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Show RrCHAilD llUJWIS, CHAPTER XLII. DESPAIR OF TilE VICT!i\IS. "Whnt! thou rlost quit me thenIn the first !.>lush of my necessit.y, The dnnger yet nt distuncc."-Captive. IT was, perhaps, an earnest of success in tlJC pursuit. which I had undertaken , that I did not undenate, to myself, 1ts many difficulties. I felt that I would have to contend with experienced cunnino- nnd probably superior str cngtlt-tlmt nothing but the utmos~ adroitness and self-co nt rol could possibly enable me to effect my purposes. My first object was to alter ~n_Y llCrsonal appearance, so as to defeat all cha1~ce of recogn.1t10n ~)' any of the Yillains with whom I had prevwusl! come. m co~ hsion. rr his was a work calling for much careful cons1dcrat10n. To go down to Mobile, change my clothes, and adopt_ such fashions as would more completely disguise me, were my umnediate designs; and I pushed my way to this, m~ fir st pos.t, with all speed, and without any interruption. My f1rst care, m :Mobile, was to sell my horse, which I did, for one lmndr~d and eighty dollars. I had now uenrly fi,·e hundred dollars 111 possession- a small part in silver, tho rest in United States bnnk, Alabama, and Louisiana notes, all of which were eqnally.c~rrent. I soon procured a couple of entire suits, as utterly ddlcrent from anything I had previously wom us possilJlc. 'l'hcn, having a proper regard to tl1e usual decoration of tl1c J~rofessed gamblers of our country, I entered a jewC'llcr's estnbhsluncn t, and bought sundry bunc11 es of senls, a. tawdry watch, a huge chain of doubtful, but sold as virgin, gold; and some breastpins and shirt-buttm]; of saucer size. 'fo those wl1o h~d p~rSOJla11y known me before, I was well assured tl1at no d1sgu~sc would have been more perfect thDJl that afforded by tl1csc trm· DISPA!Jt OP TilE \' ICTBIS. 293 kPts; but, wl1 en, in ndd iti o11 to 11Jf'f'iC' :mel the othf'r chnnp;C'S in Ill." ltnhit, of which l lmYe spol,f'n, T state th:1t my hr:1 rd w:1s suffrn'd to grow g-ont- likc, after tlJC most :approved models of dnndyism, under the eli in, in curling m:1sscs, and my whiskers, in riv:1l mngn ificence, were permitted to ovenun my clJeeks I trust that I shall be belicYcd, wl10n I nvcr thnt. after a few weeks spncr, I scarcely knew myself. I hnd usunlly bcC'n rnther fastidious in kcrping a smooth check and chin, and I doubt Yery much, whdhcr n1y own father ever hehcld a two days' benrd upon me, from the llay that I found myself man CllOugh to slJ:n'e nt all, to the present. ' ['he more I contemplated my own appenrancc, tl1e more sanguine I Lccame of success; and I lingered in Mobile a little time longer, in order to gi,·c beard and whiskers n f~1ir opportunity to O\'errnn a territory wl1ith befOre lwd never shown its btubblc. ·when tl1is time was elnpsed, my Yisngc wHs quite Sibcrinn; n thick c11p of otter-skin, wl1ich I now procmcd, fully completed my northern disg-uises, :wd, cxchnnging my pistols nt a hnnlwnrc establ ishment, for others 11ot so good, !Jut for wllich I hml to give some considcrnble boot, I felt myself fairly ready for my perilous adventure. J t called for some resolution to go forwnrd wl1e11 tho time cnme for my depmture, nnd wl1cn I thongl1t of tl1e dnngc rs before me; but, when, in the next in sta nt, I thougl1t of the murder of my friend, aml of the sad fate of his betrothed, my resolution of vengeance was renewed. I felt thnt I had an oatl1 in H eaYcn-sworn-registcred ;-and I repeated it on cnrth! T..ct me 110w return, for nn in stant, to tl1e eondition of my wortl1y brother, and relnte some passngos, in their proper place in this narrative, which, however, did not come to my knowl edge for some time nfter. rri1e reader will remember my mC'cting with the stranger nt tl10 cntr:mcc of the avenue leading to my father's ltouse, who nsked for Jolm Hurclis, nml to whom I introduced him. It w-ill also be remembered that I r enwrked the surprise, nny nlmost consternation, which his appenrnncc :md nddress seemed to produce in my brother's countenance. There was a reason for all this, though I dreamed uot of it tl1en. J ohn lim·dis had good cause. for the terrors, wl1icll, nt that time, I found rather ludicrous, and was almost disposed to lm1gh at. They we11t |
