The Frontiersmen Part 21

When Ralph reached the room where the inmates were a.s.sembled, much speculation was going on as to the probable contents of the letter; for its delivery to Ralph had been observed. It was evident that it must have been written by the attorney; and it was immediately opened, and the contents read aloud by Ralph. The letter ran thus:

"To Esquire Barton, or to whomsoever these presents shall come, Greeting:

"Sir--I am requested by that excellent but somewhat irascible chief, Panther, to address you a few lines--although I can scarcely say that they are written in a professional capacity. He has just advised me that he holds the Deputy Sheriff and myself in his hands, as a sort of equivalent for a certain Tuscarora Indian and his squaw, supposed and believed to be now at the cottage and he has even gone so far, though in a very civil manner, as to inform me, that without the said Indian and his squaw are delivered to him, he will be under the necessity of executing upon us some horrid species of capital punishment, for which I know no technical name; and for which, I think, none is to be found in the most approved authorities. He has requested me, as he himself is not skilled in clerical matters, to write this, and to say that he proposes a consultation, at which said matter shall be considered, and at which shall be present, besides myself and the said Deputy Sheriff, Rogers, two of each party, unarmed; the meeting to take place in the grove south of the cottage. This line is forwarded by the bearer, who is to precede us by half an hour.

"Your most humble servant, JOHN BAGSLEY."

P.S. Should Mr. Ichabod Jenkins be present at the cottage, I hope that he will consider himself under arrest, although a manual touching was not actually made upon his person, unfortunate circ.u.mstances preventing.

Should he decline to consider himself under arrest, I hope that he may be detained until our arrival, and the making of the proposed exchange."

Ralph could not restrain his laughter as he read this curious epistle.

The quiet confidence with which the attorney a.s.sumed that the exchange would at once be made, and the business-like appeal to Ichabod, were sufficiently provocative of a smile from all, except Ichabod, who did not seem to relish this public reminder of the unfortunate result of some of his previous speculations. But it was deemed advisable to consent to the meeting, as it was possible that some result might be arrived at, which would terminate the present difficulties.

Ralph therefore informed the Seneca that they would consent to treat with Panther on the terms proposed, at the time appointed; and the Indian at once departed to convey the answer.

"This attorney is a strange man," said Barton: "and he has probably involved himself and his companion in a difficulty from which they will not be able to escape."

"Who wants him to escape?" growled Ichabod. "A Seneca even, is a gentleman, compared with one of those sneaking attorneys; and yet, perhaps, it wouldn't be right not to try to save the creturs; seeing as how they're human flesh and blood; _but_ if we do save 'em, I suppose I must bid you good-bye, and start for the settlements."

"Don't be discouraged, Ichabod," said Ralph; "we shall probably find some means to relieve you, should you be actually arrested. But the first thing is, to get these unfortunate men from the hands of the Senecas. They would seem to insist, from the letter, that Eagle's-Wing and Singing-Bird should be delivered up to them. If no other terms than these are proposed, Bagsley and his companion will have to suffer the penalty of their temerity. They were well advised beforehand."

"Dey lose scalp: don't know enough to keep 'em," said Eagle's-Wing.

"What scalp good for, if they don't know 'nough to keep Injin from taking 'em?"

"It may be a small matter to you, Eagle's-Wing," said Barton, laughing, "but these prisoners would probably think their scalps of great importance to themselves. But if I am not mistaken, I see them approaching through the grove. I would suggest that Ralph and myself be selected for this meeting. You, Ichabod, and the Tuscarora, would be too likely to provoke an unfortunate termination of the matter, by the anger your presence would excite."

This selection was agreed to; and Ralph and Barton walked towards the grove, to the same place where the former consultation had been held. As they arrived at this spot, they saw approaching, at a few rods distance, Bagsley and the Deputy Sheriff, who were only bound by a strong thong pa.s.sed around the left arm of Bagsley and the right arm of Rogers; so that they were effectually coupled. As Rogers was much taller than the attorney, the confinement seemed to be equally irksome; for, while the attorney was compelled to walk in a much more than usually erect position, his companion was compelled to stoop enough to meet him half-way. It was a compromise that did not seem to have the effect of pleasing either, and gave rise to frequent altercations between them; the attorney insisting that Rogers did not stoop enough, and the bailiff swearing that Bagsley did not lift himself up enough, to divide equally the difficulty.

They were accompanied by our old acquaintances, Deersfoot and Snake-tongue, who marched beside them with a steady gravity, which no one but an Indian could have preserved. When they reached the small plot of green-sward, the Indians made brief but dignified salutations to Barton and Ralph, who returned them in as brief and dignified a manner.

But Bagsley made an effort to rush forward to grasp Barton by the hand, but he was withheld by the weight of his more saturnine companion.

"How often am I compelled to inform you, Mr. Rogers," said Bagsley with irritation, "that the line of conduct adopted by you is neither in accordance with courtesy nor good breeding? Could you not see that there is a propriety in accosting our friends with warmth, who are about to relieve us from an unpleasant situation? I declare, that under no circ.u.mstances, will I ever consent to be so closely united with you again. But excuse me, gentlemen. You will pardon any seeming disrespect, under the circ.u.mstances," casting a contemptuous glance over his left shoulder.

"There's no use in blowing up a fellow in this fashion," answered Rogers. "You hang down on me so, that it's no wonder I don't stir any more than I'm obliged to."

"Good day to you both," said Barton. "I am sorry to see you in such a situation; but you will give me the credit of having prophesied such a result to you."

"I must say, that the advise you gave us, was not far from correct,"

answered Bagsley; "but I relied upon the majesty of the law, and the sanct.i.ty of our persons, as its humble officers, as sufficient to protect us; and I am well convinced, that were our red friends to suffer me to instruct them in some of its elementary principles, they would see the error of their conduct, and discharge us with a proper acknowledgment in satisfaction of damages. But I am sorry to say, that they have thus far refused to listen to instruction relative to a system of jurisprudence, adorned by the writings of Bacon and c.o.ke, and illumined and embellished by the lives of Hale and Mansfeld, and ---- I really wish, Mr. Rogers, that you would suffer your person to become a little more pliable." This interruption was occasioned by Rogers having risen erect, in an attempt to ill.u.s.trate the dignity of the profession of which he was an officer; and the consequence was, that the attorney found himself lifted from his feet, and suspended in the air.

"I aren't to blame," said Rogers gruffly, "for your being so small. Lay that to them as it belongs to."

"After the notice which you have received, gentlemen," said Bagsley, now opening the business of the meeting, "it cannot be necessary for me to state the object of this consultation. You are aware that Mr. Rogers and myself have fallen into the power of our red friends, without legal warrant or authority on their part; by which act, they have undoubtedly become liable to us in damages. But they allege, that they are sovereign in themselves, and only amenable to their own laws; but as they are now in the county of Tryon, this position is anomalous, to say the least; it is an establishment of an _imperium in imperio,_ which cannot exist--as I could substantiate by the authority of the best legal writers. But, notwithstanding such points and arguments as I have presented, and--as Mr. Rogers will admit, with considerable force--they adhere to their first expressed opinion as a point _res adjudicata_, and refuse to release us, except upon terms. I have the more readily consented to those terms, as I am not called upon in any way to release our rights of action for damages."

"May I ask the precise nature of the terms you mention?" inquired Ralph.

"Of course, Captain Weston; that is a proper subject of inquiry The terms, in themselves, are easy, and I must say, much easier than could have been expected. They are, that we shall be released, on the delivery to them of a certain Indian and his squaw, who are somewhere hereabouts."

"I know the Indian to whom you allude," said Ralph. "The Senecas have already endeavored to obtain possession of him, after having grievously wronged him; and we have thus far defended him, at the risk of our lives."

"I know nothing about the original difficulty between this Indian and the Senecas," said Bagsley, "but whatever it may have been, I think the whole matter can now be amicably adjusted, and will be. You will deliver him and his squaw, and receive us in exchange: the Senecas will at once depart from this territory, and remove with them that anomaly in our laws of which I have spoken; while we, having completed the arrest of Mr. Jenkins, will depart also, and the territory will be quiet again."

The duty which devolved upon Barton and Ralph was becoming exceedingly unpleasant. It was hard to undeceive the unfortunate attorney, whose confidence in the exchange proposed was so strong. He evidently could not realize that any impediment could stand in the way; or that Ralph and Barton could hesitate for a moment in releasing them upon terms that seemed so easy.

"We have already intimated to you, Mr. Bagsley," said Ralph, with a seriousness that immediately attracted the attention of the attorney, "that the Tuscarora is our friend. He has rendered Mr. Barton and myself services for which we are deeply grateful to him."

"That, perhaps, complicates the matter, a little," answered Bagsley: "a debt of grat.i.tude, although not strictly a legal obligation and of a nature to be enforced in a court of law, (although it will frequently support an executed contract by way of consideration,) is, I must confess, exceedingly hard to be rid of; and perhaps one would not be justifiable in repudiating it upon light occasions; but the question here presents itself in this manner; a debt of grat.i.tude upon the one side, which, I have observed, is not actionable, and the lives of two gentlemen of the profession on the other. The preponderance of argument is so obvious, that I should be wasting time in calling your attention to it."

"There is an addition to the argument, upon what you deem the weaker side, that you have forgotten to mention--that is, the _lives_ of our friends, whom you ask us to surrender."

"That was not a matter unthought-of," said Bagsley, with complacency: "it was merely a point reserved. I cannot bring myself to believe that our red friends would carry matters to the extremity which they have threatened. It was probably only one of those pardonable subterfuges by which we endeavor, in the profession, to bring parties to terms--a matter merely held up _in terrorem_."

"I hope," said Ralph, who was determined to undeceive the attorney at once, "that it may be as you say; but neither Mr. Barton nor myself, however unpleasant to you or ourselves such a determination may be, can think, for a moment, of surrendering the Tuscarora into the hands of enemies who are thirsting for his blood."

This announcement, made in a firm tone, but with a look that indicated the sorrow with which it was made, struck the attorney with surprise and fear. A mortal pallor overspread his features.

"You do not mean, Captain Weston--you _cannot_ mean, Mr. Barton, that you will not release us?"

"Anything that we can do, except the surrender of any of our friends into the hands of the Senecas, we will cheerfully, gladly do. But that, you will yourself see--however unpleasant it may be to you, to acknowledge it--we cannot do."

"My G.o.d! my G.o.d!" exclaimed Bagsley, forgetting, in his fear, his professional character, "what shall we do?"

"I consider it rather hard fare," said Rogers, who being of a more saturnine temperament than the attorney, was not so susceptible to sudden emotions. "If two white men, and professional gentlemen to boot, arn't reckoned of any more consequence than a couple of wild Injins, what's the use of being white folks, I'd like to know?"

Deersfoot and Snake-tongue, who had thus far preserved a perfect silence, now advanced to take part in the conversation:

"My brothers know," said Deersfoot, "that they must give us Canendesha and his squaw, or these pale-faces must die. We have spoken, and so it must be."

"Deersfoot," said Barton, "I cannot believe that you will put them to death. You are now at peace with the Colonies. These men have done you no harm. Even if you have cause for anger with us, these men are innocent. It would be a murder, for which the Colonists would take ample revenge in burning your villages and destroying your people."

"They are pale-faces, and that is all we know. If one pale-face does us harm, we will hurt all the pale-faces we can. We have buried the hatchet with the Colonies, and we will not dig it up. We are not on a war-path; but if we are injured, we will do what hurt we can. I have spoken."

"If you do any harm to these men," said Ralph, "we will punish you, if we have to follow you to your own country. There are men at the settlements who will take up this quarrel."

"Let the pale-faces take care of themselves," said Snake-tongue. "They may boast less, by-and-by. _We_ do not boast, but we will do what we can. Our talk is finished. Let us go."

Deersfoot advanced towards the attorney, who remained as if stupified.

"Come!" said he, laying his hand upon him. The attorney shrieked with fear.

"For Heaven's sake, Captain Weston--Mr. Barton, do not let these Indians take us back again."

"We pity you, unfortunate men; but we cannot help you. We wish we could," exclaimed Barton.

At this moment, Ichabod and the Tuscarora were seen issuing from the door of the cottage, with their rifles in their hands. Their faces expressed a determination that was unmistakable but at the same instant, a body of Indians was seen approaching at the opposite extremity of the grove. The Indians had evidently foreseen this result of the consultation, and were now approaching on some mischievous errand.

Barton and Ralph immediately departed towards the cottage, into which Ichabod and the Tuscarora also retired, while the attorney and his companion departed in the opposite direction, under guard of the Senecas.