Lieutenant Russell gave no hint to
Nellie Dawson of the scheme upon which he had fixed
his hopes, until after she had confessed her love
for him, and he was certain beyond the shadow of a
doubt, that he possessed the sole affection of her
heart. Even then he hesitated for he knew the
shock it would cause the gentle one, who was devotedly
attached to her father. But the resolution of
Captain Dawson to spend the remainder of his days
at the mining settlement, and his intention of selecting
her husband from among those that had made New Constantinople
their home for years, crystallized the determination
that had been vaguely shaping itself in his brain for
weeks.
As he expected, she recoiled shocked
by the proposal to leave her father; but love is eloquent,
and he won by convincing her that the separation would
be only temporary. Her father would be quick to
see the great wrong his course would inflict upon
his child, and he would not only consent to the union,
but would follow and make his home with them.
It was this implicit belief which made her the companion
of Lieutenant Russell in the flight from the mountain
settlement.
The project having been carefully
planned and arranged, the preparations were more complete
than those of their pursuers. They took sufficient
extra clothing in the form of wraps and blankets, and
enough food to last for several days. They were
well mounted and had the companionship of the huge
dog Timon, with his almost human intelligence.
The lieutenant’s memory of places
was good, and, having a number of hours of daylight
at command, he escaped the mistake of his pursuers.
The turn from Dead Man’s Gulch was made at the
right point, and they were miles on their way before
their flight was discovered by Captain Dawson and
his friends.
Both of the fugitives did not doubt
they would be pursued. They knew the consuming
anger that would take possession of her father, who
would probably collect several companions and start
after them with furious haste. He would take
frightful vengeance upon the man that had dared to
steal his daughter. Everything, therefore, must
be done to keep beyond his reach until his wrath had
time to cool. The intention was to make Sacramento
ahead of him. At that city, the lieutenant would
seek out his future father-in-law and plead his cause.
When night closed around them, they
had penetrated to a distance of perhaps fifteen miles
in the Sierras. It was at sunset that they passed
a spot, where horses and riders, the latter on foot,
had to pick their way with extreme care, while even
Timon, who clung faithfully to them, showed timidity,
though he had been over the place before. The
sagacious brute knew that a mis-step on his part
meant death. The passage, however, was made without
mishap, and Russell, as he helped his companion into
the saddle, assured her that nothing so trying to
the nerves was to be expected during the rest of the
journey.
There was no fear of pursuit until
after nightfall, but Russell frequently pointed his
glass backward and scanned the trail over his whole
field of vision. When the gathering darkness shut
out everything, he had seen nothing of enemies, either
white or red. He could not forget that on his
previous journey, he and the captain had desperate
fighting with the Indians and the same peril still
impended.
Nellie was eager to cover all the
ground possible, while the opportunity was theirs,
and the flight was pushed longer than Russell would
have advised. Finally, he insisted they should
stop and rest themselves and horses for the remainder
of the night. The halting place was selected
with much care. The animals were turned loose,
where the grass was growing and a small stream wound
its way toward a larger one. Then the two, accompanied
by Timon, pushed in among the rocks to where the final
halt was made.
They were in profound darkness.
The lieutenant decided to start a fire, and, with
much difficulty, gathered a sufficiency of dried branches.
They were fortunate enough to find a partial cavern,
so open in front that it would have given slight shelter
in the event of a storm. When the blaze threw
out its cheerful light, it served to dissipate the
gloom which in spite of themselves had oppressed them
with the coming of night.
They partook of food and the lieutenant’s
spirits rose, for he saw nothing to prevent the full
success of the dream which had inspired and thrilled
him so long. His buoyancy was infectious, and
he brought a smile to the beauteous countenance by
his merry sallies, and his picture of the happy future
that was close at hand.
“Your father will be angry at
first,” he said; “it would be strange if
he were not, but he loves you and I think has a pretty
fair opinion of me. When he gains time to think
over the matter, he will admit the wisdom of what
we have done and we shall receive his blessing.”
It was this assurance, more than all
else, that served to lift the gloom from her.
Deep as was her love for the one at her side, it would
not have sufficed to draw her from her adored parent,
had she believed that his resentment against her would
last. As it was, she grieved that even for a
brief time, as she thought would be the case, he should
hold harsh feelings toward her.
No chivalrous knight of the Crusades
could have been more scrupulously considerate of lady
intrusted to his charge than Lieutenant Russell.
He would have died before offending Nellie Dawson by
act, word or presumptuous thought. When, as the
night advanced, the bright eyes began to grow drowsy,
he arranged a couch for her, saw that she was well
provided with blankets and then turned to the immense
dog, who had never left them and who looked as if
he understood everything.
“Now, Timon, you are to stay
right here,” he said, bending over and impressively
shaking his finger at the animal; “you are not
to venture a dozen feet from your mistress without
permission. Do you understand?”
A whine and wagging of the tail left
no doubt that the wishes of his late master were clear
to him.
“You have your gun at your side,”
he added, turning to Nellie; “I do not think
you will have any call to use it. We have not
met any Indians and your father cannot overtake us
before morning. Timon will be sure to give you
warning of the approach of danger, and, if your gun
goes off, I shall be here in a twinkling.”
He bade her good night and departed.
Enough wood had been flung on the fire to keep it
going for an hour or two, but long before it sank to
ashes, the girl had drifted into dreamland.
The lieutenant carefully selected
his own sleeping quarters. He finally fixed upon
a large flat boulder, at the rear of the cavern occupied
by Timon and his charge; but, although beyond sight,
he was near enough to reach the spot on the instant
needed. Spreading out his blanket, he lay down
upon it.
“This recalls the old days in
Virginia, when mud a foot deep, with the rain dashing
in our faces, was what we had for weeks at a time.
This couch doesn’t equal a feather bed, but
it will answer.”
The night passed without incident
and it was hardly light when the young officer was
astir. He visited the horses and found them cropping
the grass, but he waited until Timon came to him before
calling upon Nellie. She, too, had been awake
for some time and they partook of their morning meal
with rugged appetites.
She was so eager to hurry on that
he lost no time in taking the road again. Neither
could doubt that their pursuers were on their trail,
and, with the aid of his small glass, he carefully
studied the country behind them. It was not long
before he made the discovery he dreaded: four
horsemen were following their footprints, and beyond
them were the five Indians picking their way along
the ledge in the opposite direction.
The lieutenant passed the glass to
his companion who scrutinized the party with the keenest
interest.
“They must have traveled all
night,” remarked her escort, while she still
peered through the instrument.
“That shows how dreadfully angry
father is; I hope it will not last.”
“Can you make out the members of the party?”
She studied them a minute or two more before answering:
“I think that is father who is close to the
man on a mule.”
“The one on a mule must be Vose
Adams, for he is more accustomed to that sort of animal.
I am sorry he is with the party.”
“Why?” asked Nellie, lowering the glass
and looking at him.
“He is so familiar with the
trail, that it will be hard work to outwit him; he
isn’t the man to make mistakes. Did you
recognize the others?”
“I cannot be sure, but I suspect they are Mr.
Ruggles and Mr. Brush.”
“I have no doubt you are right, not
because I was able to identify them, but because the
two are partners and your father would naturally go
to them first. I do not think any one of the four
has a glass, so, despite their sharp eyes, we have
a big advantage in that respect.”
“But they know the route better than we, and
we are losing time.”
The course of the trail took them
out of the field of vision of their pursuers.
It was at the suggestion of Russell that the two turned
aside from the canyon into the fissure-like gorge.
This would have been a serious mistake, except for
the plan he had in view, for it must place the pursuers
in advance, the very thing which it would seem the
fugitives ought if possible to prevent.
The lieutenant had believed from the
first that Vose Adams, in threading his way through
the mountains, traveled a good many miles more than
was necessary. It was quite likely that, if he
could follow a straight line, he would shorten the
distance one-half. Although this was impossible,
the young man, nevertheless, was convinced that by
changing the route, a good many miles could be saved:
and it was in his mind to do that thing.
The lieutenant’s experience
in campaigning had taught him the danger of going
astray, when picking his way through an unfamiliar
country, but the little compass attached as a charm
to his watch chain would help him to keep track of
the variations and windings, and he was confident
of coming out right. He and Nellie were well mounted
and armed, all of which being impressed upon his companion,
she offered no objection to the radical change of
plan which took them out of the canyon into the ravine
that led them they knew not whither, but it was ominous
of disaster that at the top of the fissure, when the
two were leading their animals, a grievous mishap
occurred. The pony of Nellie slipped and sprained
his ankle so badly that he whined with pain and paused
with his weight supported on three legs.
“That’s a bad go!”
exclaimed the dismayed Russell; “it will be several
days before he is able to travel.”
She examined the ankle, as best she
could, trying to soothe the pain by passing her hand
over the injured part, but it was plain that neither
she nor her companion could give any help.
“Poor fellow,” she said
sympathetically; “you cannot go any further;
what shall be done, Fred?”
“Only one thing seems possible, take
you on my horse.”
“And what will become of Cap?”
“We must leave him behind.”
“What will happen to him?”
“Some one will pick him up,
or, after his leg recovers, he may find his way back
to the settlement.”
The impulsive girl flung her arms
about the animal’s neck and touched her lips
to the silken nose.
“They shall not part us, Cap,” she exclaimed
with tears in her eyes.
The lieutenant watched this by-play,
full of sympathy for the girl, but he was in a quandary.
Prudence seemed to demand that everything should be
sacrificed to speed by abandoning the pony. In
all probability, the latter would serve as a dinner
for some of the bears, wolves or other denizens of
the mountains, who would quickly harry him to death.
To wait where they were until the animal was able to
travel rendered certain a speedy meeting with their
pursuers. The woodcraft of Vose Adams would enable
him to discover with slight delay the point where
the fugitives had left the canyon, and he would guide
his companions with the skill of one of the mountain
Indians themselves.
On the other hand, the plan he had
in view imposed prodigious work upon his own animal.
Between the halting place and Sacramento were many
miles of easy traveling, over which he could walk,
but for long distances the beast would be compelled
to carry double. In the event of close pursuit,
this must prove a fatal handicap.
In his perplexity, the lieutenant
again examined the hurt of the pony.
“It would be cruel to make him
take a single step, but he may soon recover.
I am afraid to leave him behind and to continue our
flight with only my horse. You know how dangerous
it is to linger, Nellie, when it is certain they
are not far off ”
She caught his arm and whispered:
“Look at Timon! he has discovered something!”
The dog was standing a few paces in
front of them, with his nose pointed toward the canyon.
He emitted several growls and pricked up his ears
in a way that left no doubt that he was angered.
The lieutenant had hardly time to place himself in
an attitude of defence with his Winchester, when a
soft footfall was heard, and the next moment Vose
Adams emerged from behind the pile of rocks and approached
them.
It was proof of the guide’s
woodcraft that he was able to come thus close before
being detected by Timon, who advanced threateningly
toward him. A word, however, from the lieutenant
stayed the dog.
“Well, Vose,” said the young man, “this
is unexpected.”
“So I jedge and I’ve a
’spicion that you ain’t tickled half to
death to see me.”
“We were always friends, but
I can’t say that either Nellie or I am glad
to meet you under the circumstances; for in truth,
we have been doing all we could to prevent such a
meeting.”
“Things has that look,”
added Vose, standing on guard as may be said, for
he was not free from misgiving concerning the young
lieutenant whom he had managed to run down. His
positive orders forbade him to assume the aggressive,
but no one could forbid him to defend himself, and
he did not mean that this handsome officer should catch
him unprepared.
“Whom have you with you?” asked Russell.
“The captain, Wade Ruggles and the parson.”
“What we suspected; I presume
no one of the three feels specially affectionate toward
me.”
“It is all the captain can do
to prevent the other two from quarrelin’ as
to which shall have the first chance to shoot you.”
“Why does Captain Dawson prevent them?”
“’Cause he means to have the first chance
himself.”
“How about you?” grimly asked Lieutenant
Russell.
“I’m left.”
“How’s that?”
“A low down trick was played
onto me; as near as I can find out, the captain comes
first, Wade and the parson next and me fourth.
You can see for yourself that there won’t be
any chance at all left for me after them three is
through.”
“It doesn’t look so, that’s
a fact. But where are the three?”
“Along the main trail, down in the kenyon.”
“Why did they not come with you?”
“I advised ’em to wait
till I found out how the land laid and they won’t
leave the spot till I get back.”
Lieutenant Russell gave no expression
to the thought that flashed upon him. Why not
keep Vose Adams a prisoner? The loss of his services
to the party would be irreparable, for, as it was,
the present hiding place of the fugitives never would
have become known to them without the help of the
guide. It was a daring scheme, but there were
so many objections to carrying it out, that the officer
dismissed it. In truth he thought of a much better
plan.
“You have told me enough, Vose,
to prove that the four men for I may as
well include yourself feel bitterer toward
me than I suspected: do you think this enmity
of theirs will last?”
“Not for long.”
“How long?”
“They’ll let up as soon as you’re
shot.”
Lieutenant Russell could not restrain
a smile at this way of putting it, while Nellie was
so horrified that she gasped and stared and listened
in silence.
“There can be little doubt that
you are right, but I meant to ask whether you do not
think the captain will moderate his anger when he
is given time to think it over.”
“He has had all night to do
that, and this mornin’ he was hotter if anything,
than at any time since he larned what you had done.”
“When did he learn it?”
Thereupon, Vose told the facts which
have already been made known to the reader, the most
interesting feature of which was that Adams was not
an original member of the pursuing party. But,
although the guide was so pronounced in his opinion
of the continuance of the enmity of Captain Dawson,
the lieutenant believed otherwise. He was confident
that if he and Nellie could reach Sacramento before
meeting the irate father, the latter would be open
to reason, and all would turn out well.
Vose turned to the young woman.
“Nellie, do you want a little advice from me?”
“I am glad to have it at any time.”
“Howsumever, what I say is as
much for the leftenant as for you, which the same
is that both of you should give up this bus’ness.”
“But,” said Nellie, “you
have just told us that father is so angry with Lieutenant
Russell that he will shoot him the moment they meet.”
“We can fix that easy ’nough;
let the leftenant stay here while you go with me;
I think we can explain matters to the captain and the
others so they won’t bother the leftenant.”
“And what am I to do?” asked Russell.
“Push on to Sacramento as fast
as you can, for though I think I can fix it, I wouldn’t
advise you to take too many chances.”
“In other words, after Nellie
and I have fled from the settlement and got this far
on the road to safety, you urge me to give her up
forever.”
“Wal, that’s lookin’
a little further ahead than I meant to, but I ’spose
it amounts to that.”
“You mean well, Vose, but do
you imagine that Nellie and I did not count the cost
before turning our backs on New Constantinople?
Don’t you suppose we knew we should be pursued
and were prepared for the consequences?”
“I can’t say as to that,
but it strikes me that the plan I laid before you
is the only one there is.”
“Why?”
“You cannot get away from the captain and the
men with him.”
“Well, there is no call for
me to repeat my opinion, but I will say that the decision
shall rest with Nellie herself. If she wishes
to go with you I will interpose not a word of objection.”
He looked toward her as an invitation
for her to speak. There was a world of affection
and faith in the lustrous eyes, as she walked resolutely
forward and placed herself by his side.
“Only death shall separate us!”