CHAPTER XXIX
WHAT THE PACKAGE CONTAINED
"What's the trouble here, Rodney?" asked Angus, shouldering his way inthrough a throng of the curious, assembled about the door of thecabin.
The hearty voice of his friend helped Rodney to collect himself."There has been a sudden death; he was a man I knew," he replied.
"I reckon you've lost a good friend," said Angus, when he saw the faceof the figure on the couch. "He certain sure did you a good turn."
Rodney's look showed that he wondered just what his friend meant. Hewas not aware that Angus knew the man.
Seeing that Rodney seemed puzzled, Angus said: "Why, that time heeuchred old Denham. You told me then ye didn't know him."
"What do you mean? This the man who paid off the mortgage? Oh! if Ihad known that!"
It all came to Rodney Allison, as light comes to one who has beenblind, and is made to see. This man, instead of a knave, had been hisfriend! He had won the money in gambling that it might be used for aright purpose. He had so used it, and taken from his own purse aswell. The sense of having done an injustice is very bitter when theinjured has passed beyond one's power to atone!
When everything had been done that might be, and Allison and McGregorwere walking away, the latter said: "I've found a feller as is lookin'fer a good horse. He saw Nat when you rode in this mornin' an' heasked no end o' questions, whar ye lived, how ter git thar an' said hewas thinkin' o' buyin'. I 'lowed as how 'twould take a tote o' moneyter buy. Thar goes the identical minion o' King George, now."
Rodney looked in the direction indicated. "That knave!" he exclaimed."I'd never sell Nat to him if I needed the money to buy bread."
"Don't like his looks, eh? Yer powerful fussy. He ain't the bestlookin' feller I ever did see, but I reckon his money's good."
The other made no reply. He could not explain his antipathy toMogridge, for it was he whom Angus had pointed out. So he's here,thought Rodney, wondering what he could want with a horse.
Allison was not an unduly inquisitive youth, but it may readily beimagined his pulse quickened when he sat down with his mother to openthe package which had been given him by the "Chevalier." It almostseemed that the man had known he was about to die, though his mannerhad been so cheerful.
Ah! Here was money--the package had seemed heavy--nearly fifty poundsin all; and here was his gold watch and seal ring and a letter. Hequickly opened the letter and read with wonderment in his eyes, andthen tears.
"MY DEAR RODNEY:--The man, whose life your father once saved at riskof his own, and whom you again saved from the bullet of a savage,wishes to express his sense of obligations. Please accept the contentsof this packet as such an expression, for the obligations themselvescannot be repaid; also what I have tried to provide in the will whichyou will find enclosed. I would suggest that you consult the lawyerwhom you brought to me at my request. Rightly cared for, theinheritance will ensure your mother and sister against want and affordyou the chance of which you have been deprived on account of lack offunds. I'm sure you will understand that I do not allude to 'Chance,'the fickle goddess of the gaming table, and I have been happy to learnyou profited by the lesson I taught you. Had I learned a similar oneat your age, that one may not obtain something for nothing and behappy in the possession, I might have been of some service in theworld. Instead, my life has been a failure, and that which I amleaving to you was the fruit of the service of my forebears. May younever feel the humiliation of uselessness, of having contributednothing to the world that was of value!
"The property is in England, and not until the war shall be ended, Ipresume, will it be possible for you to come into the inheritance. Iam leaving no near kindred. My little son died in Canada during myabsence; his name was Louis. Elizabeth Danesford's mother I knew whenshe was a girl and lived in London, and, for her sake, her daughter,had she lived, was to have had the half of what I'm leaving to you.The estate in England, which Louis would have inherited, reverts to adistant cousin.
"I do not know whether your father ever told of his acquaintance withme, nor what his feelings toward me may have been. Surely, there wasample cause why they should have been unpleasant, but I like to thinkthey were kindly. He loved me despite the sore distress I so oftencaused him, but when I struck him down, thinking him an enemy, andfled, believing myself a murderer, he must ever after have thought Ideserted him. I hope he knows better now.
"After that horrible experience I joined the army in Canada and a yearlater was married. Louis was born and, after six years of suchhappiness as one who believes himself a criminal may enjoy, my wifedied and Louis went to live with her parents near Lachine. One day Imet a man who recognized me and, fearing exposure, I fled to New York,later to Philadelphia and then to Virginia at the outbreak ofDunmore's war. After that I returned to Canada only to learn thatLouis had died. It seemed as if a fatality pursued all I loved. I wentto England, determined to give myself up to justice, but was astoundedto learn that there was no evidence that a crime had been committed. Iwas told your father did not die but was put aboard ship for theColonies. Believing that England, however much in fault as toadministration, was right in fighting to retain her government overthis country, I again entered the army. The day on which I had theserious attack of heart trouble, and called for assistance and youcame, I saw that in your face which told me you must be near of kin toDavid Cameron. I wonder that I never had noted the resemblance. If youare like him, as I believe, you will not leave the world the poorerfor having lived in it, and at the end will not, as I, feel impelledto recall these lines which that wretch Wharton wrote:
"'Be kind to my remains, and oh! defend, Against your judgment, your departed friend.'
"RICHARD W. RALSTON."
"Dick Ralston! And but for him I would not have had David. The ways ofProvidence are past finding out, Rodney."
"Nor would we have had a home but for him, mother."
"True, I forgot that. He had a kind heart and I remember what anattractive gentleman I thought him, the day he came here. Think whathe might have been!"
The day on which the remains of Ralston were laid at rest, Rodney, onreturning home, found Mam in a state of agitation. She beckoned himinto the house and hoarsely whispered: "Dar's a dirty Injun in deshed. I wouldn' 'low him ter set foot in dis yar house, I wouldn',not ef he'd scalped me on de spot. He grunt, an' squat, an' 'lowed hedone wouldn' stir less he seed you."
"I'll bet I know him," saying which, Rodney ran out and, as hesuspected, found Conrad stolidly waiting for him.
"Where's little Louis, Conrad?"
"He vould stay mit der priest at Detroit. He say he a medicine man behimself."
As Rodney wrote the letter Conrad was to take back through thehundreds of miles of forest to the son of Richard Ralston, he thoughtwhat a pity the boy's father died without seeing him. The sonshould know, however, that he was loved and that his father had been abrave man and that, if he but chose to return to England, he mightcome into his inheritance. What would he choose, the life of themissionary with all its dangers and sacrifices, or that of a countrygentleman,--rather what would his advisers choose for him?
Weeks lengthened into months and months into years, slowly so far asconcerned the progress of the war, but swiftly with regard to thegrowth of the country. Notwithstanding Continental money was becomingalmost worthless, bountiful crops were raised and the greater part ofthe population were engaged in work.
The surrender of Burgoyne had proved the success necessary to enablethat wise old man, Benjamin Franklin, to secure recognition of theUnited States by France. A French fleet hovered along the coast andannoyed the British without accomplishing anything decisive. TheAmerican people seemed less inclined to make great effort, relying onFrench aid to secure independence for them. Corruption,--depriving thearmy of supplies and money,--the weakness of Congress,--unable to domore than suggest and leave to the several states to respond or not asthey chose,--all s
erved to delay the war. But for Washington, patientand wise, standing as a tower of strength about which the patrioticpeople might rally, the end of it all might well have been in doubt.The people of the country, however, did not doubt. The great majorityof them believed their cause invincible.
Washington's army had chased Clinton's British troops from Philadelphiaback to New York, and would have inflicted serious punishment upon thembut for the treachery of General Charles Lee. As it was, Washington sawthe hand of Providence in the fact that, after two years, his and theBritish army were back in their old positions with the British lessconfident and powerful. General Howe on returning to England hadremarked: "Things go ill and will not go better."
The Wyoming massacre, perpetrated by Indians and Tories, sent a thrillof horror over the land, and the man who had been thinking the warwould be ended without further assistance from him burned to fight thefoe. The successes of Clark in capturing British posts west of theAlleghanies, and so laying the foundation of our claim to that vastterritory, increased Rodney's restlessness.
"Zeb," he said to his friend on hearing the report, "I'm beginning tolong to go West again."
"You ought to know what is thought of a man as fools with fire afterhavin' his fingers burned once."
"I can't help it. I know that is a wonderful country. Great work willbe done there in the next few years and I want a share in it."
"I reckon I'd wait till the war is over an' the redskins are tamed."
"Well, I suppose I'll have to. But it'll be either the West or the warfor me before long."
Zeb looked shrewdly at his friend, wondering why he was so restless,for he had prospered. "It's nigh two years since we licked Burgoynean' they don't make much headway. Reckon we'll hev to go back an' show'em how we used to do it. But, if we ain't needed, it will be too badto leave things here just as we've got 'em into shape."
"You ought never to go to the front again, Zeb. You've done your shareand, with your wound and your rheumatism, you couldn't last long incamp. You stay at home and take charge of matters and let me go. Iheard yesterday that the British are having things their own way downin South Carolina, murdering and pillaging. Cornwallis evidentlyintends to frighten the people into submission and then invadeVirginia."
"He hasn't licked 'em to a standstill yet awhile. Thar's Sumter an'Marion left, an' the boys o' the mountains,--oh! but he'll havetrouble."
"I hear the Tories down there are helping the British much more thanthe Tories in any other part of the country have been able to do."
"Unless they do they won't help much. They were goin' ter helpBurgoyne an' didn't amount to a pinch o' snuff. All they can do in theway o' fightin' is killing women an' children an' then scalpin' 'em.Anyhow, if ye can't keep contented at home any longer I'll try to lookafter matters here while you are away. But why not get advice fromyour friend at Monticello? 'Pears to me you have done your share ofthe fightin'."
"I don't like to bother him with my petty affairs, with his manyimportant duties. Being governor of Virginia is enough for one man,let alone all he's doing for national affairs and for education. Iwouldn't be surprised if he did something to abolish slavery; fatherbelieved he would. You know Mr. Jefferson says he trembles for thefuture when he thinks that God is just."
"We'll never live to see it, Rodney."
Rodney inherited his father's hatred of slavery, and his kindlyfeelings toward all men, but the following morning, when he went tothe stable and found that Nat, together with saddle and bridle, hadbeen stolen in the night, and thought of what Mogridge had askedAngus--well, it was fortunate for both that young Allison and Mogridgedid not meet that morning.