Book: Ridgeway

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This intelligence, as may be supposed, caused poor Kate the greatest
possible anxiety; but what had she to fear so long as she took the
talisman for her guide? Here there could be no mistake, anyway; for
had she not it in her bosom, and was it not from _him_? Still, that
there was something perfectly mysterious about the whole affair, she
was quite ready to admit; but as she had received the strictest
injunctions from Smith not to permit herself to be seen for the
present in the vicinity of the place, or outside the dwelling, she
determined to obey one to whom no small power in her case had
unquestionably been delegated by her lover.

During the day Martha and Kate were frequently together--the poor
young girl disclosing her history scrap by scrap, until at last Kate
learned that she was in reality an orphan; that both her parents died
when she was yet quite young; that her aunt, who was possessed of an
excellent education, had been twice married--once to her own mother's
brother, and subsequently to the man whom she now called uncle; that
her own parents had been Irish, and that on their death, her real
uncle became her guardian and true friend until his death; when, on
this second, unfortunate marriage, the affairs of the family becoming
hopelessly embarrassed, she and her relatives embarked for America,
taking up their abode first in Toronto, and subsequently in the place
where they now resided. In addition, she stated that her opportunities
of education had been good, and that, somehow or other, since she had
crossed the Atlantic, she managed to keep a few choice books about
her, and avail herself of the assistance of her aunt, whenever they
could, in the absence of her uncle, devote an hour to study or the
perusal of some new work.

The small clearing, on the verge of which the house occupied by the
Wilsons stood, was surrounded with woods, and no other habitation was
to be found in its immediate vicinity. From the morose disposition and
suspicious character of the proprietor himself, but few of the
neighbors were on visiting terms with the family; so that they might
be said to lead a completely sequestered life. From time to time only,
an occasional visit was paid him by some one who stood in need of the
services of his team; and thus his standing in the neighborhood was
that of a suspected or banned man--the general impression being, that
he was neither more nor less than a dangerous and daring smuggler, who
was constantly engaged in the interests of unprincipled merchants on
both sides of the lines. This idea obtained footing from the
circumstance that he had been observed returning late one night from
the frontier with his wagon laden down with suspicious looking boxes
and bales; and from the further fact, that his absences from home were
frequently lengthy and mysterious--no one knowing the precise nature
of his business, or the points to which his journeys were made so
often.

The clearing, itself, was under good cultivation, the spring crops
giving fine promise of an abundant harvest. A short distance from the
house flowed a beautiful brook, whose murmurs occasionally reached the
ears of the inmates; while the thickening foliage of the surrounding
groves, as they might be termed, gave shelter to various birds,
amongst which might now be heard, at early morn and throughout the
day, the clear, round notes of the robin.

"The robin!"--what on earth has, we should like to know, bewitched
ornithologists to designate the great, coarse, tuneless bird, that
visits us in the earliest dawn of spring, in this far off America,
"the robin?" Neither in throat nor plumage is it even a thirty-first
cousin of the sweet, timid, little, brown bunch of melody that haunts
the hawthorn hedges of Ireland and the sister island, when they are
in bloom, or seeks a crumb at the open casement, when winter ruffles
all its russet plumes, and sets his chill, white seal on all its
stores; We have been often struck with the great dissimilarity
between these two namesakes of the feathered kingdom; for never on
these transatlantic shores have we heard what might be termed a
domestic bird sing a song so sweet as that poured beneath our window
in the soft blue haze of an Irish summer evening, by the genuine
robin-red-breast, as he sang the daylight down the west, through a sky
flushed and flecked with azure, crimson and gold, to such extreme
intensity, that the poet or painter might, at the moment, half indulge
in the idea, that the sun had fallen into curious ruins upon the verge
of the horizon. Oh! the silver thread of such a song, as it flashed
and scintillated from that trembling throat! Never shall we forget it,
or the land in which it first wound itself around our heart.

But this, we know, is inclined to be sentimental; and as we now have
to do with stern realities, we shall resume the chain of our story by
saying, that after her first day's residence with the Wilsons, and
finding that the uncle of Martha had no intelligence for her on his
return home on the evening or night succeeding the one of her arrival,
she expressed her great anxiety to Martha, who now devoted every
moment she could spare from her other duties, to the pleasing task of
rendering her solitude as agreeable as possible.

On the morning of the second day after her arrival she ventured to ask
Wilson if he had any idea of when she was to be relieved from her
embarrassing position. In reply to her interrogatory he assured her,
that he was quite unable to give her any information on the subject,
but was led to believe that she should not be long a prisoner, as he
termed it. All he could say in relation to the matter was, that some
person, with whose name even he was unacquainted, had secured, through
a third party, his services as her host, and engaged the apartment she
occupied, and attendance, etc. In addition to this, he observed,
carelessly, that he was responsible for her safety until the arrival
of those who had delegated to him the right to watch over her and
shield her from observation until the proper moment arrived.

To all this Kate made no reply; the thought having just struck her,
that Nicholas had perhaps learned of some intended design upon her by
Lauder, and that he took this method of transporting her to some point
unknown to that person, until he himself could offer her his full and
unembarrassed protection. Yet she wondered why it was that he had left
her in such dreadful uncertainty, and did not write her explicitly
upon the subject Again, she was perplexed at the idea that he was in
no position to learn anything of the plots or plans of her rejected
suitor, if he entertained any; so that, upon the whole, she was in no
very comfortable state of mind when she rejoined Martha whom she had
left in her chamber, and whom she now induced to make up a bed upon a
sofa and consent to sleep in her apartment during her stay.

Martha, on her part, moved by this token of friendship, and while
sitting up late on the very night of the conversation with Wilson,
became mysteriously nervous and, through various vague hints and
insinuations, so far alarmed Kate at last, that the poor girl implored
her new acquaintance to tell her frankly if she knew anything that
bore upon her ease, or the reasons for her being so singularly
circumstanced.

To this solicitation Martha made no direct reply; but rising
cautiously, she stepped lightly towards the chamber door, and opening
it softly put out her head into the passage and listened for a few
moments. Then gently closing the door, she again noiselessly retraced
her steps, and drawing her seat close beside that of Kate, began thus,
in a low, trembling voice, in which fear and agitation were distinctly
traceable:

"Oh! Miss McCarthy, horrible as the disclosure is, I believe that,
instead of a smuggler, which my aunt and I long supposed him to be, my
uncle is a robber, or leagued with robbers! This, for the first-time,
came to our knowledge last night, after his return from wherever he
had been. We had been always accustomed to his bringing here, during
the night, mysterious packages; but as he informed us that they were
goods for merchants who, as he asserted, resided at some distance, we
took him at his word, and when he removed the goods again were, of
course, under the firm impression that he carried them to their
owners. However, as I have observed, on returning last night, when my
aunt and I were assisting him to remove a heavy case from his wagon,
while carrying it into the stable to place it under the hay beneath
which he invariably concealed such things, my aunt and I perceived
that, this time, it was a large trunk that he had brought, and that
the lock had given way, disclosing gleams within it, as though it
contained some bright objects. He did not notice the circumstance of
the fastening having failed, and we did not call his attention to
the fact; but permitted him to shake the hay over it as usual.
Subsequently, however, my aunt and I referred to the matter, when she,
taking advantage of my uncle's sound slumbers, he having retired to
rest before her, went out again and, re-lighting the stable lantern,
removed the covering from the lid of the great trunk, and raising it,
perceived that it contained many valuable articles of silver and
dress; but all evidently old, and huddled together in a manner the
most confused. This almost paralysed the poor woman, and as I
subsequently inspected the package, on her retiring for the night, I
arrived at the conclusion which she had, as she informed me, herself
previously adopted; namely, that the goods were stolen, and that Smith
was in some way mixed up with the robbery."

Now, indeed, Kate felt her situation alarming in the truest sense of
the term, and sat looking at her companion in speechless horror and
amazement. Mystery upon mystery it was; but as the dangers that
appeared to surround her, though gloomy, were indistinct, she once
more had recourse to her panacea of the token, and seeking her couch
with a fervent prayer on her lip, was soon, like her young friend on
the sofa, lost in uneasy slumbers.




CHAPTER X.


It was on the night of Sunday the 27th of May, 1866, that Barry and
his comrades were to attempt their escape from the Fort; and, as
already seen, it was on the same night that the deserter was conveyed
in a cab to The Harp, by Greaves. Two o'clock in the morning was the
time decided upon, and a rendezvous having been appointed, our hero,
who was on guard, saw, without challenging them, six figures steal by
him into the darkness and immediately disappear. No sooner had the
last of them vanished, than he placed his musket bolt upright in his
sentry box, and the next moment was lost also in the gloom, and in the
direction in which the figures had melted from his vision. Soon he
reached the side of the river, where he found Tom with a boat, beside
which stood his six companions. On recognizing him, they all leaped
into the boat, and, although the moon was in the heavens, sheltered by
the dark overhanging clouds that fortunately filled the sky, they
dropped down the river, and landing Tom at a point previously decided
upon, they all wrung his hand in silence, and once more put forth into
the gloom, heading their craft towards the American shore, under the
guidance of a pilot who knew every island and turn in the channel, and
who joined them at the spot where O'Brien bid them farewell. With
muffled oars and in the most profound silence, they moved along until
they arrived at a turn in the channel, where they were instructed to
bend to their work by the stranger who held the tiller; when, taking
heart from their good fortune, for so far, they made their willing
craft almost leap out of the water, as they gave a long pull, a strong
pull, and a pull altogether.

As day was beginning to shape the world around them, they found
themselves nearing the American shore, and now perceiving themselves
beyond the reach of danger and out of the jurisdiction of the flag
they had so long and so cordially detested, they rested on their oars,
and giving three hearty cheers for the land they were fast
approaching, again set to with a will, and soon found themselves
beneath the Stars and Stripes of the glorious Republic before which
all the nations of the earth now bow, however reluctantly. On leaping
ashore, they discovered a short distance from the water a small
village to which, on securing their boat, they all posted; and having
gained a neat little tavern, the shutters of which were just being
opened, they explained their situation to the proprietor, and ordered
breakfast, determined to rest themselves for a period, and deliberate
upon their future movements, although the destination of Barry had, of
course, long been decided upon.

On hearing that they were deserters from the British army, and that,
without an exception, they were all Irishmen, who had come to the
United States with a view to aiding in any project that had for its
object the humiliation of England, and the freedom of Ireland, the
landlord, who was a six-footer from Tipperary--one of the
Cummingses--gave "a yell out of him" that brought his wife and
children in _deshabille_ to the bar-room door, proceeded by a boy of
all work, who evidently shared their alarm and surprise to the fullest
extent; but when, instead of a bar-room disturbance, they perceived
the master of the premises shaking hands over and over again with the
new arrivals, and bidding them welcome to the land of the free, they
soon disappeared from the hall and regained their chambers, from which
they had been so unceremoniously summoned. Cummings was literally in
his glory, and instantly had his counter be-littered with glasses,
bottles and decanters; while, with genuine hospitality, he made the
fugitives partake more than once of some one of the beverages that he
had placed before them. Ere long a smoking, hot breakfast was in
readiness for them, prepared by the mistress of the house,--herself a
comely Irishwoman, with a set of teeth that you'd almost let bite you,
they were so white and sunny, and a handsome, fair face, with a _cead
mille failte_ in every line and dimple of it. Already the poor
adventurers began to feel the exhilarating effects of freedom, and, as
soon as they had satisfied their appetites, each set about changing
his soldier's coat for a rough, plain one, which had been provided by
O'Brien and his friends, and which they found awaiting them when they
first entered the boat.

As Barry, who was regarded as chief of the little party, avowed his
intention of pushing on direct for Buffalo, the others, who had no
fixed point in view, determined to join him; so, when they had taken a
few hours repose, they parted from their kind host and hostess, who
would not permit them to pay a single shilling for anything they had
drank or eaten since they entered the friendly hostel. During the time
they were waiting at the railway station, they heard various rumors as
to the intended invasion of the Province they had but just left; and
from numerous significant hints which they had received, they were
fully convinced that some important movement was on foot, which would
soon develope itself in bolder outline. On entering the cars that were
to take them west, they found the subject of Fenianism freely
discussed, and in many cases with a friendliness that showed there
was, in some instances at least, a feeling hostile to England among
the American people. As they pursued their journey and received other
accessions to their numbers as travellers, they found that this
aversion was both widely spread and deeply rooted, so that by the time
they reached their destination, they were fully satisfied that the
people of America, and those of the adjoining English Colony, could
never become true friends so long as the latter adheared to the
standard of Great Britain, or remained part and parcel of the British
empire. The antagonism of institutions, the infamous conduct of
England during the late civil war, and the fixed impression of every
true American, that the Canadas belong of right to the great people
who now rule the continent, made it strikingly apparant that England
had but a precarious foot-hold upon the shores of the New World.

On the arrival of the train at Black Rock, Barry, who had been
previously informed as to the precise locality in which the relatives
of Kate were to be found, stepped off the cars, informing his comrades
that he would join them in the city during the day. With but little
difficulty he found the dwelling of his friends, and entering it, was
received with open arms, and was instantly asked as to where he left
Kate. For a moment he did not comprehend the question, but when by
degrees he heard the fearful disclosure, that she had secretly left
the house, by night, about a week previously, he fell into a chair,
almost fainting, while the greatest consternation seized all those
about him. Slowly, and with their hearts sinking within them, they
recounted the circumstance of the note that had been written and left
for them on her bedroom table, and the fact of her having taken some
of her wearing apparel with her, but as to where she had gone, or with
whom, they were in the most profound darkness. No one had called at
the house,--no previous intimation had been given them by her as to
her intentions; and, in so far as they were concerned, all was
darkness. Lauder, they knew, had been in the vicinity of the Rock, but
then, of course, he could have had no hand in the strange transaction,
as her detestation of him precluded, as they thought, the possibility
of his exercising the slightest influence over any of her actions.
However, she was gone, and now, as it appeared, was the victim of some
horrible plot or mistake beyond the reach of any elucidation, for the
present at least.

Never was a strong man so bowed to the dust as the poor young fellow
who now found all his hopes so rudely and unexpectedly dashed to the
earth. With a face pale as death he shook throughout every limb in a
manner fearful to behold. In vain he looked from one face to another
for some explanation of the dreadful calamity that had befallen
him--all was dark and blank and silent around him. Even conjecture was
paralysed, so completely was the disappearance of his betrothed
enveloped in mystery. As a preliminary step, to gain even the feeblest
information of her, he did not know how, or when or where to move.
Could he get even the slightest glimpse of any link in the chain, he
could set about unravelling the tangled and gloomy skein; but as it
was, he was as helpless as a child. Secure in her fidelity, however,
and trusting to Providence, crushed as he was, his young heart, after
the first blow, began to rise within him, and collecting himself, he
set about making such enquiries in the neighborhood as he thought were
likely to throw some light upon the subject. In this he was warmly
aided by the alarmed wife of his friend, who learned that on the very
evening of the night of her disappearance, after having given her last
music lesson in the house of one of her pupils, she was seen in
company with a man, who was recognized as no very respectable
character, by one of the hands employed in the rolling mills, who
happened to catch a glimpse of them in conversation as he was
returning from his work. The name of this latter individual having
been ascertained, Barry at once visited the mills and heard, to his
consternation, that the suspicious person seen in company with Kate on
the evening referred to, was neither more nor less than the Kid,
previously introduced to the reader, as one of the keepers of the low
gambling house already mentioned, where we first met him and his
partner of the blue shirt, alluded to also as a burglar and robber.

This much ascertained, Nicholas prevailed upon the workman to
accompany him to the den in question, into which they accidentally
dropped as it were. The person they sought was, as usual, about the
premises; but from him Barry could gain no information whatever,
beyond the circumstance, that he did remember, about a week ago,
accosting a lady near Black Bock, having taken the liberty of
enquiring of her, whether a certain person whom he was anxious to find
resided in the neighborhood.

"I know that's a lie," said the workman, when he and Nicholas had
gained the street once more, "for as I happened to come upon them just
as they were separating, I heard the lady say, before she perceived
me, and as I was turning a corner of the road, 'I'll not fail to be
there,' or words to that effect."

To Nicholas this was more perplexing than ever; although he now
arrived at the conclusion, that Kate was the victim of some infamous
and deep-laid plot, and that Lauder was at the bottom of it. But here
again he was embarrassed by the circumstance, that he had never, so
far as he knew, seen her rejected suitor, nor was he known to any of
his friends at the Rock; from the fact that they had left Toronto
before his arrival there, and that, notwithstanding his visits to
Buffalo, he had never crossed their path. All, then, that Nicholas had
to stand upon was the circumstance that she had actually been seen in
conversation with the Kid, and that that worthy had evidently
misrepresented the tenor of that conversation, whatever it might have
been.

The next day after his arrival, Barry, with a heart sore and dark
enough, went in search of his comrades, informing such of them as he
thought proper to admit to his confidence, of the dreadful condition
of his affairs and mind. While sympathising with him sincerely,
however, and offering him all the assistance in their power, they
seemed absorbed with some new subject of importance which appeared to
engross no ordinary share of their attention. Since their arrival,
they had learned that it was a fact and beyond all doubt, that the
Fenians were gathering along the frontier for the purpose of making a
descent upon Canada and securing a foothold upon its shores, with a
view to making it the basis of operations against England in their
attempt to secure the independence of Ireland. One and all they had
determined to join the expedition as volunteers, and Nicholas, who
entertained a lurking suspicion that Kate had crossed the American
frontier under some mysterious impulse or influence, half made up his
mind to make one of the invading army also. This suspicion was based
upon the fact of Kate's having no friends or relatives in the States,
save those at the Rock, while she had several in Canada in the
direction of which she might have been attracted by letters or
representations now a mystery to him. However, he felt assured that,
under any circumstance, she was not to be found in Buffalo or its
vicinity; so, moved by both love and patriotism, before the evening
had set in, he came to the conclusion to join his comrades in the
approaching struggle.

This resolution once taken, he made instant application to some of the
Fenian authorities of the city, stating the circumstance of his recent
arrival, and quickly found himself surrounded by a host of friends who
were ready to share their last mouthful or dollar with him. During
this juncture, the Irish spirit of Buffalo, strongly impregnated with
the generous national sentiment of America, was discernible upon every
side. The groups of patriots quietly at first arriving from almost
every point of the compass, were received with open arms and the
sincerest hospitality by those who had an interest in the cause of
freedom and the humiliation of the tyrant England. There were, of
course, a few British sympathisers among the people and press who,
ignoring their allegiance to the Union, or the principles for which
the heroes of the Revolution laid down their lives, threw their voice
and influence into the scale on the side of England, but they were in
a hopeless minority; as the great heart of the nation beat steadily in
the interests of liberty, and inspired its sons with all the
confidence necessary to the most complete success.

To decide, with Barry, was to act. Consequently, now that he had made
up his mind to join the expedition, he at once acquainted his friends
at the Rock, and gave them such information and instructions relative
to Kate as he thought desirable; intimating to them, at the same time,
that he was of the fixed impression that she had, by some means or
other, been lured into Canada; although a telegram, in reply to one
dispatched to Toronto, informed his friends that she had not visited
that city since she left it. Upon further inquiry, however, regarding
the Kid, he learned that that respectable personage, together with his
worthy coadjutor, Black Jack, were in the habit of paying frequent
visits to Canada on the sly; it being thought that they were employed
by persons who were engaged in smuggling. This information he gained
while walking near the breakwater with a new acquaintance well versed
in city notorieties, and who, at the moment, happened to espy a boat
known to belong to the doubtful firm of Jack and the Kid, lying drawn
up on the shore.

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