reader, do not turn faint with disgust at these heart-rending details, nor imagine that the writer is a half-reclaimed desparado all the way from “bleeding kansas;” for this is just as it happened to those hunters in the[371] flesh. but if he ever attempts to narrate a true story again, he will tone it down as well as touch it up.
“let us be thankful that it is no worse,” mr. lawrence said. “we have had a narrow escape; for if steve’s tube hadn’t exploded immediately, george would certainly have struck his, and then we might all have been hurled into eternity.”
“do you think steve will lose his thumb and fingers?” george asked, faintly.
“oh, i hope not!” uncle dick said, fervently. then dolefully: “i am afraid i shall have a heavy account to settle when i see your parents again.”
then the sound hunters framed a rude litter, and laid will on it gently. george and henry were to take turns with mr. lawrence and marmaduke in carrying him. and then the little procession passed solemnly through the woods, with but little of that sprightliness which had hitherto characterized the party.
“i think this hunt will last me for a lifetime,” will groaned.
“i am afraid you will feel the effects of your hurt all the rest of your life,” uncle dick sorrowfully rejoined.
“there is one consolation,” said steve, who was walking with his well arm linked in marmaduke’s. “next time we see a ‘dynamite’ we shall know what it is, and probably i shall not care to make a plaything of one again.”
after a weary march due east, they came to a small cleared space, in which stood a miserable hut. a faint line of smoke was curling out of the roof, but no person was in sight.
“now, this isn’t another powder magazine,” said steve; “therefore it must be a ‘wayside hut.’ my wounds have made me thirsty, of course, and we can probably get a drink here, whether any one is in or not, so i am going in.”
the others, also, felt thirsty; and charles was advancing to knock at the door, when steve softly called him back.
“now, charley,” he said, “i haven’t read romances for[372] nothing, and if there’s villainy any where in this forest, it’s here. of course you’ve all read that villains have what is called a ‘peculiar knock?’”
“yes,” whispered four out of the seven.
“well, i’m going to give a ‘peculiar knock’ on that door, with my sound hand, and you must mark the effect it has. you needn’t grasp your weapons; but just keep your eyes and ears open. then will you do whatever i ask?”
“we will,” they said, smiling at steve’s whim.
then the man who had not read romances for nothing stole softly to the door, and knocked in a peculiar manner.
without a moment’s hesitation, a voice within said, “well done!”
steve faced the others and winked furiously, while he reasoned rapidly to this effect: “evidently, here is a nest of knaves. the fellow on the inside thinks his mate is in danger, and knocks to know whether it is safe for him to enter.”
then the voice within asked uneasily, “jim?”
“will,” said marmaduke, leaning over the litter, “we are certainly on the track of the man who stole your deer!”
“oh, i had forgotten all about the deer,” will groaned.
steve started, but collected himself in a moment, and whispered to jim, “come along jim; this fellow wants to see you. now be as bold as a lion; blow your nose like a trumpet; and observe: ‘by the great dog-star, it’s jim; lemme in.’”
jim managed to do this; but he basely muttered that he wasn’t brought up for a circus clown.
“then come in; the door isn’t locked;” the voice within said harshly, but unhesitatingly.
stephen flung open the door and strode proudly into the hut, closely followed by the others. one scantily furnished room, in a corner of which a man lay on a bed, was disclosed. this man’s look of alarm at this sudden entrance filled steve with exultation.
“what does all this mean? what do you want?” the occupant of the bed demanded.
[373]
“a glass of water,” said steve.
“well, you can get a dish here, and there is a spring outside,” with an air of great relief.
“is this the man?” steve asked of marmaduke.
marmaduke sadly shook his head.
“i am very low with the small-pox,” said the unknown, “and those of you who have not had it, nor have not been exposed to it, had better hurry out into the open air.”
this was said quietly—apparently sincerely.
the hunters were struck with horror. it seemed as though a chain of misfortunes, that would eventually lead them to destruction, was slowly closing around them. small-pox! exposed to that loathsome disease! they grew sick with fear!
“was it for this we went hunting?” charles groaned.
for a few moments the hunters lost all presence of mind; they neglected to rush out of doors; they forgot that the sick man seemed wrapped in suspicion; they forgot that they had gained admittance by stratagem; steve forgot that he was playing the hero.
a cry of horror from jim roused them from their torpor.
“what a fool i am!” cried henry, “i had the small-pox when i was a little boy; and now, to prove or disprove this fellow’s statement, i will run the risk of taking it again. the rest of you may leave the room or not, just as fear, or curiosity, or thirst, or anything else, moves you. i believe, however, that there is not the least danger of infection.”
“no, no; come out!” mr. lawrence entreated, not wishing to be responsible for any more calamities. “come out, henry, and leave the man alone.”
“believe me, mr. lawrence, i run no risk,” henry declared. “i shall——”
“ha!” shrieked the sick man. “lawrence? did you say law—”
he stopped abruptly. but it was too late; he had betrayed himself.
“yes, my man; i said lawrence;” henry said, excitedly.[374] “come, now, explain yourself. say no more about small-pox—we are not to be deceived by any such pretence.”
the sick man looked uncle dick full in the face; groaned; shuddered; covered his face with the bed clothes; and then, villain-like, fell to muttering.
after these actions, jim himself was not afraid.
“mr. lawrence, will, all of you,” henry said hoarsely, “i think your mystery is about to be unriddled at last. this man can evidently furnish the missing link in your history. he is either the secret enemy or an accomplice of his.” uncle dick trembled. after all these years was the mystery to be solved at last?
stephen’s hurt and will’s knee were forgotten in the eagerness to hear what this man had to say. all were familiar with uncle dick’s story, as far as he knew it himself, and consequently all were eager to have the mysterious part explained. the entire eight assembled round the bedside.
after much inane muttering the sick man uncovered his head, and asked faintly, “are you richard lawrence?”
“i am.”
“were you insane at one time, and do you remember hiram monk?”
“yes, i was insane, but i know nothing of what happened then.”
“well, i will confess all to you. mr. lawrence, i have suffered in all these three years—suffered from the agony of remorse.”
“yes,” said uncle dick, with a rising inflection.
“i will keep my secret no longer. but who are all these young men?” glancing at the hunters.
“they are friends, who may hear your story,” uncle dick said.
“to begin with, i am indeed sick, but i have not the small pox. that was’ a mere ruse to get rid of disagreeable callers.”
at this steve looked complacent, and henry looked triumphant; the one pleased with his stratagem, the other pleased with his sagacity.
[375]
at that very instant quick steps were heard outside, and then a “peculiar knock” was given on the door, which, prudently or imprudently, steve had shut.
“it is a man who lives with me,” hiram monk said to the hunters. “we shall be interrupted for a few minutes, but then i will go on.” then aloud: “you may as well come in, jim.”
if this was intended as a warning to flee, it was not heeded, for the door opened, and a man whom will and marmaduke recognized as the rogue who on the previous day had feigned a mortal wound in order to steal their deer, strode into the hut.
on seeing the hut full of armed men, he sank down hopelessly, delivered a few choice ecphoneses, and then exclaimed: “caught at last! well, i might ’a’ known it would come sooner or later. they have set the law on my track, and all these fellows will help ’em. law behind, and what on earth in front!—i say, fellows, who are you?”
“hunters,” henry said laconicly.
then the new-comer recognized will and marmaduke, and ejaculated, “oh, i see; yesterday my ring was ruined, and now i’m ruined!”
the officer of the law, whose nonchalance had provoked the hunters in the forenoon, was indeed behind, and soon he, also, entered the hut, which was now filled.
“just like a romance,” steve muttered. “all the characters, good and bad, most unaccountably meet, and then a general smash up takes place, after which the good march off in one direction, to felicity, and the bad in another, to infelicity—unless they shoot themselves. now, i hope hiram and jim won’t shoot themselves!”
“jim horniss,” said the officer, “i am empowered to arrest you.”
“i surrender,” the captured one said sullenly. “you ought to have arrested me before. i’d give back the deer, if i could; but i sold it last night, and that’s the last of it.”
“that will do,” the officer said severely.
up to this time the writer has studiously masked his[376] ignorance by invariably speaking of this man as an officer of the law. it seems fated, however, that his ignorance should sooner or later be manifested; and now he declares that he is so utterly ignorant of law, in all its forms, that he does not know what that man was—he knows only that he was an officer of the law. but for the benefit of those who are still more ignorant, it may be stated that he is almost positive the man was neither a juryman, nor a conveyancer, nor a plaintiff.
the hunters now held a short conversation, and it was decided that mr. lawrence and henry should stay to hear what hiram monk had to say for himself, but that the others should go on with will and steve to the surgeon’s.
the officer of the law thought it might be necessary for him to stay in his official capacity, and so he took a seat and listened, while he fixed his eyes on jim horniss.
and the confession he heard was worth listening to.
the hut was soon cleared of all save the five; and the six first introduced to the reader were again together, and on their way to the surgeon’s.
“well,” said will, “it seems i have lost my deer; but i have the comforting thought of knowing that the rascal will receive the punishment he deserves.”
“how strange it all is,” said marmaduke, “that your uncle should stumble on the solution of his mystery when he least expected it; and that you could not find the thief when you looked for him, but as soon as you quit, we made straight for his house.”
“no,” steve corrected good-humoredly, “that isn’t it; but as soon as i took to playing the part of a hero of romance, ‘events came on us with the rush of a whirlwind.’”
