Greenway Court; or, the Bloody Ground, Chapters LXIV-LXXV [pp. 440-465]

Greenway Court; or, the Bloody Groutnd.
not the only people in the cave. There's
that worthy fellow, Ilastyluck, Monsieur
Jambot, and-to end my meaning-the
women!-the women, do you hear!"
A dark scowl came to the Borderer's
face as he spoke, and a threatening flash
darted from his eyes.
"To our certain knowledge there are
three ladies in the hands of these miscreants," he continued; "Mrs. Butterton, Miss Argal, and little Miss Cannie
from the mountain yonder, George says.
Now the smoke would suffocate the women, too, and that's not a part of our
plan. I accordingly reject it, as commandant of the troop, and will suggest
my own views, which I shall carry out,
unless they are met by others better. I
know the' Devil's Garden' by heart.
There is a path from this ridge along the
precipice, which will take us from one
side of the gulf to the other. I propose
that we wait until past midnight when
the scoundrels w:,ill be dead asleep-and
then we can make the attack. We can
approach in either of two ways. The
cave can be entered from the opening
yonder where the two savages were talkina g, or through a cleft in the rock above
near the strange rock like a man. We
may then rescue the women, and make
an end of the whole party."
This proposition was unanimously approved of, and the hunters concealed
themselves more carefully, awaiting the
hour when they were to commence their
march along the winding path toward
their enemies.
The moon had risen sometime before,
slowly ascending like a shield of fire
above the wild Eastern ranges: and now
poured a flood of splendour upon the
gigantic pinnacle which towered above;
on the yawning chasms and glimmering
masses of piled up rock; on the gorges
bristling with drooping evergreens; and
on the river which glittered in its rays
like a writhing serpent. The great orb
shone tranquilly, and the yellow light
slept on the wild weird scene as peacefully as though it were untenanted by mlortail-not tile lurking place of deadly foes
who would soon grapple in a mortal
struggle.
The appearance of Falconbridge is
easily explained.
Captain Wagner and his companions
ha d no sooner crept to their hidd en position o n the b row of the opposite precipice, and concealed themselves beneath
the h eavy foliage of the d e nse pines,
th a n a counci l of war was called.
The question to be determined was a
simpl e one. S hould they make an attack before nightfall upon the occupants
of the cavern, trusting to their superior
arms, or wait unt il midnigh t w hen the
band was asleep and the n surpris e them,
and put them to the knife? Some members of the party advocated the former
plan, and urged tile fact that the Indians
were no doubt now, according to their
invariable habit, overcome with liquor.
They had certainly carried off from the
Ordinary as much rum as sufficed, by the
account of the servant who had escaped
— and nothing would be easier than to
pile up brush at the mouth of the cavern, set fire to it, and force the Indians
to an open combat as the alternative of
being suffocated by the dense smoke.
This proposition found favour with numerous members of the party, but they
waited to hear the opinion of Captain
Wagner. The Borderer, who had listened attentively, and when the speaker
ceased, closed his eyes, and with knit
brows reflected rapidly, now shook his
head and growled:
" It won't do! Friend Huger, your
scheme is a good one, I don't deny, and
shows that you have been after this sort
of game before-but there's a flaw in it,
that kills. I don't object to smoking the
copper-faiced devils, and suffocating'em
— if I could do it, I would put every Injun in America in the big cave I've heard
of, in the Blue Ridge up the valley yonder, heap up whole pine trees at the
mouth, set'em afire, and smoke my pipe
with pleasure as I heard'em yelling and
howling in the death-agony. That would
be good sport, or the devil take me! But
it won't do here! These varmints are
446
[DECEN13EP.
LXVII.
THE MARCH OF THE HUNTERS.