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Page 28
"Safe enough now for a while, my lads," said the corporal
exultingly, "and we can have, a little breathing time.
Who's got the means of striking a light, that we may see
where we are, and what we're about?"
"I have," answered Green, as taking a flint, steel, and
tinder from his pocket, he, with a couple of strokes,
ignited the latter, and approached the hearth, which the
faint light from the burning "punk" enabled him to reach.
The fire had long since gone out, but the crisp and
blackened embers, soon grew under the care of the soldier
into light sufficient to render objects in the apartment
gradually more and more distinguishable.
While this process was going on, the rest, leaning on
their muskets, were anxiously grouped around the spot
where Philips had fallen. At first, only the outline of
a man of large stature and proportions could be seen
lying in a cramped position, as if produced by some strong
convulsive agony, and then when the fire began to kindle
and crackle, the dress could be distinguished, and then
as the light grew brighter, the scalpless head, and then
the marked and distorted features of the murdered master
of the house, who lay in a pool of blood that slowly
trickled along the crevices of the floor. His hands were
firmly clenched upon the barrel of a rifle which had been
broken off at the stock, that now lay a few yards beyond,
while the features, sternly set in death, bore a mingled
expression of defiance and resolution. A cut, as from a
tomahawk had laid open his left temple, while on several
parts of his body could be seen thick encrustations of
blood that had exuded through the rent clothing, marking
the seat of several stabs and gunshot wounds. It was
evident that Mr. Heywood had not lost his life without
a desperate, struggle, for independently of the testimony
afforded by his broken rifle, which he seemed to have
used with fierce determination, the heavy table had been
overthrown, and the few articles of necessary furniture
in the room evidently displaced.
"What a tale, this, to carry back," gravely remarked
Weston. "I wouldn't take the corporal's stripes to-morrow,
and be the first man to tell Miss Heywood of it."
"Supposing we get back at all," said Cass. "Though we're
safe enough for the present, I've no notion these devils
will let us off go soon."
"There's no great danger now," interrupted the corporal.
"I defy them, if they're not stronger than we saw them
this morning, to get into the house, with six good
firelocks to defend it."
"But they may set fire to it, and burn us out," persevered
the apprehensive man with the hooked nose and the peaked
chin; "I've heard of those things before."
"Burn your granny out, Nutcrackers; look at them logs
well, and say if it would'nt take hell-fire itself to
burn 'em through in a month, but corporal, had'nt we
better divide the ammunition. We don't know, as Cass
says, what the imps are about, and what trouble they may
give us yet."
"Right, Green, there's nothing like being on the sure
side, and so, my lads look to the pouches. Weston, there's
a candle in that stone bottle on the shelf--light it,
and put it on the table as soon as you have got that on
its legs again."
The examination was soon made. Each small cartouch box,
expressly made for light excursions, contained, with the
exception of the single cartridge which Collins had fired,
the usual allowance of fifteen rounds. Two of these
however--those of Green and Philips--had been so saturated
by long immersion in the water, that they were wholly
unserviceable. They were therefore emptied and dried,
and the deficiency supplied from the pouches of their
comrades, thus leaving about a dozen charges to each man.
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