CHAPTER IV.
CAPTAIN WHARTON'S CAPTURE.
At the distance of more than a mile about fifty dragoons were to beseen, winding down one of the lateral[40] entrances of the valley. Inadvance, with an officer, was a man attired in the dress of acountryman, who pointed in the direction of the cottage. A small partynow left the main body and moved rapidly toward the object of theirdestination.
[Footnote 40: from the side.]
On reaching the road which led through the bottom of the valley, theyturned their horses' heads to the north.
Reaching the dwelling of Birch, they made a rapid circle around hisgrounds, and in an instant his house was surrounded by a dozensentinels.
Two or three of the dragoons now dismounted and disappeared; in a fewminutes they returned to the yard, followed by Katy, from whoseviolent gesticulations[41] it was evident that matters of no triflingconcern were on the carpet. A short communication with the housekeeperfollowed the arrival of the main body of the troop, and the advancingparty remounting, the whole moved towards the Locusts with greatspeed.
[Footnote 41: signs or motions.]
As yet none of the family had sufficient presence of mind to deviseany means of security for Captain Wharton; but the danger now becametoo pressing to admit of longer delay, and various means of secretinghim were hastily proposed.
At length his sisters, with trembling hands, replaced his originaldisguise. This arrangement was hastily and imperfectly completed asthe dragoons entered the lawn and orchard of the Locusts, riding withthe rapidity of the wind; and in their turn the Whartons weresurrounded.
The leader of the horse dismounted, and, followed by a couple of hismen, he approached the outer door of the building, which was slowlyopened for his admission by Caesar.
A man, whose colossal[42] stature manifested the possession of vaststrength, entered the room, and, removing his cap, he saluted thefamily with a mildness his appearance did not indicate as belonging tohis nature. His dark hair hung around his brow in profusion, thoughstained with the powder that was worn at that day, and his face wasnearly hid in the whiskers by which it was disfigured. Still theexpression of his eye, though piercing, was not bad, and his voice,though deep and powerful, was far from unpleasant. Frances ventured tothrow a timid glance at his figure as he entered, and saw at once theman from whose scrutiny Harvey Birch had warned them there was so muchto be apprehended.
[Footnote 42: very great.]
"You have no cause for alarm, ladies," said the officer; "my businesswill be confined to a few questions, which, if freely answered, willinstantly remove us from your dwelling.
"Has there been a strange gentleman staying with you during thestorm?" continued the dragoon, speaking with interest.
"This gentleman--here--favored us with his company during the rain,and has not yet departed."
"This gentleman!" repeated the other, turning to Captain Wharton. Heapproached the youth with an air of comic gravity, and, with a lowbow, continued, "I am sorry for the severe cold you have in your head,sir."
"I!" exclaimed the captain, in surprise; "I have no cold in my head."
"I fancied it, then, from seeing you had covered such handsome blacklocks with that ugly old wig. It was my mistake; you will please topardon it."
Mr. Wharton groaned aloud; but the ladies, ignorant of the extent ofthe visitor's knowledge, remained in trembling yet rigid silence. Thecaptain himself moved his hand involuntarily to his head, anddiscovered that the trepidation of his sisters had left some of hisnatural hair exposed. The dragoon watched the movement with acontinued smile, when, seeming to recollect himself, turning to thefather, he proceeded:
"Then, sir, I am to understand there has not been a Mr. Harper herewithin a week?"
"Mr. Harper," echoed the other; "yes--I had forgotten; but he is gone,and if there be anything wrong in his character, we are in entireignorance; to me he was a total stranger."
"You have little to apprehend from his character," answered thedragoon, dryly; "but he is gone--how, when, and whither?"
"He departed as he arrived," said Mr. Wharton, gathering renewedconfidence from the manner of the trooper, "on horseback last evening,and he took the northern road."
The officer listened with intense interest, his countenance graduallylighting with a smile of pleasure, and the instant Mr. Whartonconcluded his laconic[43] reply he turned on his heel and left theapartment. In a few moments orders were given to some of the troop,and horsemen left the valley, at full speed, by its various roads.
[Footnote 43: using but few words.]
The suspense of the party within, who were all highly interestedwitnesses of this scene, was shortly terminated; for the heavy treadof the dragoon soon announced his second approach. He bowed againpolitely as he reentered the room, and, walking up to Captain Wharton,said with mock gravity:
"Now, sir, my principal business being done, may I beg to examine thequality of that wig?"
The British officer imitated the manner of the other, as hedeliberately uncovered his head, and handing the wig observed, "Ihope, sir, it is to your liking."
"I cannot, without violating the truth, say it is," returned thedragoon; "I prefer your ebony hair, from which you seem to have combedthe powder with great industry. But that must have been a sad hurt youhave received under this enormous black patch."
"You appear such a close observer of things, that I should like youropinion of it, sir," said Henry, removing the silk, and exhibiting thecheek free from blemish.
"Upon my word, you improve most rapidly in externals," added thetrooper; "if I could but persuade you to exchange this old surtout[44]for that handsome blue coat by your side, I think I never couldwitness a more agreeable metamorphosis,[45] since I was changed myselffrom a lieutenant to a captain."
[Footnote 44: overcoat.]
[Footnote 45: change.]
Young Wharton very composedly did as he was required, and stood anextremely handsome, well-dressed young man. The dragoon looked at himfor a minute with the drollery that characterized his manner, and thencontinued:
"This is a newcomer in the scene; it is usual, you know, for strangersto be introduced; I am Captain Lawton, of the Virginia horse?"
"And I, sir, am Captain Wharton, of his Majesty's Sixtieth regiment offoot," returned Henry, bowing stiffly, and recovering his naturalmanner.
The countenance of Lawton changed instantly, and his assumedquaintness vanished. He viewed the figure of Captain Wharton, as hestood proudly swelling with a pride that disdained furtherconcealment, and exclaimed with great earnestness:
"Captain Wharton, from my soul I pity you!"
"Oh, then," cried the father, in agony, "if you pity him, dear sir,why molest him? He is not a spy; nothing but a desire to see hisfriends prompted him to venture so far from the regular army, indisguise. Leave him with us; there is no reward, no sum, which I willnot cheerfully pay."
"Sir, your anxiety for your friend excuses your language," saidLawton, haughtily; "but you forget I am a Virginian, and a gentleman."Turning to the young man, he continued, "Were you ignorant, CaptainWharton, that our pickets have been below you for several days?"
"I did not know it until I reached them, and it was too late toretreat," said Wharton, sullenly. "I came out, as father hasmentioned, to see my friends, understanding your parties to be atPeekskill,[46] and near the Highlands, or surely I would not haveventured."
[Footnote 46: on the Hudson, forty miles north of New York.]
"All this may be very true; but the affair of Andre has made us on thealert. When treason reaches the grade of general officers, CaptainWharton, it behooves[47] the friends of liberty to be vigilant."
[Footnote 47: is the duty of.]
Henry bowed to this remark in distant silence, but Sarah ventured tourge something in behalf of her brother. The dragoon heard herpolitely, and answered mildly:
"I am not the commander of the party, madam; Major Dunwoodie willdec
ide what must be done with your brother. At all events, he willreceive nothing but kind and gentle treatment. May I presume so far asto ask leave to dismount and refresh my men, who compose a part of hissquadron?"
There was a manner about the trooper that would have made the omissionof such a request easily forgiven by Mr. Wharton; but he was fairlyentrapped by his own eagerness to conciliate, and it was useless towithhold a consent which he thought would probably be extorted; hetherefore made the most of necessity, and gave such orders as wouldfacilitate[48] the wishes of Captain Lawton.
[Footnote 48: to make easy.]