Out of a Labyrinth Read online

  CHAPTER X.

  TWO FAIR CHAMPIONS.

  "Look, all of ye," shouted Briggs. "So much fer his big words; them'sthe things he did the job with."

  "Look, all of ye," shouted Briggs. "So much fer his bigwords; them's the things he did the job with."--page 97.]

  The doctor stopped short at sight of these implements; stopped and stoodmotionless so long that his attitude might well have been mistaken forthat of unmasked guilt. But his face told another story; blank amazementwas all it expressed for a moment, then a gleam of comprehension; next asneer of intensest scorn, and last, strong but suppressed anger. Hestrode in among the men gathered about Tom Briggs.

  "Where did you get those tools, fellow?" he demanded, sternly.

  "From the place where ye hid 'em, I reckon," retorted Briggs.

  "Answer me, sir," thundered the doctor. "_Where_ were they?"

  "Oh, ye needn't try any airs on me; ye know well enough where we got'em."

  Dr. Bethel's hand shot out swiftly, and straight from the shoulder, andBriggs went down like a log.

  "Now, sir," turning to the man nearest Briggs, "where were these thingshidden?"

  It chanced that this next man was Carnes, who answered quickly, and withwell feigned self-concern.

  "In the sthable, yer honor, foreninst the windy, behind the shay."

  I heard a suppressed laugh behind me, and looking over my shoulder sawCharlie Harris.

  "Things are getting interesting," he said, coming up beside me. "Willthere be a scrimmage, think you?"

  I made him no answer, my attention being fixed upon Bethel, who wasentering the stable and dragging Carnes with him. When he hadascertained the exact spot where the tools were found, he came out andturned upon the raiders.

  "Go on with your farce," he said, with a sarcastic curl of the lip. "Iam curious to see what you will find next."

  Then turning upon Briggs, who had scrambled to his feet, and whocaressed a very red and swollen eye, while he began a tirade of abuse--

  "Fellow, hold your tongue, if you don't want a worse hit. If you'll walkinto my house I'll give you a plaster for that eye--after I have caredfor your better."

  And he turned toward his horse, whistling a musical call. Thewell-trained animal came straight to its master and was led by him intoits accustomed place.

  And now the search became more active. Those who at first had been heldin check by the doctor's manner were once more spurred to action by thesight of those earth-stained tools, and the general verdict was that"Bethel was bluffing, sure." When he emerged again from the stable, theywere scattering about the garden, looking in impossible places ofconcealment, under everything, over everything, into everything.

  Briggs, who seemed not at all inclined to accept the doctor's profferedsurgical aid, still grasping in his hand the pick, and followed byCarnes, to whom he had resigned the spade, went prowling about thegarden.

  Bethel, who appeared to have sufficient mental employment of some sort,passed our group with a smile and the remark:

  "I can't ask you in, gentlemen, until I have set my house in order.Those vandals have made it a place of confusion."

  He entered the house through a rear door, which had been thrown open bythe invaders, and a moment later, as I passed by a side window, Iglanced in and saw him, not engaged in "setting his house in order," butsitting in a low, broad-backed chair, his elbows resting on his knees,his hands loosely clasped, his head bent forward, his eyes "fixed onvacancy," the whole attitude that of profound meditation.

  The finding of the tools, the manner of Bethel, both puzzled me. I wentover to Jim Long, who had seated himself on the well platform, andasked:

  "How is this going to terminate, Jim?"

  "Umph!" responded Jim, somewhat gruffly. "'Twon't be long a comin' to afocus."

  And he spoke truly. In a few moments we heard a shout from the rear ofthe garden. Tom Briggs and his party had found a spot where the soil hadbeen newly turned. In another moment a dozen hands were diggingfiercely.

  Just then, and unnoticed by the exploring ones, a new element ofexcitement came upon the scene.

  Mr. Beale, the father of the missing child, accompanied by two or threefriends, came in from the street. They paused a moment, in seemingirresolution, then the father, seeing the work going on in the garden,uttered a sharp exclamation, and started hastily toward the spot, where,at that moment, half a dozen men were bending over the small excavationthey had made, and twice as many more were crowding close about them.

  "They have found something," said Harris, the elder, and he hastilyfollowed Mr. Beale, leaving his son and myself standing together nearthe rear door of the house, and Jim still sitting aloof, the only onesnow, save Dr. Bethel, who were not grouping closer and closer about thediggers, in eager anxiety to see what had been unearthed.

  In another moment, there came a tumult of exclamations, imprecations,oaths; and above all the rest, a cry of mingled anguish and rage fromthe lips of the bereaved and tortured father.

  The crowd about the spot fell back, and the diggers arose, one of themholding something up to the view of the rest. Instinctively, youngHarris and myself started toward them.

  But Jim Long still sat stolidly smoking beside the well.

  As we moved forward, I heard a sound from the house, and looked back.Dr. Bethel had flung wide open the shutters of a rear window, and waslooking out upon the scene.

  Approaching the group, we saw what had caused the father's cry, and thegrowing excitement of the searchers. They had found a tiny pair ofshoes, and a little white dress; the shoes and dress in which littleEffie Beale had been buried.

  And now the wildest excitement prevailed. Maddened with grief, rage, andsickening horror, the father called upon them to find the body, and toaid him in wreaking vengeance upon the man who had desecrated hisdarling's grave.

  It was as fire to flax. Those who have witnessed the workings of a mob,know how swiftly, mysteriously, unreasonably, it kindles under certaininfluences.

  How many men, with different, often opposing interests, make the causeof one their common cause, and forgetting personality, become a unit forvengeance, a single, dreadful, unreasoning force!

  The air resounded with threats, imprecations, exclamations, oaths.

  Some of the better class of Traftonites had followed after the firstparty, joining them by threes and fours. These made some effort toobtain a hearing for themselves and Mr. Harris, but it was futile.

  "Hang the rascally doctor!"

  "String him up!"

  "Run him out of town!"

  "Hanging's too good!"

  "Let's tar and feather him!"

  "Bring him out; bring him out!"

  "Give us a hold of him!"

  "We ain't found the body yet," cried one of the most earnest searchers."Let's keep looking."

  As some of the party turned toward the house I looked back to the openwindow.

  Dr. Bethel still stood in full view, but Jim Long had disappeared fromthe pump platform.

  The search now became fierce and eager, and while some started to goonce again through the house and cellar, a number of Briggs' croniesbegan a furious onslaught upon a stack of hay, piled against the stable.

  But those who approached the house met with an unlooked-for obstacle totheir search,--the rear door was closed and barred against them. Failingin this quarter they hastened around to the front.

  Here the door was open, just as they had left it, swinging on onebroken hinge; but the doctor's tall form and stalwart shoulders barredthe way.

  "Gentlemen," he said, in low, resolute tones, "you can not enter myhouse, at least at present. You have done sufficient damage to myproperty already."

  The men halted for a moment, and then the foremost of them began tomount the steps.

  "Stand back," said Bethel. "I shall protect my property. I will allow myhouse to be inspected again by a committee, if you like, but I will_not_ admit a mob."

  "You'd better not try to s
top us," said the leader of the party, "we aretoo many for ye." And he mounted the upper step.

  "Stand down, sir," again said Bethel. "Did I not say I should protect myproperty?" and he suddenly presented in the face of the astonishedsearcher a brace of silver-mounted pistols.

  The foremost men drew hastily back, but they rallied again, and one ofthem yelled out:

  "Ye'd better not tackle _us_ single-handed; an' ye won't get anyone toback ye _now_!"

  "Jest allow me ter argy that pint with ye," said Jim Long, as hesuddenly appeared in the doorway beside Bethel. "I reckon _I'm_somebody."

  Jim held in his hand a handsome rifle, the doctor's property, and he ranhis eye critically along the barrel as he spoke.

  "Here's five of us, an' we all say _ye can't come in_. Three of us can_repeat_ the remark if it 'pears necessary."

  Then turning his eye upon the last speaker of the party, he said,affably:

  "I ain't much with the little shooters, Simmons; but I can jest make arifle howl. Never saw me shoot, did ye? Now, jest stand still till Ishoot that grasshopper off ye'r hat brim."

  Simmons, who stood in the midst of the group, and was taller than thoseabout him by half a head, began a rapid retrograde movement, and, as Jimslowly raised his rifle to his shoulder, the group about the door-stepsmelted away, leaving him in possession of the out-posts.

  "That," said Jim, with a grin, as he lowered his rifle, "illyusteratesthe sooperiority of mind over matter. Doctor, did ye know the darnedthing wasn't loaded?"

  While Bethel still smiled at this bit of broad comedy, a sharp cry, andthen a sudden unnatural stillness, told of some new occurrence, andfollowed by Jim we went back to the rear window and looked out.

  They were crowding close about something, as yet half hidden in thescattered hay; all silent, and, seemingly, awe-stricken. Thus for amoment only, then a low murmur ran through the crowd, growing andswelling into a yell of rage and fury.

  Hidden in the doctor's hay they had found the body of Effie Beale!

  It was still encoffined, but the little casket had been forced open,and it was evident, from the position of the body, that the buriedclothing had been hurriedly torn from it.

  It would be difficult to describe the scene which followed this lastdiscovery. While the father, and his more thoughtful friends, tookinstant possession of the little coffin, the wrath of the raiders grewhotter and higher; every voice and every hand was raised against Dr.Bethel.

  Tom Briggs, with his blackened eye, was fiercely active, and his two orthree allies clamored loudly for vengeance upon "the cursedresurrectionist."

  "Let's give him a lesson," yelled a burly fellow, who, having neitherwife, child, nor relative in Trafton was, according to a peculiar lawgoverning the average human nature, the loudest to clamor for summaryvengeance. "Let's set an example, an' teach grave robbers what to lookfor when they come to Trafton!"

  "If we don't settle with him nobody will," chimed in another fellow, whodoubtless had good reason for doubting the ability of Trafton justice todeal with law-breakers.

  Those who said little were none the less eager to demonstrate theirability to deal with offenders when the opportunity afforded itself.Over and again, in various ways, Trafton had been helplessly victimized,and now, that at last they had traced an outrage to its source, Traftonseized the opportunity to vindicate herself.

  A few of the fiercest favored extreme measures, but the majority of themob seemed united in their choice of feathers and tar, as a means ofvengeance.

  Seeing how the matter would terminate, I turned to Harris, the younger,who had kept his position near me.

  "Ask your father to follow us," I said, "and come with me. They areabout to attack the doctor."

  We went quietly around and entered the house from the front. The doctorand Jim were still at the open window, and in full view of the mob.

  Bethel turned toward us a countenance locked in impenetrableself-possession.

  "They mean business," he said, nodding his head toward the garden. "Poorfools."

  Then he took his pistols from a chair by the window, putting one in eachpocket of his loose sack coat.

  "Gentlemen," he said, addressing us, "pray don't bring upon yourselvesthe enmity of these people by attempting to defend me. I assure you I amin no danger, and can deal with them single-handed. Out of regard forwhat they have left of my furniture, I will meet them, outside."

  And he put one hand upon the window sill and leaped lightly out,followed instantly by young Harris.

  "Here's the inconvenience of being in charge of the artillery," growledJim Long, discontentedly. "I'll stay in the fort till the enemy opensfire," and he drew the aforementioned rifle closer to him, as hesquatted upon the window ledge.

  The clergyman and myself, without consultation or comment, made our exitas we came, by the open front door, and arrived upon the scene just asBethel, with his two hands in his coat pockets, halted midway betweenthe house and rear garden to meet the mob that swarmed toward him,yelling, hooting, hissing.

  If the doctor had hoped to say anything in his own defense, or even tomake himself heard, he was speedily convinced of the futility of such anundertaking. His voice was drowned by their clamor, and as many eagerhands were outstretched to seize him in their hard, unfriendly grasp,the doctor lost faith in moral suasion and drew back a step, while hesuddenly presented, for their consideration, a brace of five-shooters.

  The foremost men recoiled for a moment, and Mr. Harris seized theopportunity. Advancing until he stood almost before Dr. Bethel, he begana conciliatory speech, after the most approved manner.

  But it came to an abrupt ending, the men rallied almost instantly, and,drowning the clergyman's voice under a chorus of denunciations andoaths, they once more pressed forward.

  "Stand down, parson," cried Jim Long, now leaping from the window, riflein hand, and coming to the rescue. "Your medicine ain't the kind they'rehankerin' after."

  "Stand down, parson," cried Jim Long, rifle in hand,"Your medicine ain't the kind they're hankerin' after."--page 107.]

  "You fall back, Tom Briggs," called Charlie Harris, peremptorily, "wewant fair play here," and he drew a pistol from his pocket and took hisstand beside Bethel.

  At the same moment I drew my own weapons and fell into line.

  "Gentlemen," I said, "let's give Dr. Bethel a hearing."

  And now occurred what we had hardly anticipated. While some of theforemost of the raiders drew back, others advanced, and we saw thatthese comers to the front were armed like ourselves.

  While we stood thus, for a moment, there was a breathless silence andthen Jim Long's deep voice made itself heard.

  "Some of you fellers are giving yourselves away," he said, with a sneer."Now, jest look a here; ye mean bluff, we mean business. An' you chapsas has been supplied with shooters by Tom Briggs and Simmons andSaunders hed better drop the things an' quit."

  A moment's silence, then a babel of voices, a clamor and rush.

  There was the loud crack of a pistol, accompanied by a fierce oath,--acry of "stop," uttered in a clear female voice,--then another moment ofbreathless silence.

  Two women were standing in our midst, directly between the doctor andhis assailants, and Carnes still grasped the pistol hand of Tom Briggs,while the smoke of the averted charge yet hovered above their heads.

  One of the two ladies, who had so suddenly come to the rescue, wasMiss Adele Manvers. The other a tall, lithe, beautiful blonde, I hadnever before seen.

  "Friends, neighbors," said this fair stranger, in clear, sweet, butimperious tones, "you have made a terrible mistake. Dr. Bethel was with_my father_ from sunset last night until one hour ago. They weretogether every moment, at the bedside of Mr. James Kelsey, on theWilloughby road."

  Evidently this fair young lady was an authority not to be questioned.The crowd fell back in manifest consternation, even Tom Briggs' tonguewas silent.

  Miss Manvers stood for a moment casting glances of open contempt uponthe cr
owd. Then, as the doctor's fair champion ceased speaking and,seeing that her words had been effective, drew nearer to Mr. Harris,flushing and paling as if suddenly abashed by her own daring, thebrilliant owner of the treasure-ship riches turned to Dr. Bethel.

  "Doctor, you are _our_ prisoner," she said, smiling up at him. "Dr.Barnard is half frantic since hearing of this affair, and hecommissioned us to bring you to him at once."

  Miss Manvers had not as yet noted my presence among the doctor'shandful of allies. Wishing to give my eyes and ears full play, I drewback, and, using Jim Long as a screen, kept near the group about thedoctor; but out of view. I had noted the sudden flash of his eyes, andthe lighting up of his face, when the fair unknown came among us. Andnow I saw him clasp her hand between his two firm palms and look downinto her face, for just a moment, as I could have sworn he had neverlooked at any other woman.

  I saw her eyes meet his for an instant, then she seemed to havewithdrawn into herself, and the fearless champion was merged in themodest but self-possessed woman.

  I saw the haughty Adele Manvers moving about among the raiders,bestowing a word here and there, and I saw Mr. Harris now making gooduse of the opportunity these two fair women had made. I noted that TomBriggs and his loud-voiced associates were among the first to slinkaway.

  Dr. Bethel was reluctant to quit the field, but the advice of Mr.Harris, the earnest entreaty of Miss Manvers, and, more than all therest, the one pleading look from the eyes of the lovely unknown,prevailed.

  "Long," he said, turning to Jim, "here are my keys; will you act as mysteward until--my place is restored to quiet?"

  Jim nodded comprehensively.

  "I'll clear the premises," he said, grimly. "Don't ye have anyuneasiness; I'll camp right down here."

  "Bethel," said Charlie Harris, "for the sake of the ladies, you hadbetter go at once; those fellows in the rear there are trying to rallytheir forces."

  "Since my going will be a relief to my friends, I consent to retreat,"said the besieged doctor, smiling down at the two ladies.

  They had driven thither in a dashing little pony phaeton, owned by MissManvers; and as they moved toward it the heiress said:

  "Doctor, you must drive Miss Barnard home; I intend to walk, and enjoythe society of Mr. Harris."

  Dr. Bethel and the blonde lady entered the little carriage, and, after afew words addressed to Harris and Miss Manvers, drove away.

  The heiress looked about the grounds for a moment, addressed a fewgracious words to Harris, the elder, smiled at Jim Long, and then movedaway, escorted by the delighted younger Harris.

  "Wimmen air--wimmen," said Jim Long, sententiously, leaning upon therifle, which he still retained, and looking up the road after thereceding plumes of Miss Manvers' Gainsborough hat. "You can't never tellwhere they're goin' ter appear next. It makes a feller feel sort aornary, though, ter have a couple o' gals sail in an' do more businesswith a few slick words an' searchin' looks, then _he_ could do with afirst-class rifle ter back him. Makes him feel as tho' his inflouencewas weakening."

  "Jim," I said, ignoring his whimsical complaint, "who was the fairhaired lady?"

  "Doctor Barnard's only darter, Miss Louise."

  "I never saw her before."

  "'Spose not; she's been away nigh onto two months, visitin' herfather's folks. Old Barnard must a had one of his bad turns thismorning, so's he couldn't git out, or he'd never a sent his gal intosuch a crowd on such an errand. Hullo, what's that Mick o' your'ndoin'?"

  Glancing in the direction indicated by Jim, I saw that Carnes wasengaged in a fisticuff bout with Tom Briggs, and hastened to interpose;not through solicitude for Carnes so much as because I wished to preventa serious rupture between the two.

  "Glancing in the direction indicated by Jim, I saw thatCarnes was engaged in a fisticuff bout with Tom Briggs, and hastened tointerpose;"--page 114.]

  "Barney," I said, severely, "you have been drinking too much, I am sure.Stop this ruffianism at once."

  "Is it ruffianism yer callin' it, ter defend yerself aginst themurtherin' shnake; and ain't it all bekase I hild up his fist fer fearthe blundherin' divil ud shoot yees by mishtake! Och, then, didn't Imake the illigant rhyme though?"

  "You have made yourself very offensive to me, sir, by the part you havetaken in this affair," I retorted, with additional sternness; "and solong as you remain in my service you will please to remember that Idesire you to avoid the society of loafers and brawlers."

  "Meanin' me, I suppose?" snarled Tom Briggs.

  "Meaning you in _this_ instance," I retorted, turning away from the two,with all the dignity I could muster for the occasion.

  "Bedad, he's got his blood up," muttered Carnes, ruefully, as Iwalked away. "Old Red Top, shake! Seein' as I'm to be afther howldin'myself above yees in future, I won't mind yer airs jist now, an' if iverI git twenty dollars ahead I'll discharge yon blood an' be me own bye."

  Satisfied that this bit of by-play had had the desired effect, and beingsure that Carnes would not leave the premises so long as there remainedanything or any one likely to prove interesting, I turned my stepstownward, musing as I went.

  I had made, or so I believed, three discoveries.

  Dr. Carl Bethel was the victim of a deep laid plot, of which this affairof the morning was but the beginning.

  Dr. Carl Bethel was in love with the fair Miss Barnard.

  And the brilliant owner of the treasure-ship jewels was in love with Dr.Carl Bethel.

  Whether Bethel was aware of the plot, or suspected his enemies; whetherhe was really what he seemed, or only playing a part like myself;whether to warn him and so risk bringing myself under suspicion, or tolet matters take their natural course and keep a sharp lookoutmeantime;--were questions which I asked myself again and again, failingto find a satisfactory answer.

  On one thing I decided, however. Bethel was a self-reliant man. He waskeen and courageous, quite capable of being more than he seemed. He wasnot a man to be satisfied with half truth. I must give him my fullestconfidence or not seek his.