Horse-Shoe Robinson: A Tale of the Tory Ascendency

by John Pendleton Kennedy

  CHAPTER XXXVIII.

  AN ARRIVAL AT THE DOVE COTE. MILDRED RESOLVES ON A PERILOUS ADVENTURE.

  It was in the state of painful expectation described in the lastchapter, that Mildred now rode out, daily, upon the highways, in thefeeble hope of hearing something of importance from the casual wayfarerswho, in the present excited condition of the country, were thronging theroads. On the morning to which our narrative refers, she had chargedHenry to procure the attendance of Stephen Foster, to whom, as it wasknown that he was about to accompany his troop towards the scene ofhostilities, she was anxious to intrust a letter for Butler, as well asto communicate to him some instructions relating to it.

  Stephen was, accordingly, now in attendance. A sleek, full-blooded roan,of an active, deer-like figure, and showing by his mettlesome antics thehigh training of a pampered favorite, stood in the care of the groom atthe door; and Mildred, aided by her brother, sprang into her saddle withthe ease and confidence of one familiarized to the exploit. Whenmounted, she appeared to great advantage. She was an expert rider, andmanaged her horse with a dexterous grace. The very position of commandand authority which her saddle gave her, seemed to raise her spiritsinto a happier elevation.

  "Follow me, Mister Stephen," she said, "I have service for you. And itwill not be out of the fashion of the time that a lady should be'squired by an armed soldier. We take the road down the river. Have acare, brother, how you bound off at the start--the hill is steep, and ahorse's foot is not over sure when pressed too rapidly on the descent."

  The cavalcade descended the hill, crossed the ford, and then took adirection down the stream, by the road that led beneath the Fawn'sTower. Mildred sighed as she gazed around her, and saw the spot of herlast meeting with Butler. The little skiff by which her lover had glidedacross the water, now lay upon a dry bed of rock, in the same position,perhaps, where a month ago he had left it. The summer drought hadreduced the stream, and deprived the light boat (whose tackle kept itprisoner to the root of the sycamore) of the element on which it hadfloated. This spectacle suggested to Mildred's thoughts a melancholyimage. "Even thus," she muttered to herself, "have I been left by him.He has gone to obey the calls of honor and duty, and I, fettered to mynative woods, have seen the stream of happiness roll by, one whileswollen to a torrent, and again dried up by the fervid heat of war,until, like this sun-withered bark, I have been left upon the shore,without one drop of that clear current on which alone I hoped to live.Come hither, Stephen," she said, as she slackened the rein of her horse:and the obedient attendant was immediately at her side.

  "You set out southwards, with your comrades of the troop, in a fewdays?"

  "Orders may come to-morrow," replied Foster.

  "It is no holiday game that you are going to play," continued the lady.

  "When Congress cut out this here war for us, Miss Mildred," answered thehunter, "they didn't count upon settling of it without making some tallfellows the shorter. And it is my opinion that it is a p'int ofconscience that every man should take his spell of the work."

  "You go to it with a good heart," said Mildred. "We women can only prayfor you, lieutenant."

  "I shall pull trigger with a steadier hand, ma'am, when I think thatyour father's daughter is praying for me."

  "Stephen," continued Mildred, "you may chance to see some one whose dutymay lead him further south than, perhaps, you may be required to travel:I will give you a letter to a friend of mine, who, I fear, is indistress. If such traveller be trusty and willing to do me a service, asperhaps he may for your sake, I must beg you to put the letter in hischarge, and tell him to seek out Major Butler, and contrive to have itdelivered to him."

  "If it concerns you, Miss Mildred, I will take upon myself to hunt MajorButler, or I will make as sure of the letter reaching him as I may havea chance."

  "Many thanks, Stephen. There is a purse containing some few pieces ofgold for you. Do not spare the use of it to perform my wish."

  Stephen looked bashfully at the lady as she held the proffered purse inher hand.

  "Take it, Mr. Foster. It is money to be employed in my service, and itmay stand you in good stead when better friends are absent."

  The hunter uttered an awkward laugh. "If you would allow me to take thesmallest piece of money, it would more than hire a man express."

  "Take it all, Stephen, it is but a trifle. They call this the sinew ofwar," said Mildred, smiling.

  "It's an utter, moral, and resolute impossibility," answered Foster,"for me to take all that money. Bless your soul, Miss Mildred, my pocketarn't used to such company."

  "Pshaw, Steve," ejaculated Henry, "you are the greenest soldier in thesehills, to be playing boy about this money. Take it, man, and none ofyour nonsense; precious little gold you'll see before you get back!"

  "Well, I'll not be ticklish about it," said Foster. "Empty the bag, MissMildred, into my hand."

  "I mean that you shall have the purse with it," added Mildred.

  "No, no; that's too valuable a piece of fine silk net-work for me."

  "There again, Lieutenant Foster," said Henry; "if you were not my ownsuperior officer, I would say you were a fool."

  "Give it to me," replied Stephen, laughing, "I have heard of cheatingmoney out of a man's pocket, but I never saw it cheated into it before."

  "You shall have the letter to-morrow, Stephen," said Mildred, "and asyou value your poor friend, who worked that purse with her own hands, donot fail to make an effort to learn something of Major Butler, and tohave my letter delivered to him. He was made a prisoner somewhere on hisway to Georgia, and I have heard escaped; but, perhaps, that's not true.You may find some one who can tell you more about him. Inquire of allyou meet: and, Stephen, in my name, beg your comrades to aid you.Remember," added Mildred, with a smile, "this is a lady's secret. I amsure you will keep it."

  "Most sacrilegiously and with all possible punctuation!" replied thewoodsman. "And you shall hear of the Major, Miss Mildred, dead oralive."

  "Oh heaven!" exclaimed Mildred aloud; and then recollecting herself, shebreathed in a whisper, "that word vibrated a note of fear. Your zealshall have my warmest gratitude, Stephen."

  By this time the party had reached the second ford, where the roadrecrossed the river, in the neighborhood of Mrs. Dimock's, and in a fewmoments they were at the door of the little inn.

  A brief halt, and a few words with the good hostess, furnished Mildredneither with a letter nor with any information of moment from thequarter, where at this time the thoughts of nearly the whole of theAmerican people were turned.

  "Woful days, Miss Mildred," said the landlady, shaking her head, andwearing a face of lugubrious length, "woful indeed! nothing buthurry-skurry, and bragging and swearing. What with Gates's runaways,that--shame upon them!--come whipping post haste along the road; andmessengers, dragoons, and drill sergeants, all out of breath, out ofmoney, and out of everything but appetites; which, mercy on me! neverfail in the worst of times: and what with musterings of volunteers, anddrumming and fifing of it, up hill and down dale, it is as much as onecan do to keep one's wits. Heaven help us, my dear! I don't know what weshall come to. But poor Arthur," she continued, in a mournful and lowerkey, "not a word from him. It looks awfully: I could almost sit down andweep. Nevertheless, Miss Mildred, my child, be of good cheer, God willkeep his foot from the path that leads to the snares; we must all trustin His goodness."

  "Alas, alas!" breathed Mildred, in an accent of sorrow. "Brother, rideforward. If a good word reaches you, Mistress Dimock, send it to me,even if it be at midnight."

  Mildred pursued her ride, and Henry, seeing how much she was dejected,applied himself, with the kindest assiduity, to bring back comfort andcheerfulness to her mind. He sought to amuse her with such fragments ofthe gossip of the country-side as were likely to interest herpatriotism; and he contrived to recall to her recollection passages inthe life of Butler, which related to the perils he had heretoforeencountered, and from which he had extricated himself by his
address andsoldiership; and Henry told these in such a way as to infer from themarguments of comfort that suited the present state of his sister'sfeelings. As was usual in most of the young cadet's discourses, heglided into that half-boastful and half-waggish vein in which hedelighted to refer to his own pursuits and aspirations after militaryglory.

  "A man naturally, sister," he said, erecting himself in his stirrups,and assuming the stiff carriage of a conceited young adjutant on parade,"a man naturally feels proud on horseback. It is what I callglorification, to have a noble beast under you, that you can turn andwind and check and set forward as you please, as if his limbs were yourown. You feel stronger; and, in this world, I do believe a strong man isalways proud. Now, I should think that a woman would feel even more sothan a man; because, being weak by nature, she must grow happier tothink how much muscle she can put in motion by only pulling a rein."

  "There is some philosophy in that, Henry," replied Mildred.

  "So there is, sister; and I tell you more, that when a person has thissort of glorification, as they call it, they always get more contentedwith themselves. And that's the reason, as far as I am a judge, that youalways feel in better spirits when you are on horseback; and,especially, if it should be in front of a troop. Hallo, Stephen!"ejaculated Henry, taken by surprise, in the midst of his discourse, bythe sight of a flock of wild turkeys that ran across the road, somehundred paces ahead. "Did you see that? Halt, man--here's game for us."And, in an instant, he sprang from his horse, which he fastened to oneof the neighboring trees, and ran off with his rifle in his hand, inpursuit of the flock.

  Stephen, whose instincts were those of a keen sportsman, when game wasbefore him, did the same thing; and in a few moments Mildred foundherself left entirely alone in the road, half disposed to chide andhalf to smile at the eager and ungallant desertion of her attendants,who were now in quick but cautious pursuit of the brood of turkeys. Thespeed with which these birds are accustomed to run through the woods,allured their pursuers to some distance into the depths of the forest;and Mildred patiently awaited the return of her companions on the groundwhere they had left her.

  After five or ten minutes had elapsed, it was with a sensation of somelittle concern that she descried, upon the road, a stranger mounted onhorseback, and coming at a brisk trot to the spot where she had halted.The appearance of the individual was that of one of the irregularsoldiers who had accompanied Gates's array; his dress was rustic, andhis weapon, according to the almost universal fashion of the countrytroops, the long rifle. The condition of his sturdy steed showed longand fatiguing service; whilst the bold and manly person of the riderleft little room to suppose that he was to be classed amongst the manywho had fled in panic from the field of action. As soon as the strangerbecame aware of the presence of the lady, he slackened his speed andapproached with a respectful salutation.

  "If I mought be so bold, ma'am, how far mought it be to a river theycall the Rockfish?"

  "It is scarce two miles away, sir," replied Mildred.

  "And there, if I don't disremember," said the traveller, "is a housekept by the widow Dimock; the Blue Ball, I think?"

  "There is, sir."

  "And no forks in the road betwixt this and the widow's?"

  "It is a plain road," replied Mildred.

  "And about two miles beyont--is squire Lindsay's, at a place they callthe Dove Cote?"

  "Does your business take you there?" asked Mildred, with interest; "areyou from the army?--whence come you?"

  "Beg pardon, ma'am," replied the stranger, smiling, "but I am an oldsodger, and rather warry about answering questions that consarn myself.I suppose it is likely I mought see Mr. Lindsay?"

  "Pray, sir, tell me what brings you here, and who you are? I havespecial reasons for presuming so far upon your kindness. I myself liveat the Dove Cote, and"--

  "Then, mayhap, you mought have hearn of one Major Arthur Butler?"

  "Oh yes, sir,--if you have any news of him, speak it to me quickly,"exclaimed Mildred, with much agitation.

  "By that sparkling of your eye, ma'am, it is no fool's guess that youare the identical particular lady that I have rode nigh on to fivehundred miles to see. You have hearn the Major tell of Horse ShoeRobinson?"

  "And Arthur Butler."

  "He is well, madam, and in good heart, excepting some trifling drawbacksthat don't come to much account."

  "Thank God, thank God, for this news!"

  "I have brought two letters, Miss Lindsay, from the Major, for you; theywill tell you, I believe, mainly, that the Major is in the hands of thePhilistians," said Horse Shoe, rummaging through the plaits of hisdress, and getting loose the belt and leathern pouch from which, by thehelp of his jack-knife, he extricated the missives; "but they leave thestory to be told pretty much by me. The long and the short of it is,that the Major is a prisoner, and wants some assistance from you: butthere is no danger of any harm being done him."

  Mildred eagerly tore open the letters and read them; then heaving asigh, she said, "He is closely watched, and galled with misfortune. Herefers to you, Mr. Robinson, and I must beg you to tell me all."

  Horse Shoe, with a cheerful and occasionally even with a laughingmanner, adopted to reassure the lady and quell her fears, recounted allsuch particulars of Butler's adventures as were necessary to enable herto comprehend the nature of his present mission to the Dove Cote.

  Before this narrative was brought to a close, Henry and Foster hadreturned, bringing with them a large turkey which Henry had shot, andwhich the young sportsman was exhibiting with ostentatious triumph.

  "Huzza, here's a new turn of good luck! Horse Shoe Robinson, the bravesergeant," shouted Henry, as soon as he observed the stout figure of ourold friend. "Is Major Butler here too?" he demanded, as he shook thesergeant's hand, "or have you come alone? Now, sister, you ought to be ahappy woman. You bring us good news, Mr. Horse Shoe, I know you do."

  "The news is better than it mought have been if the Tories had had theirway," replied Horse Shoe. "But a sodger's life has both shade andsunshine in it; and the Major is now a little in the shade."

  "Brother, mount quickly," said Mildred, "we have business before us. Mr.Robinson, ride beside me; I have much to say to you."

  Stephen Foster, after saluting the sergeant, and reminding Mildred ofhis engagement to meet his troop, took his leave of the party.

  The rest repaired, with as much expedition as they were able to employ,to the Dove Cote, Horse Shoe detailing to the brother and sister, asthey went along, a great many particulars of the late history of Butler.

  When they reached the house, orders were given for the accommodation ofthe sergeant; and the most sedulous attention was shown to everythingthat regarded his comfort. Frequent conferences were held betweenMildred and Henry, and the trusty emissary. The letters were reperused,and all the circumstances that belonged to Butler's means of liberationwere anxiously discussed.

  "How unlucky is it," said Mildred, "that my father should be absent atsuch a moment as this! Arthur's appeal to him would convince him howwicked was Tyrrel's charge against his honor. And yet, in my father'slate mood, the appeal might have been ineffectual: he might haverefused. Sergeant, we are in great difficulties, and I know not what todo. A letter, you say, has been written to Lord Cornwallis?"

  "Yes, ma'am, and by a man who sharpened his pen with his sword."

  "You heard nothing of the answer of his Lordship?"

  "There was not time to hear."

  "Cornwallis will be prejudiced by those around him, and he will refuse,"said Mildred, with an air of deep solicitude.

  "Not if he be the man I take him to be, young lady," replied HorseShoe. "The world says he is above doing a cowardly thing; and it isn'tnatural for one brave man to wish harm against another, except in openwar."

  "Did you hear of one Tyrrel, in the British camp? But how couldyou?--that was an assumed name."

  "You mean the gentleman who was here when the major stopped at Mrs.Dimock's?" said Robinson: "
that was the name the landlady spokeabout--if I remember myself. I did not hear of him, ma'am, in mytravels; but his servant, James Curry, I met oftener, I undertake tosay, than the fellow wished. He was consarned in ambushing Major Butlerand me at Grindall's Ford. It was our opinion he was hired."

  "There," exclaimed Mildred, "that confirms what I guessed of Tyrrel'svillany. I will go to Cornwallis myself: I will expose the whole matterto his lordship. Henry, my dear brother, it is a rash venture, but Iwill essay it. You must accompany and protect me."

  "That's a sudden thought, sister, and you may count on my hearty goodwill to help it along. It is a brave thought of yours, besides," saidHenry, pondering over it--"and everybody will praise you for it."

  Robinson listened to this resolve with an incredulous ear.

  "You wouldn't venture, young madam, to trust yourself amongst such roughand unchristian people, as you would have to go among before you couldsee Cornwallis? in danger of being taken up by outposts and pickets, orarrested by patroles, or dragged about by dragoons and fellows that havemore savagery in them than wolves. Oh no, ma'am, you don't know what youwould have to put up with; that's onpossible. Mr. Henry, here, and me,can take a letter."

  "I may not trust to letters, I must go myself. You will protect me, Mr.Robinson? my brother and I will form some good excuse that shall take usthrough safely."

  "Sartainly, ma'am, I will stand by you through all chances, if you go,"replied the sergeant. "But there's not many women, with their eyes open,would set out on such a march."

  "It will be easily achieved," said Mildred: "it is an honest andvirtuous cause that takes me away, and I will attempt it with a valiantspirit. It cannot but come to good. My father's name will give me freepassage through the enemy's lines. And you shall pass as my attendant."

  "If you have a heart stout enough, ma'am, for such hard fare, I believeI mought undertake for your safe passage," answered Horse Shoe, "and itsartainly would do the major great good to hear that you was stirring inthis matter."

  "Sergeant, recruit yourself as long as you think necessary," saidMildred; "but if you can be ready to set out to-morrow, I should like togo then, and at an early hour."

  "Don't stand upon my fatigue, young lady: I never saw the time when Iwan't ready to march at the shortest warning. With your leave, I will golook after my horse, Captain Peter, I call him, ma'am. A little chanceof a roll, and the privilege of a good green pasture, soon puts him inmarching trim."

  The sergeant now left the room.

  "Sister," said Henry, "you never thought a better thought, and you nevercontrived a better act, than just taking this matter in hand yourself,under mine and Horse Shoe's protection. Because Horse Shoe is as brave aman as you ever fell in with, and as for me, I'll back the sergeant. Wecan finish the thing in two or three weeks, and then, when I see yousafe home, I'll go and join the Rangers."

  "It is a perilous and uncertain journey, brother, but it is my duty. Iwould rather fall beneath the calamities of war than longer endure mypresent feelings. Provide yourself, brother, with all things requisitefor our journey, and give old Isaac, the gardener, notice that he mustgo with us. We shall set out to-morrow. I will write a letter to myfather to-night explaining my purpose. And one thing, Henry; you will becareful to say nothing to any one of the route we shall travel."

  "I'll take my carbine, sister," said Henry, "I can sling it with astrap. And I was thinking I had better have a broadsword."

  "Leave that behind," replied Mildred, as a smile rose on her features.

  "The bugle I will certainly take," added Henry; "because it might beuseful in case we got separated; and I will teach you to understand mysignals. Isaac shall carry horse-pistols on his saddle, and thesergeant shall have a great wallet of provisions. You see I understandcampaigning, Mildred. And now," added the eager young soldier, as heleft the apartment, "hurra for the volunteers of the Dove Cote!"