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Show 186 RICUAHD llUltDIS. the woh·es, of which thnt neighborhood hnd numerous herds, to rcmoYC it in due season. Poor youth! with such n heart-so noble, so br:wc-with affections so wnrm, nnd hopes AO full of promise-to be shot down in the sun-light-in the bloom of manhood-Ly an obscure rnflian, and be denied a grave! '\Vhcn they had possessed themselves of the money, tl10 amount of which gave them no small pleasure, they put spurs to their horses and rode back with as grcnt speed as they had used in the pursuit. lt was ncccssnry that they should do so, :md hasten their flight from the spot where their evil-doings had been begun. 11fy horse had continued on his course witl1 a spcccl which had been increased by his alarm and unrestraint after the fall of his rider; and "\\7ebber saw, with no smnll anxiety, that he was in the direct road to Colonel Grafton's, to which place he did not doubt that he would return, having been so lately lodged there. 'rLc scoundrels, who were guarding me, had, in the meantime, become greatly disquieted by their apprehensions at the delay of the pursuers, and not small was thei1· relief when they saw them safe, and felt themselves once more secure in their united strength. They consulted together apart, and frequently }JOinted to me where I lay, on my back, ancl bound rigidly to an exposed joist of the floor. "\Vhat J,ad taken )Jlace ln the pursuit, they did not reveal in my hearing; and bitter, indeed, were my feelings as I lay in th is doubly evil state of incapacity and suspense. 'l'he doubtfulness of my own, was not less a subject of concern in my mind than was his fatefor my strongest impression with regnrd to Carrington was, that he had escaped in safety to Grafton's. All then that I hnd to fear might be the present ruge of my captors. '!'hey might sacrifice me before relief could come. I strove not to think of this; stilllcss was I willing that the villains sJ,ouhl sec I feared them; yet, to confess a truth, it reqnireclno small effort to conceal the apprehensions which I cou1U not subdue, and my success, with all my efforts, was lJartial only. They must have behclU the struggle of my bosom in my face. But of this they seemed to take no heed. TJ,ey were too much interested in their own situation and apprehensions, to give much regard to mine. 'rhey consulted together, earnQStly with the air of men wl10 had need of haste in their resolutions. u W c must be off NAHitOW ESCAPI':. 187 at once," I hcarc1 \\T cbbcr say nt one time i "tl1ere will lJC no l 1elp for us now, if he gets to Grafton's." This last sentence l)rou,....llt wnrmth ancl assnr::mce to my heart, I did not doub~ of JYIY ~·iend's safety. "But this lark 1" snicl Gcofl'n·y i aml I HaW from the qnicl(, malign:lllt gl:t1u.:c which my gambler ac' luailltancc Lestowed upon me when these words were uttered, that it wns of n1c they spoke. 'l'hc l:ittcr bent forw:u·cl to hear the rcsohe of "\YeLLer-whose word here seemed to be lawwith an air of nnxiC'ly not less great than that which I migl1t h:we shown myself. The nnswcr of " ' ebbcr did not seem to satisfy him . u "\Vhat of him 1" said the bttcr. "Shall we stretch him 1" was the further inqniry of Geoffrey; :m equivocal phrase which I suppose coolly meant" shall we cut his throat 1" "]'::;haw, no!" r C'plicd the ot ht•r. ""\Vh<lt's the good of it 1- lrt the fellow lie where he is and cool hiwself. Uy to-morrow, somebody will cut his strings, and help him turn over. lTe will get hungry in the menntime, for he didn't eat a hearty dinnerall his own fault. Come, let. us jog." Ten minutes had not elapsed when they were all ready, and I saw them pt·eJHHC to depart, leaving me us I lay, bound to the floor by my body and antiS, and capaL\c of moving my legs only. "\Ycbber took leave of me with the composure of OllC who has nothing with wllich to 1·epronch himself. "Grafton will be here after a wl1ile," said he," and set you free . You may tell him l'm sony, but it don't suit me to wait for him now. lie will sec me, however, at l1is d.aughter's mar-riage. Good.by." '!'he man called Geoffrey said somethitq; to me in a similar spirit; the gambler grinned only upon me as he passed, but with such an expression of malice in his visage, that, though I did not fear the reptile, it yet rnade me shudder to behold him. In a few moments more I was left alOJlC to muse oYer my disconsolate condition. I llcard the tram1)ling of their horses die away in the distance, and such ·was the checrh ssness of my situation, that I positively seemed to be chilled by their depm·ture. 'fhis, however, was but the feeliug of the moment, and I was allowed a brief time for its indulgence. 'ro my surprise the gambler reappeared, when I bad thought him with the rest of his |
