sight of the base of the hill, on whose summit
was a place of perfect security. The heart of the pedler now beat
high with hope, when the voice of Captain Lawton again rang in his
ears, shouting to his men to make room. The order was obeyed,
and the fearless trooper rode at the wall at the top of his horse's
speed, plunged the rowels in his charger, and flew over the obstacle
Digitized by
Google
13*2 THE Spy.
lu safety. The triumphant hurrahs of the men^ and the thundering
tread of the horse, too plainly assured tlie pedler of the emergency
of his danger. He was nearly exhausted, and his fate no longer
seemed doubtful.
''Stop, or dieP was uttered above his head, and in fearful
proximiiy to his ears.
Harvey stole a glance over his shoulder, and saw, within a bound
of him, the man he most dreaded. By the light of the stars he
beheld the uplifted arm and the threatening sabre. Tear, exhaus-
tion, and despair, seized his heart, and the intended victim fell at
the feet of the dragoon. The horse of Lawton struck the prostrate
pedler, and both steed and rider came violently to the earth.
As quick as thought. Birch was on his feet again, with the sword
of the discomfited dragoon in his hand. Vengeance seems but too
natural to human passions. There are few who have not felt the
seductive pleasure of making our injuries recoil on their authors }
and yet there are some who know how much sweeter it is to return
good for evil.
All the wrongs of the pedler shone on his brain with a dazzling
brightness. For a moment the demon within him prevailed, and
Birch brandished the powerful weapon in the air; in the next, it
fell harmless on the reviving but helpless trooper. The pedler va-
nished up the side of the friendly rock.
" Help Captain Lawton, there 1" cried Mason, as he rode up, fol-
lowed by a dozen of his men ; " and some of you dismount with me,
and search these rocks ; the villain lies here conoealed.'^
"Hold!" roared the discomfited Captain, raising himself with
difficulty on his feet ; " if one of you dismount, he dies. Tom, my
good fellow, you will help me to straddle Roanoke again."
The astonished subaltern complied in silence, while the wondering
dragoons remained as fixed in their saddles, as if they composed part
of the animals they rode.
" Yo^i are much hurt, I fear,'' said Mason, with something of
Digitized by VjOOQ IC ;
/
THE SPY. 133
m
condolence in his manner, as they re-entered the highway, and
biting off the end of a segar for the want of a better quality of
tobacco.
" Something so, I do believe," replied the Captain, catching his
breath, and speaJdng with difficulty; "I wish our bone-setter waa
at hand, to examine into the state of my ribs."
^^Sitgreaves is left in attendance on Captain Singleton, at the
house of Mr. Wharton."
" Then there I halt for the night, Tom. These rude times must
abridge ceremony; besides, you may remember the old gentleman
professed a kinsman's regard for the corps. I can never think of
passing so good a friend without a halt."
"And I will lead the troop to the Four Corners; if wo all halt
there, we shall breed a famine in -the tand." '
"A condition I never desire to be placed in. The idea of that
graceful spinster's cakes is no bad solace for twenty-four hours in
the hospital."
^' Oh ! you won't die if you can think of eating," said Mason, with
a laugh.
"I should surely die if I could not," observed the Captain,
gravely.
" Captain Lawton," said the orderly of his troop, riding to the
side of his commanding officer, " we are now passing the house of
the pedler spy; is it your pleasure that we bum it?"
"No!" roared the Captain, in a voice that startled the disap-
pointed Serjeant; "are you an incendiary? would you bum a house
in cold blood? let but a spark approach, and the hand that carries
it will never light another."
" Zounds !" muttered the sleepy comet in the rear, as he was
nodding on his horse, " there is life in the Captain, notwithstanding
his tumble."
Lawton and Mason rode on in silence, the latter ruminating on
Digitized by
Google
134 THE fiPT.
m
die Avoadeiful change prodooed in his oommander by his Idl^ when
they arriyed opposite to the gate before the residence of Mr. Whar-
ton. The troop cpntinued its march ; but the Captain and his lieu-
tenant dismounted| and^ followed by the servant of the former^ they
proceeded slowly to the door of the cottage.
Colonel Wellmere had already sought a retreat in his own room ;
Mr. Wharton and his son were closeted by themselves; and the
ladies were administering the refreshments of the teartable to the
surgeon of the dragoonsy who had seen one of his patients in his bed,
(md the other happily enjoying the comforts of a sweet sleep. A
few natural enquiries from Miss P^rton had opened the soul of the
doctor, who knew eveiy individual of her extensive fiunily connec-
tion in Virginia, and who even thought it possible that he had seen
the lady herself. The amiable spinster smiled as she felt it to be
improbable that she should ever have met her new acquaintance
before, and not remember his singularities. It, however, greatly
relieved the embarrassment of their situation, and something like a
discourse was maintained between them; the nieces were only listen-
ers, nor could the aunt be said to be much more.
^^ As I was observing, Miss Peyton, it was merely the noxious
vapours of the low lands that rendered the plantation of your brother
on unfit residence for man; but quadrupeds were — "
'^ Bless me, what^s that V said Miss Peyton, turning pale at the
report of the pistols fired at Birch.
" It sounds prodigiously like the concussion on the atmosphere
made by the explosion of fire-arms," said the surgeon, sipping his
tea with great indifference. ^' 1 should imagine it to be the troop
of Captain Lawton returning, did I not know the Captain never -asee
the pistol, and that he dreadfully abuses the sabre.''
"MerciM providence!*' exclaimed the agitated maiden, "he
would not injure one with it certainly."
"Injure I" repeated the other quickly : "it is certain death, ma-
Digitized by
Google
THE spr. 135
dam; the most random blows imaginablo ; all that I can say to him
wiU have no effect."
^^But Captain Lawton is the officer we saw this morning, and is
Borelj your friend/' said Frances^ hastily^ observiog her aunt to be
seriously alarmed.
''I find no fault with his want of friendship; the man is well
enough if he would loam to cut scientifically. All trades, madam,
ought to be allowed to livo; but what is to become of a surgeon, if
his patients are dead before he sees them I" *
The doctor continued haranguing on the probabUify and improba-
biliiy of its being the returning troop, imtil a loud knock at the door
gave new alarm to the ladies. InstinctiYely laying his hand on a
small saw, that had been his companion for the whole day, in the
yain expectation of an amputation, the surgeon, coolly assuring the
ladies tha,t he would stand between them and danger, proceeded in
person to answer to the summons.
"Captain Lawton!" exclaimed the surgeon, as he beheld the
trooper Jieaning on the arm of his subaltern, and with difficulty
crossing the threshold.
"Ah I my dear bone-setter, is it you? You are here "very
fortunately to inspect my carcass; but do lay aside that rascally
saw I"
A few words from Mason explained the nature and manner of his
Captain's hurts, and Miss Peyton cheerfully accorded the required
accommodations. While the room intended for the trooper was get-
ting ready, and the doctor was giving certain portentous orders, the
Captain was invited to rest himself in the parlour. On the table
was a dish of more substantial food than ordinarily adorned the after-
noon's repast, and it soon caught the attention of the dragoons. Misp
Peyton, recollecting that they had probably made their only meal
'ohat day at her own table, kindly invited them to close it with an-
other. . The offer required no pressing, and in a few minutes the
Digitized by
Google
13G THE SPY.
two were comfortably seated^ and engaged in an employment that
was only interrupted by an occasional wry face from the Captain,
who moved his body in evident pain. These inteiraptionSy how-
ever^ interfered but little with the prindpal buaness in hand; and
the Captain had got happily through with this important dnty^ bo-
fore the surgeon returned to announce all things ready for his ac-
commodation, in the room above stairs.
" Eating !" cried the astonished physician ; " Captain Lawton, do
you wish to dife ?"
" I have no particular ambition that way," said the trooper, ris-
ing, and bowing good night to the ladies, '^ and, therefore, have been
providing the materials necessary to preserve life."
The surgeon muttered his dissatisfiiction, while he followed Mason
and the Captain from the apartment.
Every house in America had, at that day, what was emphatically
called its best room, and this had been allotted, by the unseen influ-
ence of Sarah, to Colonel Wellmere. The down counterpane, which
a clear frosty night would render extremely grateful over .bruised
limbs, decked the English officer's bed. A massive silver tankard,
richly embossed with the Wharton arms, hold the beverage ho was
to drink during the night; while beautiful vessels of china per-
formed the same office for the two American captains. Sarah was
certainly unconscious of the silent preference she had been giving to
the English officer ; and it is equally certain, that but for his hurts,
bed, tankard, and every thing but the beverage, would have been
matters of indifierence to Captain Lawton, half of whose nights were
spent in his clothes, and not a few of them in the saddle. Aftei
taking possession, however, of a small but very comfortable i-oom
Doctor Sitgreaves proceeded to enquire into the state of his injuries
He had begun to pass his hand over the body of his patient, when
the latter cried impatiently —
" Sitgreaves, do me the fiivour to lay that rascally saw aside, or
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY. 137
I shall have recourse to my sabre in self-defcDce ; the sight of it
makes my blood cold/'
*^ Captain Lawton, for a man who has so often exposed life and
limb, you are unaccountably afraid of a very useful instrument"
"Heaven keep me from its use," said the trooper, with a
shrug.
" You would not despise the lights of science, nor refuse surgical
aid, because this saw might be necessary?"
"I would."
"You would I"
"Yes; you shall never joint me like a quarter of beef, while I
have life to defend myself," cried the resolute dragoon. " But I
grow sleepy; are any of my ribs broken ?
"No."
"Any of my bones?"
"No."
" Tom, I '11 thank you for that pitcher." As he ended his draught,
he very deliberately turned his back on his companions, and good-
naturedly cried — "Good-night, Mason; good-night, Galen."
Captain Lawton entertained a profound respect for the surgical
abilities of his comrade, but he waa very sceptical on the subject of
administering internally for the ailings of the human frame. With
a full stomach, a stout heart, and a clear conscience, he often main-
tained that a man might bid defiance to the world and its vicissitudes.
Nature provided him with the second, and, to say the truth, he strove
manfully himself to keep up the other two requisites in his creed.
It was a favourite maxim with him, that the last thing death assailed
was the eyes, and next to the last, the jaws. This he interpreted to
be a clear expression of the intention of nature, that every man migbt
regulate, by his own volition, whatever was to be admitted into the
sanctuary of his mouth ; consequently, if the guest proved unpalata-
ble, he had no one to blame but himself. The surgeon, who was
well acquainted with these views of his patient, beheld him, as he
Digitized by VjOOQIC
138 TDE SPY.
savalierlj turned his back on Mason and himself; with a comniiso-
rating contempt^ replaced in their leathern repository the phials he
had exhibited, with a species of care that was allied to venerationy
gave the saw, as he oonduded, a whirl of triumph, and departed,
without condescending to notice tho compliment of the trooper.
Mason, finding, by the breathing of the Captain, that his own good-
night would be unheard, hastened to pay his resfpects to the ladies —
after which he mounted, and followed the troop at tho top of his
horse's speed.
Digitized by
Google
GHAFTBB X.
On some fond breast the parting sool reUea,
Some pious drops the closing eye rcqnixes
ETen from the tomb the voice of nature cries,
£*en in our ashes live their wonted fires.
Gray
The possessions of Mr. Wharton extended to some distance on each
side of the house in which he dwelt^ and most of his land was unoc-
cupied. A few scattered dwellings were to be seen in different parts
of his domains^ but they were fast falling to decay, and were unten-
anted. The proximity of the country to the contending armies had
nearly banished the pursuits of agriculture firom the land. It was
useless for the husbandman to devote his time, and the labour of his
hands, to obtain oyerflowing gamers, that the first foraging party
would empty. None tilled the earth with any other view than to
provide the scanty means of subsistence, except those who were
placed so near to one of the adverse parties aa to be safe from the
inroads of the light troops of the other. To these the war oflfered a
golden harvest, more especially to such as enjoyed the benefits of an
access to the royal army. Mr. Wharton did not require the use of
his lands for the purposes of subsistence ; and he willingly adopted
(he guarded practice of the day, limiting his attention to such articles
as were soon to be consumed within his own walls, or could be easily
secreted from the prying eyes of the foragers. In consequence, the
ground on which the action was fought had not a single inhabited
building, besides the one belonging to the father of Harvey Birch.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
140 THE srr.
This house stood between the place where the cavalry had met, and
that where the charge had been made on the party of Wellmei*e.
To Katy Haynes it had been a day fruitful of incidents. The
pnident housekeeper had kept her political feelings in a state of rigid
neutrality; her own friends had espoused the cause of the country,
but tlie maiden herself never lost sight of that important moment^
when, like females of more illustrious hopes, she might be required
to sacrifice her love of country on tho altar of domestic harmony.
And yet, notwithstanding all her sagaxjity, there were moments when
the good woman had grievous doubts into which scale she ought to
throw the weight of her eloquence, in order to be certain of support-
ing the cause favoured by the pedler. There was so much that was
equivocal in his movements and manner, that often, when, in the
privacy of their household, she was about to utter a philippic on
Washington and his followers, discretion sealed her mouth, and dis-
trust beset her mind. In short, the whole conduct of the mysterious
being she studied was of a character to distract the opinions of one
who look a more enlarged view of men and life than came within the
competency of his housekeeper.
The battle of the Plains had taught the cautious T/ushington the
advantages his enemy possessed in organisation, arms, 'xud discipline.
These were difficulties to be mastered by his own vigilance and care.
Drawing oflf his troops to the heights, in the northern part of tho
county, he had bidden defiance to the attacks of the royal army, and
Sir William Howe fell back to the enjoyment of his barren conquest
— a deserted city. Never afterwards did the opposing armies make
the trial of strength within the limits of West-Chester; yet hardly a
day passed, that the partisans did not make their inroads; or a sun
rise, that the inhabitants were spared the relation of excesses which
the preceding darkness had served to conceal. Most of the move-
ments of the pedler were made at the hours which others allotted to
s'epose. The evening sun would frequently leave him at one extre-
mity of the county, and the morning find him at tlic other. Iliai
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY, 141
[)ack was his iievcr-failing companion; and tlieru were those who
elosclj studied him^ in his moments of traffic, and thought his only
purpose was the aocumuhttion of gold. He would he often seen near
the Highlands, with a hodj hending under its load; and agtun near
the Harlaem river, travelling with lighter steps, with his fiwe towards
the setting sun. But these glances at him were imoertain and fleet-
ing. The' intermediate time no eye could penetrate. For mcnths
he disappeared, and no traces of his course were ever known.
Strong parties held the heights of Harlaem, and the northern end
of Manhattan IsLmd was bristling with the bayonets of the English
sentinels, yet the pedler glided among them unnoticed and uninjured.
His approaches to the American lines were also frequent; but genC'^
rally so conducted as to baffle pursuit. Many a sentinel, placed in
the gorges of the mountains, spoke of a strange figure that had been
seen gliding by them in the mists of the evening. These stories
reached the ears of the officers, and, as we have related, in two in-
stances the trader had fallen into the hands of the Americans. The
first time he had escaped from Lawton, shortiy after his arrest; but
the second he was condemned to die. On the morning of his in-
tended execution, the cage was opened, but the bird had flown. This
extraordinary escape had been made from the. custody of a favourite
officer of Washington, and sentinels who had been thought worthy
to guard the person of the Commander-in-chief. Bribery and trea-
son could not be imputed to men so well esteemed, and the opinion
gained ground among the common soldiery, that the pedler had deal-
ings with the dark one. Katy, however, always repelled this opinion
with 'fe^ignation ; for within the recesses of her own bosom, the
housekeeper, in ruminating on the events, concluded that the evil
sx'irit did not pay in gold. Nor, continued the wary spinster in her
cogitations, does Washington; paper and promises were all that the
leader of the American troops could dispense to his servants. After
the alliance with France, when silver became more abundant in the
ooontry, although the scrutinising eyes of Katy never let any oppor-
Digitized by CjOOQIC
142 THE SPT.
tunity of examining into the deer-skin purse pass unimproved^ sbe
was never able to detect tbe image of Lonis intruding into tbe pre-
sence of the well-known countenance of €korge HE. In short, the
secret board of HarVej sufficiently showed in its contents that all its
contributions had been received from tbe British.
The bouse of Bircb bad been watched at different times by the
Americans, with a view to his arrest, but never with success; the
reputed spy possessing a secret means of intelligence, that invariably
defeated their schemes. Once, when a strong body of the conti-
nental army held the Four Comers for a whole summer, orders had
been received from Washington himself, never to leave the door of
Harvey Birch unwatched* The command was rigidly obeyed, and
during this long period the pedler was unseen; the detachment was
withdrawn, and the following night Birch re-entered his dwelling.
The father of Harvey had been greatly molested, in consequence of
the suspicious character of the son. But, notwithstanding the most
minute scrutiny into the conduct of the old man, no fact could be
substantiated against him to his injury, and his property was too
small to keep alive the zeal of patriots by profes^on. Its confisca-
tion and purchase would not have rewarded their trouble. Age and
sorrow were now about to spare him further molestation, for the
lamp of life had been drained of its oil. The recent separation of
the father and son had been painful, but they had submitted in obe-
dience to what both thought a duty. The old man had kept his
dying situation a secret from the neighbourhood, in the hope that he
might still have the company of his child in his last moments.
The confusion of the day, and his increasing dread that Harvey
might be too late, helped to hasten the event he would fain arrest
for a little while. As night set in, his illness increased to such a
degree, that the dismayed housekeeper sent a truant boy, who had
shut up himself with them, during the combat, to the Locusts, in
quest of a companion to cheer her solitude. Csssar, alone, could be
spared; and, loaded with eatables and cordials by the kind-hearted
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY. 143
Miss Peyton, the black had been despatcbed on this duty. The
dying man was past the use of medicines, and his chief anaety
seemed to centre in a meeting with his child.
The noise of the chase had been heard by the group in the houst>,
but its cause was not understood; and as both the black and Katy
were apprised of the detachment of American horse being below
them, they supposed it to proceed from the return of that party.
They heard the dragoons, as they moved slowly by the building ;
but in compliance with the prudent injunction of the black, the
housekeeper forbore to indulge her curiosity. The old man had
closed his eyes, and his attendants believed him to be asleep. The
house contained two large rooms, and as many small ones. One of
the former served for kitchen and sitting-room ; in the other lay the
father of Birch; of the latter, one was the sanctuary of the vestal,
and the other contained the stock of provisions. A huge chimney
of stone rose in the centre, serving, of itself, for a partition between
the larger rooms; and fire-placeS|Of corresponding dimensions were
in each apartment. A bright ^ame was burning in that of the
common room, and within the very jambs .of its monstrous jaws sat
Caesar and Katy, at the time of which we write. The African was
impressing his caution on the housekeeper, and commenting on the
general danger of indulging an idle curiosity.
" Best nebber tempt a Satan," said Caesar, rolling up his eyes till
the whites glistened by the glare of the fire ; "I berry like heself to
lose an ear for carrying a little bit of a letter; dere much mischief
come of curiosity^ If dere had nebber been a man curious to see
Africa, dere would be no coulour people out of deir own country :
but I wish Harvey get back.''
" It is very disregardful in him to be away at such a time," said
Katy, imposingly. " Suppose now his father wanted to make his
iist will in the testament, who is there to do so solemn and awful
an act for him ? Harvey is a very wasteful and a very disregardful
Digitized by
Google
144 THE SPT.
"Perhap ho make him afore?''
*'.It would not be a wonderment if he had/' returned the house-
keeper; "he is whole days looking into the Bible."
"Then he read a berry good book," said the black, solemnly,
" Miss Fanny read in him to Dinah now and den."
" You are right, Csesar. The Bible is the best of books, and one
that reads it as often as Harvey's father should have the be^t of
reasons for so doing. This is no more than common sense."
She rose from her seat, and stealing sofdy to a chest of drawew
in the room of the sick man, she took &om it a large Bible, heavily
bound, and Secured with strong clasps of brass, with which she re-
turned to the negro. The volume was eagerly opened, and they
proceeded instantly to examine its pages. Kaiy was far from an
^expert scholar, and to Csesar the characters were absolutely straa-
gers. For some time the housekeeper was occupied in finding out
the word Matthew, in which she had. no sooner succeeded than she
pointed out the word, with great complacency, to the attentive
Ca3sar.
" Berry well, now look- him t'rough," said the black, peeping' over
the housekeeper's shoulder, as he held a long, lank candle of yellow
tallow, in such a manner as to throw its feeble light on the volume.
" Yes, but I must begin with the very beginning of the book,"
replied the other, turning the leaves carefully back, imtil, moving
two at once, she lighted upon a page covered with writing. '* Here,"
said the housekeeper, shaking with the eagerness of expectation,
"here are the very words themselves; now I Wiiild give the world
itself to know whom he has left the big silver shoe-buckles to."
'' Bead 'em," said Csesar, laconically.
"And the black walnut drawers; for Harvey could never want
furniture of that quality, as long as he is a bachelor !"
" Why he no want 'em as well as he fiider ?"
" And the six silver table-spoons; Harvey always uses the iron P'
** Pr'ap he say, widout so much talk," returned the sententious
Digitized by CjOOQIC
THS SPT. 145
black, pointing one of his crooked and dingy fingers at the open
volume.
Thus repeatedly advised, and impelled by her own curiosity, Eatj
began to read. Anxious to come to the part which most interested
herself, she dipped at once into the centre of the subject
^^ Chester Birchj bom September Istj 1755," — read the spinster,
with a deliberation that did no great honour to her scholarship.
" Well, what he gib him V
^^ Abigail Birch^ bom July I2thy 1757," — continued the house-
keeper, in the same tone.
" I t'ink he ought to gib her 'e spoon."
^^June Istj 1760. On this awful day^ tlx judgment of an of •
fended God lighted on my house :*' — a heavy groan from the ad-
joining room made the spinster instinctively dose the volume, and
Caesar, for a moment, shook with fear. Neither possessed sufficient
resolution to go and examine the condition of the sufferer, but his
heavy breathing continued as usual. Katy dare not, however, re-
open the Bible, and carefully securing its clasps, it was laid on the
table in silence. Caesar took his chair again, and after looking
timidly round the room, remarked—
^'I thought he time war* come 1"
"No," said Kaiy, solemnly, "he will live till the tide is out, or
the first cock crows in the morning."
" Poor man !" continued the black, nestling still farther into the
clumney-comer, " I hope he lay quiet after he die."
"'I would be no astonishment to me if he didn't; for they say
an unquiet life makes an uneasy grave."
" Johnny Birch a berry good man in he way. All mankind can't
be a minister ; for if he do, who would be a congregation ?"
"Ah ! Caesar, he is good only who does good — can you tell me
why honestly gotten gold should be hidden in the bowels of the
lartiil"
Digitized by
Google
146 THE SPT.
"Giracli! — I t'ink it must be to keep t'e Skinner from lindin'
liim ; if he know where he be, why don't he dig him up ?"
^' There may be reasons not comprehendible to you/' said Katy,
moving her chair so that her clothes covered the charmed stone,
underneath which lay the secret treasures of the pedler, unable to
refrain speaking of that which she would have been very unwilling
to reveal; "but a rough outside often holds a smooth inside."
Caesar stared around the building, unable to fathom the hidden
meaning of his companion, when his roving eyes suddenly became
fixed, and his teeth chattered with affright. The change in the
countenance of the black was instantly perceived by Katy, and turn-
ing her face, she saw the pcdler himself, standing within the door
of the room.
" Is he alive ?" asked Birch, tremulously, and seemingly afraid
to receive the answer.
" Surely," said Kaiy, rising hastily, and officiously offering her
chair; "he must live till day, or till the tide is down."
Disregarding all but the hct that bis father still lived, the pedler
stole gently into the room of his dying parent. The tie which,
bound the father and son was of no ordinary kind. In the wide
world they were all to each other. Had Katy but read a few lines
farther in the record, she would have seen the sad tale of their mis-
fortunes. At one blow competence and kindred had been swept
from them, and from that day to the present hour, persecution and
distress had followed their wandering steps. Approaching the bed-
side, Harvey leaned his body forward, and, in a voice nearly choked
by his feelings, he whispered near the ear of the sick —
"Father, do you know me?"
The parent slowly opened his eyes, and a smile of satisfaction
passed over his pallid features, leaving behind it the impression of
death, more aAvfol by the contrast. The pedler gave a restorative
he had brought with him to the parched lips of the sick man, and
for a few minutes new vigour seemed imparted to his frame. He
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY. 14Y
spoke, but slowly, and with difficulty. Curiosity kept Katy silent;
awe hod the same effQct on Caesar ; and Harvey seemed hardly to
breathe, as he listened to the language of the departing spirit.
'^ My son,^' said the father in a hollow voice, '' God is as merciful
as he is just : if I threw the cup of salvation from my lips when a
youth, he gradously offers it to me in mine age. He has chastised
to purify, and I go to join the spirits of our lost family. In a little
whilej my child, you will be alone. I know you too well not
to foresee you will be a pilgrim through life. The bruised reed may
endure, but it will never rise. You have that within you, Harvey,
that will guide you aright; persevere, as you have begun, for the
duties of life are never to be neglected — and" — A noise in the
adjoining room interrupted the dying man, and the impatient pedler
hastened to learn the cause, followed by Katy and the black. The
first glance of his eye on the figure in the doorway told the trader
but too well his errand, and the fate that probably awaited himself.
The intruder was a man still young in years, but his lineaments
bespoke a mind long agitated by evil passions. His dress was of
the meanest materials, and so ragged and unseemly, as to give him
the appearance of studied poverty. His hair was prematurely
whitened, and his sunken, lowering eye, avoided the bold, forward
look of innocence. There was a restlessness in his movements, and
an agitation in his manner, that proceeded from the workings of the
foul spirit within him, and which was not less offensive to others
than distressing to himself. This man was a well-known leader of
one of those gangs of marauders who infested the county with a sem-
blance of patriotism, and who were guilty of every grade of offence,
from simple theft up to murder. Behind him stood several other
figures clad in a similar manner, but whose countenances expressed
nothing more than the indifference of brutal insensibility. They
were all well armed with muskets and bayonets, and provided with
the usual implements of foot-soldiers. Harvey knew resistance to
b3 vain, and quietly submitted to their directions. In the twinkling
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
148 TQE SPY.
of an eye both he and Caesar were stiipped of their decent garments,
and made to exchange clothes with two of thq filthiest of the band.
They were then placed in separate comers of the room^ and; lindei
the muzzles of the mnsketS; required fssdthf ully to answer such inter-
rogatories as were put to them.
" Where is your pack V was the first question to the pedler.
^^Hear me" said Birch; trembling with agitation; '^in the next
room is my &ther; now in the agonies of death ; let me go to him,
receive his blessing, and close his eyes^ and you shall have all —
ay, all."
^^J^joswer me as I put the questions, or thb musket shall send
you to keep the old driveller company : — where is your pack V
^^ I will tell you nothing, unless you let me go to my father," said
the pedler, resolutely.
His persecutor raised his arm with a malicious sneer, and was
about to execute his threat, when one of his companions checked
him.
"What would you doT' he said, "you surely forget the reward.
Tell us where are your goods, and you shall go to your fiither."
Birch complied instantly, and a man was despatched in quest of
the booty; he soon returned, throwing the bundle on the floor,
swearing it was as light as feathers.
"Aj" cried the leader, "there must be gold somewhere for what
it did contain. Give us your gold, Mr. Birch ; we know you have
it; you will not take continental, not you."
" You break your fidth," said Harvey.
" Give us your gold," exclaimed the other, furiously, pricking the
pedler with his bayonet until the blood followed his pushes in
streams. At this instant a slight movement was heard in the ad-
joining room, and Harvey cried imploringly —
"Let me — let me go to my father, and you shall have all."
" I swear you shall go then," said the Skinner.
''Here, take the trash," cried Birch, as he threw aside the purse.
Digitized by VjOOQLC
THE SPY. 149
wliicb he had coutiivod to conceal, notwithstanding the change in
his garments.
The robber raised it from the floor with a hellish laugh.
" Ay, but it shall be to your father in heaven."
" Monster I have you no feeling, no faith, no honesty ?"
'^ To hear him, one would think there was not a rope around his
neck already,'' said the other, laughing. '* There is no necessity for
your being uneasy, Mr. Birch; if the old man gets a few hours the
start of you in the journey, you will be sure to follow him before
noon to-morrow."
This unfeeling communication had no effect on the pedler, who
listened with gasping breath to every sound from the room of his
parent, until he heard his own name spoken in the hollow, sepul-
chral tones of death. Birch could endure no more, but shrieking"
out —
"Father! hush — father I I come — I come:" he darted by his
keeper, and was the next moment pinned to the wall by the bayonet
oi another of the band. Fortunately, his quick motion had caused
him to escape a thrust aimed at his life, and it was by his clothes
only that he was confined.
"No, Mr. Birch," said the Skinner, "we know you too well for a
slippery rascal, to trust you out of sight — your gold, your gold !"
" You have it," said the pedler, writhing with agony.
" Ay, we have the purse, but you have more purses. King George
is a prompt paymaster, and you have done him many a piece of good
service. Where is your hoard ? without it yon will never see your
father."
"Remove the stone underneath the woman," cried the pedler,
eagerly — "remove the stone."
^* He raves ! he raves V said Eaty, instinctively moving her posi«
tion to a different stone from the one on which she had been stand*
aig. In a moment it was torn from its bed, and nothing but earth
was seen beneath
Digitized by VjOOQLC
150 THE SPY.
" He raves ! you liave driven him from his right mind," continued
Ihe trembling spinster ; ^^ vrould any man in his senses keep gold
under a hearth?"
" Peace, babbling fool 1" cried Harvey. " Lift the comer stone,
and you will find that which will make you rich, and me a beggar."
"And then you will be despisable," said the housekeeper, bit-
terly. " A pedler without goods and without money is sure to be
despisable."
" There will be enough left to pay for his halter," cried the Skin-
ner, who was not slow to follow the instructions of Harvey, soon
lighting upon a store gf English guineas. The money was quickly
transferred to a bag, notwithstanding the declarations of the spinster,
that her dues were unsatisfied, and that, of right, ten of the guineas
were her property.
Delighted with a prize that greatly exceeded their expectations,
the band prepared to depart, intending to take the pedler with them,
in order to give him up to the American troops above, and to claim
the reward offered for his apprehension. Every thing was ready,
and they were about to lift Birch in their arms, for he resolutely
refused to move an inch, when a form appeared in their midst,
which appalled the stoutest heart among them. The father had
/arisen from his bed, and he tottered forth at the cries of his son.
Around his body was thrown the sheet of the bed, and his fixed eye
and haggard face gave him the appearance of a being from another
world. Even Katy and CsBsar thought it was the spirit of the elder
Birch, and they fled the house, followed by the alarmed Skinners in
a body.
The excitement, which had given the sick man strength, soon
vanished, and the pedler, lifting him in his arms, re-conveyed him
to his bed. The re-action of the system which followed hastened to
close the scene.
The glazed eye of the father was fixed upon the son ; his lips
moved, but his voice was unheard. Harvey bent down, and, with
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THB SPY. 151
llie parting breath of his parent, received Lis dying benediction. A
life of privation, and of wrongs, embittered most of the future hcura
of the pedler. But under no sufferings, in no misfortunes, the
subject of poverty and obloquy, the remembrance of that blessing
never left him ; it constantly gleamed over the images of the past,
shedding a holy radiance around his saddest hours of despondency ;
it cheered the prospect of the future with the prayers of a pious
spirit ; and it brought the sweet assurance of having faithfully and
truly discharged the sacred offices of filial love.
The retreat of Csesar and the spinster had been too precipitate to
admit of much calculation ; yet they themselves instinctively sepa-
rated from the Skinners. After fleeing a short distance they paused,
and the maiden commenced in a solemn voice —
** Oh I Caesar, was it not dreadful to walk before he had been laid
in his grave ! It must have been the money that disturbed him :
they say. Captain Kidd walks near the spot where he buried gold
in the old war."
"I ncber t'ink Johnny Birch hab such a big eye!" said the.
African, his teeth yet chattering with the fright.
" I'm sure 'twould be a botherment to a living soul to lose so
much money. Harvey will be nothing but an utterly despisable,
poverty-stricken wretch. I wonder who he thinks would be even
his housekeeper !"
"Maybe a spooke take away Harvey, too," observed Caesar,
moving still nearer to the side of the maiden. But a new idea had
seized the imagination of the spinster. She thought it not improba-
ble that the prize had been forsaken in the confusion of the retreat ;
and after deliberating and reasoning for some time with Caesar, they
determined to venture back, and ascertain this important fact, and,
if possible, learn what had been the fate of the pedler. Much time
was spent in cautiously approaching the dreaded spot ; and as the
spinster had sagaciously placed herself in the line of the retreat of the
Skinners, every ston^ was examined in the progress in search of the
Digitized by
Google
152 TBB SPY,
abandoned gold. Eat althougli the suddenness of the alarm and tlio
cry of Caesar had impelled the freebooters to so hastj a retreat^ they
grasped the hoard with a hold that death itself would not have
loosened. Perceiving eyery thing to be quiet ^dthin, K!aty at length
mustered resolution to enter the dwelling; where she found the
pedler^ with a heavy hearty performing the last sad offiees for the
dead. A few words suflSced to explain to Blaty the nature of her
mistake; but Csesar continued to his dying day to astonish the
sable inmates of the kitchen with learned dissertations on spooktSy
and to relate how direful was the appearance of that of Johnny
Birch.
The danger compelled the pedler to abridge eyen the short period
that American custom leaves the deceased with us; and; aided by
the black and Katy; his painful task was soon ended. Caesar volun-
teered to walk a couple of miles with orders to a carpenter; and, the
body being habited in its ordinary attire, was left, with a sheet
thrown decently over it, to await the return of the messenger.
The Skinners had fled precipitately to the wood; which was but a
short distance from the house of Birch, and once safely sheltered
within its shades, they halted, and mustered their panic-stricken
forces.
"What in the name of fury seized your coward hearts?" cried
their dissatisfied leader, drawing his breath heavily.
" The same question might be asked yourself,'' returned one of
the band, sullenly.
" From your fright, I thought a party of De Lancy's men were
upon us. Oh I you are brave gentlemen at a race V*
"We follow our Captain.''
" Then follow me back, and let us secure the scoundrel, and re-
ceive the reward."
"Yes; and by the time we reach the house, that black rascal
will have the mad Virginian upon us : by my soul, I would rather
meet fifty Cow-Boys than that single man."
Digitized by CjOOQIC
THE SPY.
153
" Fool r* cried the enraged leader, " don't you know Dunwoodie's
horse are at the Comers, full two miles from here ?*'
*^ I care not where the dragoons are, but 1 will swear that I saw
Captain Lawton enter the house of old Wharton, while I lay watch-
ing an opportunity of getting the British Colonel's horse from the
stable."
^^ And if he should come, won't a bullet silence a dragoon from
the south as well as one from old England ?'"
" Ay, but I don't choose a homef s nest about my ears ; rase the
skin of one of that corps, and you will never see another peaceable
night's foraging again."
"Well," muttered the leader, aa they retired deeper into the
wood, " this sottish pedler will stay to see the old devil buried; and
though we cannot touch him at the frmeral (for that would raise
every old woman and priest in America against us), he '11 wait to
look after the movables, and to-morrow night shall wind up his con-
csems."
With this threat they withdrew to one of their usual places of
resort^ until darkness should again give them an opportunity of
maraudmg on the community without danger of detection.
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER XL
O wo ! O wofulf woful, woful day !'
Most lamentable day : most woful day,
Tliat ever, ever, I did yet behold !
Oday! Oday! Oday! O hateful day!
Never was seen so black a day as this :
O woful day ! O wofjol day !
Shakspeare,
The family at the Locusts had slept, or watched, through all the
disturbances at the cottage of Birch, in perfect ignorance of their
occurrence. The attacks of the Skinners were always made with so
much privacy as to exclude the suflferers, not only from succour, but
frequently, through a dread of future depredations, from the com-
miseration of their neighbours also. Additional duties had drawn
the ladies from their pillows at an hour somewhat earlier than usual ;
and Captain Lawton^ notwithstanding the sufferings of his body, had
risen in compliance with a rule from which he never departed, of
sleeping but six hours at a time. This was one of the few points,
in which the care of the human frame was involved, on which the
trooper and the surgeon of horse were ever known to agree. The
doctor had watched, during the night, by the side of the hid. of
Captain Singleton, without once closing his eyes. Occasionally ha
would pay a visit to the wounded Englishman, who, being more
hurt in the spirit than in the flesh, tolerated the interruptions with
a very ill grace ; and once, for an instant, he ventured to steal softly
to the bed of his obstinate comrade, and was near succeeding in ob-
taining a touch of his pube, when a terrible oath, sworn by tho
Digitized by VjOOQLC
THE spr: 155
trooper in a dreaiU; startled the pnident surgeon^ and warned him
of a trite saying in the corps^ ^^ that Captain Lawton always slept
with one eye open/' This gronp had assembled in one of the par-
lours as the sun made its appearance over the eastern hill; dispersing
the columns of fog which had enveloped the low land.
Miss Peyton was looking from a window in the direction of the
tenement of the pedler, and was expressing a kind anxiety after the
wel&re of the sick man^ when the person of Katy suddenly emerged
from the dense covering of an earthly cloud, whose mists were scat-
tering before the cheering rays of the sun^ and was seen making
hasty steps towarda the Locusts. There was that in the air of the
.housekeeper wKich bespoke distress of an unusual nature, and the
kind-hearted mistress of the Locusts opened the door of the room,
snth. the benevolent intention of soothing a grief that seeme<l so over-
whelming. A nearer view of the disturbed features of the visitor
confirmed Miss Peyton in her belief; and, with the shock that gen-
tle feelings ever experience at a sudden and endless separation from
even the meanest of their associates, she said hastily —
"Katy, is he gone?'*
"No, ma'am,'' replied the disturbed damsel, with great bitterness,
^^ he is not yet gone, but he may go as soon as he pleases now, for
the worst is done. I do verily believe. Miss Peyton, they have n't
so much as left him money enough to buy him another suit of clothes
to cover his nakedness, and those he has on are none of the best, I
can tell you."
" How," exclaimed the other, astonished, " could any one have
the heart to plunder a man in such distress ?"^
" Hearts I" repeated Kaiy, catching her breath ; " men like them
have no bowels at all. Plunder and distress, indeed ! Why, ma'am,
there were in the iron pot, in plain sight, fiffcy-four guineas of gold,
resides what lay underneath, which I couldn't count without han-
dling; and I didn't like to touch it, for they say that another's gold
is apt to stick — so, judging from that in sight, there wasn't less
Digitized by VjOOQIC
160 THE SPT.
klian two hundred guineas^ besides what might have been in the deer-
skin pnrse. But Harrey is little better now than a beggar; and a
beggar, Miss Jeanette, is the most awfully despisable of all earthly
creatures/'
"Poverty is to be pitied, and not despised/' said the lady, still
unable to comprehend the extent of the misfortune that had befullen
her neighbour during the night. " But how is the old man ? and
does this loss affect him much?"
^ The countenance of Katy changed, from the natural expression of
concern, to the set form of melancholy, as she answered —
" He is happily removed from the cares of the world; the chink-
ing of the money made him get out of his bed, and the poor soul,
found the shock too great for him. He died about two hours and
ten minutes before the cock crowed, as near as we can say;"-^ she
was interrupted by the physician, who, approaching, enquired, with
much interest, the nature of the disorder. Glandng her eye over
the figure of this new acquaintance, Katy, instinctively adjusting her
dress, replied —
" 'T was the troubles of the times, and the loss of- property, that
brought him down ; he wasted from day to day, and all my care and
anxiety were lost; for now Harvey is no better than a beggar, and
who is there to pay me for what I have done?"
" God will reward you for all the good you have done," said" Miss
Peyton, mildly.
" Yes," interrupted the spinster hastily, and with an air of reve-
rence that was instantly succeeded by an eiqpression that denoted
•more of worldly care; "but then I have left my wages for three
yearspastinthehandsof Harvey, andhowami togetthem? My
brothers told me, again and again, to ask for my money; but I al-
ways thought accounts between relations were easily settled."
"Were you related, then, to Birch?" adced Miss Peyton, observ-
ing her to pause.
*^ Why, returned the housekeeper^ hesitating a little, " I thought
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THK SPY. 157
we were as good as so. I wonder if I have no claim on the house
Mid garden; though they say, now it is Harve/s, it will surely he
confisticated/' turning to Lawton, who had heen sitting in one pos-
ture, with his piercing eyes lowering at her through his thick brows,
in silence, ^^ perhaps this. gentleman knows — he seems to take an
interest in my story/'
'^ Madam,'' said the trooper, bowing yery low, '^ both' you and the
tale are extremely interesting" — Katy smiled involuntarily — '^but
my humble knowledge is limited to the setting of a squadron in the
field, and using it when there. I beg leave to refer you to Jh. Ar-
chibald Sitgreaves, a gentleman of universal attainments, and un-
bounded philanthropy; the very milk of human sympathies, and a
mortal foe to all indiscriminate cutting."
'^ The surgeon drew up, and employed himself in whistling a low
air, as he looked over some phials on a table ; but the housekeeper,
turning to him with an inclination of the head, continued —
*' I suppose, sir, a woman has no dower in her husband's property,
unless they be actually married ?"
It was a maxim with Dr. Sitgreaves, that no species of knowledge
was to be despised ; and, consequently, he was an empirio in every
thing but his profession. At first, indignation at the irony of hia
comrade kept him silent; but, suddenly chan^g his purpose, he
answered the applicant with a good-natured smile —
^^ I judgo not If death has anticipated your nuptials, I am fear-
ful you have no remedy against his stem decrees."
To Katy this sounded well, although she understood nothing of
its meaning, but "death" and "nuptials." To this part of his
speech, then, she directed her reply.
" I did think he only waited the death of the old gentleman before
he married," said the housekeeper, looking on the carpet; " but now
he is nothing more than despisable, or, what's the same thing, a
pedler without house^ pack, or money. It might be hard for a man
Digitized by
Google
158 THE SPY.
to get a wife at all in sucli a predicary — don't you think it would,
Miss Peyton?"
"I seldom trouble myself with such things," said the lady;
gravely.
During this dialogue Captain Lawton had been studying the coun-
tenance and manner of the housekeeper, with a most ludicrous gra-
vity; and, fearful the conversation would cease, he enquired, with
an appearance of great interest —
" You think it was age and debility that removed the old gentle-
man at last?"
"And the troublesome times. Trouble is a heavy pull-down to a
sick-bed ; but I suppose his time had come, and when that happens,
it matters but little what doctor's stuff we take."
" Let me set you right in that particular," interrupted the sur-
geon ; " we must all die, it is true, but it is permitted us to use the
lights of science, in arresting dangers as they occur, until — ^"
" We can die secundum artem" cried the trooper.
To this observation the physician did not deign tq reply; but,
deeming it necessary to his professional dignity that the conversation"
should continue, he added —
" Perhaps, in this instance, judicious treatment might have pro-
longed the life of the patient. Who administered to the case ?"
"No one yet," said the housekeeper, with quickness; "I expect
he has made his last will in the testament."
The surgeon disregarded the smile of the ladies, and pursued his
enquiries.
"It is doubtless wise to be prepared for death. But under whose
care was the sick man during his indisposition ?"
" Under mine," answered Katy, with an air of a little importance;
"and care thrown away I may well call it; for Harvey is quite too
dcspisable to be any sort of compensation at present."
The mutual ignorance of each other's meaning made very little
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY. 159
titerruption to the dialogae, for both took a good deal for granted,
and Sitgreaves pursued the subject.
"And how did you treat him?"
" Kindly, you may be certain," said Katy, rather tartly.
" The doctor means medically, madam," observed Captain Lawton,
«rith a face that would have honoured the funeral of the deceased.
" I doctor'd him mostly with yarbs," said the housekeeper, smil-
ing; as if conscious of error.
" With simples," returned the surgeon ; " they are safer in the
hands of the imlettered than more powerful remedies : but why had
you no regular attendant?"
"I'm sure Harvey has suffered enough already from having so
much concerns with the rig'lars," replied the housekeeper; "he has
lost his all, and made himself a vagabond through the land; and I
have reason to rue the day I ever crossed the threshold of his
house."
"Dr. Sitgreaves does not mean a rig'lar soldier, but a regular
physician, madam," said the trooper.
" Oh !" cried the maiden, again correcting herself, " for the best
of all reasons; there was none to be had, so I took care of him
myself. If there had been a doctor at hand, I am sure we would
gladly have had him ; for my part, I am clear for doctoring, though
Harvey says I am killing myself with medicines; but I am sure it
will make but little difference to him, whether I live or die."
" Therein you show your sense," said the surgeon, approaching
the spinster, who sat holding the palms of her hands and the soles
of her feet to the genial heat of a fine fire, making the most of com-
fort amid all her troubles; "you appear to be a sensible, discreet
woman, and some who have had opportunities of acquiring more
correct v?ews might envy you your respect for knowledge and the
lights of science."
Although the housekeeper did not altogether comprehend the
other's meaning, she knew he used a compliment, and as such was
Digitized by VjOOQIC
160 - T H E s p r.
highly pleased with what he said; with increased animation^ thcro
fore, she cried, " It was always said of me, that I wanted nothing
but opportunity to make quite a physician myself; so long as before
I came to live with Harve/s father, they called me the petticoat
doctor."
" More true than civil, I dare say," returned the surgeon, losing
sight of the woman's character in his admiraticai of her respect for
the healing art. ' " In the absence of more enlightened coimsellors,
the experience of a discreet matron is frequently of great efficacy
in checking the progress of disease; under such circumstances,
madam, it is dreadful to have to contend with ignorance and
obstinacy."
" Bad enough, as I well know from experience," cried Katy, in
triumph: "Harvey is as obstinate about such things as a dumb
beast; one would think the care I took of his bed-ridden father
might learn him better than to despise good nursing. But some
day he may know what it is to want a careful woman in his house,
though now I am sure he is too despisable himself to have a house."
"Indeed, I can easily comprehend the mortification you must
have felt in having one so self-willed to deal with," returned the
surgeon, glancing his eyes reproachfully at his comrade ; " but you
should rise superior to such opinions, and pity the ignorance by
which they are engendered."
The housekeeper hesitated a moment, at a loss to c(»nprehend all
that the surgeon expressed, yet she felt it was both complimentary
and kind; therefore^ suppressing her natural flow of language a
little, she replied —
'^I tell Harvey his conduct is often condemnable, and last night
he made my words good; but the opinions of such unbelievers is
not very consequential; yet it is dreadful to think how he behaves
at times : now, when he threw away the needle — ^"
"What I" said the surgeon, interrupting her, "does he aiffect to
despise the needle ? But it is my lot to meet with men, daily, who
Digitized by VjOOQ iC
THK SPY. 161
»re equally perverse^ and wiio show a still more culpable disrespect
for the information that flows from the lights of science/'
The doctor turned his face towards Captain Lawton while speak-
ings but the elevation of the head prevented his eyes from resting on
the grave countenance maintained by the trooper. Katy listened
with admiring attention; and when the other h^ donC; she added —
"Then Harvey is a disbeliever in the tides/'
"Not believe in the tides T' repeated the healer of bodies in
astonishment; "does the man distrust his senses? but perhaps it is
tlie influence of the moon that he doubts/'
^^ That he does I" exclaimed Katy^ shaking with delight at meet-
ing with a man of learnings who could support her favourite opinions.
"If you was to hear him talk^ you would think he didn't believe
there was such a thing as a moon at all."
" It is the misfortune of ignorance and incredulity, madam, that
they feed themselves. The mind once rejecting useful information,
insensibly leans to superstition and conclusions on the order of
nature, that are not less prejudicial to the cause of truth, than they
are at variance with the flrst principles of human knowledge."
The spinster was too much awe-struck to ver ture an undigested
reply to this speech; and the surgeon, after paii ing a moment in a
kind of philosophical disdain, continued —
" That any man in his senses can doubt of the flux of the tides is
more than I could have thought possible ; yet obstinacy is a danger-
ous inmate to harbour, and may lead us into any error, however
gross."
" You think, then, they have an effect on the flux," said the
housekeeper, enquiringly.
Miss Peyton rose, and beckoned her nieces to give her their as-
sistance in the adjoining pantry, while for a moment the dark visage
of the attentive Lawton was lighted by an animation that vanished
by an effort, as powerful, and as sudden, as the one that drew it into
being.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
102 THE SPY.
After reflecting whether he rightly understood the meaning of the
other, the Burgeon making due allowance for the love of learning,
acting upon a want of education, replied —
"The moon, you mean; many philosophers have doubted how fisuc
it affects the tides ; but I think it is wilfully rejecting the lights of
science not to believe it causes both the flux and reflux/'
As reflux was a disorder with which Katy was nofr acquainted,
she thought it prudent to be silent; yet burning with curiosity to
know the meaning of certain portentous lights to which the other so
often alluded, she ventured to ask —
" If them lights he spoke of, were what was called northern lights
in these parts?"
In charity to her ignorance, the surgeon would have entered into
aa elaborate explanation of his meaning, had he not been interrupted
by the mirth of Lawton. The trooper had listened so far with great
composure ; but now he laughed until his aching bones reminded
him of his fall, and the tears rolled over his cheeks in larger drops
bhan had ever been seen there before. At length the offended phy-
sician seized an opportunity of a pause to say —
" To you. Captain Lawton, it may be a source of triumph, that
an uneducated woman should make a mistake in a subject, on which
men of science have long been at variance; but yet you find this
respectable matron does not reject the light» — does not reject the
use of proper instruments in repairing injuries sustained by the hu-
man frame. You may possibly remember, sir, her allusion to the
use of the needle."
"Ay," cried the delighted trooper, "to mend the pedler's
breeches."
Katy drew up in evident displeasure, and prompt to vindicate her
character for more lofty acquirements, she said —
" 'T was not a common use that I put that needle to— but one of
much greater virtue.*'
Digitized by
Google
THS SPT. 163
'^ Explain yourself, madam," said the surgeon impatiently, " that
ihis gentleman may see how little reason he has for exultation."
Thus solicited, Katy paused to collect sufficient eloquence to gar-
nish her narratiye. The substance of her tale was, that a child who
had been placed by the guardians of the poor in the keeping of Har-
vey, had, in the absence of its master, injured itself badly in the
foot by a large needle. The ofifending instrument had been care-
fully greased, wrapped in woollen, and placed in a certain charmed
nook of the chimney; while the foot, from a fear of weakening the
incantation, was left in a state of nature. The arrival of the pedler
had altered the whole of this admirable treatment; and the conse-
quences were expressed by Katy, as she concluded her narrative, by
saying —
*' 'T was no wonder the boy died of a lock-jaw !"
Doctor Sitgreaves looked out of the window in admiration of the
brilliant morning, striving all he could to avoid the basilisk eyes of
his comrade. He was impelled, by a feeling that he could not con-
quer, however, to look Captain Lawton in the face. The trooper
had arranged every muscle of his countenance to express sympathy
for the fate of the poor child ; but the exultation of his eyes cut the
astounded man of science to the quick; he muttered something con-
cerning the condition of his patients, and retreated with precipitation.
Miss Peyton entered into the situation of things at the house of
the pedler, with all the interest of her excellent feelings ; she listened
patiently while Katy recounted, more particularly, the circumstances
of the past night as they had occurred. The spinster did not forget
to dwell on the magnitude of the pecuniary loss sustained by Har-
vey, and in no manner spared her invectives, at his betraying a secret
which might so easily have been kept.
^^ For, Miss Peyton," continued the housekeeper, after a pause to
take breath, " I would have given up life before I would have given
up that secret At the most, they could only have killed him, and
now a body may say that they have slain both soul and body; or,
Digitized by VjOOQIC
i
164 THE BPTk
?rhat 's the same things thcj have made him a dcspisable vagabond.
I wonder who he thinks would be his wife^ or who would keep his
honse. For my part, my good name is too precious to be living
with a lone man ; though^ for the matter of that^ ho is never there.
I am resolved to tell him this day^ that stay there^ a single woman,
I will not an hour, after the funeral; and marry him I don't think
I will; unless he becomes steadier, and more of a homebody/'
The mild mistress of the Locusts suffered the exuberance of the
housekeeper's feeling to expend itself, and then, by one or two judi-
cious questions, that denoted a more intimate knowledge of the
windings of the human heart in matters of Cupid, than might £urly
be supposed to belong to a spinster, she extracted enough firom Eaty,
to discover the improbability of Harvey's ever presuming to offer
himself, with his broken fortunes, to the acceptance of Katharine
Haynes. She, therefore, mentioned her own want of assistance in
the present state of her household, and expressed a wish that Katy
would change her residence to the Locusts, in case the pedler had
no further use for her services. After a few preliminaiy conditions
on the part of the wary housekeeper, the arrangement was con-
cluded; and making a few more piteous lamentations on the weight
of her own losses, the stupidity of Harvey, united with some curio-
sity to know the future faAe of the pedler, Katy witJidrew to make
the necessary preparations for the approaching funeral, which was
to take place that day.
During the interview between the two females, Lawton, through
delicacy, had withdrawn. Anxiety took him to the room of Captain
Singleton The character of this youth, it has already been shown,
endeared him in a peculiar manner to every o&oeat in the corps.
The singularly mild deportment of the young dragoon had, on so
many occasions, been proved not to proceed from want of r^lution,
that his almost feminine softness of manner and appearance had
failed to bring him into disrepute, even in that band of {artisan
waniors.
Digitized by
Google
THS^ SFT. 165
To the Major ho was as dear as a brother^ and his easy submis-
sion to the directions of his surgeon had made him a marked £styour*
ite with Dr. Sitgreayes. The rough usage the corps often received
in its daring attacks^ had brought each of its officers^ in suxession,
under the temporary keeping of the surgeon. To Captsdn Singleton
the man of science had decreed the palm of docility^ on such occor
sionSy and Captain Lawton he had fairly black-balled. He fre-
quently declared^ with unconquerable simplicity and earnestness of
manner^ that it gave him more pleasure to see the former brought
in wounded than any officer in the squadron, and that the latter af-
forded him the least; a compliment and condemnation that were'
usually received by the first of the parties with a quiet smile of good
nature, and by the last with a grave bow of thanks. On the present
occasion, the mortified surgeon and exulting trooper met in the room
of Captain Singleton, as a place where they could act on common
ground. Some time was occupied in joint attentions to the comfort
of the wounded officer, and the doctor retired to an apartment pre-
pared for his own accommodation ; here, within a few minutes, ho
was surprised by the entrance of Lawtq^. The triumph of the
trooper had been so complete, that he felt he could afibrd to be gen-
erous, and commencing by voluntarily throwing aside his coat, he
cried carelessly —
^^ Sitgreaves, administer a little of the aid of the lights of science
to my body, if you please."
The surgeon was beginning to feel this was a subject that was
intolerable, but venturing a glance towards his comrade, he saw with
surprise the preparations he had made, and an air of sincerity about
him, that was unusual to his manner when making such a request
Changing his intended burst of resentment to a tone of civil enquiry,
he said —
" Does Captain Lawton want any thing at my hands ?"
" Look for yourself, my dear sir,'' said the trooper mildly ; " here
seem to be most of the colours of the rainbow, on this shoulder."
Digitized by CjOOQIC
106 THE SPT.
'* You have reason for saying so/' said the other, handling the
part with great tenderness and consummate skill; hut happily
nothing is broken. It is wonderful how well you escaped I"
" I have been a tumbler from my youth, and I am paat minding
a few fells from a horse ; but, Sitgreftves," he added with affection,
and pointing to a scar on his body, "do you remember this bit
of work r
"Perfectly well, Jack; it was bravely obtained, and neatly
extracted ; but don't you think I had better apply an oil to these
bruises ?"
" Certainly," said Lawton, with unexpected condescension.
" Now, my dear boy," cried the doctor, exultingly, as he busied
himself in applying the remedy to the hurts, " do you not think it
would have been better to have done all this last night V*
"Quite probable."
"Yes, Jack, but if you had let me perform the operation
of phlebotomy when I first saw you, it would have been of infinito
service."
"No phlebotomy," ssi^d, the other, positively.
" It is now too late ; but a dose of oil would carry off the humours
famously." \
To this the Captain made no reply, but grated his teeth, in a way
that showed the fortress of his mouth was not to be assailed without
a resolute resistance; and the experienced physician changed the
subject by saying —
"It is a pity, John, that you did not catch the rascal, after the
danger and trouble you incurred."
The Captain of dragoons made no reply; and, while placing some
bandages on the wounded shoulder, the surgeon continued —
" If I have any wish at all to destroy human life, it is to have tho
pleasure of seeing that traitor hanged."
" I thought your business was to cure and not to slay," said the
trooper, drily.
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY. 16Y
*' Ay ! but he has caused us such heavy losses by his infonaa-
tion, that I sometimes feel a yery imphilosophical temper towards
that spy."
" You should not encourage such feelings of animosity to any ot
your fellow-creatures," returned Lawton, in a tone that caused the
operator to drop a pin he was arranging in the bandages from his
h^d. He looked the patient in the face to remove all doubts of his
identity: finding, however, it was his old comrade,, Captain John
Lawton, who had spoken, he rallied his astonished faculties, and
proceeded by saying —
^^ Your doctrine is just, and in general I subscribe to it. But,
John, my dear fellow, is the bandage easy ?"
"Quite."
" I agree vnth you as a whole ; but as matter is infinitely divisible,
so no case exists without an exception. Lawton, do you feel easy 7^
"Very"
"It \a not only cruel to the sufierer, but sometimes unjust to
others, to take human life where a less punishment would answer
the purpose. Now, Jack, if you were only — move your arm a
little — if you were only — I hope you feel easier, my dear friend ?"
"Much."
"If, my dear John, you would teach your men to cut with more
discretion, it would answer you the same purpose — and give me
great pleasure."
The doctor drew a heavy sigh, as he was enabled to get rid of
what was nearest to his heart; and the dragoon coolly replaced his
coat, saying with great deliberation as he retired-—
" I know no troop that cut more judiciously ; they generally shave
from the crown to the jaw."
The disappointed operator collected his instruments, and with a
heavy heart proceeded to pay a visit to the room of Colonel
Wellmere.
8 ♦ ^
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER XLL
Thif fair J form contains a soul as mighty
As that which lives within a giant's &ame;
These slender limbs, that tremble like the aspen
At smnmer evening's sigh, uphold a spirit,
Which, roused, can tower to the height of heaven,
And light those shining windows of the face
With much of heaven's own radiance.
Duo,
The number and character of her guests had greatly, added lo the
cares of Miss Jeanette Peyton. The morning found them all re^
stored; in some measure^ to their former ease of body, with the ex-
ception of the youthful captain of dragoons, who had been so deeply
regretted by Bunwoodie. The wound of this officer was severe,
though the surgeon* persevered in saying that it was without danger.
His comrade, we have shown, had deserted his couch ; and Henry
/ Wharton awoke from a sleep that had been undisturbed by anything
J but a dream of suffering amputation under the hands of a surgical
' novice. As it proved, however, to be nothing but a dream, the youth
found himself much refreshed by his slumbers; and Dr. Sitgreaves
removed all further apprehensions by confidently pronouncing that
he would be a well man within a fortnight.
During all this time Colonel "Wellmere did not make his appear-
ance; he breakfasted in his own room, and, notwithstanding certain
significant smiles of the man of science, declared himself too much
mjured to rise from his bed. Leaving hjm, therefore, endeavouring
to conceal his chagrin in the solitude of his chamber, the surgeon
prcHJceded to the more grateful task of sitting an hour by the bedside
Digitized by
Google
XHK SPY. 169
of George Singleton. A slight flush was on the face of the patient
as the doctor entered the room ; and the latter advanced promptly,
and laid his fingers on the pulse of the youth, beckoning to him to
be silent, while he muttered to himself —
" Growing symptoms of a febrile pulse — no, no, my dear George,
you must remain quiet and dumb ; though your eyes look better,
and your skin has even a moisture/'
^'Nay, my dear Sitgreaves," said the youth, taking his hand, "you
see there is no fever about me : look, is there any of Jack Lawton's
hoar-frost on my tongue?"
"No, indeed," said the surgeon, clapping a spoon in the mouth of
the other, forcing it open, and looking down his throat as if disposed
to visit the interior in person ) " the tongue is well, and the pulse
be^s to lower again. Ah I the bleeding did you good. Phleboto-
my is a sovereign specific for southern constitutions. But that mad-
cap Lawton obstinately refused to be blooded for a fall he had from
his horse last night. Why, George, your case is becoming singular,"
continued the doctor, instinctively throwing aside his wig; "your
pulse even and soft, your skin moist, but your eye fiery, and cheek
flushed. Oh I I must examine more closely into these symptoms "
" Softly, my good friend, softly," said the youth, felling back on
his pillow, and losing some of that colour which alarmed his compa-
nion ; " I believe, in extracting the ball, you did for me all that is
required. I am free from pain, and only weak, I do assure you."
" Captain Singleton," said the surgeon, with heat, "it is presump-
tuous in you to pretend to tell your medical attendant when you are
free from pain : if it be not to enable us to decide in such matters,
of what avail the lights of science ? For shame, George, for shame I
even that perverse fellow, John Lawton, could not behave with more
obstinacy."
His patient smiled, as he' gently repulsed his physician in an at-
tempt to undo the bandages, and, with a returning glow to his cheeks,
onquired —
Digitized by
Google
170 THE SPY.
"Do, Archibald," — a term of endearment that seldom failed to
loften the operator's heart, — "tell me what spirit from heaven has
been gliding around my apartment, while I lay pretending to
sleep?"
" If any one interferes with my patients," cried the doctor, hastily,
"I will teach them, spirit or no spirit, what it is to meddle with
another man's concerns."
" Tut — my dear fellow, there was no interference made, nor any
intended; see," exhibiting the bandages, "everything is as you left
it, — but it glided about the room with the grace of a fairy, and the
tenderness of aii angel."
" The surgeon, having satisfied himself that every thing was as he
had left it, very deliberately resumed his seat and replaced his wig,
as he enquired, with a brevity that would have honoured Lieutenant
Mason —
"Had it petticoats, George?"
"I saw nothing but its heavenly eyes — its bloom — its majestic
step — its grace," replied the young man, with rather more ardour
than his surgeon thought consistent with his debilitated condition ;
and he laid his hand on his mouth to stop him, saying himself —
" It must have been Miss Jeanette Peyton — a lady of fine accom-
• plishments, with — hem — with something of the kind of step yon
speak of — a very complacent eye; and as to the bloom, I dare say
offices of charity can summon as fine a colour to her cheeks, as glows
in the faces of her more youthful nieces."
"Nieces! has she nieces, then? The angel I saw may be a
daughter, a sister, or a niece, — but never an aunt."
" Hush, George, hush ; your talking has brought your pulse up
again. You must observe quiet, and prepare for a meeting with
your own sister, who will be here within an hour.".
" What, Isabella ! and who sent for her ?"
"The Major."
" Considerate Dunwoodie !" murmured the exhausted youth, sink-
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY, 171
uig again on his pillow^ where the commands of his attendant com*
pcllcd him to remain silent
Even Captain Lawton had been received with many and courteous
enquiries after the state of his healthy from all the members of the
^miily^ when he made his morning entrance ; but an invisible spirit
presided over the comforts of the English Colonel. Sarah had shrunk
with consciousness from entering the room ; yet she knew the posi-
tion of every glasS; and had, with her own hands, supplied the con-
tents of every bowl, that stood on his table.
At the time of our talc, we were a divided people, and Sarah
thought it was no more than her duty to cherish the institutions of
that country to which she yet clung as the land of her forefathers ;
but there were other and more cogent reasons for the silent prefer-
ence she was giving to the Englishman. His image had first filled
the void in her youthful fancy, and it was an image that was distin-
guished by many of those attractions that can enchain a female
heart. It is true, he wanted the personal excellence of Peyton Dun-
woodie, but his pretensions were far from contemptible. Sarah had
moved about the house during the morning, casting frequent and
longing glances at the door of Wellmere's apartment, anxious to
learn the condition of his wounds, and yet ashamed to enquire ; con-
scious interest kept her tongue tied, until her sister, with the frank-
ness of innocence, had put the desired question to Dr. Sitgreaves.
" Colonel Wellmere," said the operator, gravely, " is in what I call
a state of free-will, madam. He is ill, or he is well, as he pleases.
nis case, young lady, exceeds my art to heal; and I take it Sir
f lenry Clinton is the best adviser he can apply to ; though Major
Dunwoodie has made the communication with his leech rather dif-
ficult"
Frances smiled, but averted her face, while Sarah moved, with
the grace of an offended Juno, from the apartment Her own room,
however, afforded her but little relief, and in passing through the
iong gallery that communicated with each of the chambers of the
Digitized by CjOOQIC
172 TEE SPT.
building, she noticed the door of Singleton's room to be open! Tho
wounded youth seemed sleeping, and was alone. She had ventured
lightly into the apartment, and busied herself for a few minutes in
arranging the tables, and the nourishment provided for the patient,
hardly conscious of what she was doing, and possibly dreaming that
these little feminine offices were performed for another. Her natu-
ral bloom was heightened by the insinuation of the surgeon, nor was
the lustre of her eye in any degree diminished. The sound of the
approaching footstep of Sitgreaves hastened her retreat down a pri-
vate stairway, to the side of her sister. The sisters then sought the
fresh air on the piazza; and as they pursued their walk, arm in arm,
the following dialogue took place: —
" There is something disagreeable about this surgeon of Dunwoo-
die," said Sarah, " that causes me to wish him away most heartily."
Frances fixed her laughing eyes on her sister ; but forbearing to
speak, the other readily construed their expression, and hastily added,
" But I forget he is one of your renowned corps of Virginians, and
must be spoken of reverently."
" As respectfully as you please, my dear sister; there is but little
danger of exceeding the truth."
"Not in your opinion," said the elder, with a little warmth;
" but I think Mr. Dunwoodie has taken a liberty that exceeds the
rights of consanguinity; he has made our father's house a hospital."
" We ought to be grateful that none of the patients it contains are
dearer to us."
"Your brother is one."
" True, true," interrupted Frances, blushing to the eyes ; " but
he' leaves his room, and thinks his wound lightly purchased by the
pleasure of being with his friends. If," she added, with a tremulous
lip, " this dreadful suspicion that is affixed to his visit were removed,
I could consider his wound of little moment."
"You now have the fruits of rebellion brought home to you; a
brother wounded and a prisoner, and perhaps a victim ; youi* father
Digitized by VjOOQLC
THE SPY. 173
llstresscd; his privacj intcniipted, and not improbably his estates
torn from him, on account of' his loyalty to his king."
Frances continued her walk in silence. While facing the northern
entrance to the vale, her eyes were uniformly fastened on the point
where the road was suddenly lost by the intervention of a hill ; and
at each turn, as she lost sight of the spot, she lingered until an im-
patient movement of her sister quickened her pace to an even motion
with that of her own. At length, a single horse-chaise was seen
making its way carefully among the stones which lay scattered over
the country road that wound through the valley, and approached the
cottage. The colour of Frances changed as the vehicle gradually
drew nearer J and when she was enabled to sec a female form in it
by the side of a black in livery, her limbs shook with an agitation
that compelled her to lean on Sarah for support. In a few minutes
the travellers approached the gate. It was thrown open by a
dragoon who followed the carriage, and who had been the messenger
despatched by Dunwoodie to the fether of Captain Singleton. Miss
Peyton advanced to receive their guest, and the sisters united in
giving her the kindest welcome ; still Frances could with di&ulty
withdraw her truant eyes firom the countenance of their viater. She
was young, and of a light and &a^le form, but of exquisite propor-
tions. Her eye was large, full, black, piercing, and at times a little
wild. Her hair was luxuriant, and as it was without the powder it
was then the fashion to wear, it fell in raven blackness. A few of
its locks had &llen on her cheek, giving its chilling whiteness by tho
contrast a more deadly ^haiaeter. Dr. Sitgreaves supported her
from the chaise ; and when she gained the floor of the piazza, sh(»
turned an expressive look on the face of the practitioner.
" Your brother is out of danger, and wishes to see you, Miss Sin
gleton," said the surgeon.
The lady burst into a flood of tears. Frances had stood contem-
plating the action and face of Isabella with a kind of uneasy admi-
ration, but she now sprang to her side with the ardour of a sister,
Digitized by CjOOQIC
174 THE SPY.
and kindly drawing her arm witliin her own, led the way to a retired
room. The movement was bo ingenuous, so considerate, and so
delicate, that even Miss Peyton withheld lier interference, following
the youthful pair with only her eyes and a smile of complacency.
The feeling was communicated to all the spectators, and- they dis-
persed in pursuit of their usual avocations. Isabella yielded to the
gentle influence of Frances without resistance; and, having gained
the room where the latter conducted her, wept in silence on the
shoulder of the observant and soothing girl, imtil Frances thoughi
her tears exceeded the emotion natural to the occasion. The sobs
of Miss Singleton for a time were violent and imcontroUable, until,
with an evident exertion, she yielded to a kind observation of her
companion, and succeeded in suppressing her tears. Baising her
face to the eyes of Frances, she rose, while a smile of beautiful
radiance passed over her features; and making a hasty apology for
the excess of her motion, she desired to be conducted to the room
of the invalid.
The meeting between the brother and sister was warm, but, by
an effort on the part of the lady, more composed than her previous
agitation had given reason to expect. Isabella found her brother
looking better, and in less danger than her sensitive imagination had
led her to suppose. Her spirits rose in proportion ; jfrom despond-
ency, she passed to something like gaiety ; her beautiful eyes sparkled
with renovated brilliancy; and her face was lighted with smiles so
fascinating, that Frances, who, in compliance with her earnest en-
treaties, had accompanied her to the sick chamber, sat gazing on a
countenance that possessed so wonderful variability, impelled by a
charm that was beyond her control. The youth had thrown an ear-
nest look at Frances, as soon as his sister raised herself from his
arms, and perhaps it was the first glance at the lovely lineaments
of our heroine, when the gazer turned his eyes from the view in dis-
appointment. He seemed bewildered, rubbed his forehead like a
man awaking from a dream , and mused.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY. llfi
" Where is Bunwoodie, Isabella V he said ; ' the excellent fellow
to never weary of kind actions. After a day of such service as thai
of yesterday, he haa spent the night in bringing me a nnrse, whose
presence alone is able to raise me from my couch.'^
The expression of the lady's countenance changed ; her eye roved
round the apartment with a character of wildness in it that repelled
the anxious Frances^ who studied her movements with unabated
interest.
'^ Dunwoodie I is he then not here ? I thought to have met him
by the side of my brother's bed."
^^ He haa duties that require his presence elsewhere : the English
are said to be out by the way of the Hudson, and they give us light
troops but little rest : surely nothing else could have kept him so
long from a wounded friend. But, Isabella, the meeting has been
too much for you; you tremble.''
Isabella made no reply : she stretched her hand towards the table
which held the nourishment of the Captain, and the attentive Fran-
ces comprehended her wishes in a moment. A glass of water in
some measure reviv^ the sister, who wajs enabled to say —
"Doubtless it is his duty. 'Twas said above, a royal party was
moving on the river ; though I passed the troops but two miles from
this spot.'^ The latter part of the sentence waa hardly audible, and
it waa spoken more in the manner of a soliloquy, than aa if intended
for the ears of her companions.
" On the march, Isabella?" eagerly enquired her brother.
" No, dismounted, and seemingly at rest," was the reply.
The wondering dragoon turned his gaze on the countenance of his
sister, who sat with her eye bent on the carpet in unconscious ab-
sence, but found no explanation. His look was changed to the face
of Frances, who, startled by the earnestness of his expression, arose,
and hastily enquired if he would have any assistance.
^^ If you can pardon the rudeness," said the woxmded officer, mak>
Digitized by
Google
170 THE SPY.
JDg a feeble effort to raise his body, " I would request to iiave Cap
fcain Lawton's company for a moment.'^
Frances hastened instantly to communicate his wish to that gen-
tlcman, and, impelled by an interest she could not control, she re-
turned again to her seat by the side of Miss Singleton.
"Lawton," said the youth, impatiently, as the trooper entered;
"hear you from the Major?"
The eye of the sister was now bent on the face of the trooper,
who made his salutations to the lady with case, blended with the
frankness of a soldier.
" His man has been here twice," he said, " to enquire how we
fared in the Lazaretto."
" And why not himself?"
"That is a question the Major can answer best; but you know
the red-€oats are abroad, and Dunwoodie commands in the county ;
these English must be looked to."
" True," said Singleton, slowly, as if struck with the other's rea-
tons ; " but how is it that you are idle, when there is work to do ?"
" My sword arm is not in the best condition, and Roanoke has but
a shambling gait 4;his morning; besides, there is another reason I
could mention, if it were not that Miss Wharton would never forgive
me."
" Speak, I beg, without dread of my displeasure," said Frances,
returning the good-humoured smile of the trooper, with the archness
natural to her own sweet face.
"The odours of your kitchen, then," cried Lawton bluntly^
" forbid my quitting the domains, until I qualify myself to speak
with more certainty concerning the fatness of the land."
" Oh ! aunt Jeanette is exerdng herself to do credit to my father s
hospitality," said the laughing girl, " and I am a truant from^ her
labours, as I shall be a stranger to her favour, unless I proffer my
assistance."
Frances withdrew to seek her aunt, musing deeply on the character
Digitized by
Google
THB SPY, 177
uid extreme sensibility of the new acquaintance chance had brought
to the cottage.
The wounded dflfoer followed her with his eyes, as she movod^
with infantile grace, through the door of his apartment, and as she
vanished from his view, he observed—
^< Such an aunt and niece ore seld(»n to be met with, Jack ; diih^
seems a faiiy, but the aunt is angelic."
** You are doing well, I see ; your enthusiasm for the sex holde
its own."
^^ I should be ungrateful as well as insensible, did I not bear tes-
timony to the loveliness of Miss Peyton."
** A good motherly lady, but as to love, that is a matter of taste.
A few years younger, with deference to her prudence and experience,
would accord better with my fancy."
*^ She must be under twenty," said the other, quickly.
" It depends on the way you count. If you begin at the heel of
life, well; but if you reckon downward, as is most common, I think
she is nearer forty."
'^ You have mistaken an elder sister for the aunt," said Isabella,
laying her fair hand on the mouth of the invalid; '^you must be
silent ! your feelings are be^ning to affect your frame."
The entrance of Dr. Sitgreaves, who, in some alarm, noticed the
increase of feverish symptoms in his patient, enforced this mandate ;
and the trooper withdrew to pay a visit of condolence to Roanoke,
who had been an equal sufferer with himself in their last night's
somerset. To his great joy, his man pronounced the steed to bo
equally convalescent with the master; and Lawton found that by
dint of rubbing the animal's limbs, several hours without ceasing,
he was enabled to place his feet in what he called systematic
motion. Orders were accordingly given to be in readiness to rejoin
the troop at the Four Comers, as soon as his master had shared in
the .bounty of the approaching banquet
In the mean tirac, Henry Wharton entered the apartment of
Digitized by CjOOQIC
178 THE SPY.
Wellmere, and by his sympathy succeeded in restoiing the Colonel
to his own good graces. The latter was consequently enabled to
risC; and prepared to meet a rival of whom he had spoken so lightly,
and, as the result had proved, with so little reason. Wharton knew
that their misfortune, as they both termed tiieir defeat, was owing
to the other's rashness ; but he forbore to speak of any thing except
the unfortunate accident which had deprived the English of theii
leader, and to which he good-naturedly ascribed their subsequent
discomfiture.
" In short, Wharton," said the Colonel, putting one leg cut of bed,
"it may be called a combination of untoward events; your own
ungovernable horse prevented my orders from being carried to the
Major, in season to flank the rebels."
" Very true," replied the Captain, kicking a slipper towards the
bed ; " had we succeeded in getting a few good fires upon them in
flank, we should have sent these brave Virginians to the nght about."
" Ay ! and that in double quick time," cried the Colonel, making
the other leg follow its companion ; " then it waa necessary to rout
the guides, you know, and the movement gave them the best possible
opportunity to charge."
"Yes," said the other, sending the second slipper after the first;
" and this Major Bimwoodie never overlooks an advantage."
" I think if we had the thing to do over again," continued the
Colonel, raising himself on his feet, " we might alter the case very
materially, though the chief thing the rebels have now to boast of is
my capture : they were repulsed, you saw, in their attempt to drive
us from the wood."
" At least they would have been, had they made an attack," said
the Captain, throwing the rest of his clothes within reach of the
Colonel.
" Why that is the same thing," returned Wellmere, beginning to
dress himself; " to assume such an attitude as to intimidate your
enemy, is the chief art of war."
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY. 170
''DoubilesS; thcn^ you may remember in one of their cliarges they
were completely routed/'
" True — true/' cried the Colonel, with animation : " had I been
there to hsve improved that advantage, we might have turned the
table on the Yankees/' saying which, he displayed still greater ani-
mation in completing his toilette ; and he was soon prepared to make
his appearance, fiilly restored to his own good opinion, and fairly
persuaded that his captoie was owing to casualties, absolutely beyond
the control of man.
The knowledge that Colonel Welhnere was to be a guest at the
table, in no degree diminished the preparations which were already
making for the banquet; and Sarah, after receiving the compliments
of the gentleman, and making many kind enquiries afler the state
of his wounds, proceeded in person to lend her counsel and taste to
one of those laboured entertainments, which, at that day, wore sc
frequent in countiy life, and which are not entirely banished from
our domestic economy at the present moment
Digitized by
Google
CHAFFER Xm.
I will stand to and feed,
Although my last.
Tempest
The savour of preparation whioh bad been noticed by Captain Law*-
ton^ began to increase within the walls of the cotta^ : certain Bwcei<-
smelling odours, that aroso from the subterranean territories of
Ca^ar, gave to -the trooper the most pleasing assurances that his
olfactory nerves, which on such occasions were as acute as his eyes
on others, had faithfully performed their duty; and for the benefit
of enjoying the passing sweets as thqr arose, the dragoon so placed
himself at a window of the building, that not a vapour charged with
the spices of the east, could exhale on its passage to the clouds,
without first giving its incense to his nose. Lawton, however, by
no means indulged himself in this comfortable arrangement, without
first making such preparations to do meet honour to the feast, as his
scanty wardrobe would allow. The uniform of his corps was always
a passport to the best tables, and this, though somewhat tarnished
by faithfiil service and unceremonious usage, was properly brushed
and decked out for the occasion. His head, which nature had oma
mentcd with the blackness of a crow, now shone with the whiteness
of snow; and his bony hand, that so well became the sabre, peered
from beneath a ruffle with something like maiden coyness. The
improvements of the dragoon went no further, excepting that his
boots shone with more than holiday splendour, and his spurs gilt- '
tered in the rays of the sun, as became the pure ore of which they
were composed.
Digitized by
Google
TUB SPY. 381
Ctesar moved through the apartments with a face charged with
an importance exceeding even that which had accompanied him m
his meLmcholy task of the morning. The black had early retnined
from the errand on which he had been despatched by the pedler,
and, obedient to the commands of his mistress, promptly appeared
to give his services, where his allegiance was due; sd serious, indeed,
was his duly now becoming, that it was only at odd moments he
was enabled to impart to his sable brother, who had been seYit in
attendance on Miss Singleton to the Locusts, any portion of the
wonderful incidents of the momentous night he had so lately passed.
By ingeniously using, however, such occasions as accidentally o£Eered,
Caesar communicated so many of the heads of his talc, as served to
open the eyes of his visitor to their fiillest width. The gusto for
the marvellous was innate in these sable worthies; and Miss Peyton
found it necessary to interpose her authority, in order to postpone
the residue of the history to a more befitting opportunity.
«Ah ! Miss Jinnett,'' said Cassar, shaking his head, and looking
all that hQ expressed, "'twas awfal to see Johnny Birch walk on a
feet when he lie dead!''
This concluded the conversation; though the black promised him-
self the satisfaction, and did not fail to enjoy it, of having many a
good gossip on the solemn subject at a future period.
The ghost thus happily laid, the department of Miss Peyton flou-
rished; and by the time the afternoon's sun had travelled a two
hours' journey from the meridian, the formal procession from the
kitchen to the parlour commenced, under the auspices of Caesar, who
led the van, supporting a turkey on the palms of his withered hands,
with the dexterity of a balance-master.
Next followed the servant of Captain Lawton, bearing, as he
marched stiffly, and walking wide, as if allowing room for his steed,
a ham of true Virginian flavour; a present from the spinster's bro-
iher in Accomac. The supporter of this savoiury dish kept his eyo
on his trust with military precision ; and by the time he reached his
Digitized by
Google
182 THS SPY.
destmatioiiy it might be difficult to say which contsuned the moB
juice^ hiB own mouth or the Accomac bacon.
Third in the' line was to be seen the yalet of Colonel WellmcrO;
who carried in either hand chickens fricasseed, and oyster patties.
After him marched the attendant of Dr. Si^reaves, who had in-
stinctively seized an enonnons toreen, as most resembling matters he
under^od, and followed on in place, nntil the steams of the soup so
completely bedimmed the spectacles he wore, as a badge of office,
that, on arriying at the scene of action, he was compelled to deposit
his freight on the floor, until, by removing the glasses, he could see
his way through the piles of reserved china and plate-warmeis.
Next followed another trooper, whose duty it was to attend on
Captain Singleton ; and, as if apportioning his appetite to the feeble
state of his master, he had contented himself with conveying a pair
of ducks, roasted, until their tempting fragrance began to make him
repent his having so lately demolished a breakfiist that nad been
provided for his master's sister, with another prepared for himself.
The white boy, who belonged to the house, brought up the rear,
groaning under the load of sundry dishes of vegetables, that the
cook, by way of climax, had unwittingly heaped on him.
But this was far from all of t{ic preparations for that da/s feast
Caosar had no sooner deposited his bird, which, but the week
before, had been flying amongst the highlands of Dutchess, little
dreaming of so soon heading such a goodly assemblage, than he
turned mechanically on his heel, and took up his line of march again
for the kitchen. In this evolution the black was imitated by his
companions in succession, and another procession to the parlour fol-
lowed in the same order. By this admirable arrangement, whxAid
flocks of pigeons, certain bevies of quails, shoals of flat-flsh, bass,
and sundry woodcock, foimd their way into the presence of the
company.
A third attack brought suitable quantities of potatoes, onions;
beets, cold-slaw, rice, uid all the other minutiaB of a goodly dinner.
Digitized by
Google
IH B S V 1 . 183
The board now fairly groaned with American profusior ; and
Caesar, glancing his eye over the show with a most approving con-
^ience, after re-adjusting every dish that had not been placed on
the table with his own hands, proceeded to acquaint the mistress
of the revels that his task was happily accomplished.
Some half-hour before the culinary array just recorded took place,
all the ladies disappeared, much in the same unaccountable maiine|'.
that swallows flee the approach of winter. But the spring-timoM
their return had arrived, and the whole party were collected iili^n
apartment that, in consequence of its containing no side-table, and
being furnished with a chintz coverlet settee, was termed a with-
drawing-room.
The kind-hearted spinster had deemed the occasion worthy, not
only of extraordinary preparations in the culinary department, but
had seen proper to deck her own person in garments suited to the
guests whom it was now her happiness to entertain.
On her head Miss Peyton wore a cap of exquisite lawn, which
was ornamented in front with a broad border of lace, that spread
from the face in such a manner as to admit of a display of
artificial flowers, clustered in a group on the summit of her fine
forehead.
The colour of her hair was lost in the profusion of powder with
which it was covered; but a slight curling of the extremities in
some degree relieved the formality of its arrangement, and gave a
look of feminine softness to the features.
Her dress was a rich, heavy silk, of violet colour, cut low around
the bust, with a stomacher of the same material, that fitted close to
the figure, and exhibited the form, from the shoulders to the waist^
"in its true proportions. Below, the dress was ftdl, and sufficiently
showed that parsimony in attire was not a foible of the day. A
small loop displayed the beauty of the fabric to advantage, and
aided in giving majesty to the figure.
The tall stature of the lady was heightened by shoos of the same
Digitized by
Google
184 THB SPY.
material with the dress, whose heels added more than an inch to the
liberality of nature.
The sleeves were short, and close to the limb, until ihey fell off
at the elbows in large ruffles, that hung in rich profusion from the
arm when extended 3 and duplicates and triplicates of lawn, trimmed
with Dresden lace, lent their aid in giving delicacy to a hand and
arm that yet retained their whiteness and symmetry. A treble row
of large pearls closely encircled her throat; and a handkerchief of
lace partially concealed that part of the person that the silk had left
exposed, but which the experience of forty years had warned Miss
Peyton should now be veiled.
Thus attired, and standing erect with the lofty grace that distin-
guished the manners of that day, the maiden would have looked into
nothingness a bevy of modem belles.
The taste of Sarah had kept even pace with the decorations of her
aunt; and a dress, differing in no respect from the one just described,
but in material and tints, exhibited her imposing form to equal ad-
vantage. The satin of her robe was of a pale bluish colour. Twenty
years did not, however, require the screen that waa prudent in forty,
and nothing but an envious border of exquisite lace hid, in some
measure, what the satin left exposed to view. The upper part of
the bust, and the fine fall of the shoulders, were blazing in all their
native beauty, and, like the aunt, the throat was ornamented by a
treble roW of pearls, to correspond with which were rings of the same
quality in the ears. The head was without a cap, and the haii
drawn up from the countenance so as to give to the eye all the love-
liness of a forehead as polished as marble and as white as snow. A
few straggling curls feil gracefully on the neck, and a bouquet of
artificial flowers was also placed, like a coronet, over her brow.
Miss Singleton had resigned her brother to the advice of Dr.
Sitgreaves, who had succeeded in getting his patient into a deep
sleep, after quieting certain feverish symptoms that followed the
agitation of the interview. The sister was persuaded, by the
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY. I8t5
observant mistress of the mansion^ to make one of the party^ and she
sat by the. side of Sarah^ differing but little in appearance from that
lady, except in refusing the use of powder on her raven locks, and
that her unusually high forehead, and large, brilliant eyes, gave an
expression of thoughtfulness to her features, that was possibly
heightened by the paleness of her cheek.
' Last and least, but not the most imlovely, in this display of female
charms, was the youngest daughter of Mr. Wharton. Frances, we
have already mentioned, left the city before she had attained to the
age of £ishionable womanhood. A few adventurous spirits were
already beginning to make inroads in those customs which had so
long invaded the comforts of the fair sex; and the youthful girl had
ventured to trust her beauty to the height which nature had.
bestowed. This waa but little, but that little was a masterpiece.
Frances several times had determined, in the course of the morning,
to bestow more than usual pains in the decoration of her person.
Each time, in succession, as she formed this resolution, she spent a
few minutes in looking earnestly towards the north, and then she a3
invariably changed it
At the appointed hour, our heroine appeared in the drawing-room,
clothed in a robe of pale blue silk, of a cut and feshion much like
that worn by her sister. Her hair was left to the wild curls
of nature, its exuberance being confined to the crown of her head by
a long, low comb, made of light tortoise-shell; a colour barely dis-
tinguishable in the golden hue of her tresses. Her dress was with-
out a plait or a wrinkle, and fitted the form with an exactitude that
might lead one to imagine the arch girl more than suspected tho
beauties it displayed. A tucker of rich Dresden lace softened tho
contour of the figure. Her head was without ornament; but around
her throat was a necklace of gold clasped in 'front with a rich
cornelian.
Once, and once only, as they moved towards the repast, did Law-
ton see a foot thrust itself from beneath the folds of her robe, and
Digitized by VjOOQLC
\
186 THE SPT.
(zkibit it« little beauUes encased in a slipper of blue silk, clasped
close to the shape by a buckle of brilliants. The trooper caught
himself sighing as he thought, though it was good for nothing in the
stirrup, how enchantingly it would grace a minuet.
As the black appeared on the threshold of the room, making a
low reverence, which has been interpreted for some centuries into
"dinner waits," Mr. Wharton, clad in a dress of drab, bedecked
with enormous buttons, advanced formally to Miss Singleton, and
bending his powdered head nearly to the level of the hand he ex-
tended, received hers in return.
Dr. Sitgreaves offered the same homage to Miss Peyton, and met
with equal favour; the lady first pausing to draw on her gloves.
Colone Wellmere was honoured with a smile from Sarah, while
perform. ng a similar duty; and Frances gave the ends of her taper
fingers to Captain Lawton with maiden bashfulness.
Much time, and some trouble, were expended before the whole
party were, to the great joy of Cassar, comfortably arranged around
the table, with proper attention to all points of etiquette and prece-
dence. The black well knew the viands were not improving; and
though abundantly able to comprehend the disadvantage of eating a
cold dinner, it greatly exceeded his powers of philosophy to weigh
all the latent consequences to society which depend on social order.
For the first ten minutes all but the Captain of dragoons found
themselves in a situation much to their liking. Even Lawton would
have been perfectly happy, had not excess of civility on the part of
liis host and Miss Jeanette Peyton, kept him from the more agree-
able occupation of taating dishes he did want, in order to decline
those he did not. At length, however, the repast was feirly com-
menced, and a devoted application to the viands was more eloquent
than a thousand . ^ords in favour of Dinah's skill.
Next came drinking with the ladies; but as the wine was excel-
lent, and the glasses ample, the trooper bore this interruption with
oonsummafyo good nature. Nay, so feaiful was he of giving offence.
Digitized by CjOOQIC
THE SPY. 187
and of omitting any of the nicer points of punctilio^ tliat Laving
commenced this courtesy with the lady who sat next him, he perse-
vered until not one of his fair companions could, with justice, re-
proach him with partiality in this particular.
Long abstemiousness from any thing like generous wine might
plead the excuse of Captain Lawton, especially when exposed to so
strong a temptation as that now before him. Mr. Wharton had
been one of a set of politicians in New York, whose principal ex-
ploits before the war had been to assemble, and pass sage opinions
on the signs of the times, under the inspiration of certain liquor
made from a grape that grew on the south side of the island of Ma-
deira, and which found its way into the colonies of North America
through the medium of the West Indies, sojourning awhile in the
Western Archipelago, by way of proving the virtues of the climate.
A large supply of this cordial had been drawn from his storehouse
in the city, and some of it now sparkled in a bottle before the Gap-
tain, blushing in the rays of the sun, which were passing obliquely
through it, like amber.
Though the meat and vegetables had made their entrance with
perfect order and propriety, their exeunt' was effected much in the
manner of a retreat of militia. The point was to clear the board
something after the fabled practice of the harpies, and by dint of
scrambling, tossing, breaking, and spilling, the remnants of the over-
flowing repast disappeared. And now another series of processions
commenced, by virtue of which, a goodly display of pastry, with its
usual accompaniments, garnished the table.
Mr. Wharton poured out a glass of wine for the lady who sat on
his right hand, and, pushing the bottle to a guest, said, with a low
bow —
" We are to be honoured with a toast from Miss Singleton."
Although there was nothing more in this movement than occurred
every day on such occasions, yet the lady trembled, coloured, and
grew pale again, seemingly endeavouring to rally her thoughts, until,
Digitized by CjOOQIC
188 THK 8 FT.
by her agitation^ she had excited the interest of the whole party;
when, by an effort, and in a manner as if she had striven in vain to
think of another, Isabella said, faintly —
"Major Dimwoodie."
The health was drun£ cheerfully by all but Colonel Wellmere,
who wet las lips, and drew figures on the table with some of the
liquor he had spilt.
At length Colonel Wellmere broke silence by saying aloud to
Captain Lawton —
" I suppose, sir, this Mr. Dunwoodie will receive promotion in the
rebel army, for the advantage my misfortune gave him over my com*
mand/^
The trooper had supplied the wants of nature to his perfect satis-
faction; and, perhaps, with the exception of Washington and his
immediate commander, there wad no mortal whose displeasure he
regarded a tittle, first helping himself, therefore, to a little of his
favourite bottle, he replied with admirable coolness-^
"Colonel Wellmere, your pardon; Major Dunwoodie owes his
allegiance to the confederated states of North America, and where
he owes it, he pays it. Such a man is no rebel. Promoted I hope
he may be, both because he deserves it, and because I am next in
rank in the corps; and I know not what you call a misfortune, unless
you deem meeting the Yirgioia horse aa such.''
"We will not differ about terms, sir,'' said the Colonel, haughtily;
" I spoke as duty to my sovereign prompted : but do you not call
the loss of a commander a misfortune to a party V*
" It certainly may be so," said the trooper, with emphasis.
" Miss Peyton, will you favour us with a toast ?" cried the master
of the house, anxious to stop this dialogue.
The lady bowed her head with dignity, as she named " Greneral
Montrose;" and the long-absent bloom stole lightly over her fea-
tures.
" There is no term more doubtful than that word misfortune,"
Digitized by
Google
THB SPY. 18»
said the surgeon, regardless of ihe nico manoeuvres of the host,
^' some deem one thing a misfortano; others its opposite : misfortuile
begets misfortune : life is a misfortune, for it may be the means of
enduring misfortune ; and death is a misfortune, as it abridges the
enjoyments of life/^
<^ It is a misfortune that our mess has no such wine as this/' in-
terrupted the trooper.
^^ We will pledge you a sentiment in it, sir, as it seems to suit
your taste," said Mr. Wharton.
Lawton filled to the brim, and drank, ^'A speedy peaoe, or a stir-
ring war/'
<< I drink your toast, Captain Lawton, though I greatly distrust
your construction of actiyify,'' said the surgeon. ^' In my poor judg-
ment, cavalry should be kept in the rear, to improve a victory, and
not sent in front to gain it. Such inay be said to be their natural
occupation, if the term can be used in reference to so artificial a body ;
for aU history shows that the horse have done most when properly
held in reserve."
This dissertation, uttered in a sufficiently didactic manner, was a
hint that Miss Peyton did not neglect. She arose and retired, fol-
lowed by her juniors.
Nearly at the same moment, Mr. Wharton and his son made an
apology for their absence, which was required on account of the
death of a near neighbour, and withdrew.
The. retreat of the ladies was the signal for the appearance of the
surgeon's segar, which, being established in a comer of his mouth,
in a certain knowing Way, caused not the slightest interruption to
his discourse —
" If any thing can sweeten captivity and wounds, it must be the
happiness of suffering in the society of the ladies who have left us/'
gallantly observed the Colonel, as he resumed his seat after closing
Ihe door.
" Sympathy and kindness have theb influence on the human sys-
Digitized by VjOOQLC
190 THE BPT,
tern/' returned the surgeon^ knocking the ashes from his segar^ with
^e tip of a litde finger^ in the manner of an adept. '^ The connec-
tion is intimate between the moral and physical feelings; but still,
to accomplish a cure^ and restore nature to the healthy tone it has
lost from disease or accident, requires more than can flow from nn-
guided sympathies. In such cases, the lights" — the surgeon acci-
dentally caught the eye of the trooper^ and he paused. Taking two
or three hasty pu£&, he essayed to finish the sentence — '' In such
cases, the knowledge that flows from the lights — "
" You were saying, sir — " said Colonel Wellmerc, sipping his
wine —
'' The purport of my remark went to say/' continued Sitgreaves,
turning his back on Lawton, ^'that a bread poultice would not set a
broken arm.''
" More is the pity/' cried the trooper, " for next to eating, the
nourishment could not be more innocently applied."
"To you, Colonel Wellmere/' said the surgeon, ''as a man of
education, I can with safety appeal." The Colonel bowed. "You
must have observed the dreadful havoc made in your ranks by the
men who were led by this gentleman /' the Colonel looked grave,
again; " how, when blows lighted on their frames, life was invariably
extinguished, beyond all hope of scientiflc reparation : how certain
yawning wounds were inflicted, that must set at defiance the art of
the most experienced practitioner; now, sir, to you I triumphantly
appeal, therefore, to know whether your detachment would not have
been as effectually defeated, if the men had all lost a right arm, for
instance, as if they had all lost their heads."
" The triumph of your appeal is somewhat hasty, sir/' said WcU-
mere.
"Is the cause of liberty advanced a step by such injudiciou?
harshness in the field ?" continued the surgeon, bent on the favour-
ite principle of his life.
" I am yet to learn that the cause of liberty is in any manner ad-
Digitized by CjOOQIC
THE SPY. 191
ranced by the serdces of xanj gentleman in the rebel army/' rejoined
die Colonel.
" Not liberty I Good God, for what then are we contending V
"Slaveiy, sir; yes, even slavery; you are putting the tyranny of
a mob on the throne of a kind and lenient prince ; where is the con-
sistency of your boasted liberty T'
^^ Consistency \" repeated the surgeon, looking about him a little
wildly, at hearing such sweeping charges against a cause he had so
long thought holy.
" Ay, sir, your consistency. Your congress of sages have pub-
lished a manifesto, wherein they set forth the equality of political
rights."
*^'Tis true, and it is done most ably."
" I say nothing of its ability ; but if true, why not set your slaves
at liberty?" This argument, which is thought by most of the Co-
lonel's countrymen a triumphant answer to a thousand eloquent
facts, lost none of its weight by t||ie manner in which it was uttered.
Eveiy American feels humbled at the neoessily of vindicating his
country from the apparent inconsistency and injustice of the laws
alluded to. His feelings are much like those of an honourable man
who is compelled to exonerate himself from a disgraceful charge,
although he may know the accusation to be &Ise. At the bottom,
Sitgreaves had much good sense, and thus called on, he took up the
cudgels of argument in downright earnest.
'^ We deem it a liberty to have the deciding voice in the councils
by which we are governed. We think it a hardship to be ruled by
the king of a people who live at a distance of three thousand miles,
and who cannot, and who do not, feel a single political interest in
common with ourselves. I say nothing of oppression; the child
was of age, and was entitled to the privileges of majority. In such
cases, there is but one tribunal to which to appeal for a nation's
rights — it is power, and we now make the aippeal."
" Such doctrines may suit your present purposes," said Wellmore,
^ Digitized by Google
192 THE 8 FT.
with a sneer; ''but I apprehend it is opposed to all the opinions
and practices of ciyilised nations."
'' It is in conformity with the practices of all niaticms/' said the
surgeon^ returning the nod and smile of Lawton^ who enjoyed the
good sense of his comrade as much as he disliked what he called
'his medical talk/ "Who would he ruled when he can rule ? the
I only rational ground to take is^ that eyeiy oommunity has a right to
gOTom itself^ so that in no manner it yiolates the laws of Ood."
" And is holding your fellow-creatures in bondage in conformity
to those laws?'' asked the Colonel^ impressiyely.
The surgeon took another glass^ and hemming oncC; returned to
the combat
" Sir/' said he^ " slavery is of very ancient origin, and it seems
to have been confined to no particular religion or form of govern-
ment; every nation of civilised Europe does, or has held their
fellow-creatures in this kind of dtiresse."
'' You will except Great Britaii^ sir/' cried the Colonel, proudly.
" No, sir/' continued the surgeon, confidently, feeling that he was
now canying the war out of his own country; "I cannot except
Great Britain. It was her children, hev ships, and her laws, that
first introduced the practice into these states; and on her institutions
the judgment must falL There is not a foot of ground belon^g
to England, in which a negro would be useful, that has not its slave.
England herself has none, but England is overflowing with physical
force, a part of which she is obliged to maintiain in the shape
of paupers. The same is true of France, and most other European
countries. So long as we were content to remain colonies, nothing
was said of our system of domestic slavery; but now, when we are
resolute to obtain as much freedom as the vicious system of metro-
politan rule has left us, that which is England's gift has become our
reproach. Will your master liberate the slaves of his subjects
should he succeed in subduing the new states, or will he condemn
the whites to the same servitude as that in which he has been so
Digitized by CjOOQLC
THE SPY. 103
ong content to see the blacks ? It is true, we continue the practice ,
but we must come gradually to the remedy, or create an evil greater
than that which we endure at present : doubtless, as we advance,
the manumission of our slaves will accompany us, until happily^
these fair regions shafl exist, without a single image of the Creator •
that is held in a state which disqualifies him to judge of that
Creator's goodness."
^t will be remembered that Doctor Sitgreaves spoke forty years
ago, and Wellmere was unable to contradict his prophetic assertion.
Finding the subject getting to be knotty, the Englishman retired
to the apartment in which the ladies had a^embled; and, seated by
the side of Sarah, he found a more pleasing employment in relating
the events of fsishionable life in the metropolis, and in recalling the
thousand little anecdotes of their former associates. Miss Peyton
was a pleased liistener, as she dispensed the bounties of the tea-
table, and Sarah frequently bowed her blushing countenance to her
needle-work, as her face glowed at the flattering remarks of her
companion.
The dialogue wo have related established a perfect truce between
the surgeon and his comrade ; and the former having paid a visit to
Singleton, they took their leave of the ladies, and mounted; the
former to visit the wounded at the encampment, and the latter to
rejoin his troop. But their movements were arrested at the gate
by an occurrence that wo shall relate in the next chapter
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER XIV.
I see no more those white locks thinly spmil
Round the bald polish of that honourM head :
No more that meek, that suppliant look in prajei.
Nor that pure faith that gave^it force, are there :
But he is blest, and I lament no more,
A wise good man, contented to be poor
Crabbe.
We have already said; that the castomB of America leave the dead
but a short time in the sight of the mourners; and the necessity of
providing for his own safety had compelled the pedler to abridge
even this brief space. In the confusion and agitation produced by
the events ire have recorded; the death of the elder Eireh had
occurred unnoticed; but a sufficient number of the immediate neigh-
bours were hastily collected^ and the ordinaiy rites of sepulture were
now about to be paid to the deceased. It was the approach of this
humble procession that arrested the movements of the trooper and
his comrade. Four men supported the body on a rude bier ; and
four others walked in advance^ ready to relieve their friends from
their burden. The pedler walked next the coffin^ and by his side
moved Katy HayneS; with a most determined aspect of wo, and next
to the mourners came Mr. Wharton and the English Captain.
Two or three old men and women^ with a few straggling boys,
brought up the rear. Captain Lawton sat in his saddle, in rigid
silence, until the bearers came opposite to his position, and then,
for the first time, Harvey raised his eyes from the ground, and saw
the enemy that he dreaded so near him. The first impulse of the
Digitized by VjOQQIC
I HE SPY. 195
pedler was certainly flight; but recovering his recollection, he fixed
his eye on the coflGui of his parent, and passed the dragoon with a
firm step but swelling heart. The trooper slowly lifted his cap, and
continued uncovered until Mr. Wharton and his son had moved by,
when, accompanied by the surgeon, he rode leisurely in the rear,
maintaining an inflexible silence.
CdBsar emerged from the cellar kitchen of the cottage, and with a
face of settled solemnity, added himself to the number of the fol-
lowers of the funeral, though with an humble mien, and at a most
respectful distance from the horsemen. The old negro had placed
around his arm, a little above the elbow, a napkin of unsullied
whiteness, it being the only time since his departure from the city
that he had enjoyed an opportunity of exhibiting himself in the
garniture of servile mourning. He was a great lover of propriety,
and had been a little stimulated to this display by a desire to show
his sable friend from Georgia all the decencies of a New York fune-
ral; and the ebullition of his zeal went off very well, producing no
other result than a mild lecture from Miss Peyton at his return, on
the fitness of things. The attendance of the black was thought well
enough hi itself; but the napkin was deemed a superfluous exhibi-
tion of ceremony, at the funeral of a man who had performed all the
menial offices in his own person.
The grave-yard was an enclosure on the grounds of Mr. Wharton,
which had been fenced with stone, and set apart for the purpose, by
that gentleman, some years befDre. It was not, however, intended
as a burial-place for any of his own family. Until the fire, which
raged as the British troops took possession of New York, had laid
Trinity in ashes, a goodly gilded tablet on its walls proclaimed the
virtues of his deceased parents, and beneath a flag of marble, in one
of the aisles of the church, their bones were left to moulder in aris-
tocraticiil repose. Captain Lawton made a movement as if he was
disposed to follow the procession, when it left the highway, to enter
the field which contained the graves of the humble dead, but he was
Digitized by VjOOQIC
196 THE SPY.
recalled to recollection by a hint from Ms companion tbat he was
taking the wrong road.
" Of all the various methods which have been adopted by man
for the disposal of his earthly remains, which do you prefer," Captain
Lawton ?" said the surgeon, as they separated from the little pro-
cession : " in some countries the body is exposed to be devoured by
wild beasts ; in others it is suspended in the air to exhale its sub-
stance in the manner of decomposition ; in other regions it is con-
sumed on the funeral pile, and, again, it is inhumed in the bowela
of the earth 5 every people have their own particular fashion, and to
which do you give the preference?"
" All are agreeable," said the trooper, following the group they
had left with his eyes ; " though the speediest interments give the
cleanest fields. Of which are you an admirer V
"The last, as practised by ourselves, for the other three are
destructive of all the opportunities for dissection; whereas, in the
last, the coffin can lie in peaceful decency, while the remains arc
made to subserve the useful purposes of science. Ah I Captain
Lawton, I enjoy comparatively but few opportunities of such a
nature, to what I expected on entering the army."
" To what may these pleasures numerically amount in a year V
said the Captain, withdrawing his gaze &om the grave-yard.
" Within a dozen, upon my honour; my best picking is when the
corps is detached; for when we are with the main army, there are
BO many boys to be satisfied, that I seldom get a good subject*
Those youngsters are as wasteful sa prodigals, and as greedy as vul-
tures."
"A dozen!" echoed the trooper, in surprise; "why I furnish
you that number with my own hands."
"Ah! JacK," returned the doctor, approaching the subject with
great tenderness of manner, " it is seldom I can do any thing with
your patients; you disfigure them wofully; believe me, John, when
[ tell you as a friend that your system is all wrong; you uimeces-
Digitized by CjOOQLC
THE SPY. 197
carilj destroy life, and then you injure the body so that it is unfit
for the only use that can be made of a dead man/'
The trooper maintained a silence, which he thought would be the
most probable means of preserviilg peace between them; and the
surgeon, turning his head from taking a last look at the burial, as
they rode round the foot of the hill that shut the valley from their
sight, continued with a suppressed sigh —
** One might get a natural death from that graye-yard to-night, if
there was but time and opportunity ! the patient must be the fitther
of the lady we saw this morning/'
"The petticoat doctor! — she with the Aurora Borealis com-
plexion,'' said the trooper, with a smile, that began to cause uneasi-
ness to his companion; "but the lady was not the gentleman's
daughter, only his medico-petticoat attendant; and the Harvey,
whose name was made to rhyme with every word in her song, is the
renowned pedler-spy/'
" What I he who unhorsed you ?"
"No man ever unhorsed me. Dr. Sitgreaves," said the dragoon,
gravely ; " I fell by a mischance of Eoanoko ; rider and beast kissed
the earth together."
"A warm embrace, from the love spots it left on your cuticle;
'tis a thousand pities that you cannot find where the tattling rascal
Ues hid."
" He followed his father's body."
" And you let him pass I" cried the surgeon, checking his horse ;
" let us return immediately and take him; to-morrow you shall have
him hanged. Jack, — and, damn him, I'll dissect him!"
" Softly, softly, my dear Archibald, would you arrest a man while
paying the last offices to a dead father ? Leave him to me, and I
pledge myself he shall have justice."
" The doctor muttered his dissatisfaction at any postponement of
vengeance, but he was compelled to acquiesce, from a regard to his
reputation for propriety; and they continued their ride to the quar-
Digitized by VjOOQLC
198 THE SPT.
kcrs of the corps, engaged in yarious discuadons ccneeming the wel-
fare of the human body.
Eirch supported the grave and collected manner, that was thought
becoming in a male mourner on such occasions, and to Kat j was le£t
the part of exhibiting the tenderness of the softer sex. There are
some people, whose feelings are of such a nature, that thej cannot
weep unless it be in proper company, and the spinster was a good
deal addicted to this congregational virtue. After casting her ejcs
round the small assemblage, the housekeeper found the countenances
of the few females, who were present, fixed on her in solemn expec-
tation, and the effect was instantaneous; the maiden really wept, and
she gained no inconsiderable sympathy, and some reputation for a
tender heart, from the spectators. TThe muscles of the pedler's face
were seen to move, and as the first clod of earth fell on the tenement
of his &ther, sending up that dull, hollow sound, that speaks so elo-
quently the mortality of man, his whole frame was for an instant
convulsed. He bent liis body down, as if in pain, his fingers worked
while the hands hung lifeless by his side, and ihere was an expres-
sion in his countenance that seemed to announce a writhing of the
soul; but it was not unresisted, and it was transient. He stood
erect, drew a long breath, and looked around him with an elevated
face, that even seemed to smile with a consciousness of having ob
tained the mastery. The grave was soon filled; a rough stone,
placed at either extremity, marked its position, and the turf, whose
fiuled vegetation was adapted to the fortunes of the deceased, covered
the little hillock with the last office of seemliness. This office ended,
the neighbours, who had officiously pressed forward to ofier their
services in performing this solemn duty, paused, and lifting their
hats, stood looking towards the mourner, who now felt himself to
be really alone in the world. Uncovering his head also, the pedler
hesitated a moment, to gather energy, and spoke.
" My friends and neighbours," he said, " I thank you for assisting
me to bury my dead out of my sight."
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THB S1»T. 199
A solemn pause succeeded the customary addresS; and the group
dispersed in silence^ some few walking with the mourners back to
their own habitation^ but respectfully leaving them at its entrance.
The pedler and Katy were followed into the building by one man^
however, who was well known to the surrounding country by the
significant term of "a speculator." Katy saw him enter, with a
heart that palpitated with dreadful forebodings, but Harvey civilly
handed him a chair, and evidently was prepared for the visit.
The pedler went to the door, and, taking a cautious glance about
the valley, quickly returned, and commenced the following dialogue —
'^ The sun has just left the top of the eastern hill ; my time presses
me: here is the deed for the house and lot; every thing is done
according to law."
The other took the paper, tsid. conned its contents with a delibe-
ration that proceeded partly from his caution, and partly from the
unlucky circumstance of his education having been much neglected
when a youth. The time occupied in this tedious examination was
employed by Harvey in gathering together certain articles, which he
intended to include in the stores that were to leave the habitation
with himself. Katy had already enquired of the pedler, whether
the deceased had left a will ; and she saw the Bible placed in the
bottom of a new pack, which she had made for his accommodation,
with a most stoical indifference; but as the six silver spoons were
laid carefully by its side, a sudden twinge of her conscience objected
to such a palpable waste of property, and she broke silence.
" When you many, Harvey, you may miss those spoons."
"I never shall marry."
'* Well, if you don't, there 's no occasion to make rash promises,
even to yourself. One never knows what one may do, in such a
ease. I should like to know, of what use so many spoons can be to
a single man : for my part, I think it is a duty for every man who
; is well provided, to have a wife and family to maintain."
At the time whon Katy expressed this sentiment, the fortune of
Digitized by VjOOQIC
200 THE SPY.
women in her class of life consisted of a cow, a bed, the labours of
their own hands in the shape of divers pillow-cases, blankets, and
sheets, with, where fortune was unusually kind, a half-dozen silver
spoons. The spinster herself had obtained all the other necessaries
by her own industry and prudence, and it can easily be imagined
that she saw the articles she had long counted her own, vanish in
the enormous pack, with a dissatisfaction that was in no degree di-
minished by the declaration that had preceded the act. Han^ey,
however, disregarded her opinions and feelings, and continued his
employment of filling the paxjk, which soon grew to something like
the ordinary size of the pedler's burden.
"I'm rather timersome about this conveyance," said the pur-
chaser, having at length waded through the covenants of the deed.
"Why so?"
" I 'm afraid it won't stand good in law. I know that two of the
neighbours leave home to-morrow morning, to have the place entered
for confistication ; and if I should give forty pounds, and lose it all,
't would be a dead pull-back to me."
" They can only take my right," said the pedler ; " pay me two
hundred dollars, and the house is yours : you are a well-known
Whig, and you at least they won't trouble." As Harvey spoke,
there was a strange bitterness of manner, mingled with the shrewd
care he expressed concerning the sale of his property.
" Say one hundred, and it is a bargain," returned the man, with
a grin that he meant for a good-natured smile.
"A bargain!" echoed the pedler, in surprise; "I thought the
bargain already made.
"Nothing is a bargain," said the purchaser, with a chuckle,
" until papers are delivered, and the money paid in hand."
" You have the' paper."
"Ay, and will keep it, if you will excuse flie money; come, say
one hundred and fifty, and I won't be hard; here — here is just
the money."
Digitized by V3OOQIC
THS SPY. 201
The pedler looked from the window, and saw with dismay that
the evening was fast advancing, and knew well that he endangered
his life by remaining in the dwelling after dark ; yet he could not
tiolerato the idea of being de&auded in this manner, in a bargain that
had already been fairly made ; he hesitated.
"Well,'' said the purchaser, rising, "mayhap you can find
another man to trade with between this and morning ; but, if you
don't, your title won't be worth much afterwards."
" Take it, Harvey," said Katy, who felt it impossible to resist a
tender like the one before her; for the purchase-money was in
English guineas. Her voice roused the pedler, and^a new idea
seemed to strike him.
" I agree to the price," he said ; and, turning to the spinster, ho
placed part of the money in her hand, as he contiDued — "had I
other means to pay you, I would have lost all, rather than have suf-
fered myself to be defrauded of part."
" You may lose all yet," muttered the stranger, with a sneer, as
he rose and left the building.
" Yes," said Katy, following him with her eyes; " he knows your
failing, Harvey; he thinks with me, now the old gentleman is gone,
you will want a careful body to take care of your concerns."
The pedler was busied in making arrangements for his departure,
and he took no notice of this insinuation, while the spinster returned
again to the attack. She had lived so many years in expectation of
a termination to her hopes, so different from that which now seemed
likely to occur, that the idea of separation began to give her more
imeasiness than she had thought herself capable of feeling, about a
nan so destitute and friendless.
" Have you another house to go to ?" enquired Katy.
'' Providence will provide me with a home."
** Yes," said the housekeeper; "but maybe 'twill not be to your
liking."
*''rho poor must not be difficult."
Digitized by VjOOQIC
202 THE SPY.
" I 'in sure I 'm any thing but a diJEBcult body/' cried the spinster,
fery hastily; "but I love to see things becoming, and in their
places; yet I wouldn't be hard to persuade to leave this place
myself. I can't say I altogether like the ways of the people
hereabouts."
" The valley is lovely/' said the pedler, with fervour, " and the
people like all the /ace of man. But to me it matters nothing ; all
places are now alike^ and all faces equaUy strange ;" as he spoke he
dropped the article he was packing from his hand, and seated him-
self on a chest, with a look of vacant misery.
" Not so, not so," said Katy, shoving her chair nearer to the place
where the pedler sat ; " not so, Harvey, you must know me at least ;
my face cannot be strange to you, certainly."
Birch turned his eyes slowly on her countenance, which exhibited
more of feeling, and less of self, than he had ever seen there before :
he took her hand kindly, and his own features lost some of their
painful expression, as he said —
" Yes, good woman, you, at least, are not a stranger to me ; you
may do me partial justice; when others revile me, possibly youi
feelings may lead you to say something in my defence."
"That I will; that I would!" said Katy, eagerly; "I will
defend you, Harvey, to the last drop; let me hear them that dare
revile you ! you say true, Harvey, I am partial and just to you ;
what if you do like the king ? I have often heard it said he was at
the bottom a good man ; but there 's no religion in the old country,
for everybody allows the ministers are desperate bad !"
The pedler paxjed the floor in evident distress of mind ; his eye
^lad a look of wildness that Katy had never witnessed before,
and his step was measured, with a dignity that appalled the house-
keeper.
" While my father lived," murmured Harvey, unable to smother
bis feelings, "there was one who read my heart; and oh! what a
consolation to return from my secret marches of danger, and the
Digitized by CjOOQIC
THE spr. 203
insults and wrongs that I suffered^ to receive his blessing and his
praise ; but he is gone/' he continued, stopping and gazing \nldlj
towards the comer that xised to hold the figure of his parent, *^ and
who is there to do me justice ?"
" Why, Harvey ! Harvey !''
" Yes, there is one who will, who must know me before I die I
Oh ! it is dreadful to die, and leave such a name behind me.''
"Don't talk of dying, Harvey," said the spinster, glancing her
oye around the room, and pushing the wood in the fire to obtain a
light from the blaz3.
The ebullition of feeling in the pedler was over. It had been
excited by the events of the past day, and a vivid perception of his
sufferings. It was not long, however, that passion maintained an
ascendency over the reason of this singular man; and perceiving
that the night had already thrown an obscurity around objects with-
out doors, he hastily threw his pack over his shoulders, and takin^r
Katy kindly by the hand, in leave-taking —
"It is painful to part with even you, good woman," he saidj
" but the hour has come, and I must go. What is left in the house
is yours; to me it could be of no use, and it may serve to make you
more comfortable. Farewell — we shall meet hereafter."
" In the regions of darkness," cried a voice that caused the pedler
to sink on the chest from which he had risen in despair.
"What ! another pack, Mr. Birch, and so well stuffed so soon !"
" Have you not done evil enough ?" cried the pedler, regaining
his firmness, and springing on his feet with energy ; " is it not enough
to harass the last moments of a dying man; to impoverish me; what
more would you have?"
" Your blood," said the Skinner, with cool malignity.
"And for money," cried Harvey, bitterly; "like the ancient
Judas, you would grow rich with the price of blood 1"
" Ay I and a fair price it is, my gentleman; fifty guiccas; nearly
the weight of that scare-crow carcass of yours in gold."
Digitized by
Google
204 THE SPT*
"Here/' said Katy, promptly; "here are fifteen guineas, and
these drawers, and this bed, are all mine; if you will give Harvey
but one hour's start from the door, they shall be yours."
"One hour?" said the Skinner, showing his teeth, and looking
with a longing eye at the money. .
"But a single hour; here, take the money."
"Holdl" cried Harvey; "put no feith in the miscreant."
" She may do what she pleases with her faith," said the Skinner,
with malignant pleasure ; " but I have the money in good keeping;
as for you, Mr. Birch, we will bear your insolence, for the fifty gui-
neas that are to pay for your gallows."
"Go on," said the pedler, proudly; "take me to Major Dun-
woodie ; he, at least, may be kind, although he may be just."
"I can do better than by marching so fax in such disgraceful
company ; this Mr. Dunwoodie has let one or two Tories go at large ;
but the troop of Captain Lawton is quartered some half mile nearer,
and his receipt will get me the reward as soon as his Major's; how
relish you the idea of supping with Captain Lawton, this evening,
Mr. Birch?"
" Give mc my money, or set Harvey free," cried the spinster in
alarm.
" Your bribe was not enough, good woman, unless there is money
in this bed :" thrusting his bayonet through the tickings and ripping
it for some distance, he took a malicious satisfaction in scattering its
coKte^iB about the room. .
" If," cried the housekeeper, losing sight of her personal danger,
in care for her newly-acquired property, " there is law in the land,
I will be righted!"
" The law of the neutral ground is the law of the strongest; but
your tongue is not as long as L.*y bayonet; you had, therefore, best
not set them at loggerheads, or you might be the loser."
A figure stood in the shadow of the door, as if afraid to be seen
in the group of Skinners ; but a blaze of light, raised by some arti-
Digitized by
Google
THB SPY. 205
cles thrown in the fire by his persecutors, showed the pedler the face
of the purchaser of his little domain. Occasionally there was some
whispering between this man and the Skinner nearest him, that in-
duced Harvey to suspect he had been the dupe of a contrivance in
f?hich that wretch had participated. It was, however, too late to
lopine ; and he followed the party firom the house with a firm and
collected tread, as if marching to a triumph, and not to a gallows.
In passing through the yard, the leader of the band fell over a billet
of wood, and received a momentary hurt from the fall : exasperated
at the incident, the fellow sprang on his feet, filling the air with
execrations. •
** The curse of Heaven light on the log !" he exclaimed ; " the
night is too dark for us to move in : throw that brand of fire in yon
pile of tow, to light up the scene."
" Hold !" roared the speculator; "you'll fire the house."
"And see the farther," said the other, hurling the brand in the
midst of the combustibles. In an instant the building was in fiames.
" Come on ; let iis move towards the heights while we have light to
pick our iroad."
" Villain V cried the exasperated purchaser, " is this your friend-
ship — this my reward for kidnapping the pedler?"
" 'T would be wise to move more from the light, if you mean to
entertain us with abuse, or we may see too well to miss our mark,"
cried the leader of the gang. The next instant he was as good as
his threat, but happily missed the terrified speculator and equally
appalled spinster, who saw herself again reduced from comparative
wealth to poverty, by the blow. Prudence dictated to the pair a
speedy retreat; and the next morning, the only remains of the
dwelling of the pedler was the huge chimney we have alreadv men-
tiopr>^
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTEK XV.
THfle.?^ light as air,
Are to the jealous confirmations strong
As proofs from holy writ
Moor of Venice
*
The weather^ which had beep mild and clear since the storix}, now
changed with the suddenness of the American climate. Towards
evening the cold blasts poured down from, the mountains, and flur-
ries of snow plainly indicated that the month of November had ar-
rived; a season whose temperature varies from the heats of summer
to the cold of winter. Frances had stood at the window of her own
apartment, watching the slow progress of the funeral procession, with
a melancholy that was too deep to be excited by the spectacle. There
was something in the sad office that was in unison with her feelings.
As she gazed around, she saw the trees bending to the force of the
wind, that swept through the valley with an impetuosity that shook
even the buildings; and the forest, that had so lately glittered in the
sun with its variegated hues, was fast losing its loveliness, as the
leaves were torn from the branches, and were driving irregularly
before the eddies of the blast. A few of the southern dragoons, who
were patrolling the passes which led to the encampment of the corps,
could be distinguished at a distance on the heights, bending to their
pommels as they faced the keen air which had so lately traversed the
great fresh-water lakes, and drawing their watch-coats about them in
tighter folds,
Frances witnessed the disappearance of the wooden tenement of
the deceased, as it was slowiy lowered from the light of day; and
Digitized by CjOOQLC
THE SPY. 207
the sight added to the chilling dreariness of the view. Captain Sin-
gleton was sleeping under the care of his own man, while his sister
had been persuaded to take possession of her room, for the purpose
of obtaining the repose of which her last night's journeying had
robbed her. The apartment of Miss Singleton communicated with
the room occupied by the sisters, through a private door, as well .as
through the ordinary passage of the house 5 this door was partly
open, and Frances moved towards it, with the benevolent intention
of ascertaining the situation of her guest, when the surprised girl
saw her whom she had thought to be sleeping, not only awake, but
employed in a manner that banished all probability of present repose.
The black tresses, that during the dinner had been drawn in close
folds over the crown of the head, were now loosened, and fell in pro-
fusion over her shoulders and bosom, imparting a slight degree of
wildness to hfer countenance ; the chilling white of her complexion
waa strongly contrasted with eyes of the deepest black, that were fixed
in rooted attention on a picture she held in her hand. Frances
hardly breathed, as she was enabled, by a movement of Isabella, tc
see that it was the figure of a man in the well-known dress of the
southern horse ; but she gasped for breath, and instinctively laid hei
hand on her heart to quell its throbbings, as she thought she recog-
nised the lineaments that were so deeply seated in her own imagina-
tion. Frances felt she was improperly prying into the sacred pri-
vacy of another; but her emotions were too powerful to permit her
to speak, and she drew back to a chair, where she still retained a
view of the stranger, from whose countenance she felt it to be im-
possible to withdraw her eyes. Isabella was too much engrossed by
her own feelings to discover the trembling figure of the witness to
her actions, and she pressed the inanimate image to her lips, with
an enthusiasm that denoted the most intense passion. The expres-
sion of the countenance of the fair stranger was so changeable, and
the transitions were so rapid, that Frances had scarcely time to dis-
tinguish the character of the emotion, before it was succeeded by
Digitized by VjOOQIC
208 THE SPY.
another, equally powerful and equally attractive. Admiration and
sorrow were, however, the preponderating passions; the latter waa
indicated by large drops that fell from her eyes on the picture, and
which followed each other over her cheek at such intervals, as seemed
to pronounce the grief too heavy to admit of the ordinary demonstra*,
tions of sorrow. Every movement of Isabella was marked by an
onthusiasm that was peculiar to her nature, and every passion in its
turn triumphed in her breast. The fury of the wind, as it whistled
round the angles of the building, was in consonance with those feel-
ings, and she rose and moved to a window of her apartment. Her
figure was now hid from the view of Frances, who was about to rise
and approach her guest, when tones of a thnlling melody chained
her in breathless silence to the spot. The notes were wild^a nd the'
voice not powerful, but the execution exceeded any thing that Fran-
ces had ever heard; and she stood, endeavouring to stifle the sounds
of her own gentle breathing, until the following song was eon-
daded : —
Cold blcyw the blasts o*er the tops of the mountain.
And bare is the oak on the hill ;
Slowly the vapours exhale firom the fountain,
\ And bright gleams the ice-border*d rill ;
All nature is seeking its annual rest,
But the slumbers of peace have deserted myjbfi
Long has the storm poorM its weight on my natio n.
And long have her brave stood the shock ;
Long has our chieflain ennobled his station,
A bulwark on liberty's rock ; —
Unlicensed ambition relaxes its toil,
\ Yet blighted affection represses my smile.
\ Abroad the wild fury of winter is lowering,
And leafless and drear is the tree ;
\ But the vertical sun of the south appears pouring
Its fierce killing heats upon me: —
Without all the season's chill symptoms begin — .
But the fire of passion is raging within.
Frances abandoned her whole soul to the suppressed melody a.'
Digitized by CjOOQIC
/
THE SPY. 200
the mtisic^ though the langoage of tho song expressed a meaning,
which, united mth certain events of that and the preceding day, left
a sensation of uneasiness in the bosom of the warm-hearted girl, to
which she had hitherto been a stranger. Isabella moved from the
window as her last tones melted on the ear of her admiring listener,
and, for the first time, her eye rested on the pallid £iM5e of the intru-
der. A glow of fire lighted the countenance of both at the same in-
stant, and the blue eye of Frances met the brilliant black one of her
guest for a single moment, and both fell in abashed confusion on the
carpet; they advanced, however, until they met, and had taken each
other's hand, before either ventured again to look her companion in
the £ace.
'^ This sudden change in the weather, and perhaps the situation
of my brother, have imited to make me melancholy. Miss Wharton,"
said Isabella, in a low tone, and in a voice that trembled as she
spoke.
"'Tis thought you have little to apprehend for your brother,"
said Frances, in the same embarrassed manner; "had you seen him
when he was brought in by Major Dunwoodie — ^'
Frances paused, with a feeling of conscious shame, for which she
could not account; and, in raising her eyes, she saw Isabella study-
ing her countenance with an earnestness that again drove the blood
lumultuously to her temples.
" You were speaking of Major Dunwoodie," said Isabella, faintly.
" He was with Captain Singleton."
" Do you know Dunwoodie ? have you seen him often ?" Once
moro Frances ventured to look her guest in the face, and again she
met the piercing eyes bent on her, as if to search her inmost heart.
" Speak, Miss Wharton ; is Major Dunwoodie known to you ?"
" He is my relative," said Frances, appalled at the manner of the
other.
"A relative!'' echoed Miss Singleton; " in what degree ? — speak.
Miss Wharton, I conjure you to speak."
Digitized by VjOOQIC
210 THE SPY.
" Our parents were cousins," faintly replied Frances.
" And he is to be your husband l" said the stranger, impetuously.
Frances felt shocked, and all her pride awakened, by this direct
attack upon her feelings, and she raised her eyes from the floor to
her interrogator a little proudly, when the pale cheek and quivering
lip of Isabella removed her resentment in a moment.
" It is true I my conjecture is true : speak to me. Miss Wharton ;
I conjure you, in mercy to my feelings, to tell me — do you love
Dunwoodie ?" There was a plaintive earnestness in the voice of
. Miss Singleton, that disarmed Frances of all resentment, and the
only answer she could make was hiding her burning face between
her hands, as she sunk back in a chair to conceal her confusion.
Isabella paced the floor in silence for several minutes, until she
had succeeded in conquering the violence of her feelings, when she
approached the place where Frances yet sat, endeavouring to exclude
the eyes of her companion from reading the shame expressed in her
countenance, and, taking the hand of the other, she spoke witlran
evident effort at composure.
" Pardon me. Miss Wharton, if my ungovernable feelings have
led me into mjjMmgrie^; the powerful motive — ^the cruel reason — "
she hesitated; Frances now raised her face, and their eyes once
more met; they fell in each other's arms, and laid their burning
cheeks together. The embrace was long — ^was ardent and sincere —
but neither spoke ; and on separating, Frances retired to her own
room without further explanation.
While this extraordinary scene was acting in the room of Miss
Singleton, matters of great importance were agitated in the drawing-
room. The disposition of the fragments of such a dinner as the one
we have recorded, was a task that required no little exertion and
calculation. Notwithstanding several of the small game had nestled
in the pocket of Captain Lawton's man, and even the assistant of
Dr. Sitgreaves had calculated the uncertainty of his remaining long
in such good quarters, still there was more left, unconsumed, than
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SFT. 211
the prudent Miss Peyton knew how to dispose of to advantage.
Cflosar and his mistress had^ therefore^ a long and confidential com
munication on this important business ; and the consequence waS;
Ixhat Colonel WeUmere was left to the hospitality of Sarah Wharton.
All the ordinary topics of conversation were exhausted^ when the
Ojloncl^ with a little of the uneasiness that is in some degree inse-
parable from conscious error^ touched lightly on the transactions of
the preceding day.
" We little thought, Miss Wharton, when I first saw this Mr.
Dunwoodie in your house in Queen Street, that he was to be the
renowned warrior he has proved himself," said Wellmere, endeavour-
ing to smile away his chagrin.
"Renowned, when we consider the enemy he overcame," said
Sarah, with consideration for her companion's feelings. "'Twas
most unfortunate, indeed, in every respect, that you met with the
accident, or doubtless the royal arms would have triumphed in their
usual manner."
" And yet the pleasure of such society as this accident has intro-
duced me to, would more than repay the pain of a mortified spirit
and wounded body," added the Colonel, in a manner of peculiar
softness.
" I hope the latter is but trifling," said Sarah, stooping to hide
her blushes under the pretext of biting a thread fix)m the work on
her knee.
" Trifling, indeed, compared to the former," returned the Colonel,
in the same manner. " Ah ! Miss Wharton, it is in such moments
that we feel the full value of friendship and sympathy."
Those who have never tried it cannot easily imagine what a rapid
progress^a warm-hearted female can make in love, in the short space
of half an hour, particularly where there is a predisposition to the
distemper. Sarah foimd the conversation, when it began to touch
on friendship and sympathy, too interesting to venture her voice
Digitized by
Google .
212 THE 8PT. <
with a reply. She, however, turned her eyes on the Colonel, and
saw him gazing at her fine fifiGe with an admiration that was quite as
manifest, and much more soothing, than any words could make it.
Their t6te-&-t^te was uninterrupted for an hour; and although
nothing that would be called decided, by an experienced matron,
was said by the gentleman, he uttered a thousand things that
delighted his companion, who retired to her rest with a lighter hearl
khan she had felt since the arrest of her brother by the Americans.
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER XVI.
And let mc the canakin clinks clink
And let me the canakin clink.
A soldier *s a man;
A life's but a span;
Why then, lot a soldier drink.
lago.
TnB position held by the corps of dragoons, we have already said,
was a favourite place of halting with their commander. A cluster
of some half-dozen small and dilapidated buildings formed wliat, from
the circumstance of two roads intersecting each other at right angles,
was called the village of the Four Comers. As usual, one of the
most imposing of these edifices had been termed, in the language of
the day, ^^a house of entertainment for man and beast.'' On a
rough board suspended from the gallows-looking post that had sup-
ported the ancient sign, was, however, written in red chalk, "UZac-
heth Flanagan, lier Jiotel/' an ebullition of the wit of some of the
idle wags of the corps. The matron, whose name had thus been
exalted to an office of such unexpected dignity, ordinarily discharged
the duties of a female sutler, washerwoman, and, to use the language
of Katy Haynes, petticoat doctor to the troops. She was the widow
of a soldier who had been killed in the service, and who, like her-
self, was a native of a distant island, and had early tried his fortune
in the colonies of North America. She constantly migrated with
the troops; and it was seldom that they became stationary for two
days at a time but the little cart of tho bustling woman wa.s seen
driving into the encampment, loaded with such articles as she con
Digitized by VjOOQLC
214 THE SPY.
ceived would make her presence most welcome. With a celerity
that seemed almost supematoral; Betty took up her ground and
commenced her occupation. Sometimes the cart itself was her shop ;
at others the soldiers made her a rude shelter of such materials as
offered; but on the present occasion she had seized on a Yacant
buildings and; by dint of stuffing the dirty breechcb and half-dried
linen of the troopers into the broken windows^ to exclude the cold,
l^hich had now become severe, she-formed what she herself had pro-
nounced to be " most iliigant lodgings." The men were quartered
in the adjacent bams, and the officers collected in the " Hotel Flan-
agan/' as they facetiously called head-quarters. Betty was well
known to every trooper in the corps, could call each by his Christian
or nickname, as best suited her fancy; and, although absolutely
inajleiiblc tx) all T7hom habit had not made familiar with her virtues,
was a general favourite with these partisan warriors. Her faults
were, a trifling love of liquor, excessive filthiness, and a total disre-
gard of all the decencies of language ; her virtues, an unbounded
love for her adopted country, perfect honesty when dealing on cer-
tain known principles with the soldiery, and great good-nature.
Added to these, Betty had the merit of being the inventor of that
beverage which is so well known, at the present hour, to all the
patriots who make a winter's march between the commercial and
political capitals of this great state, and which is distinguished by
the name of " cock-tail." Elizabeth Elanagan Tfas peculiarly well
qualified, by education and circumstances, to perfect this improve-
ment in liquors, having been literally brought up on its principal
•ngrq^ient, and having acquired from her Virginian customers the
ii£:e of mint, from its flavour in a julep to its height of renown in the
article in question. Such, then, was the mistress of the mansion,
who, reckless of the cold northern blasts, showed her blooming face
from the door of the building to welcome the arrival of her favomtc,
Captain Lawton, and his companion, her master in matters of
surgery.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY. 215
*^ All I by my hopes of promotion, my gentle Elizabeth, but yon
are 'welcome l" cried the trooper, as he threw himself from his sad-
dle; "this villanous fresh-water gas from the Canadaa has been
whistling among my bones till they ache with the cold, but the sight
of your fiery countenance is as cheering as a Christmas ^eJ'
" Now surC; Captain Jack, yee's always full of your compliment-
aries," replied the sutler, taking the bridle of her customer; "but
hurry in for the life of you, darling; the fences hereabouts are* not
BO strong as in the Highlands, and there 's that within will warm
both sowl and body."
" So* you have been laying the rails under contribution, I see :
well, that may do for the body," said the Captain, coolly; "but I
have had a pull at a bottle of cut-glass with a silver stand, and I
ioubt my relish for your whiskey for a month to come/'
^"If it's silver or goold that yee'r thinking of, it's but little I
have, though I've a trifling bit of the continental," said Betty, with
a look of humour; "but there's that within that's fit to be put in
vissels of di'monds."
" What can she mean, Archibald ?" asked Lawton : " the animal
looks as if it meant more than it says T'
" 'T is probably a wandering of the reasoning powers, created by
the frequency of intoxicating draughts," observed the surgeon, as he
deliberately threw his left leg over the pommel of the saddle, and
slid down on the right side of his horse.
" Faith, my dear jewel of a doctor, but it was this side I was ex-
picting you ; the whole corps come down on this side but yeerself,"
said Betty, winking at the trooper: "but I've been feeding the
wounded, in yeer absence, with the fat of the land."
"Barbarous stupidity!" cried the panic-stricken physician, "to
feed men labouring under the excitement of fever with powerful
nutriment : woman, woman, you are enough to defeat the skill of
Hippocrates !"
" Pooh I" said Betty, with infinite composure, " what a botheror
Digitized by VjOOQIC
21G THE SPY.
tion yee make about a little wHskey ; there was but a gallon betvrixt
a good two dozen of them^ and I gave it to the boys to make them
sleep asy; sure, jist as slumbering drops."
Lawton and his companion now entered the building, and the first
objects which met their eyes explained the hidden meaning of
Betty's comfortable declaration. A long table, made of boards torn
from the side of an out-building, was stretched through the middle
of the largest apartment, or the bar-room, and on it was a very
scanty display of crockery ware. The steams of cookery arose from
an adjoining kitchen, but the principal attraction was in a demijohn
of fair proportions, which had been ostentatiously placed on high by
Betty as the object most worthy of notice. Lawton soon learnt that
it was teeming with the real amber-coloured juice of the grape, and
had been sent from the Locusts, as an oflfering to Major Dunwoodie,
from his friend Captain Wharton, of the royal army.
" And a royal gift it is," said the grinning subaltern, who made
the explanation. " The Major gives us an entertainment in honour
of our victory, and you see the principal expense is borne, as it should
be, by the enemy. Zounds, I am thinking that after we have primed
with such stuff, we could charge through Sir Henry's head-qiiartcrs,
and carry off the knight himself."
The Captain of dragoons was in no manner displeased at the pros-
pect of terminating so pleasantly a day that had been so agreeably
commenced. He was soon surrounded by his comrades, who made
many eager enquiries concerning his adventures, while the surgeon
proceeded, with certain quakings of the heart, to examine into tht
state of his wounded. Enormous fires were snapping in the chim
neys of the house, superseding the necessity of candles, by the bright
light which was thrown from the blazing piles. The group within
were all young men, and tried soldiers; in number they were rather
more than a dozen, and their manners and conversation were a strange
mixture of the blunlJness of the partisan with the manners of gentle-
pien. Their dresses were neat, though plain; and a never-failing
Digitized by VjOOQLC
THE SPY,
217
topic amongst them was the performance and quality of their horses.
Some were endeavouring to sleep on the benches which lined the
walls^ some were walking the apartments^ and others were seated in
earnest discussion on subjects connected with the business of their
lives. Occasionally^ as the door of the Mtchen opened^ the hissing
sounds of the frying-pans and the inviting savour of the food created
a stagnation in all other employments; even the sleeperS; at such
moments, would open their eyes, and raise their heads, to reconnoitre
the state of the preparations. All this time Dunwoodie sat by him-
self, gazing at the fire, and lost in reflections which none of his offi-
cers presumed to disturb. He had made earnest enquiries of Sit-
greaves after the condition of Singleton, during which a profound
and respectful silence was maintained in the room; but as soon as
he had ended, and resumed his seat, the usual ease and freedom
prevailed.
The arrangement of the table was a matter of but little concern
to Mrs. Flanagan ; and Caesar would have been sadly scandalized at
witnessing the informality with which various dishes, each bearing
a wonderful resemblance to the others, were placed before so many
gentlemen <^ consideration. In taking their places at the board^
the strictest attention was paid to precedency; for, notwithstanding
the freedcxn of manners which prevailed in the corps, the points of
militaxy etiquette were at all times observed, with something ap-
proaching to religious veneration. Most of the guests had been
fasting too long to be in any degree fastidious in their appetites;
but the case was different with Captain Lawton; he felt an unac-
countable loathing at the exhibition of Betty's food, and could not
refrain from making a few passing conmients on the condition of the
knives, and the clouded aspect of the plates. The good-nature and
the personal affection of Betty for the offender, restrained her, for
Bome time, from answering his innuendoes, until Lawton, having
ventured to admit a pece of the black meat into his mouth, enquired,
with the affectation of a spoiled child, —
Digitized.by CjOOQIC
218 THE SFlr.
^^ What kind of animal might this have been when limg^ Mrs
Flanagan?"
^^ Sure; Captain^ and wasn't it the ould cow/' replied the sutler^
with a warmth that proceeded partly from dissatisfaction at the com-
plaints of her favourite, and partly from grief at the loss of the d^.-
ceased.
"What!" roared the trooper, stopping short as he was about to
swallow his morsel, " ancient Jenny !"
" The devil I" cried another, dropping his knife and fork, <•' gha
who made the campaign of the Jerseys with us ?"
" The very same," replied the mistress of the hotel, with a piteous
aspect of woe; "a gentle baste, and one that could and did live on
less than air, at need. Sure, gentlemen, 't is awful to have to eat
sitch an ould friend."
"And has she sunk to this?" said Lawton, pointing with his
knife to the remnants on the table.
" Nay, Captain," said Betty, with spirit, " I sould two of her
quarters to some of your troop; but divil the word did I tell the
boys what an ould frind it was they had bought, for fear it might
damage their appetites."
" Fury I" cried the trooper, with affected anger, " I shall have
my fellows as limber as supple-jacks on such fare; afraid of an
Englishman as a Virginian negro is of his driver."
" Well," said Lieutenant Mason, dropping his knife and fork in
a kind of despair, " my jaws have more sympathy than many men's
hearts. They absolutely decline making any impression on the
relics of their old acquaintance."
" Try a drop of the gift," said Betty, soothingly, pouring a large
allowance of the wine into a bowl, and drinking it off as taster to
ihe corps. " Faith, 't is but a wishy-washy sort of stuff afber all 1"
The ice once broken, however, a clear glass of wine was handed
jO Dunwoodie, who, bowing to his companions, drank the liquor in
the midst of a profound silence. For a few glasses there was much
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY. 210
V
formality observed, and sundry patriotic toasts and sentiments were
duly noticed by the con^any. The liquor, however, performed ite
wonted office ; and before the second sentinel at the door had been
relieved, all recollection of the dinner and their cares was lost in the
present festivity. Dr. Sitgreaves did not return in season to partake
of Jenny, but he was in time to receive his fair proportion of Cap-
tain Wharton's present
** A song, a song from Captain Lawton I" cried two or three of
the party in a breath, on observing the failure of some of the points
of good-fellowship in the trooper ; ** silence, for the song of Captain
Lawton."
'^Gentlemen," returned Lawton, his dark' eyes swimming with
the bumpers he had finished, though his head was as impenetrable
aa a post ; '^ I am not much of a nightdngale, but, under the favour
of your good wishes, I consent to comply with the demand."
'^Now, Jack," said Sitgreaves, nodding on his seat, '^remember
the air I taught you, and — stop, I have a copy of the words in my
pocket."
" Forbear, forbear, good doctor," said the trooper, filling his glass
with great deliberation ; *' I never could wheel round those hard
names. Gentlemen, I will ^ve you an humble attempt of my own."
** Silence, for Captain Lawton's song I" roared five or six at once ;
when the trooper proceeded, in a fine full tone, to sing the following
words to a well-known bacchanalian air, several of his comrades
helping him through the chorus with a fervour that shook Ihe crazy
edifice they were in : —
Now push the mug, my jolly boys.
And live, while live we can,
To-morrow'B son may end your joys.
For bneTe the hour of man.
And he who bravely meets the foe
Xiis lease of life can never know.
Old mother Flanagan
Come and fill the can again ;
For ycv can fill, and we can swilli
Good fietty Flanagan.
Digitized by
Google
220 THE SPY.
If love of life pervades your breast.
Or love of ease your frame,
Quit honour's path for peaceful rest.
And bear a coward's name ;
For soon and late, we danger know.
And fearless on the saddle go.
Old mother, &c.
When fereign fi)cs mvade the land,
And wives and sweethearts call :
In freedom's cause we 11 bravely stand.
Or will as bravely falL
In this fair home the fates have given.
We '11 live as lords, or live in heaven.
Old mother, &c.
At each appeal made to herself^ by the imited voices of the choiTi
Betty invariably advanced and complied literally with the request
contained in the choroS; to the infinite delight of the singers^ and
with no dmall participation in the salis^sietion on her own account.
The hostess was provided with a beverage more suited to the high
seasoning to which she had accustomed her palate^ than the tasteless
present of Captain Wharton; by which means Betty had managed,
with tolerable facility, to keep even pace with the exhilaration of
her guests. The applause received by Captain Lawton was general,
with the exception of the surgeon, who rose from the bench during
the first chorus, and paced the floor, in a flow of classical indignar
tion. The bravos and bravissimos drowned all other noises for a
short time ; but as they gradually ceased, the doctor turned to the
musician, and exclaimed, with heat— ^
^' Captain Lawton, I marvel that a gentleman, and a gallant officer,
can find no other subject for his muse, in these times of trial, than
in such beastly invocations to that notorious follower of the camp,
the filthy Elizabeth Flanagan. Mcthinks the goddess of Liberty
could furnish a more noble inspiration, and the sufferings of your
country a more befitting theme."
"Heyday I" shouted the hostess, advancing towards him in a
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY. 221
threatening attitude ; ** and who is it that calls me filthy ? Mastei
Bquirt! Master pop-gun — ^*
" Peace !" said Dunwoodie, in a voice that was exerted but a little
more than common, but which was succeeded by the stillness of
death ; " woman, leave the room. Dr. Sitgreaves, I call you to your
seat, to wait the order of the revels."
" Proceed, proceed," said the surgeon, drawing himself up in an
attitude of dignified composure ; ^' I trust, Major Dunwoodie, I am
not unacquainted with the rules of decorum, nor ignorant of tha bye-
laws of good-fellowship." Betty made a hasty but somewhat devious
retreat to her own dominions, being unaccustomed to dispute tb^
orders of the commanding officer.
" Major Dunwoodie will honour us with a sentimental song," said
Lawton, bowing to his leader, with the collected manner he so well
knew how to assume.
The Major hesitated a moment, and then sang, with fine execu-
tion, the following words: —
Some lovo tho heats of southern suns,
Where life's warm current maddening* runs,
In one quick circling stream ;
But dearer far *s the mellow light
Which trembling shines, reflected bright
In Luna*8 milder beam.
Some love tlie tulip's gaudier dyes,
Where deepening blue with yellow vies,
And gorgeous beauty glows ;
But happier he, whose bridal wreath.
By love entwined, is found to breathe
The sweetness of the rose.
The voice of Dunwoodie never lost its authority with his inferiors ;
and the applause which followed his song, though by no means so
riotous as that which succeeded the effort of the Captain, was much
more flattering.
" If, sir," said the doctor, after joming in the plaudits of his corn-
Digitized by
Google
232 THE SPT.
panions, "you would but Icam Ic unite classical allusions with
your delicate imagination, you would become a pretty amateur
poet.
" He who criticises ought to be able to perform/' said Ihmwoodie,
Vfith. a smile. " I call on Dr. Sitgreaves for a specimen of the stylo
lie admires."
" Dr. S:-tgreaves' song ! Dr. Sitgreaves' song !" echoed all at the
table with delight j "a classical ode from Dr. Sitgreaves !"
The surgeon made a complacent bow, took the remnant of hia
glass, and gave a few preliminary hems, that served hugely to de-
light three or four young comets at the foot of the table. He then
commenced singing, in a cracked voice, and to any thing but a tune,
the following ditty: —
Hast thou ever felt lovers dart, dearest.
Or breathed his tremblmg sigh —
Thought him, afar, was ever nearest.
Before that sparkling eye 7
Then hast thou known what 'tis to feel
The pain that Galen could not heaL
"Hurrah!" shouted Lawton: "Archibald eclipses the muses
themselves; his words flow like the sylvan stream by moonlight, and
his melody is a cross-breed of the nightingale and the owl."
"Captain Lai^^ton," cried the exasperated operator, "it is one
thing to despise the lights of classical learning, and another to be
despised for your own ignorance !"
A loud summons at the door of the building created a dead halt
in the uproar, and the dragoons instinctively caught up their arms,
to be prepared for the worst. The door waa opened, and the Skin-
ners entered, dragging in the pedler, bending beneath the load of
his pack.
" Which is Captain Lawton ?" said the leader of the gang, gazing
around him in some little astonishment.
" He waits your pleasure," said the trooper, drily.
Digitized by
Google
THK SPY. 223
*^Then hero I deliver to your hands a colidemned tiaitor: this is,
Harvey Birch, the pedler spy."
Lawton started as he looked his old acquaintance in the face, and,
turning to the Skinner with a lowering look, he asked —
« And who are you, sir, that speak so freely of your neighbours ?
—But," bowing to Dunwoodie, "your pardon, sir; here is the
commanding officer; to him you vrill please address yourself."
"No," said the man, sullenly, "it is to you I deliver the pedler,
and from you I claim my reward."
"Are you Harvey Birch?" said Dunwoodie, advancing with
an air of authority that instantly drove the Skinner to a comer of
the room.
"I am," said Birch, proudly.
"And a traitor to your country," continued the Major, with stern-
ness; "do you know that I should be justified in ordering your
execution this night?"
" 'T is not the will of God to call a soul so hastily to his pre-
sence," said the pedler, with solemnity.
"You speak truth," said Dunwoodie; "and a few brief hours
shall bo added to your life. But as your offence is most odious to a
soldier, so it will be sure to meet with the soldier's vengeance : you
die to-morrow."
"'Tis as God wills."
^^ I have spent many a good hour to entrap the villain," said the
Skinner, advancing a little from his comer, " and I hope you will
give me a certificate that will entitle us to the reward; 'twas pro-
mised to be paid in gold."
"Major Dunwoodie," said the officer of the day, entering the
room, "the patroles report a house to be bumt near yesterday's
battle-ground."
"'Twas the hut of the pedler," muttered the leader of the
gang; "we have not left him a shingle for shelter; I should have
Digitized by
Google
224 THE SPY.
Dornt it months ago^ but I wanted his shed for a trap to catch the
sly fox in."
^^You seem a most ingenious patxiot/' said Lawtoa. ^'Majoi
Dunwoodie^ I second the request of this worthy gentlenian^ auJ
trave the office of bestowing the reward on him and his fellows."
"Take it; — and you, miserable man, prepare for. that fate
which will surely be&ll you before the setting of to-morrow's sun."
"Life offers but little to tempt me with," said Harvey, slowly
raising his eyes, and gazing wildly at the strange faces in the apart-
ment.
" Come, worthy children of America I" said Lawton, " follow, and
receive your reward."
The gang eagerly accepted the invitation, and followed the cap-
tain towards the quarters assigned to his troop. Punwoodie paused
a moment,. from reluctance to triumph over a fallen foe, before he
proceeded.
" You have already been tried, Harvey Birch j and the truth has
proved you to be an enemy too dangerous to the liberties of America
to be suffered to live."
" The truth V echoed the pedler, starting^ and raising himself in
a manner that disregarded the weight of his pack.
" Ay ! the truth ; you were charged with loitering near the con-
tinental army, to gain intelligence of its movements, and, by com-
municating them to the enemy, to enable him to frustrate the inten*
tions of Washington."
"Will Washington say so, think you?"
"Doubtless he would; even the justice of Washington con-
demns you."
" No, no, no," cried the pedler, in a voice and with a manner that
startled Bunwoodie ; " Washington can see beyond the hollow views
of pretended patriots. Has he not risked his all on the cast of a
die ? if a gallows is ready for me, was there not one for him also ?
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY. 225
No, no, no, no — Waaliington would never say, ^Lead him to a
gaUows.' "
" Have you any thing, wretched man, to urge to the commander-
in-«hief why you should not die ?" said the Major, recovering from
the surprise created by the manner of the other.
Birch trembled, for violent emotions were contending in his
bosom. His face assumed the ghastly paleness of death^ and his
band drew a box of tin* from the folds of his shirt; he opened it,
showing by the act that it contained a small piece of paper: on
this document his eye was for an instant fixed — he had already
held it towards Dunwoodie, when suddenly withdrawing his hand,
he exclaimed —
"No — it dies with me; I know the conditions of my semce,
and will not purchase life with their forfeiture — it dies with me/'
" Deliver that paper, and you may possibly find favour," cried
Dunwoodie, expecting a discovery of importance to the cause.
" It dies with me," repeated Birch, a flush passing over his pallid
features, and lighting them with extraordinary brilliancy.
" Seize the traitor !" cried the Major, " and wrest the secret from
his hands."
The order was immediately obeyed; but the movements of the
pedler were too quick; in an instant he swallowed the paper. The
officers paused in astonishment; but the surgeon cried eagerly —
" Hold him, while I administer an emetic."
" Forbear I" said Dunwoodie, beckoning him back with his hand ;
**' if his crime is great, so will his punishment be heavy."
" Lead on," cried the pedler, dropping his pack from his shoul-
ders, and advancing towards the door with a manner of inoompre-
oensible dignity.
"Whither?" asked Dunwoodie, in amazement.
"To the gallows."
" No," said the Major, recoiling in horror at his own justice,
Digitizftd by
Google
226
TH» SPY.
"My duty requires that I order you to be executed, but surely
not so hastily; take until nine to-morrow to prepare for the awful
change.
Dunwoodie whispered his orders in the ear of a subaltern, and
motioned to the pedler to withdraw. The interruption caused by
this scene prevented further enjoyment around the table, and the
officers dispersed to their several places of rest In a short time the
only noise to be heard was the heavy tread of the sentinel, as he
paced the frozen ground in front of the Hotel Flanagan.
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER XVII.
— — ••Tliere are, whose changing lineaments
Ejqxress each guileless passion of the breast;
Where Love, and Hope, and tender-hearted- Pity
Are seen reflected, as from a mirror's face ;
But cold experience can veil these hues
With looks, invented shrewdly to encompass
The cunning purposes of base deceit"
Duo,
TuE officer to whose keeping Dunwoodie iiad committed the pedler
transferred his charge to the custody of the regular sergeant of the
guard. The gift of Captain Wharton had not been lost on the
youthful lieutenant ; and a certain dancing motion that had taken
possession of objects before his eyes, gave him warning of the neces-
sity of recruiting nature by sleep. After admonishing the non-com-
missioned guardian of Harvey to omit no watchfulness in securing
the prisoner, the youth wrapped himself in his cloak, and, stretched
on a bench before a fire, soon found the repose he needed. A rude
shed extended the whole length of the rear of the building, and from
off one of its ends had been partitioned a small apartment, that was
intended as a repositoiy for many of the lesser implements of hus-
bandry. The lawless times had, however, occasioned its being
stripped of every thing of value ; and the searching eyes of Betty
Flanagan selected this spot, on her arrival, as the storehouse for her
moveables, and a sanctuary for her person. The spare arms and
baggage of the corps had also been deposited here; and the united
treasures were placed under the eye of the sentinel who paraded the
shed as a guardian of the rear of the head-quarters. A second sol-
Digitized by VjOOQIC
228 THE SPY.
dier, who was stationed near the house to protect the horses of the
officers; could command a view of the outside of the apartment; and,
as it was without window or outlet of any kind, excepting its door,
the considerate sergeant thought this the most befitting place in
which to deposit his prisoner until the moment of his execution.
Several inducements urged Sergeant HoUist^ to this determination,
among which was the absence of the washerwoman, who lay before
the kitchen fire, dreaming that the corps was attacking a party of
the enemy, and mistaking the noise that proceeded from her own
nose for the bugles of the Virginians sounding the charge. Another
was the peculiar opinions that the yeteran entertained of life and
death, and by which he was distinguished in the corps as a man of
most exemplary piety and holiness of life. The sergeant was more
than fifty years of age, and for half that period he had borne arms.
The constant recurrence of sudden deaths before his eyes, had pro-
duced an effect on him differing greatly from that which was the
usual moral consequence of such scenes; and he had become not
only the most steady, but the most trustworthy soldier in his troop.
Captain Lawton had rewarded his fidelity by making him its orderly.
Followed by Birch, the sergea-nt proceeded in silence to the door
of the intended prison, and, throwing it open with one hand, he held
a lantern with the other to light the pedler to his prison. Seating
himself on a cask, that contained some of Betty's favourite beverage,
the sergeant motioned to Biich to occupy another, in the same man-
ner. The lantern was placed on the floor, when the dragoon, after
looking his prisoner steadily in the face, observed —
"You look as if you would meet death like a man; and I have
brought you to a spot where you can tranquilly arrange your thoughts,
and be quiet and undisturbed.''
"'T is a fearful place to prepare for the hist change in," said Har-
vey, gazing around his little prison with a vacant eye.
" Why, for the matter of that," returned the veteran, " it can
reckon but little, in the great account, where a man parades his
Digitized by CjOOQIC
THK SPY. 229
thoughts for the last review, so that he finds them fit to pass the
muster of another world. I have a small book here, which I make
it a point to read a little in, whenever we are about to engage, and
I find it a great strengthener in time of need/' While speaking, he
took a Bible from his pocket, and offered it to the pedler. Birch
received the volume with habitual reverence; but there was an ab-
stracted air about him, and a wandering of the eye, that induced his
companion to think that alarm was getting the mastery of the pedler's
feelings; accordingly, he proceeded in what he conceived to be the
offices of consolation.
" If any thing lies heavy on your mind, now is the best time to
get rid of it — if you have done any wrong to any one, I promise
you, on the word of an honest dragoon, to lend you a helping hand
to see them righted."
" There are few who have not done so," said the pedler, turning
his vacant gaze once more on his companion.
" True — H is natural to sin — but it sometimes happens, that a
man does what at other limes he may be sorry for. One would
not not wish to die with any veiy heavy sin on his conscience,
after all."
Harvey had by this time thoroughly examined the place in which
he was to pass the night, and saw no means of escape. But as hope
is ever the last feeling to desert the human breast, the pedler gave
the dragoon more of his attention, fixing on his sunburnt features
such searching looks, that Sergeant Hollister lowered his eyes before
the wild expression which he met in the gaze of his prisoner.
" I have been taught to lay the burden of my sios at the feet of
my Saviour," replied the pedler.
" Why, yes — all that is well enough," returned the other; " but
justice should be di^e while there is ojpportunity. There have been
stirring times in this country since the war began, and many have
been deprived of their rightful goods. I oftentimes find it hard to
reconcile even my lawful plunder to a tender conscience."
Digitized by VjOOQIC
280 THB 8 FT.
^^ These hands/' said the pedler^ stretching forth his meagre^ bonjF
fingers, " have spent years in toil, but not a moment in pilfering/'
^^It is well that it is so/' said the honest-hearted soldier; '^and,
no doubt, you now feel it a great consolation. There are three great
sins, that, if a man can keep his conscience clear of, why, by the
mercy of God, he may hope to pass muster with the saints in heaven :
they are stealing, murdering, and desertion."
" Thank God !" said Birch with fervour, " I have never yet taken
the life of a fellow-creature."
^' As to killing a man in lawful battle, that is no more than doing
one's duty. If the cause is wrong, the sin of such a deed, you
know, falls on the nation, and a man receives his punishment here
with the rest of the people ; but murdering in cold blood stands next
to desertion as a crime in the eye of God."
"I never was a soldier, therefore never could desert," said the
pcdler, resting his face on his hand in a melancholy attitude.
"Why, desertion consists of more than quitting your colours,
though that is certainly the worst kind; a man may desert his
country in the hour of need."
Birch buried his face in both his hands, and his whole frame
shook; the sergeant regarded him closely, but good feelings soon
got the better of his antipathies, and he continued more mildly —
"But still that is a sin which I think may be forgiven, if sin-
cerely repented of; and it matters but little when or how a man
dies, so that he dies like a Christian and a man. I recommend
you to say your prayers, and then to get some rest, in order
that you may do both. There is no hope of your being pardoned;
for Colonel Singleton has sent down the most positive orders to
take your life whenever we met you. No — no — nothing can
save you."
" You say the truth/' cried Birch. " It is now too late — I have
destroyed my only safeguard. But he will do my memory justice
at least."
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY. 231
**Wliat safeguard?" asked the sergeant, with awakened curi-
osity.
'•' 'T is nothing," replied the pedler, recovering his natural man-
ner, and lowering his face to avoid the earnest looks of his com-
panion.
"And who is he?"
" No one," added Harvey, anxious to say no more.
"Nothing, and no one, can avail but little now," said the ser-
geant, rising to go ^ " lay yourself on the blanket of Mrs. Flanagan,
and get a little sleep; I will call you betimes in the morning; and,
from the bottom of my soul, I wish I could be of some service to
you, for I dislike greatly to see a man hung up like a dog."
"Then you might save me from this ignominious death," said
Birch, springing on his feet, and catching the dragoon by the arra
— "And, oh I what will I not give you in reward !"
" In what manner ?" asked the sergeant, looking at him in sur-
prise.
" See," said the pedler, producing several guineas from his per-
son; "these are nothing to what I will give you, if you will assist
me to escape-"
"Were you the man whose picture is on the gold, I would
not listen to such a crime," said the trooper, throwing the money
on the floor with contempt. "Go — go — poor wretch, and make
your peace with God; for it is he only that can be of service to
you now."
The sergeant took up the lantern, and, with some indignation in
his manner, he left the pedler to sorrowful meditations on his
approaching fate. Birch sunk, in momentary despair, on the pallet
of Betty, while his guardian proceeded to give the necessary instruo
tions^ to the sentinels for his safe-keeping.
Hollister concluded his injunctions to the man in the shed, by
saying, " Your life will depend on his not escaping. Let none enter
DT quit the room till morning."
Digitized by VjOOQIC
232 THE 8 FT.
^^ But/' said the trooper, " my orders are, to let the washerwoman,
pofis in and out, as she pleases/'
" Well, let her then ; but be careful that this wily pedler does
not get out in the folds of her petticoats.'' He then continued his
walk, giving similar orders to each of the sentinels near the spot.
For some time after the departure of the sergeant^ silence pre-
vailed within the solitary prison of the pedler^ until the dragoon at
his door heard his loud breathings, which soon rose into the regular
cadence of one in a deep sleep. The man continued walking hvn
post, musing on an indifference to life which could allow nature its
customary rest^ even on the threshold of the grave. Harvey Birch
had, however, been a name too long held in detestation by every
man in the corps, to suffer any feelings of conmiiseration to mingle
with these reflections of the sentinel ; for, notwithstanding the con-
sideration and kindness manifested by the sergeant, there probably
was not another man of his rank in the whole party who would have
discovered equal benevolence to the prisoner, or who would not
have imitated the veteran in rejecting the bribe, although probably
from a less worthy motive. There was something of disappointed
vengeance in the feelings of the man who watched the door of the
room on finding his prisoner enjoying a sleep of which he himself
was deprived, and at his exhibiting such obvious indifference to the
utmost penalty that military rigour could inflict on all his treason
to the cause of liberty and America. Moto than once he felt
prompted to disturb the repose of the pedler by taunts and revilings;
but the discipline he was under, and a secret sense of shame at tho
brutality of the act, held him in subjection.
His meditations were, however, soon interrupted by the appearance
of the washerwoman, who came staggering through the door that
communicated with tho kitchen, muttering execrations against the
servants of the officers, who, by their waggery, had disturbed her
slumbers before the fire. The sentinel understood enough of her
maledictions to comprehend the case; but all his eff(trts to enter Into
Digitized by VjOOQLC
THE SPY. 233
eonveGTsation with the enraged woman were useless, and he suffered
her to enter her room without expkining that it contained another
inmate. The noise of her huge frame falling on the bed was suo-
ceeded by a silence that was soon interrupted by the renewed respi-
ration of the pedler, and within a few minutes Harvey continued to
breathe aloud, as if no interruption had occurred. The relief arrived
at this moment. The sentinel, who felt nettled at the contempt of
the pedler, after communicating his orders, while he was retiring,
exclaimed to his successor —
" You may keep yourself warm by dancing John ; the pedler spy
has tuned his fiddle, you hear, and it will not be long before Betty
will strike up, in her turn."
The joke was followed by a general laugh from the party, who
marched on in the performance of their duty. At this instant the
door of the prison was opened, and Betty reappeared, staggering back
again toward her former quarters.
" Stop," said the sentinel, catching her by her clothes ; " are you
sure the spy is not in your pocket?"
" Can't you hear the rascal snoring in my room, you dirty black-
guard ?" sputtered Betty, her whole frame shaking with rage ; " and
is it so yee would sarve a dacent &male, that a man must be put to
sleep in the room wid her, yee rapscallion ?"
" Pooh ! do you mind a fellow who 's to be hanged in the morn-
ing? You see he sleeps already; — to-morrow he'll take a longer
nap."
"Hands off, yee villain!" cried the washerwoman, relinquishing
a small bottle that the trooper had succeeded in wresting from her.
'^But I'll go to Captain Jack, and know if it's orders to put a
hang-gallows spy in my room; ay, even in my widowed bed, you
tief!"
" Silence, old Jezebel !" said the fellow with a laugh, taking the
bottle from his mouth to breathe, " or you will wake the gentleman
— would you disturb a man in his last sleep ?"
Digitized by
Google
234 THE SPT.
''I'll awake C£9iam Jack; you reprobate villain, and bring hina
here to see me righted : he will punish yee all, for imposing on a
dacent widowed body, you marauder I"
With these words, which only extorted a laugh from the sentinel,
Betty staggered round the end of the building, and made the best or
her way towards the quarters of her fevourite, Captain John Lawton,
in search of redress. Neither the officer nor the woman, however,
appeared during the night, and nothing further occurred to disturb
the repose of the pedler, who, to the astonishment of the different
sentinels, continued by his breathing to manifest how little the gal-
lows could affect his slumbers.
Digitized by VjOOQ IC ;
i
/
CHAPTER XVIIL
^ A Daniel como to judgment ! yea, a Daniel ! »-
O wise young judge, how I do honour thee t"
Merchant of Veniee,
The Skinners followed Captain Lawton with alacrity^ towards the
quarters occupied by the troop of that gentleman. The captain of
dragoons had on all occasions manifested so much zeal for the cause
in which he was engaged; was so regardless of personal danger when
opposed to the enemy, and his stature and stem countenance contri-
buted so much to render him terrific, that these qualities had, in
some measure, procured him a reputation distinct from the corps in
which he served. His intrepidity was mistaken for ferocity; and
his hasty zeal, for the natural love of cruelty. On the other hand,
a few acts of clemency, or, more properly speaking, of discriminating
justice, had, with one portion of the commimity, acquired for Dun-
woodie the character of undue forbearance. It is seldom that either
popular condemnation or popular applause falls, exactly in the quan-
tities earned, where it is merited.
While in the presence of the Major, the leader of the gang had
felt himself under that restraint which yice must ever experience in
the company of acknowledged virtue; but having left the house, he
at onoe conceived that he was under the protection of a congenial
spirit. There was a gravity in the manner of Lawton, that deceived
most of those who did not know him intimately ; and it was a com-
mon saying in his troop, " that when the captain laughed, he was
Digitized by VjOOQIC
/
'236 THE BPr.
Bure to punisb." Drawing near liis conductor, therefore; tlie loader
commenced a confidential dialogae —
"'Tis always well for a man to know his' friends from his ene«
mies/' said the half-licensed freebooter.
To this pre&tory observation the captain made no other reply thaa
a sound; which the other interpreted into assent.
" I suppose Major Dunwoodie has the good opinion of Washing-
ton ?" continued the Skinner; in a tone that rather expressed a doubt
than asked a question.
" There are some who think so."
" Many of the friends of Congress in this county;" the man pro-
ceeded, "wish the horse was led by some other officer; for my part,
if I could only be covered by a troop now and then, I could do many
an important piece of service to the cause, to which this capture of
the pedler would be a trifle."
" Indeed ! such as what ?"
" For the matter of that, it could be made as profitable to the
officer as it would be to us who did it," said the Skinner, with a look
of the most significant meaning.
" But how ?" asked Lawton, a little impatiently, and quickening
his step to get out of the hearing of the rest of the party.
" Why, near the royal lines, even under the very guns of the
heights, might be good picking if we had a force to guard us from
De Lancey^s* men, and to cover our retreat from being cut off by
the way of King's-bridge."
* The partisan corps, called Cow-hoys in the parlance of the country, was
commanded by a Colonel De Lancey. This g-entleman, for such he was by *
birth and education, rendered himself very odious to the Americans by his
fancied cruelty, though there is no evidence of his being guilty of any acts
unusual in this species of warfare.
Colonel De Lancey belonged to a family of the highest consequence in tlio
American colonies, his uncle iaving died in the administration of tho go-
vernment of that of New York, He should not be confounded witli other
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY, 237
<^ I thought the llefugees took all that game to themselves."
" They do a little at it; but they are obliged to be sparing among
their own people. I have been down twice, under an agreement
with them : the first time they acted with honour; but the second
they came upon us and drove us ofi, and took the plunder to them-
selves."
" That was a very dishonourable act, indeed ; I wonder that an
honourable man will associate with such rascals."
" It is necessary to have an understanding with soine of them, or
we might be taken; but a man without honour is worse than a
brute. Do you think Major Dunwoodie is to be trusted ?"
"You mean on honourable principles?*'
"Certainly; you know Arnold was thought well of until the
royal major was taken."
• u "W'hy, I do not believe Dunwoodie would sell his command as
Arnold wished to do ; neither do I think him exactly trustworthy in
a delicate business like this of yours."
" That 's just my notion," rejoined the Skinner, with a self-
a.pproving manner that showed how much he was satisfied with his
own estimate of character.
By this time they had arrived at a better sort of farm-house, the
very extensive out-buildings of which were in tolerable repair, for
the times. The bams were occupied by the men of the troop, while
the horses were arranged under the long sheds which protected the
yard from the cold north wind. The latter were quietly eating, with
saddles on their backs and bridles thrown on their necks, ready to
be bitted and mounted at the shortest warning. Lawton excused
himself f(»r a moment, and entered his quarters. He soon returned,
genUcmen of his name and family, many of whom served in the rojal array.
His cousin, Colonel Oliver De Lancey, was, at the time of our tale, adjutant,
general of the Britislf forces in America, having succeeded to the unfortunate
Andr^. The Cow-boys were sometimes called Refugees^ in consequence of
tlicir having taken refuge under tlic protection of the crown.
Digitized by CjOOQIC
238 THE SPY.
holdicg in his hand one of the common Btable-lantcmS; and led the
way towards a large orchard that surrounded the buildings on three
sides. The gang followed the trooper in silence^ believing his
object to be fieicility of communicating further on this interesting
topic^ without the danger of being overheard.
Approaching the Captain, the Skinner renewed the discourse,
with a view of establishing further confidence, and of giving h5s
companion a more favourable opinion of his own intellects.
"Do you think the colonies will finally get the better of the
king V* he enquired, with a little of the importance of a politician.
"Get the better 1" echoed the Captain, with impetuosity — then
checking himself, he continued, '^ no doubt they will. If the French
will give us arms and money, we can drive out the royal troops in
six months."
"Well, so I hope we shall soon; and then we shall have a free
government, and we, who fight for it, will get our reward."
"Oh!" cried Lawton, "your claims will be indisputable; while
all these vile Tories who live at home peaceably, to take care of their
farms, will be held in the contempt they merit. You have no farm,
T suppose?"
"Not yet — but it will go hard if I do not find one before the
peace is made."
"Right; study your own interests, and you study the interests
of your country ; press the point of your own services, and rail at
the Tories, and I '11 bet my spurs against a rusty nail that you get
to be a county clerk at least."
' Don't you think Paulding's* party were fools in not letting the
* The author must have intended some allusion to an individual, which ia
too local to be understood by the general reader.
Andr6, as is well known, was arrested by three countrymen, who were on
the lookout for predatory parties of the enemy : the principal man of this
party was named Paulding. The disinterested manner in which they refiised
the offers of their captive is matter of histor^/T
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THB SPY. 239
royal adjutant-general escape V ssdd the man^ thrown off his guard
by the freedom of the Captain's manner.
"EoolsT' cried Lawton^ with a bitter laugh; "ay, fools indeed;
King George would have paid them better, for he is richer. Ho
would have made them gentlemen for their lives. But; thank Crod !
there is a pervading spirit in the people that seems jniraculous
Men who have nothing, act aa if the wealth of the Indies depended
on their fidelify ; all are not villains like yourself or we should have
been slaves to England years ago.''
'^ How F' exclaimed the Skinner, starting back, and dropping his
musket to the level of the other's breast; "am I betrayed, and aro
yotf my enemy?''
^' Miscreant !" shouted Lawton, his sabre ringing in its steel scab-
bard, as he struck the musket of the fellow from his hands, " offer
but again to point your gun at me, and I'll cleave you to the
middle." •
"And you will not pay us, then, Captain Lawton ?" said the Skin-
ner, trembling in every joint, for jW then he saw a party of mounted
dragoons silently encircling the whole party.
"Oh I pay you — yes, you shall have the full measure of your
reward. There is the money that Colonel Singleton sent down for
the captors of the spy," throwing a bag of guineas with disdain at
the other's feet. " But ground your arms, you rascals, and see that
the money is truly told."
The intimidated band did as they were ordered; and while they
were eagerly employed in this pleasing avocation, a few of Lawton's
men privately knocked the flints out of their muskets.
**Well," cried the impatient captain, "is it right? — have you
the promised reward?"
"There is just the money," said the leader; "and we will now
go to our homes, with your permission."
"Hold! so much to redeem our promise — now for justice; we
pay you for taking a spy, but we punish you for burning, robbingi
Digitized by VjOOQLC
240 THX 8 FT.
and /nurderiug. Seize them^ my ladB; and give each of them the
law of Moses — forty, save one."
This command waa given to no unwilling listeners; and in the
twinkling of an eye the Skinners were stripped and fisstened, by the
halters of the party, to as many of the apple-trees aa were necessary
to furnish one to each of the gang. Swords were quickly drawn,
and fifty branches were cut from the trees, like magic : from these
were selected a few of the most supple of the twigs, and a willing
dragoon was soon found to wield each of the weapons. Captain
liawton gave the word, humanely cautioning his men not to exceed
the discipline prescribed by the Mosaic law, and the uproar of Babel
conunenced in the orchard. The cries of the leader were easily to be
distinguished above those of his men ; a circumstance which might
be accounted for, by Captain Lawton's reminding his corrector that
he had to deal with an officer, and he should remember and pay him
unusual honour. The flagellation was executed with great neatness
and despatch, and it was distinguished by no irregularity, excepting
that none of the disciplinarians began to count until they had tried
their whips by a dozen or more blows, by the way^ as they said them-
selves, of finding out the proper places to strike. As soon as thL
summary operation was satisfactorily completed, Lawton directed hk
men to leave the Skinners to replace their own clothes, and to mount
their horses; for they were a party who had been detached for the
purpose of patrolling lower down in the county.
^^ You see, my friend,'^ said the Captain to the leader of the Skin-
ners, after he had prepared himself to depart, ^^I can cover you to
some purpose, when necessary. K we meet often, you will be co-
vered with scars, which, if not very honourable, will at least be me-
rited."
The follow made no reply. He was busy with his muskety and
hastening his comrades to march ; when, every thing being ready,
they proceeded sullenly towards some rocks at no great distanoci
which were overhung by a deep wood. The moon was just rising.
Digitized by
Google
THB SPY, 241
and tlic group of dragoons could easily be distinguished where they
had been left. Suddenly turning; the whole gang levelled their
pieces and drew the triggers. The action was noticed^ and the snap-
ping of the locks was heard by the soldiers, who returned their futile
attempt with a laugh of derision, the captain crying aloud —
"Ah ! rascals, I knew you, and have taken away your flints."
" You should have taken away that in my pouch too," shouted
the leader, firing his gun in the next instant. The bullet grazed the
car of Lawton, who laughed as he shook his head^ saying, "A miss
was as good as a mile.'' One of the dragoons had seen the prepara-
tions of the Skinner — ^who had been left alone by the rest of his
gang, as soon as they had made their abortive attempt at revenge —
and was in the act of plunging hb spurs into his horse as the fellow
fired. The distance to the rocks was but small, yet the speed of the
horse compelled the leader to abandon. both. money and musket, to
effect his escape. The soldier returned with his prizes, and offered
them to the acceptance of his captain; but Lawton rejected them,
telling the man to retain them himself, until the rascal appeared in
person to claim his property. It would have been a business of no
small difficulty for any tribunal then existing in the new states to
have enforced a restitution of the money; for it was shortly after
most equitably distributed, by the hands of Sergeant Hollister,
among a troop of horse. The patrol departed, and the Captain
slowly returned to his quarters, with an intention of retiring to rest.
A figure moving rapidly among the trees, in the direction of the
wood whither the Skinners had retired, caught his eye, and, wheeling
on his heel, the cautious partisan approached it, and, to his astonish-
ment, saw the washerwoman at that hour of the night, and in such
place.
" What, Betty I walking in your sleep, oi dreaming while awake V*
cried the trooper; "are you not afraid of meeting with the ghost of
ancient Jenny in this her favourite pasture ?"
"Ah, sure Captain Jack," returned the sutler in her native
Digitized by
Google
242 THE SPY.
lUM^nt^ and reeling in a manner that made it difficult for her to raise
her head^ "it's not Jenny, or her ghost, that I'm saaking, but scMe
yarhs for the wounded. And it's the vartue of the rising moon, as
it jist touches them, that I want. They grow imder yon rocks, and
I must hasten, or the charm will lose its power."
" Fool, you are fitter for your pallet than for wandering among
those rocks: a fall from one of them would break your bones;
besides, the Skinners have fled to those heights, and should you fall
in with them, they would revenge on you a sound flogging they have
just received from me. Better return, old woman, and finish your
nap; we march in the morning."
Betty disregarded his advice, and continued her devious route to
the hill-side. For an instant, as Lawton mentioned the Skinners,
she had paused, but inmiediately resuming her course, she was soon
out of sight, among the trees.
As the Captain entered his quarters, the sentinel at the door
enquii'cd if he had met Mrs. Flanagan, and added that she had passed
there, filling the air with threats against her tormentors at the
" Hotel," and enquiring for the Captain in search of redress. Law-
ton heard the man in astonishment — appeared struck with a new
idea — walked several yards towards the orchard, and returned again;
for several minutes he paced rapidly to and fro before the door of the
house, and then hastily entering it, he threw himself on a bed in his
slothes, and was soon in a profound sleep.
In the mean time, the gang of marauders had successfully gained
the summit of the rocks, and, scattering in every direction, they
buried themselves in the depths of the wood. Finding, however,
there was no pursuit, which indeed would have been impracticable
for horse, the leader ventured to call his band together with a
whistie, and in a short time he succeeded in collecting his discom-
Qted party, at a point where they had but little to apprehend from
any enemy.
" Well," said one of the fellows, while a fire was lighting to protect
Digitized by CjOOQIC
THE SPY. 243
them against the air, which was becoming severely cold, " there is
an end to our business in West-Chester. The Virginia horse will
soon make the county too hot to hold us."
" I '11 have his blood/' muttered the leader, " if I die for it the
next instant."
*' Oh, you are very valiant here, in the wood," cried the other,
with a savage laugh ; " why did you, who boast so much of your
aim, miss your man, at thirty yards ?"
" 'T was the horseman that disturbed me, or I would have ended
this Captain Lawton on the spot; besides, the cold had set me
a shivering, and I had no longer a steady hand."
" Say it was fear, and you will tell no lie," said his comrade with
a sneer. " For my part, I think I shall never be cold again ; my
back bums as if a thousand gridirons were laid on it."
"And you would tamely submit to such usage, and kiss the rod
thatbeat you?"
"As for kissing the rod, it would be no easy matter. Mine was
broken into so small pieces, on my own shoulders, that it would be
difficult to find one big enough to kiss; but I would rather submit
to lose half my skin, than to lose the whole of it, with my ears in
the bargain. And such will be our fates, if we tempt this mad Vir-
ginian again. God willing, I would at any time give him enough
of my hide to maJce a pair of jack-boots, to get out of his hands with
the remainder. If you had known when you were well off, you
would have stuck to Major Dimwoodie, who don't know half so much
of our evil-doings."
" Silence, you talking fool !" shouted the enraged leader; "your
prating is sufficient to drive a man mad ; is it not enough to bo
robbed and beaten, but we must be tormented with your folly ? —
help to get out the provisions, if any is left in the wallet, and try
and stop your mouth with food."
This injunction was obeyed, and the whole party, amidst sundry
groans and contortions, excited by the disordered state of their backs,
Digitized by VjOOQIC
244 THE BFT.
made their arrangements for a scanty meal. A large fire of dry
wood wad burning in the cleft of a rock, and at length they began
to recover from the confusion of their flight, and to collect their
scattered senses. Their hunger being appeased, and many of their
garments thrown aside for the better opportunity of dressing their
wounds, the gang began to plot measures of revenge. An hour was
spent m this manner, and various expedients were proposed ; but ua
they all depended on personal prdwess for their success, and were
attended by great danger, they were of course rejected. There was
no possibility of approaching the troops by surprise, their vigilance
being ever on the watch ; and the hope of meeting Captain Lawton,
away from his men, waa equally forlorn, for the trooper was con-
stantly engaged in his duty, and his movements were so rapid, that
any opportunity of meeting with him, at all, must depend greatly
on accident. Besides, it was by no means certain, that such an in-
terview would result happily for themselves. The cunning of the
trooper was notorious; and rough and broken as was West-Chester,
the fearless partisan was known to take desperate leaps, and stone
walls were but slight impediments to the charges of the Southern
horse. Gradually, the conversation took another direction, until the
gaug determined on a plan which should both revenge themselves,
and at the same time offer some additional stimulus to their exer-
tions. The whole business was accurately discussed, the time fixed,
and the manner adopted; in short, nothing was wanting to the pre-
vious arrangement for this deed of villany, when they were aroused
by a voice calling aloud —
" This way, Captain Jack — here are the rascals ating by a fire —
this way, and murder the tieves where they sit — quick, lave your
horses and shoot your pistols!"
This terrific summons was enough to disturb all the philosophy
of the gang. Springing on their feet, they rushed deeper into the
wood, and having already agreed upon a place of rendezvous pre-
viously to their intended expedition, they dispersed towards the' four
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY. 246
i[iiarters of the heavens. Certain sounds and difGsrent voices were
heard calling on each othcr^ but as the marauders were well trained
to speed of foot, they were soon lost in the distance.
It was not long before Betty Flanagan emerged from the dark-
ness, and very coolly took possession of what the Skinners had left
behind them ; namely^ food/ and divers articles of dress. The wash-
erwoman deliberately seated herself; and made a meal with great
apparent satisfaction. For an hour, she sat with her head upon her
hand, in deep musing; then she gathered together such articles of
the clothes, as seemed to suit her fancy, and retired into the wood,
leaving the fire to throw its glinmiaing light on the adjacent rocks,
until its last Ixand died away, and the plaoe was abandoned to soli-
tude and darkness.
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER XIX.
No longer then perplex the breast —
When thoughts torment, the first are best;
•Tis mad to go, 'tis death to stay!
Awaj, to Orra, haste away.
Jj€tpUmd Low Smig,
While his comrades were sleeping^ in perfect forgetfulness of their
hardships and dangers, the slumbers of Bunwoodie were broken and
unquiet After spending a night of restlessness, he arose, unre-
freshed, from the rude bed where he had thrown himself in his.
clothes, and, without awaking any of the group around him, he wan-
dered into the open air in search of relief. The soft rays of the
modn were just passing away in the more distinct light of the morn-
ing; the wind had fallen, and the rising mists gave the promise of
another of those autumnal days, which, in this unstable climate,
succeed a tempest with the rapid transitions of magic. The hour
had not yet arrived when he intended moving from his present posi-
tion; and, willing to allow his warriors all the refreshment that
circumstances woidd permit, he strolled towards the scene of the
Skinners' punishment, musing upon the embarrassments of his situ*
ation, and uncertain how he should reconcile his sense of duty with
his love. Although Dunwoodie himself placed the most implicit
reliance on the Captain's purity of intention, he was by no means
assured that a board of officers would be equally credulous; and,
uidependently of all feelings of private regard, he felt certain that
with the execution of Henry would be destroyed all hopes of a imion
with his sister. He had despatched an officer, the preceding evening,
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY. 247
to Colonel Singleton, who was in command of tlio advance posts,
reporting the capture of the British captain, and, after giving his
own opinion of his innocence, requesting orders as to the manner in
which he was to dispose of his prisoner* These orders might be
expected, every hour, and his imeasiness increased, in proportion as
the moment approached when his friend might be removed from his
protection. In this disturbed state of mind, the Major wandered
through the orchard, and was stopped in his walk by arriving at the
base of those rocks which had protected the Skinners in their flight
before he was conscious whither his steps had carried him. He was
about to turn, and retrace his path to his quarters, when he was
startled by a voice, bidding him—
"Stand or die!"
Dunwoodie turned in amazement, and beheld the figure of a man
placed at a little distance above him on a shelving rock, with a
musket levelled at himself. The light was not yet suflSciently
powerful to reach the recesses of that gloomy spot, and a second look
was necessary before he discovered, to his astonishmenj;, that the
pedler stood beferc him. Comprehending, in an instant, the danger
of his situation, and disdaining to implore mercy or to retreat, had
the latter been possible, the youth cried firmly —
"If I am to be murdered, fire! I will never become your
prisoner."
" No, Major Dunwoodie," said Birch, lowering his musket, " it is
neither my intention to capture nor to slay."
"What then would you have, mysterious being?" said Dun-
woodie, hardly able to persuade himself that the form he saw was
not a creature of the imagination.
" Your good opinion," answered the pedler, with emotion ; " I
would wish all good men to judge me with lenity."
" To you it must be indifferent what may be the judgment of
men ; for you seem to be beyond the reach of their sentence."
** God spares the lives of his servants to his own time," said the
Digitized by
Google
248 THE SFT.
pedler, solemnly : " a few hours ago I was your prisoner, and threat-
ened with the gallows; now you are mine; but^ Major Dunwoodie,
you are free. There are men abroad who would treat you less
kindly. Of what semrice would that sword be to you against my
weapon and a steady hand ? Take the advice of one who has never
harmed you, and who never will. Do not trust yourself in the
skirts of any wood, unless in company and mounted."
*^ And have you comrades, who have assfsted you to escape, and
who are less generous than yourself?"
"No — no, I am alone truly — none know me but my God and
mmr
"And who?" asked the Major, with an interest he could not
control.
" None," continued the pedler, recovering his composure. " But
such is not your case, Major Bunwoodie; you are young and happy;
there are those that are dear to you, and such are not far away —
danger is near them you love most — danger within and without;
double your watchfulness — strengthen your patrols — and be silent.
With your opinion of me, should I tell you more, you would suspect
an ambush. But remember and guard them you love best."
The pedler discharged the musket in the air, and threw it at the
feet of his astonished auditor. When surprise and the smoke al-
lowed Dunwoodie to look again on the rock where he had stood, the
spot was vacant.
The youth was aroused from, the stupor, which had been created
by this strange scene, by the trampling of horses, and the sound of
the bugles. A patrol was drawn to the spot by the report of the
musket, and the alarm had been given to the corps. Without en-
tering into any explanation with his men, the Major returned quickly
to his quarters, where he found the whole squadron under arms, in
battle array, impatiently awaiting the appearance of their leader.
The officer whose duty it was to superintend such 'matters, had di*
rected a party to lower the sign of the Hotel Flanagan, and tJie post
Digitized by CjOOQIC
THE B FT, 249
wss already arranged for the execution of the spy. On hearing from
the Major that the musket was discharged by himself, and was pro-
bably one of those dropped by the Skinners, (for by this time Dun«
woodie had learnt the punishment inflicted by Lawton, but chose to
conceal his own interview with Birch,) his officers suggested the
propriety of executing their prisoner before they marched. Unable
to believe that all he had seen was not a dream, Dunwoodie, followed
by many of his officers, and preceded by Sergeant Hollister, went to
the place which was suj^osed to contain Ihe pedler.
« Well, sir,'' said the Major to the sentinel who guarded the door,
" I trust you have your prisoner in safety."
^^ He is yet asleep," replied the man, '^ and he makes such a noise,
I could hardly hear the bugles sound the alarm."
" Open the door, and bring him forth,"
The order was obeyed; but, to the utter amazement of the honest
veteran who entered the prison, he found the room in no little dis-
order — the coat of the pedler where his body ought to have been,
and part of the wardrobe of Betty scattered in disorder on the floor.
The washerwoman herself occupied the pallet, in profound mental
oblivion, clad as when last seen, excepting a little black bozmet,
which she so constantly wore, that it was commonly thought she
made it perform the double duty of both day and night cap. The
noise of their entrance, and the exclamations of the party, awoke the
woman.
^<Is it the breakfast that^s wanting?" said Betty, rubbing her
eyes; ^^feith, yee look as if yee would ate myself — but patience a
little, darlings, and ye '11 see sich a fiy as never was."
" Fry I" echoed the Sergeant, forgetful of his religious philosc^hy,
tud the presence of his officers; ^^ we'll have you roasted, Jezebel I
—you've helped that damn'd pedler to escape."
^' Jezebel back agin in your teeth, and damn'd pidler too. Mister
Sargeantl" cried Betty, who was easily roused; "what have I to
io with pidlcrs, or escapes ? I might have been a pidler's lady, and
Digitized by CjOOQLC
250 THE SPY.
worn mj silks, if I'd had Sawny M'Twill, instead of tagging at the
heels of a parcel of dragooning rapscallions, who don't know how to
trate a lone body with dacency/'
" The fellow has left my Bible," said the yeteran, taking the book
from the floor ; " instead of spending his time in reading it to pre-
pare for his end, like a good Christian, he has been busy in labour-
ing to escape."
" And who would stay and be hanged like a dog V cried Betty,
beginning to comprehend the case; "^t is n't every one that's bom
to meet with sich an ind — like yourself. Mister Hollister."
"Silence!" said Dunwoodie. "This must be enquired into
closely, gentlemen ; there is no outlet but the door, and there he
could not pass, unless the sentinel connived at his escape, or was
asleep on his post : — call up the guard."
As these men were not -paraded, curiosity had already drawn them
to the place, and they one and all, with the exception of him before
mentioned, denied that any person had passed out. The individual
in question acknowledged that Betty had gone by him, but pleaded
his orders in justification.
"You lie, you tief — you lie 1" shouted Betty, who had impsi-
tiently listened to his exculpation; "would yee slanderize a lone
woman, by saying she walks a camp at midnight? — Here have I
been slaaping the long night, swaatly as the sucking babe."
"Here, sir," said the Sergeant, turning respectfully to Dun-
woodie, " is something written in my Bible that was not in it before ;
for having no family to record, I would never suffer any scribbling
in the sacred book."
One of the officers read aloud — " TJiese certify^ that if suffered
to get free, it is hy GodPs Jielp dlone^ to whose divine aid I kumhlp
riccommind myself Pm forced to take tJie womarCs clothed.
hU in her pocket is a ricompinse. — Witness my hand — Harvey
Birch."
" What I" roared Betty, " has the tief robbed a lone woman of
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY, 261
her all? — hang him — catch him and hang him, Major; if there 's
law or justice in the land/'
^^ Examine your pocket/' aaid one of the youngsters, who was
enjoying the boene, careless of the consequences.
<<Ah ! faith/' cried the washerwoman, producing a guinea, ^^but
he is a jewel of a pidler I Long life and a brisk trade to him, say I;
he is wilcome to the duds — and if he is ever hanged, many a bigger
rogue will go free."
Dunwoodie turned to leave the apartment, and he saw Captain
Lawton standing with folded arms, contemplating the scene in pro-
found silence. His manner, so different from his usual impetuosity
and zeal, struck his commander as singular. Their eyes met, and
they walked together for a few minutes in close conversation, when
Dunwoodie returned, and dismissed the guard to their place of ren-
dezvous. Sergeant Hollister, however, continued along with Betty,
who, having found none of her vestments disturbed but such as the
guinea more than paid for, was in high good-humour. The washer-
woman had for a. long time looked on the veteran with the eyes of
affection ; and she had determined within herself to remove certain
delicate objections which had long embarrassed her peculiar situation,
as respected the corps, by makiQg the Sergeant the successor of her
late husband. For some time past thij trooper had seemed to flatter
this preferenjse; and Betty, conceiving that her violence might have
mortified her suitor, was determined to make him all the amends in
her power. Besides, rough and uncouth as she was, the washer-
woman had still enough of the sex to know that the moments
of reconciliation were the moments of power. She therefore poured
out a glass of her morning beverage, and handed it to her companion
as a peace-offering.
"A few warm words between frinds are a trifle, yee must
be knowing, Sargeant/' said the washerwoman; "it was Michael
Flanagan that I ever calumnated the most when I was loving him
the best."
Digitized by VjOOQIC .
252 THE SPY.
^'Michael was a good soldier and a brave maQ/' said the trooper
finishing the glass; ^^onr troop was covering the fldnk of his regi-
ment when he fell, and I rode over his body mjself during the day;
poor fellow I he lay on his back; and looked as composed as if he
had died a natural death after a year's consumption/'
^'Oh ! Michael was a great consumer, and be sartain; two such
as us make dreadful inroads in the stock, Sargeant But yee'r a
sober discrate man, Mister Hollister, and woUld be a helpmate
indeed."
^< Why, Mrs. Flanagan, I Vc tarried to speak on a subject that
lies heavy at my heart, and I will now open my mind, if you Ve lei*
sure to listen."
'^ Is it listen ?" cried the impatient woman ; <^and I'd listen to
you, Sargeant, if the officers never ate another mouthful : but take
a second drop, dear, 'twill encourage you to spake freely." .
<^ I am already bold enough in so good a cause," returned the
veteran, rejecting her bounty. ^^ Betty, do you think it was really
the Pedler-Spy that I placed in this room, the lastjiight?"
" And who should it be else, darling ?"
'^The evil one."
"What, the divH?"
^* Ay, even Belzebub, disguised as the pedlor; and them fellows
we thought to be Skinners were his imps 1"
"Well sure, Sargeant dear, yee'r but little out this time, any
way; for if the divil's imps go at lai^ in the county WestrChester,
sure it is the Skinners, themselves."
"Mrs. Flanagan, I mean in their incarnate spirits; the evil one
knew that there was no .one we would arrest sooner than the pedler
Birch, and he took on his appearance to gain admission to your
room."
"And what should the divil be wanting of me?" cried Betty,
tartly ; " and is n't there divils enough in the corps already, without
one's coming from the bottomless pit to frighten a lone body?"
Digitized by CjOOOIC
THE SPY. 253
" 'T was in mercy to you, Betty, tliat he was permitted to come.
You see he vanished through the door in your form, whieh is a sym-
bol of your fate, unless you mend your life. Oh I I noticed how he
trembled when I gave him the good book. Would any Chri&tian,
think you, my dear Betty, write in a Bible in this way; unless it
might be the matter of births and deaths, and such lawful chro-
nicles V
The washerwoman was pleased with the softness of her lover's
manner, but dreadfully scandalised at his insinuation. She, how-
ever, preserved her temper, and with the quickness of her own
country'^ people, rejoined —
"And would the divil have paid for the clothes, think ye ? — ay,
and overpaid."
"Doubtless the money is base," said the Sergeant, a little stag-
gered at such an evidence of honesty in one of whom, as to generals,
he thought so meanly. " He tempted me with his glittering coin,
but the Lord gave me strength to resist"
"The goold looks well; but I'll change it, any way, with Cap-
tain Jack, the day. He is niver a bit afeard of any divil of them
aU!"
"Betty, Betty," said her companion, "do not speak so disreve-
rently of the evil spirit; he is ever at hand, and will owe you a
grudge, for your language."
" Pooh ! if he haa any bowels at all, he won't mind a filip or two
from a poor lone woman; I'm sure no other Christian would."
"But the dark one has no bowels, except to devour the children
of men," said the Sergeant, looking around him in horror; "and
it 'n best to make friends everywhere, for there is no telling what
may happen till it comes. But, Betty, no man could have got out
of this place, and passed all the sentinels without being known ; take
awful warning from the visit, therefore — ^'
Here the dialogue was interrupted oy a peremptory summons to
the sutler to prepare the morning's repast, and they were obliged to
Digitized by VjOOQ IC .
254 THE SPY.
separate ; the woman secretly hoping that the interest the Sergeant
manifested was more earthly than he imagined, and the man, bent
on saving a soul from the fangs of the dark spirit that was prowling
through their camp in quest of victims.
During the breakfast several expresses arrived, one of which
brought intelligence of the actual force and destination of the ene-
my's expedition that was out on the Hudson; and another, orders to
send Captain Wharton to the first post above, under the escort of a
body of dragoons. These last instructions, or rather commands, fop
they admitted of no departure from their letter, completed the sum
of Dunwoodie's uneasiness. The despair and misery of Frances
were constantly before his eyes, and fifty times he was tempted to
throw himself on his horse and gallop to the Locusts; but an uncon-
trollable feeling prevented. In obedience to the commands of his
superior, an officer, with a small party, was sent to the cottage to
conduct Henry Wharton to the place directed; and the gentleman
who was intrusted with the execution of the order was charged with
a letter from Dunwoodie to his friend, containing the most cheering
assurances of his safety, as well as the strongest pledges of his own
unceasing exertions in his favour. Lawton was left with pait of his
own troop, in charge of the few wounded; and as soon as the men
were refreshed, the encampment broke up, the main body marching
towards the Hudson. . Dunwoodie repeated his injunctions to Cap-
tain Lawton again and again — dwelt on eveiy word that had fallen
from the pedler, and canvassed, in every possible manner that his
ingenuity could devise, the probable meaning of his mysterious
warnings, until no excuse remained for delaying his own departure.
Suddenly recollecting, however, that no directions had been given
for the disposal of Colonel Wellmere, instead of following the rear
of the column, the Major yielded to his desires, and turned down
the road which led to the Locusts. The horse of Dunwoodie was
fleet as the wind, and scarcely a minute seemed to have passed be-
fore he gained sight, from in eminence, of the lonely vale, and as
Digitized by VjOOQLC
THE SPY. 255
he was plunging into the bottom lands that formed its sorfacG; ho
caught a glimpse of Henry Wharton and his escort, at a distance,
defiling through a pass which led to the posts above. This sight-
added to the speed of the anxious youth, who now turned the angle
of- the hill that opened to the valley, and came suddenly on the ob-
ject of his search. Frances had followed the party which guarded
her brother *at a distance ; and as they vanished from her sight, she
felt deserted by all that she most prized in this world. The unac-
countable absence of Dunwoodie, with the shock of partmg from
Henry under such circimistances, had enturely subdued her fortitude,
and she had sunk on a stone by the roadside, sobbing as if her heart
would break. Dunwoodie sprang from his charger, threw the reins
over the neck of the animal, and in a moment he was by the side of
the weeping girl.
" Frances — ^my own Frances V he exclaimed, " why this distress ?
— let not the situation of your brother create any alarm. As soon
as the duty I am now on is completed, I will hasten to the feet of
Washington, and beg his release. The Father of his Country will
never deny such a boon to one of his favourite pupils."
" Major Dunwoodie, for your interest in behalf of my poor bro-
ther, I thank you," said the trembling girl, drying her eyes, and
rising with dignity; "but such language addressed to me, surely, is
improper."
" Improper ! are you not mine — by the consent of your father —
your aunt — your brother — nay, by your own consent, my sweet
Frances?"
" I wish not, Major Dunwoodie, to interfere with the prior claims
that any other lady may have to your affections," said Frances,
struggling to speak with firmness.
"None other, I swear by Heaven, none other has any claim on
me I" cried Dunwoodie, with fervour; "you alono are mistress of
my inmost soul."
" You have practised so much, and so successfully, Major Dun-
Digitized by VjOOQIC
266 THE SPT.
woodie, that it is no wonder you excel in deceiving the credulity of
my sex/' returned Frances, attempting a smile, which the iremu*
lousness of her muscles smothered in its birth.
" Am I a villain, Miss Wharton, that you receive me with such
language? — when have I ever deceived you, Frances? who has
practised in this manner on your purity of heart ?"
<^ Why haa not Major Ihmwoodie honoured the dwelling of his
intended father with his presence lately ? Did he forget it contained
one friend on a bed of sickness, and another in deep distress ? Has
it escaped his memory that it held his intended wife ? Or is he
fearful of meeting more than one that can lay a claim to that title ?
Oh, Peyton — Peyton, how have I been deceived in you! with the
foolish credulity of my youth, I thought you all that was brave,
noble, generous, and loyaL"
"Frances, I see how you have deceived yourself," cried Dun*
woodie, his face in a glow of fire; "you do me injustice; I swear
by all that is most dear to me, that you do me injustice."
"Swear not, Major Dunwoodie," interrupted Frances, her fine
countenance lighting with the lustre of womanly pride ; " the time
is gone by for me to credit oaths."
*' Miss Wharton, would you have me a coxcomb — make me con-
temptible in my own eyes, by boasting with the hope of raising my-
self in your estimation?"
"Flatter not yourself that the task is so easy, sir," returned
Frances, moving towards the cottage; "we converse together in pri*
vate for the last time ; — but — possibly — my father would welcome
my mother's kinsman."
" No, Miss Wharton, I cannot enter his dwelling now : I should
act in a manner unworthy of myself! You drive me from yon,
Frances, in despair. I am going on desperate service, and may not
live to return. Should fortune prove severe, at least do my memory
justice ; remember that the lad; breathings of my soul will be for
your happiness." So saying, he had already placed his foot in die
Digitized by VjOOQIC
[
THE SPY. 257
Btiirup; but his youthful mistress turning on him an eye that pierced
Vis soul, arrested the action.
"Peyton — Major Dunwoodie/' she said, *^can you ever forget
the sacred cause in which you are enlisted ? Duty both to your God
and to your country forbids you doing any thing rashly. The lattet
has need of your services; besides — ** but her voice became choked,
and she was unable to proceed.
" Besides what ?" echoed the youth, springing to her side, and
offering to take her hand in his own. Frances having, however,
recovered herself, coldly repulsed him, and continued her walk
homeward.
"Is this our parting I" cried Dunwoodie, in agony; "am I a
wretch, that you treat me so cruelly ? You have never loved me,
and wish to conceal your own fickleness by accusations that you will
not explain."
Frances stopped short in her walk, and turned on him a look of
so much purity and feeling, that, heart>stricken, Dunwoodie would
have knelt at her feet for pardon ; but motioning him for silence,
she once more spoke —
" Hear me. Major Dunwoodie, for the last time ; it is a bitter
knowledge when we first discover our own inferiority; but it is a
truth that I have lately leamt. Against you I bring no charges —
make no accusations; no, not willingly in my thoughts. Were my
claims to your heart just, I am not worthy of you. It is not
a feeble, timid girl, like me, that could make you happy. No,
Peyton, you are formed for great and glorious actions, deeds of
daring and renown, and should be united to a soul like your own ;
one that can rise above the weakness of her sex. I should be a
weight to drag you to the dust; but with a different spirit in youi
companion, you might soar to the very pinnacle of earthly glory.
To such a one, therefore, I resign you freely, if not cheerfully; and
pray, oh, how fervently do I pray I that with such a one you may
be happy/'
Digitized by VjOOQIC
258 THE SPT.
<^ Lovely enthusiast!" cried Dunwoodie, "you know not your-
self, nor me. It is a woman, mild, gentle, and dependent as yoiu*-
self, that my very nature loves; deceive not yourself with visionary
ideas of generosity, which will only make me miserable."
" Farewell, Major Dunwoodie," said the agitated girl, pausing for
a moment to gasp for breath; "forget that you ever knew me —
remember the claims of your bleeding country; and be happy."
" Happy 1" repeated the youthful soldier, bitterly, as he saw her
light form gliding through the gate of the lawn, and disappearing
behind its shrubbery; "yes, I am now happy, indeed !"
Throwing himself into the saddle, he plunged his spurs into his
horse, and soon overtook his squadron, which was marching slowly
over the hilly roads of the country, to gain the banks of the
Hudson.
But painful as were the feelings of Dunwoodie at this unex-
pected termination of the interview with his mistress, they were
but light compared with those which were experienced by the
fond girl herself. ^ Frances had, with the keen eye of jealous
, love, easily detected the attachment of Isabella Singleton to Dun-
' I woodie. Delicate and retiring herself, it never could present itself
I to her mind that this love had been unsought. Ardent in her
own affections, and artless in their exhibition, she had early caught
the eye of the young soldier; but it required all the manly
frankness of Dunwoodie to court her favour, and the most pointed
devotion to obtain his conquest This done, his power was durable,
entire, and engrossing. But the unusual occurrences of the few
preceding days, the altered mien of her lover during those events,
his unwonted indifference to herself, and chiefly the romantic
idolatry of Isabella, had aroused new sensations in her bosom )
With a dread of her lover's integrity had been awakened the
never-failing concomitant of the purest affection, a distrust of her
own merits. In the moment of enthusiasm, the task of resigning
her lover to another, who might be more worthy of him, seemed
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY.
2;j9
easy ; but it is in vain that tlie imagination attempts to deceive the
heart. Dunwoodie had no sooner disappeared, than our heroine
felt all the misery of her situation ; and if the youth found some
relief in the cares of his command, Frances was less fortunate in
the performance of a duty imposed on her by filial piety. The
removal of his son had nearly destroyed the little energy of Mr.
Wharton, who required all the tenderness of his remaining children
lo convince him that ho was able to perform the ordinary func-
tions of life.
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER XX.
Flaiusr and piaise, commend, extol tlieir graces,
Tlioagh ne'er so black, say they have angels' faces
That men who hath a tongue I say is no man.
If with that tongue he cannot win a woman.
Two Gentlemen of Verona. •
In making the arrangements by iv'liich Captain Lawton Lad been
left, with Sergeant Hollister and twelve men, as a guard over the
wounded, and heavy baggage of the corps, Dunwoodie had consulted
not only the information which had been conveyed in the letter of
Colonel Singleton, but the bruises of his comrade's body. In vain
Lawton declared himself fit for any duty that man could perform,
or plainly intimated that his men would never follow Tom Mason to
a charge with the alacrity and confidence with which they followed
himself; his commander was firm, and the reluctant Captain was
compelled to comply with as good a grace as he could assume.
Before parting, Dunwoodie repeated his caution to keep a watchful
eye on the inmates of the cottage; and especially enjoined him, if
any movements of a particularly suspicious nature were seen in
the neighbourhood, to break up from his present quarters, and to
move down with his party, and take possession of the domains of
Mr. Wharton. A vague suspicion of danger to the family had been
awakened in the breast of the Major, by the language of the pedler,
dthough he was unable to refer it to any particular source, or to
understand why it was to be apprehended.
For some time after the departure of the troops, the Captain waa
ivalking before the door of the "Hotel,'' inwardly cursing his
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY- 201
fate^ that condemned him to an inglorious idleness^ at a moment
when a meeting with the enemy might be expected; and replying to
the occasional queries of Betty, who, from the interior of the
building, ever and anon demanded, in a high tone of voice, an
explanation of various passages in the pedler's escape,, which as
yet she could not comprehend. At this instant he was joined by
the surgeon, who had hitherto been engaged among his patients in
a distant building, and was profoundly ignorant of eveiy thing that
had occurred, even to the departure of the troops.
"Where are all the sentinels, John?" ho enquired, as he
gazed around with a look of curiosity, "and why are you here,
alone?"
"Off — all off, with Dunwoodie, to the river. You and I are
loft here to take care of a few sick men and some women."
"I am glad, however," said the surgeon, "that Major Dun-
woodie had consideration enough not to move the wounded. Here,
you Mrs. Elizabetii Flanagan, hasten with some food, that I may
appease. my appetite. I have a dead body to dissect, and am
in haste."
"And here, you Mister Doctor Archibald Sitgreaves," echoed
Betty, showing her blooming countenance from a broken window of
the kitchen, "you are ever a coming too late; here is nothing to ate
but the skin of Jenny, and the body yee'r mintioning."
" Woman !" said the surgeon, in anger, " do you take me for a
cannibal, that you address your filthy discourse to me, in this man-
ner? I bid you hasten with such food as may be proper to be
received into the stomach &sting."
"And I'm sure it's for a pop-gun that I should be taking yon
sooner than for a cannon-ball," said Betty, winking at the Captain;
^'and I tell yee that it's fasting you must be, imless yce'l let me
cook yee a steak from the skin of Jenny The boys have ate me
up intirely."
Lawton now interfered to preserve the peace, and assured the
Digitized by
Google
262 THE 8 FT.
surgeon that he had ah-cady despatched the proper peiBOOS in quest
of food for the party. A little mollified with this explanation^ tho
operator soon forgot his hunger^ and declared his intention of pro*
ceeding to business at once.
<^ And where is your subject 1" asked Lawton.
<' The pedler/' said the other^ glancing a look at the sign-post.
*^ I made Hollister put a stage so high that the neck would not be
dislocated by the fall^ and I intend making as handsome a skeleton
of him, as there is in the States of North America; the fellow hafl
good pointS; and his bones are well knit. I will make a perfect
beauty of him. I have long been wanting something of this sort to
send as a present to my old aunt in Vir^nia, who was so kind to
me when a boy."
" The devil V cried Lawton ; " would you send the old woman a
dead man's bones?"
"Why not?" said the surgeon; "what nobler object is there in
nature than the figure of a man — and the skeleton may.be called his
elementary parts. But what has been done with the body ?"
"Off too."
" Off I and who has dared to interfere with my perquisites ?"
"Sure, jist the divil," said Betty; "and who'll be taking yeer-
self away some of these times too, without asking yeer lave."
" Silence, you witch I" said Lawton, with diflficulty suppressing a
laugh; "is this the manner in which to address an officer?"
" Who called me the filthy Elizabeth Flanagan ?" cried the wash-
erwoman, snapping her fingers contemptuously; "I can remimber a
frind for a year, and don't forgit an inimy for a month."
But the friendship, or enmity of Mrs. ilaiugan was alike indif-
ferent to the surgeon, who could think of nothing but his loss; and
Lawton was obliged to explain to his friend the apparent manner in
which it had happened.
" Ajid a lucky escape it was for yee, my jewel of a doctor," cried
Betly, as the Captain concluded. "'Sargeant Hollister, who saw
Digitized by CjOOQIC ,
THE SPY. 263
him face to face^ as it might be^ says it's Beelzeboob; and no pidler,
unless it may be in a small matter of lies and theftS; and sich wick-
edness. Now a pretty figure yee would have been in cutting up
. Beelzeboob, if the Major had hanged him. I don't think it 's yeiy
asy he would have been under yeer knife." ^
Thus doubly disappointed in his meal and his business, Sifgreaves
suddenly declared his intention of visiting the "Locusts/' and en-
quiring into the state of Captain Singleton. Lawton was ready for
the excursion ; and mounting, they were soon on the road, though
the surgeon was obliged to submit to a few more jokes from the
washerwoman, before he could get out of hearing. For some time
the two rode in silence, when Lawton, perceiving that his compa-
nion's temper was somewhat raffled by his disappointments and
Betty's attack, made an effort to restore the tranquillity of his
feelings.
" That was a charming song, Archibald, that you commenced last
evening, when we were interrupted by the party that brought in the
pedler," he said : " the allusion to Galen was much to the purpose."
" I knew you would like it, Jack, when you had got the fumes
of the wine out of your head. Poetry is a respectable art, though
it wants the predsion of the exact sciences, and the natural benefi-
cence of Ihe physical. Ccmsidaied in reference to the wants of life,
I should define poetry as an emollient, rather than as a succulent."
" And yet your ode was full of the meat of wit"
^^ Ode is by no means a proper term for the composition ; I should
term it a classical ballad."
"Very probably," said the trooper; "hearing only one verse, it
was difficult to class the composition."
The surgeon involuntarily hemmed, and began to clear his throat,
although scarcely conscious himself to what the preparation tended.
But the Captain, rolling his dark eyes towards his companion^ and
observing him to be sitting with great uneasiness on his horsCi odd
tinned —
12
Digitized by VjOOQIC
264 THE SPY.
"The air is still, and the road solitary — why not give the re-
mainder ? It is never too late to repair a loss."
"My dear John^ if I thought. it would correct the errors you have
imbibed; from habit and indulgence, nothing could give me more
pleasure/'
'^We are fast approaching some rocks on our left; the echo wiij
double my satisfaction."
Thus encouraged, and somewhat impelled by the opinion that he
both sang and wrote with taste, the surgeon set about complying
with the request in sober earnest. Some little time was lost in
clearing his throat, and getting the proper pitch of his voice; but
no sooner were these two points achieved, than Lawton had the
secret delight of hearing his friend commence —
••'Hast thou ever— '••
"Hush!" interrupted the trooper; "what rustling noise is that
among the rocks?"
'^It must have been the rushing of the melody. A powerful
voice is like the breathing of the winds.
•Hast thou ever — ^*"
" Listen I" said Lawton, stopping his horse. He had not done
speaking, when a stone fell at his feet, and rolled harmlessly across
the path.
"A friendly shot, that," cried the trooper; "neither the weapon,
nor its force, implies much ill-will."
" Blows from stones seldom produce more than contusions," said
the operator, bending his gaze in every direction in vain, in quest
of the hand from which the missile had been hurled; "it must be
meteoric; there is no living being in sight, except ourselves."
" It would be easy to hide a regiment behind those rocks," re-
turned the trooper, dismounting, and taking the stone in his hand—-*
'* Oh I here is the explanation alccg with the mystery." So saying,
he tore a piece of paper that had been ingeniously fastened to the
Digitized by
Google
THE fiPT. 265
Binali fragment of rock whish bad thus singalaily fallsn before Ilim;
and opening it, the Captain read the following words, written in no
very legible hand: —
" A musket bullet will go fartJier than a st^ne, and things more
dangerous than yarhsfor wounded men lie lild in tlie rocks of West-
Chester, Tlie horse may he good, hut can he mount a precipice ?"
<' Thou sajest the truth, strange man,'' said Lawton ; ^^ courage
and activity would avail but little against assassination and these
rugged passes." Remounting his horse, he cried aloud — " Thanks,
unknown friend; your caution will be remembered."
A meagre hand was extended for an instant over a rock, in the
air, and afterwards nothing further was seen, or heard, in that quar-
ter, by the soldiers.
" Quite an extraordinary interruption," said the astonished Sit-
greaves, ^' and a letter of a very mysterious meaning."
'^ Oh ! ^tis nothing but the wit of some bumpkin, who thinks to
frighten two of the Virginians by an artifice of this kind," said the
trooper, placing the billet in his pocket; "but let me tell you, Mr-
Archibald Sitgreaves, you were wanting to dissect, just now, a damn'd
honest fellow."
"It was the pedler — one of the most notorious spies in the ene-
my's service; and I must say that I think it would be an honour to
such a man to be devoted to the uses of science."
"He may be a spy — he must be one," said Lawton, musing;
"but he has a heart above enmity, and a soul that would honour a
soldier."
The surgeon turned a vacant eye on his companion as he uttered
this soliloquy, while the penetratmg looks of the trooper had already
discovered another pile of rocks, which, jutting forward, nearly ob-
structed the highway that wound directly around its base.
" What the steed cannot mount, the foot of man can overcome,"
exclaimed the wary partisan. Throwing himself again from his
saddle, and leaping a wall of stone, he began to ascend the hill at a
Digitized by CjOOQIC
266 THE SPY.
pace wluch would soon have given him a bird's-eye view of the rocka
in qnestion, together with all their crevices. This movement was
no sooner made^ than Lawton caught a glimpse of the iSgnre of a
man stealing rapidly from his approach^ and disappearing on the
opposite side of the precipice.
"Spur, Sitgreaves — spur/' shouted the trooper, dashing over
every impediment in pursuit, " and murder the villain as he flies."
The former part of the request was promptly complied with, and
a few moments brought the surgeon in full view of a man armed
with a musket, who was crossing the road, and evidently seeking the
protection of the thick wood on its opposite side.
" Stop, my friend — stop until Captain Lawton comes up, if you
please," cried the surgeon, observing him to flee with a rapidity -that
baffled his horsemanship. But as if the invitation contained new
terrors, the footman redoubled his efforts, nor paused even to breathe,
until he had reached his gojJ, when, turning on his heel, he Sis
charged his musket towards the surgeon, and was out of sight in an
mstant. To gain the highway, and throw himself into his saddle,
detained Lawton but a moment, and he rode to the side of his com-
rade just as the figure disappeared.
"Which way has he fled?" cried the trooper.
"John," said the surgeon, "am I not a non-combatant?"
" Whither has the rascal fled ?" cried Lawton, impatiently.
"Where you cannot follow — into that wood. But I repeat^
John, am I not a non-combatant?"
The disappointed trooper, perceiving that his enemy had escaped
liim, now turned his eyes, which were flashing with anger, upon his
comrade, and gradually his muscles lost their rigid compression, his
brow relaxed, and his look changed from its fierce expression, to the
covert laughter which so often distinguished his countenance. The
surgeon sat in dignified composure on his horse ; his thin body erect,
and his head elevated with the indignation of one ooniscious of hav-
ing been unjustly treated.
Digitized by VaOOQlC
THE SPY. 267
" Wby did you suffer the villain to escape f" demanded the Cap.
tain. ^^ Once within reach of my sabre^ and I would have given
you a subject for the dissecting table/'
"'Twas impossible to prevent it/' said the surgeon, pointing to
the bars, before which he had stopped his horse. — "The rogue
threw himself on the other side of this fence, and left me where
you see ; nor would the man in the least attend to my remonstrances,
or to an intimation that you wished to hdd discourse with him/'
" He waa truly a discourteous rascal ; but why did you not leap
the fence, and compel him to a halt? — you see but three of the
bars are up, and Betty Flanagan could clear them on her cow/'
The surgeon, for the first time, withdrew his eyes from the place
where the furtive had disappeared, and turned his look on his com-
rade. His head, however, was not permitted to lower itself in the
least, as he replied —
" I humbly conceive, Captain Lawton, that neither Mrs. Elizabeth
Flanagan, nor her cow, is an example to be emulated by Doctor*
Archibald Sitgreaves : it would be but a sorry compliment to science,
to say, that a Doctor of Medicine had fractured both his legs, by
injudiciously striking them against a pair, of bar-posts/' While
speaking, the surgeon raised the limbs in question to a nearly hori-
zontal position, an attitude which really appeared to bid defiance tc
any thing like a passage for himself through the defile 3 but the
trooper, disregarding this ocular proof of the impossibility of the
movement, cried hastily —
"Here was nothing to stop you, man; I could leap a platoon
through, boot and thigh, without pricking with a single spur.
Pshaw ! I have often charged upon the bayonets of infantry, over
greater difficulties than this."
" You will please to remember, Captain John Lawton, that I am
not the riding-master of the regiment — nor a drill sergeant — nor a
crazy comet; no, sir — and I speak it with a due respect for the
commission of the continental Congress — nor an inconsiderate cap-
Digitized by
Google
268 THE SPY.
tain, who regards Ms own life as little as that of his enemies. I am
only, sir, a poor humble man of letters, a mere Doctor of Medicine,
an unworthy graduate of Edinburgh, and a surgeon of dragoons)
nothing more, I do assure you, Captain John Lawton." So saying,
he tujned his hole's head towards the cottage, and recommenced
his ride.
''Ay! you speak the truth," muttered the dragoon; "had I but
the meanest rider of my troop with me, I should have taken the
scoundrel, and given at least one victim to the laws. But, Archi-
bald, no man can ride well who straddles in this manner like the
Colossus of Rhodes. You should depend less on your stirrup, and
keep your seat by the power of the knee.''
"With proper deference to your experience. Captain Lawton,"
returned the surgeon, "I conceive myself to be no incompetent
judge of muscular action, whether in the knee, or any other part of
the human frame. And although but humbly educated, I am not
•now to learn that the wider the base, the more firm is the super-
structure."
" Would you fill a highway, in this manner, with one pair of legs,
when half a dozen might pass together in comfort, stretching them
abroad like the scythes of the ancient chariot wheels ?"
The allusion to the practice of the ancients somewhat softened
the indignation of the surgeon, and he replied, with rather less
hauteur —
" You should speak with reverence of the usages of those who have
gone before us, and who, however ignorant they were in matters of
science, and particularly that of surgery, yet furnished many brilliant
hints to our own improvements. Now, sir, I have no doubt that
Galen has operated on wounds occasioned by these very scythes that
you mention, although we can find no evidence of the fact in contem
porary writers. Ah ! they must have given dreadful injuries, and,
I doubt not, caused great uneasiness to the medical gentlemen of
that day"
Digitized by
Google
T H B s r V. ' " ' ^
** Oecafiionally a body must have been left in two pieces, toj^tftotbe
llie ingenuity of those gentry to unite. Yet, venerable and learned
as they were, I doubt Bot they did it."
"What! unite two parts of the human body, that have been
severed by an edged instrument, to any of the purposes of animal
life?"
" That have been rent asunder by a scythe, and are united to do
military duty," said Lawton.
" 'T is impossible — quite impossible," cried the surgeon; "it is
in vain. Captain Lawton, that human ingenuity endeavours to baffle
the efforts of nature. Think, my dear sir, in this case you separate
all the arteries — injure' all of the intestines — sever all of the
nerves and sinews, and, what is of more consequence, you — '*
" You have said enough. Dr. Sitgreaves, to convince a member
of a rival school. Nothing shall ever tempt me willingly to submit
to be divided in this irretrievable manner."
^^Certes, there is little pleasure in a wound which, from ito
nature, is incurable."
"I should think so," said Lawton drily.
[^ What do you think is the greatest pleasure in life ?" asked the
operator suddenly,
^' That must greatly depend on taste."
// "Not at all," cried the surgeon; "it is in witnessing, or rather
((feeling, the ravages of disease repaired by the lights of science co-
operating with nature. I once broke my little finger intentionally,
in order that I might reduce the fracture and watch the cure : it was
only on a small scale, you know, dear John ; still the thrilling sen-
sation excited by the knitting of the bone, aided by the contemplation
of the art of man thus acting in unison with nature, exceeded any
other enjoyment that I have ever experienced. Now, had it been
one of the more important members, such as the leg or arm, how
much greater must the pleasure have been!"
"Or the neck," said the trooper; but their desultory discourse
Digitized by VjOOQLC
268 ^1^ THB SPT.
tain^jrfg^pted by their arrival at the cottage of Mr. Wharton. N«
appearing to usher them into an apartment^ the Captain pro*
Deeded to the door of the parlour, where he knew viaters were com-
monly received. On opening it, he paused for a moment, in admi-
ration at the scene within. The person of Colonel Wellmere first
met his eye, bending towards the figure of the blushing Saraih, with
an earnestness of manner that prevented the noise of Lawton's
entrance from being heard by either of the parties. Certain signifi-
cant signs, which were embraced at a glance by the prying gaze of
the trooper, at once made him a master of their secret; and he was
about to retire as slentiy as he had advanced, when his companion,
pushing himself through the passage, abruptly entered the room.
Advancing instantly to the chair of Wellmere, the surgeon instinct-
ively laid hold of his arm, and exclaimed —
'^ Bless me! — a quick and irregular pulse — flushed cheek an^
fiery eye — strong febrile symptoms, and such as must be attendr
to.'' While speaking, the doctor, who was much addicted
practising in a summary way, — a weakness of most medical r
in military practice, — had already produced his lancet, and Wc«.
making certain other indications of his iatentions to' proceed at once
to business. But Colonel Wellmere, recovering from the confusion
of the surprise, arose from his seat haughtily, and said —
^^ Sir, it is the warmth of the room that lends me the colour, and
I am already too much indebted to your skill to give you any farther
trouble; Miss Wharton knows that I am quite well, and I do assure
you that I never felt better or happier in my life."
There was a peculiar emphasis on the latter part of this speech,
that, however it might gratify the feelings of Sarah, brought the
colour to her cheeks again; and Sitgreaves, as his eye followed the
direction of those of his patient, did not fail to observe it.
" Your arm, if you please, madam," said the surgeon, advandng
with a bow; ^^ anxiety and watching have done their work on your
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY.
271
delicate frame, and there are symptoms about you that must not be
neglected."
" Excuse me, sir," said Sarah, recovering herself with womanly
pj-ide ; " the heat is oppressive, and I will retire and acquaint Miss
Peyton with your presence."
There was but little difficulty in practising on the abstracted sim-
plicity of the surgeon ; but it was necessary for Sarah to raise her
eyes to return the salutation of Lawton, aa he bowed his head nearly
to a level with the hand that held open the door for her passage.
One look was sufficient; she was able to control her steps sufficiently
to rethre with dignity; but no sooner was she relieved from the pre-
sence of all observers, than she fell into a chair, and abandoned her-
self to a^feeling of mingled shame and pleasure.
A little nettled at the contumacious deportment of the British
colonel, Sitgreaves, after once more tendering services that wens
again rejected, withdrew to the chamber of young Singleton, whither
Lawton had already preceded him.
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER XXI.
Oh! Henry, when tliou deign'st to sue.
Con I thy suit withstand?
When thou, lovM youth, hast won my heart.
Can I refuse my hand ?
Hermit of Warktoorih.
The graduate of Edinburgh found his patient rapidly improving in
health, and entirely free from fever. His sister, with a cheek that
was, if possible, paler than on her arrival, watched around his couch
^with tender care; and the ladies of the cottage had not, in the midst
of their sorrows and varied emotions, forgotten to discharge the
duties of hospitality. Frances felt herself impelled towards their
disconsolate guest, with an interest for which she could not account,
and with a force that she could not control. She had unconsdously
connected the fates of Bunwoodie and Isabella in her imagination,
and she felt, with the romantic ardour of a generous mind, that she
was serving her former lover most, by exhibiting kindness to her he
loved best. Isabella received her attentions with gratitude, but
neither of them indulged in any allusions to the latent source of
their uneasiness. The observation of Miss Peyton seldom pene-
trated beyond, things that were visible, and to her the situation of
Henry Wharton seemed to furnish an awful excuse for the fading
cheeks and tearful eyes of her niece. If Sarah manifested less of
care than her sister, still the unpractised aunt was not at a loss to
comprehend the reason. Love is a holy feeling with the virtuous of
the female sex, and it hallows all that comes within its influence.
Although Miss Peyton mourned with sincerity over the danger
Digitized by VjOOQIC
TUB SPY. 273
wliicli threatened her nephew, she well knew that an active cam-
paign was not favourable to love, and the moments that were thus
accidentally granted were not to be thrown away.
Several days now passed without any interruption of the usual
avocations of the inhabitant? of the cottage, or the party at the Four
Comers. The former were supporting their fortitude with the cer-
tainty of Henry's innocence, and a strong reliance on Dunwoodie's
exertions in his behalf, and the latter waiting with impatience the
intelligence, that was hourly expected, of a conflict, and their orders
to depart. Captain Lawton, however, waited for both these events
in vain. Letters from the major announced that the enemy, finding
that the party which was to co-operate with them had been defeated,
and was withdrawn, had retired also behind the works of Fort Wash-
ington, where they continued inactive, threatening constantly to strike
a blow in revenge for their disgrace. The trooper was enjoined to
vigilance, and the letter concluded with a compliment to his honour,
zeal, and undoubted bravery.
" Extremely flattering. Major Dunwoodie," muttered the dragoon,
as he threw down this epistle, and stalked across the floor to quiet
his impatience. " A proper guard have you selected for this ser-
vice: let me see — I have to watch over the interests of a crazy,
irresolute old man, who does not know whether he belongs to us or
to the enemy ; four women, three of whom are well enough in them-
selves, but who are not immensely flattered by my society; and the
fourth, who, good as she is, is on the wrong side of forty; some two
or three blacks ; a talkative housekeeper, that does nothing but chat-
ter about gold and despisables, and signs and omens; and poor
George Singleton. "Well, a comrade in suffering has a claim on a
man, — so I '11 make the best of it."
As he concluded this soliloquy, the trooper took a seat and began
to whistle, to convince himself how little he cared about the matter,
wJien, by throwing his booted leg carelessly round, he upset the
cmtocn tliat held his whole stock of brandy. The accident was S(X)n
Digitized by CjOOQIC
274 T II E 8 P T.
repaired^ but in replacing the wooden vessel, he observed a billet
lying on the bench, on which the liquor had been placed. It wujf
soon opened, and he read — "TAe moon will not rise till after mid-
night — a Jit time for deeds of darkness,"*^ There was no mistaking
the hand ; it was clearly the same that had given him the timely
warning against assassination, and the trooper continued, for a long
time, musing on the nature of these two notices, and the motives
that could induce the pedler to favour an implacable enemy in the
manner that he had latterly done. That he was a spy of the enemy,
Lawton knew; for the fact of his conveying intelligence to the
English commander-in-chief, of a party of Americans that were ex-
posed to the enemy, was proved most clearly against him on the
trial for his life. The consequences of his treason had been avoided,
it is true, by a lucky order from "Waahington, which withdrew the
regiment a short time before the British appeared to cut it off, but
still the crime was the same; perhaps, thought the partisan, he
wishes to make a friend of me against the event of another capture ;
but, at all events, he spared my life on one occasion, and saved it on
another. I will endeavour to be as generous as himself, and pray
that my duty may never interfere with my feelings.
Whether the danger, intimated in the present note, threatened
the cottage or his own party, the Captain was uncertain, but he in-
clined to the latter opinion, and determined to beware how he rode
abroad in the dark. To a man in a peaceable country, and in times
of quiet and order, the indiffcjrence with which the partisan regarded
the impending danger would be inconceivable. His reflections on
the subject were more directed towards devising means to entrap his
enemies, than to escape their machinations. But the arrival of the
surgeon, who had been to pay his daily visit to the Locusts, inter-
rupted his meditations. Sitgreaves brought an invitation from the
mistress of the mansion to Captain Lawton, desiring that the cottago
might be honoured with his presence at an early hour on that
evening.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY. 275
"Hal'' cried the trooper; "then' they have received a letter^
also."
" I think nothing more probable/' said the snrgeon 3 " there is a
ehaplain at the cottage from the royal army^ who has come out to
exchange the British wounded^ and who has an order £rom Colonel
Singleton for their delivery. But a more mad project than to re-
move them now was never adopted."
"A priest, say you! — is he a hard drinker — a real camp-idler
— a fellow to breed a famine in a regiment ? or does he seem a man
who is in earnest in his trade ?"
^' A very respectable and orderly gentleman, and not unreasonably
given to intemperance, judging from the outward symptoms," re-
turned the surgeon; "and a man who really says grace in a very
regular and appropriate manner."
"And does he stay the night?"
" Certainly, he waits for his cartel ; but hasten, John, we have but
little time to waste. I will just step up and bleed two or three of
the Englishmen who are to move in the morning, in order to antici-
pate inflammation, and be with you immediately."
The gala suit of Captain Lawton was easily adjusted to his huge
firame, and his companion being ready, they once more took their
route towards the cottage. Boanoke had been as much benefited by
a few days' rest as his master; and Lawton ardently wished, as he
curbed his gallant steed, on pas^ng the well-remembered rocks, that
his treacherous enemy stood before him, mounted and armed as
himself. But no enemy, nor any disturbance whatever, interfered
with their progress, and they reached the Locusts just as the sun
was throwing his setting rays on the valley, and tinging the tops of
the leafless trees with gold. It never required more than a single
look to acquaint the trooper with the particulars of every scene that
was not uncommonly veiled, and the first survey that he took on
entering the house, told him more than the observations of a day
had put into the possession of Dr: Sitgreaves. Miss Peyton accosted
Digitized by CjOOQIC
276 THE SPY.
him with a smiling welcome, that exceeded the bounds of oidinary
courtesy, and which evidently flowed more from feelings that wero
connected with the heart, than from manner. Frances glided about^
tearful and agitated, while Mr. Wharton stood ready to receive
them, decked in a suit of velvet that would have been conspicuous
in the gayest drawing-room. Colonel "Wellmere was in the uniform
of an officer of the household troops of his prince, and Isabella Sin-
gleton sat in the parlour, clad in the habiliments of joy, but with a
countenance that belied her appearance ; while her brother by her
side, looked, with a cheek of flitting colour, and an eye of intenso
interest, like any thing but an invalid. As it was the third day
that he had left his room^ Dr. Sitgreaves, who began to stare about
him in stupid wonder, forgot to reprove his patient for imprudence.
Into this scene Captain Lawton moved with all the composure and
gravity of a man whose nerves were not easily discomposed by novel-
ties. His compliments were received as graciously as they were
offered, and after exchanging a few words with the diflerent indi-
viduals present, he approached the surgeon, who had withdrawn, in
a kind of confiised astonishment, to rally his senses.
" John,'' whispered the surgeon, with awakened curiosity, " what
means this festival?"
" That your wig and my black head would look the better for a
little of Betty Flanagan's flour; but it is too late now, and we must
fight the battle armed as you see."
" Observe, here comes the army chaplain in his fuU robes, as a
Doctor Divinitatis; what can it mean?"
"An exchange," said the trooper; "the wounded of Cupid are
to meet and settle their accounts with the god, in the way of plight-
ing faith to suffer from his archery no more."
The surgeon laid a finger on the side of his nose, and he began to
comprehend the case.
"Is it not a crying shame, that a sunshine-hero, and an enemy,
should thus be suffered to steal away one of the fairest plants that
Digitized by CjOOQIC
THE SPY. 2^1
grows in our soil/' muttered Lawton ; " a flower fit to be placed iu
ike bosom of any man/'
"If lie be not more accommodating aa a husband than as a
patient, John, I fear me that the lady will lead a troubled life."
"Let her/' said the trooper, indignantly; "she has chosen from
her country's enemies, and may she meet with a foreigner's virtues
in her choice."
Further conversation was interrupted by Miss Peyton, who,
advancing, acquainted them that they had been invited to grace the
nuptials of her eldest niece and Colonel Wellmere. The gentlemen
bowed ; and the good aunt, with an inherent love of propriety, went
on to add, that the acquaintance was of an old date, and the attach*
ment by no means a sudden thing. To this Lawton merely bowed
still more ceremoniously; but the surgeon, who loved to hold con-
verse with the virgin, replied —
" That the human mind was diflferently constituted in different
individuals. In some, impressions are vivid and transitory; in
others, more deep and lasting: — indeed, there are some philoso-
phers who pretend to trace a connection between the physical and
mental powers of the animal ; but, for my part, madam, I believe
that the one is much influenced by habit and association, and the
other subject altogether to the peculiar laws of matter."
Miss Peyton, in her turn, bowed her silent assent to this remark,
and retired with dignity, to usher the intended bride into the pre-
sence of the company. The hour had arrived when American cus-
tom has decreed that the vows of wedlock must be exchanged ; and
Sarah, blushing with a variety of emotions, followed her aunt to the
drawing-room. Wellmere sprang to receive the hand that, with an
averted face, she extended towards him, and, for the first time, the
English Colonel appeared fully conscious of the important part thafc
he was to act in the approaching ceremony. Hitherto his air had
been abstracted, and his manner uneasy; but every thing, excepting
the certainty of his bliss, seemed to vanish at the blaze of loveliness
Digitized by VjOOQIC
278 THE SPY.
that now burst on Lis sight All arose from their seats, and the
reverend gentleman had already opened the sacred volume, when
the absence of Frances was noticed: Miss Peyton withdrew in
aearch of her youngest niece, whom she found in her own apartment^
and in tears.
" Come, my love, the ceremony waits but for us," said the aunt,
affectionately entwining her , arm in that of her niece; ^^ endeavour
to compose yourself, that proper honour may be done to the choice
of your sister.''
" Is he — can he be worthy of her ?"
*^Can he be otherwise?'' returned Miss Peyton; "is he not a
gentleman? — a gallant soldier, though an unfortunate one? and
certainly, my love, one who appears every way qualified to make any
woman happy."
Frances had given vent to her feelings, and, with an effort, she
collected sufficient resolution to venture to join the party below.
But to relieve the embarrassment of this delay, the clergyman had
put sundry questions to the bridegroom; one of which was by no
means answered to his satisfaction. Wellmere was compelled to
acknowledge that he was unprovided with a ring; and to perform
the marriage ceremony without one, the divine pronounced to be
canonically impossible. His appeal to Mr. Wharton, for the pro-
priety of this decision, was answered affirmatively, as it would have
been negatively, had the question been put in a manner to lead to
such a result. The owner of the Locusts had lost the little energy
he possessed, by the blow recently received through his son, and his
assent to the objection of the clergyman was as easily obtained as
had been his consent to the premature proposals of Wellmere. In
this stage of the dilemma. Miss Peyton and Frances appeared. The
surgeon of dragoons approached the former, and as he handed hci
to a chair, observed —
" It appears, madam, that untoward circumstances have prevented
Colonel Wellmere from providing all of the decorations that custom.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
\
X
THB SPY, 279
antiquity, and the canons of the church have prescribed as indispen-
sable to enter into the honourable state of wedlock."
Miss Peyton glanced her quiet eye at the uneasy bridegroom, and
perceiving him to be adorned with what she thought sufficient splen-
dour, allowing for the time and the suddenness of the occasion, she
turned her look on the speaker, aa if to demand an explanation.
The surgeon understood her wishes, and proceeded at once to
gratify them,
"There is," he observed, "an opinion prevalent, that the heart
lies on the left side of the body, and that the connection between
the members of that side and what may be called the seat of life, is
more intimate than that which exists with their opposites. But this
is an error that grows out of an ignorance of the or^nic arrange-
ment of the human frame. In obedience to this opinion, the fourth
finger of the left hand is thought to contain a virtue that belongs to
no other branch of that digitated member; and it is ordinarily en-
circled, during the solemnization of wedlock, with a cincture or ring,
as if to chain that affection to the marriage state, which' is best se-
cured by the graces of the female character." While speaking,
the operator laid his hand expressively on his heart, and he bowed
nearly to the floor when he had concluded.
" I know not, sir, that I rightly understand your meaning," said
Miss Peyton, whose want of comprehension was sufficiently ex-
cusable.
'''A ring, madam — a ring is wanting for the ceremony."
The iostant that the surgeon spoke explicitly, the awkwardness of
the situation was understood. She glanced her eyes at her nieces,
and in the younger she read a secret e:;cultation that somewhat dis-
pleased her; but the countenance of Sarah was suffiised with a shame
that the considerate aunt well understood. Not for the world would
the violate any of the observances of female etiquette. It sug-
gested itself to all the females, at the same moment, that the wed-
ding-ring of the late mother and sister was reposing peacefully amid
Digitized by CjOOQIC
280 THB SPY.
fche rest of her jewellery, in a secret receptacle, that had been pro
vided at an early day, to secure the valuables against the predatory
inroads of the marauders who roamed through the county. Into
this hidden vault, the plate, and whatever was most prized, made a
nightly retreat, and there the ring in question had long lain, forgot-
ten until at this moment. But it was the business of the bride-
groom, from time immemorial, to furnish this indispensable to wed-
lock, and on no account would Miss Peyton do any thing that tran-
scended the usual reserve of the sex on this solemn occasion ; cer-
tainly not until sufficient expiation for the ofFence had been made,
by a due portion of trouble and disquiet. This material fact, there-
fore, was not disclosed by either; the aunt consulting female pro-
priety; the bride yielding to shame; and Frances rejoicing that an
embarrassment, proceeding from almost any cause, should delay her
sister's vow. It was reserved for Dr. Sitgreaves to interrupt the
awkward silence.
" If, madam, a plain ring, that once belonged to a sister of my
own — *' He paused, and hemmed— -"If, madam, a ring of that
description might be admitted to this honour, I have one that could
be easily produced from my quarters at the Comers, and I doubt not
it would fit the finger for which it is desired. There is a strong
resemblance between — hem — between my late sister and Miss
Wharton, in stature and anatomical figure ; and, in all eligible sub-
jects, the proportions are apt to be observed throughout the whole
animal economy."
A glance of Miss Peyton's eye recalled Colonel Wellmere to a
sense of his duty, and springing from his chair, he assured the sur-
geon, that in no way could he confer a greater obligation on himself
than by sending for that very ring. The operator bowed a little
haughtily, and withdrew to fulfil his promise, by despatching a mes
Benger on the errand. The aunt suffered him to retire; but unwill-
ingness to admit a stranger into the privacy of their domestic arrange-
ments, induced her to follow and tender the services of Csesar, in-
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY. 281
stead of those of Sitgreaves's man, who had volunteered for this
duty. Katy Haynes was accordingly directed to summon the black
to the vacant parlour, and thither Miss Peyton and the surgeon
repaired, to give their several instructions.
The consent to this sudden union of Sarah and Wellmere, and
especially at a time when the life of a member of the family was in
such imminent jeopardy, was given from a conviction, that the un-
settled state of the country would probably prevent another oppor*
iunity of the lovers meeting, and a secret dread on the part of Mr.
Wharton, that the death of his son might, by hastening his own,
leave his remaining children without a protector. But notwithstand-
ing Miss Peyton had complied with her brother's wish to profit by
the accidental visit of a divine, she had not thought it necessary to
blazon the intended nuptials of her niece to the neighbourhood, had
even time been allowed: she thought, therefore, that she was
now communicating a profound secret to the negro and her house-
keeper.
" Caesar,'' she commenced, with a smile, " you are now to learn
that your young mistress. Miss Sarah, is to be united to Colonel
Wellmere this evening.''
" I tink I see him afore," said Csesar, chuckling; " old black man
can tell when a young lady make up he mind."
" Really, Caesar, I find I have never given you credit for half the
observation that you deserve; but os you already know on what
emergency your services are required, listen to the directions of this
gentleman, and take care to observe them strictly."
The black turned in quiet submission to the surgeon, who com-
menced as follows: —
" Caesar, your mistress has already acquainted you with the im-
portant event about to be solemnised within this habitation ; but a
cincture or ring is wanting to encircle the finger of the bride ; a
custom derived from the ancients, and which has been continued in
(ho marriage forms of several branches of the Christian church, and
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
282 THE 8 FT.
ffrhich is even, by a species of typical wedlock, used in Uie iustoUa-
lion of prelates, as you doubtless understand/'
'< Pr'aps massa doctor will say him over ag'in/' interrupted the
old negro, whose memory began to £ul him, just as the other made
BO confident an allusion to his powers of comprehension; '^ I tink I
get him by heart <Ls time."
<< It is impossible to gather honey from a rock, Cassar, and there-
fore I will abridge the little I have to say. Hide to the Four
Comers, and present this note to Sergeant Hollister, or to Mrs.
Elizabeth Flanagan, either of whom will furnish the necessary
pledge of connubial affection; and return forthwith."
The letter which the surgeon put into the hands of his messenger,
as he ceased, was conceived in the following terms : —
"If the fever has left Kinder, give him nourishment Take
three ounces more of blood from Watson. Have a search made
that the woman Flanagan has left none of her jugs of alcohol in the
hospital. Renew the dressings of Johnson, and dismiss Smith to
duty. Send the ring, which is pendent from the chain of the
watch, that I left with you to time tl^e doses, by. the bearer.
Archibald Sitobeaves, M. D
" Surgeon of Dragoons"
" Caesar," said Katy, when she was alone with the black, " put
the ring, when you get it, in your left pocket, for that is nearest your
heart}' and by no means endeavour to tiy it on your finger, for it is
unlucky."
" Try um on he finger ?" interrupted the negro, stretching forth
nis bony knuckles; "tink a Miss Sally's ring go on old Caesar finger ?"
"'Tis not oonse<|uential whether it goes on or not," said the
housekeeper; "but it is an evU omen to place a marriage-ring on
the finger of another after wedlock, and of course it may be danger-
ous before."
Digitized by
Google
THE SFT. 283
'* I tell you, Katy, I neber tink to put um on a finger."
^Go then, Gb&bbt, and do not forget the left pocket; be careful
fo take off your hat as you pass the grave-yard^ and be expeditious;
for nothing, I am certain, can be more trying to the patience, than
thus to bo waiting for the ceremony, when a body has fiilly made
up her miud to marry/'
With this injunction Caesar quitted the house, and he was soon
firmly fixed in the saddle. From his youth, the black, like all of
his race, had been a hard rider; but^ bending under the weight of
sixty winters, his African blood had lost some of its native heat
The night was dark, and the wind whistled through the vale with the
dreariness of November. When Caesar reached the grave-yard, he
uncovered his giizaded head with superstitious awe, and he threw
around him many a fearful glance, in momentary expectation of
seeing something superhuman. There was sufficient light to discern
a being of earthly mould stealing from among the graves, apparently
with a design to enter the highway. It is in vain that philosophy
and reason contend with early impresmons, and poor Caesar was even
without the support of either of liiese frail allies. He was, how-
ever, well mounted on a coaoh-horse of Mr. Wharton's, and, clinging
to the back of the animal with instanctive skill, he abandoned the
rein to the beast. Hillocks, woods, rocks, fences, and houses flew
by him with the rapidity of lightnmg, and the black had just begun
to think whither and on what business he was riding in this headlong
manner, when he reached the place where the roads met, and the
'^ Hotel Flanagan'^ stood before hun in its dilapidated simplicity.
The sight of a cheerful fire first told the negro that he had reached
the habitation of man, and with it came all his dread of the bloody
Virginians; — his duty must, however, be done, and, dismounting,
he fastened the foaming animal to a fence, and approached the win-
dow with cautious steps, to reconnoitre.
Before a blazing fire sat Sergeant Hollistcr and Betty Flanagan,
enjoying themselves over a liberal potation.
Digitized by
Google
284 THE SPY
"I tell yee, Sargeant dear," said Betty, removing the inug from
her mouth, "'tis no rasonable to think it was more than the pidler
himself; sure now, where was the smell of sulphur, and the wings,
and the tail, and the cloven foot ? — besides, Sargeant, it 's no dacent
to tell a lone famale that she had Beelzeboob for a bedfellow."
" It matters but little, Mrs. Flanagan, provided you escape his
talons and fangs hereafter," returned the veteran, following the le-
mark by a heavy draught.
Caesar heard enough to convince him, that little danger from this
pair was to be apprehended. His teeth already began to chatter,
and the cold without and the comfort within stimulated him greatly
to enter. He made his approaches with proper caution, and knocked
with extreme humility. The appearance of JBoUister with a drawn
sword, roughly demanding who was without, contributed in no de-
gree to the restoration of his faculties ; but fear itself lent him power
to explain his errand.
"Advance," said the Sergeant, throwing a look of close scrutiny
on the black, as he brought him to the light; "advance, and deliver
your despatches : have you the countersign ?"
" I don't tink he know what dat be," said the black, shaking in
his shoes, " dough massa dat sent me gib me many tings to cany,
dat he little understand."
" Who ordered you on this duty, did you say ?"
" Well, it war he doctor, heself, so he come up on a gallop, as he
alway do on a doctor's errand."
"'Twas Doctor Sitgreaves; he never knows the countersign him-
self. Now, blackey, had it been Captain Lawton, he would not
have sent you here, close to a sentinel, without the countersign; for
you might get a pistol bullet through your head, and that would be
cruel to you; for although you be black, I am none of them who
thinks niggers have no souls."
"Sure a nagur has as much sowl as a white," said Betty; "come
Uither, ould man, and warm that shivering carcase of yeers by the
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY. 285
blaze of this fire. I 'm sure a Guinea nagur loves hate as much as
A souldier loves his drop."
Caesar obeyed in silence^ and a mulatto boy^ who was sleeping on
a bench in the room, was bidden to convey the note of the surgeon
to the building where the wounded were quartered.
^' Here/' said the washerwoman, tendering to Caesar a taste of the
article that most delighted herself, ^' try a drop, smooty, H will warm
the black sowl within your crazy body, iand be giving you spirits as
you are going homeward.'^
'< I tell you, Elizabeth,'^ said the Sergeant, '< that the souls of
niggers are the same as our own; how often have I heard the good
Mr. Whitfield say, that there was no distinction of colour in heaven. -\
Therefore it is reasonable to believe that the soul of this here black
is as white as my own, or even Major Dunwoodie's."
^^ Be sure he be,'' cried Caesar, a little tartly, whose courage had
revived by tasting the drop of Mrs. Flanagan.
"It's a good sowl that the Major is, any way," returned the
washerwoman; "and a kind sowl — ay, and a brave sowl too; and
yce'n say all that yeerself, Sargeant, I'm thinking."
" For the matter of that," returned the veteran, " there is ono
above even Washington, to judge of souls; but this I will say, that
Major Dunwoodie is a gentieman who never says. Go, boys — but
always says, Come, boys; and if a poor fellow is in want of a spur
or a martingale, and the leather-whack is gone, there is never want-
ing the real silver to makeup the loss, and that from his own pocket
too."
" Why, tiien, are you here idle when all that he holds most dear
are in danger?" cried a voice with startling abruptness; "mount,
mount, and foUow your captain ; arm and mount, and that instantiy,
or you will be too late!"
This unexpected interruption produced an instantaneous confusion
Amongst the tipplers. Caesar fled instinctively into the fire-place,
where he maintained his position in defiance of a heat that would
Digitized by
Google
280 THE 8PT.
have roasted a white man. Sergeant Hollister turned promptly on
his heel^ and seizing his sabre^ the steel was glittering by the fire-
light, in the twinkling of an eye ; but perceiving the intruder to be
the pedler, who stood near the open door that led to the lean-to in
the rear, he began to fall back towards the position of the black,
with a military intuition that taught him to concentrate his forces.
Betty alone stood her ground, by the side o£ the temporary table.
Replenishing the mug with a large addition of the article known to
the soldiery by the name of " choke-dog,'' she held it towards the
pedler. The eyes of the washerwoman had for some time been
swimming with love and liquor, and turning them good-naturedly
on Birch, she cried —
" Faith, but yee 're wilcome. Mister Pidler, or Mister Birch, or
Mister Beelzeboob, or what's yeer name. Yee 're an honest divil
any way, and I'm hoping that you found the pitticoats convanient.
Come forward, dear, and fale the fire ; Sargeant HolKster won't be
hurting you, for the fear of an ill turn you may be doing him here-
after — will yee, sargeant, dear?"
" Depart, ungodly man !" cried the veteran, edging still nearer to
Caesar, but lifting his legs alternately as they scorched with the heat,
" depart in peace ! -There is none here for thy service, and you seek
the woman in vain* There is a tender mercy that will save her
from thy talons." The Sergeant ceased to utter aloud, but the mo-
tion of his lips continued, and a few scattering words of prayer wero
alone audible.
The brain of the washerwoman was in such a state of confusion
that she did not clearly comprehend the meaning of her suitor, but
a new idea struck her imagination, and she broke forth —
^^If it's me the man saaks, where 's the matter, pray? am I not
a widowed body, and my own property ? And you talk of tinder-
ness, sargeant; but it's littie I see of it any way : who knows but
Mr. Beelzeboob here is free to spake his mind ? I'm sure it is wil-
Ung to hear I am."
Digitized by
Google
THE 8PV. 287
^ Woman/^ said the pedler, ^^be eilent; and you^ foolish man,
mount — arm and mount^ and fljto the rescue of your officer^ if
you are worthy of the cause in which you serve, and would not dis-
grace the coat you wear/' The pedler vanished from the sight of
die bewildered trio, with a rapidity that left them uncertam whither
he had fled.
On hearing the voice of an old friend, Caesar emerged from his
oomer, and fearlessly advanced to the spot where Betty had reso-
lutely maintained her ground, though in a state of utter mental
confusion.
"I wish Harvey stop," said the black j "if he ride down a road,
I should like he company; — I don't fink Johnny Birch hurt he
own son."
"Poor ignorant wretch I" exclaimed the veteran, recovering his
voice with a long-drawn breath; "think you that %ure was made
of flesh and blood?"
" Harvey an't fleshy," replied jthe black, " but he berry debber
man." 4
"Pooh I sargeant dear," exclaimed the washerwoman, "talk
rason for once, and mind what the knowing one tells yee; call
out the boys, and ride a bit after Captain Jack; rimimber, darling,
that he told yee, the day, to be in readiness to mount at a moment's
warning."
"Ay, but not at a summons from the foul fiend. Let Captain
Lawton, or Lieutenant Mason, or Comet Skipwith, say the word,
nnd who is quicker in the saddle than I ?"
"Well, Sargeant, how often is it that yee've boasted to myself
that the corps wasn't a bit afeard to &uce the divil V
" No more are we, in battle array, and by daylight; but it's fool-
hardy and irreverent to tempt Satan, and on such a night as this :
listen how the wind whistles through tbo trees; and hark I there is
the howling of evil spirits abroad."
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
i'»y TUB 8 p r.
<^ I see him/' said Caesar, opening his eyes to a wi(Ith that might
have embraced more than an ideal form.
^< Where 1" interrupted the Sergeant, instinctively laying his hand
on the hilt of his sabre.
"No — no," said the black, " 1 see a Johnny Birch come oat of
he grave — Johnny walk afore he buried."
" Ah I .then he must have led an evil life indeed," said Hollister ;
the blessed in spirit lie quiet until the general muster, but wickedness
disturbs the soul in this life as well as in that which is to come."
"And what is to come of Captain Jackf" cried Betty, angrily;
"is it yeer orders that yee won't mind, nor a warning given ? . I'll
jist git my cart, and ride down and tell him that yee 're afeard of a
dead man and Beelzeboob; and it isn't succour he may be expicting
from yee. I wonder who 'U be the orderly of the troop the morrow,
then ? — his name won't be Hollister, any way."
"Nay, Betty, nay," said the Sergeant, laying his hand familiarly
on her shoulder ; " if there must J^e riding to-night, let it be by him
whose duty it is to call out the nven and to set an example. The
Lord have mercy, and send us enemies of flesh and blood 1"
Another glass confirmed the veteran in a resolution that was only
excited by a dread of his Captain's displeasure, and he proceeded to
summon the dozen men who had been left under his command.
The boy arriving with the ring, Caesar placed it carefully in the
pocket of his waistcoat next his heart, and, mounting, shut his eyes,
seized his charger by the mane, and continued in a state of compara-
tive insensibility, until the animal stopped at the door of the warm
stable whence he had started.
The movements of the dragoons, being timed to the order of a
march, were much slower, for they were made with a watchfulness
that was intended to guard against surprise from the evil one
himself.
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER XXn.
Be not your tongue thy own shame's orator ;
Look sweet, speak fair, become disloyal^ ,
Apparel vico like virtue's harbinger.
Comedy of Errors,
Tb£ situation of the party in Mr. Wharton's dwelling was snffi*
cicntly awkward^ during the hour of Caesar's absence ; for such was
the astonishing rapidity displayed by his courser^ that the four miles
of road was gone over, and the events we have recorded had occurred,
somewhat within that period of time. Of course, the gentlemen
strove to make the irksome moments fly as swiftly as possible ; but
premeditated happiness is certainly of the least joyous kind. The
bride and bridegroom are immemorially privileged to be dull, and
but few of their friends seemed disposed, on the present occasion, to
dishonour their example. The English Colonel exhibited a proper
portion of uneasiness at this unexpected interruption of his felicity,
and he sat with a varying countenance by the side of Sarah, who
seemed to be profiting by the delay to gather fortitude for the solemn
ceremony. In the midst of this embarrassing silence, Dr. Sitgreaves
addressed himself to Miss Peyton, by whose side he had contrived
to procure a chair.
" Marriage, madam, is pronounced to be honourable in the sight
of God and man : and it may be said to be reduced, in the present
Age, to the laws of nature and reason. The ancients, in sanctioning
polygamy, lost sight of the provisions of nature, and condemned
thousands to misery; but with the increase of science have grown
the wise ordinances of society, which ordain that man should be the
husband of but one woman.'^
Digitized by CjOOQIC
290 Tns 8PT.
Wellmere glanced a fierce expression of disgust at the surgcooj
that indicated his sense of the tediousness of the other's remarks;
while Miss Peyton^ with a slight hesitation^ as if fearful of touching
on forbidden subjects, replied —
" I had thought, sir, that we were indebted to the Christian reli-
gion for our morals on this subject.''
" True, madam, it is somewhere provided in the prescriptions of
the apostles, that the sexes should henceforth be on an equality in
this particular. But in what degree could polygamy afifect holiness
of life ? It was probably a wise arrangement of Paul, who was much
of a scholar, and probably had frequent conferences, on this import*
ant subject, with Luke, whom we all know to have been bred to the
practice of medicine — '^
There is no telling how &r the discursive fancy of Sitgreaves
might have led him, on this subject, had he not been interrupted.
But Lawton, who had been a close though silent observer of all that
passed, profited by the hint to ask abruptly —
'^ Pray, Colonel Wellmere, in what manner is bigamy punished
in England r
The bridegroom started, and his lip blanched. Eeoovcring him-
self, however, on the instant, he answered with a suavity that be>
came so»happy a man, —
" Death I — as such an offence merits,'' he said.
<< Death and dissection,'' continued the operator: ^^it is seldom
that the law loses sight of eventual utility in a male&ctor. Bigamy,
in a man, is a heinous offence I"
" More BO than celibacy V asked Lawton.
'^ More so," returned the surgeon, with tmdisturbed simplicity :
^' he who remains in a single state may devote his life to science and
(ihe extension of knowledge, if not of his spedes; but the wretch
who profits by the constitutional tendency of the female sex to cre-
dulity and tenderness, incurs the wickedness of a positive sin, height-
ened by the baseness of deception."
Digitized by CjOOQIC
THE SPY. 201
'< Real] j^ sir; the ladies are infinitely obliged to you, for attribut-
ing folly to them as part of their nature."
'^ Captain Lawtpn, in man the animal is more nobly formed than
in woman. The nerves are endowed with less sensibility; the whole
frame is less pliable and yielding ; is it, therefore, surprising, that a
tendency to rely on the faith of her partner is more natural to woman
than to the other sexT'
Wellmere, as if unable to listen with any degree of patience to so
ill-timed a dialogue, sprang from his seat and paced the floor in dis-
order. Pitying his situation, the reverend genticman, who was pa-
tiently awaiting the return of Caesar, changed the discourse, and a
few minutes brought the black himself The billet was handed to
Dr. Sitgreaves; for Miss Peyton had expressly enjoined Caesar not
to implicate her, in any manner, in the errand on which he was des-
patched. The note contained a summary statement of the several
subjects of the surgeon's directions, and referred him to the black
~ for the ring. The latter was instantly demanded, and promptly dc- '
livered. A transient look of melancholy crowded the brow of the
surgeon, as he stood a moment, and gazed silently on the bauble ;
nor did he remember the place, or the occasion, while he soliloquised
as follows: —
^' Poor Anna ! gay as iimocenoc and youth could make thee was
thy heart, when this cincture was formed to grace thy nuptials } but
ere the hour had come, God had taken thee to himself. Years have
passed, my sister, but never have I forgotten the companion of my
infancy I'' He advanced to Sarah, and, unconscious of observation,
placing the ring on her finger, continued — "She for whom it was
intended has long been in her grave, and the youth who bestowed
the ^t soon followed her sainted sprit : take it, madam, and God
grant that it may be an instrument in making you as happy as you
deserve V
Sarah felt a chill at her heart, as this burst of feeling escaped the
surgeon; but Wellmere offering his hand, she was led before the
Digitized by CjOOQLC
202 THE SPT.
divine, and the ceremony began. The first words of this hnposiug
office produced a dead stillness in the apartment: and the minister
of God proceeded to the solemn exhortation, and witnessed the
plighted troth of the parties, when the investiture was to follow.
The ring had been leflb, from inadvertency, and the agitation of the
moment, on the finger where Sitgreaves had placed it: — the slight
interruption occasioned by the circumstance was over, and the cler«
gyman was about to proceed, when a figure gliding into the midst
of the party, at once put a stop to the ceremony. It was the pedler.
His look was bitter and ironical, while a finger, raised towards the
dime, seemed to forbid the ceremony to go any farther.
" Can Colonel Wellmere waste the precious moments here, when
his wife has crossed the ocean to meet him ? The nights are long,
and the moon bright; — a few hours will take him to the city."
Aghast at the suddenness of this extraordinary address, Wellmere
for a moment lost the command of his faculties. To Sarah, the
countenance of Birch, expressive as it was, produced no terror; but
the instant she recovered from the surprise of his interruption, she
turned her anxious gaze on the features of the man to whom she had
just pledged her troth. They afforded the most terrible confirma-
tion of all that the pedler affirmed; the room whirled round, and
she fell lifeless into the arms of her aunt. There is an instinctive
delicacy in woman, that seems to conquer all other emotions; and
the insensible bride was immediately conveyed from sight, leaving
the room to the sole possession of the other sex.
The confusion enabled the pedler to retreat with a rapidity that
would have baffled pursuit, had any been attempted, and Wellmere
stood with every eye fixed on him, in ominous silence.
"'Tis false — 'tis false as hell!" he cried, striking his forehead.
*^I have ever denied her claim; nor will the laws of my country
compel me to acknowledge it."
"But what will conscience and the laws of God do?" asked
Lawton.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY, 293
^ *Tis well, sir," said Wellmerc, haughtily, and retreating towards
*L« door — "my situation protects you now; but a time may
some — ^"
He had reached the entry, when a slight tap on his shoulder
caused him to turn his head; — it was Captain Lawton, who, with a
smile of peculiar meaning, beckoned him to follow. The state of
Wellmere's mind was such, that he would gladly have gone any-
where to avoid the gaze of horror and detestation that glared from
every eye he met. They reached the stables before the trooper
spoke, when he cried aloud —
"Bring out Roanoke!"
His man appeared with the steed caparisoned for its master.
Lawton, coolly throwing the bridle on the neck of the animal, took
his pistols from the holsters, and continued — "Here are weapons
that have seen good service before to-day — ay, and in honourable
hands, sir. These were the pistols of ray Mher, Colonel Wellmere;
he used them with credit in the wars with France, and gave them to
me to fight the battles of my country with. In what better way can
I serve her than in exterminating a wretch who would have blasted
one of her fairest daughters?"
" This injurious tareatment shall meet with its reward," cried the
other, seizing the offered weapon ; " the blood lie on the head of
him who sought itl"
"Amen I but hold a moment, sir. You are now free, and the
passports of Washington- are in your pocket; I give you the &Ki; if
[ fall, there is a steed that will outstrip pursuit; and I would advise
you to retreat without much delay, for even Archibald Sitgreaves
would fight in such a cause — nor will the guard above be very apt
to give quarter."
** Are you ready ?" asked Wellmere, gnashing his teeth with rage.
" Stand forward, Tom, with the lights; — fire !"
Wellmere fired, and the bullion flew from the epatdette of the
trooper.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
294 THE SPY.
" Now the turn is mine/' said Lawton, deliberately levelling Lis
pistoL
"And mine V* shouted a voice; as the weapon was struck from his
hand. "By all the devils in hell, His the mad Virginian ! — Ml
on, my boys, and take liim j this is a prize not hoped for !"
Unarmed, and surprised as he was, Lawton's presence of mind
did not desert him; he felt that he was in the hands of those fi-om
whom he was to expect no mercy; and, aa four of the Skinners fell
upon him at once, he used his gigantic strength to the utmost.
Three of the band grasped him by the neck and arms, with an intent
to clog his efforts, and pinion him with ropes. The first of these he
threw from him, with a viplence that sent him against the building,
where he lay stunned with the blow. But the fourth seized his
legs; and, unable to contend with such odds, the trooper came to
the earth, bringing with him all of his assailants. The struggle on
the ground was short but terrific; — curses and the most dreadful
imprecations were uttered by the Skinners, who in vain called on
more of their band, who were gazing on the combat in nerveless
horror, to assist. A difficulty of breathing, from one of the com-
batants, was heard, accompanied by the stifled meanings of a
strangled man; and directly one oi the group arose on his feet,
shaking himself free from the wild grasp of the others. Both Well*
mere and the servant of Lawton had fled; the former to the stables,
and the latter to give the alarm, leaving all in darkness. The figure
that stood erect sprang into the saddle of the unheeded charger;
sparks of fire, issuing from the armed feet of the horse, gave a mo-
mentary light by which the captain was seen dashing like the wind
towards the highway.
"By hell he's off!" cried the leader, hoarse with rage and
exhaustion ; " fire ! — bring him down — fire, or you '11 be too late.'^
The order was obeyed, and one moment of suspense followed, in
the vain hope of hearing the huge frame of Lawton tumbling from
his steed.
Digitized by
Google
TUB 8Pr. 295
" He woi£d Hot fall if you had killed him/' muttered one ; " I ' ve
imown these Yirgiuiana sit their hon^es with two or three balls
through them; aj^ even after thej were dead/'
A freshening of the wind wafted the tread of a horse down the
valley, whidi, by its speed, gave assurance of a rider governing its
motion.
" These trjdned horses always stop when the rider falls," obseived
one of the gang.
^^ Then/' cried the leader, striking his musket on the ground in a
rage, "the fellow is safe! — to your business at once. A short
half-hour will bring down that canting Sergeant and the guard upon
us- 'T will be lucky if the guns don't turn them out Quick, to
your posts, and fire the house in the chambers; smoking ruins are
good to cover evil deeds."
" What is to be done with this lump of earth ?" cried another,
pushing the body that yet lay insensible, where it had been hurled
by the arm of Lawton ; " a little rubbing would bring him to.
"Let him lie/' said the leader, fiercely; "had he been half a
man, that dragooning rascal would have been in my power; — enter
the house, I say, and fire the chambers. We can't go amiss here ;
— there is plate and money enough to make you all gentlemen —
and revenge too."
The idea of silver in any way was not to be resisted; and, leaving
their companion, who began to show faint signs of life, they rushed
tumultuously towards the dwelling. Wellmere availed himself of
the opportunity, and, stealing from the stable with his own charger,
be was able to gain the highway unnoticed. For an instant he hesi*
tated, whether to ride towards the point where he knew the guard
was stationed, and endeavour to rescue the family, or, profiting by
his liberty, and the exchange that had been effected by the divine,
to seek the royal army. Shame, and a consciousness of guilt, deter-
mined him to take the latter course, and he rode towards New York,
stung with ihe reflection of his own baseness, and harassed with the
Digitized by VjOOQIC
296 THE dPT.
Rppreliension of meeting with an enraged woman, that he had mar-
ried during his late visit to England, but whose claims, as soon as
his passion was sated, he had resolved never willingly to admit. In
the tumult and agitation of the moment, the retreat of Lawton and
Wellmere was but littie noticed; the condition of Mr. Wharton de-
manding the care and consolation of both the surgeon and the divine.
The report of the fire-arms first roused the family to the sense of a
new danger, and but a moment elapsed before the leader, and one
more of the gang, entered the room.
" Surrender ! you servants of King George," shouted the leader,
presenting his musket to the breast of Sitgreaves, " or I will let a
little tory blood from your veins."
"Gently — gently, my friend," said the surgeon; "you are
doubtless more expert in inflicting wounds than in healing them;
the weapon that you hold so indiscreetly is extremely dangerous to
animal life."
"Yield, or take its contents."
" Why and wherefore should I yield ? — I am a non-combatant.
The articles of capitulation must be arranged with Captain John
Lawton; though yielding, I believe, is not a subject on which you
will find him particularly complying."
The fellow had by this time taken such a survey of the group, as
convinced him that little danger was to be apprehended from resist-
ance, and, eager to seize his share of the plunder, he dropped his
musket, and was soon busy, with the assistance of his men, in
arranging divers articles of plate in bags. The cottage now present-
ed a singular spectacle; — the ladies were gathered around Sarah,
irho yet continued insensible, in one of the rooms that had escaped
the notice of the marauders. Mr. Wharton sat in a state of perfect
imbecility, listening to, but not profiting by, the unmeaning words
of comfort that fell from the lips of the clergyman. Singleton was
lying on a sofa, shaking with debility, and inattentive to surrounding
objecte ; while the surgeon was administering restoratives, and look-
Digitized by CjOOQLC
THE SPT. 297
in^ at the dressings, with a coolness that mocked the tumult.
Cassar^ and the attendant of Captain Singleton, had retreated to the
wood in the rear of the cottage, and Katy Haynes was flying about
the building, busily employed in forming a bundle of valuables, from
which, with the most scrupidous honesty, she rejected every article
that was not really and truly her own.
But to return to the party at the Four Comers. When the vete-
ran had got his men moimted and under arms, a restless desire to
participate in the ^ory and dangers of the expedition came over the
washerwoman. Whether she was impelled to the undertaking by a
dread of remaining alone, or a wish to hasten in person to the relief
of her favourite, we will not venture to assert; but, as Holiister was
giving the orders to wheel and march, the voice of Betty was heard,
exclaiming —
" Stop a bit, Sargeant dear, till two of the boys git out the cart,
and I'll jist ride wid yee; 'tis like there'll be wounded, and it will
be mighty convanient to bring them home in."
Although inwardly much pleased, with any cause of delay, to a
service that he so little relished, Holiister affected some displeasure
at the detention.
" Nothing but a cannon-ball can take one of my lads from his
charger," he said; "and it's not very likely that we shall have as
fair fighting as cannon and musketry, in a business of the evil one's
inventing; so, Elizabeth, you may go if you will, but the cart will
not be wanting."
" Now, Sargeant dear, you lie, any way," said Betty, who was
somewhat unduly governed by her potations; ^'and wasn't Captain
Singleton shot off his horse but tin days gone by ? ay, and Captain
Jack himself too; and didn't he lie on the ground, face uppermost,
and back downwards, looking grim ? and did n't the boys tink him
dead, and turn and lave the rig'lars the day ?"
'^ You lie back again," cried the Sergeant, fiercely : " and so does
any one who says that^we did n't gain the day.^'
Digitized by
Google
. 208 T H E B P Y,
" For a bit or so — only I mone for a bit or so/' said the ivaslici*-
woman ; " but Major Dunwoodie turued you, and so you licked the
rig'lars. But the Captain it was that fell, and I'm thinking that
there's no better rider going; so, Sargeant, it's the cart will be
convanient. Here, two of you, jist hitch the mare to the tills, and
it's no whiskey that yee'U be wanting the morrow; and put the
piece of Jenny's hide under the pad; the baste is never the better
for the rough ways of the county West-Chester." The consent of
ihi Sergeant being obtained, the equipage of Mrs. Flanagan was
soon in readiness to receive its burthen.
" As it is quite uncertain whether we shall be attacked in front^
or in rear," said Hollister, "five of you shall march in advance, and
the remainder shall cover our retreat towards the barrack, should
we be pressed. 'T is an awful moment to a man of little learning,
Elizabeth, to command in such a service ; for my part, I wish de-
voutly that one of the ofl&cers were here ; but my trust is in the
Lord."
"Pooh! man, away wid yee," said the washerwoman, who had
got herself comfortably seated ; " the divil a bit of an inimy is there
near. March on, hurry-skurry, and let the mare trot, or it 's but
little that Captain Jack will thank yee for the help."
"Although unlearned in matters of communicating with spirits^
or laying the dead, Mrs. Flanagan," said the veteran, " I have not
served through the old war, and &ve years in this, not to know how
to guard the baggage. Does n't Washington always cover the bag-
gage ? I am not to be told my duty by a camp follower. Fall in
as you are ordered, and dress, men."
" Well, march, any way," cried the impatient washerwoman ; '^ the
black is there already, and it's tardy the Captain will think yee."
" Are you sure that it was really a black man that brought the
order ?" said the Sergeant, dropping in between the platoons, where
he could converse with Betty, and be at hand, to lead on an emer-
gency, either on an advance or on a retreat
Digitized by CjOOQIC
THE SPY. ^ 299
"Nay — and I'm sure of nothing, dear. But why don't the
boys prick their horses and jog a trot? the mare is mighty. unasy,
and it's no warm in this cursed valley, riding aa much like a fune-
ral party aa old rags is to continental."*
"Fairly and softly, ay, and prudently, Mrs. Flanagan; it's not
rashness that makes the good officer. If we have to encounter a
spirit, it 's more than likely he '11 make, his attack by surprise ; horses
are not very powerful in the ilark, and I have a character to lose,
good woman."
"Caractur! and iSn't it caractur and life too that Cp-ptain Jack
has to lose?"
" Halt !" cried the sergeant ; " what is that lurking near the foot
of the rock, on the left?"
"Sure, it's nothing, unless it be matter of Captain Jack's sowl
that's come to haunt yee, for not being brisker on the march."
"Betty, your levity makes you an unfit comrade for such an ex-
pedition. Advance, one of you, and reconnoitre the spot; — draw
swords I — rear rank, close to the front I"
"Pshaw!" shouted Betty, "is it a big fool or a big coward that
yee are? jist wheel from the road, boys, and I'll shove the mare
down upon it in the twinkling of an eye — and it's no ghost that
I feax."
By this time one of the men had returned, and declared there waa
nothing to prevent their advancing, and the party continued their
march, but with great deliberation and caution.
" Courage and prudence are the jewels of a soldier, Mrs. Flana-
gan," said the sergeant : " without the one, the other may be said to
be good for nothing."
* The paper money issued by congress was familiarly called continental
money. This term ** continental" was applied to the army, the congrress, the
Bhips of war, and, in short, to almost every thing or interest which belonged
» the new government It would seem to have been invented as the oppo-
site of the insular position of the mother country.
Digitized by
Google
,J00 • THE SPY.
"Prudence without courage: is it that you mane ? -^ and it's so
that I'm thinking myself, Sargeant. This baste pulls tight on the
reins any way/*
*^ Be patient, good woman ; — ^ hark ! what is that V said Hollister,
pricking up his ears at the report of Wellmere's pistol; "I'll swear
that was a human pistol, and one from our regiment. — Bear rank^
close to the front ! — Mrs. Flanagan, I must leave you." So saying,
having recovered all his faculties, by hearing a sound that ho under-
stood, he placed himself at the head of his men with an air of mili-
tary pride, that the darkness prevented the washerwoman from be-
holding. A volley of musketry now rattled in the night wind, and
the sergeant exclaimed-—
"March! — quick time I"
The next instant the trampling of a horse Was heard coming up
the road, at a rate that announced a matter of life or death ; and
HoUister agidn halted his party^ riding a short distance in front him-
self, to meet the rider.
" Stand ! — who goes there ?" shouted HoUister.
"Ha! HoUister, is it you?" cried Lawton, "ever ready, and at
your post; but where is the guard?"
"At hand, sir, and ready to foUow you through thick and thin,"
said the veteran, reUeved at once from responsibiHty, and as eager
as a boy to be led against his enemy.
" 'T is well !" said the trooper, riding up to his men ; then, speak-
ing a few words of encouragement, he led them down the valley at
a rate but little less rapid than his approach. The miserable horse
of the sutler was soon distanced, and Betty, thus thrown out in the
chase, turned to the side of the road, and observed —
"There — it's no difficult to teU that Captain Jack is wid 'em,
any way ; and away they go like so many nagur boys to a husking-
froUc; — well, I'll jist hitch the mare tcf this bit of a fence, and^
walk down and see the sport afoot — it's no rasonable to expoee
the baste to be hurted."
Digitized by
Google
\
THE SPY. 301
Led on by Lawton, the men followed, destitute alike of fear and
reflection. Whether it was a party of the refugees, or a detach-
ment from the royal army, that they were to assail, they were pro-
foundly ignorant; but they knew that the officer in advance was dis-
tingnished for courage and personal prowess; and these are virtues
that are sure to captivate the thoughtless soldiery. On arriving near
the gates of the Locusts, the trooper halted his party, and made his
arrangements for the assault. Dismounting, he ordered eight of his
men to follow his example, and turning to Hollister, said — !
" Stand you here, and guard the horses; if any thing attempt to \
pass, stop it, or cut it down, and — " The flames at this moment
burst through the dormer-windows and cedar roof of the cottage, and
a bright light glared on the darkness of the night. " On I" shouted
the trooper, " on 1 — give quarter when you have done justice !"
There was a startling fierceness in the voice of the trooper that
reached to the heart, even amid the horrors of the cottage. The
leader of the Skinners dropped his plunder, and, for a moment,
he stood in nerveless dread; then rushing to a window, he threw up
the sash; — at this instant Lawton entered, sabre in hand, into the
apartment.
" Die, miscreant 1" cried the trooper, cleaving a marauder to the
jaw : but the leader sprang into the lawn, and escaped his vengeance.
The shrieks of the females restored Lawton to his presence of mind,
and the earnest entreaty of the divine induced him to attend to the
safety of the family. One more of the gang fell in with the dra-
goons, and met his death ; but the remainder had taken the alarm
in season. Occupied with Sarah, neither Miss Singleton, nor the
ladies of the house, had discovered the entrance of the Skinners,
though the flames were raging around them with a fury that threat-
-tned the building with rapid destruction. The shrieks of Katy and
the terrified consort of Caesar, together with the noise and uproar in
the adjacent apartment, first roused Miss Peyton and Isabella to a
sense of their danger.
Digitized by CjOOQIC
802 TH,B spy.
"Merciful Providence !" exclaimed the alarmed aunt; "there is
ji dreadful confusion in the house^ and there will he bloodshed in
consequence of this afiair/^
" There are none to fight," returned Isabella, with a face palei
than that of the other; "Dr. Sitgreaves is very peaceable in his
disposition; and surely Captain Lawton would not forget himself
so far/'
" The southern temper is quick and fiery," continued Miss Pey-
ton ; " and your brother, feeble and weak as he is, has looked the
whole afternoon flushed and angry."
" Good Heaven I" cried Isabella, with difficulty supporting her-
self on the couch of Sarah ; " he is gentle as the lamb by nature,
though the lion is not his equal when roused."
" We must interfere : our presence will quell the tumult, and pos-
sibly save the life of a fellow-creature."
Miss Peyton, excited to attempt what she conceived a duty worthy
of her sex and nature, advanced with the dignity of < injured female
feeling, to the door, followed by Isabella. The apartment to which
Sarah had been conveyed was in one of the wings of the building,
and it communicated with the principal hall of the cottage by a long
and dark passage. This was now light, and across its termination
several figures were seen rushing with an impetuosity that prevented
an examination of their employment.
" Let us advance," said Miss Peyton, with a firmness her face
belied: "they must respect our sex."
" They shall," cried Isabella, taking the lead in the enterprise.
Frances was left alone with her sister. A few minutes were passed
in silence ; when a loud crash, in the upper apartments, was suc-
ceeded by a bright light that glared through the open door, and
made objects as distinct to the eye as if they were placed imder a
noon-day sun. Sarah raised herself on her bed, and starmg wildly
around, pressed both her hands on her forehead, endeavouring to
recollect herself —
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY. 303
•'This, then, is heaven— and you are one of its bright spirits.
Oh ! how glorious is its radiance ! I had thought the happiness I
have lately experienced was too much for earth. But we shall meet
again — :yes — yes — we shall meet again."
"Sarah I Sarah I" cried Frances, in terror; "my sister — my
only sister — Oh ! do not smile so horridly : know me, or you wDl
htesk my heart."
^^Hush," said Sarah, raising her hand for silence; "you may
disturb his rest — surely, he will follow me to the grave. Think
you there can be two wives in the grave ? No — no — no — ono —
one. — one — only one"
Frances dropped her head into the lap of her sister, and wept in
agony.
"Do you shed tears, sweet angel?" continued Sarah, soothingly;
" then heaven is not exempt from grief. But where is Henry ?
He was executed, and he must be here too; perhaps they will come
together. Oh, how joyful will be the meeting !"
Frances sprang on her feet, and paced the apartment. The eye
of Sarah followed her in childish admiration of her beauty.
"You look like my sister; but all good and lovely spirits are
alike. Tell me, were you ever married ? Did you ever let a stran-
ger steal your affections from father, and brother, and sister 7 K
not, poor wretch, I pity you, although you may be in heaven."
"Sarah — peace, peace — I implore you to be silent," shrieked
Frances, rushing to her bed, "or you will kill me at your
feet"
Another dreadful crash shook the building to its centre. It was
the falling of the roof, and the flames threw their light abroad, so
as to make objects visible around the cottage, through the windows
of the room. Frances flew to one of them, and saw the confused
group that waa collected on the lawn. Among them were her aunt
and Isabella^ pointing with distraction to the flery edifloe, and appar
rently urging the dragoons to enter it. For the first time she corn-
Digitized by
Google
B04 THE SPT.
prehcnded their danger; and uttering a wild shriek, she flew through
the passage without consideration, or oljgect.
A dense and suflTocating column of smoke opposed her progress.
She paused to breathe, when a man caught her in his arms, and
bore her, in a state of insensibility, through the falling embers and
darkness, to the open air. The instant that Frances recovered her
recollection, she perceived that she owed her life to Lawton, and
throwing herself on her knees, she cried —
" Sarah I Sarah ! Sarah I save my sister, and may the blessing of
God await you I"
Her strength failed, and she sunk on the grass, in insensibility.
The trooper pointed to her figure, motioned to Katy for assistance,
and advanced once more to the building. The fire had already coni-
municated to the wood-work of the piazzas and windows, and the
whole exterior of the cottage was covered with smoke. The only
entrance was through these dangers, and even the hardy and impeta*
ous Lawton paused to consider. It was for a moment only, when
he dashed into the heat and darkness, where, mis^g the entrance,
he wandered for a minute, and precipitated himself back, again, upon
the lawn. Drawing a single breath of pure air, he renewed the ef-
fort, and was again unsuccessful. On a third trial, he met a man
staggering under the load of a human body. It was neither the
place, nor was there time, to question, or to make distinctions; seiz-
ing both in his arms, with gigantic strength, he bore them through
iihe smoke. He soon perceived, to his astonishment, that it was the
surgeon, and the body of one of the Skinners, that hQ had saved.
*' Archibald I" he exclaimed, "why, in the name of justice, did
you bring this miscreant to light again? His deeds are rank te
heaven V
The surgeon, who had been in imminent peril, was too much be-
wildered to reply instantly, but wiping the moisture from his fore-
head, and clearing his lungs from the vapour he had inhaled, he
said piteously —
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY. 305
" Ah ! it 18 all over ! Had I been in time to have stopped the
effusion from the jugular, he might have been saved ; but the heat
i^as conducive to hemorrhage; life is extiiict indeed. Well, are
there any more wounded?"
His question was put to the air, for Frances had been removed to
the opposite side of the building, where her friends were collected,
and Lawton once more had disappeared in the smoke.
By this time the flames had dispersed much of the suffocating
vapour, so that the trooper was able to find the door, and in its very
entrance he was met by a man supporting the insensible Sarah.
There was but barely time to reach the lawn again, before the fire
broke through the windows, and wrapped the whole building in a
sheet of flame.
" God be praised !" ejaculated the preserver of Sarah ; ^^it would
have been a dreadful death to die."
The trooper turned &om gazing at the edifice, to the speaker, and
to his astonishment, instead of one of his own men, he beheld the
pedler.
" Ha I the spy," he exclaimed : " by heavens, you cross me like
a spectre."
" Captain Lawton," said Birch, leaning in momentary exhaustion
.against the fence, to which they had retired from the heat, " I am
again in your power, for I can neither flee, nor resist."
" The cause of America is dear to me as life," said the trooper;
" but she cannot require her children to forget gratitude and honour.
Fly, unhappy man, while yet you arc unseen, or it will exceed my
power to save you."
" May Grod prosper you, and make you victorious over your en^
mies," said Birch, grasping the hand of the dragoon with an iron
strength that his meagre figure did not indicate.
« Hold I" said Lawton ; " but a word — arc you what you seem ?
— can you — are you — *'
Digitized by
Google
306
THE SPY.
"A royal spy," interrupted Birch, averting hia fiice, and eude»
vooring to release his hand.
'^ Then go, miserable wretch," said the trooper, relinquishing his
grasp; *' either avarice or delusion has led a noble heart astray !"
The bright light firom the flames reached a great distance around
the ruins, but the words were hardly past the lips of Lawton, before
the gaunt form of the pedler had glided over the visible space, and
plunged into the darkness beyond.
The eye of Lawton rested for a moment on the spot where he had
last seen this inexplicable man, and then turning to the yet insen«
siblo Sarah, he lifted her in his arms, and bore her, like a sleeping
infant, to the care of her friends.
V^v^j^ijt^NsO^
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER XXm.
^ And now her charms are fading fast,
Her spirits now no more are gay:
Alas! that beauty cannot last!
That flowers so sweet so soon decay!
How sad appears
The vale of years,
How changed from youth's too flattering scene *
Where are her fond admirers gone?
Alas! and shall there then be none
On whom her soul may lean?"
Cynthia's Grave,
The walls of the cottage were all that was left of the building ; and
these; blackened by smoke; and stripped of their piazzas and orna-
ments; were but dreary memorials of the content and security that
had so lately reigned within. The roof; together wUh the rest of
the wood-work; had tumbled into the.eellarS; and a pale and flitting
light; ascending from their embers, shone faintly through the win-
dows. The early flight of the Skinners left the dragoons at liberty
to exert themselves in saving much of the furniture; which lay
scattered in heaps on the lawn, giving the finishing touch of desola-
tion to the scene. Whenever a stronger ray of flight than common
shot upwards; the composed figures of Sergeant Hollister and his
associates, sitting on their horses in rigid discipline, were to be seen
in the background of the picture; together with the beast of Mrs.
Flanagan; which, having slipped its bridle^ was quietly grazing by
the highway. Betty herself had advanced to the spot where the
Sergeant was posted, and; with an incredible degree of composure,
witnessed the whole of the events as they occurred. More than
Digitized by VjOOQIC
808 THE 8 F T.
onoe she suggested to her companion^ that^ as the fighting seemed
to be OYCT; the proper time for plunder had arrived; but the veteran
acquainted her with his orders, and remained both inflexible and
immoveable ; until the washerwoman, observing Lawton come round
the wing of the building with Sarah, ventured amongst the warriors.
The Captain, after placing Sarah on a so& that had been hurled
from the building by two of his men, retired, that the ladies might
succeed him in his care. Miss Peyton and her niece flew, with a
rapture that was blessed with a momentary forgetfulness of all but
her preservation, to receive Sarah from the trooper; but the vacant
eye, and flushed cheek, restored them instantly to their recollection.
" Sarah, my child, my beloved niece," said the former, folding
the unconscious bride in her arms, '' you are saved, and may the
blessing of God await him who has been the instrument"
^^ See," said Sarah, gently pushing her aunt aside, and pointing
to the glimmering ruins, '^ the windows are illuminated in honour
of my arrival. They always receive a bride thus — he told me they
would do no less; listen, and you will hear the bells."
" Here is no bride, no rejoicing, nothing but wo !" cried Frances,
in a manner but little less frantic than that of her sister; '^Oh!
may Heaven restore you to us — to yourself!"
" Peace, foolish young woman," said Sarah, with a smile of af-
fected pity; ^^all cannot bo happy at the same moment; perhaps
you have no brother, or husband, to console you ; you look beauti-
ful, and you will yet find one; but," she continued, dropping her
voice to a whisper, "see that he has no other wife — 'tis dreadful
to think what might happen, should he be twice married."
"The shock has destroyed her mind," cried Miss Peyton: "my
ch3d, my beauteous Sarah is a maniac I"
"No, no, no," cried Prances, "it is fever; she is light-headed —
she must recover-^ she shall recover."
The aunt caught joyfully at the hope conveyed in this suggestion,
and despatched Katy to request the immediate aid and advice of
Digitized by CjOOQIC -
THE SPY. 309
Dr. Sitgrcayes. The surgeon was found enquiring among the men
for professional employment, and inquisitivelj examining eveij
bruise and scratch that he could induce the sturdy warriors to ac-
knowledge they had received. A. summons, of the sort conveyed
by Katy, was instantly obeyed, and not a minute elapsed before he
was by the side of Miss Peyton.
" This is a melancholy termination to so joyful a commencement
of the night, madam," he observed, in a soothing manner ; ^' but
war must bring its attendant miseries; though doubtless it often
supports the cause of liberty, and improves the knowledge of surgi-
cal science/'
Miss Peyton could make no reply, but pointed to her niece, in
agony.
"'Tis fever," answered Frances; "see how glassy is her eye, and
look at her cheek, how flushed."
The surgeon stood for a moment, deeply studying the outward
symptoms of his patient, and then he silently took her hand in his
own. It was seldom that the hard and abstracted features of Sit-
greavcs discovered any violent emotion; all his passions seemed
schooled, and his countenance did not often betray what, indeed, his
heart frequently felt. In the present instance, however, the eager
gaze of the aunt and sister quickly detected his emotions. After
laying his fingers for a minute on the beautiful arm, which, bared
to the elbow, and glittering with jewels, Sarah suffered him to retain,
he dropped it, and dashing a hand over his eyes, turned sorrowfully
away.
"Here is no fever to excite — 'tis a case, my dear madam, for
time and care only; these, with the blessing of Ood, may effect a
cure."
"And where is the wretch who has caused this ruin?" exclaimed
Singleton, rejecting the support of his man, and making an effort to
rise from the chair, to which he had been driven by debility. " It
Digitized by VjOOQIC
310 THB 8 FT.
is in vain that we overcome our enemies, if, conquered, they con
inflict such wounds as this."
"Dost think, foolish boy," said Lawton, with a bitter smile,
" that hearts can feel in a colony ? What is America but a satellite
of England — to move as she moves, follow where she wists, and
shine, that the mother country may become more splendid by hei
radiance ? Surely you forget that it is honour enough for a colonist
to receive ruin &om the hand of a child of Britain."
'^ I forget not that I wear a sword," said Singleton, falling back
exhausted; "but was there no willing arm ready to avenge that
lovely sufferer — to appease the wrongs of this hoary father?"
"Neither arms, nor hearts are wanting, sir, in such a cause;"
bustling up to his side ; " but chance oftentimes helps the wicked.
By heavens I'd give Roanoke himself, for a clear field with the
miscreant!"
" Nay ! captain dear, no be parting with the horse, any way," said
Betty; "it is no trifle that can be had by jist asking of the right
person, if yee're in need of silver, and the baste is sure of foot, and
jumps like a squirrel."
" Woman, fifty horses, ay, the best that were ever reared on the
banks of the Potomac, would be but a paltry price, for one blow at
a villain."
" Come," said the surgeon, " the night air can do no service to
George, or these ladies, and it is incumbent on us to remove them
where they can find surgical attendance and refreshment. Here is
nothing but smoking ruins and the miasma of the swamps."
To this rational proposition no objection could be raised, and the
necessary orders were issued by Lawton to remove the whole party
to the Four Comers.
America furnished but few and very indifferent carriage-makers al
the period of which we write, and every vehicle, that in the least
aspired to that dignity, was the manufacture of a London medbamo.
When Mr. Wharton left the city, he was one of the very few who
Digitized by VjOOQLC
TUB spy, 811
maintaiiied the state of a carriage; and^ at the time Miss Peyton
and his daughters joined him in his retirement, they had been con-
veyed to the cottage in the heavy chariot that had once so imposingly
rolled through the windings of Queen Street, or emerged, with som-
bre dignity, into the more spacious drive of Broadway. This vehicle
stood, undisturbed^ where it had been placed on its arrival, and the
age of the horses alone had protected the favourites of Caosar from
sequestration by the contending forces in their neighbourhood. With
i heavy heart, the black, assisted by a few of the dragoons, proceeded
to prepare it for the receptiosL of the ladies. It was a cumbrous
vehicle, whose faded linings and tarnished hammercloth, together
with its panels of changing colour, denoted the want of that art
which had once given it lustre and beauty. The ^^lion couchant"
of the Wharton arms was reposing on the reviving splendour of a
blazonry that told the armorial bearings of a prince of the church ;
and the mitre, that already began to shine through its American
mask, wa3 a symbol of the rank of its original owner. The chausc
which conveyed Miss Singleton was also safe, for the stable and out-
buildings had entirely escaped the flames : it certainly had been no
part of the plan of the marauders to leave so well-appointed a stud
behind them, but the suddenness of the attack by Lawton, not only
disconcerted their arrangements on this point, but on many others
also. A guard was left on the ground, under the command of Hol-
lister, who, having discovered that his enemy was of mortal mould,
took his position with admirable coolness, and no little skill, to guard
against surprise^ ..He drew off his small party to such a distance
from the ruins, that it was effectually concealed in the darkness,
while at the same time the light continued sufficiently powerful to
discover any one who might approach the lawn with an intent to
plunder.
Satisfied with this judicious arrangement, Captain Lawton made
his dispositions for the march. Miss Peyton, her two nieces, and
Isabellai were placed in the chariot, while the cart of Mrs. Flanagan,
Digitized by VjOOQIC
u
312 THE SPY.
amply supplied with blankets and a bed, was honomed with the
person of Captain Singleton. Br. Sitgreaves took charge of the
chaise and Mr. Wharton. What became of the rest of the family,
during that eventful nighty is unknown: for Caesar alone^ of the
domestics, was to be found, if we except the housekeeper. Having
disposed of the whole party in this manner, Lawton gave the word
to march. He remained himself, for a few minutes, alone, on the
lawn, secreting various pieces of plate and other valuables, that he
was fearful might tempt the cupidity of his own men ; when, per-
ceiving nothing more that he conceived likely to overcome their
honesty, he threw himself into the saddle with the soldierly inten-
tion of brin^g up the rear.
" Stop, stop," cried a female voice : "will you leave me alone to
be murdered ? the spoon is melted, I believe, and I ^11 have compen-
sation, if 'there's law or justice in this unhappy land.''
Lawton turned an eye in the direction of the sound, and perceived
a female emerging from the ruins, loaded with a bundle, that vied in
size with the renowned pack of the pedler.
"Who have we here,'' said the trooper, "rising like a phoenix
from the flames. Oh ! by the soul of Hippocrates, but it is the
identical she-doctor, of famous needle reputation. Well, good woman,
what means this outcry?"
" Outcry I" echoed Katy, panting for breath ; " is it not dispar-
agement enough to lose a silver spoon, but I must be left alone in
this lonesome place, to be robbed, and perhaps murdered ? Harvey
would not serve me so: when I lived with Harvey, I was always
treated with respect, at least, if he was a littie close with his secrets,
and wasteful of his money."
" Then, madam, you once formed part of the household of Mr.
Harvey Birch?"
" You may say I was the whole of his household," returned the
other; "there was nobody but I, and he, and the old gentleman*
you didn't know the old gentieman, perhaps?"
Digitized by
Google
THB SPY 313
" That happiness was deuied me : how long did you live in the
fiunily of Mr. Birch?"
^^ I disremember the precise time^ but it must have been hard on
apon nine years : and what better am I for it all V
" Sure enough ; I can see but little benefit that you have derived
from the association; truly. But is there not something unusual in
tho movements and character of this Mr. Birch V
"Unusual is an easy word for such unaccountables T' replied
Katy^ lowering her voice; and looking around her; "ho was a
wonderful disregardful mau; and minded a guinea no more than I do
a kernel of com. But help me to some way of joining Miss
Jinitty and I will tell you prodigies of what Harvey has done, first
and lasf
"You will!" exclaimed the trooper, musing; "here, give me
leave to feel your arm above the elbow. There— =- you are not defi-
cient in bone, let the blood be as it may.". So saying, he gave the
spinster a sudden whirl, that effectually confused all her faculties,
until she found herself safely, if not comfortably, seated on the
crupper of Lawton's steed.
" Now, madam, you have the consolation of knowing that you aro
as well moimted as Washington. The nag is sure of foot, and will
leap like a panther."
"Let me get down," cried Katy, siiruggling to release herself
&om his iron grasp, and yet afraid of falling ; " this is no
way to put a woman on a horse; besides, I can't ride without
a pillion."
"Softly, good madam," said Lawton; "for although Roanoke
never falls before, he sometimes rises behind. He is far from being
accustomed to a pair of heels beating upon his flanks like a drum-
major on a field day; a single touch of the spur will serve him for
a fortnight, and it is by no means wise to be kicking in this manner,
for ho is a horse ihat but little likes to be outdone."
'^Let me down, I say," screamed Katy; "I shall fidl and be
Digitized by VjOOQIC
314 THB SPY.
killed. Besides, I have nothing to hold on with ; my arms are full
of valuahles."
"True/' returned the trooper, observing that he had brought
bundle and all from the ground ; " I perceive that you belong to
the baggage-guard; but my sword-belt will encircle your little waist,
as well as my own."
Katy was too much pleased with this compliment to make any
resistance, while he buckled her close to his own herculean framc^
and, driving a spxir into his charger, they flew from the lawn with a
rapidity that defied further denial. After proceeding for some time,
at a rate that a good deal discomposed the spinster, they overtook the
cart of the washerwoman driving slowly over the stones, with a proper
consideration for the wounds of Captain Singleton. The occurrences
of that eventful night had produced an excitement in the young
soldier, that was followed by the ordinary lassitude of reaction, and
he lay carefully enveloped in blankets, and supported by his man,
but little able to converse, though deeply brooding over the past.
The dialogue between Lawton and his companion ceased with the
commencement of their motions, but a foot-pace being more fiivour-
able to speech, the trooper began anew —
" Then, you have been an inmate in the same house with Harvey
Birch?"
" For more than nine years," said Katy, drawing her breath, and
rejoicing greatly that their speed was abated.
The deep tones of the trooper's voice were no sooner conveyed to
the ears of the washerwoman, than, turning her head, where she sat
directing the movements of the mare, she put into the discourse at
the first pause —
" Belike, then, good woman, yee'r knowing whether or no he 's
akin to Beelzeboob," said Betty; "it's Sargeant Hollister who's
saying the same, and no fool is the Sargeant, any way."
"It's a scandalous disparagement," cried Katy, vehemently;
" no kinder soul than Harvey carries a pack; and for a gownd or a
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY. 316
tidy apron, he will never take a king's farthing from a friend. Beel-
zebub, indeed I For what would he read the Bible, if he had deal-
ings with the evil spirit?"
"lie's an honest divil, any way; as I was saying before, the
guinea was pure. But then the Sargeant thinks him amiss, and it 's
no want of laming that Mister Hollister has."
" He 's a fool !" said Katy, tartly; " Harvey might be a man of
substance, were he not so disregardful. How often have I told him,
that if he did nothing but peddle, and would put his gains to use,
and get married, so that things at home could be kept within doors,
and leavd off his dealings with the rig'lars, and all incumberments,
that he would soon become an excellent liver. Sargeant Hollister
would be glad to hold a candle to him, indeed !"
"Pooh !" said Betty, in her philosophical way; "yee'r no think-
ing that Mister Hollister is an oflSicer, and stands next the comet, in
the troop. But-^this pidler gave warning of the brush the night,
and it's no sure that Captain Jack would have got the day, but for
the reinforcement."
" How say you, Betty," cried the trooper, bending forward on his
saddle, " had you notice of our danger from Birch ?"
" The very same, darling ; and it 's hurry I was till the boys was
in motion ; not but I knew yee'r enough for the Cow-Boys any time.
But wid the divil on your side, I was sure of the day. I 'm only
wondering there 's so little plunder, in a business of Beelzeboob's
contriving."
'^I'm obliged to you for the rescue, and equally indebted to the
motive."
" Is it the plunder ? But little did I tink of it till I saw the
moveables on the ground, some burnt, and some broke, and other
some as good as new. It would be convanient to have one feather-
bed in the corps, any way."
"By heavens, 'twas timely succour! Had not Roanoke been
Digitized by
Google
316 THE SPY.
swifter than their bullets, I must have fallen. Tne animal is woi-tii
his weight in gold."
" It 's continental, you mane, darling. Goold weighs heavy, aud
is no plenty in the states. If the nagur hadn't been staying and
frighting the Sargeant with his copper-coloured looks, and a matter
of blarney 'bout ghosts, we should have been in time to have killed
all the dogs, and taken the rest prisoners."
" It is very well as it is, Betty," said Lawton ; " a day will yet
come, I trast, when these miscreants shall be rewarded, if not in
judgments upon their persons, at least in the opinions of their fel-
low-citizens. The time must arrive when America will learn to dis-
tinguish between a patriot and a robber."
"Speak low," said *Katy; "there's some who think much of
themselves, that have doings with the Skinners."
"It's more they are thinking of themselves, then, than other
people thinks of them," cried Betty; "a tief's a tief, any way;
whether he stales for King George or for Congress."
"I knoVd that evil would soon happen," said Katy; "the sun
set to-night behind a black cloud, and the house-dog whined, although
I gave him his supper with my own hands ; besides, it's not a week
sin' I dreamed the dream about the thousand lighted candles, and
the cakes being burnt in the oven."
" Well," said Betty, " it's but little I drame, any way. Jist keep
an asy conscience and a plenty of the stuff in yee, and ye '11 sleep
like an infant. The last drame I had was when the boys put the
thistle-tops in the blankets, and then I was thinking that Captain
Jack's man was currying me down, for the matter of Eoanoke ; bu*
it 's no trifle I mind either in skin or stomach."
"I'm sure," said Katy, with a stiff erection that. drew Lawton
back in his saddle, " no man shall ever dare to lay hands on bed of
mine; it's undecent and despisable conduct."
" Pooh I pooh !" cried Betty; " if you tag after a troop of horse,
a small bit of a joke must be borne : what would beccmc of the
Digitized by Google "***»-
I.
THE SPY. 317
states and libQrtj, if the boys had never a dane shirt, or a drop to
comfort them? Ask Captain Jack, there, if they'd fight, Mrs.
Beelzeboob, and they no cLme linen to keep the victory in.''
"I'm a single woman, and my name is Haynes," said Katy,
'^^and I'd thank you to use no disparaging terms when speaking
to me."
" You must tolerate a little license in the tongue of Mrs. Flanar
gan, madam," said the tropper ; " the drop she speaks of is often of
an extraordinary size, and then she has acquired the freedom of a
soldier's manner.
" Pooh.l Captain, darling," cried Betty, " why do you bother the
woman? talk like yeerself, dear, and it's no fool of a tongue that
yee've got in yeer own head. But it's here away that the Sar-
geant made a halt, thinking there might be more, divils than 6ne
stirring, the night. The clouds are as black as Arnold's hearty and
deuce the star is there twinkling among them. Well, the mare is
used to a march after nightfall, and is smelling out the road like a
pointer slut."
" It wants but little to the rising moon," observed the trooper.
He called a dragoon, who was riding in advance, issued a few orders
and cautions relative to the comfort and safety of Singleton, and
speaking a consoling word to his friend himself, gave Boanoke the
spur, and dashed by the cart, at a rate that again put to flight all
the philosophy of Catharine Haynes.
"Good luck to yee, for a free rider and a bold!" shouted the
washerwoman, as he passed ; " if yee 're meeting Mister Beelzeboob,
jist back the baste up to him, and show him his consort that yee 'vo
got on the crupper. I'm thinking it's no long he 'd tarry to chat.
Well, well, it's his life that we saved, he was saying so himself—
though the plunder is nothing to signify."
The cries of Betty Flanagan were too fiuniliar to the ears of Cap-
tain Lawton to elicit a reply. Notwithstanding the unusual burden
(hat Boanoke sustained, he got over the ground with great rapidity,
Digitized by
Google
318 THE BPT. »
and the distance between the cart of Mrs. Flanagan and the chariot
of Miss Peyton was passed in a manner that^ however it answered
the intentions of the trooper^ in no degree contributed to the comfort
of his companion. The meeting occurred bnt a short distance from
the quarters of Lawton^ and at ihe same instant the moon broke
from behind a mass of clouds, and threw its light upon objects.
Compared with the simple elegance and substantial comfort of tJie
Locusts, the ^^ Hotel Flanagan'^ presented but a dreary spectacle.
In the place of carpeted floors and curtained windows^ were the
yawning cracks of a rudely-constructed dwelling, and boards and
paper were ingeniously applied to supply the place of the green
glass in more than half the lights. The care of Lawton had antici-
pated every improvement that their situation would allow, and
bhudng. fires were made before the party arrived. The dragoons,
who had been charged with this duty, had conveyed a few necessary
articles of furniture, and Miss Peyton and her companions, on alight-^
ing, found something like habitable apartments prepared for their
reception. The mind of Sarah had continued to wander during the
ride, and, with the ingenuity of the insane, she accommodated
every circumstance to the feelings that were uppermost in her own
bosom.
'' It is impossible to minister to a mind that has sustained such a
blow," said Lawton to Isabella Singleton; "time and Qod's mercy
can alone cure it; but something more maybe done towards the
bodily comfort of all. You are a soldier's daughter, and used to
scenes like this; help me to exclude some of the cold air from these
windows."
Miss Singleton acceded to his request, and while Lawton was en
deavouring, from without, to remedy the defect of broken panes,
Isabella was arranging a substitute for a curtain within.
'^ I hear the cart," said the trooper, in reply to one of her inter-
rogatories. "Betty is tender-hearted in the main; believe me, poor
George will not only be safe, but comfortable."
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY. 319
" God bless her, for her care; and bless you all/' said Isabellaj
fervently. " Dr. Sitgreaves haa gone down the road to meet him, 1
know — what is that glittering in the moon?"
Directly opposite the window where they stood, were the out-
buildings of the farm, and the quick eye of Lawton caught at a
glance the object to which she alluded.
" 'T is the glare of fire-arms," said the trooper, springing from tho
window towards his charger, which yet remained caparisoned at the
door. His movement was quick as thought, but a flash of fire war
followed by the whistling of a bullet, before he had proceeded a step.
A loud shriek burst from the dwelling, and the Captain sprang into
his saddle : tho whole was the business of but a moment.
" Mount — mount, and follow I" shouted the trooper; and before
his .astonished men could understand the cause of alarm, Koanoke
had carried him in safety over the fence which lay between him and
his foe. The chase was for life or death, but the distance to the
rocks was again too short, and the disappointed trooper saw his in
tended victim vanish in their clefts, where he could not follow.
" By the life of Washington," muttered Lawton, as he sheathed
his sabre, " I would have made two halves of him, had he not been
so nimble on the foot — but a time will come I" So saying, he re-
turned to his quarters, with the indifference of a man who knew his
life was at any moment to be offered a sacrifice to his country. An
extraordinary tumult in the house induced him to quicken his speed,
and on arriving at the door, the panic-stricken Katy informed him
that the bullet, aimed at his own life, had taken effect in the bosom
of Miss Smgleton.
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER XXIV.
HiishM i^cre his Gertrude's lips ! but still their bland
And beautiful eiEpression seemed to melt
With love that could not die ! and still his hand
She presses to the heart no more that felt
Gertrude of Wyoming.
The brief arrangements of the dragoons had prepared two apartments
for the reception of the ladies, the one being intended as a sleeping
room, and situated within the other. Into the latter Isabella was
immediately conveyed, at her own request^ and placed on a rude bed
by the side of the unconscious Sarah. When Miss Peyton and
Frances flew to her assistance, they found her with a smile on her
pallid lip, and a composure in her countenance, that induced them
to think her uninjured.
" God be praised !" exclaimed the trembling aunt; "the report
of fire-arms, and your fall, had led me into an error. Surely, surely,
there was enough of horror before; but this has been spared us."
Isabella pressed her hand upon her bosom, still smiling, but with
a ghastliness that curdled the blood of Frances, —
"Is George far distant?" she asked, "let him know — hasten
him, that I may see my brother, once again."
"It is as I apprehended!" shrieked Miss Peyton; "but you
smile — surely you are not hurt V
"Quite well — quite happy," murmured Isabella; "here is a
remedy for every pain."
Sarah arose from the reclining posture she had taken, and gazed
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY. 321
wildly afc her companion. She stretched forth her own hand, and
raised that of Isabella from her bosom. It was dyed in blood.
" See/' said Sarah, " but will it not wash away love ? Marry^
young woman, and then no one can expel him from your heart, un-
less'' — she added, whispering, and bending over the other, — "you
find another there before you; then die, and go to heaven — there
are no wives in heaven."
The lovely maniac hid her face under the clothes, and continued
silent during the remainder of the night. At this moment Lawton
entered. Inured as he was to danger in all its forms, and accus-
tomed to the horrors of a partisan war, the trooper could not behold
the ruin before him, unmoved. He bent over the fragile form of
Isabella, and his gloomy eye betrayed the workings of his soul.
" Isabella," he at length uttered, " I know you to possess a courage
beyond the strength of women."
"Speak," she said, earnestly; "if you have any thing to say.
speak fearlessly."
The trooper averted his face as he replied — " None ever receive
a ball there, and survive."
"I have no dread of death, Lawton," returned Isabella — "I
thank you for not doubting me ; I felt it, from the first."
"These are not scenes for a form like yours," added the
trooper: "'tis enough that Britain calls our youth to the field;
but when such loveliness becomes the victim of war, I sicken of my
trade."
" Hear me. Captain Lawton," said Isabella, raising herself with
difficulty, but rejecting aid : " from early womanhood to the present
hour have I been an inmate of camps and garrisons. I have lived
to cheer the leisure of an aged father, and think you I would change
those days of danger and privation for any ease ? No ! I have the
consolation of knowing, in my djdng moments, that what woman
«ould do in such a cause, I have done."
" Who could prove a recreant, and witness such a spirit ! Hun-
Digitized by CjOOQIC
322 THi: SPY.
dreds of wan-iors have I witnessed in their blood, but never a firraei
soul among them all/'
"'Tis the soul only/' said Isabella; "my sex and strength have
denied me the dearest of privileges. But to you, Captaiu Lawton,
nature has been mbre bountiful : you have an arm and a heart to
devote to the cause ; and I know they are an arm and a heart that
will prove true to the last. And George ^ — and — ** she paused, her
lip quivered, and her eye sunk to the floor.
"And Bunwoodiel" added the trooper; "would you speak of
Punwoodie V
" Name him not," said Isabella, sinking back, and concealing her
face in her garments: "leave me, Lawton — prepare poor George
for this unexpected blow."
The trooper continued for a little while gazing, in melancholy
interest, at the convulsive shudderings of her firame, which the scanty
covering could not conceal, and withdrew to meet his comrade. The
mterview between Singleton and his sister was painful, and, for a
moment, Isabella yielded to a burst of tenderness; but, as if aware
that her hours were numbered, she was the first to rouse herself to
exertion. At her earnest request, the room was left to herself, the
Captain, and Frances. The repeated applications of the surgeon, to
be permitted to use professional aid, were steadily rejected, and, at
length, he was obliged unwillingly to retire.
" Baise me," said the dying young woman, " and let me look on
a face that I love, once more." Frances silently complied, and Isa-
bella turned her eyes in sisterly affection upon George — "It mat-
tors but little, my brother; — a few hours must close the scene."
" Live, Isabella, my sister, my only sister !" cried the youth, with
a burst tf sorrow that he could not control; "my father ! my poor
father—"
" There is the sting of death ; but he is a soldier and a Ghiistian.
Miss Wharton, I would speak of what interests you, while yet I
have strength for the task."
Digitized by
Google
A
y
\
TH£ SPY. 323
^< Nay/' said Frances, tenderly, " compose yourself 3 let no desire
to oblige me endanger a life that is precious to — to — so many."
The words were nearly stifled by her emotions, for the other had
touched a chord that thrilled to her heart.
'^ Poor, sensitive girl V said Isabella, regarding her with tender
interest; "but the world is still before you, and why should I dis-
turb the little happiness it may afiford I Dream on, lovely innocent I
and may God keep the evil day of knowledge far distant I"
"Oh, there is even now little left for me to enjoy," said Frances,
burying her face in the clothes ; " I am heart-stricken, in all that I
most loved."
" No I" interrupted Isabella; " you have one inducement to wish
for life, that pleads strongly in a woman's breast It is a delusion
that nothing but death can destroy — ^* Exhaustion compelled her
to pause, and her auditors continued in breathless suspense, until,
recovering her strength, she laid her hand on that of Fi-ances, and
continued more mildly — "Miss Wharton, if there breathes a spirit
congenial to Dunwoodie's, and worthy of his love, it is your
own."
A flush of fire passed over the face of the listener, and she raised
her eyes, flashing with an ungovernable look of delight, to the coun-
tenance of Isabella; but the ruin she beheld recalled better feelings,
and again her head dropped upon the covering of the bed. Isabella
watched her emotion with a look that partook both of pity and admi-
ration.
'^Such have been the feelings that I have escaped," she con-
tinued ; " yes,[Miss Wharton, Bunwoodie is wholly yours."
"Be just to yourself, my sister," exclaimed the youth; "lot no
romantic generosity cause you to forget your own character."
She heard him, and fixed a gaze of tender interest on his face, but
Blowiy shook her head as she replied —
*^ It is not romance, but truth, that bids me speak. Oh I how
much have I lived within an hour ! Miss Wharton, I was bom
Digitized by CjOOQIC
824 THE BPT.
under a burning sun^ and my feelings seem to have imbibed its
warmth; I have existed for passion, only."
*^Say not so — say not so, I implore you/' cried the agitated
brother ; " think how devoted has been your love to our aged father;
how disinterested, how tender, your affection to me I"
" Yes," said Isabella, a smile of mild pleasure beaming on her
countenance ; " that, at least, is a reflection which may be taken to
the grave."
Neither Frances nor her brother interrupted her meditations^
which continued for several minutes; when, suddenly recoUecting
herself, she continued —
"I remain selfish even to the last; with me, Miss Wharton,
America and her liberties was my earliest passion, and — " again
she paused, and Frances thought it was the struggle of death that
followed; but reviving, she proceeded — "Why should I hesitate,
on the brink of the grave ! Dunwoodie was my next and my last.
But," burying her face in her hands, "it was a love that was un-
sought."
" Isabella !" exclaimed her brother, springing from the bed, and
pacing the floor in disorder.
" See how dependent we become under the dominion of worldly
pride ; it is painful to George to learn that one he loves had not
feelings superior to her nature and education."
" Say no more," whispered Frances; "you distress us both — say
no more, I entreat you."
" In justice to Dunwoodie I must speak; and for the same reason,
my brother, you must listen. By no act or word has Dunwoodie
ever induced me to believe, he wished me more than a fiiend : nay,
latterly, I have had the burning shame of thinking that ho avoided
my presence."
" Would he dare !" said Singleton, fiercely.
" Peace, my brother, and listen," continued Isabella, rousing her-
self with an effort that was final ; " here is the innocent, the justifi-
Digitized by CjOOQLC
THE SPY. 826
%ble cause We are both motherless; but that aunt — that mild,
plain-hearted, observing aunt, has given you the victory. Oh I hon*
\ much she loses, who loses a female guardian to her youth. I have
^ exhibited those feelings which you have been taught to repress.
After this, can I wish to live?"
^•' Isabella I my poor Isabella I you wander in your mind."
"But one word more — for I feel that blood, which ever flowed
too swiftly, rushing where nature never intended it to go. Woman
must be sought to be prized; her life is one of concealed emotions;
If blessed axe they whose early impressions make the task free from
// hypocrisy, for such only can be happy with men like — like Dun-
' I woodie." Her voice felled, and she sunk back on her pillow in
silence. The cry of Singleton brought the rest of the party to her
bedside, but death was already upon her countenance; her remain-
ing strength just sufficed to reach the hand of George^ and pressing
it to her bosom for a moment, she relinquished her grasp, and, with
a sUght convulsion, expired.
Frances Wharton had thought that fate had done its worst, in
endangering the life of her brother, and destroying the reason of her
sister ; but the relief conveyed by the dying declaration of Isabella
taught her that another sorrow had aided in loading her heart with
grief. She saw the whole truth at a glance ; nor was the manly
delicacy of Bunwoodie lost upon her — every thing tended to raise
him in her estimation ; and, for mourning that duty and pride had
induced her to strive to think less of him, she was compelled to sub-
stitute regret that her own act had driven him from her in sorrow,
if not in desperation. It is not in the nature of youth, however, to
despair; and Frances knew a secret joy in the midst of their dis-
dress, that gave a new spring to her existence.
The sun broke forth, on the morning that succeeded this night of
lesolation, in unclouded lustre, and seemed to mock the petty sor-
ows of those who received his rays. Lawton had early ordered his
bteed, and was ready to mount as the first burst of light broke over
Digitized by
Google
326 THE SPY.
the hills. His orders were already given; and the trooper threw hia
leg across the saddle; in silence; and; casting a glance of fierce cha-
grin at the narrow space that had £iyoiired the flight of the Skinner,
he gave Boanoke t^e rein^ and moved slowly towards the vall^.
The stillness of death pervaded the road; nor was there a angle
vestige of the scenes of the night; to tarnish the loveliness of a glo-
rious mom. Stmck with the contrast between man and nature; the
fearless trooper rode hy each pass of danger; regardless of what might
happen; nor did he rouse himself from his musing; until the noble
charger; snuffing the morning air; greeted the steeds of the guard
under Sergeant Hollister. •
HerC; indeed; was to be seen sad evidence of the midnight fray;
but the trooper glanced his eye over it with the coolness of one ac-
customed to such sights. Without wasting the moments in useless
regretS; he proceeded; at oncC; to business —
" Have you seen any thing V he demanded of the orderly.
"Nothing; sir; that we dared to charge upoU;'^ returned Hollister;
" but we mounted oncC; at the report of distant fire-arms."
"'Tis well;" said Lawton, gloomily. "Ah ! Hollister; I would
give the animal I ridC; to have had your single arm between the
wretch who drew that trigger and these useless rockS; which over-
hang every bit of ground; as if they grudged pasture to a single hoof."
" Under the light of day^ and charging man to maU; I am as good
as another; but I can't say that I'm over-fond of fighting with those
that neither steel nor lead can bring down."
" What silly crotchet is uppermost; noW; in that mystified brain
of thine, Deacon Hollister?"
" I like not the dark object that has been manceuvring in the
skirt of the wood since the first dawn of day; and twice, during the
night; it was seen marching across the fire-light; no doubt with evil
intent."
" Is it yon ball of black, at the foot of the rock-mapic; that you
mean? In truth it moves."
Digitized by
Google
THK SPJ. 32V
"Bat without mortal motion," said the Sergeant, regarding it
fdth awful reverence : ^^ it glides along, but no feet have been seen
bj any who watch here."
" Had it wings," cried Lawton, " it is mine ; stand fast, until I
join." The words were hardly uttered before Roanoke was flying
across the plain, and apparently verifying the boast of his master.
" Those cursed rocks !" ejaculated the trooper, as he saw the ob-
ject of his pursuit approaching the hill-side ; but, either from want
of practice or from terror, it passed the obvious shelter they offered,
and fled into the open plain.
" I have you, man or devil !" shouted Lawton, whirling his sabre
from its scabbard. '^ Halt, and take quarter I"
His proposition was apparently acceded to ; for, at the sound of
his powerful voice, the figure sunk upon the ground, exhibiting a
^apeless ball of blai;k, without life or motion.
" What have we here ?" cried Lawton, drawing up by its side ;
" a gala suit of the good maiden, Jeanette Peyton, wandering around
its birth-place, or searching in vain for its discomfited mistress?"
He leaned forward in his stirrups, and placing the pomt of his sword
under the silken garment, by throwing aside the covering, discovered
part of the form of the reverend gentleman who had fled from the
Locusts, the evening before, in his robes of office.
"In truth, Hollister had some ground for his alarm; an army
chaplain is, at any time, a terror to a troop of horse."
The clergyman had collected enough of his disturbed faculties, to
discover that it was a face he knew, and, somewhat disconcerted at
the terror be had manifested, and the indecent attitude in which he
had been found, he endeavoured to rise, and offer some explanation.
Lawton received his apologies good-humouredly, if not with much
faith in their truth; and, after a short communication upon the
state of the valley, the trooper courteously alighted, and they pro-
ceeded towards the guard.
" I am so little acquainted, sir, with the rebel uniform, that I
Digitized by CjOOQLC
528 THE SPY.
really was unable to distinguish, whether those men, whom you sa^
are your own, did or did not belong to the gang of marauders.'^
"Apology, sir, is imnecessaiy," replied the trooper, cuxling his
lip; "it is not your task, as a minister of God, to take note of the
focings of a coat. The standard under which you serve is acknow-
ledged by us all." • -
" I serve under the standard of his gracious majesiy George HE.,"
returned the priest, wiping the cold sweat from his brow; "but
really the idea of being scalped has a strong tendency to unman a
new beginner, like myself."
"Scalped!" echoed Lawton, stopping short in his walk; then
recollecting himself, he added, with composure, — " If it is to Dun-
woodie's squadron of Virginia light dragoons that you allude, it may
be well to inform you that they generally take a bit of the skull with
the skin."
" Oh ! I can have no apprehensions of gentlemen of your appear-
ance," said the divine, with a smirk ; " it is the natives that I appre-
hend."
" Natives ! I have the honour to be one, I do assure you, sir."
"Nay, I beg that I may be understood — I mean the Indians;
they who do nothing but rob, and murder, and destroy."
"And scalp!"
" Yes, sir, and scalp too," continued the clergyman, eyeing his
companion a little suspiciously; "the copper-coloured, savage
Indians."
"And did you expect to meet those nose-jewelled gentry in the
neutral ground?"
" Certainly; we understand in England that the interior swarms
with them."
'^And call you this the interior of America ?" cried Lawton, again
halting, and staring the other in the face, with a surprise too nata*
rally expressed to be counterfeited.
" Surely sir, I conceive myself to be in the interior."
Digitized by CjOOQIC
THE SPY. 329
"Attend/' said Lawton, pointing towards the cast; "sec you not
that broad sheet of water which the eye cannot compass ? thither lies
the Engknd jou deem worthy to hold dominion over half the world.
See you the land of your nativity?''
" 'T is impossible to behold objects at a distance of three thousand
miles I" exclaimed the wondering priest^ a little suspicious of his
companion's sanity.
'^ No ! what a pity it is that the powers of man are not equal ta
his ambition. Now turn your eyes westward; observe that vast ex-^
pause of water which rolls between the shores of America and China."
"I see nothing but land," said the trembling priest; "there is
no water to be seen."
" 'T is impossible to behold objects at a distance of three thousand
miles I" repeated Lawton, pursuing his walk : " if you apprehend
(he savageB; seek them in the ranks of your prince. Bum and gold
have preserved their loyalty."
"Nothing is more probable than my being deceived/' said the
man of peace, casting furtive glances at the colossal stature and
whiskered front of his companion; "but the rumours we have
at home, and the uncertainty of meeting with such an enemy as
yourself, induced me to fly at your approach.'
"'Twas not j[udiciously determined/' said the trooper, "as Roa-
noke has the heels of you greatly; and flying from Scylla, you were
liable to encounter Charybdis. Those woods and rocks cover the
very enemies you dread."
" The savages !" exclaimed the divine, instinctively placing the
trooper in the rear.
"More than savages; men who, under the guise of patriotism,
prowl through the community, with a thirst for plunder that is un
-satiable, and a love of cruelty that mocks the ingenuity of the Indian.
Fellows whose mouths are filled with liberty and equality, and whose
hearts axe overflowing with cupidity and gall — gentlemen thatar^
yclep'd the Skinners."
Digitized by VjOOQIC
330 THE sPYr
" I have heard them mentioned in our army/' said the frightened
divine, "and had thought them to be the aborigines/'
"You did the savages injustice/'
They now approached the spot occupied by Hollister, who witness-
ed with surprise the character of the prisoner made by his captain.
I^wton gave his orders, and the men immediately commenced so-
curing and removing such articles of furniture as were thought worthy
of the trouble ; and the captain, with his reverend associate, who
was mounted on a mettled horse, returned to the quarters of the
troop.
It was the wish of Singleton that the remains of his sister should
be conveyed to the post commanded by his father, and preparations
were early made to this effect. The wounded British were placed
under the control of the chaplain ; and towards the middle of the
day Lawton saw all the arrangements so far completed, ad to render
it probable that in a few hours he would be left, with his small
party, in undisturbed possession of the Comers.
While leaning in the door-way, gazing in moody silence at the
ground which had been the scene of the last night's chase, his ear
caught the sound of a horse, and the next moment a dragoon of his
own troop appeared dashing up the road, as if on business of the last
importanee. The steed was foaming, and the rider had the appear-
ance of having done a hard day's service. Without speaking, he
placed a letter in the hand of Lawton, and led his charger to the
stable. The trooper knew the hand of the major, and ran his eye
over the following : —
" I rejoice it is the order of Washington, that the family of the
Locusts are to be removed above the Highlands. They axe to be
admitted to the society of Captain Wharton, who waits only for theii
testimony to be tried. You will communicate this order, and with
proper delicacy I do not doubt. The English are moving up thd
river; and the moment you see the Whartons in safety, break up,
»nd join your troop. There will be good service to be done when
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY. 331
we meet, as Sir Henry is reported to have sent out a real soldier in
command. Keports must be made to the commandant at Peekskill,
for Colonel Singleton is withdrawn to head-quarters, to preside over
the inquiry upon poor Wharton. Fresh orders have been sent to
hang the pedler if we can take him^ but they are not from the com-
mander-in-chief. — ^Detail a small guard with the ladies, and get into
the saddle as soon as possible.
"Yours, sincerely,
"Peyton Dunwoodie."
This communication entirely changed the whole arrangement.
There was no longer any motive for removing the body of Isabella,
since her father was no longer with his command, and Singleton re-
luctantly acquiesced in an immediate interment. A retired and
lovely spot was selected, near the foot of the adjacent rocks, and
such rude preparations were made as the time and the situation of
the country permitted. A few of the neighbouring inhabitants
collected from curiosity and interest, and Miss Peyton and Frances
wept in sincerity over her grave. The solemn ofl&ces of the church
were performed by the minister, who had so lately stood forth to
officiate in another and very different duty; and Lawton bent his
head, and passed his hand across his brow, while the words that ac-
companied the first clod were uttered.
A new stimulus was given to the Whartons by the intelligence
conveyed in the letter of Dimwoodie ; and Caesar, with his horses,
was once more put in requisition. The relics of the property were
entrusted to a neighbour, in whom they had confidence; and, ac-
companied by the unconscious Sarah, and attended by four dragoons
and all of the American wounded, Mr. Wharton's party took their
departure. They were speedily followed by the English chaplain,
with his countrymen, who were conveyed to the water-side, where a
vessel was in waiting to receive them. . Lawton joyfully witnessed
these movements; and as soon as the latter were out of sight, he
Digitized by
Google
332 THE SPT.
ordered his own bugle to sound. Every thing was instantly in
motion. The mare of Mrs. Flanagan was again fastened to the cart ;
Dr. Sitgreaves exhibited his shapeless form once more on horseback;
and the trooper appeared in the saddle, rejoicing in his emancipation.
The word to march was given; and Lawton, throwing a look of
sullen ferocity at the place of the Skiniier's concealment, and an-
other of melancholy regret towards the grave of Isabella, led the
way, accompanied by the surgeon in a brown study; while Sergeant
Ilollister and Betty brought up the rear, leaving a fresh southerly
wind to whistle through the open doors and broken windows of the
" Hotel Flanagan,'' where the laugh of hilarity, the joke of the
hardy partisan, and the lamentations of the sorrowing, had so lately
echoed.
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER XXV.
No vernal blooms their torpid rocks array*
But winter, lingering, chills the lap of May;
No zephyr fondly sues the mountain's breast.
But meteors glare, and stormy glooms invest
Gcidmnilh.
Thb roads of West-Chester are, at this houT; below the improve-
menfs of the country. Their condition at the time of the tale has
already been alluded to in these pages; and the reader will, there-
fore, easily imagine the taak assumed by Cdssar, when he undertook
to guide the translated chariot of the English prelate through their
windings, into one of the less frequented passes of the Highlands of
the Hudson.
While CaBsar and his steeds were contending with these difficul-
ties, the inmates of the carriage were too much engrossed with their
own cares to attend to those who served them. JThe mind of Sarah
had ceased to wander so wildly as at first; but at every advance that
she made towards reason, she seemed to retire a step from anima-
tion; from being excited and flighty, she was gradually becoming
moody and melancholy. There were moments,' indeed, when her
anxious companions thought that they could discern marks of recol-
lection; but the expression of exquisite woe that accompanied these
transient gleams of reason, forced them to the dreadful altemativo
of wishing that she might for ever be spared the agony of thought.
The day's march was performed chiefly- in silence, and the party
found shelter for the night in diflerent farm-houses.
The following morning the cavalcade dispersed. The wounded
Digitized by
Google
334 TUE SPY.
diverged towards the river, with the intention of taking water at
Peekskill, in order to be transported to the hospitals of the American
army above. The litter of Singleton was conveyed to a part of the
Highlands where his father held his quarters, and where it was in-
tended that the youth should complete his cure ; the carriage of Mr.
Wharton, accompanied by a waggon conveying the housekeeper and
what baggage had been saved, and could be transported, resumed its
route towards the place where Henry Wharton was held in duresse,
and where he only waited their arrival to be put on trial for his life.
The countrjr which lies between the waters of the Hudson and
Long-Island Sound, is, for the first forty miles from their junction, a
succession of hills and dales. The land bordering on the latter then
becomes less abrupt, and gradually assumes a milder appearance,
until it finally melts into the lovely plains and moadows of the Con-
necticut. But as you approach the Hudson, the rugged aspect in-
creases, until you at length meet with the formidable barrier of the
Highlands. Here the Neutral Ground ceased. The royal army
held the two points of land that commanded the southern entrance
of the river into the mountains; but all the remaining passes were
guarded by the Americans.
We have already stated that the pickets of the continental army
were sometimes pushed low into the country, and that the hamlet of
the White Plains was occasionally maintained by parties of its troops.
At other times, the advanced guards were withdrawn to the northern
extremity of the county, and, as has been shown, the intermediate
country was abandoned to the ravages of the miscreants who plun-
dered between both armies, serving neither.
The road taken by our party was not the one that communicates
betyreen the two principal cities of the state, but was a retired and
unfrequented pass, that to this hour is but little known, and which
entering the hills near the eastern boundary, emerges into the plain
above, many miles from the Hudson.
It would have been impossible for the tired steeds of Mr. Whar-
Digitized by CjOOQLC
THB SPY. 335
ton to drag the heavy chariot up the lengthened and steep ascents
which now hty before them; and a pair of country horses were pro-
cured, with but little regard to their owner's wishes, by the two
dragoons who still continued to accompany the party. With their
assistance, Cassar was enabled to advance, by slow and toilsome
steps, into the bosom of the hills. Willing to relieve her own me-
IscQcholy by breathing a fresher air, and also to lessen the weight,
Frances alighted as they reached the foot of the mountajn. She
found that Katy had made similar preparations, with the like inten-
tion of walking to the summit. It was near the setting of the sun,
and, from the top of the mountain, their guard had declared that the
end of their journey might be discerned. Frances moved forward
with the elastic step of youth; and, followed by the housekeeper at
a little distance, she soon lost sight of the sluggish carriage, that
was slowly toiling up the hill, occasionally halting to allow the cattle
to breathe.
" Oh, Miss Fanny, what dreadful times these be I" said Katy,
when they paused for breath thes|selves; ^^I knoVd that calamity
was about to befall, ever sin' the streak of blood was seen in the
clouds."
'^ There has been blood upon earth, Katy, though but little is
ever seen in the clouds."
" Not blood in the clouds I" echoed the housekeeper; "yes, that
there has, often, and comets with fiery, smoking tails. Didn't peo>
pie see armed men in the heavens, the year the war begun ? and,
the night before the battle of the Plains, wasn't there thunder, like
the cannon themselves ?-t- Ah! Miss Fanny, I'm fearful that no
good can follow rebellion against the Lord's anointed I'^
"These events are certainly dreadful," returned Frances, "and
enough to sicken the stoutest heart. But what can be done, Katy?
'—Gallant and independent men are unwilling to submit to opprsB-
Bion ; and I am fearful that such scenes are but too common in war.''
" If I could but see any thing to fight about," said Katy, renew*
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
836 THE S P T.
mg her walk as ihe young ladj proceeded, ^^ I shooldn't mind it so
macL 'T was said the king wanted all the tea for his own £unih^,
at one time ; and then again, that he meant the colonies should pay
over to him all their earnings. Now this is matter enough to %ht
about — for I'm sure that no onO; howeyer he may be lord <^ king,
has a light to the hard earning? of another. Then it was aU contra-
dicted, and some said Washington wanted to be king himself; so
that, between the two, one doesn't know which to heli^ve.''
<< Believe neither-— for neither is true.. I do not pceiend to un-
derstand, myself, all the merits of this war, Kaly; but to ine it
seems unnatural, that a country like this should be ruled by anolher
so distant as England.''
^^ So I have heard Harvey say to his fiither, that is dead and in
his grave," returned Katy, approaching nearer to the young lady,
and lowering her voice. ^^ Many is the good time that I 've listened
to them talking, when all the neighbourhood was asleep; and such
conversations. Miss Fanny, that you can have no idea on!— rWell^
to say the truth, Harvey was a niQrstified body, and he was like ihe
winds in the good book ; no one could tell whence he came, or whi-
ther he went."
Frances glanced her eye at her companion with an apparent desire
to hear more.
'^ There are rumours abroad relative to the character of Harvey,"
she said, <^ that I should be soixy were true."
" 'T is a disparagement, every word on 't," cried Kafy, vehemently ;
^^ Harvey had no more dealings with Belzebub than you or I had.
1 'm sure if Harvey had sold himself, he would take care to bo bet-
ter paid; though, to speak the truth, he was always a wasteful aad
iisregardfttl man."
^^Nay, nay," returned the smiling Frances^ '•I have no such in-
jurious su^icion of him; but has he not sold himisclf to an earthly
prince — one too much attacned to the interests of his native island
to be always jtist to this coimtry ?"
Digitized by CjOOQIC
THE SPY. Sa*?
"To the king's majesty!" replied Katy. "Why, Miss Fanny,
your own brother that is in gaol serves King George."
" True/' said Frances, " but not in secret — openly, manfully, and
bravely."
" 'Tis said he is a spy, and why an't one spy as bad as another ?"
"'Tis untrue; no act of deception is worthy of my brother; nor
of any would he be guilty, for so base a purpose as gain, or promo-
tion."
"Well, I'm sure," said Katy, a littie appalled at the manner of
the young lady, " if a body does the work, he should be pjdd for it
Harvey is by no means partic'lar about getting his lawful dues ; and
I dar'st to say, if the truth was forthcoming, King George owes him
money this very minute."
" Then you acknowledge his connexion with the British army,"
said Frances ; " I confess there have been moments when I have
thought diflferently."
" Lord^ Miss Fanny, Harvey is <a man that no calculation can bo
made on. Though I lived in his house for a long concourse of years,
I have never known whether he belonged above or below.* The
time that Burg'yne was taken, he came home, and there was great
doings between him and the old gentleman, but for the life I couldn't
tell if 'twas joy or grief. Then, here, the other day, when the great
British general — I'm sure I have been so flurried with losses and
troubles, that I forget his name — *'
"Andre," said Frances.
"Yes, Ondree; when ho was hanged, acrost the Tappaan, the old
gentleman was near hand to going crazy about it, and didn't sleep
for night nor day, till Harvey got back ; and then his money was
mostly golden guineas; but the Skinners to(^ it all, and now he is
• The American party was called the party belonging' « ahove," and the
British that of "below." The terms had reference to tho coarse of the
LLudsfjn.
Digitized by
Google
:I38 TUS SPY.
a beggar, or, what's the same thing, despisable for poverty and
want''
To this speech Frances made no reply, but continued her walk up
the hill, deeply engaged in her own reflections. The ailufflon to
Andre had recalled her thoughts to the situation of her own bro-
ther.
They soon reached the highest point in their toilsome pt^ogrc^
to the summit, and Frances seated herself on a rock to rest and to
admire. Immediately at her feet lay a deep dell, but little altered
by cultivation, and dark with the gloom of a November sunset.
Another hill rose opposite to the place where she sat, at no great
distance, along whose rugged sides nothing wa^^ to be* seen but shape-
less rocks, and oaks whose stinted growth showed a meagre soil.
To be seen in their perfection, the Highlands must be passed Im-
mediately after the fall of the leaf. The scene is then the finest, for
neither the scanty foliage which the summer lends the trees, nor the
snows of winter, are present to conceal the minutest objects from the
eye. Chilling soMtude is the characteristic of the scenery ; nor is
the mind at liberty, as in March, to look forward to a renewed vege-
tation that is soon to check, without improving, the view.
The day had been cloudy and cool, and thin fleecy clouds hung
around the horizon, often promising to disperse, but as frequently
disappointing Frances in the hope of catching a parting beam from
the setting sun. At length a solitary gleam struck on the base of
the mountain on which she was gazing, and moved gracefully up its
side, until, reaching the summit, it stood for a minute, forming a
crown of glory to the sombre pile. So strong were the rays, that
what was before indistinct now clearly opened to the view. With a
feeling of awe at being thus unexpectedly admitted, as it were, into
the secrets of that desert place, Frances gazed intently, until, 'among
the scattered trees and fantastic rocks, something like a rude struc-
ture was seen. It was low, and so obscured by the colour of it^«?
materials, that but for its roof, and the glittering of a window, it
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY. 339
must have escaped her notice. While yet lost in the astonislimen*
created by discovering a habitation in such a spot, on moving her
eyes she perceived another object that increased her wonder. It
apparently was a human figure, but of singular mould and unusual
deformity. It stood on the edge of a rock, a little above the hut,
and it waa no difficult task for our heroine to fancy it was gazing at
the vehicles that were ascending the side of the mountain beneath
her. The distance, however, waa too great to distinguish with pre-
cision. After looking at it a moment in breathless wonder, Frances
bad just come to the conclusion that it. was ideal, and that what she
I saw waa a part of the rock itself, when the object moved swiftly from
its position, and glided into the hut, at once removing every doubt a*«
to the nature of either. Whether it waa owing to the recent conver-
sation that she had been holding with E^ty, or to some fancied re-
semblance that she discerned, Frances thought;, a^ the figure vanished
from her view, that it bore a marked likeness to Birch, moving under
the weight of his pack. She continued to gaze towards the myste-
rious residence, when the gleam of light passed away, and at the
same instant the tones of a bugle rang through the glens and hol-
lows, and were re-echoed in every direction. Springing on her feet,
the alarmed girl heard the trampling of horses, and directly a party
in the well-known uniform of the Virginians came sweeping round
the point of a rock near her, and drew up at a short distance. Again
the bugle sounded a lively strain, and before the agitated Frances
had time to rally her thoughts, Dimwoodie dashed by the party of
dragoons, threw himself from his charger, and advanced to her side.
His manner was earnest and interested, but in a slight degree
constrained. In a few words he explained that he had been ordered
up, with a party of Lawton's men, in the absence of the Captain
himself, to attend the trial of Henry, which waa fixed for the mor-
row ; and that, anxious for their safety in the rude paases of the
mountain, he had ridden a mile or two in quest of the travellers.
Frances explained, with trembling voice, the reaaon of her being in
Digitized by VjOOQ iC
340 T H E S P Y.
advance, and taught him mcmentarily to expect the arrival of her
father. The constraint of his manner had, however, unwillingly on
her part, communicated itself to her own deportment, and the
approach of the chariot was a relief to both. The Major handed
her in, spoke a few words of encouragement to Mr. Wharton and
Miss Peyton, and again mounting, led the way towards the pkins
of Fishkill, which broke on their sight, on turning the rock, with the
effect of enchantment. A short half-hour brought them to the door
of the farm-house, which the care of Bunwoodie had already pre«
pared for their xecepition, and where Captain Wharton was anxiously
expecting their arrival.
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER XXVI.
These limbs are strcngthenM with a 8oIdier*8 toil^
Nor has this cheek been ever blanchM with feai —
Bat this sad tale of thine enervates all
Within me that I once could boast as man ;
Chill trembling ti|rues seize upon mjr framei
And tears of childish sorrow pour, apace^
Through scarred channels that were markM by wounds.
I>uo.
The fiends of Henry Wharton had plaeed so i&u<^ reliance dn his
innocence;^ that they were unable to see the full danger of his situa-
tion. As the moment of trial^ however, approached^ the t^ieasiness
of the youth himself increased ; and after spending most of the night
with his afflicted family, he awoke, on the following morning, from
a short and disturbed slumber, to a clearer sense of his condition,
and a survey of the means that were to extricate him from it with
life. The rank of Andre, and the importance of the measures he
was plotting, together with the powerful intercessions that had been
made in his behalf, occasioned his execution to be stamped with
greater notoriety than the ordinary erents of the war. But spies
were frequently arrested; and the instances that occurred of sum-
mary punishment for this crime were numerous* These were facts
that were well known to both Dnnwoodie and the prisoner; and to
their experienced judgments the preparations for the trial were
indeed alarming. Notwithstanding their apprehensions, they suc-
ceeded so far in concealing them, that neither Miss Peyton nor
Frances was aware of tlieir extent. A strong gu^ was stationed
in the out-building of the farm-house where the prisoner was quar*
Digitized by
Google
342 THE SPY.
tered, and several sentinels watched the avenues that approached tlie
dwelling. Another was constantly near the room .of the British
officer. A court was already detailed to examine into the circum-
DtanceS; and upon their decision the fate of Henry rested.
The moment at length arrived, and the different actors in the
approaching investigation assemhled. IFrances experienced a feeling
like suffocation, as, after taking her scat in the midst of her family,
her eyes wandlered over the group who were thus collected. The
judges, three in number, sat by themselves, clad in the vestments
of their profession, and maintained a gravity worthy of the occasion,
and becoming in their rank. In the centre was a man of advanced
years, and whose whole exterior bore the stamp of early and long-
tried military habits. This was the president of the court; and
Frances, after taking a hasty and unsatisfactory view of his associates,
turned to his benevolent countenance as to the harbinger of mercy
to her brother. There was a melting and subdued expression in the
features of the veteran, that, contrasted with the rigid decency and
composure of the others, could not fail to attract her notice. His
attire was strictly in conformity to the prescribed rules of the ser-
vice to which he belonged ; but while his hair was erect and military,
his &igers trifled, with a kind of convulsive and unconscious motion,
with a bit of crape that entwined the hilt of the sword on which his
body partly reclined, and which, like himself, seemed a relic of older
times. There were the workings of an unquiet soul within ; but his
military jBront blended awe with the pity that its exhibition excited.
His associates were officers selected from the eastern troops, who held
the fortresses of West Point and the adjacent passes; they were men
who had attained the meridian of life, and the eye sought in vain
the expression of any passion or emotion on which it might seize as
an indication of human infirmity. In their demeanour, there was a
mild, but a grave, intellectual reserve. If there was no ferocity nor
harshness to chiU, neither was there compassion nor interest to
^ttraqt. They were men who had long acted under the dominioD
Digitized by
Google
THE 8PT. 343
of a prudent reason, and whose feelings seemed trained to a perfect
submission to their judgments.
Before these arbiters of his fate Henry Wharton was ushered,
under the custody of armed men. A profound and awful silence
succeeded his entrance, and the blood of f*rances chilled as sho
noted the grave character of the whole proceedings. There was but
little of pomp in the preparations, to impress her imagination; but
the reserved, business-like air of the whole eccne made it seem, in-
deed, as if the destinies of life awaited the result. Two of the judges
sat in grave reserve, fixing their inquiring eyes on the object of their
investigation; but the president continued gazing around with uneasy,
convulsive motions of the muscles of the face, that indicated a rest-
lessnesSy foreign to his years and duty. It was Colonel Singleton,
who, but the day before, had learned the fate of Isabella, but who
stood forth in the discharge of a duty that his country required at
his hands. «>The silence, and the expectation in every eye, at length
struck him, and making an effort to collect himself, h^spoke, in the
tones of one used to authority.
" Bring forth the prisoner," he said, with a wave of the
hand.
^I^he sentinels dropped the points of their bayonets towards the
judges, and Henry Wharton advanced, with a firm step, into the
centre of the apartment. All was now anxiety and eager curiosity.
Frances turned for a moment -in grateful emotion, as the deep and
perturbed breathing of Bunwoodie reached her ears ; but her bro-
ther again concentrated all her interest in one feeling of intense care.
In the back-ground were arranged the inmates of the family who
owned the dwelling, and behind them, again, was a row of shining
faces of ebony, glistening with pleased wonder. Amongst these was
the faded lustre of Caesar Thompson's countenance.
" You are said," continued the president, ^' to be Henry Wharton,
t captain in his Britannic majesty's 60th regiment of foot"
"lam."
Digitized by
Google
844 TH£ SPY.
*^1 like your candour^ sir; it partakes of the konourable feeling
of a soldier, and cannot fail to impress your judges favourably/'
'^ It would be prudent/' said one of bis companions; ^^ to advise
the prisoner iliat be is bound to answer no more than be deems n^*
cessary : although we are a court of martial law, yet, in this respect^
we own the principles of all free governments."
A nod of approbation from the silent member was bestowed on
this remark, and the president proceeded with caution, referring to
the minutes he held in his hand.
^^It is an accusation against you, that, being an ofiBcer of the
enemy, you passed the pickets of the American army at the White
Plains, in disguise, on the 29th of October last, whereby you aro
suspected of views hostile to tho interests of America, and have
subjected yourself to the punishment of a spy."
The mild, but steady tones of the speaker, as he slowly repeated
the substance of this charge, were full of aoiihority. The accusation
was so plain^the facts so limited,, the proof so obvious^ and the
penalty so well established, that escape seemed impossible. But
Henry replied, with earnest grace —
" That I passed your pickets in disguise, is true ; but — ^"
" Peace P interrupted the president; "the usages of warfare
stem enough in themselves; yoiu need not aid theia to your own
condemnation."
" The prisoner can retract that declaratioB, if he please," lemark-
ed another judge. " His confession, if taken, goes fully to prove
the charge."
" I retradi nothing that is true," said Henry, proudly.
The two nameless judges heard him in silent composure, yet there
was no exultation mingled with their gravity. The president now
appeared, however, to take new interest in the scene.
"Your sentiment is noble, sir," he said; "I only r^ret that a
youthful soldier should so &r be misled by loyalty as to k&d kiiii^
self to the purposes of deceit."
Digitized by CjOOQIC
THE SPT. 345
*' Deceit I" echoed Wharton; "I thought it prudenit to guard
against capture from my enemies*"
*^ A soldier, Captain Wharton, should never meet his enemy but
openly, and with arms in his hands. I have served two kings of
England, as I now serve my native land; but never did I approach
a foe, unless under the light of the sun, and with honest notice that
an enemy was nigh."
"You are at liberty to explain what your motives were in entering
the ground held by our army in disguise," said the other judge, with
a slight movement of the muscles of his mouth.
" I am the son of this aged man before you," continued Henry.
" It was to visit him that I encountered the danger. Besides, the
country below is seldom held by your troops, and its very name
implies a right to either party to move at pleasure over its terri-
tory."
"Its name, as a neutral ground, is unauthorised by law; it is an
appellation that originates with the condition of the country. But
wherever an army goes, it carries its rights along, and the first is,
the ability to protect itself.
" I am no casuist, su-," returned the youth; "but I feel that my
father is entitled to my affection, and I would encounter greater
risks to prove it to him in his old age."
" A very commendable spirit," cried the veteran ; " come, gentle-
men, this. business brightens. I confess, at first, it was very bad;
but no man can censure him for desiring to see his parents."
" And have you proof that such only was your intention ?"
"Yes — here," said Henry, admitting al ray of hope; "here is
proof —-my father, my sister. Major Dunwoodie, all know it."
" Then, indeed," returned his immovable judge, " we may be able
to save you. It would be well, sir, to examine further into thi«
business."
** Certainly," said the president, with alacrity ; " let the eMcr Mr.
Wharton approach and take the oath."
Digitized by CjOOQIC
846 THE SPY.
Tho father made an effort at composure; and; advancing with a
feeble step; he complied with the necessary forms of the court.
" You ire the father of the prisoner V said Colonel Singleton, in
a subdued yoicC; after pausing a moment in respect for the agitation
of the witness.
" He is my only son."
" And what do you know of his visit to your house, on tho 29tU
day of October last Y'
^^ He came, as he told you, to see me and his sisters.'^
" Was he in disguise Y* asked the other judge.
*^ He did not wear the uniform of the 60th."
*^ To see his sisters, too I" said the president with great omotioiL
"Have you daughters, sir?"
"I have two — both are in this house."
" Had he a wig ?" interrupted the officer.
" There was some such thing, I do believe, upon his head."
" And how long had you been separated ?" asked the president
"One year and two months."
" Did he wear a loose great-coat of coarse materials ?" inquired
the officer, referring to the paper that contained the charges.
"There was an over-coat."
" And you think that it was to see you, only, that he came out ?"
"Me, and my daughters."
" A boy of spirit," whispered the president to his silent comrade.
*^I see but little harm in such a freak; 'twas imprudent, but then it
yas kind."
" Do you know that your son was intrusted with no commission
from Sir Henry Clinton, and that the visit to you was not merely a
cloak to other designs?"
" How can I know it ?" said Mr. Wharton, in alarm ; " would Sir
Henry intrust me with such a business ?"
''Know you any thing 0f this pass?" exhibiting the paper that
Dunwoodie had retained when Wharton was taken.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY. 347
"NotMng — upon my honour^ nothing," cried the father ghrink-
Dg from the paper as from contagion.
"On your oath?''
"Nothing/'
"Have you other testimony? — this does not avail you, Captain
Wharton. You have been taken in a situation where your life is^
forfeited ; the labour of proving your innocence rests with yourself.
Take time to reflect, and be cooL"
There was a frightful cahnness in the manner of this judge that
appalled the prisoner. - In the sympathy of Colonel Singleton, he
could easily lose sight of his danger; but the obdurate and collected
air of the others was ominous of his &.te. He continued silent, ca&U
ing imploring glances towards his friend. Dunwoodie understood the
appeal, and offered himself aa a witness. He was sworn, and desired
to relate what he knew. His statement did not materially alter the
case, and Dunwoodie felt that it could not. To him personally but
little was known, and that little rather militated against the safetj
of Henry than otherwise. His account was listened to in silence,
and the significant shake of the head that was made by the silent
member spoke too plainly what effect it had produced.
"Still you think that the prisoner had no other object than what
he has avowed ?" said the president, when he had ended.
" None other, I will pledge my life," cried the major, with fervour.
" "Will you swear it ?" asked the immovable judge.
" How can I ? Otod alone can tell the heart; but I have known
this gentleman from a boy; deceit never formed part of his character*
He is above it"
" You say that he escaped, and was retaken in open arms ?" said
the president.
'^He waa; nay, he received a wound in the combat. You see he
yet moves his arm with difficulty. Would he, think you, sir, have
trusted himself where he could fall again into our hands, unless con-
scious of innocence?"
Digitized by
Google
348 T H X 8 p r.
<< Would Andre have deserted a field of batde^ Maj<« Bamroodiey
had he encountered such an event^ near Tanjtown V asked his deli-
berate examiner. '^ Is it not natura^ to youth to seek f^orj V
"Do you call this glory 1" exclaimed the major; '^an i^Bomini-
ous death, and a tarnished name/'
"Major Dunwoodie/' letomed the other, stiSl with inyeterate
gravity, "you have acted nobly; your duty has been arduous and
severe, but it has been faithfully and honourably disckarged; ours
must not be less so.''
During the examination, ihe most intense interest jarevailed among
the hearers. With that kind of feeling whioh could not separate the
principle from the cause, most of the «uditc»8 t^ou^ that if Dun*
woodie failed to move the hearts of Henry^s judges, no oiber pos-
sessed the power. Caesar thrust his misshapen form forward; and
his features, so expressive of the concern he felt, and so different
from the vacant curiosity pictured in the eoimtensmees of the other
Dla^, caught the attention of the silent judge. For the &st time
he spoke —
"Let that bk^ be brought forward.''
It was too late to retreat, and Gsesar found himself oonfronted
with a row of rebel officers, before he knew what was uppermost in
his thoughts. The others yielded the examinatkm to the one who
suggested it, and using all due delibersition, he proceeded accordingly.
"You know t^ prifloaer?"
" I tink he ought," retEuned the bkck, in a manner as sententious
as that of his examiner.
" Did he give you the wig, when he threw it aside ?"
"I don't want 'em," grumbled Caesar; "got a berry good hair
he'self."
" Were you employed in canying any letters or mecfisageg while
Captain Wharton was in jom master's^ house ?'*
" I do what a tell me," returned the biaok.
"But what did they teU you to do?"
Digitized by
Google
THK SPT. 349
*^S<Hnetime a one tmg — sometime anodor."
"Enough," said Colonel Singleton, with dignity; "you have the
noble acknovlcdgment of a gentleman, what more can you obtain
from this slave ? Captain Wharton, you perceive the unfortunate im-
pression against you. Have you other testimony to adduce V
To Henry there now remained but little hope ; hig eonfidence in
his security was fast ebbing, but with an indefinite expectation of
assistance from the loveliness of his sister, he fixed an earnest gaze
on the pallid features of Frances. She arose, and with a tottering
step moved towards the jxidges ; the paleness of her cheek continued
but for a moment, and gave place to a flush of fire, and with a light,
but firm tread, she stood before them. Eaising her hand to her
polished f(»ehead, Frances threw aside her exuberant locks, and dis-
played a pcture of beauty and innocence to their view that might
have moved even sterner natures. The pe^ident shrouded hia eyes
for a moment, as if the wild eye and speaking countenance recalled
the image of another. The movement was transient, and recovtr-
ing himself, he said, with an earnestness that betrayed his secret
" To you, then, your brother previously cpmmunioated his inten-
tion of paying your family a secret .visit?"
" No ! — no I" said Frances, pressing her hand on her brain, as if
to collect her thoughts; "he told me nothing — we knew not of the
visit until he arrived; but can it be necessary to explain to gallant
men, that a child would incur hazard to meet hia only parent^ and
that in timea like these, and in a situation like ours?"
"But was thia the first time ? Bid he never even talk of doing so
Defore?" enquired the colonel leaning towards her with paternal
interest.
"Certainly — certainly," cried Frances^ catching the es^ression
of hia own benevolent countenance. " Thia ia but the fourth of his
visits."
" I knew it I" exclaimed the veteran, rubbing his hands with de-
Digitized by
Google
350 TBB BPT.
.<■
light; "an adventurous, warm-hearted son — I warrant, me, gentl<
men, a fiery soldier in the field I In what disguises did he come ?"
" In none, for none were then necessary ; the royal troops covered d
the coxmtry, and gave him safe passage.'' |^
"And was this the first of his viats out of the uniform of his
regiment ?" asked the colonel, in s suppressed voice, avoiding the
penetrating looks of his companions.
" Oh I the very first," exclaimed the eager ^rl ; " his first ofience,
I do assure you, if ofience it be."
" But you wrote him — you urged the visit; surely, young lady,
you wished to see your brother?" added the impatient coloneL
"That we wished it, and prayed for it, — oh, how fervently we
prayed for it! — is true; but to have held communion with the
royal army would have endangered our father, and we dared not"
" Did he leave the house until taken, or had he intercourse with
any out of your own dwelling?"
"With none — no one, excepting our neighbour, the pedler
Birch."
" With whom ?" exclaimed the colonel, turning pale, and shrink-
ing as from the sting of an adder.
Punwoodie groaned aloud, and striking his head with his hand,
cried, in piercing tones, " He is lost !" and rushed from the apart-
ment.
" But Harvey Birch," repeated Frances, gazing wildly at the door
through which her lover had disappeared.
" Harvey Birch I" echoed all the judges. The two immovable
members of the court exchanged looks, and threw an inquisitive
glance at their prisoner.
" To you, gentiemen, it can be no new intelligence to hear that
Harvey Birch is suspected of fiivouring the royal cause," said Henry,
again advancing before the judges ; " for he has already been con-
demned by your tribunals to the fate that I now see awaits myself.
I will therefore explain, that it was by his assistance I procured the
Digitized by VjOOQIC
S
rHK SPY. 351
disguise, and passed your pickets; but to my dying mjment, and
with my dying breath, I will avow, that my intentions were as pure
as the innocent being before you."
" Captam Wharton," said the president, solemnly, " the enemies
of American liberty have made mighty and subtle efforts to over-
throw our power. A more dangerous man, for his means and edu*
cation, is not ranked among, our foes than this pedler of West-Ches-
ter. He is a spy — artful, delusive, and penetrating, beyond the
abilities of any of his class. Sir Henry could not do better than to
associate him with the officer in his next attempt. He would have
saved Andre. Indeed, young man, this is a connection that may
prove fatal to you!"
The honest indignation that beamed on the countenance of the
aged warrior, was met by a look of perfect conviction on the part of
his comrades.
" I have ruined him !" cried Frances, clasping her hands in ter-
ror ; " do you desert us ? then he is lost, indeed !"
"Forbear! — lovely innocent — forbear!" said the colonel, with
Btrong emotion; "you injure none, but distress us all."
" Is it then such a crime to possess natural affection ?" said Fran-
ces, wildly; "would Washington — the noble, upright, impartial
Washington, judge so harshly ? delay, till Washington can hear his
tale."
" It is impossible," said the president, covering his eyes, as if to
hide her beauty from his view.
" Impossible ! oh I but for a week suspend your judgment. On
my knees I entreat you, as you will expect mercy yourself, when no
human power can avail you, give him but a day."
"It is impossible," repeated the colonel, in a voice that was nearly
ehoked ; " our orders are peremptory, and too long delay has been
given already."
He turned from the kneeling suppliant, but could not, or would
not^ extricate the hand that she grasped with fren:aed fervour.
Digitized by CjOOQIC
552 THE 6 FT.
" Eemand your prisoner," said one of the judges to the officer
who had the charge of Henry, "Colonel Singleton, shall wa
withdraw?"
"Singleton! Singleton!" echoed Frances; "then you are a
fiither, and know how to pity a father's woes : you cannot, will not,
wound a heart that is now nearly crushed. Hear me. Colonel Sin-
gleton ; as God will listen to your dying prayers, hear me, and spare
my brother !"
" Bemove her," said the colonel, gently endeavouring to extricato
his hand; but none appeared disposed to obey. Frances eagerly
strove to read the expression of his averted face, and resisted all his
efforts to retire.
" Colonel Singleton I how lately was your own son in suffering
and in danger ! under the roof of my father he was cherished — under
my father's roof he found shelter and protection. Oh ! suppose that
son the pride of your age, the solace and protection of your in£uit
children, and then ]nronounce my brother guilty, if you dare !"
" What right has Heath to make an executioner of me !" ex-
claimed the veteran fiercely, rising with a face flushed like fire, and
every vein and artery swollen with suppressed emotion. " But I
forget myself; come, gentlemen, let us mount; out painful duty
must bo done."
"Mount not! go not!" shrieked Frances; "can you tear a son
from his parent? a brother from his sister, so coldly? Is this the
cause I have so ardently loved ? Are these the men that I have
been taught to reverence ? But you relent, you do hear me, you
will pity and forgive."
" Lead on, gentlemen," said the colonel, motioning towards the
door, and erecting himself into an air of military grandeur, in the
vain hope of quieting his feelings.
" Lead not on, but hear me," cried Frances, grasping his hand
convulsively ; " Colonel Singleton, you are a father ! — pity — mercy
-—mercy for the son ! mercy for the daughter! Yes — you had a
Digitized by CjOOQIC
THUS spy. 353
iaughter. On this bosom she poured out her last breath j these
hands closed her eyes ; these very handS; that are now clasped in
prayer, did those offices for her that you condemn my poor, poor
brother, to require."
One mighty emotion the veteran struggled with, and quelled; but
with a groan that shook his whole &ame. He even looked around
in conscious pride at his victory; but a second burst of feeling con-
quered. His head, white with the frost of seventy winters, sunk
upon the shoulder of the frantic suppliant The sword that had
been his companion in so many £elds of blood dropped from his
nerveless hand, and as he cried-—
" May God bless you for the deed I" he wept aloud.
liong and violent was the indulgence that Colonel Singleton
yielded to his feelings. On recovering, he gave the senseless Fran-
ces into the arms of' her aunt, and, turning with an air of fortitude
to his comrades, he said —
" Still, gentlemen, we have our duty as officers to discharge ; —
our feelings as men may be indulged hereafter. What is your plea-
sure^with the prisoner?''
One of the judges placed in his hand a written sentence, that he
had prepared while the colonel was en^iged with Frances, and de-
clared it to be the opinion of himself and his companion.
It briefly stated that Henry Wharton had been detected in passing
the lines of the American army as a spy, and in disguise. That
thereby, according to the laws of war, be was liable to suffer death,
and that this court adjudged him to the penally; recommending him
to be executed by hanging, before nine o'clock on the following
morning.
It was not usual to inflict capital punishments, even on the enemy,
without referring the case to the commander-in-chief, for his appro-
bation ; or, in his absence, to the officer commanding for the time
being. But, as Washington held his head-quarters at New-Wind-
Digitized by
Google
354 THB SPY.
sor, on the western bank of the Hudson, sufficient time, was yet be-
fore them to receive his answer.
"This is short notice," said the veteran, holding the pen in his
hand, in a suspense that had no object; "not a day to fit one 00
young for heaven?"
" The royal officers gave Hale* but an hour," returned his com-
rade ; " we have granted the usual time. But "Washington has the
power to extend it, or to pardon."
"Then to Washington will I go," cried the Colonel, returning tho
paper with his signature ; " and if the services of an old man like
me, or that brave boy of mine, entitle me to his car, I will yet save
the youth."
So saying, he departed, full of his generous intentions in favour
of Henry Wharton.
The sentence of the court was communicated, with proper tender-
ness, to the prisoner; and after giving a few necessary instructions
to the officer in command, and despatching a courier to head-quarters
with their report, the remaining judges mounted, and rode to their
own quarters, with the same unmoved exterior, but with the 'con-
sciousness of the same dispassionate integrity, that they had main-
tained throughout the trial.
* An American officer of tliis name was detected within the British lines,
in disguise, in search of military information. He was tried and executed,
as stated in the text, as soon as the preparations could be made. It is said
that he was reproached under the gallows with dishonouring tlie rank he held
by his fate. ^ What a death £)r an officer to die !" said one of his captors.
— "Grentlemen, any death is honourable when a man dies in a cause like
tliat of America," was his answer.
Andr^ was executed amid the tears of his enemies ; Halo died unpitied,
and with reproaches in his ears ; and yet one was the victim of ambition, and
the otiiei of devotion to his country. Posterity will do justice between them
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER XXVn.
Have you no countermand for Claudio yet ?
Bat he must die to-morrow 1
Meanarefor Meofure,
A FEW hours wcro passed by the prisoner, after his sentence was
received, in the bosom of his fisunily. Mr. Wharton wept in hope-
less despondency over the untimely fate of his son ; and Frances,
after recovering from her insensibility, experienced an angoish of
feeling to which the bitterness of death itself would have been com-
paratively light. Miss Peyton alone retained a vestige of hope, or
presence of mind to suggest what might be proper to be done under
their circumstances. The comparative composure of the good aunt
arose in no degree from aftiy want of interest in the wel&re of her
nephew, but it was founded in a kind of instinctive dependence on
the character of Washington. He was a native of the same colony
with herself; and although his early military services, and her fre-
quent visits to the family of her sister, and subsequent establishment
at its head, had prevented their ever meeting, still she was familiar
with his domestic virtues, and well knew that the rigid inflexibility
for which his public acts were distinguished formed no part of his
reputation in private life. He was known in Virginia as a consis-
tent, but just and lenient master ; and she felt a kind of pride in
associating in her mind her countryman with the man who led the
armies, and in a great measure controlled the destinies, of America.
She knew that Henry was innocent of the crime for which he was
condemned to suffer, and, with that kind of simple faith that is ever
Digitized by
Google
356 THE SPY.
to be f oond in the most ingenuous characters, could not conceive of
those constractions and interpretations of law that inflicted punish-
ment without the actual existence of crime. But even her confiding
hopes were doomed to meet with a speedy termination. Towards
noon, a regiment of militia, that was quartered on the banks of the
river, moved up to the ground in front of the house that held our
heroine and her family, and deliberately pitched their tents, with the
avowed intention of renuuning until the following morning, to give
solemnity and effect to the execution of a Britidi spy.
Dunwoodie had perlbrmed all that was required of him by his
orders, and was at liberty to retrace his steps to his expecting squad-
ron, which was impatiently waiting his return, to be led against a
detachment of the enemy, that was known to be slowly moving up
the banks of the river, in order to cover a party of foragers in its
rear. He was accompanied by a small par{y of Lawton's troop, under
the expectation that their testiijiony might bo required to convict the
prisoner ; and Mason, the Keutenfait, was in command. But the
confession of Captain Wharton had removed the necessity of examin-
ing any witnesses on behalf of the people.* The major, from an
unwillingness to encounter the distress of Kenr/s friends, and a
dread of trusting himself within ita influence, had spent the time wc
have mentioned in walking by himself, in keen anxiety, at a short
distance from the dwelling. Like Miss Peyton, he had some reliance
on the mercy of Washington, although moments of terrific doubt and
despondency were continually crossing his mind. To him the rules
of service were familiar, and he waa more accustomed to consider hia
general in the capacity of a ruler, than as exhibiting the charac-
teristics of the individual. A dreadful instance had too recently
occurred, which fully proved that Washington was above the weak-
ness of sparing anojbher in mercy to himself. While pacing, with
hurried steps, through the (»x?hard, labouring under these constantlj
*Iii America, justice is adjninistered in the name of ** the good people,"
&c. &C. ; the sovereignty residing ivith them.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THS SPY. 35T
recurring doubts^ enliyened by transient rays of hope^ Maaon ap-
proached; accoutred completely for the saddle.
<5 Thinking you might have forgotten the news brought this morn-
ing from beloWy sir^ I have taken the liberty to order the detachment
under arms/' said the lieutenant^ very coolly; cutting down with his
sheathed sabre the mullen tops that grew within his reach.
" What news ?" aded the major^ starting.
^< Only that John Bull is out in West-Chester^ with a train of
waggonS; which if he fills^ will compel us to retire through these
cursed hills^ in search of provender. These greedy Englishmen are
so shut up on York Island| that when they do venture out; they
seldom leave straw enough to furnish the bed of a Yankee heiress.''
" Where did the express leave them, did you say ? The intelli-
gence has entirely escaped my memory."
'^ On the heights above Sing-Sing/' returned the lieutenant; with
no little amazement. ^^ The road below looks like a hay-market; and
all the swine are sighing forth their lamentations; as the com pa^s
them towards Kingsbridge. Oeorge Singleton's orderly; who brought
up the tidingS; says that our horses were holding consultation if they
should not go down without their riderS; and eat another meal; for
it is questionable with them whether th^ can get a full stomach
again. If they are suffered to get back with their plunder; we shall
not be able to find a piece of pork at Christmas fat enough to fry
iteelf."
'< Peace; with all this nonsense of Singleton's orderly; Mr. Mason;"
cried DunwoodiC; impatiently; '^ let him learn to wait the orders of
his superi<»s."
^^ I beg pardon in his namO; Major BunwoodiC;" said the subal-
tern ; << but; like myself; he was in error. We both thought it was
the order of General Heath; to attack and molest the enemy when-
over he ventured out of his nest."
^ BecoUect yourself; Lieutenant MaaoU;" said the major; ^< or I
may have to teach you that your orders pass through me."
Digitized by VjOOQIC
568 THB SPY.
"I know it, Major Dunwoodie — I know it; and I am sorry that
your memory is so bad as to forget that I never have yet hesitated
to obey them."
" Forgive me, Mason/' cried Dunwoodie, taking both his hands ;
"I do know you for a bravo and obedient soldier; forget my hu-
mour. But this business — Had you ever a friend ?"
"Nay, nay," interrupted the lieutenant; "forgive me and my
honest zeal. I knew of the orders, and was fearful that censure
might fiill on my officer. But remain, and let a man breathe a
syllable against the corps, and every sword will start from the scab-
bard of itself; besides, they are still moving up, and it is a long
road from Croton to Kingsbridge. Happen what may, I see plainly
that we shall be on their heels before they are housed again."
"Oh I that the courier was returned from head-quarters!" ex-
claimed Dunwoodie. " This suspense is insupportable."
" You have your wish," cried Mason ; " here he is at the moment,
and riding like the bearer of good news. God send it may be so;
for I can't say that I particularly like myself to see a brave young
fellow dancing upon nothing."
Dunwoodie heard but very little of this feeling declaration ; for,
ere half of it was uttered, he had leaped the fence, and stood before
the messenger.
"What news?" cried the major, the moment that the soldier
stopped his horse.
" Good I" exclaimed the man ; and feeling no hesitation to intrust
an officer so well known as Major Dunwoodie, he placed the paper
in his hands, as he added, "but you can read it, sir, for yourself."
Dunwoodie paused not to read ; but flew, with the elastic spring
of joy, to the chamber of the prisoner. The sentinel knew him, and
he was suffered to pass without question.
" Oh I Peyton," cried Frances, as he entered the apartment, "you
look like a messenger from heaven I bring you tidings of mercy ?"
"Here, Frances — here, Henry — here, dear cousin Jeanette/'
Digitized by CjOOQLC
THE SPY. 350
cried the youth, as with trembling hands he broke the seal ^ ^^ here
is the letter itself; directed to the captaib of the guard. But
listen—"
All did listen with intense anxiety; and the £ang of blasted hopo
^'as added to their misery; as they saw the glow of delight which had
beamed on the countenance of the major give place to a look of
horror, the paper oont£dned the sentence of the court^ and under-
neath was written these simple words —
"Approved — Geo. Washington.''
"He's lost, he's lost!'' cried Frances; sinking into the arms of
her aunt i
^'My son ! my son I" sobbed the Either; "there is mercy in hea-
ven; if there is none on earth. May Washington never want that
mercy he thus denies to my innocent child T'
' " Washington V' echoed BunwoodiC; gazing around him in vacant
horror. " YeS; 'tis the act of Washington himself; these are his
characters; his very name is here, to sanction the dreadful deed."
" Cruel, cruel Washington!" cried Miss Peyton; "how^has fami-
liarity with blood changed his nature !"
^^ Blame him not," said Dunwoodie; "it is the general, and not
the man ; my life on it, he feels the blow he is compelled to inflict."
" I have been deceived in him," cried Frances. ^' He is not the
saviour of his country; but a cold and merciless tyrant. Oh I Pey-
ton, Peyton I how have you misled me in his character I"
"Peace, dear Frances; peace for God's sake; use not such lan-
guage. He is but the guardian of the law."
" You speak the truth, Major Bunwoodie," said Henry, recover-
ing from the shock of having his last ray of hope extinguished, and
advancing from his seat by the side of his father. " I, who am to
suffer, blame him not. Every indulgence has been granted me that
I can ask. On the verge of the gravC; I cannot continue unjust. At
€uch a moment; with so recent an instance of danger to your cause
fronHieason; I wonder not at Washington's unbending justice. No-
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
50O turn 8PT*
thing now remains bat to prepare for that iate wludi so speedSj
awaits me. To yoU; Major Pimwoodie, I make my first request'^
^^ Name it/' said the major, gi^g utterance with difficultjr.
Henry turned, and pointing to the ffovp of weeping monmers
near him, he conlonned —
^< Be a son to this aged man; help his weakness, and drfend hiin
finom any usagp to which the stigma thrown upon me may suh^ect
him. He has not many friends amongst the ruleis of this camtry ;
let yonr powerful name be found among them/'
«It shall.''
^' And this helpless innocent," continued Henry, pointing to where
Sarah sat, unconscious of what was passing, — '' I had hoped for an
opportunity to revenge her wrongs;" a flush of exdtement passed
over his features; ^^but sack thoughts are evil — I feel them to be
wrong. Under your care, Peyton, she will find ^mpathy and re-
<^She shidl," whisp^ied Dunwoodie.
^^ This'good aunt has claims upon you already; of her I will not
speak : but here," taking the hand of iVanoes, and dwelling upon
her countenance with an expresraon of fiatemal affection — ^^ here is
the choicest gifb of all. Take her to your bosom, and cherish her as
you would cultivate innocence and virtue."
The major could not repress the eagerness, with which he extended
his hand to receive the precious boon ; but Eranoes, shrinking from
his touch, hid her fiice in the bosom of her aunt
^^No, no, no I" she murmured; ^^none can ever be any thing to
me who aid in my brother's destruction."
Henry continued gazang at her in tender pity for sevenil moments,
before he again resumed a discourse that all felt was most peculiarly
his own.
<^ I have been mistaken, then^ I did think, Peyton, that your
worth, your noble devotion to a cause that you have been taught, to
revere, that your kindness to our &ther when in imprisonment, your
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY. 361
friendship for me,— in short, that your character was understood and
valued by my sister."
"It is — it is/' whispered Frances, burying her face still deeper
in the bosom of her aunt
" I believe, dear Henry," said Dunwoodie, "this is a subject that
had better not be dwelt upon now."
" You forget," returned the prisoner, with a fidnt smile, " how
much I have to do, and how.litUe time is left to do it in."
"I apprehend," continued the major, with a fece of fire, "that
Miss Wharton ha3 imbibed some opinions of me that would make a
compliance with your request irksome to her— opinions that it is
now too late to alter."
"No, no, no," cried Frances, quickly; "you are exonerated,
Peyton — with her dying breath she removed my doubts."
" Generous Isabellii I" murmuried Bunwoodie ; " but still, Henry,
spare your sister now; nay, spare even me."
'•' I speak in pity to myself," returned the brother, gently removing
Frances from the arms of her aunt ^^ What a time is this to leave
two such lovely females without a protector! — ^ Their abode is
destroyed, and misery will speedily deprive them of their last male
friend," looking at his father; "caii I die in peace with the know-
ledge of the danger to which they will be exposed ?"
" You forjget me," said Miss Peyton, shrinking at the idea of
celebrating nuptials at such a momeiit.
^'No, my dear aunt, I forget you not, nor shall I, until I cease to
remember; but you forget the times and the danger. The good
woman who lives in this house has already despatched a messenger
for a man of God, to smooth my passage to another world. —
Frances, if you would wish me to die in peace, to feel a security
that will allow me to turn my whole thoughts to heaven, you will let
this clergyman unite you to Dunwoodie."
Frances shook her head, but remained silent.
"T ask for no joy — no demonstration of a felicity that you will
Digitized by VjOOQIC
362 THE SPT.
not; cannot feel; for montLs to come ; but obtain a right to bis power-
ful name — give him an undisputed title to protect you — '*
Again the maid made an impressive gesture of denial.
" For the sake of that unconscious sufferer — *' pointing to Sarah,
'• for your sake — for my sake — my sister — "
" Peace, Henry, or you will break my heart," cried the agitated
girl; ^^not for worlds would I at such a moment engage in the
solemn vows that you wish. It would render me miserable for life."
'• You love him not," said Henry, reproachfully. " I cease to
importune you to do what is against your inclinations."
Frances raised one hand to conceal her countenance, as she
extended the other towards Xhinwoodie, and said earnestly —
"Now you are unjust to me — before, you were unjust to your-
self."
" Promise me, then," said Wharton, musing awhile in silence,
" that as soon as the recollection of my fate is softened, you will give
my friend that hand for life, and I am satisfied."
" I do promise," said Frances, withdrawing the hand that Dun-
woodie delicately relinquished, without even presuming to press it to
his lips.
" Well, then, my good aunt," continued Henry, " will you leave
me for a short time alone with my friend f I have a few melancholy
commissions with which to intrust him, and would spare you ami
my sister the pain of hearing them." ^
" There is yet time to see Washington again," said Miss Peyton,
moving towards the door; and then, speaking with extreme dignitj,
^he continued — "I will go myself: surely he must listen to a
w^oman from his own colony I— and we are in some degree con-
nected with his family."
" Why not apply to Mr. Harper ?" said Frances, recollecting the
parting words of their guest for the first time.
"Harper!" echoed Dunwoodie, turning towards her with the
swiftness of lightning; '-'what of him? do you know himT'
Digitized by CjOOQIC
TH E sp r. 363
" It is in vain/' said Henry, drawing liim aside ; " Frances clings
to hope with the fondness of a sister. Eetire, my love, and leave
me with my friend."
But Frances read an expression in the eye of Dunwoodie that
chained her to the spot. After struggling to command her feelings,
she continued —
" He stayed with us for two days — he was with us when Henry
was arrested."
"And— and — did you know him?"
" Nay," continued Frances, catching her breath as she witnessed
the intense interest of her lover, " we knew him not; he came to us
in the night, a stranger, and remained with us during the severe
storm; but he seemed to take an interest in Henry, and promised
him his friendship."
"What !" exclaimed the youth, in astonishment; " did he know
your brother?"
"Certainly; — it was at his request that Henry threw aside his
disguise."
" But," said Dunwoodie, turning pale with suspense, " he knew
him not as an officer of the royal army ?"
"Indeed he did," cried Miss Peyton; "and ho cautioned us
B^inst this very danger."
Dunwoodie caught up the fatal paper, that still lay where it had
fallen from his own hands, and studied its characters intently. Some-
thing seemed to bewilder his brain. Ho passed his hand over his
forehead, while each eye was fixed on him in dreadful suspense —
all feeling afraid to admit those hopes anew that had once been so
sadly destroyed.
" What said he ? what promised he ?" at length Dunwoodie asked,
with feverish impatience.
" He bid Henry apply to him when in danger, and promised to
requite the son for the hospitality of the father."
" Said he this, knowing him to be a British officer ?"
Digitized by CjOOQIC
964 THE BPT.
" Most certainly; and with a view to this very danger/'
" Then/' cried the youth aloud, and yielding to his laptnre^ " then
you are safe — then will I save him; yes, Harper will never forget
bis word/'
^^But has he the power?" said Frances; '^can he move the stub-
bom purpose of Washington?"
" Can he ! If he cannot/' shouted the youth, " if he cannot, who
can ? — Greene, and Heath, and young Hamilton, are nothing^ com-
pared to this Harper. But/' rushing to his mistress, and pressing
her hands convulsively, "repeat to me — you say you have his pro-
mise ?"
" Surely, surely, Peyton ; — his solemn, deliberate promise, know-
ing all of the circumstances."
" Best easy/' cried Dunwoodie, holding her to his bosom for a
moment, "rest easy, for Heniy is safe."
He waited not to explain, but darting from the room, he left the
family in amazement. They continued in silent wonder until they
heard the feet of his charger, as he dashed from the door with the
speed of an arrow.
A long time was spent after this abrupt departure of the youth,
by the anxious friends he had lefb, in discussing the probability of
his success. The confidence of his manner had, however, communi-
cated to his auditors something of his own spirit. Each felt that
the prospects of Henry were again brightening, and with their reviv-
ing hopes they experienced a renewal of spirits, which in all but
Henry himself amounted to pleasure: with him, indeed, his state
was too awful to admit of trifling, and for a few hours he was con-
demned to feel how much more intolerable was suspense than even
the certainty of calamity. Not so with Frances. She, with all the
reliance of affection, reposed in security on the assurance of Dun-
woodie, without harassing herself with doubts that she possessed not
<he means of satisfying; but believing her lover able to accomplish
every thing that man could do, and retaining a vivid recollection of
'' Digitized by V3OOQ IC
THE 8 FT. 365
l&e mamier and benevolent appearance of Harper, she abandoned
herself to all the felicitj of renovated hope.
The joy of Mids Peyton was more sobered, and she took frequent
occasions to reprove h^ nieoe £br the exuberance of her spirits, be-
fore there was a certainty that their expectations were to be realised.
But the slight smile that hovered around the lips of Ihe virgin con-
tradicted the very sobriety of feeling that she inculcated.
'^ Why, dearest aunt," said Eraoces, playfiiUy, in reply to one ol
her frequent reprimands, ^ would you have me repress the pleasure
that I feel at Henry's deliverance, when you yourself have so often
declared it to be impoadble that such men as ruled in our country
coidd sacrifice an innocent man Y*
^^Nay, I did believe it impossible, my child, and yet think so;
lyit still there is a discretion to 19^ diown in joy as well as in sor<
row."
Frances recollected the' dedaration of Isabella^ and turned an eye
filled with tears of gratitude on her excellent aunt^ as she replied —
^' True : but there are feelings that will not yield to reason. Ah S
here are those monsters, who have come to witness the death of a
fellow-^:ea4nre, moving around yon field, as if life was, to them,
nothing but a military show."
*^ It is but little more to the hireling soldier," said Henry, endea*
vouring to foiget his uneadness.
<' You gaze, my love, as if you thought a military show of some
importance," said Miss Peyton, observing her niece to be looking
from the window with a fixed and abstracted attention. But Frances
answered not.
From the window where she stood, the pass that they had trsi>
veiled throu^ the Highlands was easily to be seen; and the moun-
tain which held on its summit the mysterious hut was (tirectly before
her. Its side was rugged and barren; huge and apparently impas-
sable barriers of rocks presenting themselves through the stunted
oaks, which, stripped of their foliage, were scattered over its surface.
Digitized by
Google
366 THE B p Y.
The base of the hill vas not half a mile from the honse^ and tb6
object which attracted the notice of Frances^ was the figure of a man
emerging &om behind a rock of remarkable formation^ and as sud-
denly disappearing. This manamyre was several times repeated, as
if it were the intention of the fdgitiTe (for such bj his air he seemed
to be) to reconnoitre the proceedings of the soldiery, and assure hina-
self of the position of things on the plain. Notwithstanding the
distance, Frances instantly imUbed the opinion that it was Birch.
Perhaps this impression was partly owing to the air and figure of the
man, but in a great measure to the idea that presented itself on for-
merly beholding the object at the summit of the mountain. That
they were the same figure she was confident, although this wanted
the appearance which, in the other, she had taken for the pack of
the pedler. Harvey had so connecfed himself with the mysterious
deportment of Harper, within her imagmation, that, under circum-
stances of less agitation than those in which she had laboured since
her arrival, she would have kept her suspicions to herself. Frances,
therefore, sat ruminating on this second appearance in silence, and
endeavouring to trace what possible conneotion this extraordinary
man could have with the fortunes of her own family. He had cer-
tainly saved Sarah, in some degree, from the blow that had partially
alighted on her, and in no instance had he proved himself to be hos-
tile to their interests.
Aftier gazing for a long time at the point where she had last seen
the figure, in the vain expectation of its re-appearanee, she turned to
her friends in the apartment. Miss Peyton was cdtting by Sanb,
who gave some slight additional signs of observing what passed, but
who still continued insensible either to joy or grief.
" I suppose, by this time, my love, that you are well acquainted
mth the manoeuvres of a regiment,'^ said Miss Peyton^ ^Mt is no
bad quality in a soldier's wife, at all events.'^
^^I am not a wife yet,'' said Frances, colouring to the eyes) '^and
we have Ittle reason to wish for another wedding in our family/'
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY. 367
•* Frances T' exclaimed her brother, starting from his seat, and
pacing the floor in violent agitation, " touch not the chord again, 1
entreat you. While my fSite is uncertain, I would wish to be at
peace with all men/'
" Then let the imcertainty cease," cried Frances, springing to the
door, "for here comes Peyton with the joyful intelligence of your
release."
The words were hardly uttered, before the door opened, and the
Major entered. In his air there was the appearance of neither suc-
cess, nor defeat, but there was a marked display of vexation. He
took the hand that Frances, in the fulness of her heart, extended
towards him, but instantly relinquishing it, threw himself into a
chair, in evident fatigue.
" You have failed," said Wharton, with a bound of his heart, but
an appearance of composure.
" Have you seen Harper ?" cried Frances, turning pale.
"I have not; I crossed the river in one boat as he must have
been coming to this side, in another. I returned without delay, and
traced him for several miles into the Highlands, by the western pass,
but there I unaccountably lost him. I have returned here to relieve
your uneasiness; but see him I will this night, and bring a respite
for Henry."
" But saw you Washington ?" asked Miss Peyton.
Dunwoodie gazed at her a moment in abstracted musing, and the
question was repeated. He answered gravely, and with some re-
serve —
" The Commander-in-chief had left his quarters."
" But, Peyton," cried Frances, in returning terror, " if they should
not see each other, it will be too late. Harper alone will not be
fiufficient."
Her lover turned his eyes slowly on her anxious countenance, and
dwelling a moment on her features, said, still musing —
"You say that he promised to assist Henry."
Digitized by VjOOQIC
S68 THB SPY.
^< Certainly, of liis own accord; and in requital for the hospitality
he had received."
Ihinwoodie shook his head; and began to look grave.
" I like not that word hospitality — it has an empty sound; there
must be something more reasonable to tie Harper. I dread some
mistake : repeat to me all that passed."
Frances; in a hurried and earnest voicC; complied with his re-
quest She related particularly the manner of his arrival at the
Locuste; the reception that he received; and the events that passed,
as minutely aa her memory could supply her with the means. Aa
she alluded to the conversation that occurred between her &ther and
his guest; the Major smiled; but remained silent. She then gave a
detail of Henry^s arrival; and the events of the following day. She
dwelt upon the part where Harper had desired her brother to throw
aside his disguise; and recounted; with wonderful accuracy; his re-
marks upon the hazard of the step that the youth had taken. She
even remembered a remarkable expression of his to her brother,
^< that he was safer from Harper^s knowledge of his person, than he
would be without it." Frances mentioned, with the warmth of
youthful admiration; the benevolent character of his deportment to
herself; and gave a minute relation of his adieus to the whole
family.
Dunwoodie at first listened with grave attention ; evident satis&o-
tion followed as she proceeded. When she spoke of herself, in con-
nection with their guest; he smiled with pleasure; and as she concluded^
he exclaimed; with delight —
"Wo are safe! — we are safe!"
But he was interrupted; as will be seen in the following chapter.
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER XXVUL
The owlet loves the gloom of nig^ht,
Hie lark salutes the day,
The timid dove will coo at hand—r
But falcons soar away.
Song in Duo,
In a country settled, like these states, by a people who fled theit
natiye land and much-loved firesides, victiHis of consciences and
reli^ous zeal, none of the decencies and solemnities of a Christian
deadi are dispensed with, when circumstances will admit of their
exercise. The good woman of the house was a strict adherent to the
forms of the church to which she belonged; and having herself been
awakened to a sense of her depravity, by the ministry of the divine
who harangued the people of the adjoining parish, she thought it
was &om his exhortations only that salvation could be meted out to
the short-lived hopes of Henry Wharton. Not that the kind-hearted
matron was so ignorant of the doctrines of the reli^on which she
professed, as to depend, theoretically, on mortal aid for protection;
but she had, to use her own phrase, '^ sat so long under the preach-
ing of good Mr. ' " tiiat she had unconsciously imbibed a
practical reliance on his assistance, for that which her &ith should
have taught her could come from the Deity alone. With her, the
consideration of death was at all times awful; and the instant that
the sentence of the prisoner was promulgated, she despatched Caosar,
mounted on one of her husband's best horses, in quest of her clerical
jnonitor. This step had been taken without consulting either Henry
or his friends ; and it was only when the services c/ Csasar were
Digitized by VjOOQIC
370 THE SPY,
required on some domestic emergency, that she explained the nature
of his absence. The youth heard her, at first, with an unconquer-
able reluctance to admit of such a spiritual guide ; but as our view
of the things of this life becomes less vivid, our prejudices and habits
cease to retain their influence ; and a civil bow of thanks was finally
given, in requital for the considerate care of the well-meaning woman.
The black returned eariy from his expedition, and, as well as joulil
be gathered from his somewhat incoherent narrative, a minister of
God might be expected to arrive in the course of the day. The in-
terruption that we mentioned in our preceding chapter was occasioned
by the entrance of the landlady. At the intercession of Dunwoodie,
orders had been given to the sentinel who guarded the door of Henry's
room, that the members of the prisoner's family should, at all times,
have free access to his apartment : Caesar was included in this arrange-
ment, as a matter of convenience, by the officer in command ; bnt
strict enquiry and examination was made into the errand of every
other applicant for admission. The Major had, however, included
himself among the relatives of the British officer; and one pledge^
that no rescue should be attempted, was given in his name, for them
all. A short conversation was passing between the woman af the
house and the corporal of the guard, before the door that the sentinel
had already opened in anticipation of the decision of his non-com
missioned commandant.
" Would you refuse the consolations of religion to a fellow-crea-
ture about to suffer death ?'^ said the matron, with earnest zoal.
" Would you plunge a soul into the fiery furnace, and a minister at
hand to point out the strait and narrow path ?**
" I '11 tell you what, good woman," returned the corporal, gently
pushing her away; "I've no notion of my back being a highway
for any man to walk to heaven upon. A pretty figure I should
make at the pickets, for disobeying orders. Just step down and ^sk
Lieutenant Mason, and you may bring in the whole congregation.
We have not taken the guard from the foot-soldiers, but an houTi
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SFT. 371
and I shouldn't like to hare it said that we know less of oar duty
than the militia/'
"Admit the woman/' said Bunwoodie, sternly, observing, for th«
first time, that ono of his own corps was on post.
The corporal raised his hand to his cap, and fell back in silence;
the soldier stood to his arms, and the matron entered.
" Here is a reverend gentleman below, come to soothe the parting
soul, in the place of our own divine, who is engaged with ah appoint-
ment that could not be put aside; His to bury old Mr. ^
" Show him in," said Henry, with feverish impatience.
" But will the sentinel let him pass ? I would not wish a friend of
Mr. to be rudely stopped on the threshold, and he a stranger."
All eyes were now turned on Ihinwoodie, who, looking at his
watoh, spoke a few words with Henry, in an under tone, and hastened
from the apartment, followed by Frances. The subject of their con-
versation was a wish expressed by th<> prisoner for a clergyman of his
own persuasion, and a promise from the Major, that one should be
sent from Eishkill town, through which he was about to pass, on his
way to the ferry to intercept the expected return of Harper. Mason
soon made his bow at the door, and willingly complied with the
wishes of the landlady; and the divine was invited to make his ap-
pearance accordingly.
The person who was ushered into the apartment, preceded by
Caesar, and followed by the matron, was a man beyond the middle
age, or who might rather be said to approach the downhill of life.
In stature he was above the size of ordinary men, though his exces-
sive leanness might contribute in deceiving as to his height; his
countenance was sharp and unbending, and every muscle seemed set
in rigid compression. No joy, or relaxation, appeared ever to have
dwelt on features that frowned habitually, as if in detestation of the
vices of mankind. The brows were beetling, dark, and forbidding,
^riving the promise of eyes of no less repelling expression ; but the
organs were concealed beneath a pair of enormous green goggles,
Digitized by VjOOQIC
872 T H K APT.
ihiough which they giared aroiind with a fierceness that denounced
the coming day of wrath. All was fanatidsm^ uncharitablenesS; and
denunciation. Long^ lank hair, a mixture of grey and black, fell
down his neck; and in seme degree obscured the sides of his faoe,
and; parting on his forehead, fell in either direction in strai^t and
formal screens. On the top of this ungraceful exhibition was laid,
impending forward, so as to overhang in some measure the whole
fabric, a large hat of three equal cocks. His coat was of a rusty
black, and his bree<^es and stockings were of tibie same colour; his
shoes without, lustre^ and half concealed beneath huge plated buckles.
He stalked into the room, and giving a stiff nod With his head,
took the chair offered him by the Uack, in dignified silence. For
several minutes no one broke this ominous pause in the conversation ;
Henry feeling a repugnance to his .guest, that he was vainly endear*
vouring to conquer, and the stranger himself drawing forth occa-
sional sighs and groans, that threatened a dissdution of the unequal
connection between his sublimated soul and its ungainly tenement
During this deathlike preparation, Mr. Wharton, with a feeling
nearly allied to that of his son, led Sarah from the apartment. His
retreat was noticed by the divine, in a kind of scornful disdain, who
began to hum the air of a popular psahn tune, giving it the fuU
richness of the twang that distinguishes the Eastern* psalmody.
^^CsdBot/' said Miss Peyton, ^liand the gentleman some refresh-
ment; he must need it after his ride.''
^' My strength is not in the things of life,'' said the divine, ^peak*
ing in a hollow, sepulchral voice. ^^ Thrice have I this day held
forth in my master's service, and £dnted not; still it is prudent to
help this frail tenement of clay, for, surely, ^ the labourer is worthy
of his hire."'
Opening a pair of enormous jaws, he took a good measure of the
* By '* Eastern* is meant the states of New England, which, hehig origi
naUj settled by Puritans, still retain many distinct shades of dioracter.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THB spr, 873
proffered brandy^ and suffered it to glide downwards^ with that sort
of facility with which man is prone to sin.
'< I apprehend; then^ sir^ that fatigue will disable you from per-
forming the duties^ which kindness has induced you to attempt/'
" Woman V exclaimed the stranger, with energy, " when was 1
ever known to shrink from a duty? But 'judge not, lest ye be
judged,' and fancy not that it is given to mortal eyes to fathom the
intentions of the Deity."
" Nay," returned the maiden, meekly, and slightly disgusted with
his jargon, ^'I pretend not to judge of either events, or the inten-
tions of my fellow-creatures, much less of those of Omnipotence."
"'Tis well, woman — ^'tis well," cried the minister, waving his
head with supercilious disdain; '^ humility becometh thy sex, and
lost condition; thy weakness driveth thee on headlong, like 'unto
the besom of destruction/ "
Surprised at this extraordinary deportment, but yielding to that
habit which urges us to speak reverently on sacred subjects, even
when perhaps we had better continue silent. Miss Peyton re
plied —
'' There is a power above, that can and will sustain us all in well-
doing, if we seek its support in humility and truth."
The stranger turned a lowering look at the speaker, and then
composing himself into an air of self-abasement, he continued in the
game repelling tones —
^ ^' It is not every one that crieth out for mercy, that will be heard.
The ways of Providence are not to be judged by men — ' Many are
called, but few chosen.' It is easier to talk of humility, than to feel
it Are you so humble, vile worm, as to wish to glorify Gk)d by
your own damnation ? If not, away with you for a publican and a
phaiiseel"
Such gross fanaticism was xmcommon in America, and Miss Pey-
ton began to imbibe the impression that her guest was deranged;
but remembering that he had been sent by a well-known divine, and
Digitized by VjOOQLC
374 THE spy.
one of reputation^ she discarded the idea^ and; xnth some forbear
once, obeerved —
*' I may deceive myself, in believing that mercy is proffered to
all, but it is BO soothing'a doctrine, that I would not willingly be
imdeceived."
" Mercy is only for the elect," cried the stranger, with an unac-
countable energy; "and you are in the * valley of the shadow of
death.' Are you not a follower of idle ceremonies, which belong to
the vain church, that our tyrants would gladly establish here, along
with their stamp-acts and tea-laws ? Answer me that, woman ; and
remember, that Heaven hears your answer: are you not of that
idolatrous communion T'
" I worship at the altars of my fethers," said Miss Peyton, mo-
tioning to Henry for silence; "but bow to no other idol than my
own infirmities/'
"Yes, yes, I know ye, self-righteous and papal as ye are — fol-
lowers of forms, and listeners to bookish preaching; think you,
woman, that holy Paul had notes in his hand to propound the word
to the believers?"
" My presence disturbs you," said Miss Peyton, rising : " I will
leave you with my nephew, and offer those prayers in private that I
did wish to mingle with his."
So saying, she withdrew, followed by the landlady, who was not a
little shocked, and somewhat surprised, by the intemperate zeal of
her new acquaintance ; for, although the good woman believed that
Miss Peyton and her whole church were on the high road to destruc-
tion, she was by no means accustomed to hear such offensive and
open avowalft of their fate.
Henry had with difficulty repressed the indignation excited by
this unprovoked attaek on his meek and unresisting aunt; but a^
the door closed on her retiring figure, he gave way to his feelings —
" I must confess, sir," he exclaimed with heat, "that in receiving
A minister of God I thought I was admitting a Christian ; and one
Digitized by CjOOQIC
TiiB spy. 376
whO; by feeling his own weaknesses; knew how to pity the frailties
of others. You have wounded the meek spirit of an excellent woman,
and I acknowledge but little inclination to mingle in prayer with so
mtolerant a spirit.'^
The minister stood erect; with grave composure, following with his
eyes, in a kind of scornful pity, the retiring females, and suffered
the expostulation of the youth to be given, as if unworthy of his
notice. A tlurd voice, however, spoke -t-
^' Such a denunciation would have driyen many women into fits j
but it has answered the purpose well enough, as it is.''
" Who 's that ?" cried the prisoner, in amazement, gazing around
the room in quest of the speaker —
"It is I, Captain Wharton," said Harvey Birch, removing the
spectacles, and exhibiting his piercing eyes, shining under a pair of
fiilse eye-brows.
"Good Heavens — Harvey!"
" Silence 1" said the pedler, solemnly; "'tis a name not to bo
mentioned, and least of all here, within the heart of the American
army." Birch paused and gazed around hhn for a moment, with an
emotion exceeding the base passion of fear, and then continued in a
gloomy tone, " There are a thousand halters in that very name, and
little hope would there be left me of another escape, should I be
again taken. This is a fearful venture that I am making; but I
oould not sleep in quiet, and know that an innocent man was about
to die the death of a dog, when I might save him."
" No," said Henry, with a glow of generous feeling on his cheek ;
"if the risk to yourself be so heavy, retire as you came, and leave
me to my fate. Dunwoodie is making, even now, powerful exertions
in my behalf; and if he meets with Mr. Harper in the course of the
night, my liberation is certain."
" Harper !" echoed the pedler, remaining with his hands raised,
in the act of replacing the spectacles ; " what do you know of Ha]>
per f and why do you think ho will do you service ?"
Digitized by VjOOQIC
87G THB SPT.
<' I have his promise y — you remember our recent meeting in my
other's dwelling, and he then gave an unasked promise to asast
me?'
"Yes — but do you know him? that is — why do you think he
has the power ? or what reason have you for believing he will re-
member his word?"
" If there ever was the stamp of truth, or simple, honest benevo>
lence, in the countenance of man, it shone in his,'' said Henry;
" besides, Dunwoodie has powerfiil friends in the rebel army, and it
would be better that I take the chance where I am, than thus to
expose you. to certain death, if detected/'
^' Captain Wharton," said Birch, looking guardedly around, and
speaking with impressive seriousness of manner, " if I £iil you, all
fail you. No Harper nor Dunwoodie can save your life; unless you
get out with me, and that within the hour, you die to-morrow on the
gallows of a murderer. Yes, such are their laws; the man who
fights, and kills, and plunders, is honoured; but he who serves his
country as a spy, no matter how fiuthfully, no matter how honestly,
lives to be reviled, or dies like the vilest criminal 1"
"You forget, Mr. Birch/' said the youth, a little indignantly,
" that I am not a treacherous, luridng spy, who deceives to beiiay ;
but innocent of the charge imputed to me."
The blood rushed over the pale, meagre features of the pedler,
until his hce was one glow of fire; but it passed quickly away, and
he replied —
" I have told you truth. Oaesar met me, as he was going on his
errand this morning, and with him I have hud the plan which, if
executed as I wish^ will save you — otherwise you are lost; and I
again tell you, that no other power on earth, not even Washington,
can save you."
" I submit," said the prisoner, yielding to his earnest manner, and
goaded by the fears that were thus awakened anew.
The pedler beckoned him to be silent and walking to the door.
Digitized by VjOOQLC
THE SPT. 377
.opened it; with the stiff; formal air^ with which he had entered the
apartment.
"Friend, let no one enter," he said to the sentinel; "we are
about to go to prayer, and would nHsh to be alone/'
" I don't know that any will wish to interrupt you," returned the
soldier, with a waggish leer of his eye; "but, should they be so
disposed, I have no power to stop them, if they be of the prisoner's
friends; I have my orders, and- must mind thejn, whether the Eng-
lishman goes to heaven, or not"
" Audacious sinner I" said the pretended priest, " have you not
the fear of God before your eyes ! I tell you, as you will dre&d
punishment at the last day, to let none of the idolatrous communion
enter, to mingle in the prayers of the righteous."
"Whew — ew — ew — what a noble commander you'd make for
Sergeant Hollister I you'd preach him dumb in a roU-call. Hark'ee,
I'll thank you not to make such a noise when you hold forth, as to
drown our bugles, or you may get a poor fellow a short horn at his
grog, for not turning out to the evening parade : if you want to be
alone, have you no knife to stick over the door-latch, that you must
have a troop of horse to guard your meeting-house ?"
The pedler took the hint, and closed the door immediately, using
the precaution suggested by the dragoon.
" You overact your part," said young Wharton, in constant appre-
aeusion of discovery; " your zeal is too intemperate."
" For a foot-Boldier and them Eastern militia, it might be," said
Harvey, turning a bag upside down, that Csdsar now handed him:
' but these dragoons are fellows that you must brag down. A faint
heart, Captam Wharton, would do but little here; but come, hero is
a black shroud for your good-looking countenance," taking, at tho
%ajae time, a parchment mask, and fitting it to the face of Henry.
« The master and the man must change places for a season."
" I don't tink he look a bit like me," said Cassar, with disgust, as
he surveyed his young master with his new complexion.
Digitized by CjOOQIC
878 THE SPY.
" Stop a minute, Coesar/' said the pedler, with the lurking drol- ,
icry that at times formed part of his manner, '* till we get on the
wool.''
" He worse than ebber now/' crfed the discontented African. "A
tick coloured man like a sheep I I nebber sec sich a lip, Harvey ;
he most as big as a sausage!"
Great pains had been taken in forming the different articles used
In the disguise of Captain Wharton,- and when arranged, imder the
skilful superintendence of the pedler, they formed together a trans-
formation that would easily escape detection, from any but an cxtrar
ordinary observer.
The mask was stuffed and shaped in such a manner as to preserve
the peculiarities, as well as the colour, of the African visage ; and
the wig was so artfully formed of bLick and white wool, as to imitate
the pepper-and-salt colour of Caesar's own head, and to exact plaudits
&om the black himself, who thought it an excellent counterfeit in
every thing but quality.
^^ There is but one man in the American army who could detect
you. Captain Wharton," said the pedler, surveying his work with
satisfaction, " and he is just now out of our way."
"And who is he?"
" The man who made you prisoner. He would see your whit«
skin through a plank. But strip, both of yen; your clothes must
be exchanged from head to foot."
CaDsar, who had received minute instructions from the pedler in
their morning interview, immediately commenced thjx>wing aside
his coarse garments, which the youth took up and prepared to
invest himself with; unable, however, to repress a few signs of
oathing.
In the manner of the pedler there was an odd mixture of care
and humour; the former was the result of a perfect knowledge of
their danger, and the means necessary to be used in avoiding it; and
the latter proceeded from the unavoidably ludicrous circumstanocs
Digitized by
Google
THE 8 PI. 379
before liim, acting on an indifference which sprung from habit, and
long familiarity with such scenes as the present.
** Here, Captain/' he said, taking up some loose wool, and begin-
ning to stuff the stockings of Caesar, which were abeady on the leg
of the prisoner; ^^some judgment is necessary in shaping this limb.
You will have to display it on horseback; and the southern dragoons
arc so used to the brittle-shins, that should they notice your well
turned calf, they 'd know at once it never belonged to a black."
<^ Golly!" said Caesar, with a chuckle, that exhibited a mouth
open from ear to ear, " massy Harry breeches fit."
*'Any thing but your leg," said the pedler, coolly pursuing the
toilet of Henry. " Slip on the coat. Captain, over all. Upon my
word, you'd pass well at a pinkster frolic; and here, Caesar, place
this powdered wig over your curls, and be careful and look out of the
window, whenever the door is open, and on no account speak, or you
will betray all."
" I s'pose Harvey tink a color'd man an't got a tongue like oder
folk," grumbled the black, as he took the station assigned to him.
Every thing now was arranged for action, and the pedler very de-
liberately went over the whole of his injunctions to the two actors in
the scene. The Captain he conjured to dispense with his erect mili-
tary carriage, and for a season to adopt the humble paces of his
father's negro; and Caesar he enjoined to silence and disguise, so
long as he could possibly maintain them. Thus prepared, he opened
the door, and called aloud to the sentinel, who had retired to the
farthest end of the passage, in order to avoid receiving any of thai
spiritual comfort, which he felt was the sole property of another.
" Let the woman of the house be called," said Harvey, in -the
solemn key of his assumed character ; " and let her come alone. The
prisoner is in a happy train of meditation, and must not be led from
his devotions."
Caesar sunk his face between his hands ; and when the soldier
xwked into the apartment, he thought he saw his charge in deep ab-
Digitized by VjOOQIC
380 THS SPT.
strasdon. Casting a glanco of huge contempt at the divine^ he called
aloud for the good woman of the house. She hastened at the sum-
mons^ with earnest zeal, entertaining a secret hope that she was to
be admitted to the gossip of a death-bed repentance.
'^ Sister/' said the minister, in the authoritative tones of a master,
'^ have jou in the house ^ The Christian Criminal's last Moments, or
Thoughts on Eternity, for tbem who die a violent Death ?' "
^^ I never heard of the book 1" said the matron in astonishment.
'^'Tis not unlikely; there are many books you have never heard
of : it is impossible for this poor penitent to pass in peace, without
the consolations of that volume. One hour's reading in it, is worth
an age of man's preaching."
''Bless me, what a treasure to possess I— when was it put
out?"
''It was first put out at Geneva in the Greek language, and then
translated at Boston. It is a book, woman, that should be in the
hands of every Christian, especially 8uch as die upon the gallows.
Have a horse prepared instantly for this black, who shall accompany
me to my Brother , and I will send down the volume yet in
season. — Brother, compose thy ^ind; you are now in the narrow
path to glory."
Caesar wriggled a little in his chair, but be had sufficient recollec-
tion to conceal his face with hands that were, in their turn, concealed
by gloves. The landlady departed, to comply with this veiy rea-
sonable request, and the group of con^iratoiB were again left to
themselves.
'< lliis is well," said the pedler; "but the difficult task is to de*
ceive the officer who commands the guard — he is lieutenant to
Lawton, and has learned some of the Captain's own cunning in these
things. Bemember, Captain Wharton," continued he, with an air
of pride, " that now is the moment when every thing depends on
our coolness."
" My fate can be made but little worse than it is at present^ mj
Digitized by
Google
THB BPt 081
irorthj fellow/' said Heniy; "but for your sake I vnW do all that
in me lies.''
^ And wherein can I be more forlorn and persecuted than I now
am?" asked the pedler, with that wild incoherence which often
crossed his manner. " But I have promised one to save you, and to
him I never have yet broken my word."
"And who is he?" said Henry; with awakened interest
"No one."
The man soon returned; and announced that the horses were at
the door. Harvey gave the Captain a glance^ and led the way down
the stairS; first desiring the woman to leave the prisoner to himself;
in order that he might digest the wholesome mental food that ho
had so lately received.
A rumour of the odd character of the priest had spread from the
sentinel at the door to his comrades; so that when Harvey and
Wharton reached ^the open space before the building; they found a
dozen idle dragoons loitering about; with the waggish intention of
quizzing the &natic; and employed in affected admiration of the
" A fine horse I" said the leader in this plan of mischief; " but a
little low in flesh ; I suppose from hard labour in your calling."
" My calling may be laboursome to boih myself and this faithful
beast; but then a day of settling is at hand; that Will reward me for
all my outgoings and incomings;" said Birch; putting his foot in the
stinmp; and preparing to jnount.
"You work for pay, then, as we fight for't?" cried anoth(»r of
the party.
" Even so — ^ is not the labourer worthy of his hire ?' "
" OomC; suppose you give us a little preaching; we have a leisure
moment just noW; and there 's no telling how much good you might
do a set of reprobates like iiS; in a few words; herc; mount this
horseblock; and take your text where you please."
The men now gathered in eager delight around the pedler; who,
Digitized by
Google
382 THK SPY.
glancing his eye expressively towards the Captun^ who had heen
suffered to mount; replied —
^' DoubtlesS; for such is my duty. But Caesar^ you can ride up
the road and deliver the note — the unhappy prisoner will be want-
ing the book; for his hours aro numbered/'
"Ay — ay, go along, Csesar, and get the book/' shouted half a
dozen voices, all crowding; eagerly around the ideal priest, in antici-
pation of a frolic.
The pedler inwardly dreaded, that, in their unceremonious hand-
ling of himself and garments, his hat and wig might be displaced,
when detection would be certain ; he was therefore fain to comply
with their request Ascending the horseblock, after hemming once
or twice, and casting several glances at the Captain, who continued
immoveable, he commenced as follows :
" I shall call your attention, my brethren, to that portion of Scrip-
ture which you will find in the second book of* Samuel, and which
is written in the following words : — ^And the king lamented over
Abnery and said. Died Abner as a fool dieih ? Thy hands were
not houndy nor thy feet put into fetters : as a man falleth before
wicked men, so fellest thou. And all tJie people wept again over
him? Caesar, ride forward, I say, and obtain the book as directed;
thy master is groaning in spirit even now for the want of it."
"An excellent text!" cried the dragoons. "Go on — go on —
let the snowball stay; he wants to be edified as ]vell as another.''
" What are you at there, scoundrels Z" cried Lieutenant Mason,
as he came in sight from a walk he had taken to sneer at the even*
ing parade of the regiment of militia; "away with every man of
you to your quarters, and let me find that each horse is cleaned and
littered, when I come round." The sound of the officer's voice ope-
rated like a charm, and no priest could desire a more silent congre-
gation, although he might possibly have wished for one that was
more numerous. Mason had not done speaking, when it was re-
duced to the image of Caesar only. The pedler took that opportu
Digitized by
Google
THK SPY. 383
nity tomount, but he had to preserve the gravity of his movements,
for the remark of the troopers upon the condition of their beasts was
but too just^ and a dozen dragoon horses stood saddled and bridled
at hand, ready to receive their riders^ at a moment's warning.
" Well, have you bitted the poor fellow within/' said Mason,
<^ that he can take his l^st ride under the curb of divinity, old gen-
tleman ?''
^' There is evil in thy conversation, profane man,'' cried the priest,
raising his hands, and casting his eyes upwards in holy horror; ^^ so
I will depart from thee unhurt, as Daniel was liberated from the
lions' deiu"
^ Off wilh you, for a hypocritical, psalm-fiinging, canting rogue in
disguise," said Mason, scornfully; " by the life of Washington ! it
worries an honest fellow to see such voracious beasts of prey ravaging
a country for which he sheds his blood. If I had you on a Virginia
plantation for a quarter of an hour, I 'd teach you to worm the to-
bacco, with the turkeys."
^^I leave you, and shake the dust off my shoes, that no remnant
of this wicked hole may tarnish the vestments of the godly."
"Start, or I will shake the dust from your jacket, designing
knave I A fellow to be preaching to my men I There 's Hollister
put the devil in them by his exhorting ; the rascals were getting too
conscientious to strike a blow that would rase the skin. But hold !
whither do you travel, master blackey, in such godly company?"
" He goes," said the minister, hastily speaking for his companion,
"to return with a book of much condolence and virtue to the sinful
youth above, whose soul will speedily become white, even as his out-
wards are black and unseemly. Would you deprive a dying man of
the consolation of religion?"
"No, no, poor fellow, his fete is bad enough; a famous good
breakfast his prim body of an aunt gave us. But harkee, Mr. Reve-
lations, if the youth must die secundum arteniy let it be under a
gentleman's directions; and my advice is, that you never trust that
17
Digitized by
Google
384 THX BPT.
skeleton of yours among vs again, or I will take the skin off and
leave you naked/'
^^ Out upon thee for a reyiler and scoffer of goodness T' said Biich,
moving slowly, and with a due observance of eierical dignity, down
the road, followed by the ima^nary Csesar; ^^but I leave thee, and
that behind me that will porore thy condemnation, and take from
thee a hearty and joyful deliverance/'
^^Damn him,'' muttered the trooper; ^the fellow rides like a
stake, and his legs stick out like the cocks of his hat. I wish I had
him below these hills, where the law is not over-particnlar, I'd — ''
"Corporal of the guard! — carponJ of the guard l" e^iouted th^
sentinel in the passage to the chambers, ^ eorpond of the guard I —
corporal of the guard!"
The subaltern flew up the narrow stidrway that led to the room
of the prisoner, and denuinded the meaning of the outcry.
The soldier was standing at the open door of the apifftment, look-
ing in with a suspicious eye on the supposed British officer. On
observing his lieutenant, he fell back with habitual respect, and
replied, with an air of puziled thought —
"I don't know, sir; but just now the prisoner looked queer.
Ever since the preacher has left him, he don't look as he used to do
— but," gazing intently ovcrr the shoulder of his officer, "it must be
him, too ! There is the same powdered head, and the dam in the
coat, where he was hit the day we had the last brush with the
enemy."
"And then all this noise is occasioned by your doubting whether
that poor gentleman is your prisoner, or not, is it, sirrah ? Who the
devil do you think it can be, else ?"
" I don't know who else it can be," returned the fellow, sullenly;
*'but he is grown thicker and shorter, if it is he; and see for your*
self, sir, he shakes all over, like a man in an ague."
This was but too true. Csasar was an idarmed auditor of this shcMrt
conversation, and, from congratulatmg himself upon the dexterous
Digitized by VjOOQLC
THE SPY. 885
escape of hia young master, his thoughts were very naturally begin-
ning to dwell upon the probable consequences to his own person. The
pause that succeeded the last remark of the sentinel, in no degree con-
tributed to the restoration of his £iculties. Lieutenant Mason was
busied in examining with his own eyes the suspected person of the
black, and Caesar was aware of the fact, by stealing a look through
a passage under one of his arms, that he had left expressly for the
purpose of reconnoitring. Oaptain Lawton would have discovered
the fraud inmiediately, but Mason was by no means so quick-sighted
as his conunander. He therefore turned rather contemptuously to
the soldier, and, speaking in an under-tone, observed —
^' That anabaptist, methodistical, quaker, psalm-«inging rascal ha^
frightened the boy, with his farrago about flames and brimstone.
I '11 step in and cheer him with a little rational conversation."
" I have heard of fear making a man white," said the soldier,
di^wirig back, and staring as if his eyes would start from their sock-
ets, " but it has changed the royal captain to a black !" ^
The truth was, that Caesar, unable to hear what Mason uttered in
a low voice, and having every fear aroused in him by what had al-
ready passed, incautiously renioved the wig a little from one of his
cars, in order to hear the better, without in the least remembering
that its colour might prove fatal to his disguise. The sentinel had
kept his eyes fastened on his prisoner, and noticed the action. The
attention of Mason was instantly drawn to the same object; and,
forgetting all delicacy for a brother officer in distress, or, in short,
forgetting every thing but the censure that might alight on his corps,
the lieutenant sprang forward and seized the terrified African by the
throat ; for no sooner had Caesar heard his colour named, than he
knew his discovery was certain ; and at the first sound of Mason's
heavy boot on the floor, he arose from his seat, and retreated preci-
pitately to a corner of the room.
" Who are you ?" cried Mason, dashing the head of the old man
against the angle of the wall at each interrogatory, " who the devil
Digitized by VjOOQIC
886 THE SPY,
are yoU; and where is the Englishman ? Speak, thou thanderclond !
Answer me, you jackdaw, or I'll hang you on the gallows of the
spy!"
Csesar continued firm. Neither the threats nor the blows could
extract any reply, until the Lieutenant, by a very natural transition
in the attack, sent his heavy boot forward in a direction that brought
it in direct contact with the most sensitive part of the negro — his
shin. The most obdurate heart could not have exacted further
patience, and Caesar instantly gave in. The first words he spoke
were —
" Golly ! Massa, you t'ink I got no feelin' ?"
" By Heavens !" shouted the Lieutenant, " it is the negro himself I
Scoundrel ! where is your master, and who was the priest ?" While
speaking, he made a movement, as if about to renew the attack ; but
Caesar cried aloud for mercy, promising to tell all that he knew.
"Who was the priest?" repeated the dragoon, drawing back his
formidable leg, and holding it in threatening suspense —
"Harvey, Harvey!" cried Caesar, dancing from one leg to the
other, as he thought each member in turn might be assailed.
" Harvey who, you black villain ?" cried the impatient Lieutenant,
as he executed a full measure of vengeance by letting his leg fly.
" Birch !" shrieked Caesar, falling on his knees, the tears rolling
in large drops over his shining face.
" Harvey Birch !" echoed the trooper, hurling the black from liiro,
and rushing from the room. " To arms ! to arms ! Fifiy guineas
for the life of the pedler spy — give no quarter to either. Mount,
mount ! to arms ! to horse !"
During the uproar occasioned by the assembling of the dragoons,
who all rushed tumultuously to their horses, Caesar rose from the
floor, where he had been thrown by Mason, and began to examine
into his injuries. Happily for himself, he had alighted on his head,
and consequently sustained no material damage.
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER XXIX.
Away went Gilpin, neck or nought,
Away went hat and wig ;
He little dreamt, when he set out,
"Of running such a rig.
CowpCT*
InE road which it was necessary for the pedler and the English
captain to travel, in order to reach the shelter of the hills, lay, for a
half-mile, in full view from the door of the building that had so re-
cently been the prison of the latter; running for the whole distance
over the rich plain, that spreads to the very foot of the mountains,
which here rise in a nearly perpendicular ascent from their bases ;
it then turned short to the right, and was obliged to follow the wind
in^ of nature, as it won its way into the bosom of the Highlands.
To preserve the supposed difference in their stations, Harvey rode
a short distance ahead of his companion, and maintained the sober,
dignified pace, that was suited to his assumed character. On their
right, the regiment of foot, that we have already mentioned, lay in
tents ) and the sentinels who guarded their encampment were to be
seen moving with measured tread under the skirts of the hills them-
selves.
The first impulse of Henry was, certainly, to urge the beast ho
rode to his greatest speed at once, and by a coup-de-main not only
accomplish his escape, but relieve himself from the torturing sus-
pense of his situation. But the forward movement that the youth
made for this pui-pose was instantly checked by the pedler.
" Hold up V* he cried, dexterously reining his own horse across
Digitized by
Google
388 ^ THE SPY.
the path of the other; "would you ruin us both? Fall into the
place of a black, following his master. Did you not see their blooded
chargers, all saddled and bridled, standing in the sun before the
house ? How long do you think that miserable Dutch horse you
are on would hold his speed, if pursued by the Vir^nians ? Every
foot that we can gain, without giving the alarm, counts a day in our
lives. Bide steadily after me, and on no account look back. They
are as subtle as foxes, ay, and as ravenous for blood as wolves 1"
Henry reluctantly restrained his impatience, and followed the di-
rection of the pedler. His imagination, however, continually alarmed
him with the fancied sounds of pursuit; though Birch, who occa-
sionally looked back under the pretence of addressing his companion,
assured him that all continued quiet and peaceful.
" But," said Henry, " it will not be possible for Caesar to remain
long undiscovered. Had we not better put our horses to the gallop,
and by the time they can reflect on the cause of our flight, we can
reach the comer of the woods ?'*
"Ah! you little know them. Captain Wharton," returned the
pedler; "there is a sergeant at this moment looking after us, as if
he thought all was not right; the keen-eyed fellow watches me Hke
a tiger lying in wait for his leap. When I stood on the horseblock,
he half suspected that something was wrong. Nay, check your
beast — we must let the animals walk a little, for he is laying his
hand on the pommel of his saddle. If he mounts, we are gone.
The foot-soldiers could reach us with their muskets."
" What does he now?" asked Henry, reining his horse to a walk,
but at the same time pressing his heels into the animal's sides, to
bo in readiness for a spring.
"He turns from his charger, and looks the other way; now trot
on gently — not so fast — not so fast. Observe the sentinel in tho
field, a little ahead of us — he eyes us keenly."
"Never mind the footman," said Henry, impatiently; "he can
do nothing but shoot us — whereas these dragoons may make me a
Digitized by CjOOQLC
TBK 8PT. 8B9
capfi^o agiun. Surely, Harvey, there are korso moving donn the
road behind us. Do you see nothing partieular ?"
^< Humph V ejacukted the pedler ; ^^ there is something particulai
indeed, to be seen behind the thicket on our left. Turn your head
a little, and you may see and profit by it too."
Henry eagerly seized this penmssion to look adde, and the blood
curdled to his heart as he observed that they were passing a gallows,
which unquestionably had been erected for his own execution. He
turned his fletce from the sight^ in undisguised horror.
^^ There is a warning to be prudent,'' said the pedler, in the sen-
tentious manner that he often adopted.
"It is a terrific sight^ indeed !" cried Henry, for a moment veiling
his eyes with his hand, as if to drive a vision from b^ore him.
The pedler moved his body partly around, and spoke with ener-
getic but gloomy iHttemesB — "And yet, Captain Wharton, you see
it where the setting sun shines full upon you ; the air you breathe
is clear, and fresh firom the hills before you. Every step that you
take leaves that hated gallows behind; and every dark hollow, and
every shapeless rock in the mountains, offers you a hiding place from
the vengeance of your enemies. But I have seen the gibbet raised,
when no place of refiige offered. Twice have I been buried in dun-
geons, where, fettered and in chains, I have passed nights in torture,
looking forward to the morning's dawn that was to light me to a
death of infamy. The sweat has started from limbs that seemed
already drained of their moidture; and if I ventured to the hole
that admitted air through grates of iron to look out upon the smiles
of nature, which (rod has bestowed for the meanest of his creatures,
the gibbet has glared before my eyes, like an evil conscience harrow-
ing the soul of a dying man. Four times have I been in their power,
besides this last ; but — twice — did I think my hour had comeJ It
is hard to die at the best, Captain Wharton ; but to spend your last
moments alone and unpitied, to know that none near you so much as
think of the &te that is to you the closing of all that is eardily; to
Digitized by CjOOQLC
390 THE SPY.
diink. that in a few honrs^ you are to be led from the gloom^ whichj
B8 you dwell on what foUowS; becomes dear to yoa^ to the face of
day; and there to meet all eyes fixed upon you^ as if you were a wild
beast; and to lose sight of every thing amidst the jeers and sco£&
of your fellow-creatures — that^ Captain Wharton^ that indeed is to
dier
Henry listened in amazement; as his companion uttered this speech
with a vehemence altogether new to him ; both seemed to have for-
gotten their danger and their disguises.
" What I were you ever so near death as that T'
^^ Have I not been the hunted beast of these hills for three yeara
past?'' resumed Harvey; "and once they even led me to the foot
of the gallows itself; and I escaped only by an alarm from the royal
troops. Had they been a quarter of an hour later; I must have
died. There was I placed in the midst of unfeeling meU; and gaping
women and children; as a monster to be cursed. When I would
pray to God, my ears were insulted with the histoiy of my crimes ;
and wheU; in all that multitude; I looked around for a single face
that showed me any pity; I could find none — nO; not even one; all
cursed me as a wretch who would sell his country for gold. The
sun was brighter to my eyes than common — but it was the last time
I should see it The fields were gay and pleasant, and every thing
seemed as if this world was a kind of heaven. Oh ! how sweet life
was to me at that moment I 'T was a dreadful hour; Captain Whar-
tou; and such as you have never known. You have friends to feel
for you; but I had none but a father to mourn my loss; when he
might hear of it; but there was no pity; no consolation neaT; to
soothe my anguish. Every thing seemed to have deserted me. I
even thought that HE had forgotten that I lived.^'
" What I did you feel that God himself had forsaken yoU; Harvey T'
" God never forsakes his servants;" returned Birch; with reverence;
and exhibiting naturally a devotion that hitherto he had only assumed.
"And who did you mean by he?"
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE 8 FT. 391
The pcdler raised liimself in his saddle to the stiff and upright
postare that was suited to his outward appearance. The look of fire,
" that for a short time glowed on his countenance, disappeared in the
solemn lines of unbending self*dbascment, and, speaking as if ad-
dressing a negro, he replied —
*'In heaven there is no distinction of colour, my brother; there-
fore you have a precious charge within you, that you must hereafter
render an account of;" dropping his voice — * " this is the last sentinel
near the road; look not back, as you value your life."
Henry remembered his situation, and instantly assumed the hum-
ble demeanour of his adopted character. The unaccountable energy .
of the pedler's manner was soon forgotten in the sense of his own
immediate danger; and with the recollection of his critical situation,
returned all the uneasiness that he had momentarily forgotten.
" What see you, Harvey ?" he cried, observing the pedler to gaze
towards the building they had left, with ominous interest; ^^what
Uce you at the house?"
" That which bodes no good to us," returned the pretended priest.
" Throw aside the mask and wig; you will need all your senses with-
out much delay; throw them in the road : there are none before us
that I dread, but there are those behind who will give us a fearful
»ace!"
" Nay, then," cried the Captain, casting the implements of his
disguise into the highway, "let us improve our time to* the utmost.
Wo want a full quarter to the turn; why not push for it, at once ?"
"Be cool; they are in alarm, but they will not mount without an
officer, unless they see us fly — now he comes, he moves to the sta*
bles; trot briskly; a dozen are in their saddles, but the officer stops
to tighten his girths; they hope to steal a march upon us; he is
mounted ; now ride, Captain Wharton, for your life, and keep at my
hceLs. If you quit me, you will be lost I"
A second request was unnecessary. The instant that Harvey put
his horse to his speed, Captain Wharton waa at his heels, urging the
Digitized byCjOOQlC
592 T^E SPY.
miaerable animal he rode to the utmost. Birch had selected his own
beast; and although vastly inferior to the high-fed and blooded
chargers of the dragoons^ still it was much superior to the little
pony that had been thought good enough to carry Oaesar Thompson
on an errand. A very few jumps convinced the Captain that his
companion was fast leaving him^ and a fearful glance thrown behind,
informed the fugitive that his enemies were as speedily approaching.
With that abandonment that makes misery doubly grievous, when it
b to be supported alone, Henry cried aloud to the pedler not to de-
sert him. Harvey instantly drew up, and suffered his companion to
run alongside of his own horse. The cocked hat and wig of the
pedler fell from his head the moment that his steed began to move
briskly, and this developement of their disguise, as it might bo
termed, was witnessed by the dragoons, who announced their obser-
vation by a boisterous shout, that seemed to be uttered in the very
ears of the fugitives; so loud was the cry, and so short the distance
between them. .,
"Had we not better leave our horses?" said Henry, "and make
for the hills across the fields, on our left? — the fence will stop our
pursuers.''
" That way lies the gallows," returned the pedler; " these fellows
go three feet to our two, and would mind the fences no more thaji
we do these ruts ; but it is a short quarter to the torn, and there are
two roads behind the wood. They may stand to choose until they
can take the track, and we shall gain a little upon them there/'
" But this miserable horse is blown already," cried Henry, ur^ng
his beast with the end of his bridle, at the same time that Harvey
aided his efforts by applying the lash of a heavy riding-whip he
carried ; " he will never stand it for half a mile farther."
"A quarter will do; a quarter will do," said the pedler; "a single
quarter will save us, if you follow my directions."
Somewhat cheered by the cool and confident manner of liis com-
pocion, Henry continued silently urging his horse forward. A few
Digitized by VjOOQLC
II
THE S FT. 393
moments brought them to the desired turn; and as they doubled
round a point of low under-brushy the fugitives caught a glimpse
of their pursuers scattered along the high-way. Mason and the
sergeant, being better mounted than the rest of the party, were
much nearer to their heels than even the pedler thought could bo
possible.
At the foot of the hills, and for some distance up the dark valley
that wound among the mountains, a thick underwood of saplings had
been suffered to shoot up, where the heavier growth was felled for
the sake of the fuel. At the sight of this cover, Henry again urged
the pedler to dismount^ and to plunge into the woods; but his re-
quest was promptly refused. The two roads, before mentioned, met
at a very sharp angle, at a short distance from the turn, and both
were circuitous, so that but little of either could be seen at a time.
The pedler took the one which led to the left, but held it only a
moment; for, on reaching a partial opening in the thicket, he darted
across into the right-hand path, and led the way up a steep a^nt,
which lay directly before them. This manoeuvre sayed them. On
reaching the fork, the dragoons followed the track, and passed the
spot where the fugitives had crossed to the other road, before they
missed the marks of the footsteps. Their loud cries were heard by
Henry and the pedler, as their wearied and breathless animals toiled
up the hill, ordering their comrades in the rear to ride in the right
direction. The Captain again proposed to leave their horses and
dash into the thicket.
*' Not yet, not yet," said Birch, in a low voice ; " the road falls
from the top of this hill as steep as it rises; first let us gain the top,"
While speaking, they reached the desired summit, and both threw
themselves from their horses, Henry plunging into the thick under-
wood, which covered the side of the mountain for some distance above
them. Harvey stopped to give each of their beasts a few severe
blows of his whip, that drove them headlong down the path ou th^
other side of^tho eminence, and then followed his example.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
S94 THE 8 P T.
The pedler entered the thicket with a lit()le caution, and avoided,
as much as possible, rostling or breaking the branches in his way.
There was but time only to phelter his person from view, when a
dragoon led up the ascent; and on reaching the height, he cried
aloud —
" I saw one of their horses turning the hill this minute/'
^ Drive on ; spur forward, my lads," shouted Mason ; " give tho
Englishman quarter, but cut down the pedler, and make an end of
him/'v
Henry felt his companion gripe his arm hard, as he listened in a
great tremor to this cry, which was followed by the passage of a
dozen horsemen, with a vigour and speed that showed too plainly
how little security their over-tired steeds could have afforded
them.
" Now," said the pedler, rising from the cover to reconnoitre, and
standing for a moment in suspense, ^^ all that we gain is clear gain ;
for, as we go up, they go down. Let us be stirring."
" But will they not follow us, and surround this mountain ?" said
Henry, rising, and imitating the laboured but rapid progress of his
companion; "remember, they have foot as well as horse, and, at any
rate, we shall starve in the hills."
" Fear nothing, Captain Wharton," returned the pedler, with con-
fidence; " this is not the mountain that I would be on, but necessity
has made me a dexterous pilot among these hills. I will lead you
where no man will dare to follow. See, the sun is already aetting
behind the tops of the western mountains, and it will be two hours
to the rising of the moon. Who, think you, will follow us far, on a
November night, among these rocks and precipicesf "
"Listen I" exclaimed Henry; "the dragoons are shouting to each
other; they miss us already."
" Come to the point of this rock, and you may see them," said
Harvey, composedly seating himself down to rest "Nay, they caa
Bee us — observe, they are pointing up with their fingers. There!
Digitized by CjOOQ IC
THE SPY. 895
one has fired his pistol; bat the distance is too great even for a
mnsket."
" They will pursue us/' cried the impatient Henry; " let us be
moving/'
"They will not think of such a thing," returned the pedler, pick-
ing the chicker-berries that grew on the thin soil where he sat, and
very deliberately chewing them, leaves and all, to refresh his mouth.
' What progress could they make here, in their heavy l^oots and
spurs, and long swords ? No, no — they may go back and turn out
the foot, but the horse pass through these defiles, when they can
keep the saddle, with fear and trembling. Come, follow me, Cap-
t4un Wharton ; we have a troublesome march before us, but I will
bring you where none will think of venturing this night/'
So saying, they both arose, and were soon hid from view amongst
the rocks and caverns of the mountain.
The conjecture of the pedler was true. Mason and his men dashed
down the hill, in pursuit, as they supposed, of their victims, but on
reaching the bottom lands, they found only the deserted horses of
the fugitives. Some little time was spent in examining the woods
near them, and in endeavouring to take the trsdl on such ground as
might enable the horse to pursue, when one of the party descried
the pedler and Henry seated on the rock already mentioned.
"He's ofi^" muttered Mason, eyeing Harvey, with fury; "he's
off, and we are disgraced. By heavens, Washington will not trust
us with the keeping of a suspected tory, if we let the rascal trifle in
this manner with the corps; and there sits the Englishman, too,
looking down upon us with a smile of benevolence I I fancy that I
can see it. Well, well, my lad, you are comfortably seated, I will
confess, and that is sometUng better than dancing upon nothing;
but you are not to the west of the Harlaem river yet, and I'll try
your wind before you tell Sir Henry what you have seen, or I'm no
goldier."
Digitized by
Google
396 THE 8PT.
'^ Shall I fire; and frighten the pedler?'' asked one of ihe nieUi
drawing his pistol from the holster.
^^ Ajf startle the birds &om their perch — let us see how they can
use the wing/^ The man fired the pistol^ and Mason continued —
^* 'Fore George, I believe the scoundrels laugh at us. But heme-
waxd; or we shall have them rolling stones upon our headS; and the
Royal Gazettes teeming with an aocouiit of a rebel regiment routed
by two loyalists. They have told bigger lies than that, before
now."
The dragoons moved sullenly aft^ their officer, who rode towards
their quarters, musing on the course it behoved him to pursue in the
present dilemma. It was twilight when Mason's party reached the
dwelling, before the door of which were collected a great number of
the officers and men, busily employed in giving j^d listening to the
most exaggerated accounts of tiie escape of the spy* The mortified
dragoons gave their ungrateful tidings with the sullen air of disap-
pointed men; and most of the officers gathered round Mason, to
consult of the steps that ought to be taken. Miss Peyton and Fran-
ces were breathless and unobserved listeners to all. that passed be-
tween them, from the window of the chamber immediately above
their heads.
^* Something must be done, and that speedily," observed the com-
manding officer of the regiment, which lay encamped before the
house : ^^this English officer is doubtless an instrument in the great
blow aimed at us by the enemy lately; besides, our honour is in-
volved in his escape."
"Let us beat the woods!" cried several at once ; "by morning
we shall have them both again."
"Softly, softly, gentlemen," returned the Colonel; "no man can
travel these hills after dark, unless used to the passes. Nothing bat
horse can do service in this business, and I presume Lieutenant
Mason hesitates to move without the orders of his major." •
" I certainly dare not," replied the subaltern, gravely shaking his
., Digitized by VjOOQ iC
THE SPY. 397
licadj ^^ unless you will take the responsibility of an order; but Ma«
jor Dunwoodie will be back again in two hourS; and we can carry
the tidings through the hills before daylight; so that by spreading
patrols acrosS; horn one river to the other, and offering a reward to
the country people, their escape wiU yet be impossible, unless they
can join the party that is said to be out on the Hudson/'
" A very plausible plan/' cried the Colonel, " and one that musi
succeed; but let a messenger be despatched to Dunwoodie, or ho
may continue at the ferry untU it proves too late; though doubtless
the runaways will lie in the mountains to-night."
To this suggestion Mason acquiesced, and a courier was sent to the
Major with the important intelligence of iiie escape of Henry, and
an intimation of the necessity of his presence to conduct the pursuit.
After this arrangement, the officers separated.
When Miss Peyton and her niece first learnt the escape of Cap-
lain Wharton, it was with difficulty they could credit their senses.
They both relied so implicitly on the success of Dunwoodie's exer-
tions, that they thought the act, on the part of their relative, ex-
tremely imprudent ; but it was now too late to mend it. While
listening to the conversation of the officers, both were struck with
the increased danger of Henry's situation, if re-captured, and they
trembled to think of the great exertions that would be made to ac-
complish this object. Miss Peyton consoled herself, and endeavoured
to cheer her niece, with the probability that the fugitives would
:)ursue their course with unremitting diligence, so that they might
jeach the Neutral Ground before the horse would carry down the
tidings of their flight. The absence of Dunwcodie seemed to her
all-important, and the artless lady was anidously devising some pro-
ject tnat might detain her kinsman, and thus give her nephew the
longest possible time. But very different were the reflections of
Frances. She could no longer doubt that the figure she had seen
on the hill was Birch, and she felt certain that^ instead of flying tc
Digitized by
Google
398
THE SPT.
the friendly forces below, her brother would be taken to *he myste-
rious hut to pass the night
Frances and her aunt held a Hong and animated discussion by
themselves, when the good spinster reluctantly yielded to the repro-
sentation of her niece, and, folding her in her arms, she kissed her
oold cheek, and, fervently blessing her, allowed her to depart on an
errand of fraternal love.
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER XXX.
And here, forlorn and lost, I troad.
With fainting steps, and slow;
Where wilds, immeasurably spread,
Seem length'ning as I go.
Goldsmith,
The mght had set in dark and chilling, as Frances Wharton, with a
beating heart but light step, moved through the little garden that
lay behind the farm-house which had been her brother's prison, and
took her way to the foot of the mountain, where she had seen the
figure of him she supposed to be the pedler. It was still early, but
the darkness and the dreary nature of a November evening would,
at any other moment, or with less inducement to exertion, have
driven her back in terror to the circle she had left. Without pausing
to reflect, however, she flew over the ground with a rapidity that
seemed to bid defiance to all impediments, nor stopped even to
breathe, until she had gone half the distance to the rock that she
had marked as the spot whei*e Birch made his appearance on that
very morning.
The good treatment of their women is the surest evidence that a
people can give of their civilization ; and there is no nation which
has more to boast of, in this respect, than the Americans. Frances
felt but little apprehension from the orderly and quiet troops who
were taking their evening's repast on the side of the highway, oppo-
site to the field through which she was flying. They were her coun-
trymen, and she knew that her sex would be respected by the Eastern
militia, who composed this body; but in the volatile and reckless
Digitized by VjOOQIC
400 THE SPY.
character of the Southern horse she had less confidence. Outrages
of any description were seldom committed by the really American
soldiery; but she recoiled, with exquisite delicacy, from even the
appearance of humiliation. When, therefore, she heard the footsteps
of a horse moving slowly up the road, she shrank, timidly, into a
little thicket of wood which grew around the spring that bubbled
from the side of a hillock near her. The iddette, for such it proved
to be, passed her without noticing her form, which was so enveloped
as to be as little conspicuous as possible, humming a low air to him-
self, and probably thinking of some other fair that he had left on the
banks of the Potomac.
Frances listened anxiously to the retreating footsteps of his horse,
and, as they died upon her ear, she ventured from her place of se-
crecy, and advanced a short distance into the field, where, startled
at the gloom, and appalled with the dreariness of the prospect, she
paused to reflect on what she had undertaken. Throwing back the
hood of her cardinal, she sought the support of a tree, and gazed to-
wards the summit of the mountain that was to be the goal of her
enterprise. It rose from the plain like a huge pyramid, ^ving no-
thing to the eye but its outlines. The pinnacle could be faintiy
discerned in front of a lighter back-ground of clouds, between which
a few glimmering stars occasionally twinkled in momentary bright-
ness, and then gradually became obscured by the passing vapour
that was moving before the wind, at a vast distance below the clouds
themselves. Should she return, Henry and the pedler would most
probably pass the night in fancied security upon that very hiU, to-
wards which she was straining her eyes, in the vain hope of observing
some light that might encourage her to proceed. The deliberate, and
what to her seemed cold-blooded, project of the officer for the re-
capture of the fugitives, still rang in her ears, and stimulated her to
go on ; but the solitude into which she must venture, the time, the
actual danger of the ascent, and the uncertainty of her finding the
hut, or what was still mote disheartening, the chance that it might
Digitized by CjOOQLC
THE SPY. 401
be occupied by unknown tenants; and those of the worst description
— urged her to retreat.
The increasing darkness was each moment rendering objects less
and less distinct^ and the clouds were gathering more gloomily in the
rear of the hilly until its form could no longer be discerned. Frances
threw back her rich curls with both hands on her temples, in onler
to possess her senses in their utmost keenness ; but the towering hill
Was entirely lost to the eye. At length she discovered a faint and
twinkling blaze in the direction in which she thought the building
stood, that by its reviving and xeceding lustre, might be taken for
the glimmering of a fire. But the delusion vanished, as the horizon
again cleared, and the star of evening shone forth from a cloud, after
struggling hard, as if for existence. She now saw the mountain to
the left of the place where the planet was shining, and suddenly a
streak of mellow light burst upon the fantastic oaks that were thinly
scattered over its summit, and gradually moved down its side, until
the whole pile became distinct under the rays of the rising moon.
Although it would have been physically impossible for our heroine
to advance without the aid of the fidendly light, which now gleamed
on the long line of level land before her, yet she was not encouraged
to proceed. If she could see the goal of her wishes, she could also
perceive the difficulties that must attend her reaching it.
While deliberating in distressing incertitude, now shrinking with
the timidity of her sex and years from the enterprise, and now re-
solving to rescue her brother at every hazard, Frances turned her
looks towards the east, in earnest gaze at the clouds which constantly
threatened to involve her again in comparative darkness. Had an
adder stung her, she could not have sprung with greater celerity
than she recoiled from the object against which she was leaning, and
which she, for the first time, noticed. The two upright posts, with a
cross-beam on their tops, and a rude platform beneath, told but too
plainly the nature of the structure ; even the cord was suspended
from an iron staple, and was swinging, to and fro, in the night air.
Digitized by VjOOQ iC
102 THE SPY.
Frances hesitated no longer, but rather flew than ran across the
meadow, and was soon at the base of the rock, where she hoped to
find something like a path to the summit of the mountain. Here
she was compelled to pause for breath, and she improved the leisure
by surveying the ground about her. The ascent was quite abruf t^
bui'she soon found a sheep-path that wound among the shelving
rocks and through the trees, so as to render her labour much less
tiresome than it otherwise would have been. Throwing a fearful
glance behind, the determined girl commenced her journey upwards.
Young, active, and impelled by her generous motive, she moved up
the hill with elastic steps, and very soon emerged from the cover of
the woods, into an open space of more level ground, that had evi-
dently been cleared of its timber, for the purpose of cultivation. But
either the war, or the sterility of the soil, had compelled the adven-
turer to abandon the advantages that he had obtained over the wil-
derness, and already the bushes and briers were springing up afresh,
as if the plough had never traced its furrows through the mould
which nourished them.*
Frances felt her spirits invigorated by these faint vestiges of the
labour of man, and she walked up the gentle acclivity, with renewed
hopes of success. The path now diverged in so many different direc-
tions, that she soon saw it would be useless to follow their windings,
and abandoning it, at the first turn, she laboured forward towards
what she thought was the nearest point of the summit. The cleared
ground was soon past, and woods and rocks, clinging to the preci-
pitous sides of the mountain, again opposed themselves to her pro-
gress. Occasionally, the path was to be seen running along the verge
of the clearing, and then striking off into the scattering patches of
grass and herbage, but in no instance could she trace it upward.
Tufts of wool, hanging to the briers, sufficiently denoted the origin
of these tracks, and Frances rightly conjectured that whoever de-
scended the mountain, would avail himself of tlieir existence,' to
lighten the labour. Seating herself on a stone, the wearied girl
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY. 4U3
again paused to rest and to reflect: the clouds were rising before
the moon, and the whole scene at her feet lay pictured in the softest
colours.
The white tenfa of the militia were stretched in regular lines, im^
mediately beneath her. The light was shining in the window of her
aunt, who, Frances easily fancied, was watching the mountain, racked,
with all the anxiety she might be supposed to feel for her niece,
i/antems were playing about in the stable-yard, where she knew the
horses of the dragoons were kept, and believing them to be preparing
for their night march, she again sprang upon her feet, and renewed
her toil.
Our heroine had to ascend more than a quarter of a mile farther,
although she had already conquered two-thirds of the height of the
mountain. But she was now without a path, or any guide to direct
her in her course. Fortunately, the hill was conical, like most of
the mountains in that range, and, by advancing upwards, she was
certain of at length reaching the desired hut, which hung, as it were,
on the very pinnacle. Nearly an hour did she struggle with the
numerous difficulties that she was obliged to overcome, when, having
been repeatedly exhausted with her efforts, and, in several instances,
in great danger from &Ils, she succeeded in gaining tlie small piece
of table-land on the summit.
Faint with her exertions, which had been unusually severe for so
slight a firame, she sank on a rock, to recover her strength and forti-
tude for the approaching interview. A few moments sufficed for this
purpose, when she proceeded in quest of the hut. All of the neigh-
bouring hills were distinctly visible by the aid of the moon, and
Frances was able, where she stood, to trace the route of the high-
way, from the plains into the mountains. By following this lino
with her eyes, she soon discovered the point whence she had seen
the mysterious dwelling, and directly opposite to that point she well
knew tlie hut must stand.
The chilling air sighed through the leafless branches of the gnarled
Digitized by CjOOQIC
404 THB SPT.
and crooked oaks, as with a step so light as hardly to rustle the dry
leaves on which she trod, Frances moved forward to that part of the
hill where she expected to find this secluded habitation ; but nothing
could she discern that in the least resembled a dwelling of any sort
In vain she examined every recess of the rocks, or inquisitively ex-
. plored every part of the summit that she thought could hold the
tdnement of the pedler. No hut, nor any vestige of a human being,
could she trace. The idea of her solitude struck on the terrified
mind of the afinghted girl, and approaching to the edge of a shelv-
ing rock, she bent forward to gaze on the signs of life in the vale,
when a ray of keen light dazzled her eyes, and a warm air diffused
itself over her whole frame. Recovering from her surprise, Frances
looked on the ledge beneath her, and at once perceived that she stood
directly over the object of her search. A hole through its roof
afforded a passage to the smoke, which as it blew aside, showed her
a clear and cheerful fire crackling and snapping on a rude hearth of
stone. The approach to the front of the hut was by a winding path
around the point of the rock on which she stood, and by this she
advanced to its door.
Three sides of this singular edifice, if such it could be called, were
composed of logs laid alternately on each other, to a little more than
the height of a man ; and the fourth was formed by the rock against
which it leaned. The roof was made of the bark of trees, laid in
long strips from the rock to its eaves; the fissures between the logs
had been stuffed with clay, which in many places had fallen out, and
dried leaves were made use of as a substitute to keep out the wind.
A single window of four panes of glass was in front, but a board
carefully closed it, in such a manner as to emit no light, from the
fire within. After pausing some time to view this singularly con-
structed hiding-place, for such Frances well knew it to be, she ap-
plied her eye to a crevice to examine the inside. There was no lamp
or candle, but the blazing fire of dry wood made the interior of the
hut light enough to read by. In one comer lay a bed of straw, with
Digitized by CjOOQIC
THE SPY. 405
a pair of blankets throiim carelessly oyer it, as if left where they
had last been used. Against the walls and rock were suspended^
from pegs forced into the crevices^ various gannentS; and such as
were apparently fitted for all ages and conditions, and for either sex.
British and American uniforms hung peaceably by the side of each
other; and on the peg that supported a gown of striped calico, such
as was the usual country wear, was also depending a well-powdered
wig : in short, the attire was numerous, and as various as if a whole
parish were to be equipped from this one wardrobe.
In the angle against the rock, and of^site to the fire which was
burning in the other comer, was an open cupboard, that held a plate
or two, a mug, and the remains of some broken meat. Before the
fire was a table, with one of its legs fractured, and made of rough
boards; these, with a single stool, composed the furniture, if we ex-
cept a &w articles of cooking. A book that, by its size and shape,
appeared to be a Bible, was lying on the table, unopened. But it
was the occupant of the hut in whom Frances was chiefly interested.
This was a man, sitting on the stool, with his head leaning on his
hand, in such a manner as to conceal his features, and deeply occu-
pied in examining some open papers. On the table lay a pair of
curiously and richly mounted horseman's pistols, and the handle of
a sheathed rapier, of exquisite workmanship, protruded from between
the legs of the gentleman, one of whose hands carelessly rested on
its guard. The tall stature of this unexpected tenant of the hut,
and his form, much more athletic than that of either Harvey or her
brother, told Frances, without the aid of his dress, that it was neither
of those she sought. A close surtout was buttoned high in the
throat of the stranger, and parting at his knees, showed breeches of
buff, with military boots and spurs. His hair was dressed so as to
expose the whole face ; and, after the fashion of that day, it was
profusely powdered. A round hat was laid on the stones that formed
a paved floor to the hut, as if to make room for a large map, which,
among tlio other papers, occupied the table.
Digitized by VjOOQ IC .
106 THB BI>T.
This was an unexpected event to our adventurer. She had been
so confident that the figure twice seen was the pedler^ that on learn-
ing his agency in her brother's escape^ she did not in the least doubt
of finding them both in the place, which, she now discovered, was
occupied by another and a stranger. She stood, earnestly looking
through the crevice, hesitating whether to retire, or to wait with the
expectation of yet meeting Henry, as the stranger moved his hand
. from before his eyes, and raised his face, apparently in deep musing,
/when Frances instantly recognised the benevolent and strongly
I marked, but composed, features of Harper.
All that Bunwoodie had said of his power and disposition; all
that he had himself promised her brother, and all the confidence
that had been created by his dignified and paternal manner, rushed
across the mind of Frances, who threw open the door of the hut, and
fyiing at his feet, clasped his knees with her arms, as she cried —
"Save him — save him — save my brother; remember your pro-
mise, and save him!"
Harper had risen as the door opened, and there was a slight move-
ment of one hand towards his pistols; but it was cool, and instantly
checked. He raised the hood of the cardinal, which had fallen over
her features, and exclaimed, with some uneasiness —
" Miss Wharton I But you cannot be alone V'
"There is none here but my God and you; and by his sacred
name, I conjure you to remember your promise, and save my bro-
ther!'^
Harper gently raised her from her knees, and placed her on the
stool, begging her at the same time to be composed, and to acquaint
him with the nature of her errand. This Frances instantly did, in-
genuously admitting him to a kno\yledge of all her views in visiting
that lone spot at such an hour, and by herself.
It was at all time? difficult to^probe the thoughts of one who held
his passions in such disciplined subjection as Harper, but still there
was a lighting of his thoughtful eye, and a slight unbending of his
Digitized by CjOOQLC
THE SPY. 401
\
musclui; nB the hurried and anxious girl proceeded in her narrative.
His interest; as she dwelt upon the manner of Henry's escape^ and
the flight to the woods, was deep and manifest, and he listened to
the remainder of her tale with a marked expression of benevolent
indulgence. Her apprehaisions, that her brother might still be too
late through the mountains, seemed to have much weight with him,
for, as she concluded, he walked a turn or two across the hut, in
olent musing.
Frances hesitated, and unconsciously played with the handle of
one of the pistols, and the paleness that her fears had spread over
her fine features began to give place to a rich tint, as, after a short
pause, she added—
^^ We can depend much on the friendship of Major Dunwoodie,
but his sense of honour is so pure, that — that — notwithstanding
his — his — feelings — his desire to serve us — he will conceive it
to be his duty to apprehend my brother again. Besides, he thinks
there will be no danger in so doing, as he relies greatly on your in-
terference."
" On mine !" *id Harper, raising his eyes in surprise.
" Yes, on yours. When we told him of your kind language, he
at once assured us all, that you had the power, and if you had pro-
mised, would have the inclination, to procure Henry's pardon."
" Said he more V asked Harper, who appeared slightly uneasy.
"Nothing but reiterated assurances of Henry's safety; even now
he is in quest of you."
" Miss Wharton, that I bear no mean part, in the unhappy strug-
gle between England and America, it might now be useless to deny.
You owe your brother's escape, this night, to my knowledge of his
innocence, and the remembrance of my word. Major Dunwoodie is
mistaken, when he says that I might openly have procured his par-
don. I now, indeed, can control his fate, and I pledge tp you a
word which has some influence with Washington, that means shall
be taken to prevent his re-capture. But from you, also, I exact a
^^ Digitized by Google
408 THE SPY.
promise; that this interrieW; and all that has passed between us^ re-
main confined to your own bosom^ until you have my pennission to
speak upon the subject/^
Frances gave the desired assurance; and he continued —
^' The pedler and your brother will soon be here; but I must not
be seen by the royal officer; or the life of Birch might be the for-
feiture."
^^ Never!'' cried Frances, ardently; "Henry could never bo so
base as to betray the man who saved him/'
" It is no childish game that we are now playing. Miss Wharton.
Men's lives and fortunes hang upon slender threads, and nothing
must be left to accident that can be guarded against. Did Sir Heniy
Clinton know that the pedler had communion with me, and under
such circumstances, the life of the miserable man would be taken
instantly; therefore, as you value human blood, or remember the
rescue of your brother, be prudent, and be silent. Communicate
what you know to them both, and urge them to instant departure.
If they can reach the last pickets of our army before morning; it
shall be my care that there are none to intercepMhem. There is
better work for Major Ihmwoodie than to be exposing the life of his
friend."
While Harper was speaking, he carefully rolled up the map he
had been studying, and placed it, together with sundry papers that
were also open, into his pocket. He was still occupied in this man-
ner, when the voice of the pedler, talking in unusually loud tonesf,
was heard directly over their heads.
" Stand farther this way, Captain Wharton, and you can see Uie
lents, in the moonshine. But let them mount and ride ; I have a
nest, here, that will hold us both, and we will go in at our leisure."
" And where is this nest ? I confess that I have eaten but little
the last two days, and I crave some of the cheer you mention."
" Hem l" said the pedler, exerting his voice still more; "hem —
this fog has giten me a cold; but move slow — and be careful not
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY. 409
JO slip, or you may land on the bayonet of the sentinel on the fluts ;
tis a steep hill to rise, but one can go down it with ease/'
Harper pressed his finger on his lip, to remind Frances of her
promise, and, taking his pistols and hat, so that no vestige of hia
visit remained, he retired deliberately to a far comer of the hut,
where, lifting, several articles of dress, he entered a recess in the
rock, and, letting them fall again, was hid from view. Frances no-
ticed, by the strong fire-light, as he entered, that it was a natural
cavity, and contained nothing but a few more articles of domestic use.
The surprise of Henry and the pedler, on entering and finding
Frances in possession of the hut, may be easily imagined. Without
waiting for explanations or questions, the warm-hearted gui flew into
the arms of her brother, and gave a vent to her emoti(ons in tears.
But the pedler seemed struck with very different feelings. His first
look was at the fire, which had been recently supplied with fuel ; he
then drew open a small drawer of the table, and looked a little
alarmed at finding it empty.
"Are you alone. Miss Fanny?" he asked, in a quick voice; "you
did not come here alone?"
"As you see me, Mr. Birch," said Frances, raising herself from
her brother's arms, and turning an expressive glance towards the
secrefr cavern, that the quick eye of the pedler instantly understood.
"Put why and wherefore are you here?" exclaimed her astonished
orother ; " and how knew you of this place at all ?"
Frances entered at once into a brief detail of what had occurred at
the house since their departure, and the motives which induced her
to seek them.
"But," said Birch, "why follow us here, when we were left on
the opposite hill?"
Frances related the glimpse that she had caught of the hut and
pedler, in her passage through the Highlands, as well as her view
of him on that day, and her inmiediate conjecture that the fugitives
woul^ seek the shelter of this habitation for the night. Birch exa-
Digitized by
Google
410 THE SPY.
mined her features as^ with open ingenuousness^ she related the sim-
ple incidents that had made her mistress of his secret; and; as she
ended; he sprang upon his feet; and; striking the window with the
stick in his hand; demolished it at a blow.
"'Tis but little luxury or comfort that I knoW;" he said, "but
even that little cannot be enjoyed in safety I Miss Wharton," he
added, advancing before Fanny, and speaking with the bitter mclan-
oholy that was common to him, ^^ I am hunted through these hilla
like a beast of the forest; but whenever; tired with my toilS; I can
reach this spot; poor and dreary as it iS; I can spend my solitary
nights in safety. Will you fud to make the life of a wretch still
more miserable?''
"Never!" cried Frances; with fervour; "your secret is safe
with me."
" Major Dunwoodie — ^" said the pedler; slowly; turning an eye
upon her that read her soul.
Frances lowered her head upon her bosom; for a moment, in
shame ; theU; elevating her fine and glowing facC; she added, with
enthusiasm —
" Never, never, Harvey, as God may hear my prayers V
The pedler seemed satisfied; for he drew back; and; watching his
opportunity, unseen by Henry, slipped behind the screen, and entered
the cavern.
Frances and her brother, who thought his companion had passed
through the door, continued conversing on the latter's situation for
several minutes, when the former urged the necessity of expedition
on his part, in order to precede Dunwoodie, from whose sense of
duty they knew they had no escape. The Captain took out his
pocket-book; and wrote a few lines with his pencil; then folding the
paper, he handed it to his sister.
"Frances," he said, "you have this night proved yourself to be
an incomparable woman. As you love me, give that unopened to
Dunwoodie, and remember that two hours may save my life,"
Digitized by VjOOQ iC
THE SPY, 411
"I will — I will; but why delay? Why not fly, and improve
these precious moments?'^
" Your sister says well, Captain Wharton/' exclaimed Harvey,
who had re-entered unseen; "we must go at once. Here is food to
eat, as we travel."
" But who is to see this fair creature in safety?'' cried the Captain.
. " I can never desert my sister in such a place as this."
" Leave me ! leave me !" said Frances ; " I can descend as I came
up. Do not doubt me ; you know not my courage nor my strength."
"I have not known you, dear girl, it is true; but now, as I learn
your value, can I quit you here ? Never, never !"
"Captain Wharton," said Birch, throwing open the door, "you
can trifle with your own lives, if you have many to spare ; I have
but one, and must nurse it. Do I go alone, or not ?"
"Go, go, dear Henry," said Frances, embracing him; "go; re-
member our father; remember Sarah." She waited not for his
answer, but gently forced him through the door, and closed it with
her own hands.
For a short time there was a warm debate between Henry and the
pedler ; but the latter finally prevailed, and the breathless girl heard
the successive plunges, as they went down the sides of the mountain
at a rapid rate.
Immediately after the noise of their departure had ceased. Harper
re-appeared. He took the arm of Frances in silence, and led her
from the hut. The way seemed fiuniliar to him ; for, ascending to
the lodge above them, he led his companion across the table-land
tenderly, pointing out the little diflGiculties in their route, and cau-
tioning her against injury.
Frances felt, as she walked by the side of this extraordinary man,
Ihat she was supported by one of no common stamp. The firmness
of his step, and the composure of his manner, seemed to indicate a
mind scliled and resolved. By taking a route over the baxsk of the
hill, they descended with great expedition, and but little danger.
Digitized by
Google
il2 THE SPY.
The distance it had taken Frances an hour to conquer, was passed
by Harper and his companion in ten minuteS; and they entered the
open space abready mentioned. He struck into one of the sheep-
paths, and, crossing the clearing with rapid steps, they came suddenly
upon a horse, caparisoned for a rider of no mean rank. The nuble
beast snorted and pawed the earth, as his master approached and
replaced the pistols in the holsters.
Harper then turned, and, taking the hand of Frances, spoke as
follows : —
" You have this night saved your brother, Miss Wharton. It
would not be proper for me to explain why there are limits to my
ability to serve him ; but if you can detain the horse for two hours,
he is assuredly safe. After what you have already done, I can be-
lieve you equal to any duty. Grod has denied to me children, young
lady; but if it had been his blessed will that my marriage should
not have been childless, such a treasure as yourself would I have
asked from his mercy. But you are my child : all who dwell in this
broad land are my children, and my care ; and take the blessing of
one who hopes yet to meet you in happier days.''
As he spoke, with a solemnity that touched Frances to the heart,
he laid his hand impressively upon her head. The guileless ^rl
turned her face towards him, and the hood again falling back, ex-
pgsed her lovely features to the moonbeams. A tear was glistening
on either check, and her mild blue eyes were gazing upon him in
reverence. Harper bent and pressed a paternal kiss upon her fore-
head, and continued — "Any of these sheep-paths will take you to
the plain; but here we must part — I have much to do, and far to
ride ; forget me in all but your prayers."
He then mounted his horse, and lifting his hat, rode towards the
back of the mountain, descending at the same time, and was soon
hid by the trees. Frances sprang forward with a lightened heart,
and taking the first path that led downwards, in a few minutes she
reached the plain in safety. While busied in stealing through the
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY,
413
meadows towards the house, the noise of horse approaching startled
her, and she felt how much more was to be apprehended from man,
in some situations, than from solitude. Hiding her form in the
angle of a fence near the road, she remained quiet for a moment,
and watched their passage. A small party of dragoons, whose dress
was different from the YirginianSi passed at a brisk trot. They
were followed by a gentleman, enveloped in a large cloak, whom she
at once knew to be Harper. Behind him rode a black in livery,
and two youths in uniform brought up the rear. Instead of taking
the road that led by the encampment, they turned short to the left,
and entered the hills.
Wondering who this tmknown but powerful friend of her brother
oould be, Frances glided across the fields, and using due precautions
m approaching the dwelling, regained her residenoe undisoovored
and in safety.
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTEB XXXL
Hence, bashful c nnn ing
And prompt me, plain and holy innocence ;
I am jour wife, if you will many me.
Tcnftstm
On joming Miss Peyton^ Frances learnt that Dimwoodie was not
jet returned; although; with a view to rclieye Henry from the im-
portunities of ihe supposed fanatic^ he had desired a very respectable
divine of their own church to ride up from the river and iMex his
services. This gentleman was already arrived^ and had been passing
the half-hour he had been there^ in a sensible and weU-bred conver-
sation with the spinster, that in no degree touched upon their do-
mestic affidrs. ^
To the eager enquiries of Miss Peyton, relative to her success in
her romantic excursion, Frances could say no more than that she
was bound to bo silent, and to recommend the same precaution to
the good maiden also. There was a smile playing around the beau-
tiful mouth of Frances, while she uttered this injunction, which
satisfied her aunt that all was as it should be. She was urging her
niece to take some refreshment after her £sktiguing expedition, when
the noise of a horseman riding to the door, announced the return of
the Major. He had been found by the courier, who was despatched
by Mason, impatiently waiting the return of Harper to the ferry,
and immediately flew to the place where his friend had been con-
fined, tormented by a thousand conflicting fears. The heart of
Frances bounded as she listened to his approaching footsteps. It
wanted yet an hour to the termination of the shortest period that the
Digitized by
Google
THE SPT. 415
pedler had fixed as the time necessary to effect his escape. Even
^ Harper; powerful and well-disposed as he acknowledged himself to
be, had laid great stress upon the importance of detaining the Yir-
ginians during that hour. She, however, had not time to rally her
thoughts, before Dunwoodie entered one door, as Miss Peyton, with
the readiness of female instinct, retired through another.
The countenance of Peyton was flushed, and ah air of yexatioti
and disappointment pervaded his manner.
"'Twas imprudent, Frances; nay, it was unkind,'' he cried,
throwing himself in a chair, '^ to fly at the very moment that I had
assured him of safety I I can almost persuade myself that you de«
light in creating points of difference in our feelings and duties.''
" In our duties there may very possibly be a difference," returned
his mistress, approaching, and leaning her slender form against the
wall ; " but not in our feelings, Peyton. You must certainly rejoice
in the escape of Henry 1"
" There was no danger impending. He had the promise of Har-
per ; and it is a word never to be doubted. Oh ! Frances I Frances I
had you known the man, you would never have distrusted his assu-
rance; nor would you have again reduced me to this distressing
alternative."
" What alternative ?" asked Frances, pitying his emotions deeply,
but eagerly seizing upon every circumstance to prolong the interview.
'^ What alternative I am I not compelled to spend this night in
the saddle to recapture your brother, when I had thought to lay
my head on its pillow, with the happy consciousness of having con-
tributed to his release ? You make me seem your enenly ; I, who
would cheerfully shed the last drop of blood in your service. I
repeat, Frances, it was rash; it was unkind; it was a sad, sad mis-
take."
She bent towards him, and timidly took one of his hands, while
with the other she gently removed the curls from his burning brow.
"Why go at all, dear Peyton?" she asked. "You have done
Digitized by VjOOQIC
416 THE spr.
much for your country^ and she canncfc exact such a saciifice as Chit
at your hand/'
" Frances ! Miss Wharton !'' exclaimed the youth, springing on
his feet, and pacing the floor with a cheek that burnt through its
brown covering, and an eye that sparkled with wounded integrity ;
*^ it is not my country, but my honour, that requires the sacrifice.
Has he not fled from a guard of my own corps? But for this, I
might have been spared the blow I But if the eyes of the Virgi-
nians are blinded to deception and artifice, their horses are swift of
foot, and their sabres keen. We shall see, before to-morrow's sun,
who will presume to hint that the beauty of the mster furnished a
mask to conceal the brother ! Yes, yes; I should like, even now,"
he continued, laughing bitterly, " to hear the villain who would dare
to sitrmise that such treachery. existed I"
"Peyton, dear Peyton," said Prances, recoiling from his angry
eye, " you cardie my blood — would you kill my brother?"
"Would I not die for him !" exclaimed Dunwoodie, as he turned
to her more mildly; "you know I would; but I am distracted with
the cruel surmise to which this step of Henry's subjects me. What
will Washington think of me, should he learn that I ever became
your husband?"
" If that alone impels you to act so harshly towards my brother,"
returned Prances, with a slight tremor in her voice, " let it nevCT
happen for him to learn."
"And this is consolation, Frances!"
"Nay, dear Dunwoodie, I meant nothing harsh or unkind; bnt
are you not making us both of jnore consequence with Washington
than the truth. will justify?"
" I trust that my name is not entirely unknown to the- Cbmmander-
in-chief," said the Major, a little proudly; "nor are you as obscure
as your modesty would make you. I believe you, Frances, when
you say that you pity me, and it must be my task to continue worthy
of such feelings. But I waste the precious nHHnents; we must go
Digitized by VjOOQLC
i
THE SPY. 417
througli the hills to-night, that we may be refreshed in time for the
duty of to-morrow. Mason is already waiting my orders to mount.
Frances, I leave you with a heavy heart; pity me, but feel no con-
cern for your brother; he must again become a prisoner, but every
hair of his head is sacred.''
" Stop ! Dunwoodie, I conjure you," cried Frances, gasping for
breath, as she noticed that the hand of the clock still wanted many
minutes to the desired hour; "before you go on your errand of
festidious duty, read this note that Henry has left for you, and
which, doubtless, he thought he was writing to the friend of his
youth."
"Frances, I excuse your feelings; but the time will come when
yxm will do me justice."
" That time is now," she answered, extending her hand, unable
any longer to feign a displeasure that she did not feel.
" Where got you this note ?" exclaimed the youth, glancing his
eyes over its contents. " Poor Henry, you are indeed my friend !
If any one wishes me happiness, it is you !"
^^ He does, he does," cried Frances, eagerly; *'he wishes you
every happiness ; believe what he tells you ; every word is true."
" I do believe him, lovely girl, and he refers me to you for its
confirmation. "Would that I could trust equally to your affections !"
" You may, Peyton," said Frances, looking up with innocent con-
fidence towards her lover.
"Then read for yourself, and verify your words," interrupted
Dunwoodie, holding the note towards her.
Frances received it in astonishment, and read the following : —
•^ Life is too 'precious to he trusted to uncertainties, I leave youy
Peyton^ unknown to all hut Ccesar^ and I recommend him tc your
mercy. But there is a care that weighs me to tlie earth. Look at
my aged and infirm parent. He will he reproached for the sup-
^posed crime of his son. Look at those helpless sisters tliat I leave
behind me icithout a protector. Prove to me that you love us nil.
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
418 THE SPT.
Let the clergyman wlumi you will bring with youy unite you this
night to Frances^ and become at once, brother^ son^ and husbandJ*
The paper fell from the hands of Frances^ and she endeayoured
to raise her eyes to the face of Dunwoodio; bnt they sank abashed
to the floor.
"Am I worthy of this confidence? Will you send me out thij
night, to meet my own brother ? or will it be the officer of Congress
in quest of the officer of Britain V
"And would you do less of your duty because I am your wife.
Major Dunwoodie ? in what degree would it better the condition of
Henry r
" Henry, I repeat, is safe. The word of Harper is his guarantee ;
f but I will show the world a bridegroom,'' continued the youth, per-
) I haps deceiving himself a little, " who is equal to the duty of arrest'
J ing the brother of his bride."
I "And will the world comprehend this refinement ?" said Frances,
I with a musing air, that lighted a thousand hopes in the bosom of her
lover. In fact, the temptation was mighty. Indeed, there seemed
no other way to detain Dunwoodie until the fatal hour had elapsed.
The words of Harper himself, who had so lately told her that openly
he could do but little for Henry, and that every thing depended
upon gaining time, were deeply engraved upon her memory. Per-
haps there was also a fleeting thought of the possibility of an eternal
separation from her lover, should he proceed and bring back her
brother to punishment. It is difficult at all times to analyse human
emotions, and they pass through the sensitive heart of a woman with
the rapidity and nearly with the vividness of lightning.
"Why do you hesitate, dear Frances?" cried Dunwoodie, who
was studying her varying countenance; "a few minutes might give
me a husband's claim to protect you."
Frances grew giddy. She turned an anxious eye to the clock|
and the hand seemed to linger over its face, as if with intent to Uay
tore her.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPT. 419
" Speak, Frances," mumiTired Bunwoodie ; " may I summon my
good kinswoman ? determine, for time presses.''
She endeavoured to reply, but could only wliisper something that
was inaudible, but which her lover, with the privilege of immemorial
eostom, construed into assent. He turned and flew to the door,
when his mistress recovered her voice —
'^ Stop, Peyton I I cannot ent^ into such a solenm engagement
with a fraud upon my conscience. I have seen Henry since hk
escape, and time is all-important to him. Here is my hand; if, with
this knowledge of the consequences of delay, you will not reject it,
it is freely yours."
'^ Keject it I" cried the delighted youth } ^'1 take it as the richest
gift of Heaven. There is time enough for us all. Two hours will
take me through the hills; and by noon, to-morrow, I will return
with Washington's pardon for your brother, and Henry will help to
enliven our nuptials."
" Then meet me here, in ten minutes," said Frances, greatly re-
lieved by unburthening her mind, and filled with the hope of securing
Henry's safety, " and I will return and take those vows, which will
bind me to you for ever."
Bunwoodie paused only to press her once to his bosom, and flew
to communicate his wishes to the priest.
Miss Peyton received the avowal of her niece with infinite aston-
ishment, and a little displeasure. It was violating all the order and
decorum of a wedding to get it up so hastily, and with so little cere-
mony. But Frances, with modest firmness, declared that her resolu-
tion was taken; she had long possessed the consent of her friends,
and their nuptials, for months, had only waited her pleasure. She
had now promised Bunwoodie, and it was her wish to comply; more
tshe dare not say without committing herself, by entering into expla^*
nations that might endanger Birch, or Harper, or both. Unused to
contention, and really much attached to her kinsman, the feeble
objections of Miss Peyton gave way to the firmness of her niece.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
120 THE 8 FT.
Mr. Wharton was too completely a convert to the doctrine of pas<
Bive obedience and non-resist&nce^ to withstand any solicitation from
on officer of Donwoodie's influence in the rebel armies; and the
maid returned to the apartment, accompanied by her &ther and aunt,
at the expiration of the time that she had fixed. Sunwoodie and
the clergyman were already there. Frances, silently, and without
the affectation of reserve, placed in his hand the wedding-ring of het
own mother, and after some little time spent in arranging Mr. Whar-
ton and herself, Miss Peyton suffered the ceremony to proceed.
The clock stood directly before the eyes of Frances, and she
turned many an anxious glance at the dial; but the solemn language
of the priest soon caught her attention, and her mind became intent
upon the vows she was uttering. The ceremony was quickly over,
and as the clergyman closed the words of benedidion, the dock told
the hour of nine. This was the time that Harper had deemed so
important, and Frances felt as if a mighty load was at once removed
from her heart.
Punwoodie folded her in his arms, saluted the mild aunt again
and again, and shook Mr. Whartoirand the divine repeatedly by the
hands. In the midst of the felicitation, a tap was heard at the door.
It was opened, and Mason appeared.
" We are in the saddle," said the Lieutenant, " and, with your
permission, I will lead on; as you are so well mounted, you can
overtake us at your leisure."
"Yes, yes, my good fellow; march," cried Dunwoodie, gladly
seizing an excuse to linger; "I will reach you at the first halt."
The subaltern retired to execute these orders; he was followed by
Mr. Wharton and the divine.
"Now, Peyton," said Frances, "it is indeed a brother that you
peek; I am sure I need not caution you in his behalf, should you
unfortunately find him."
" Say fortnnately," cried the youth; "for I am determined he
shall yet dance at my wedding. Would that I could win him to our
Digitized by CjOOQIC
THE SPY. 421
cause I it is the cause of his country; and I could fight Tvith more
pleasure, Frances, with your brother by my side."
" Oh ! mention it not 1 you awaken terrible reflections."
" I will not mention it," returned her husband ; " but I must now
leave you. But the sooner I go, Frances, the sooner I shall return."
The noise of a horseman was heard approaching the house, and
Dunwoodie was yet taking leave of his bride and her aunt, when an
officer was shown into the room by his own man.
The gentleman wore the dress of an aid-de-camp, and the Major
at once knew him to be one of the military family of Washington.
" Major Dunwoodie," he said, after bowing to the ladies, " the
Commander-in-chief has directed me to give you these orders."
He executed his mission, and, pleading duty, took his leave im-
mediately.
" Here, indeed !" cried the Major, *' is an unexpected turn in the
whole affair; but I understand it; Harper has got my letter, and
already wo feel his influence."
" Have you news affecting Henry ?" cried Frances, springing to
his side.
"Listen, and you shall judge."
" Sir — Upon the receipt of this^ you will concentrate your
squadron^ so as to he in frcmt of a covering party which the enemy
has sent up in front of his foragers^ hy ten o"^ clock to-morrow^ on
tlie heights of Croton^ where you will find a tody of foot to support
you. The escape of the English spy has been reported to we, but
his arrest is unimportant^ compared with the duty I now assign you,
You willj therefore, recall your men, if any are in pursuit, and en-
deavour to defeat the enemy forthwith,
^ Your obedient Servant,
" Geo. Washington."
"Thank God!" cried Dunwoodie, "my hands are washed of
Henry's recapture ; I can now move to my duty with honour."
"And with prudence too, dear Peyton," said Frances, with a face
Digitized by VjOOQIC
122 THB 8PT.
as pale as death; ''remember^ Danwoodie, jou leave behind you
new claims on your life."
The youth dwelt on her lovely bat pallid features with rapture;
and; as he folded her to his hearty exclaimed —
^^ For your sake, I will; lovely innocent I" Frances sobbed a mo-
ment on his bosom; and he tore himself from her presence.
Miss Peyton retired with her niece; to whom she conceived it no-
oossaiy; before they separated for the night; to give an admonitory
lecture on the subject of matrimonial duty. Her instruction was
modestly received; if not properly digested. We regret that history
has not handed down to us this precious dissertation ; but the result
of all our investigation has been to learn that it partook largely of
those peculiarities which are said to tincture the rules prescribed to
govern bachelors' children. We shall now leave the ladies of the
Wharton fiunily; and retam to Captain Wharton and Harvey Birch.
Digitized by VjOOQIC !
I
CHAPTER XXXn.
Allow him not a parting word;
Short be the shrifl, and sure the cord!
Roktky*
The pedler and his companion soon reached the valley; and after
pausing to listen, and hearing no sounds which announced that pur-
suers were abroad, they entered the highway. Acquainted with
every step that led through the mountains, and possessed of sinews
inured to toil, Birch led the way, with the lengthened strides that
were peculiar to the man and his profession; his pack alone was
wanting to finish the appearance of -his ordinary business air. At
times, when they approached one of those little posts held by the
American troops, with which the Highlands abounded, he would
take a circuit to avoid the sentinels, and plunge fearlessly into a
thicket, or ascend a rugged hill, that to the eye seemed impassable.
But the pedler was fcimiliar with every turn in their diflBicult route,
knew where the ravines might be penetrated, or where the streams
were fordable. In one or two instances, Henry thought that their
. farther progress was absolutely at an end, but the ingenuity, or
knowledge, of his guide, conquered every diflBiculty. After walking
at a great rate for three hours, they suddenly diverged &om the road^
which inclined to the east, and held their course directly across the
hills, in a due south direction. This movement was made, the
pedler informed his companion, in order to avoid the parties who
constantly patroled in the southern entrance of the Highlands, as
well as to shorten the distance, by travelling in a straight line. After
Digitized by VjOOQIC
424 • THE SPY.
reaching the summit of a hill, Harvey seated himself by the side oC
a little run; and opening a wallet^ that he had slung where his pack
was commonly suspended^ he invited his comrade to partake of the
coarse fare it contained. Henry had kept pace with the pedlcr,
more by the excitement natural to his situation, than by the equality
of his physical powers. The idea of a halt was unpleasant, so long
as there existed a possibility of the horse getting below him, in time
to intercept their retreat through the neutral ground. He, therefore,
stated his apprehensions to his companion, and urged a wish to proceed.
•' Follow my example. Captain Wharton," said the pedler, com-
mencing his frugal meal; ^^if the horse have started, it will be more
than man can do to head them ; and if they have not, work is cut
out for them, that will drive all thoughts of you and me from their
brains."
" You said yourself, that two hours' detention was all-important
to us, and if we loiter here, of what use will be the advantage that
wo may have already obtained?"
" The time is passed, and Major Dunwoodie thinks little of fol-
lowing two men, when hundreds are waiting for him, on the banks
of the river."
"Listen!" interrupted Henry; " there are horse at this moment
passing the foot of the hill. I hear them even laughing and talk-
bg to each other. Hist I there is the voice of Dunwoodie himself;
he calls to his comrade in a manner that shows but little unea^ess.
One would think that the situation of his friend would lower his
spirits ; surely Frances could not have given him the letter."
On hearing the first exclamation of th« Captain, Birch arose from
his seat, and approached cautiously to the brow of the hill, taking
care to keep his body in the shadow of the rocks, so as to be unseen
at any distance, and earnestly reconnoitred the group of passing
hoi-semcn. He continued listening, until their quick footsteps were
no longer audible, and then qtiietly returned to his seat, and with
incomparable coolness resinned his meaL
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SFT. 425
" You have a long walk, and a tiresome one, before you, Captain
WJiarton; you had better do as I do — you were eager for food at
the hut above Fishkill, but travelling seems to have worn down your
appetite."
"I thought myself safe then, but the information of my sister
fills me with uneasiness, and I cannot eat." • \ ^ '
" You have less reason to be troubled now than at any time since
the night before you were taken, when you refused my advice, and
an offer to see you in, in safety," returned, the pedler. "Major
Dunwoodie is not a man to laugh and be gay, when his friend is in
difficulty. Come, then, and eat, for no horse will be in our way, if
we can hold our legs for four hours longer, and the sun keeps behind
the hills as long as common."
There was a composure in the pedler's manner that encouraged
his companion ; and having once determined to submit to Harvey's
government, he suffered himself to be persuaded into a tolerable
supper, if quantity be considered without any reference to the qua-
lity. After completing their repast, the pedler resumed his
journey.
Henry followed in blind submission to his will. For two hours
more they struggled with the difficult and dangerous passes of the
Highlands, without road, or any other guide than the moon, which
was travelling the heavens, now wading through flying clouds, and
now shining brightly. At length they arrived at a point where the
mountains sunk into rough and unequal hillocks, and passed at once
from the barren sterility of the precipices, to the imperfect culture
of the neutral ground.
The pedler now became more guarded in the manner in which
they proceeded,' and took divers precautions to prevent meeting any
moving parties of the Americans. With the stationary posts he was
too familiar to render it probable he might fall upon any of them
unawares. He wound among the hills and vales, now keeping the
highways and now avoiding them, with a precision that seemed in*
Digitized by VjOOQIC
426 THE SPY.
stinctivo. There was nothing elastic in his tread, but he glided
over the ground with enormous strides, and a body bent forward,
without appearing to use exertion, or know weariness.
The moon had set, and a faint streak of light was beginning to
show itself in the east. Captain Wharton ventured to express a
sense of fatigue, and to enquire if they were not yet arrived at a
part of the country, where it might be safe to apply at some of the
£Bim-houscs for admission.
" See here," said the pedler, pointing to a hill, at a short distance
in their rear ; " do you not see a man walking on the point of that
rock? Turn, so as to bring the daylight in the range — now, see,
he moves, and seems to be looking earnestly at something to the
eastward. That is a royal sentinel; two hundred of the rig'lai
troops lay on that hill, no doubt sleeping on their arms."
"Then/' cried Henry, "let us join them, and our danger is
'jnded."
" Softly, softly. Captain Wharton," said the pedler, drily, " you 've
once been in the midst of three hundred of them, but there was a
man who could take you out; see you not yon dark body, on the
side of the opposite hill, just above the corn-stalks ? There are the
— the rebels, (since that is the word for us loyal subjects,) waiting
only for day, to see who will be master of the ground."
" Nay, then," exclaimed the fiery youth, " I will join the troops
of my prince, and share their fortunes, be it good or be it bad "
"You forget that you fight with a halter round your neck; no,
no — I have promised one whom I must not disappoint, to Carry
you safe in; and unless you forget what I have already done, and
what I have risked for you. Captain Wharton, you will turn and
follow me to Harlaem."
To this appeal the youth felt unwillingly obliged to submit; and
they continued their course towards the city. It was not long be fore
they gained the banks of the Hudson. After searching for a sliort
time under the shore, the pedler discovered a skifi^, that appeared to
Digitized by CjOOQIC
THE SPY, 427
be an old acquaintance; and entering it with his companion, he
landed him on the south side of the Croton. Here Birch declared
they were in safety; for the royal troops held the continentals at
baj , and the former were out in too great strength, for the light
parties of the latter to trust themselves below that river, on the im-
mediate banks of the Hudson.
Throughout the whole of this arduous flight, the pedler had mani-
fested a coolness and presence of mind that nothing appeared to dis-
turb. All his faculties seemed to be of more than usual perfection,
and the inflrmities of nature to have no dominion over him. Henry
had followed him like a child in leading-strings, and he now reaped
his reward, as he felt a bound of pleasure at his heart, on hearing
that he was relieved from apprehension, and permitted to banish
every doubt of security.
A steep and laborious ascent brought them from the level of the
tide-waters to the high lands, that form, in this part of the river,
the eastern banks of the Hudson. Eetiring a little from the high-
way, under the shelter of a thicket of cedars, the pedler threw his
form on a flat rock, and announced to his companion that the hour
for rest and refreshment was at length arrived. The day was now
opened, and objects could be seen in the distance, with distinctness.
Beneath them lay the Hudson, stretching to the south in a straight
line, as ^ as the eye could reach. To the nortli, the broken frag-
ments of the Highlands threw upwards their lofty heads, above
masses of fog that hung over the water, and by wliieh the course of
the river could be traced into the bosom of hills, whose conical
summits were grouping together, one behind another, in that disor-
der which might be supposed to have succeeded their gigantic, but
fruitless, efforts to stop the progress of the flood. Emerging from
these confused piles, the river, as if rejoicing at its release from the
struggle, expanded into a wide bay, which was ornamented by a few
fertile and low points that jutted humbly into its broad basin. On
the opposite, or western shore, the rocks of Jersey were gathered into
Digitized by
Google
428 THE 8 FT.
an array that has obtained for them the name of the/'paiisado€9,*'
elevating themselves for many hundred feet^ as if to protect the rich
country in their rear from the inroads of the conqueror; but^ dis-
daining such an enemy^ the river swept proudly by their feet^ and
held its undeviating way to the ocean. A ray of the rising sun
darted upon the slight cloud that hung over the placid river^ and at
once the whole scene was in motion^ changing and assuming new
formS; and exhibiting fresh objects in each successive moment. At
the daily rising of this great curtain of nature^ at the present time^
scores of white sails and sluggish vessels are seen thickening on the
water; with that air of life which denotes the neighbourhood to the
metropolis of a great and flourishing empire ; but to Henry and the
pedler it displayed only the square yards and lofty masts of a vessel
of war, riding a few miles below them. Before the fog had begun
to move, the tall spars were seen above it, and from one of them a
long pennant was feebly borne abroad in the current of night air,
that still quivered along the river; but as the smoke arose, the black
hull, the crowded and complicated mass of rigging, and the heavy
yards and booms, spreading their arms afar, w^re successively brought
into view.
" There, Oaptain Wharton," said the pedler, " there is a safe rest-
ing-place for you; America has no arm that can reach you, if you
gain the deck of that ship. She is sent up to cover the foragers, and
support the troops; the rig'lar officers are fond of the sound of can-
non from their shipping.''
Without condescending to reply to the sarcasm conveyed in this
speech, or perhaps not noticing it, Henry joyfully acquiesced in the
proposal, and it was accordingly arranged between them, thal^ as
soon as they were refreshed, he should endeavour to get on board
the vessel.
While busily occupied in the very indispensable operation of break-
ing their fast, our adventurers were startled with the sound of distant
fire-arms. At first a few scattering shots were fired, which were suo-
Digitized by CjOOQIC
THE S F T. 429
eeeded liy a long and animated roll of musketry^ and then quick and
heavy volleys followed each other.
" Your prophecy is made good," cried the English officer, spring-
mg upon his feet. " Our troops and the rebels are at it !— I would
give six months' pay to see the charge.''
*^Umph!" returned his companion, without ceasing his meal;
" they do very well to look at from a distance : I can't say but the
company of this bacon, cold as it is, is more to my taste, just now,
than a hot fire from the continentals^"
" The discharges are heavy for so small a force; but the fire seems
irregular."
'^The scattering guns are from the Connecticut militia," said
Harvey, raising his head to listen ; " they rattle it off finely, and are
{ no fools at a mark. The volleys are the rig'lars, who, you know,
^ fire by word — as long as they can."
" I like not the warmth of what you call a scattering fire," ex-
\ claimed the Captain, moving about with uneasiness; ^4t is more like
the roll of a drum than the shooting of skirmishers."
I *' No, no ; I said not skrimmagers," returned the other, raising
himself upon a knee, and ceasing to eat; "so long as they stand,
they are too good for the best troops in the royal army. Each man
I does his work, as if fighting by the job; and then, they think while
I they fight, and don't send bullets among the clouds, that were meant
to kill men upon earth."
" You talk and look, sir, as if you wished them success," said
Henry, sternly.
" I wish success to the good cause only. Captain Wharton. I
thought you knew me too well, to be uncertain which party I fa-
voured."
" Oh 1 you are reputed loyal, Mr. Birch. — But the volleys have
I"
Both now listened intently for a little while, during which the
Digitized by
Google
430 THE 8 FT.
inregular reports became less brisk^ and suddenly heavy and tepeated
volleys followed.
"They've been at the bayonet," said the pedler; "therig'lars
have tried the bayonet, and the rebels are driven."
"Ay, Mr. Birch, the bayonet is the thing for the British soldier,
after all. They delight in the bayonet l"
" Well, to my notion," said the pedler, " there 's but little delight
to be taken in any such fearful weapon. I dare say the militia are
of my mind, for half of them don't carry the ugly things. — Lord I
Lord I Captain, I wish you'd go with me once into the rebel camp,
and hear what lies the men will tell about Bunker Hill and Bur*
g'yne : you'd think they loved the bayonet as much as they do their
dinners."
There was a chuckle, and an air of affected innocency about hia
companion, that rather annoyed Henry, and he did not deign to
reply.
The firing now became desultory, occasionally intermingled with
heavy volleys. Both of the fugitives were standing, listeniag with
much anxiety, when a man, armed with a musket, was seen stealing
towards them, under the shelter of the cedar bushes, that partially
covered the hill. Henry first observed this suspicious-looking stranger,
and instantly pointed him out to his companion. Birch started, and
certainly made an indication of sudden flight; but recollecting him-
self, he stood, in sullen silence, until the stranger was within a few
yards of them.
" 'T is friends," said the fellow, clubbing his gun, but apparently
afraid to venture nearer.
" You had better retire," said Birch ; " here are rig'lars at hand.
We are not near Dunwoodie's horse now, and you will not find me
an easy prize to-day."
" Damn Major Dunwoodie and his horse !" cried the leader of the
Skinners (for it was he) ; " God bless King George ! and a speedy
end to the rebellion, say I. If you would show me the safe way in
Digitized by
Google
THB SPT. 431
to tho refugees,. Mr. Birch, I'll pay you well, and ever after stand
your friend, in the bargain."
" The road is as open to you as to me," said Birch, turning firom
him in ill-coneealed disgust; "if you want to find the refugees, you
know well where they lay."
"Ay, but I'm a little doubtful of going in upon them by myself:
now, you are well known to them alL and it will be no detriment to
you just to let me go in with you."
Henry here interfered, and after holding a short dialogue with tho
fellow, he entered into a compact with him, that, on condition of
surrendering his arms, he might join the party. The man complied
instantly, and Birch reoeiyed his gun with eagerness ; nor did he lay
it upon his shoulder to renew their march, before he had carefully
examined the priming, and ascertained, to his satisfaction, that it
contained a good dry ball-cartridge.
As soon as this engagement was completed, they commenced their
journey anew* By following the bank of the river, Birch led the
way free from observation, until th^y reached the point opposite to
the frigate, when, by making a signal, a boat was induced to approach.
Some time was spent, and much precaution used, before the seamen
would trust themselves ashore ; but Henry having finally succeeded
in making the officer who commanded the party credit his assertions,
he was able to rejoin his companions in arms in safety. Before tak-
ing leave of Birch, the Captain handed him his purse, which was
tolerably well supplied for the times; the pedler received it, and,
watching an oppcwrtunity, he conveyed it, unnoticed by the Skinner,
to a part of his dress that was ingeniously contrived to hold such
treasures.
The boat pulled from the share, and Birch turned on his heel,
drawing his breath like one relieved, and shot up the hills with the
strides for which he was famous. The Skinner followed, and each
party pursued the common course casting frequent and suspidous
19
Digitized by
Google
492 THS BPT.
glanoes at tho oiher^ and both maintaining a most impenetxabb
dilenoe.
Wagons were moTing along the riyer road^ and oocaaonal parties
of horse wore seen escorting the fruits of the inroad towards the city.
.As the pedler had yiews of his own, he rather aroided fiiHing in
with any of these patrols, than songht their protection. But, after
trayelling a few miles on the immediate hanks of the riyer, during
which, notwithstanding the repeated efforts of the Skinner to esta-
blish something like socialnlitj, he maintained a most determined
silence, keeping a firm hold of the gun, and alwajs maintaining a
jealous watchfulness of his assocnate, the pedler suddenly struck
into the highway, with an intention of crossing the hills towards
Harlaem. At the moment he gained the path, a body of horse
came oyer a little eminence, and was upon him before he perceiyed
them. It was too late to retreat, and afiier taking a yiew of <ho ma-
terials that composed this party, Birdi rejoiced in the rencontre, as
a probable means of relieying him from his unwelcome companion.
There were some eighteen or twenty men, mounted and equipped as
dragoons, though neither their appearance nor manners denoted
much discipline. At their head rode a faeayy, middle^iged man,
whose features expressed as much of animal courage, and as little of
reason, as could be desired for such an occupation. He wore the
dress of an officer, but there was none of that neatness in his attire,
nor grace in his moyements, that was usually found about the gen-
tlemen who bore the royal oommission. His limbs were firm, and
not pliable, and he sat his horse with strength and confidence, but
his bridle-hand would haye been ridiculed by the meanest rider
amongst the Virginians. As he expected, this leader instantly
hailed the pedler, in a yoice by no means more conciliating than liia
appeai-ance.
"Hey! my gentlemien, which way so fast?'' he cried. "Haa
Washington sent you down as spies T'
Digitized by
Google
T-a E &py, 433
'• I am an iiinooent pedler," returned Harvey, meekly, " and am
going below, to lay in a fresh stock of goods."
^ And how do you expect to get below, my innocent pedler ? Do
you think we hold the forts at Kingsbridge to cover such peddling
ra^sals as you, in your goings in, and comings out ?"
" I believe I hold a pass that will carry me through," said the
pedler, handing him a paper, with an air of great indifference.
The officer, for such he was, read it, and cast a look of surprise
and curiosity at Harvey, when he had done.
Then turning to one or two of his men. who had officiously stopped
the way, he cried —
" Why do you detain the man ? give way, and let him pass in
peace : but who. have we here ? your name is not mentioned in the
pass !"
"No, sir," said the Skinner, lifting his hat with humility; "I
have been a poor deluded man, who has been serving in the rebel
army; but, thank God, I've lived to see the error of my ways, and
am now come to make reparation, by enlisting under the Lord's
anointed."
"Umphl a deserter — a Skinner, I'll swear, wanting to turn
Cow-boy I In the last brush I had with the scoundrels, I could
hardly tell my own men from the enemy. We are not over well
supplied with coats, and as for countenances, the rascals change sides
80 often, that you may as well count their faces for nothing; but
trudge on, we will contrive to make usie of you, sooner or later."
Ungracious as was this reception, if you could judge of the
Skinner's feelings from his manner, it nevertheless delighted him.
He moved with alacrity towards the city, and really was so happy to
escape tlie brutal looks and frightful manner of his interrogator, as
to lose sight of all other considerations. But the man who performed
the functions of orderly in the irregular troop, rode up to the side
of his commander, and commenced a close and apparently a confi-
dential discourse with his principal. They spoke in whispers, and
Digitized by VjOOQIC
\
434 THE SPY
cast frequent and searching glances at the Skinner^ until the fello:?
began to think himself an object of more than common attenticn.
His satisfaction at this distinction was somewhat heightened, at ob-
serving a smile on the &ce of the Captain, which, although it might
be thought grim, certainly denoted satisfaction. This pantomime
occupied the time ehey were passing a hollow, and concluded as they
rose another hill. Here the Captain and his sergeant both dismount-
ed, and ordered the parly to halt. The two partisans each took a
pistol from his holster, a movement that excited no suspicion or
alarm, as it was a precaution always observed, and beckoned to the
pedler and the Skinner to follow. A short walk brought them to a
spot where the hill overhung the river, the ground falling nearly
perpendicularly to the shore. On the brow of the eminence stood a
deserted and dilapidated bam. Many boards of its covering were
torn from their places, and its wide doors were lying, the one in
front of the building, and the other half-way down the precipice,
whither the wind had cast it. Entering this desolate spot, the refugee
officer very coolly took from his pocket a short pipe, which, from long
use, had acquired not only the hue but the gloss of ebony, a tobacco-
box, and a small roll of leather, that contained steel, flint, and tinder.
With this apparatus, he soon furnished his mouth with a companion
that habit had long rendered necessary to reflection. So soon as a
large column of smoke arose from this arrangement, the Captain
significantly held forth a hand towards his assistant. A small cord
was produced from the pocket of the sergeant, and handed to the
other. The refugee threw out vast puffs of smoke, until nearly all
of his head was obscured, and looked around the building with an
inquisitive eye. At length he removed the pipe, and inhaling a
draught of pure air, returned it to its domicile, and proceeded at
once to business. A heavy piece of timber lay across the girths of
the bam, but a little way from the southern door, which opened
directly upon a full view of the river, as it stretched far away to-
wards the bay of New York. Over this beam the refugee threw
Digitized by
Google
THE SPY. 435
one end of the i )pe; and^ regaining it^ joined the two parts in Lis
band. A small and weak barrel, that wanted a head, the staves of
which were loose, and at one end standing apart, was left on tho
floor, probably as useless. The sergeant, in obedience to a look fi-om
his officer, placed it beneath the beam. AH of these arrangements
were made with inmioyeable composure, and they now seemed com-
pleted to the officer's perfect satisfaction.
" Come," he said coolly to the Skinner, who, admiring the pre*
parations, had stood a silent spectator of their progress. He obeyed }
and it was not until he found his neckcloth removed, and hat thrown
aside, that he took tho alarm. But he had so often resorted to a
similar expedient to extort information, or plunder, that he by no
means felt the terror an impractised man would have suffered, at
these ominous movements. The rope was adjusted to his neck with
the same coolness that formed the characteristic of the whole move-
ment, and a fragment of board being laid upon the barrel, he was
ordered to mount
" But it may fall," said the Skinner, for the first time beginning
to tremble. " I will tell you any thing — even how to surprise our
party at the Pond, without all this trouble, and it is commanded by
my own brother."
" I want no information," returned his executioner, (for such ho
now seemed really to be), throwing the rope repeatedly over the
beam, first drawing it tight so as to annoy the Skinner a little, and
then casting the end from him, beyond the reach of any one.
" This is joking too far," cried the Skinner, ii> a tone of remon-
strance, and raising himself on his toes, with the vain hope of re-
leasing liimself from the cord, by slipping his head through the
noose. But the caution and experience of the refugee officer had
guarded against this escape.
" What have you done with the horse you stole from me, rascal ?"
muttered the officer of the Cow-boys, tlirowing out columns of smoke
while lie waited for a reply.
Digitized by CjOOQIC
436 THE S P T/
" He broke down in the cbase/' replied the Skinner, quickly ;
" but I can tell you where one is to be found that is worth him and
his sire."
"Liar! I will help myself when I am in need; you had better'
call upon God for aid, as your hour is short." On concluding this
consoling advice, he struck the barrel a violent blow with his heavy
foot, and the slender staves flew in every direction, leaving the Skin-
ner whirling in the air. As his hands were unconfined, he threvr
them upwards, and held himself suspended by main strength.
" Come, captain," he said, coaxingly, a little huskiness creeping
into his voice, and his knees beginning to shake with tremour, "end
the joke ; 't is enough to make a laugh, and my arms begin to tire —
I can't hold on much longer."
" Harkee, Mr. Pedler," said the refugee, in a voice that would not
be denied, " I want not your company. Through that door lies your
road — march! offer to touch that dog, and you'll swing in his
place, though twenty Sir Henries wanted your services." So say-
ing, he retired to the road with the sergeant, as the pedler precipi-
tately retreated down the bank.
Birch went no farther than a bush that opportunely offered itself
as a skreen to his person, while he yielded to an unconquerable
desire to witness the termination of this extraordinary scene.
Left alone, the Skinner began to throw fearful glances around, to
espy the hiding-places of his tormentors. For the first time the
horrid idea seemed to shoot through his brain that something serious
was intended by the Cow-boy. He called entreatingly to be re-
leased, and made rapid and incoherent promises of important infor-
mation, mingled with affected pleasantry at their conceit, which he
would hardly admit to himself could mean any thing so dreadful as
it seemed. But as he heard the tread of the horses moving on their
course, and in vain looked around for human aid, violent trembling
seized his limbs, and his eyes began to start from his head with
terror. He made a desperate effort to reach the beam; but, too
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY. 437
much exhausted with his preyious exertions^ he caught the rope in
his teeth, in a vain eff(»ii to sever the cord, and fell to the whole
length of his arms. Here his cries were turned into shrieks —
"Help! cut the rope I Captain! — Birch! good pedler! Down
with the Congress ! — Sergeant ! — for God's sake, help ! Hurrah
for the king ! — Oh God 1 oh God I — mercy — mercy — mercy 1"
As his voice became suppressed, one of his hands endeavoured to
make its way between the rope and his neck, and partially suc-
ceeded; but the other fell quivering by his side. A convulsive
shuddering passed over his whole frame, and he hung a hideous
corse.
Birch continued ga^g on this scene with a kind of in&tuation.
At its close he placed his hands to his ears, and rushed towards the
highway. Still the cries for mercy rang through his brain, and it
was many weeks before his memory ceased to dwell on the horrid
event. The Cow-boys rode steadily on their route, as if nothing
had occurred; and the body was left swinging in the wmd, until
chance directed the footsteps of some straggler to the place.
Digitized by
Google
CHAPTER XXXm.
Green bo the turf above thee.
Friend of my better days ;
None knew thee bnt to loTe tbcCf
None named thee bnt to praise.
HaUeek.
While the scenes and events that we have recorded were occniriDg^
Captain Lawton led his small partj^ bj slow and waiy marches^ from
the Four Comers to the front of a body of the enemy ; where he so
successfully manceayred, for a short tune, as completely to elude all
their efforts to entrap him, and yet so disguised his own force as to
excite the constant apprehension g£ an attack from the Americans.
This forbearing policy, on the side of the partisan, was owing to
positive orders received from his commander. When Dunwoodie
left his detachment, the enemy were known to be slowly advancing,
and he directed Lawton to hover around them, until his own returo,
and the arrival of a body of foot, might enable him to intercept their
retreat.
The trooper discharged his duty to the letter, but with no little
of the impatience that made part of his character when restrained
from the attack.
During these movements, Betty Flanagan guided her little cart
with indefatigable zeal among the rocks of West-Chester, now dis-
cussing with the sergeant the nature of evil spirits, and now combat-
ing with the surgeon sundry points of practice that were hourly
arising between them. But the moment at length arrived that was
to decide the temporary mastery of the field. A detachment of the
Digitized by VjOOQLC
THE SPY. 439
eastern militia moved out from their fastnesses, and approached tho
enemy.
The junction between Lawton and his auxiliaries was made at
midnight, and an immediate consultation was held between him and
the leader of the foot-soldiers. After listening to the statements of
the partisan, who rather despised the prowess of his enemy, the
commandant of the party determined to attack the British, the mo-
ment daylight enabled him to reconnoitre their position, without
waiting for the aid of Dunwoodie and his horse. So soon as this
decision was made, Lawton retired from the building where the con-
sultation was held, and rejoined his own small command.
The few troopers who were with the captain had fastened their
horses in a spot adjacent to a haystack, and laid their own frames
under its shelter, to catch a few hours' sleep. But Dr. Sitgreaves,
Sergeant Hollister, and Betty Flanagan were congregated at a short
distance by themselves, having spread a few blankets upon the dry
surface of a rock.' Lawton threw his huge frame by the side of the
surgeon, and folding his cloak about him, leaned his head upon one
hand, and appeared deeply engaged in contemplating the moon as it
waded through the heavens. The sergeant was sitting upright, in
respectful deference to the surgeon, and the washerwoman was now
raising her head, in order to vindicate some of her favourite maxims,
and now composing it on one of her gin-casks, in a vain effort to
sleep.
"So, Sergeant," continued Sitgreaves, following up a previous
position, " if you cut upwards, the blow, by losing the additional
momentum of your weight, will be less destructive) and at the same
time effect the true purposes of war, that of disabling your
enemy."
" Pooh ! pooh ! Sargeant dear," said the washerwoman, raising
her head from the blanket; " where 's the harm of taking a life, jist
in the way of battle ? Is it the rig'lars who 'U show favour, and
they fighting ? Ask Captain Jack there, if the country could get
Digitized by VjOOQLC
440 T H £ 8 p r. /
ihe liberty^ and the boys no strike their might I wouldn't have
Ihem disparage the whiskey so much."
<' It is not to be expected that an ignorant female like yourself,
Mrs. FlanagEm/' returned the surgeon, with a caknness that only
rendered his contempt more stinging to Betty, ''can comprehend tlie
distinctions of surgical science; neither are you accomplished in
the sword exercise ; so that dissertations upon the judicious use of
that weapon could avail you nothing, either in theory or in
practice."
" It 's but little I care, any way, for such botherments; but fight-
ing is no play, and a body shouldn't be partic'lar how they strike,
or who they hit, so it's the inimy."
"Are we likely to have a warm day. Captain Lawton ?"
"'Tis more than probable," replied the trooper; "these militia
seldom fail of making a bloody field, either by their cowardice or
their ignorance, and the real soldier is made to suffer for their bad
conduct."
" Are you ill, John ?" said the surgeon, passmg his hand along
the arm of the Captain, until it instinctively settled on his pulse ;
but the steady, even beat announced neither bodily nor mental
malady.
" Sick at heart, Archibald, at the folly of our rulers, in believing
that battles are to be fought, and victories won, by fellows who han-
dle a musket as they would a flail; lads who wink when they pull a
trigger, and form a line like a hoop-pole. The dependence we place
on these men spills the best blood of the country."
The surgeon listened with amazement. It was not the matter,
but the manner that surprised him. The trooper had uniformly ex-
hibited, en the eve of battle, an animation, and an eagerness to en-
gage, that was directly at variance with the admirable coolness of his
manner at other times. But now there was a despondency in the
tones of his voice, and a listleamess in his air, that was entirely dif-
ferent. The operator hesitated a moment, to reflect in what manner
Digitized by VjOOQLC
THE 8 FT. 441
he could render this change of service in furthering his fevourite
system available, and then continued —
*^ It would be wise, John, to advise the Colonel to keep at long
shot 5 a spent ball will disable — ■"
^^Nol" exchdmed the trooperj impatiently; "let the rascals singe
iheir whiskers at the muzzles of the British muskets, if they can be
driven there. — But, enou^ of them. Archibald, do you deem that
moon to be a world like this, containing creatures like ourselves ?"
-'^Nothing more probable, dear John; we know its size, and, rea-
soning from analogy, may easily conjeetore its use. Whether or not
its inhabitants have attained to that perfection in the sciences which
we have acquired, must depend greatly on the state of its society,
and in some measure upon its physbal influence.''
"I care nothing about their learning, Archibald; but 'tis a won-
derful power that can create such worlds, and control them in their
wanderings. I know not why, but there is a feeling of melancholy
excited within me as I ga^se on that body of light, shaded as it is by
your fiancied sea and land. It seems to be the resting-place of de>
parted spirits!"
" Take a drop, darlbg," said Betty, raising her head once more,
and proffering her own bottle; ^ 'tis the night damp that chills the
blood — and ihen the talk with the cursed militia is no good for a
fiery temper. Take a drop, darling, and ye '11 sleep till the morning.
I fed Broanoke myself, for I thought ye might need hard riding the
morrow."
" 'T is a glorious heaven to look upon," continued the trooper, in
the same tone, disregarding the offer of Betty, "and 'tis a thousand
pities that such worms as men should let their vile passions de&ce
«uch goodly work."
"You speak the truth, dear John; there is room for all to live
and enjoy themselves in peace, if each could be satisfied with his
own. Still, war has its advantages; it particularly promotes the
knowledge of surgery; and — "
Digitized by VjOOQIC
142 T H E 8 F T.
" There is a star/' continued Lawton, still bent on his own ideas,
'* struggling to glitter through a few driving clouds ; perhaps that
too is a world, and contains its creatures endowed with reason like
ourselves ; think you that they know of war and bloodshed ?"
" K I might be so bold," said Sergeant HoUister, mechanically
raising his hand to his cap, '^ 't is mentioned in the good book, that
the Lord made the sun to stand still while Joshua was char^g the
enemy, in order, sir, as I suppose, that they might have daylight to
turn their flank, or perhaps make a feint in the rear, or some sucli
manceuvrc. Now, if the Lord would lend them a hand, fighting
cannot be sinful. I have often been nonplushed, though, to find
that they used them chariots instead of heavy dragoons, who arc, in
all comparison, better to break a line of infantiy, and who, for the
matter of that, could turn such wheel-carriages, and, getting in the
rear, play the very devil with them, horse and all."
" It is because you do not understand the construction of those
ancient vehicles. Sergeant HoUister, that you judge of them so erro-
neously," said the surgeon. " They were armed vrith sharp weapons
that protruded from their wheels, and which broke up the columns
of foot, like dismembered particles of matter. I doubt not, if similar
instruments were affixed to the cart of Mrs. Flanagan, that great
confusion might be carried into the ranks of the enemy thereby, this
very day."
" It's but little that the mare would go, and the rig'lars firing at
her," grumbled Betty, from under her blanket ; " when we got the
plunder, the time we drove them through the Jarseys it was, I had
to back the baste up to the dead ; for tlie divil the foot would she
move, forenent the firing, wid her eyes open. Roanoke and Captain
Jack are good enough for the red-coats, letting alone myself and the
mare."
A long roll of the drums, from the hill occupied by the^British,
announced that they were on the alert; and a corresponding signal
was immediately heard from the Americans. The bugle of the Vir-
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY. 44(1
ginians strack up its martial tones; and in a few moments both the
hillS; the one held by the royal troops, and the other by their ene-
mies, were alive with armed men. Day had began to dawn, and
preparations were maMng by both parties, to give and to receive the
attack. In numbers the Americans had greatly the advantage ; but
in discipline and equipments the superiority was entirely with their
enemies. The arrangements for the battle were brief, and by the
time the sun had risen the militia moved forward.
The ground did not admit of the movements of horse ; and the
only duty that could be assigned to the dragoons was to watch the
moment of victory, and endeavour to improve the success to the
utmost. Lawton soon got his warriors into the saddle ; and leaving
them to the charge of Hollister, he rode himself along the line of
foot, who, in varied dresses, and imperfectly armed, were formed in
a shape that in some degree resembled a martial array. A scornful
smile lowered about the lip of the trooper as he guided Roanoke
with a skilfiil hand through the windings of their ranks ; and when
the word was given to march, he turned the flank of the regiment,
and followed close in the rear. The Americans had to descend into
a little hollow, and rise a hill on its opposite side, to approach the
enemy.
The descent was made with tolerable steadiness, until near the
foot of the hill, when the royal troops advanced in a beautiful lino,
with their flanks protected by the formation of the ground. The
appearance of the British drew a fire fix)m the militia, which waa
given with good effect, and for a moment staggered the regulars.
But they were rallied by their officers, and threw in volley after
volley with great steadiness. For a short time the fire was warm
and destructive, until the English advanced with the bayonet. This
assault the militia had not sufficient discipline to withstand. Their
line wavered, then paused, and finally broke into companies and
fragments of companies, keeping up at the same time a scattering
imd desultory fire.
■• • Digitized by Google
/
THB 8 FT.
Lawton witnessed these operations in cdlence, nor did he open his
mouth until the field was covered with parties of the flying Ameri-
cana. Then, indeed, he seemed stnngwith the disgrace thus heaped
upon the arms of his country. Spurring Boanoke along the side of
the hill, he called to the fugitivec^ in all the strength of his powerful
voice. He pointed to the enemy, and assured his countrymen tiial
they had mistaken the way. There was such a mixture of indiffer-
ence and irony in his exhortations, that a few paused in surprise —
more joined them, until, roused by the example of the trooper, and
stimulated by their own spirit, tiiey demanded to. be led against their
foe once more.
<' Gome on, then, my brave friends I" shouted the tnx>per, taming
his horse's head towards the British line, one flank of which was
very near him; ''come on, and hold your fire until it will soorch
their eyebrows."
The men sprang forward, and followed his example, neither giving
nor receiving a fire until they had come within a very short distance
of the enemy. An English sergeant^ who had been concealed by a
rock, enraged with the audacity of the officer who thus dared their
arms, stepped from behind his cover, and advancing within a few
yards of the trooper, levelled his musket —
" Fire, and you die V* cried Lawton, spurring his charger, which
leaped forward at the instant. The action and the tone of his voice
shook the nerves of the Englishman, who drew his trigger with an
uncertain aim. Boanoke sprang with all his feet from the earth,
and, plunging, fell headlong and lifeless at the feet of his destroyer.
Lawton kept his feet, standing face to face with his enemy. The
latter presented his bay\)net, and made a desperate thrust at the
trooper's heart. The steol of their weapons emitted sparks of fire,
and the bayonet flew fifty feet in the air. At the next moment its
owner lay a quivering corpse.
'' Come on !'' shouted the trooper, as a body of English appeared
on the rock, and threw in a close fire ; " come on V he repeated, and
Digitized by ^jOOQLC
THE SPY* 445
br^ndisBed his sabre fiercely. Then his gigantic form fell backward,
tike a majestic pine yielding to the axe ; but still, as he slowly fell,
he continued to wield his sabre, and. once more the deep tones of his
voice were heard uttering, ^' Come on !"
The advancing Americans paused aghast, and, turning, they
abandoned the field to the royal troops.
It was neither the intention nor the policy of the English com-
mander to pursue his success, for he well knew that strong parties
of the Americans would soon arrive ; accordingly, he only tarried to
collect his wounded, and, forming in a square, he commenced his
retreat towards the shipping. Within twenty minutes of the fall of
Lawton, the ground was deserted by both English and Americans.
When the inhabitants of the country were called upon to enter
the field, they were necessarily attended by such surgical advisers as
were furnished by the low state of the profession in the interior at
that day. Dr. Sitgreaves entertained quite as profound a contempt
for the medical attendants of the militia as the captain did of the
troops themselves. He wandered, therefore, around the field, cast-
ing many a glance of disapprobation at the slight operations thai
came under his eye ; but when, among the flying troops, he found
that his comrade and friend was nowhere to be seen, he hastened
back to the spot at which Hollister was posted, to enquire if the
trooper had returned. Of course, the answer was in the negative.
Filled with a thousand uneasy conjectures, the surgeon, without re-
garding, or indeed without at all reflecting upon any dangers that
might lie in his way, strode over the ground at an enormous rate, to
the point where he knew the final struggle hiad been. Qnce before,
the surgeon had rescued his Mend from death in a similar situation ;
and he felt a secret joy in his own conscious skill, as he perceived
Betty Flanagan seated on the ground, holding in her lap the head
of a man whose size and dress he knew could belong only to the
trooper. As he approached the spot, the surgeon became alarmed
at the aspect of the washerwoman. Her little black bonnet was
Digitized by
Google
446 THE SPY.
thrown aside, and her hair, whicli was already streaked with grey,
hung around her £ace in disorder.
" John I dear John V said the doctor, tenderly, as he bent and
laid his hand upon the senseless wrist of the trooper, from which it
recoiled with an intuitive knowledge of his fate ; " John ! dear
John ! where are you hurt ? — can I help you ?"
" Yee talk to the senseless clay," said Betty, rocking her body,
and unconsciously playing with the raven ringlets of the trooper's
hair; ^' it's no more will he .hear, and it's but little will he mind
yee'r probes and yeo'r med'cines. Och hone, och hoD*^! — and
where will be the liberty now? or who will there be to fight the
battle, or gain the day?"
*' John I" repeated the surgeon, still unwilling to believe the evi-
dence of his unerring senses, " dear John, speak to me ; say what
you will, that you do but speak. Oh, God ! he is dead; would thai
I had died with him !"
" There is but little use in living and fighting now," said Betty ;
" both him and the baste ! see, there is the poor cratur, and here is
the master 1 I fed the horse with my own hands, the day; and the
last male that he ate was of my own cooking. Och hone ! och hone !
— that Captain Jack should live to be killed by the rig'lars I"
" John ! my dear John I" said the surgeon, with convulsive sobs,
" thy hour has come, and many a more prudent man survives thee ;
but none better, nor braver. Oh ! John, thou wert to me a kind
friend, and very dear : it is unphilosophical to grieve ; but for thee,
John, I must weep, even in bitterness of heart !"
The doctor buried his face in his hands, and for several minute?
sat yielding to an ungovernable burst of sorrow ; while the washer-
woman gave vent to her grief in words; moving her body in a kind
of writhing, and playing with different parts of her favourite's dress
with her fingers.
"And who'll there be to incourage the boys now?" she said'
^ Oh I Captain Jack 1 Captain Jack ! yee was the sowl of the troop,
Digitized by VjOOQIC
. THE SPY. 447
and it was but little we know'd of the danger, and yoe fighting
Ochl he was no maly mouth'd, that quarrelled wid a widoweo
woman for the matter of a bum in the mate, or the want of a break-
fast. Taste a drop, darling, and it may be, 't will revive yee. Och !
and he '11 nivir taste agin ; here 's the doctor, honey, him yee used
to blarney wid, wapeing as if the poor sowl would die for yee. Och I
he 's gone, he 's gone ; and t^e liberty is gone wid him." '
A thundering sound of horses' feet came rolling along the road
which led near the place where Lawton lay, and directly the whole
body of Virginians appeared, with Dunwoodie at their head. The
news of the captain's &te had reached him; for the instant that he
saw the body he halted the squadron, and dismounting, approached
the spot. The countenance of Lawton was not in the least distorted,
but the angry frown which had lowered over his brow during the
battle was fixed even in death. His frame was composed, and
stretched as in sleep. Dunwoodie took hold of his hand, and gazed
a moment in silence ; his own dark eye kindled, and the paleness
which had overspread his features was succeeded by a spot of deep
red in either cheek.
" With his own sword will I avenge him I" he cried, endeavouring
to take the weapon from the hand of Lawton ; but the grasp resisted
his utmost strength. " It shall be buried with him. Sitgreaves,
take care of our friend, while I revenge his death."
The Major hastened back to his charger, and led the way in pur-
suit of the enemy.
While Dunwoodie had been thus engaged, the body of Lawton
lay in open view of the whole squadron. He was a universal favour-
ite, and the sight inflamed the men to the utmost : neither officers
nor soldiers possessed that coolness which is necessary to ensure suc-
cess in military operations; but they spurred ardently after their
enemies, burning with a wish for vengeance.
The English were formed in a hollow square, which contained
iheir wounded, who were far from numerous, and were marching
steadily across a very uneven country as the dragooas approached.
448 THE SPY.
The horse charged . in column, and were led by Donwoodic, who
burning with revenge, thought to ride through their ranks, and scat-
ter them at a blow. But the enemy knew their own strength too
well, and, standing firm, they received the charge on the pointe of
iheir bayonets. The horses of the Virginians recoiled, and the rear
rank of the foot throwing in a close fire, the Major, with a few men,
fell. The English continued their retreat the moment they were
extricated from their assailants ; and Dunwoodie, who was severely,
but not dangerously wounded, recalled his men from further attempts,
which, in that stony country, must ncicessarily be fruitless.
A sad duty remained to be fulfilled. The dragoons retired slowly
through the hills, conveying their wounded commander, and the
body of Lawton. The latter they interred under the ramparts of
one of the Highland forts, and the former they consigned to the
tender care of his afflicted bride.
Many weeks were gone before the Major was restored to sufficient
strength to be removed. During those weeks, how often did he bless
the moment that gave him a right to the services of his beautiful
nurse I She hung around his couch with fond attention ; adminis-
tered with her own hands every prescription of the indefatigable Sit-
greaves, and grew each hour in the affections and esteem of her hus-
band. An order from Washington soon sent the troops into winter-
quarters, and permission was given to Dunwoodie to repair to his
own plantation, with the rank of lieutenantcolonel, in order to com-
plete the restoration of his health. Captain Singleton made one of
the party; and the whole family retired from the active scenes of
the wai', to the ease and plenty of the Major's own estate. Before
leaving Fishkill, however, letters were conveyed to them, through aD
unknown hand, acquainting them with Henry's safety and good
health ; and also that Colonel Wellmere had left the continent for
his native island, lowered in the estimation of every honest man in
the royal army.
It was a happy winter for Dunwoodie, and smiles onee more begao
to play around the lovely mouth of Frances: Digitized tyGooglc
CHAPTER XXXIV.
*Midst furs, and silks, and jewels* sheen,
He stood, in simple Lincoln green,
The centre of the glittering ring ;
And Snowdon's knight is Scotland's king !
Lady nf the Lake,
Tub commencement of the following year waa passed, on the part
of the Americans, in making great preparations, in conjunction with
their allies, to bring the war to a close. In the south, Greene and
Kawdon made a bloody campaign, that was highly honourable to the
troq)S of the latter, but which, by terminating entirely to the advan-
tage of the former, proved him to be the better general of the two.
New York was the point that was threatened by the allied armies ;
and "Washington, by exciting a constant apprehension for the safety
of that city, prevented such reinforcements from being sent to Com-
wallis as would have enabled him to improve his success.
At length, as autumn approached, every indication was given that
the final moment had arrived.
The French forces drew near to the royal lines, passing through
the Neutral Ground, and threatened an attack in the direction of
Kingsbridge, while large bodies of Americans were acting in concert.
By hovering around the British posts, and drawing nigh in the Jer-
seys, they seemed to threaten the royal forces from that quarter also.
The preparations partook of the nature of both a siege and a storm
But Sir Henry Clinton, in the possession of intercepted letters from
Washington, rested securely within his lines^ and cautiously disre*
garded the solicitations of Comwallis for succour.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
450 THE SPY.
It was at the close of a stormy day in the month of Septemhor,
that a large assemblage of officers was collected near the door of a
building that was situated in the heart of the American troops, who
held the Jerseys. The age, the dress, and the dignity of deportment
of most of these warriors, indicated them to be of high rank : but to
one in particular was paid a deference and obedience that announced
him to be of the highest. His dress was plain, but it bore the usual
military distinctions of command. He was mounted on a noble ani-
mal, of a deep bay ; and a group of young men, in gayer attire, evi-
dently awaited his pleasure, and did his bidding. Many a hat was
lifted as its owner addressed this officer; and wjien he spoke, a pro-
found attention, exceeding the respect of mere professional etiquette,
was exhibited on every countenance. At length the General raised
his own hat, and bowed gravely to all around him. The salute waa
returned, and the party dispersed, leaving the officer without a single
attendant, except his body-servants and one aid-de-camp. Dismount-
ing, he stepped back a few paces, and for a moment viewed the con-
dition of his horse with the eye of one who well understood the ani-
mal, and then, casting a brief but expressive glance at his aid, ho
retired into the building, followed by that gentleman.
On entering an apartment that was apparently fitted for his recep-
tion, he took a seat, and continued for a long time in a thoughtful
attitude, like one in the habit of communing much with himself.
During this silence, the aid-de-camp stood in expectation of his orders.
At length the General raised his eyes, and spoke in those low placid
tones that seemed natural to him.
" Has the man whom I wished to see arrived, sir ?''
" He waits the pleasure of your excellency.''
" I will receive him here, and alone, if you please."
The aid bowed and withdrew. In a few minutes the door again
opened, and a figure, gliding into the apartment, stood modestly at a
distance from the General, without speaking. His entrance was un-
heard by the officer, who sat gazing at the &ro, still absorbed in Lis
^- Digitized by Google
THE SPT. 451
own meditations. Several minutes passed, when he spoke to himself
m an under-tone —
*^ To-morrow we must raise the curtain, and expose our plans.
May heaven prosper them I"
A slight movement ^z^side by the stranger caught his ear, and he
tamed his head, and saw that he was not alone. He pointed silently
io the fire, towards which the -figure advanced, although the multi-
tude of his garments, which seemed more calculated for disguise
than comfort, rendered its warmth unnecessary. A second mild and
courteous gesture motioned to a vacant chair, but the stranger re-
fused it with a modest acknowledgment Another pause followed,
and continued for some time. At length the officer arose, and open-
ing a desk that was laid upon the table near which he sat, took from
it a small, but apparently heavy bag.
" Harvey Birch," he said, turning to the stranger, " the time has
arrived when our connexion must cease ; henceforth and for ever we
must be. strangers."
The pedler dropped the folds of the great-coat that concealed his
features, and gazed for a moment earnestly at the fiice of the speaker ;
then dropping his head upon his bosom, he said, meekly-—
"If it be your excellency's pleasure."
" It is necessary. Since I have fiUed the station which I now
hold, it haa become my duty to know many men, who, like yourself,
have been my instruments in procuring intelligence. You have I
' trusted more than all; I early saw in you a regard to truth and \
principle, that, I am pleased to say, has never deceived me — you
alone know my secret agents in the city, and on your fidelity depend,
not only their fortunes, but their lives."
lie paused, as if to reflect, in order that full justice might be
done to the pedler, and then continued —
" I believe you are one of the very few that I have employed who
have acted faithfully to our cause ; and, while you have passed as a
gpy of the enemy, have never given intelligence that you were not
Digitized by VjOOQIC
452 THE SPY,
permitted to divulge. To me, and to me only of all the world, you
seem to have acted with a strong attachment to the liberties of
America."
During this address, Harvey gradually raised his head from his
bosom, until it reached the highest point of elevation; a faint tinge
gathered in his cheeks, wid, as the officer concluded, it was difiiised
over his whole countenance in a deep glow, while he stood proudly
swelling with his emotions, but with eyes that modestly sought the
feet of the speaker.
" It is now my duty to pay you for these services ; hitherto you
have postponed receiving your reward, and the debt has become a
heavy one — I wish not to undervalue your dangers; here are a hun-
dred doubloons; you will remember the poverty of our country, and
attribute to it the smallness of your pay."
The pcdler raised his eyes to the countenance of the speaker; but,
as the other held forth the money, he moved back, as if refusing
the bag.
" It is not much for your services and risks, I acknowledge," con-
tinued the general, ^' but it is all that I have to offer; at the end of
the campaign, it may be in my power to increase it."
*^Does your excellency think that I have exposed my life, and
blasted my character, for money?"
"If not for money, what then?"
" What has brought yotir excellency into the field ? For what do
you daily and hourly expose your precious life to battle and the
halter ? What is there about me to mourn, when such men as you
risk their all for our country ? No — no — no — not a dollar of your
gold will I touch ; poor America has need of it all 1"
The bag dropped from the hand of the officer, and fell at the feet
of the pedler, where it lay neglected during the remainder of the
interview. The officer looked steadily at the face of his companion,
and continued —
" There are many motives which might govern me, that to you
Digitized by
Google
THE 8 FT. 453
are unknown. Our situations are different; I am known as the
leader of armies — but you must descend into the grave with the
reputation of a foe to your native land. Remember that the veil
which conceals your true character cannot be raised in years — per-
haps never."
Biroh again lowered his faco^ but there was no yielding of the soul
in the movement.
^^ You will soon be old; the prime of your days is already past;
what have you to subsist on?"
''These I" said the pedler^ stretching forth his handS; that were
already embrowned with toil.
''But those may fail you; take enough to secure a support to
your age. Bemember your risks and cares. I have told you that
the characters of men who are much esteemed in life depend on
your secrecy; what pledge can I give them of your fidelity ?"
" Tell them/' said Birch; advancing^ and tmconsciously resting
one foot on the bag, " tell them that I would not take the gold I"
The composed features of the officer relaxed into a smile of bene-
volence; and he grasped the hand of the pedler firmly.
" Now, indeed, I know you; and although the same reasons which .
have hitherto compelled me to expose your valuable life will still
exist, and prevent my openly asserting your character, in private I
can always.be your friend; fail not to apply to me when in want or
suffering, and so long as God giveth to me, so long will I freely
share with a man who feels so nobly and acts so well. If sickness
or want should ever assail you, and peace once more smile upon our
efforts, seek the gate of him whom you have so often met as Harper,
and he will not blush to acknowledge you in his true character."
"It is little that I need in this life," said Harvey; "so long as
God gives me health and honest industry, I can never want in this
country; but to know that your excellency is my friend, is a bless-
ing that I prize more than all the gold of England's treasury."
The officer stood for a few moments in the attitude of intense
Digitized by
Google
454 THB SPY.
thought. He then drew to him the desk; and wrote a few lines on
a piece of paper, and gave it to the pedler.
" That Providence destines this country to some great and glo-
rious fate I must believe, while I witness the patriotism that per-
vades the bosoms of her lowest citizens," he said. "It must be
dreadful to a mind like yours to descend into the grave, branded as
a foe to liberty; but you already know the lives that would be sacri-
ficed, should your real character be revealed. It is impossible to do
you justice now, but 1 fearlessly entrust you with this certificate 3
should we never meet again, it may be serviceable to your children."
" Children !" exclsdmed the pedler, "can I give to a family the
Infamy of my name I"
The officer gazed at the strong emotion he exhibited with pain,
and he made a slight movement towards the gold ; but it was arrested
by the expression of his companion's face. Harvey saw the inten-
tion, and shook his head, as he continued more mildly —
" It is, indeed, a treasure that your excellency gives me j it is safe
too. There are men living who could say that my life was nothing
to me, compared to your secrets. The paper that I told you waa
lost I swallowed when taken last by the Virginians. It was the
only time I ever deceived your excellency, and it shall be the last ;
yes, this is, indeed, a treasure to me ; perhaps," he continued, with
a melancholy smile, " it may be known after my death who was my
friend; but if it should not, there are none to grieve for me."
" Remember," said thi3 officer, with strong emotion, " that in me
you will always have a secret friend; but openly I cannot know
you."
" I know it, I know it," said Birch ; " I knew it when I took the
service. 'T is probably the last time that I shall ever see your ex-
cellency. May God pour down his choicest blessings on your head !"
He paused, and moved towards the door. The officer followed him
with eyes that expressed deep interest. Once more the pedler turned^
and Bcemed to gaze on the placid, but commanding features of the
Digitized by CjOOQIC
THE SPT. 455
general with regret and reverence, and then, bowing low, he with-
drew.
The armies of America and France were led by their illustrious
commander against the enemy under Comwallis, and terminated a
campaign in triumph that had commenced in difficulties. Great
Britain soon after became disgusted with the war; and the indepen«
dence of the States was acknowledged.
As years rolled by, it became a subject of pride among the differ-
ent actors in the war, and their descendants, to boast of their efforts
in the cause which had confessedly heaped so many blessings upon
their country; but the name of Harvey Birch died away among the
multitude of agents, who were thought to have laboured in secret
against the rights of their countrymen. His image, however, was
often present to the mind of the powerful chief, who alone knew his
true character; and several times did he cause secret enquiries to
be made into the other's fate, one of which only resulted in any suc-
cess. By this he learned that a pedler of a different name, but
similar appearance, was toiling through the new settlements that
were sprin^g up in every direction, and that he was struggling
with the advance of years and apparent poverty. Death prevented
further enquiries on ihe pa^ of ihe officer^ and a long period passed
before he was again heard of.
30
Digitized by VjOOQIC
CHAPTER XXXV.
Some village Hampden, that with datmtlem breast
The little tyrant of his fields withstood —
Some mute, inglorioos Milton here maj rest ;
Some Cromwell, guiltless of his ooantry*8 blood.
Gray.
It was thirty-three years after the interview which we have just re-
lated that an American army was once more arrayed against the
troops of Engkndj but the scene was transferred from the banks
of the Hudson to those of the Niagara.
The body of Washington had long lain mouldering in the tomb ;
but as time was fast obliterating the slight impressions of political
enmity or personal envy, his name was hourly receiving new lustre,
and his worth and integrity each moment became more visible, not
only to his countrymen, but to the world. He was already the
acknowledged hero of an age of reason and truth; and many a young
heart, amongst those who formed the pride of our army in 1814,
was glowing with the recollection of the one great name of America,
and inwardly beating with the sanguine expectation of emulating, in
some degi'ee, its renown. In no one were these virtuous hopes more
vi^-id than in the bosom of a young officer who stood on the table-
rock, contemplating the great cataract, on the evening of the 25th
of July of that bloody year. The person of this youth was tall and
finely moulded, indicating a just proportion between strength and
activity; his deep black eyes were of a searching and dazzling bright-
ness. At times, as they gazed upon the flood of waters that rushed
tumultuously at bis feet, there was a stem and daring look that
flashed from them, which denoted the ardour of an enthusiast. Bui
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THK 8 PIT. 457
this proud expression was softened by the lines of a mouth, around
which there played a suppressed archness, that partook of^femininc
beauty > His hair shone in the setting sun like ringlets o f gold, as
the air from the falls gently moved the rich curls from a forehead,
whoso whiteness showed that exposure and heat alone had ^yen
their darker hue to a face glowing with health. There was anodier
officer standing by the side of this favoured youth ; and botii seemed,
by the interest they betrayed, to be gazing, for the first time, at tiie
wonder of the western world. A profound silence was observed by
each, until the companion of the officer that we have described sud-
denly started, and pointing eagerly with his sword into the abyss
beneath, exclaimed —
'' Sec I Wharton, there i)i a man crossing in the very eddies of the
cataract, and in a skiff no bigger than an egg-shell.''
'^He has a knapsack — it is probably a soldier/' returned the
other. ^'Lct us meet him at the ladder. Mason, and learn his
tidings."
Some time was expended in reaching the spot where the adven-
turer was intercepted. Contrary to the expectations of the young
soldiers, he proved to be a man far advanced in life, and evidently
no follower of the camp. His years might be seventy, and they
were indicated more by the thin hairs of silver that lay scattered
over his wrinkled brow, than by any apparent failure of his system.
His frame was meagre and bent; but it was the attitude of habit,
for his sinews were strung with the toil of half a century. His
dress was mean, and manifested the economy of its owner, by the
number and nature of its repairs. On his back was a scantily fur-
nished pack, that had led to the mistake in his profession. A few
words of salutation, and, on the part of the young men, of surprise,
that one so aged should venture so near the whirlpools of the cata-
ract, were exchanged ; when the old man enquired, with a voice that
began to manifest the tremor of age, the news from the contending
armies.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
458 THE SPT.
" We whipped the red-coats here the other day, among the gras*?
on the Chippewa plains/^ said the one who was called Mason ; ^^smce
when, we have been playing hide-and-go-seek with the ships; but
WQ are now marching back from where we started, shaking our heads;
and as surly as the devil/'
'^ Perhaps you have a son among the soldiers/' said his compa-
nion, with a milder demeanour, and an air of kindness; ^^ if so, tell
me his name and regiment, and I will take you to him."
The old man shook his head, and, passing his hand oyer his silver
locks, with an air of meek resignation, he answered —
"No; I am alone in the world I"
" You should have added. Captain Dunwoodic," cried his carel^s
comrade, "if you could find either; for nearly half our army has
marched down the road, and may be, by this time, under the walls
of Fort €reorge, for any thing that we know to the contrary."
The old man stopped suddenly, and h)oked earnestly from one of
his companions to the other; the action being observed by the sol-
diers, they paused also.
"Did I hear light?" the stranger uttered, raising his hand to
screen his eyes from the rays of the setting sun ; " what did he call
you?"
" My name is Wharton Dunwoodie," replied the youth, smiling.
The stranger motioned silently for him to remove his hat, which
the youth did accordingly, and his fair hair blew aside like curls of
silk, and opened the whole of his ingenuous countenance to the in-
spection of the other.
" Tis like our native land !" exclaimed the old man with vehe-
mcnce, " improving with time ; — God has blessed both."
" Why do you stare thus, Lieutenant Mason ?" cried Captain Dun-
woodie, laughing a little; "you show more astonishment than when
jrou saw the falls."
" Oh, the falls ! — ^they are a thing to be looked at on a moonshinj
night, by your aunt Sarah and that gay old bachelor, Colonel Singjle-
Digitized by VjOOQICL
THE SPY. 459
ton ; but a fellow like myself never shows surprise, unless it may be
at such a touch as this/
The extraordinary vehemence of the stranger's manner had passed
away as suddenly as it was exhibited, but he listened to this speech
with deep interest, while Dunwoodie replied a little gravely —
^' Come, come, Tom, no jokes about my good aunt^ I beg ; she Is
kindness itself; and I have heard it whispered that her youth was
not altogether happy.
" Why, as to rumour," said Mason, " there goes one in Accomac,
that Colonel Singleton offers himself to her regularly every Valen-
tine's day ] and there are some who add, that your old great-aunt
helps his suit."
" Aunt Jeanette !" said Dunwoodie, laughing; "dear good soul,
she thinks but little of marriage in any shape, I believe, since the
death of Dr. Sitgreaves. There were some whispers of a courtship
between them formerly, but it ended in nothing but civilities, and I
suspect that the whole story arises from the intimacy of Colonel
Singleton and my father. You know they were comrades in the
horse, as indeed was your own father."
^' I know all that, of course ; but you must not tell me that the
particular, prim bachelor goes so often to General Dunwoodie's plan-
tation merely for the sake of talking old soldier with your father.
The last time I was there, that yellow, shai-p-nosed housekeeper of
your mother's took me into the pantry, and said that the colonel was
no despisable match, as she called it, and how the sale of his plan-
tation in Georgia had brought him — oh. Lord ! I don't know how
much."
" Quite likely," returned the captain ; " Katy Ilayncs is no bad
calculator."
They had stopped during this conversation, in uncertainty whether
iheir new companion was to be left or not.
The old man listened to each word as it was uttered, with the
most intense interest; but, towards the conclusion of the dialogue
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
400 TH« 8 FT.
the enrncst attention of his ooontenanoo obangod to a kind of inwari
smile. He shook his head, and, passing his hand over his forehead,
seemed to be thinking of other times. Mason paid but little attcn«
tion to the expression of his features, and continued —
<<To me. she is selfishness embodied T
^'Ilcr selfishness does but little harm,'' returned Bunwoodie.
^* One of her greatest difficulties is her ayeimon to the blacks. She
says, that she never saw but one that she liked.''
"And who was he?"
" His name was GsBsar ; he was a house-servant of my late grand*
father Wharton. You don't remember him, I believe ; he died tho
same year with his master, while we were children. Katy yearly
sings his requiem, and, upon my word, I believe he deserved it. I
have heard something of his helping my English uncle^ as we call
General Wharton, in some difficulty that occurred in the old war.
My mother always speaks of him with great affection. Both Gaosar
and Katy came to Virginia with my mother when she married. My
mother was — **
" An angel !" interrupted the old man, in a voice that startled the
young soldiers by its abruptness and energy. *
"Did you know her?" cried the son, with a glow of pleasure on
Lis cheek.
Tho reply of the stranger was interrupted by sudden and heavy
explosions of artillery, which were immediately followed by con-
tinued volleys of small-arms, and in a few minutes the air was filled
with the tumult of a warm and well-contested battle.
Tho two soldiers hastened with precipitation towards the camp,
accompanied by their new acquaintance. The excitement and anxiety
created by the approaching fight prevented a continuance of the con-
versation, and the three held their way to the army, making occa<
sional conjectures on the cause of the fire, and the probability of a
general engagement. During their short and hurried walk, Captain
Dunwoodie, however, threw several friendly glances at the old ma&|
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
THE SPY. 461
wJtio moved over the ground with astonishing energy for his yearS;
for the heart of the youth was warmed by an eulogium on a mother
that he adored. In a short time, they joined the regiment to which
the officers belonged; when the captain, squeezing the stranger's
hand, earnestly begged that he would make enquiries after him on
the following morning, and that he might see him in his own tent,
Here they separated.
Every thing in the American camp announced an approaching
(Struggle. At a distance of a few miles, the sound of cannon and
musketry was heard above the roar of the " cataract. The troops
were soon in motion, and a movement made to support the division
of the army which was already engaged. Night had set in before
the reserve and irregulars reached the foot of Lund/s Lane, a road
that diverged from the river and crossed a. conical eminence, at no
great distance from the Niagara highway. The summit of this hill
was crowned with the cannon of the British, and in the flat beneath
was the remnant of Scott's gallant brigade, which for a long time
had held an unequal contest with distinguished bravery. A new line
Was interposed, and one column of the Americans directed to charge
up the hill, parallel to the road. This column took the English in
flank, and, bayoneting their artillerists, gained possession of the
cannon. They were immediately joined by their comrades, and the
enemy was swept from the hill. But large reinforcements were join-
ing the English general momentarily, and their troops were too brave
to rest easy under the defeat. Kepeated and bloody bharges were
made to recover the guns, but in all they were repulsed with slaugh-
ter. During the last of these struggles, the ardour of the youthful
captain whom we have mentioned urged him to lead his men some
distance in advance, to scatter a daring party of the enemy. He
succeeded, but in returning to the line missed his lieutenant from
the station that he ought to h^ve occupied. Soon after this repulse,
which was the last, orders were given to the shattered troops to
return to the camp. The British were nowhere to be seen, and pro
Digitized by CjOOQLC
162 THE 8Pr.
paraiions were made to take in such of the wounded as could be
moved. At this moment Wharton Dunwoodie, impelled by affection
for his friend; seized a lighted fusee, and taking two of his men,
went himself in quest of his body, where he was supposed to have
fallen. Mason was found on the side of Hiq hill, seated with great
composure, but unable to walk from a fractured leg. Dunwoodie
saw and flew to the side of his comrade, exclaiming —
<^Ah I dear Tom, I knew I should find you the nearest man to
the enemy."
" Softly, softly ; handle me tenderly," replied the lieutenant; " no,
there is a brave fellow still nearer than myself, and who he can be I
know not. He rushed out of our smoke, near my platoon, to make
a prisoner or some such thing, but, poor fellow, he never came back ;
there he lies just over the hillock. I have spoken to him several
times, but I fancy he is past answering."
Dunwoodie went to the spot, and to his astonishment beheld the
aged stranger.
" It is the old man who knew my mother !" cried the youth ; '^for
her sake he shall have honourable burial ; lift him, and let him be
carried in ; his bones shall rest on native soil."
The men approached to obcyJ He was lying on his back, with
his face exposed to the glaring light of the fusee; his eyes were
closed, as if in slumber; his lips, sunken with years, were slightlj
moved from their natural position, but it seemed more like a smile
than a convulsion which had caused the change. A soldier's musket
.ay near him ; his hands were pressed upon his breast, and one of
them contained a substance that glittered like silver. Dunwoodie
stooped, and removing the limbs, perceived the pkce where the
bullet had found a passage to his heart. The subject of his last caic
was a tin box, through which the fatal lead had gone ; and the dying
moments of the old man must, have passed in drawing it from his
bosom. Dunwoodie opened it, and found a paper in wliich, to his
astonishment, he read the following : —
Digitized by VjOOQIC
THE SPY.
463
'' Circumstances of political importance^ which involve the lives
and fortunes of many, have hitherto kept secret what this paper now
reveals. Harvey Birch has for years been a faithful and unrequited
servant of his country. Though man does not, may God reward
him for his conduct T'
"Geo. Washington."
It was the 8PT of the neutral ground, who died as he had,
lived devoted to his coimtry, and a martyr to her liberties.
i^flPMifi-hhUihi
Digitized by
Google
I 3
Digitized by VjOOQIC
Digitized by
Google
>. --Vs •..>
Digitized by
Google
THE BORROWER WILL « CHAROED
W OVERDUE FEE IF THIS •OOICIE
SSt RETURHEO to T1« "SMJYJJN
OR BEFORE THE LAST DATE STAMPED
MLOW NOH-RECE.pt OF OVERDUE
NOTICES DOES MOT EXEMPT THE
mJrOWER FROM OVERDUE FEES
iMAY^S 1992
r^
DUE
r^v'
otc
m^
AA "
c^if
[■n i
--^-i
-N
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
Live Music Archive
Librivox Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Internet Arcade
Console Living Room
Books to Borrow
Open Library
TV News
Understanding 9/11