The Quadroon: Adventures in the Far West
Page 77
CHAPTER SEVENTY SEVEN.
THE SENTENCE OF JUDGE LYNCH.
An undefined suspicion of something of this sort had already crossed mythoughts. I remembered the reply made from the boats, "You shall answerto _us_. _We_ are the law." I had heard some mysterious innuendoes aswe passed through the woods--I had noticed too, that on our arrival inthe glade, we found those who had gone in the advance halted there, asif waiting for the others to come up; and I could not comprehend why wehad stopped there at all.
I now saw that the men of the party were drawing to one side, andforming a sort of irregular ring, with that peculiar air of solemnitythat bespeaks some serious business. It was only the boys, and somenegroes--for these, too, had taken part in our capture--who remainednear me. Ruffin had simply approached to gratify his revengefulfeelings by tantalising me.
All these appearances had aroused wild suspicions within me, but up tothat moment they had assumed no definite form. I had even endeavouredto keep back such a suspicion, under the vague belief, that by the veryimagination of it, I might in some way aid in bringing it about!
It was no longer suspicion. It was now conviction. They were going toLynch me!
The significant interrogatory, on account of the manner in which it wasput, was hailed by the boys with a shout of laughter. Ruffincontinued--
"No; I guess you han't heerd ov that ar justice, since yur a stranger inthese parts, an' a Britisher. You han't got sich a one among yurbigwigs, I reckin. He's the fellar that ain't a-goin' to keep you longin Chancery. No, by God! he'll do yur business in double-quick time.Hell and scissors! yu'll see if he don't."
Throughout all this speech the brutal fellow taunted me with gestures aswell as words--drawing from his auditory repeated bursts of laughter.
So provoked was I that, had I not been fast bound, I should have sprungupon him; but, bound as I was, and vulgar brute as was this adversary, Icould not hold my tongue.
"Were I free, you ruffian, you would not dare taunt me thus. At allevents _you_ have come off but second best. I've crippled _you_ forlife; though it don't matter much, seeing what a clumsy use you make ofa rifle."
This speech produced a terrible effect upon the brute--the more so thatthe boys now laughed at _him_. These boys were not all bad. They wereincensed against me as an Abolitionist--or "nigger-stealer," as theyphrased it--and, under the countenance and guidance of their elders,their worst passions were now at play; but for all that, they were notessentially wicked. They were rough backwoods' boys, and the spirit ofmy retort pleased them. After that they held back from jeering me.
Not so with Ruffin, who now broke forth into a string of vindictiveoaths and menaces, and appeared as if about to grapple me with his oneremaining hand. At this moment he was called off by the men, who neededhim in the "caucus;" and, after shaking his fist in my face, anduttering a parting imprecation, he left me.
I was for some minutes kept in suspense. I could not tell what thisdread council were debating, or what they meant to do with me--though Inow felt quite certain that they did not intend taking me before anymagistrate. From frequent phrases that reached my ears, such as, "flogthe scoundrel", "tar and feathers," I began to conjecture that some suchpunishment awaited me. To my astonishment, however, I found, uponlistening a while, that a number of my judges were actually opposed tothese punishments as being too mild! Some declared openly, that_nothing but my life could satisfy the outraged laws_!
The _majority_ took this view of the case; and it was to add to theirstrength that Ruffin had been summoned!
A feeling of terrible fear crept over me--say rather a feeling ofhorror--but it was only complete when the ring of men suddenly broke up,and I saw two of their number lay hold of a rope, and commence reevingit over the limb of a gum-tree that stood by the edge of the glade.
There had been a trial and a sentence too. Even Judge Lynch has hisformality.
When the rope was adjusted, one of the men--the negro-trader it was--approached me; and in a sort of rude paraphrase of a judge, summed upand pronounced the sentence!
I had outraged the laws; I had committed two capital crimes. I hadstolen slaves, and endeavoured to take away the life of afellow-creature. A jury of twelve men had tried--and found me guilty;and sentenced me to death by hanging. Even this was not permitted to goforth in an informal manner. The very phraseology was adopted. I wasto be hung by the neck until I should be dead--dead!
You will deem this relation exaggerated and improbable. You will thinkthat I am sporting with you. You will not believe that such lawlessnesscan exist in a Christian--a civilised land. You will fancy that thesemen were sporting with _me_, and that in the end they did not seriouslyintend to _hang me_.
I cannot help it if you think so; but I solemnly declare that such wastheir design: and I felt as certain at that moment that they intended tohave hanged me, as I now feel that I was not hanged!
Believe it or not, you must remember that I would not have been thefirst victim by many, and that thought was vividly before my mind at thetime.
Along with it, there was the rope--there the tree--there stood my judgesbefore me. Their looks alone might have produced conviction. There wasnot a ray of mercy to be seen.
At that awful moment I knew not what I said or how I acted.
I remember only that my fears were somewhat modified by my indignation.That I protested, menaced, swore--that my ruthless judges answered mewith mockery.
They were actually proceeding to put the sentence into execution--andhad already carried me across to the foot of the tree--when the sound oftrampling hoofs fell upon our ears, and the next moment a party ofhorsemen galloped into the glade.