Eveline Mandeville

nd themselves in the immediate presence of their victim, they having

ow off their usual habiliments and character, and to assume the dress and address of gentlemen, Hadley did not recognize them, though the

they had better go out and see after their horses; but it was more for the purpose of consulting about the affair they had in hand than

treed the gam

if we have, for we can't keep him treed,

re he is, and th

ut little. What ca

im and select our place for

t? We can't tell whi

ind out,

ow

sking

icions. Yes, a pretty

w all we want to know by morning, you may call Bill Mitch

a fool of yourself, nor spoil th

speak, throw off your rough manners and talk and act like a gentleman. I am afraid you w

what he's about, and you'll see how hands

y we

which, by the way, was a very primitive establishment, not only

and incidentally, but designedly, remarked that they (himse

m well acquainted in C--. D

own a horse had been stolen the night previous, whic

beyond

six miles, I

n any of the

ty much all of

y be that it was some of my friends from whom the horse

I think; yes,

m well. Has he any ide

hat had been in the neighborhood, but disappeared the sam

as if thinking aloud. "It must have been the stran

ut I do not know whether I can call it to mind or not. Let

l do you mean?-Are you going to excite his suspicions and send him back home to clear himself f

inity where Mandeville lived, but he could remember no one. All at once the thought struck him that he himself might be the person accused, and the bare idea that such might be t

heard wasn't H

ntioned, but they said he had started fo

dley drew a sigh of relief, and as he did so

he name wa

ll; "that's the name

ve thought him capa

he people sa

ess of Mandeville's daughter, at th

sely as his nei

e is not. There are others I would suspect a th

ut, to change the subject, may I be so bold

I am on my way

as ourselves; perhaps you are; we are bound

by way of

tsburgh? We may have to g

brother's house in Philadelphia, and I

e, we shall have

ould be pleased to have compa

d all of them being fatigued with hard riding throughout the day, the three soon r

up about the r

-- me, if I didn't think you'd

all the time; but I

t's to be

while he is crossing the mountains, as Lieutena

ink; shan't we make Duffel side with us in the

rough with this job as soon as possible. We must

e d--l, then; for the meeti

s next Friday night, and we mus

with

if he don't let us have our own way in the matter, we will raise

ll d

hall

s settled, let'

hard day's ride be

ummit of the mountains, descended to a deep, dark valley, shaded and environed by a dense growth of pine and other wood, on t

is the

after he is dead?"

accused me of attempting to rob him, and resenting the accusation brought on th

ses' feet, as I'm alive. He's coming; we

and hid away among the bushes, while the two murderers took their stand

made their appearance, and took their stations exactly as the

this mean?" inquir

others have an eye on the g

ening them away. Then we can take the body to the next tavern, and tell how we came upon the robbers and murderers,

ken, as they supposed, the two who had arrived last busied themselves in making ready for some damnable wo

Dick, for it was these that had arrived la

saw him, I don't think he was t

now. Be sure

e that advi

don't want any bot

en have got ah

of us, and they will ride like Satan wa

r's Ha

istol close to his h

ht; do t

ealed villains were eq

ll be taken up that way now: let us mount, and

not use pistols," s

s they strike or

e abreast of the villains wh

an. The murderers were about to rifle his pockets, when they were arrested in their work of robbery by the approach of the other two horsemen, and seeing their danger, hastened to m

they exclaimed in a breath, as t

tance of yesterday! Poor fell

ndness by seeing that he is decently

n it was him he should n

back or forwa

nearest that w

e breat

is qui

e it along in silence toward the nearest

on the breast; the other had penetrated the chest, but not in a fatal direction. The fall from his horse had stunned Hadley; there was also a mark on the side of his head, indicating that the horse had struck him with his foot, adding materially to the effect of the fall. After his wounds were properly dressed, he was assisted into his saddle, and, supported by his benefactors, was enabled to ride to the next village, where he received every attention, and was so far recovered in a week as to proceed on his journey. His escape was almost miraculous, and seemed a direct interposition of Providence. On the previous day he had assisted the two men out of

ven if the ruffians had left life in him, ere the lapse of three hours he would have been devoured by wild beasts, a pack of which, h

without the slightest clue to their wh

his supposed companions, to know of his absence until he had been gone long enough to reach his destination, for he believed Duffel was bad enough at heart to stop short of no wickedness to carry his ends, and felt fearful he migh

dge of Hadley's movements. Mandeville did not know anything about the matter until some tim

me tangible evidence to prove Hadley guilty. This exactly suited Duffel's purpose, as i

the magistrate in this second instance, those words would have been spoken, to his enlightenment, and the grea