maurice malherb, worn with futile rage and toil, now turned his face towards the war prison, and cursed himself as he rode along, because he had left this vital business until now.
dawn saw him far upon his way, and its grey light touched his grey face and revealed new marks of storm for ever stamped there. his cheeks were somewhat sunken; his life and energies seemed concentrated in his eyes. he sat heavy and inert upon his horse, yet sometimes spoke aloud. his eyes were never still. their dark gaze ranged the desert, and nothing, near nor far, escaped his scrutiny in the murk of the dawn. the chill hour cooled his forehead and helped him to reflect.
"a man's daughter of all things living to turn upon him! and of all daughters mine! she who has lived long enough to see me in the right a thousand times. the only one left to me. and knowing the deep love i bear her! and knowing how that my judgment errs not. 'tis beyond belief that we should bring out of our own blood a thing that can feel so little thankfulness for the blessing of worthy parentage. i grudged her nothing. i gratified her every wish from childhood. and the only one left to me! oh, god, how comes it that a man's own offspring can show him so little of his own self? she should be my image and her mother's blended together. yet what is she? an exemplar of all that is hateful in woman. and yet—and yet—when she was not crossed she could be as other maids—sweet and daughterly to those that doted upon her. she has made me think that i was all in all to her. but disobedience—to break from the control of her father. and to love an american! fiends of hell, to love one of them! madness—'tis some strain of erotic madness that turned her eyes to this enemy. the love i've wasted there—and would again—and would again!"
his mind broke off, then returned to the matter. "but no—never again. she shall be nothing now—i've cast her off; i have prayed to god that she may be dead—rather than——"
he yawned and his sleepy brain relaxed its grip upon his wrongs. memory was worn out. he stopped once and actually asked himself upon what mission he rode thus in the dayspring hour along this solitary waste.
the morning star waned above the prison and another dawn broke to the murmur of many waters. light stole out of the thin sweet air; a rosy illumination washed the sky, tipped the tors and spread beneath his horse's feet. prince town stretched its granite rings before him; and some fairy tincture of light touched even those solemn walls. they glowed as the morning opened golden eyes, and the ascending sun arose from a pillow of fire.
the master rode straight to ockery bridge, where captain short's cottage stood; and upon his demand instantly to see the commandant, a servant assured him that it was impossible. this he expected, and it did not suffice. before the man could interpose, malherb had pushed past him and entered the little dwelling. he shouted aloud for captain short, and was about to lift his voice again when the officer himself appeared. he was dressed in full uniform.
"they refused me, short, but i would take no refusal. matters of life and death may be afoot."
they were acquainted, and the soldier answered civilly.
"good morrow to you. as for life and death—why, i believe it is as you say, though i pray the affair may end sans bloodshed. my patience is near gone, however. these men have the devil in them, but, luckily, there is always a traitor to reckon with. cottrell also found it so."
"i am concerned about one man."
"then your business can wait, my dear sir; for i am concerned about several thousands. you come at a momentous time. look yonder. within eight-and-forty hours my hive would have been empty and my bees swarming—god knows whither."
commandant short laboured under excessive emotion. he was very red and excited. his hands continually failed him while he endeavoured to buckle on his sword.
"i desire to learn all you can tell me of cecil stark," said malherb, "and know i must at once."
"in good time. what think you of a tunnel burrowed under those walls? they have done it—scraped a hole clean through! at midnight came a message for me, and in secret i received the news from one of themselves. two hundred pounds and liberty was his reward."
"not stark! you do not say that he turned traitor?"
"the rascal's name cannot be divulged. but at least you shall see the sequel."
"stark has escaped—i know it."
"then you know more than i do. 'tis a scheme almost wins my admiration. yet i should have had little admiration to waste had they succeeded. now i crush 'em—within this hour. all is perfected by their leading men—and by me."
"so much to your credit; but i must see stark if he is yet there."
"it is not possible to have speech with him before my coup. afterwards i may arrange for it. you shall come with me, if you please. to think that within two days my yankee rats had all been away to the sea!"
the soldier's fervour grew. he had planned a dramatic answer to the plotters and now set about it. malherb rode beside him to the war prison; but first they visited the barracks, where a regiment of soldiers was drawn up under arms. one company immediately marched to the cottage of lovey lee outside the walls; the remainder proceeded with commandant short.
it was then that sam cuffee, while engaged in preparing his master's breakfast, caught sight of the troops, dropped a pot of coffee, and came flying to stark with his news.
"dey come, sar—de lobsters—tousands ob dem! and de officers an' marse commandant wid de plumes in him hat. dey march straight off to no. 6. it am all ober wid us—we cotched sure—damn de debbil!"
stark cried that discovery was impossible; but a moment later he saw the truth for himself. many hundred half-dressed americans swarmed into the yards and a hedge of steel confronted them.
captain short stepped to the front of his forces, and a subaltern in a loud voice cried out certain names from a paper. he rehearsed correctly every member of the prisoners' committee. stark, burnham, ira anson, and the rest stood forward in turn as they were called.
"follow me, gentlemen, if you please," said the commandant; then, while a growl of rage went up from the assembled masses, stark and the leaders, heavily guarded, were marched to the scene of their operations in prison no. 6.
short, who had been informed most punctually of this affair, marched straight up to the flagstones that concealed the descent to the tunnel. he bade two turnkeys raise the pavement, and then all marvelled to see the perfection of engineering work pursued under such difficulties.
"a notable feat! accept my hearty congratulations," said the commandant drily. "and when was this accomplished, good sirs?"
"it has taken many months, captain," answered cecil stark. "'twas finished but yesterday at midnight."
"i know that; one of your friends has thought better of the matter and sold you all."
"no true american," said anson hotly; "i'll stake my life 'twas a renegade britisher."
"no, no. don't imagine that. he is one of yourselves. however, you'll not have any more to do with him. he has his reward. now tell me—where in thunder did you dispose of the enormous quantities of soil you must have displaced in this business?"
"ate it—to make up for short rations," shouted david leverett.
"a good idea; but there will be no burrowing out of the cachots, my man. 'woe to the vanquished' is the tune now. away with them!" then he added to the guard: "let them be separately confined. i will question each man in turn later on. now for their tunnel! you little thought, gentlemen, that i, your commandant, would be the first through this ingenious exit!"
the soldiers separated. a company one hundred strong, with loaded muskets, marched cecil stark and his companions to the cachots; while thrice that number of soldiers formed square and stood facing all ways about the pit mouth. then captain short and two of his officers with lighted torches descended. once there was an ugly rush of prisoners in the confined space above them; but the bayonets kept all back, and before any organised resistance or counter demonstration was possible, the americans had been driven out of no. 6 and the doors locked against them.
meantime, while captain short crept from end to end of the tunnel and presently thrust his head through the floor of lovey lee's empty cottage without the walls of the war prison, malherb had followed stark and endeavoured to get speech with him. but an officer in charge knew nothing of the master of fox tor farm, and ordered him back. malherb made a rough retort, and the soldier promptly sent him out of the prison precincts.
"i would serve you if in my power, sir," he said, "but to allow any speech with these men at present is out of the question. get you gone, therefore, and impede us no more."
"you whipper-snapper—what know you of this? there are affairs of vital importance that demand my speech with that rascal. i will speak with him! have i toiled through a century of suffering to be denied by a starveling subaltern? and the knave actually under my eyes! speak with him i will, so stay me at your peril!"
he woke the echoes from many walls; he fumed with indignation that a youth should affront him thus; while the officer, ignorant of all that boiled in this man's mind, and conscious of the gravity of his own charge, made short work with mr. malherb. he called a sergeant.
"take half a dozen men, bradridge, and turn this lunatic out. if he won't go, rogue's-march him! we've enough on our hands without madmen to-day."
as though to confirm his assertion, a great uproar rent the air behind them—a clamour like the wind-driven sea breaking upon some mighty cliff. the nature of their disappointment had permeated through the prisons; and thousands of baffled captives cursed their fortune and threatened those dangers that lie in concerted action of desperate men.
sergeant bradridge obeyed the word of command, and, despite his impotent raving, malherb was thrust forth by force. he called down destruction upon the great fastness behind him; he wished the americans all free to overwhelm their guards; and then, at the entrance, another company of soldiers appeared with two prisoners handcuffed together.
"waal, i guess they'll be astonished—some of 'em—when they see me alive and hearty," said james knapps to his companion. "not many knew as i was snooking round t'other side that wall, and digging like hell day and night."
john lee did not answer, for he had observed maurice malherb.
"i must speak to that man!" he cried to the soldiers. "for god's love do not deny me! 'tis like to be death for an innocent woman if i don't!"
"not your grandmother—eh?" asked knapps; "i reyther reckon she can take care of herself."
john had now turned to sergeant bradridge, and earnestly addressed him. the sergeant was a local man—a native of buckfastleigh, and the uncle of mr. putt.
"sergeant," he said, "you know your nephew tom: he's my friend, and i beg you to let me speak to mr. malherb there. it's a fearful thing if i'm denied."
then he lifted his voice to his old master.
"i implore you, sir, to give heed. there's danger threatening miss grace—i alone——"
but the other turned and roared him down.
"you hound—you lying rascal; you, that plotted to help this knave stark! shall i hear a groom when i may not hear his master? take him away and shoot him for a traitor to his country!"
"your daughter, sir!"
"keep her off your lips, or i'll strangle you with my own hand," bellowed the other. "you're at the bottom of half this cursed business—i know it—i know everything!"
"her life, i tell you——"
"is not in your keeping. i'll not hearken to a word from you. take the damned dog away and let him die as he deserves to die. my horse—my horse!"
sergeant bradridge addressed the raving man aside.
"if he's got aught to say, your honour, best hear it. you may not have another chance."
"never! he has nothing to do with my daughter. is she not a malherb? hang the lying, infamous scoundrel! take him from my sight. let all such be hanged. i would say it if he was my son!"
a moment later he rode away full charged with frenzy: while lee and knapps passed into the war prison.
