The Maroon Part 92

"After all," thought Cubina, "he may still be in the Duppy's Hole. The canoe may have been used by some one else--some confederate. Chakra might have seen his pursuers crossing the lagoon, or heard them advancing through the thicket, and, taking his captive along with him, may have hastily retreated into some dark recess among the trees."

His sudden abandonment of the hovel rendered this view of the case the more probable.

Quick as came the thought, Cubina once more rushed out of the hut, and summoning his men around him, directed them to procure torches and search every corner of the wood. Quaco was despatched back to the canoe, with orders to stay by it, and prevent any chance of escape in that direction.

While the Maroons proceeded to procure the torchwood, their chief, accompanied by Herbert, commenced quartering the open ground in search of any trace which Chakra might have left. By the edge of the water, where the trees stood thinly, the moon afforded ample light to favour the investigation.

On advancing towards the cascade, an object came under the eyes of Cubina that caused him to utter a quick e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n. It was something white that lay by the side of the cauldron into which the stream was precipitated. Within the pool itself were broad flakes of white foam floating upon the water; but this was not in the water, but above it, on one of the boulders; and all the more conspicuous from the black colour of the rock.

Herbert had seen the white object at the same instant of time, and both simultaneously ran forward to examine it.

A scarf!

It bore evidence of ill-usage. It was tossed and torn, as if it had fallen from someone who had been struggling!

Neither could identify the scarf, but neither doubted to whom it had belonged. Its quality declared it to have been the property of a lady.

Who else could have owned it but she for whom they were in search?

Cubina appeared to pay less attention to the scarf than to the place in which it lay. It was close up to the cliff, on the very edge of the pool into which the stream was projected.

Behind this pool, and under the curved sheets of the falling water, a sort of ledge ran across, by which one could pa.s.s under the cascade.

Cubina knew this: for, while on his hunting excursions, he had gone under it. He knew, moreover, that, half way across, there was a large cave or grotto in the cliff, several feet above the water in the pool.

As the scarf was found lying upon the ledge that conducted to this grotto, the circ.u.mstance caused the Maroon to remember it, at the same time that it guided him to the conjecture that Chakra might be there.

Alarmed by their approach, there was nothing more likely than for the Coromantee to have chosen the cave for his place of retreat--the last place where anyone, not aware of its existence, would have thought of looking for him.

These reflections cost Cubina scarce two seconds of time. Quick as the conjecture had shaped itself, he ran back to the hut; and, seizing a torch, which one of his men had prepared, he hurried back towards the cascade.

Then, signing to Herbert, and one or two others to follow him, he glided under the canopy of falling waters.

He proceeded not rashly, but with due caution. There might be others within the cave besides Chakra! His robber confederates might be there; and these the Maroon knew to be desperate characters--men of forfeit lives, who would die before suffering themselves to be captured.

With his drawn _machete_ in one hand, and the torch in the other, Cubina advanced silently and stealthily towards the entrance of the grotto.

Herbert was close behind, grasping his double-barrelled gun, in readiness to fire, in case resistance should be offered from within.

Holding the torch in advance of him, Cubina entered first, though Herbert, anxious and eager, was close upon his heels.

The glare of the torch was reflected back from a thousand sparkling stalact.i.tes, and for a while the sight of both was bewildered.

Soon, however, their eyes became accustomed to the dazzling coruscation; and then a white object, lying along the floor of the cave, seen by both at the same instant, caused them to utter a simultaneous cry--as they did so, turning to each other with looks of the most painful despair.

Between two large ma.s.ses of stalagmite was the body of a woman, robed in white. It was lying upon its back, stretched out to its full length-- motionless; apparently dead!

They needed not to pa.s.s the torch over that pale face to identify it.

It was not necessary to scrutinise those wan, silent features. On first beholding the prostrate form, too easily had Herbert rushed to the sad conclusion--that it was the corpse of his cousin!

Volume Three, Chapter x.x.xVIII.

THE SLEEP-SPELL.

During all this time where was Chakra?

As soon as he had seen the mansion of Mount Welcome fairly given to the flames, the Coromantee, bearing its young mistress in his arms, hurried away from the spot. Outside the garden wicket he made stop: only for a moment, which was spent in a hasty consultation with the chief of the black bandits.

In the brief dialogue which there took place between them, Adam was enjoined to carry the whole of the booty to his mountain home, where Chakra promised in due time to join him. The Coromantee had no intention to resign his share of the spoils; but just then he was in no mood for making the division. He was at that moment under the influence of a pa.s.sion stronger than the love of plunder.

Adam was only too eager to accede to these terms; and the confederates parted company--the robber and his followers at once shouldering their booty, and setting out for their forest dwelling among the far mountains of Trelawney.

Like the tiger who has killed his prey--and, not daring to devour it on the spot, bears it to his jungle covert--so Chakra, half dragging, half carrying Kate Vaughan, proceeded up the mountain path in the direction of the Duppy's Hole.

Lifeless as the victim of the ferocious beast appeared the form of Lilly Quasheba, hanging supple and unconscious over the arm of the human monster--equally ferocious.

Her screams no longer fell upon the ear. Her terror had exhausted her strength. Syncope, resembling death, had succeeded.

It continued, happily for her, during the whole of the transit up the mountain. The wild forest path had no terrors for her: neither the descent into the dank solitudes of the Duppy's Hole. In the traverse over that dark lagoon, she was not frightened by the scream of the startled night bird, nor the threatening roar of the close cataract.

She knew no fear, from the moment she was earned away in the arms of a hideous monster, on a path lighted by the blaze of the roof under which she had been born and reared: she experienced no feeling of any kind, until she awoke to consciousness in a rude triangular hut, lit by a feeble lamp, whose glare fell upon a face hitherto well-known--the face of Chakra, the myal-man.

His mask had been removed. The Coromantee stood before her in all his deformity--of soul as of person.

Terror could go no further. It had already produced its ultimate effect. Under such circ.u.mstances reproach would have been idle; indignation would only have been answered by brutal scorn.

Though she might not clearly comprehend her situation, the young Creole did not think she was dreaming. No dream could be so horrid as that!

And yet it was difficult to believe that such a fearful scene could be real!

O G.o.d! it was real. Chakra stood before her--his harsh voice was ringing in her ears. Its tone was mocking and exultant.

She was upon the bamboo bedstead, where the myal-man had placed her.

She had lain there till, on her senses returning, she discovered who was her companion. Then had she started up--not to her feet, for the interposition of the Coromantee had hindered her from a.s.suming an erect position, but to an att.i.tude half reclining, half threatening escape.

In this att.i.tude was she held--partly through fear, partly by the hopelessness of any attempt to change it.

The Coromantee stood in front of her. His att.i.tude? Was it one of menace? No! Not a threat threw out he--neither by word nor gesture.

On the contrary, he was all softness, all suppliance--a wooer!

He was bending before her, repeating vows of love! Oh, heavens! more fearful than threats of vengeance!

It was a terrible tableau--this paraphrase of the Beast on his knees before Beauty.

The young girl was too terrified to make reply. She did not even listen to the disgusting speeches addressed to her. She was scarce more conscious than during the period of her syncope.

After a time, the Coromantee appeared to lose patience. His unnatural pa.s.sion chafed against restraint. He began to perceive the hopelessness of his horrid suit. It was in vain to indulge in that delirious dream of love--in the hope of its being reciprocated--a hope with which even satyrs are said to have been inspired. The repellent att.i.tude of her, the object of his demoniac adoration--the evident _degout_ too plainly expressed in her frightened features--showed Chakra how vain was his wooing.

With a sudden gesture he desisted, raising himself into an att.i.tude of determination that bespoke some dreadful design--who knows what?

A shrill whistle pealing from without prevented its accomplishment, or, at all events, stayed it for the time.

"'Tam de signal ob dat ole Jew!" muttered he, evidently annoyed by the interruption. "Wha he want dis time ob de night? 'Pose it somethin'

'bout dat ere loss book-keeper? Wa! a know nuffin 'bout him. Dere 'tam 'gain, and fo' de tree time. Dat signify he am in a hurry. Wha's dat?

Foth time! Den da be some trouble, sa'tin. Muss go to him--_muss go_.