Part 8 (1/2)
”They are, Mr Holmes, but I have taken up my quarters temporarily in McLean's, so as not to disturb Blunt with the creaking of those ramshackle old stairs What is Mac's is mine, and _vice versa_ Won't you come in?”
Mr Holht struck hihtly up the steps and was ushered into the sanctuht before starting upon the scout with Terry's troopers
”So this is McLean's vine and fig-tree, is it?” said he, as he looked curiously around ”Ha! Lynchburg sun-dried, golden leaf! Can I have a pipe?”
”Most assuredly! Excuse uard-house Then I'll rejoin you, and we'll have a whiff together”
Another moment, and Mr Holet his desire for a smoke, and in its stead to become possessed with a devil of lance around the front roo, he stepped quickly into the bed-chaly to the bureau The upper drawer caly and with much jar and friction, as the drawers of frontier furniture are apt to do even at their best, but his firm hand speedily reduced it to subjection A little pile of handkerchiefs, neatly folded, stood in the left-hand corner He lifted the topmost, carried it to the , compared the embroidered initials with those of the handkerchief he took from an inside pocket, scribbled a few closely-written words on a blank card, carefully folded the handkerchief he had brought with him, slipped the card inside the folds, replaced both on the pile, closed the drawer, and was placidly puffing away at his pipe when Hatton returned
IX
Late that afternoon the guard caught sight of a horsee across the Lara before he reached the post an orderly had notified the co,--doubtless from Captain Terry's party, and Major Miller's appearance on his north piazza, binocular in hand, and gazing steadfastly over the distant flats to the winding trail along the river, was sufficient to bring strong representations of every household into view, all eager to see what he was seeing or to hear what he ht know Mr Hatton came hurriedly over from ”Bedlam,”
took his place by the lasses Then, after a moment's consultation, the two officers started down the steps and walked briskly past the quarters on the east side, , in answer to thewith news from Terry!” and by the time they reached the old blockhouse at the north end, the so steed to a plunging gallop as he neared the Larae, and the rider was hailed by dozens of shrill and wailing voices as he passed the laundresses' quarters, where the whole population had turned out to de officer by this tier to hear the news No roup could catch the reply of the horseman to the questioners at ”Sudstown,” but in an instant an Irish wail burst upon the ear, and, just as one coyote will start a whole pack, just as one ht bray will set in discordant chorus a whole ”corral” of”keen” from every Hibernian hovel in all the little settle with unearthly larowled thetidings ”They'll have all the garrison in hysterics Here, Hatton! run down there and stop their infernal noise There isn't one in a dozen of 'eeneral principles What the devil does thatofficer, anyhow?”
Meantiht across the sandy flats and up the slope ca loudly Half-way fronized,--Corporal Zook, of ”Terry's Grays,” and a tip-top soldier Reining in his horse, throwing the brown carbine over his shoulder and quickly disroup and, with the unfailing salute, handed his commander a letter
”How ca?” asked Miller, his lips and hands trehtly, despite his effort to be calmly prepared for the worst ”Don't you see you've started the whole pack of theain, when you came in with the news of Lieutenant Robinson's murder”
”The ht of those Irishwomen this time, and wouldn't open my lips, sir They are bound to make a rohatever happens I only shook ue, hard riding, and dust, appeared, if one could judge by a slight twinkle of the eye, to take a rather humorous view of this exposition of national traits Followed by two or three of the guard, Mr Hatton had obediently hastened to quell the tumult of lamentation, but by the time he reached the nearest shanty the infection had spread throughout the entire community, and--wo, wailing, and gnashi+ng its teeth,--and no one knew or cared to know exactly why Having been wrought up to a pitch of exciteht hours, nothing short of a massacre could now quite satisfy Sudstown's lust for the sensational, and, defrauded of the actual cause for universal bewailing, was none the less detere in the full effect Poor Hatton had more than half an hour of stubborn and troublesoin to quell the racket in the crowded tenements, and meantime there was mischief to pay in the fort No sooner did the Irish wail co on the wind than the direst rumors were rushed from house to house The courier had barely had time to hand his despatches to Major Miller, and the er ca and breathless at his door while the punctilious oldat the moment in the doctor's library, and, at the sound of excited voices and scurrying footfalls without, came forward into the hall just as the door of Nellie's rooht of her at the head of the stairs,--her hair dishevelled and rippling down over her shoulders and nearly covering the dainty wrapper she wore
”Mr Holmes! please see what has happened?” she cried, ild anxiety in her eyes ”I hear such dreadful noise, and seedoard the laundresses' quarters”
But there was no need for hier
”Oh, Miss Nellie!” she called, sobbing, half in eagerness, half in genuine distress ”There's such dreadful news! There's a man come in froht, and Mr
McLean an' lots of 'em are killed It's all true, just as we heard it this----”
But here Mr Holmes sla up the stairs, four at a bound, for, clasping the balusters with both her little hands in a grasp that see al to her aid, and, between them, they bore her to the sofa in her pretty roo to find her in tears, instead of the dead faint he dreaded
”How could I have been soher to such a pandemonium as this?” was his exclamation to Holmes as, a moment later, they hastened forth upon the parade ”Yes,” he hastily answered, as a little boy ca tearfully to him, to say that mamma was taken very ill and they didn't knohat to do for her ”Yes So are all the woh they're all scared for nothing, I'll bet a dinner
Tell mamma I'll be there just as soon as I've seen Major Miller Here he comes now”
The major, with his adjutant, and followed by his orderly, was coentlemen hastened forward to meet hi to question the coues He waved his hands and aryrations and warned theeese!” he called ”It's all a lie!
There's hardly been a brush worthTerry and his men are all safe Now, do stop your nonsense! But come with me, doctor,” he quickly added, in a lower tone ”Come, Mr Holmes I want you both to hear this It's so like Terry D---- those outrageous Bridgets down there!
Did you ever hear anything like the row they raised? And all for nothing”
”Has there been no fight at all?” asked Dr Bayard
”Yes,--a pretty lively one, too McLean is shot and otherwise hurt, but can't be dangerously so, for he wanted to go on in the pursuit Three horses killed and two troopers wounded; that's about the size of it, but there's o down at once; and will send half a dozen uard They can ride in theo or send your assistant?
You cannot get there much before ten or eleven o'clock, even if you trot all the way Better let Dr Weeks go, don't you think so?”
”Whichever you prefer, h of course I could relieve hiet back?”