D'Ri and I

  XIV

  This is the story of Corporal Darius Olin, touching his adventurein the Temple of the Avengers, at some unknown place in UpperCanada, on the night of August 12, 1813, and particularly theordeals of the sword, the slide, and the bayonet to which CaptainRamon Bell was subjected that night, as told to Adjutant AsariusChurch, at Sackett's Harbor, New York:--

  "Soon es I see whut wus up, I gin a powerful lift on thet airshackle-chain. I felt 'er give 'n' bust. A couple o' men clim'int' the seat front uv us, 'n' the hosses started hell bent. I sotup with my hands 'hind uv me 'n the wagin. I kep' 'em there tight'n' stiff, es ef the iron wus holdin' uv 'em. Could n't git nochance t' say nuthin' t' Ray. Hustled us upstairs, 'n' when wecome in t' thet air big room they tuk him one way an' me 'nother.

  "Didn't hev no idee where I wus. Felt 'em run a chain through myarms, careful, efter they sot me down. I sot still fer mebbe fiveminutes. Seemed so ev'rybody'd gone out o' the place. Could n'thear nuthin' nowhere. I le' down the chain jest es ca-areful es Icould, 'n' tuk off the blindfold. 'Twas all dark; could n't see myhand afore me. Crep' 'long the floor. See 't was covered withsawdust. Tuk off m' boots, 'n' got up on m' feet, 'n' walkedcareful. Did n' dast holler t' Ray. Cal'lated when the squabblecome I 'd be ready t' dew business. All t' once I felt a slant 'nthe floor. 'T was kind o' slip'ry, 'n' I begun t' slide. Feetwent out from under me 'n' sot me down quick. Tried t' ketch holto' suthin'. Could n't hang on; kep' goin' faster. Fust I knew I'd slid int' some kind uv a box. Let me down quicker 'n scat overthet air grease a little ways. I out with my tew hands 'n' boreag'in' the sides o' th' box powerful 'n' stopped myself. Then I upwith these here feet o' mine. See the top o' the box wa'n't muchmore 'n a foot above me. Tried t' crawl up ag'in. Couldn't mekit. Dum thing slanted luk Tup's Hill. Hung on awhile, cipherin'es hard es I knew how. Hearn suthin' go kerslap. Seem so the hullplace trembled. Raised up my head, 'n' peeked over my stumick downthe box. A bar o' light stuck in away down. Let myself go carefultill I c'u'd see my nose in it. Then I got over on my shoulder 'n'braced on the sides o' the box, back 'g'in' one side 'n' knees'g'in' t'other. See 't was a knot-hole where the light come in,'bout es big es a man's wrist. Peeked through, 'n' see a lot o'lights 'n' folks, 'n' hearn 'em talkin'. Ray he stud on a platformfacin' a big, powerful-lookin' cuss. Hed their coats 'n' vestsoff, 'n' sleeves rolled up, 'n' swords ready. See there wus goin't' be a fight. Hed t' snicker--wa'n' no way I c'u'd help it, fer,Judas Priest! I knew dum well they wa'n't a single one of them airBritishers c'u'd stan' 'fore 'im. Thet air mis'able spindlin'devil I tol' ye 'bout--feller et hed the women--he stud back o'Ray. Hed his hand up luk thet. 'Fight!' he says, 'n' they got t'work, 'n' the crowd begun t' jam up 'n' holler. The big feller hecome et Ray es ef he wus goin' t' cut him in tew. Ray he tuk iteasy 'n' rassled the sword of the big chap round 'n' round es ef itwus tied t' hisn. Fust I knew he med a quick lunge 'n' pricked 'im'n the arm. Big chap wus a leetle shy then. Did n't come up t'the scratch es smart 'n' sassy es he'd orter. Ray he went efter'im hammer 'n' tongs. Thet air long slim waist o' hisn swayed 'n'bent luk a stalk o' barley. He did luk joemightyful han'some--wish't ye c'u'd 'a' seen 'im thet air night. Hair wus jest es shiny esgold 'n the light o' them candles. He 'd feint, an' t' other 'ddodge. Judas Priest! seemed so he put the p'int o' the sword allover thet air big cuss. C'u'd 'a' killed 'im a dozen times, but Isee he did n't want t' dew it. Kep' prickin' 'im ev'ry lunge 'n'druv 'im off the boards--tumbled 'im head over heels int' thecrowd. Them air devils threw up their hats 'n' stomped 'n'hollered powerful, es ef 't were mighty fun t' see a man cut t'pieces. Wall, they tuk up another man, quicker 'n the fust, but hewa'n' nowhere near s' big 'n' cordy. Wa'n't only one crack o' theswords in thet air fight. Could n't hardly say Jack Robinson 'forethe cuss hed fell. Ray hurt him bad, I guess, for they hed t' pick'im up 'n' carry 'im off luk a baby. Guess the boy see 't he hed agood many to lick, 'n' hed n't better waste no power a-foolin'.All t' once thet air low-lived, spindlin', mis'able devil he comet' the edge o' the platform 'n' helt up his hand. Soon 's theystopped yellin' he says; 'Gentlemen,' he says, 'sorry t' tell yethet the man fer the next bout hes got away. We left him securelyfastened up 'n the fust chamber. Have hed the building searched,but ain't able t' find him. He must hev gone down the slide. I amsorry to say we hev no more Yankees. If this man fights any moreit will hev t' be a Britisher thet goes ag'in' 'im. Is there avolunteer?'

  "Ray he runs up 'n' says suthin' right 'n his ear. Could n't hearwhut 'twus. Did n' set well. T' other feller he flew mad, 'n'Ray he fetched 'im a cuff, luk thet, with the back uv his hand. Yesee, he did n' know he hed been a-fightin' Yankees, 'n' he did n'like the idee. 'Gentlemen,' says he, 'I 'll fight anybody, but efthis chap ain't a coward, he 'll fight me himself.' T'other fellerhe off with his coat 'n' vest es quick es a flash 'n' picked up asword. 'Fight, then, ye cub!' says he; an' they flew at each otherhell bent fer 'lection. He wa'n' no fool with a sword, nuther, Ican tell ye, thet air spindlin' cuss. I see Ray hed his han'sfull. But he wus jest es cool es a green cowcumber, eggzac'ly.Kep' a-cuffin' t' other sword, 'n' let 'im hit 'n' lunge 'n' feintes much es he pleased. See he wus jest a-gettin' his measure, 'n'I knew suthin' wus goin' t' happen purty quick. Fust I knew heketched Ray by the shirtsleeve with the p'int uv 'is sword 'n'ripped it t' the collar. Scairt me so I bit my tongue watchin' uv'em. They got locked, 'n' both swords came up t' the hiltst'gether with a swish 'n' a bang luk thet. The blades clung, 'n'they backed off. Then Ray he begun t' feint 'n' lunge 'n' hustle'im. Quicker 'n scat he gin 'im an awful prick 'n the shoulder. Ic'u'd see the blood come, but they kep' a-goin' back 'n' forth 'n'up 'n' down desperit. The red streak on thet air feller's shirtkep' a-growin'. Purty quick one side uv 'im wus red an' t' otherwhite. See he wus gettin' weaker 'n' weaker. Ray c'u'd 'a'split 'im t' the navel ef he'd only hed a min' tew. All t' once hemed a jab at Ray, 'n' threw up 'is han's, 'n' went back a step ertew, luk a boss with th' blin' staggers, 'n' tumbled head overheels in thet air open grave. There wus hell t' pay fer a minute.Lot on 'em clim' over the row o' lights, yellin' luk wildcats, 'n'hauled thet air mis'able cuss out o' the grave, 'n' stud 'im up,'n' gin 'im a drink o' liquor. In half a minute he up with hishan'kerchief 'n' waved it over 'is head t' mek 'em keep still.Soon 's they wus quiet he up 'n' he says: 'Gentlemen,' says he,'this 'ere chap hes stood the test o' the sword. Are yesatisfied?' 'We are,' says they--ev'ry British son uv a gun theywus there up 'n' hollered, 'Then,' says he, 'giv' 'im th' slide.'

  "Ray he put down 'is sword 'n' picked up 'is coat 'n' vest. Thenthey grabbed th' lights, 'n' thet 's th' last I see on' em there.Purty quick 'twus all dark. Hearn 'em comin' upstairs 'n goin''cross th' floor over my head. 'Gun t' think o' myself a leetlebit then. Knowed I was in thet air slide, an' hed t' le' go purtyquick. Hed n't no idee where it went tew, but I cal'lated I wusmiddlin' sure t' know 'fore long. Knowed when I le' go I wus goin't' dew some tall slippin' over thet air greased bottom. See alight come down th' box 'n a minute. Hearn somebody speakin' thereet the upper end.

  "'This 'ere's th' las' test o' yer courage,' says a man, says he;'few comes here alive 'n' sound es you be. Ye wus a doomed man.Ye 'd hev been shot at daylight, but we gin ye a chance fer yerlife. So fur ye 've proved yerself wuthy. Ef ye hold yer courage,ye may yit live. Ef ye flinch, ye 'll land in heaven. Ef yer lifeis spared, remember how we honor courage.'

  "Then they gin 'im a shove, 'n' I hearn 'im a-comin'. I floppedover 'n' le' go. Shot away luk a streak o' lightnin'. Dum thinggrew steeper 'n' steeper. Jes' hel' up my ban's 'n' let 'er golickitty split. Jerushy Jane Pepper! jes' luk comin' down agreased pole. Come near tekin' my breath away--did sart'n. Wentout o' thet air thing luk a bullet eggzac'ly. Shot int' the airfeet foremust. Purty fair slidin' up in the air 'most anywheres,ye know. Alwus come down by the nighest way. 'T was darker 'npitch; could n't see a thing, nut a thing. Hearn Ray come out o'the box 'bove me. Then I come down k'slap in th' water 'n' sunk
.Thought I 'd never stop goin' down. 'Fore I come up I hearn Rayrip int' th' water nigh me. I come up 'n' shook my head, 'n'waited. Judas Priest! thought he wus drownded, sart'n. Seemed soI 'd bust out 'n' cry there 'n th' water waitin' fer thet air boy.Soon es I hearn a flop I hed my han's on 'im.

  "'Who be you?' says he.

  "'D'ri,' says I.

  "'Tired out,' says he; 'can't swim a stroke. Guess I 'll hev t' got' th' bottom.'"