Part 30 (1/2)

And grasping his arm almost violently:--

”That man is yonder!” she said, pointing with the other hand toward Warrenton, ”Go and meet him, and kill him, and end all this at once!

Remember the banks of the Nottaway!--That sword thrust--that grave!

Remember, he hates you with a deadly hatred--has wounded you, laughed at you,--driven you back, when you met him, like a hound under the las.h.!.+ Remember me!--your oath! Break that oath and I will go and kill him myself!”

As she uttered these words a cannon shot thundered across the woods.

”Listen!” the woman exclaimed.

Darke rose suddenly to his feet.

”You are right!” he said, gloomily. ”You keep me to the work. I do not hate him as you do--but he is an enemy, and I will kill him. Why do I yield to you, and obey you thus? What makes me love you, I wonder!”

Suddenly a second gun roared from beyond Buckland.

”We will talk of that afterward,” said the woman, with flushed cheeks; ”think of one thing only now--that _he_ is yonder.”

”Good!” said Darke, ”and I hope that in an hour one of us will be dead, I care not which--come, madam--but you must not expose yourself!”

”What am I!”

”All I have left!” he said.

And with a gloomy look he rushed from the house, followed by the gray woman.

XII.

THE BUCKLAND RACES.

In a moment the voice of Darke was heard, ordering ”to horse!” a clatter of sabres followed; and the company of cavalry sat out at full gallop toward the firing.

At their head I saw Darke's burly figure. The woman, escorted by an orderly, rode toward the rear.

In a few minutes the company of cavalry had entered a belt of woods and disappeared.

We had hastened into the apartment--Tom and myself, and looked now toward the highway. It was dark with a long column of Federal cavalry which seemed to be in great agitation.

The column, as well as I could make out, numbered at least a division.

Neither the head nor the tail of the blue serpent was visible--only the main body, with its drawn sabres glittering like silver scales in the sun.

I hesitated not many seconds. Something was evidently going on, and our present whereabouts dangerous.

With a hasty salute to the young ladies who had hurried in, I made a sign to Tom, and ran to my horse.

My companion did not join me for at least five minutes. Impatience began to master me, when he appeared, laughing, and flouris.h.i.+ng a knot of red ribbon, which I had observed in Miss Katy's hair.

With a bound he was in the saddle--I saw him turn and make a gay salute toward the ladies on the steps, and then we set out at full speed across the fields to rejoin Stuart.