The Knight Of The Golden Melice by John Turvill Adams (cat reading book txt) 📕

The Place. He Advanced Straight To The Prison Door, And, Fitting

The Key, Presently Stood In The Narrow Passage Which Ran Round The Two

Cells Into Which The Central Part Was Divided. Only One Of These Was

Locked. Opening It, He Called, In A Low Tone--"Sassacus."

 

 

 "Who Wants Sassacus?" Asked The Chief In His Own Language Out Of The

Darkness, For The Stranger Had Come Without A Light.

 

 

 "I Do Not Understand Your Gibberish," Answered The Other. "Know You

Not Philip's Voice?"

 

  

"Thou Hast Come To Place The Feet Of Sassacus On The Forest Leaves.

Quick! O Good White Man! And Free Him," Cried The Impatient Chief.

 

 

Philip, Guided By The Sounds, Bent Down, And Feeling For The Shackles

Which Confined The Legs Of The Captive, Soon Unfastened Them, And The

Liberated Sagamore Stretched Out With Delight His Cramped Limbs.

"Sassacus," He Said, "Shall See Again The Pleasant River Of The

Pequots, And He Will Deliver Neebin From The Robbers." Then Following

Joy, The Two Entered, Noiselessly, The Cabin Of The Jailer.

 

  

During The Absence Of Joy, A Scene Of A Different Kind Had Been

Passing. The Lady Geraldine, Aroused By The Sounds, Had Left Her

Couch, And Appeared Among The Intruders. She Manifested No Fear At

Sight Of The Indians, (For What Had She To Dread From Those Who Had

Always Shown Her Kindness?) And When Owe Of Them Glided To Her Side,

She Strove Not To Avoid Him.

 

  

"Celestina!" Said A Well-Known Voice In Her Ear, "Hasten To Accompany

Me From This Wretched Den, And The Tyranny Of Your Oppressors."

 

  

She Started At The First Sound, But Quickly Recovering Herself,

Replied, In A Tone As Low:

 

  

"Of What Avail? My Usefulness Here Is Ended. I Will Give Place To

Another, And Heaven Will Employ Me Somewhere Else."

 

 

 Be It So," Said The Knight; "Yet Fly, For The Sake Of Thy Liberty,

Perhaps Of Thy Life."

 

  

"I Fear Not For My Life," She Added; "And As For My Liberty, I Cannot

Long Be Deprived Of It."

 

 

"Time Flies! What Madness Is This? I Have Risked My Life To Rescue

Thee, And Now Dost Thou Reject My Service?"

 

 

 "I Cannot Fly With Thee. Better To Die."

 

  

"What Strange Language Do I Hear? What Mean You? Explain Quickly, For

Our Time Is Short."

 

  

"I Have No Explanation, Except That I Will Not Go. The Heretics May

Rage, But The Virgin Will Protect Me."

 

  

"O, Listen!" Urged The Knight. "You Shall Be Delivered From This

Atrocious Persecution. I Will Take Thee To The French Settlements,

Where Thou Wilt Be Secure, And Mistress Of Thine Own Movements."

  

 

"And Thereby Seem To Admit The Truth Of All Wherewith We Are Charged.

That Were In Some Sort A Betrayal Of Our Trust, And What Neither Thou

Nor I May Do."

  

 

"Call You The Preservation Of Our Liberty And Lives A Betrayal Of

Trust? Celestina, Grief Hath Crazed Thy Brain."

  

 

"Nay, Sir Christopher, I Have Thought Over All These Things, And The

Virgin Inspires My Determination. I Will Do Nought To Confirm A

Suspicion Already Entertained, That We Are Catholics, Which Would Be

Turned Into Certainty, Were We To Take Refuge Among Our French

Neighbors. Thus Should We Make The Task More Difficult For The

Successors Who Must Take Our Places, Since We Have Been Found

Unworthy." 

 

 

"Then We Will Remain Among The Indians, If That Please Thee Better."

 

 

 

"To Bring Trouble Upon Them For Their Hospitality; To Cause Them To Be

Hunted On Our Account, Like Wild Beasts. Thy Generosity Would Disdain

Safety Purchased By Another's Suffering."

 

  

"We Will Go To Some Distant Tribe. Anything Is Better Than To Remain

In The Hands Of These Pitiless Fanatics."

 

  

"I Dread Them Not," Answered Sister Celestina, Loftily. "The Talisman

Of The True Faith Will Preserve Me."

 

  

"Is, Then, Thy Resolution Fixed Beyond Change? Will No Prayers, No

Entreaties Change Thee?"

  

 

"It Is Better Thus: The Poor Sister Celestina Knows How To Suffer And

To Die, But Not How To Desert The Post Entrusted To Her By Her

Superiors."

 

  

At This Moment Joy And Sassacus Entered, And The Former, Approaching

The Knight, Informed Him That All Was Ready For A Start.

 

  

"I Am Ready," Said The Knight. "Yet, Once Again, Before I Hasten Away,

O, Celestina, Come! I Cannot Bear To Leave Thee With These Men With

Natures Rougher Than The Savage."

  

 

"If I Were To Tell Thee All," She Said, Moved By His Importunities,

"Thou Thyself Wouldst Bid Me Remain. Noble Gentleman! Unfortunate And

Slandered Knight, Save Thyself From Thine Enemies. Hasten Away; There

Is Danger In Every Moment's Delay. Whatever May Become Of Me, No Fault

Is Thine."

 

 

 She Took His Hand In Hers, And As She Pressed It To Her Lips, The

Knight Felt A Tear Trickling Over Its Surface.

 

 

 "Farewell, Then," He Said, "Since It Must Be So; But I Will Hover Near

To Assist Thee, Shouldst Thou Change Thy Resolution."

 

  

He Turned Away, Greeted The Sagamore,And, With His Followers, Began

To Leave The Cabin. As He Passed The Jailer, He Stooped, And, Removing

The Gag From His Mouth, Looked At Him Steadily An Instant, And Then

Placed Two Broad Gold Pieces On The Floor Before Him.

  

 

The Lady Pursued With Her Eyes The Retreating Figures Till Swallowed

Up By The Darkness. "I Will Bear My Cross As I May," She Said To

Herself, "For I Deserve It For All My Unhappy Suspicions Of His

Generous Nature. But I Will Do Nothing Which May Give Further Color To

The Malignant Charge Devised By The Justly-Slain Spikeman, And Taken

Up By His Associates. An Escape With Him Were Sure To Do That. The

Tongue Of Calumny Would Wag, And The Finger Of Scorn Be Universally

Pointed At Me, And All Would Cry, 'Aha! We Said It.' Such Triumph

Shall Not Mine Enemies Have Over Me."

 

 

Her Meditations Were Interrupted By Bars, Who Now Begged Her To

Release Him From Bondage, Or Call His Wife To Do The Friendly Office

For Him.

 

  

"I Desire To Take You To Witness," Said The Lady, "That, Though Flight

Was In My Power, I Have Not Availed Myself Of The Opportunity. Say

That To My Oppressors, To Increase The Guilt Of Their Cruelty."

 

 

 "I Will Say What You Please," Answered Bars, Peevishly, "An' You Will

Untie Me."

 

 

 "I Will Do So, If You Promise To Make No Hue And Cry."

 

 

"What Should I Want Of Tramping After Indians In The Dark, And Perhaps

Catch An Arrow In My Paunch For My Pains?" Groaned The Jailer; "Though

I Have Some Notions Of My Own About The Indian Part Of The Business."

 

  

"Trusting Thy Promise, I Will Relieve Thee From Thy Bonds," Said The

Lady, Cutting The Cords.

 

  

"I Made No Promise," Said Bars, As Soon As He Was Set At Liberty,

"Though I Will Behave As If I Had. These Be Brave Indians," He Said To

Himself, Slyly Taking Up The Gold, "And Pay Handsomely For Their Right

To Be Considered Such. An' It Be Thy Pleasure That It Should Be So,"

He Added Aloud, "These Golden Indians Shall Remain Indians Till The

Day Of Judgment, For All Bars--"

 

  

Dame Bars, Now, From Her Nook, Made Her Appearance On The Scene.

 

 

 "O, Sam!" She Exclaimed, "Be They Gone, And Have Not They Scalped

You?"

 

 

 "You Can Look For Yourself, Wife," Answered Sam, Passing His Fingers

Through His Shock Of Hair, As If To Satisfy Any Doubts Of His Own.

"But What Should They Want With My Scalp, I Wonder."

 

 

 

"I Am Sure I Can't Tell What They Do With Such Things," Said The Dame,

"Unless To Cover Their Own Heads When They Get Bald."

 

 

 "A Pretty Figure," Grunted Bars, "My Red Crop Would Make On The Top Of

One Of Them Salvages. It Never Will Come To That, Goody. But I Must

Not Stay Here Talking About Scalps, When, Perhaps, The Poor Sentinel

May Have Lost His." And He Started Toward The Door.

 

  

"O Do Not Go, Do Not Go, Sam!" Said His Wife, Throwing Her Arms Around

Him; "They May Be Watching For Thee On The Outside."

  

 

"Women Be Always Cowards," Said The Jailer; "But Thou Need Not Hug Me

So Tight Now. I Warrant, Having Got What They Wanted, They Are In The

Woods Before This Time."

 

 

 

"Yet Stay A Little Longer," Persisted His Wife. "If The Poor Soldier

Be Murdered, Thou Canst Do Him No Good."

 

  

"You Forget, Goody, That I Am A Public Officer, And Must Do My Duty,"

Said Sam, Extricating Himself From Her Grasp; And, Lighting A Lantern,

He Went Out Of Doors.

 

 

Bars Directed His Course Straight To The Door Of The Prison, Which He

Found Open.

 

 

"It Is As I Expected," He Thought, "There Is No Use In Going In. The

Indian's Long Legs Are Loping Far Away In The Forest, Be Sure.

Cowlson! Friend Cowlson!" He Asked, "Art Thou Dead, Or Only Scalped?"

 

  

He Listened For An Answer, But None Was Returned. Proceeding Round The

Little Building, He Soon Found What He Sought--The Soldier, Tied By

The Neck And Heels, In A Most Uncomfortable Posture, And Soaked With

The Rain.

 

 

 "Humph!" Ejaculated Bars; "These Salvages Be Learning Civilization

Fast. An' I Had Done It Myself, I Could Not Have Tied The Knot With

More Judgment."

 

  

The Soldier (To Add To Whose Misfortunes, His Musket Was Gone,

Together With The Powder And Ball Wherewith He Had Been Furnished)

Felt In No Talking Humor, And Sulkily Followed The Jailer Into The

House, Where He Recovered His Speech, And Recounted His Portion Of The

Adventures Of The Night. Bars Pretended To Believe That The Party

Consisted Entirely Of Indians; Of Which, However, Cowlson Could By No

Means Be Persuaded; "For How," Asked He, "Could They Learn Our

Countersign?"

  

 

"They Be Cunning Vermin," Said Bars. "But Now, That I Recollect,

Methinks That When They Deceived Me It Sounded A Little Heathenish."

 

  

"Then, Why Did You Admit Them?" Demanded Cowlson.

 

  "A Fine Question For You To Ask, Jim Cowlson. An' I Had Not, The

Chance Is They Would Have Bowled You Off With Them, As A Hostage For

The Sachem, And Like As Not Burned Us Up Besides. But The Fact Is, I

Was Half Asleep. An' I Had Been Wide Awake, Perhaps I Would Have

Discovered The Trick. And Who Would Have Guessed That Indians Knew

Anything About Countersigns? I Wonder How They Found It Out."

 

  

"I Must Report This Night's Work Forthwith," Said Cowlson, Rising;

"But I Had Almost As Lief Have Lost My Scalp As My Musket."

  

 

The Disconsolate Soldier Accordingly Wended On His Way, To Tell The

Best Story He Could To Save Himself From Blame; While Bars, After

Relocking His Empty Prison, And Barring His Door, Snuggled Himself

Alongside His Partner To Busy His Rather Obtuse Brain With Schemes Of

A Like Nature On His Own Behalf.

 

 

Chapter XXXII ("This Monument Shall Utter Of The Past It Hath No Tongue; And Yet Demosthenes, Or Roman Tully, Never Stirred The Breasts Of Gaping Citizens With Subtler Speech, Than Shall This Pile Of Stones The Wayfarers. Who Pass This Wa

 

 

 

 Anonymous.

 

  

 While With Rapid Steps Through The Tempestuous Night The Retiring

Party Were Seeking The Forest, One Of Them, The Only One In The Dress

Of The Whites, And Who For That Reason Had Not Ventured Into The Cabin

Of The Jailer, But Had Kept Watch On The Outside, Approaching

Sassacus, Said:

 

 

 "Let The Feet Of The Chief Be Swift, For Many Warriors Will Be After

Him With The Morning Light."

 

  

"My Brother!" Said The Delighted Sagamore, Recognizing The Voice Of

Arundel. "Let Not My Brother Be Afraid. The Forest Loves Sassacus, And

Tells Him All Its Secrets."

 

  

"Yet Remain Not Here, My Friend, My Sassacus, Nor Be Troubled About

Neebin. I Will Take Care Of Her, And She Shall Be Restored To Thee."

 

 

 "Sassacus Trusts His Young White Brother," Said The Indian, "He Hears

Neebin Singing By The River Of The Pequots."

 

  

"We Part Here, And Perhaps Forever," Said Arundel. "Farewell,

Sagamore. A Nobler Heart Than Thine Never Beat In Savage Or Christian

Bosom. I Will Never Forget You."

 

 

 He Wrung The Hand Of The Chief, And, Turning, Was Instantly Lost In

The Darkness.

 

  

The Occasion Permitted No Further Words, And, As The Two Separated, It

Was With A Glow Of Pleasure On The Part Of Each. Arundel Reflected

With Satisfaction On The