"
"I love him," muttered Sorden, admiringly, "as I never loved A male,"
and collected his party.
"Whitecar, you and your brother hold the back door with your staves. If
it is forced, Miles Tindel--"
"Tackle 'em, Cap'n Van!"
"Will throw his red-pepper dust into the eyes of any that come out."
"Oh, tackle 'em, Cap'n Van!"
"Derrick Molleston!"
"See me, O see me!" the powerful negro muttered.
"Take Herron and Vincent, and two more, and guard the kitchen and the
front of the main dwelling. Knock any creature stiff, except--_ayme!
ay!_--the young damsels, whose fears will soon trip them to the ground."
"See me, see me!" the negro hoarsely said.
"As we enter the door, I shall cry, 'Patty Cannon has come!' Then spring
in the windows and beat opposition down. _Relampaguea!_ Ransom is slow."
The knocker on the great door sounded, and it sprang open and quickly
slammed again, and a stifled, strange sound followed, as of a scuffle.
Van Dorn, agile as a panther, sprang on Milman's back and looked into a
window in the gable, drawing his face away, so as to be unseen in the
night.
The bright interior was full of people, sitting back against the
wainscoting, as if listening to a sermon, while down the middle of the
stately hall stretched a table lighted by whale-oil lamps and many
little candles, and filled with the remnants of a feast. The stairway in
the corner Van Dorn could not see, and there the dusky audience was all
facing, as if towards the preacher.
Pages:
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512