John Richardson - "Wacousta"

Henry Stevens - "Thomas Hariot"

Thomas H. Huxley - "Time and Life"

John Ruskin - "The King of the Golden River"

Wacousta (Volume I)

J >> John Richardson >> Wacousta (Volume I)




"My Ellen! oh, my own devoted, but too unhappy Ellen!"
passionately exclaimed the soldier, as he clasped the
slight and agitated form of his disguised wife to his
throbbing heart. "This, this, indeed, is joy even in
death. I thought I could have died more happily without
you, but nature tugs powerfully at my heart; and to see
you once more, to feel you once more HERE" (and he pressed
her wildly to his chest) "is indeed a bliss that robs my
approaching fate of half its terror."

"Oh Reginald! my dearly beloved Reginald! my murdered
husband!" shrieked the unhappy woman; "your Ellen will
not survive you. Her heart is already broken, though she
cannot weep; but the same grave shall contain us both.
Reginald, do you believe me? I swear it; the same grave
shall contain us both."

Exhausted with the fatigue and excitement she had undergone,
the faithful and affectionate creature now lay, without
sense or motion, in the arms of her wretched husband.
Halloway bore her, unopposed, a pace or two in advance,
and deposited her unconscious form on the fatal coffin.

No language of ours can render justice to the trying
character of the scene. All who witnessed it were painfully
affected, and over the bronzed cheek of many a veteran
coursed a tear, that, like that of Sterne's recording
angel, might have blotted out a catalogue of sins. Although
each was prepared to expect a reprimand from the governor,
for suffering the prisoner to quit his station in the
ranks, humanity and nature pleaded too powerfully in his
behalf, and neither officer nor man attempted to interfere,
unless with a view to render assistance. Captain Erskine,
in particular, was deeply pained, and would have given
any thing to recall the harsh language he had used towards
the supposed idle and inattentive drummer boy. Taking
from a pocket in his uniform a small flask of brandy,
which he had provided against casualties, the
compassionating officer slightly raised the head of the
pale and unconscious woman with one hand, while with the
other he introduced a few drops between her parted lips.
Halloway knelt at the opposite side of the coffin; one
hand searching, but in vain, the suspended pulse of his
inanimate wife; the other, unbuttoning the breast of the
drum-boy's jacket, which, with every other part of the
equipment, she wore beneath the loose great coat so
effectually accomplishing her disguise.

Such was the position of the chief actors in this truly
distressing drama, at the moment when Colonel de Haldimar
came up with his new prisoner, to mark what effect would
be produced on Halloway by his unexpected appearance.
His own surprise and disappointment may be easily conceived,
when, in the form of the recumbent being who seemed to
engross universal attention, he recognised, by the fair
and streaming hair, and half exposed bosom, the unfortunate
being whom, only two hours previously, he had spurned
from his feet in the costume of her own sex, and reduced,
by the violence of her grief, to almost infantine debility.
Question succeeded question to those around, but without
eliciting any clue to the means by which this mysterious
disguise had been effected. No one had been aware, until
the truth was so singularly and suddenly revealed, the
supposed drummer was any other than one of the lads
attached to the grenadiers; and as for the other facts,
they spoke too plainly to the comprehension of the governor
to need explanation. Once more, however, the detachment
was called to order. Halloway struck his hand violently
upon his brow, kissed the wan lips of his still unconscious
wife, breathing, as he did so, a half murmured hope she
might indeed be the corpse she appeared. He then raised
himself from the earth with a light and elastic vet firm
movement, and resumed the place he had previously occupied,
where, to his surprise, he beheld a second victim bound,
and, apparently, devoted to the same death. When the eyes
of the two unhappy men met, the governor closely watched
the expression of the countenance of each; but although
the Canadian started on beholding the soldier, it might
be merely because he saw the latter arrayed in the garb
of death, and followed by the most unequivocal
demonstrations of a doom to which he himself was, in all
probability, devoted. As for Halloway, his look betrayed
neither consciousness nor recognition; and though too
proud to express complaint or to give vent to the feelings
of his heart, his whole soul appeared to be absorbed in
the unhappy partner of his luckless destiny. Presently
he saw her borne, and in the same state of insensibility,
in the arms of Captain Erskine and Lieutenant Leslie,
towards the hut of his fellow prisoner, and he heard the
former officer enjoin the weeping girl, Babette, to whose
charge they delivered her over, to pay every attention
to her her situation might require. The detachment then
proceeded.

The narrow but deep and rapid river alluded to by the
Canadian, as running midway between the town and Hog
Island, derived its source far within the forest, and
formed the bed of one of those wild, dark, and thickly
wooded ravines so common in America. As it neared the
Detroit, however, the abruptness of its banks was so
considerably lessened, as to render the approach to it
on the town side over an almost imperceptible slope.
Within a few yards of its mouth, as we have already
observed in our introductory chapter, a rude but strong
wooden bridge, over which lay the high road, had been
constructed by the French; and from the centre of this,
all the circuit of intermediate clearing, even to the
very skirt of the forest, was distinctly commanded by
the naked eye. To the right, on approaching it from the
town, lay the adjacent shores of Canada, washed by the
broad waters of the Detroit, on which it was thrown into
strong relief, and which, at the distance of about a mile
in front, was seen to diverge into two distinct channels,
pursuing each a separate course, until they again met at
the western extremity of Hog Island. On the left, and in
the front, rose a succession of slightly undulating hills,
which, at a distance of little more than half a mile,
terminated in an elevation considerably above the immediate
level of the Detroit side of the ravine. That, again,
was crowned with thick and overhanging forest, taking
its circular sweep, as we have elsewhere shown, around
the fort. The intermediate ground was studded over with
rude stumps of trees, and bore, in various directions,
distinct proofs of the spoliation wrought among the infant
possessions of the murdered English settlers. The view
to the rear was less open; the town being partially hidden
by the fruit-laden orchards that lined the intervening
high road, and hung principally on its left. This was
not the case with the fort. Between these orchards and
the distant forest lay a line of open country, fully
commanded by its cannon, even to the ravine we have
described, and in a sweep that embraced every thing from
the bridge itself to the forest, in which all traces of
its source was lost.

When the detachment had arrived within twenty yards of
the bridge, they were made to file off to the left, until
the last gun had come up. They were then fronted; the
rear section of Captain Erskine's company resting on the
road, and the left flank, covered by the two first guns
pointed obliquely, both in front and rear, to guard
against surprise, in the event of any of the Indians
stealing round to the cover of the orchards. The route
by which they had approached this spot was upwards of
two miles in extent; but, as they now filed off into the
open ground, the leading sections observed, in a direct
line over the cleared country, and at the distance of
little more than three quarters of a mile, the dark
ramparts of the fortress that contained their comrades,
and could even distinguish the uniforms of the officers
and men drawn up in line along the works, where they were
evidently assembled to witness the execution of the
sentence on Halloway.

Such a sight as that of the English so far from their
fort, was not likely to escape the notice of the Indians.
Their encampment, as the Canadian had truly stated, lay
within the forest, and beyond the elevated ground already
alluded to; and to have crossed the ravine, or ventured
out of reach of the cannon of the fort, would have been
to have sealed the destruction of the detachment. But
the officer to whom their security was entrusted, although
he had his own particular views for venturing thus far,
knew also at what point to stop; and such was the confidence
of his men in his skill and prudence, they would have
fearlessly followed wherever he might have chosen to
lead. Still, even amid all the solemnity of preparation
attendant on the duty they were out to perform, there
was a natural and secret apprehensiveness about each,
that caused him to cast his eyes frequently and fixedly
on that part of the forest which was known to afford
cover to their merciless foes. At times they fancied they
beheld the dark and flitting forms of men gliding from
tree to tree along the skirt of the wood; but when they
gazed again, nothing of the kind was to be seen, and the
illusion was at once ascribed to the heavy state of the
atmosphere, and the action of their own precautionary
instincts.

Meanwhile the solemn tragedy of death was preparing in
mournful silence. On the centre of the bridge, and visible
to those even within the fort, was placed the coffin of
Halloway, and at twelve paces in front were drawn up the
six rank and file on whom had devolved, by lot, the cruel
duty of the day. With calm and fearless eye the prisoner
surveyed the preparations for his approaching end; and
whatever might be the inward workings of his mind, there
was not among the assembled soldiery one individual whose
countenance betrayed so little of sorrow and emotion as
his own. With a firm step, when summoned, he moved towards
the fatal coffin, dashing his cap to the earth as he
advanced, and baring his chest with the characteristic
contempt of death of the soldier. When he had reached
the centre of the bridge, he turned facing his comrades,
and knelt upon the coffin. Captain Blessington, who,
permitted by the governor, had followed him with a sad
heart and heavy step, now drew a Prayer-book from his
pocket, and read from it in a low voice. He then closed
the volume, listened to something the prisoner earnestly
communicated to him, received a small packet which he
drew from the bosom of his shirt, shook him long and
cordially by the hand, and then hastily resumed his post
at the head of the detachment.

The principal inhabitants of the village, led by curiosity,
had followed at a distance to witness the execution of
the condemned soldier: and above the heads of the line,
and crowning the slope, were collected groups of both
sexes and of all ages, that gave a still more imposing
character to the scene. Every eye was now turned upon
the firing party, who only awaited the signal to execute
their melancholy office, when suddenly, in the direction
of the forest, and upon the extreme height, there burst
the tremendous and deafening yells of upwards of a thousand
savages. For an instant Halloway was forgotten in the
instinctive sense of individual danger, and all gazed
eagerly to ascertain the movements of their enemy.
Presently a man, naked to the waist, his body and face
besmeared with streaks of black and red paint, and his
whole attitude expressing despair and horror, was seen
flying down the height with a rapidity proportioned to
the extreme peril in which he stood. At about fifty paces
in his rear followed a dozen bounding, screaming Indians,
armed with uplifted tomahawks, whose anxiety in pursuit
lent them a speed that even surpassed the efforts of
flight itself. It was evident the object of the pursued
was to reach the detachment, that of the pursuers to
prevent him. The struggle was maintained for a few moments
with equality, but in the end the latter were triumphant,
and at each step the distance that separated them became
less. At the first alarm, the detachment, with the
exception of the firing party, who still occupied their
ground, had been thrown into square, and, with a gun
planted in each angle, awaited the attack momentarily
expected. But although the heights were now alive with
the dusky forms of naked warriors, who, from the skirt
of the forest, watched the exertions of their fellows,
the pursuit of the wretched fugitive was confined to
these alone. Foremost of the latter, and distinguished
by his violent exertions and fiendish cries, was the tall
and wildly attired warrior of the Fleur de lis. At every
bound he took he increased the space that divided him
from his companions, and lessened that which kept him
from his panting and nearly exhausted victim. Already
were they descending the nearest of the undulating hills,
and both now became conspicuous objects to all around;
but principally the pursuer, whose gigantic frame and
extraordinary speed riveted every eye, even while the
interest of all was excited for the wretched fugitive
alone.

At that moment Halloway, who had been gazing on the scene
with an astonishment little inferior to that of his
comrades, sprang suddenly to his feet upon the coffin,
and waving his hand in the direction of the pursuing
enemy, shouted aloud in a voice of mingled joy and
triumph,--

"Ha! Almighty God, I thank thee! Here, here comes one
who alone has the power to snatch me from my impending
doom."

"By Heaven, the traitor confesses, and presumes to triumph
in his guilt," exclaimed the voice of one, who, while
closely attending to every movement of the Indians, was
also vigilantly watching the effect likely to be produced
on the prisoner by this unexpected interruption. "Corporal,
do your duty."

"Stay, stay--one moment stay!" implored Halloway with
uplifted hands.

"Do your duty, sir," fiercely repeated the governor.

"Oh stop--for God's sake, stop! Another moment and he
will be here, and I--"

He said no more--a dozen bullets penetrated his body--one
passed directly through his heart. He leaped several feet
in the air, and then fell heavily, a lifeless bleeding
corpse, across the coffin.

Meanwhile the pursuit of the fugitive was continued,
but by the warrior of the Fleur de lis alone. Aware of
their inefficiency to keep pace with this singular being,
his companions had relinquished the chace, and now stood
resting on the brow of the hill where the wretched Halloway
had first recognised his supposed deliverer, watching
eagerly, though within musket shot of the detachment,
the result of a race on which so much apparently depended.
Neither party, however, attempted to interfere with the
other, for all eyes were now turned on the flying man
and his pursuer with an interest that denoted the
extraordinary efforts of the one to evade and the other
to attain the accomplishment of his object. Although the
exertions of the former had been stupendous, such was
the eagerness and determination of the latter, that at
each step he gained perceptibly on his victim. The
immediate course taken was in a direct line for the
ravine, which it evidently was the object of the fugitive
to clear at its nearest point. Already had he approached
within a few paces of its brink, and every eye was fastened
on the point where it was expected the doubtful leap
would be taken, when suddenly, as if despairing to
accomplish it at a bound, he turned to the left, and
winding along its bank, renewed his efforts in the
direction of the bridge. This movement occasioned a change
in the position of the parties which was favourable to
the pursued. Hitherto they had been so immediately on a
line with each other, it was impossible for the detachment
to bring a musket to bear upon the warrior, without
endangering him whose life they were anxious to preserve.
For a moment or two his body was fairly exposed, and a
dozen muskets were discharged at intervals from the
square, but all without success. Recovering his lost
ground, he soon brought the pursued again in a line
between himself and the detachment, edging rapidly nearer
to him as he advanced, and uttering terrific yells, that
were echoed back from his companions on the brow of the
hill. It was evident, however, his object was the recapture,
not the destruction, of the flying man, for more than
once did he brandish his menacing tomahawk in rapid sweeps
around his head, as if preparing to dart it, and as often
did he check the movement. The scene at each succeeding
moment became more critical and intensely interesting.
The strength of the pursued was now nearly exhausted,
while that of his formidable enemy seemed to suffer no
diminution. Leap after leap he took with fearful
superiority, sideling as he advanced. Already had he
closed upon his victim, while with a springing effort a
large and bony hand was extended to secure his shoulder
in his grasp. The effort was fatal to him; for in reaching
too far he lost his balance, and fell heavily upon the
sward. A shout of exultation burst from the English
troops, and numerous voices now encouraged the pursued
to renew his exertions. The advice was not lost; and
although only a few seconds had elapsed between the fall
and recovery of his pursuer, the wretched fugitive had
already greatly increased the distance that separated
them. A cry of savage rage and disappointment burst from
the lips of the gigantic warrior; and concentrating all
his remaining strength and speed into one final effort,
he bounded and leapt like a deer of the forest whence he
came. The opportunity for recapture, however, had been
lost in his fall, for already the pursued was within a
few feet of the high road, and on the point of turning
the extremity of the bridge. One only resource was now
left: the warrior suddenly checked himself in his course,
and remained stationary; then raising and dropping his
glittering weapon several times in a balancing position,
he waited until the pursued had gained the highest point
of the open bridge. At that moment the glittering steel,
aimed with singular accuracy and precision, ran whistling
through the air, and with such velocity of movement as
to be almost invisible to the eyes of those who attempted
to follow it in its threatening course. All expected to
see it enter into the brain against which it had been
directed; but the fugitive had marked the movement in
time to save himself by stooping low to the earth, while
the weapon, passing over him, entered with a deadly and
crashing sound into the brain of the weltering corpse.
This danger passed, he sprang once more to his feet, nor
paused again in his flight, until, faint and exhausted,
he sank without motion under the very bayonets of the
firing party.

A new direction was now given to the interest of the
assembled and distinct crowds that had witnessed these
startling incidents. Scarcely had the wretched man gained
the protection of the soldiery, when a shriek divided
the air, so wild, so piercing, and so unearthly, that
even the warrior of the Fleur de lis seemed to lose sight
of his victim, in the harrowing interest produced by that
dreadful scream. All turned their eyes for a moment in
the quarter whence it proceeded; when presently, from
behind the groups of Canadians crowning the slope, was
seen flying, with the rapidity of thought, one who
resembled rather a spectre than a being of earth;--it
was the wife of Halloway. Her long fair hair was wild
and streaming--her feet, and legs, and arms were naked--and
one solitary and scanty garment displayed rather than
concealed the symmetry of her delicate person. She flew
to the fatal bridge, threw herself on the body of her
bleeding husband, and imprinting her warm kisses on his
bloody lips, for a moment or two presented the image of
one whose reason has fled for ever. Suddenly she started
from the earth; her face, her hands, and her garment so
saturated with the blood of her husband, that a feeling
of horror crept throughout the veins of all who beheld
her. She stood upon the coffin, and across the
corpse--raised her eyes and hands imploringly to Heaven--and
then, in accents wilder even than her words, uttered an
imprecation that sounded like the prophetic warning of
some unholy spirit.

"Inhuman murderer!" she exclaimed, in tones that almost
paralysed the ears on which it fell, "if there be a God
of justice and of truth, he will avenge this devilish
deed. Yes, Colonel de Haldimar, a prophetic voice whispers
to my soul, that even as I have seen perish before my
eyes all I loved on earth, without mercy and without
hope, so even shall you witness the destruction of your
accursed race. Here--here--here," and she pointed
downwards, with singular energy of action, to the corpse
of her husband, "here shall their blood flow till every
vestige of his own is washed away; and oh, if there be
spared one branch of thy detested family, may it only be
that they may be reserved for some death too horrible to
be conceived!"

Overcome by the frantic energy with which she had uttered
these appalling words, she sank backwards, and fell,
uttering another shriek, into the arms of the warrior of
the Fleur de lis.

"Hear you this, Colonel de Haldimar?" shouted the latter
in a fierce and powerful voice, and in the purest English
accent; "hear you the curse and prophecy of this
heart-broken woman? You have slain her husband, but she
has found another. Ay, she shall be my bride, if only
for her detestation of yourself. When next you see us
here," he thundered, "tremble for your race. Ha, ha, ha!
no doubt this is another victim of your cold and calculating
guile; but it shall be the last. By Heaven, my very
heart leaps upward in anticipation of thy coming hour.
Woman, thy hatred to this man has made me love thee; yes,
thou shall be my bride, and with my plans of vengeance
will I woo thee. By this kiss I swear it."

As he spoke, he bent his face over that of the pale and
inanimate woman, and pressed his lips to hers, yet red
and moist with blood spots from the wounds of her husband.
Then wresting, with a violent effort, his reeking tomahawk
from the cranched brain of the unfortunate soldier, and
before any one could recover sufficiently from the effect
of the scene altogether to think even of interfering, he
bore off his prize in triumph, and fled, with nearly the
same expedition he had previously manifested, in the
direction of the forest.




END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.

Copyright (c) 2007. topbookz.net. All rights reserved.