Mohun; Or, the Last Days of Lee and His Paladins Part 30

And grasping his arm almost violently:--

"That man is yonder!" she said, pointing with the other hand toward Warrenton, "Go and meet him, and kill him, and end all this at once!

Remember the banks of the Nottaway!--That sword thrust--that grave!

Remember, he hates you with a deadly hatred--has wounded you, laughed at you,--driven you back, when you met him, like a hound under the las.h.!.+ Remember me!--your oath! Break that oath and I will go and kill him myself!"

As she uttered these words a cannon shot thundered across the woods.

"Listen!" the woman exclaimed.

Darke rose suddenly to his feet.

"You are right!" he said, gloomily. "You keep me to the work. I do not hate him as you do--but he is an enemy, and I will kill him. Why do I yield to you, and obey you thus? What makes me love you, I wonder!"

Suddenly a second gun roared from beyond Buckland.

"We will talk of that afterward," said the woman, with flushed cheeks; "think of one thing only now--that _he_ is yonder."

"Good!" said Darke, "and I hope that in an hour one of us will be dead, I care not which--come, madam--but you must not expose yourself!"

"What am I!"

"All I have left!" he said.

And with a gloomy look he rushed from the house, followed by the gray woman.

XII.

THE BUCKLAND RACES.

In a moment the voice of Darke was heard, ordering "to horse!" a clatter of sabres followed; and the company of cavalry sat out at full gallop toward the firing.

At their head I saw Darke's burly figure. The woman, escorted by an orderly, rode toward the rear.

In a few minutes the company of cavalry had entered a belt of woods and disappeared.

We had hastened into the apartment--Tom and myself, and looked now toward the highway. It was dark with a long column of Federal cavalry which seemed to be in great agitation.

The column, as well as I could make out, numbered at least a division.

Neither the head nor the tail of the blue serpent was visible--only the main body, with its drawn sabres glittering like silver scales in the sun.

I hesitated not many seconds. Something was evidently going on, and our present whereabouts dangerous.

With a hasty salute to the young ladies who had hurried in, I made a sign to Tom, and ran to my horse.

My companion did not join me for at least five minutes. Impatience began to master me, when he appeared, laughing, and flouris.h.i.+ng a knot of red ribbon, which I had observed in Miss Katy's hair.

With a bound he was in the saddle--I saw him turn and make a gay salute toward the ladies on the steps, and then we set out at full speed across the fields to rejoin Stuart.

He was evidently engaged with the enemy. From the front came quick carbine shots and shouts. From the woods, on the left flank and in rear of the enemy, was heard the rapid thunder of cannon.

Suddenly every thing flashed upon me. I remembered Stuart's significant smile; the absence of Fitz Lee; a trap had evidently been laid, and General Kilpatrick had fallen into it.

I was not deceived. The gallant Fitz Lee had suggested the ruse. He was to move toward Auburn, while Stuart retreated upon Warrenton, pursued by Kilpatrick. Then Fitz Lee was to attack the enemy in flank and rear, from the direction of Auburn--his cannon would be the signal for Stuart to turn. General Kilpatrick, thus a.s.sailed in front, flank and rear, _sauve qui pent_ would, probably, be the order of the day with him.

Every thing turned out exactly as it had been arranged. Stuart retired steadily on Warrenton. When the Federal rear approached Buckland, Fitz Lee came in on their left flank, and then Stuart turned like a tiger, and bore down on the head of their column.

That gun we had heard was the signal of Fitz Lee's attack. Those carbine shots came from Stuart as his men charged.

We had set out at full speed to rejoin Stuart, as I have said; but he saved Tom and myself the trouble of riding very far. He came to meet us, at full gallop, with drawn sabre, driving the Federal troopers in disorder before him.

The affair that succeeded was one of the most animated of the war.

The enemy were completely dumbfoundered, but a part of Kilpatrick's force made a hard fight. Sabres clashed, carbines cracked, Fitz Lee's artillery roared--the fields and woods around Buckland were full of tumult and conflict.

In ten minutes we had caught up with Stuart. He was leading his column in person. At the head of the front regiment rode Mohun, with drawn sabre, and pressing his magnificent gray to headlong speed. In his eye was the splendid joy of combat; his cheeks glowed; his laughing lips revealed the white teeth under the black mustache. It was difficult to recognize in this gay cavalier, the pale, bitter and melancholy cynic of the previous June.

"Look, Surry!" exclaimed Mohun, "we are driving our friend Kilpatrick!

Stuart is down on him like a lion!"

"You are driving a personal friend of yours, besides!" I said. "Yonder he is--Colonel Darke!"

Mohun's smile disappeared suddenly. He looked at Darke, whose burly figure was seen at the head of the charging column; and that glance was troubled and doubtful.

"I am sorry to meet him," he said, in a low tone.

"Why?"

"He would not strike me yonder, in Pennsylvania, when I was in his power."

"But he has sworn to kill you to-day!" I exclaimed. "I have just heard him swear that! Look out, Mohun! here they are!"

In an instant the two columns had clashed together, like thunder. What followed was a fierce and confused struggle--sabres clas.h.i.+ng, carbines banging, men shouting, groaning, and falling from their horses, which trampled over the dead and wounded alike.

I was close beside Mohun as he closed in with Darke. The latter had plainly resolved on his enemy's destruction; and in an instant the two men were cutting furiously at each other with their sabres. They were body to body--their faces flamed--it was rather a wrestle on horseback, than a sword fight.

Suddenly Mohun delivered a blow which fell upon his opponent's sword hand, nearly cutting through the fingers. Darke's arm instinctively fell, and he was at his adversary's mercy.

Instead of plunging his sword into Darke's breast, however, as he might have done, Mohun let its point fall, and said:--

"Take your life! Now I am even with you, sir!"

Darke recoiled, and a furious flash darted from his eyes. Then his left hand went to his hilt; he drew a pistol; and spurring close up to Mohun, placed the weapon on his enemy's breast, and fired.

The bullet pa.s.sed through Mohun's breast, but at the same instant Darke uttered a fierce cry. Mohun had driven his sword's point through the Federal officer's throat--the blood spouted around the blade--a moment afterward the two adversaries had clutched, dragged each other from their rearing horses, and were tearing each other with hands and teeth on the ground, wet with their blood.