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this apparatus, he soon furnished his mouth with a companion that habit had
long rendered necessary to extraordinary reflection in its owner. So soon as a
large column of smoke arose from this arrangement, the Captain significantly
held forth his hand towards his assistant. A small cord was produced from the
pocket of the sergeant, and handed to the other. Now, indeed, appeared a
moment of deep care in the refugee, who threw out vast puffs of smoke until
nearly all of his head was obscured, and looked around the building with an
anxious and inquisitive eye. At length he removed the pipe, and inhaled a
draught of pure air, returned it to its domicile, and proceeded to business at
once. There was a heavy piece of timber laid across the girths of the barn,
but a little way from the southern door, which opened directly upon a full
view of the river as it stretched far away towards the bay of New-York. Over
this timber, the refugee threw one end of the rope, and regaining it, joined
the two parts in his hand. A small and weak barrel that wanted a head, the
staves of which were loose and at one end standing apart, was left on the
floor probably as useless to the owner.-- This was brought by the sergeant in
obedience to a look from his officer, and placed beneath the beam. All of
these arrangements were made with immoveable composure, and now seemed
completed to the officer s perfect satisfaction.
Come, he said coolly to the skinner, who, amazed with the preparations, had
stood both a close and silent spectator of their progress. He obeyed--and it
was not until he found his neckcloth removed, and hat thrown aside, that he
took the alarm. But he had so often resorted to a similar expedient to extract
information or plunder, that he by no means felt the terror an unpractised man
would have suffered, at these ominous movements. The rope was adjusted to his
neck with the same coolness that formed the characteristic of the whole
movement, and a fragment of board being laid upon the barrel, he was ordered
to mount it.
But it may fall, said the skinner, for the first time beginning to tremble.
I will tell you any thing,--even how to surprise our party at the Pond,
without this trouble; and that is commanded by my own brother.
I want no information, returned his executioner, (for such he now seemed
really to be,) as he threw the rope repeatedly over the beam, first drawing it
tight, so as to annoy the skinner a little, and then casting the end from him,
far beyond the reach of any one.
This is joking too far, cried the skinner, in a tone of remonstrance, and
raising himself on his toes, with the vain hope of releasing himself from the
cord by slipping his head through the noose-- But the caution and experience
of the refugee had guarded against this escape.
What did you with the horse you stole from me, rascal? he cried, throwing
out extraordinary columns of smoke, as he waited for a reply.
He broke down in the chase, replied the skinner quickly; but I can tell
you where one is to be found, that is worth him and his sire.
Liar! I will help myself when I want one-- but you had better call upon God
for aid, as your hour is short. On concluding this consoling advice, he
struck the barrel a violent blow with his heavy foot, and the slender staves
flew in every direction, leaving the skinner whirling in the air. As his hands
were unconfined, he threw them upwards, and held himself suspended by main
strength.
Come, captain, he said coaxingly, a little huskiness creeping into his
voice, and his knees beginning to shake with a slight tremor, just end the
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joke-- tis enough to make a laugh, and my arms begin to tire--indeed I can t
hold on much longer.
Harkee, Mr. Pedlar, said the refugee, in a voice that would not be denied,
I want not your company. Through that door lies your road-- march!--offer to
touch that dog, and you ll swing in his place, if twenty Sir Henrys wanted
your services. So saying, he retired to the road with the sergeant, as the
pedlar precipitately retreated down the bank.
Birch went no farther than a bush that opportunely offered itself as a skreen
to conceal his person, while he yielded to an unconquerable desire, to witness
what would be the termination of this extraordinary scene.
Left thus alone, the skinner began to throw fearful glances around, to espy
the hiding places of his tormentors. For the first time, the horrid idea
seemed to shoot through his brain, that something serious was intended by the
Cow-Boy. He called entreatingly to be released, and made rapid and incoherent
promises of important information, mingled with affected pleasantry at their
conceit, which he could hardly admit to himself could mean any thing so
dreadful as it seemed.-- But as he heard the tread of the horses moving on
their course, and in vain looked around for human aid, violent tremblings
seized his limbs, and his eyes began to start from his head with terror.-- He
made a desperate effort to reach the beam, but too much exhausted with his
previous exertions he caught the rope in his teeth, in a vain effort to sever
the cord, and fell to the whole length of his arms.--Here his cries were
turned into shrieks--
Help--cut the rope--Captain!--Birch!--good pedlar--down with the
Congress!--sergeant!--for God s sake help--Hurrah for the King!--Oh God! Oh
God!--mercy--mercy--mercy--
As his voice became suppressed, one of his hands endeavoured to make its way
between the rope and his neck, and partially succeeded, but the other fell
quivering by his side. A convulsive shuddering passed over his whole frame,
and he hung a hideous livid corse.
Birch continued gazing on this scene with a kind of infatuation, and at its
close he placed his hands to his ears, rushing towards the highway; but still
the cries for mercy rung through his brain, and it was many weeks before his
memory ceased to dwell on the horrid event. The Cow-boys rode steadily on
their route, as if nothing had occurred, and the body was left swinging in the
wind, until chance directed the footsteps of some straggler to the place.
CHAPTER XVII.
Green be the turf above thee,
Friend of my better days--
None knew thee but to love thee,
Nor nam d thee but to praise.
Halleck
Whilethe scenes and events that we have recorded, were occurring, Captain
Lawton led his small party, by slow and wary marches, from the four-corners to
the front of a body of the enemy, where he so successfully manSuvred for a
short time as completely to elude all their efforts to entrap him, and yet so
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to disguise his own force, as to excite the constant apprehension of an attack
from the Americans. This forbearing policy on the side of the partisan, was
owing to orders that he had received from his commander. When Dunwoodie left
his detachment, the enemy were known to be slowly advancing, and he directed
Lawton to hover around them until his own return, and the arrival of a body of
foot, which might aid in intercepting their retreat.
The trooper discharged his duty to the letter, but with no little of the
impatience that made part of his character, when restrained from the attack.
During these movements, Betty Flanagan guided her little cart with
indefatigable zeal among the rocks of West-Chester, now discussing with the
sergeant the nature of evil spirits and the quality of her own, and now
combatting with the surgeon sundry points of practice that were hourly arising
under their opposite opinions upon the subject of stimulus. But the moment at
length arrived that was to terminate their controversies, and decide the
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