tales of trail and town-第15部分

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they　had　bound　him；　and　side　by　side　led　him　into　the　recesses　of

the　wood。



　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。



There　was　some　astonishment；　although　little　alarm　at　the　fort；

when　Lady　Elfrida　returned　accompanied　by　the　orderly　who　had

followed　Peter　to　the　wood；　but　without　Peter　and　his　sister。　　The

reason　given　was　perfectly　natural　and　conceivable。　　Mrs。　Lascelles

had　preceded　Lady　Elfrida　in　entering　the　wood　and　taken　another

opening；　so　that　Lady　Elfrida　had　found　herself　suddenly　lost；　and

surrounded　by　two　or　three　warriors　in　dreadful　paint。　　They

motioned　her　to　dismount；　and　said　something　she　did　not

understand；　but　she　declined；　knowing　that　she　had　heard　Mr。

Atherly　and　the　orderly　following　her；　and　feeling　no　fear。　　And

sure　enough　Mr。　Atherly　presently　came　up　with　a　couple　of　braves；

apologized　to　her　for　their　mistake；　but　begged　her　to　return　to

the　fort　at　once　and　assure　the　colonel　that　everything　was　right；

and　that　he　and　his　sister　were　safe。　　He　was　perfectly　cool　and

collected　and　like　himself；　she　blushed　slightly；　as　she　said　she

thought　that　he　wished　to　impress　upon　her；　for　some　reason　she

could　not　understand；　that　he　did　not　want　the　colonel　to　send　any

assistance。　　She　was　positive　of　that。　　She　told　her　story

unexcitedly；　it　was　evident　that　she　had　not　been　frightened；　but

Lady　Runnybroke　noticed　that　there　was　a　shade　of　anxious

abstraction　in　her　face。



When　the　officers　were　alone　the　colonel　took　hurried　counsel　of

them。　　〃I　think；〃　said　Captain　Fleetwood；　〃that　Lady　Elfrida's

story　quite　explains　itself。　　I　believe　this　affair　is　purely　a

local　one；　and　has　nothing　whatever　to　do　with　the　suspicious

appearances　we　noticed　this　afternoon；　or　the　presence　of　so　large

a　body　of　Indians　near　Butternut。　　Had　this　been　a　hostile　movement

they　would　have　scarcely　allowed　so　valuable　a　capture　as　Lady

Elfrida　to　escape　them。〃



〃Unless　they　kept　Atherly　and　his　sister　as　a　hostage；〃　said

Captain　Joyce。



〃But　Atherly　is　one　of　their　friends；　indeed　he　is　their　mediator

and　apostle；　a　non…combatant；　and　has　their　confidence；〃　returned

the　colonel。　　〃It　is　much　more　reasonable　to　suppose　that　Atherly

has　noticed　some　disaffection　among　these　'friendlies；'　and　he

fears　that　our　sending　a　party　to　his　assistance　might　precipitate

a　collision。　　Or　he　may　have　reason　to　believe　that　this　stopping

of　the　two　women　under　the　very　walls　of　the　fort　is　only　a　feint

to　draw　our　attention　from　something　more　serious。　　Did　he　know

anything　of　our　suspicions　of　the　conduct　of　those　Indians　this

morning？〃



〃Not　unless　he　gathered　it　from　what　Lord　Reginald　foolishly　told

him。　　We　said　nothing；　of　course；〃　returned　Captain　Fleetwood；　with

a　soldier's　habitual　distrust　of　the　wisdom　of　the　civil　arm。



〃That　will　do；　gentlemen；〃　said　the　colonel；　as　the　officers

dispersed；　〃send　Cassidy　here。〃



The　colonel　was　alone　on　the　veranda　as　Cassidy　came　up。



〃You　followed　Mr。　Atherly　to…day？〃



〃Yes　sorr。〃



〃And　you　saw　him　when　he　gave　the　message　to　the　young　lady？〃



〃Yes　sorr。〃



〃Did　you　form　any　opinion　from　anything　else　you　saw；　of　his　object

in　sending　that　message？〃



〃Only　from　what　I　saw　of　HIM。〃



〃Well；　what　was　that？〃



〃I　saw　him　look　afther　the　young　leddy　as　she　rode　away；　and　then

wheel　about　and　go　straight　back　into　the　wood。〃



〃And　what　did　you　think　of　that？〃　said　the　colonel；　with　a　half

smile。



〃I　thought　it　was　shacrifice；　sorr。〃



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　said　the　colonel　sharply。



〃I　mane；　sorr；〃　said　Cassidy　stoutly；　〃that　he　was　givin'　up　hisself

and　his　sister　for　that　young　leddy。〃



The　colonel　looked　at　the　sergeant。　　〃Ask　Mr。　Forsyth　to　come　to　me

privately；　and　return　here　with　him。〃



As　darkness　fell；　some　half　a　dozen　dismounted　troopers；　headed　by

Forsyth　and　Cassidy；　passed　quietly　out　of　the　lower　gate　and

entered　the　wood。　　An　hour　later　the　colonel　was　summoned　from　the

dinner　table；　and　the　guests　heard　the　quick　rattle　of　a　wagon

turning　out　of　the　road　gatebut　the　colonel　did　not　return。　　An

indefinable　uneasiness　crept　over　the　little　party；　which　reached

its　climax　in　the　summoning　of　the　other　officers；　and　the　sudden

flashing　out　of　news。　　The　reconnoitring　party　had　found　the　dead

bodies　of　Peter　Atherly　and　his　sister　on　the　plains　at　the　edge　of

the　empty　wood。



The　women　were　gathered　in　the　commandant's　quarters；　and　for　the

moment　seemed　to　have　been　forgotten。　　The　officers'　wives　talked

with　professional　sympathy　and　disciplined　quiet；　the　English

ladies　were　equally　sympathetic；　but　collected。　　Lady　Elfrida；

rather　white；　but　patient；　asked　a　few　questions　in　a　voice　whose

contralto　was　rather　deepened。　　One　and　all　wished　to　〃do

something〃anything　〃to　help〃and　one　and　all　rebelled　that　the

colonel　had　begged　them　to　remain　within　doors。　　There　was　an

occasional　quick　step　on　the　veranda；　or　the　clatter　of　a　hoof　on

the　parade；　a　continued　but　subdued　murmur　from　the　whitewashed

barracks；　but　everywhere　a　sense　of　keen　restraint。



When　they　emerged　on　the　veranda　again；　the　whole　aspect　of　the

garrison　seemed　to　have　changed　in　that　brief　time。　　In　the　faint

moonlight　they　could　see　motionless　files　of　troopers　filling　the

parade；　the　officers　in　belted　tunics　and　slouched　hats；but

apparently　not　the　same　men；　the　half　lounging　ease　and　lazy

dandyism　gone；　a　grim　tension　in　all　their　faces；　a　set　abstraction

in　all　their　acts。　　Then　there　was　the　rolling　of　heavy　wheels　in

the　road；　and　the　two　horses　of　the　ambulance　appeared。　　The

sentries　presented　arms；　the　colonel　took　off　his　hat；　the　officers

uncovered；　the　wagon　wheeled　into　the　parade；　the　surgeon　stepped

out。　　He　exchanged　a　single　word　with　the　colonel；　and　lifted　the

curtain　of　the　ambulance。



As　the　colonel　glanced　within；　a　deep　but　embarrassed　voice　fell

upon　his　ear。　　He　turned　quickly。　　It　was　Lord　Reginald；　flushed

and　sympathetic。



〃He　was　a　friend；a　relation　of　ours；　you　know；〃　he　stammered。

〃My　sister　would　liketo　look　at　him　again。〃



〃Not　now；〃　said　the　colonel　in　a　low　voice。　　The　surgeon　added

something　in　a　voice　still　lower；　which　scarcely　reached　the

veranda。



Lord　Reginald　turned　away　with　a　white　face。



〃Fall　back　there！〃　Captain　Fleetwood　rode　up。



〃All　ready；　sir。〃



〃One　moment；　captain；〃　said　the　colonel　quietly。　　〃File　your　first

half　company　before　that　ambulance；　and　bid　the　men　look　in。〃



The　singular　order　was　obeyed。　　The　men　filed　slowly　forward；　each

in　turn　halting　before　the　motionless　wagon　and　its　immobile

freight。　　They　were　men　inured　to　frontier　bloodshed　and　savage

warfare；　some　halted　and　hurried　on；　others　lingered；　others　turned

to　look　again。　　One　man　burst　into　a　short　laugh；　but　when　the

others　turned　indignantly　upon　him；　they　saw　that　in　his　face　that

held　them　in　awe。　　What　they　saw　in　the　ambulance　did　not　transpire；

what　they　felt　was　not　known。　　Strangely　enough；　however；　what　they

repressed　themselves　was　mysteriously　communicated　to　their　horses；

who　snorted　and　quivered　with　eagerness　and　impatience　as　they　rode

back　again。　　The　horse　of　the　trooper　who　had　laughed　almost　leaped

into　the　air。　　Only　Sergeant　Cassidy　was　communicative；　he　took　a

larger　circuit　in　returning　to　his　place；　and　managed　to　lean　over

and　whisper　hoarsely　in　the　ear　of　a　camp　follower　spectator；　〃Tell

the　young　leddy　that　the　torturin'　divvils　couldn't　take　the　smile

off　him！〃



The　little　column　filed　out　of　the　gateway　into　the　road。　　As

Captain　Fleetwood　passed　Colonel　Carter　the　two　men's　eyes　met。

The　colonel　said　quietly；　〃Good　night；　captain。　　Let　us　have　a　good

report　from　you。〃



The　captain　replied　only　with　his　gauntleted　hand　against　the　brim

of　his　slouched　hat；　but　the　next　moment　his　voice　was　heard　strong

and　clear　enough　in　the　road。　　The　little　column　trotted　away　as

evenly　as　on　parade。　　But　those　who　climbed　the　roof　of　the

barracks　a　quarter　of　an　hour　later　saw；　in　the　moonlight；　a　white

cloud　drifting　rapidly　across　the　plain　towards　the　west。　　It　was　a

small　cloud　in　that　bare；　menacing；　cruel；　and　illimitable　waste；

but　in　its　breast　was　crammed　a　thunderbolt。



It　fell　thirty　miles　away；　blasting　and　scattering　a　thousand

warriors　and　their　camp；　giving　and　taking　no　quarter；　vengeful；

exterminating；　and　complete。　　Later　there　were　different　opinions

about　it　and　the　horrible　crime　that　had　provoked　it：　the　opposers

of　Peter's　policy　jubilant　over　the　irony　of　the　assassination　of

the　Apostle　of　Peace；　Peter's　disciples　as　actively　deploring　the

merciless　and　indiscriminating　vengeance　of　the　military；　and　so

the　problem　that　Peter　had　vainly　attempted　to　solve　was　left　an

open　question。　　There　were　those；　too；　who　believed　that　Peter　had

never　sacrificed　himself　and　his　sister　for　the　sake　of　another；