Part 7 (1/2)
”She one angel, Ma.s.sa Mike. If such as she lib in heaven, it mus' be one beautiful place,” he remarked to me one day.
Kathleen would sit patiently by his bedside, and sing to him with her sweet child-voice, and then read a little or tell him a story, handing him some cooling drink when he was thirsty.
I had one day, while chopping wood, severely sprained my right wrist.
My mother had bound it up and put my arm a sling, so that I could not use it, and I therefore remained at home while my father and Dan were out. The only persons in the house besides my mother, Kathleen, and myself, being Biddy and Dio. Rose had gone to a.s.sist the wife of a settler at some distance whose child was ill. I had been kept awake by the pain my wrist caused me during the night, and while attempting to read had fallen asleep, when I was aroused by the sound of the rough voices of two men at the front door demanding admittance, and abusing Biddy in no measured terms for refusing to let them in.
”It'd be mighty curious, now, if I'd be afther lettin' strangers into the house while the cap'n is away,” answered Biddy, who had evidently seen them coming, and had confronted them on the threshold; ”in here you don't put your feet 'till the masther comes home to give ye lave, an'
unless yez keep more civil tongues in your head that'll not be likely.”
”Are you the only person in the house?” asked one of the men.
”An' what if I am the only person? I am as good as a dozen such spalpeens as you!” cried Biddy in high tones.
”You've got as good as a dozen tongues in your head, you saucy jade,”
answered one of the men, with a laugh.
”Saucy or not saucy, you don't come in here. I'm left in charge, with the mistress busy in one room an' my ould mither, who came all the way out from Ireland when I was a slip of a girl, sick in bed in another, so I'll ax you not to spake so loudly, or you'll be afther disturbing them.
Now just sit down on the bank outside 'till the cap'n comes, or mount your horses and ride away about your business.”
”Come, come, Mistress Sharptongue, whether the cap'n shows himself or not, we intend to look round the house inside and out. We are hunting for a runaway n.i.g.g.e.r, and we understand that Captain Loraine has a black boy, and if he is not the one we are looking for, he's pretty sure to know where the other is. These free n.i.g.g.e.rs ought to be hung up on the nearest trees wherever they are to be found; they are a pest to the country!”
”Sure is it Pater ye mane!” exclaimed Biddy in an indignant tone; ”n.i.g.g.e.r though he may be, he is more honest than many a white man.”
”Keep a civil tongue in your head, Misess Impudence or it may be the worse for you,” said one of the men.
Biddy gave a scornful laugh.
”I'll be after t'aching you to keep a civil tongue in your head; just do as I tell you, or--”
I could suppose Biddy flouris.h.i.+ng her broomstick. The men laughed in return, and then, hearing a scuffle, fearing that she might be ill-treated, I thought it time to make my appearance with my gun in my left hand, though it would have cost me much had it been necessary to pull the trigger. Biddy was standing at bay, defending herself bravely against the two men, who were endeavouring to force their way into the hall, where the scene I am describing took place.
Whack, whack! down came Biddy's stick on their arms, which they held up to defend their heads, when one of the fellows, who had received a harder blow than he liked, seized the stick with one hand, while with the other he drew his bowie-knife and pointed it at the girl, as if about to strike.
”Arrah! now, ye coward, would ye be afther usin' your knife on a woman?”
shrieked Biddy.
Fearing that the man would not hesitate to commit some act of violence, I stepped forward, and, showing my gun, shouted, ”Back, you villains, whoever you are, or take the consequences. I have overheard what you have said; the girl is doing her duty, and until my father comes back-- and I expect him every minute--into this house you do not enter.”
The men, who had hitherto not seen me, observing my gun pointed at their heads, stepped back a pace or two; when Biddy, taking advantage of their eyes being withdrawn from her, struck the bowie-knife out of the hand of the man who had attacked her, crying out--
”Fire, Mr Mike, fire; an' we shall, gain the day!”
The two men, who evidently had no wish to risk their lives in the task they had undertaken, sprang back together through the doorway to avoid the expected shot, when Biddy, darting after them, slammed the door in their faces, instantly slipping the bolt, so that they could not again force it open, though they made the attempt. As she did so she uttered a shout of triumph.
”Arrah! the spalpeens will not be again trying to walk into the houses of dacent people with a c.o.c.k an' bull story about hunting for a runaway slave. Just let them have a taste of your rifle, and they'll not forget the lesson we ye given them.”
This she said at the top of her voice, knowing that the men outside would hear her. Whether or not they would have made another attempt to get in I cannot say, for at that moment, looking out from the window of the room at which I had been seated, I caught sight of my father, Mr Tidey, and Dan, with guns in hand, approaching the house.
I immediately cried out to them that some men had been endeavouring to force their way into the house. The brave Biddy's a.s.sailants hearing what I said, and expecting probably to have some shot sent after them, took to their heels until they reached their horses, which they had left secured to some trees, when mounting, they galloped off as hard as they could go. Biddy, the excitement over, went into hysterics, laughing and crying and shouting out--