The Skeleton Crew; Or, Wildfire Ned — page 186: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

= 180 THE SKELETON CREW; OR, WILDFIRE NED. No one had seen or knew anything of the poor youth, either in or out of the village. For a second time Ellen Harmer returned home, The old widow offered to accompany her part of the*way through the forest, but Ellen pleasantly declined. As she journeyed through the wood slowly and thoughtfully, she heard voices near, and suddenly beheld a large encampment of gipsies. “Perhaps this swarthy tribe mlght know or have heard something regarding poor Andrew,” thought Ellen, ‘‘I will question them.” Boldly advancing right into the gipsy encamp- tment, to the no small surprise of both men and womep, Ellen walked up to a tall, swarthy-looking man who stood near a covered cart or waggon, and appeared to be the chief man among them: “Ellen Harmer is your name ?” said the tall, swarthy man, “Tt is. How know you that ?” ‘*‘ Ask no questions,’”’ was the gruff answer, “and I will tell you no lies.” ‘Perhaps, if I pay, you well, it. might be dif- ferent ?” “ Perhaps it.might,” said the man, grinning, as he received a piece of gold offered to him. “Have you: been long encamped in these woods 2?” ‘“We have.” _ Did youvhear or ascertain anything of a duel wee was said to haye taken place here a few days azo y? . “T did.” “Who and what were the rash gentlemen ?” ‘ They were not gentlemen at all,” answered the gipsy chief. ‘Who, then, pray ?” “One was a spy in the pay of Colonel Blood.” ** Colonel Blood ??’ said Ellen, with a shudder. ‘You know him, then ? Hat ha!” laughed the tall vagabond. “ No—yes, that is, I have ‘heard of hiv, my good man. And who was the other ?” “A stranger.” “ And which fell ?” “The stranger was killed.’’ “Oh, horrible! horrible!” said Hilen,’ avliast. ‘‘ And know you not his name ??? “YT do not,” said the gaunt, heartless-looking fellow, with a coarse laugh: "It matters naught to me. But, if you want to have a look at the body, here it is,’ said he, with a grin, as at the same time he uncovered and lifted the lid of a rough coffin which was inthe covered cart. (See cut in Vo. 19.) From some strange impulse Ellen Harmer darted forward a step or two, and looked. | With a loud scream she fainted and fell. The dead body was that of poor Andrew,. her old and faithful lover, who had been brutally slain out of revenge by Colonel Blood’s spy, She was led away from the spot in ‘a swooning condition by two men. “ Do not go with them—do not trust yourself with those two ruffians,” said a haggard-looking old woman whe now came upon the scene, “ Hold thy tongue, Hannah,” said the gipsy chief, with an oath. : “IT will not, Icannot !” said the old woman ; “you mean the girl no good ; you have evil in your eye. Miss Harmer, Miss Harmer, do not go with them through Darlington Woods. Heed me, hear me, sweet lady, hear me.’ But before she could utter another word she was struck to the ground in a brutal manner, and Ellen Harmer, more dead than alive, was borne through the woods towards her native village. But alas! she never reached it ! The two gipsy men, obeying the secret injunctions of their leader, saw her-as far as the little wooden bridge—on which Andrew had met Colonel Blood— and, ere she was aware of any danger, while in the act of rewarding tlie two gruff villains for escorting her so far, they cast her headlong into the river. Four days afterwards her body was found lying on the river bank by the same villains, and they were in the act of robbing the body of everything valuable when they were discovered by Wildfire Ned and Garnet, who had been out hunting in the woods. - One of the villains, finding that they were dis- covered, drew forth his large knife, and looked around to see when and where the threatened danger was. (See cut in No, 16). At that instant, however, Ned and Garnet, who had been watching the gipsies for several days, felt satisfied of the guilt of both villains. Without any compunction they took deadly aim and fired at the two rascals, and killed them on the spot. : 7 But the tragedy did not end here. , Several weeks afterwards a terrible storm arose, Poor old Hannah the gipsy was lying abed, almost dying, from the effects of the brutal treatment she had received at the hands of the gipsy chief. The wind was howling outside the humble cot in which poor Hannah lay. Lightning flashed and the thunder rolled. Kain fell in pitiless torrents, when a horseman, evidently dressed in disguise, and looking pale and weak, alighted from his horse at Hannah’s door, and sought shelter from the storm. A female opened the door for the stranger, who entered. It was Colonel Blood on his way to Darlington. For a moment he gazed around him, and then at the swarthy sufferer in bed. There was something about poor Hannah which attracted his attention, He stood and gazed at her as she slept and mur- mured in her dreams. Opening her eyes rather suddenly she encountered the fixed look of the storm-bound stranger. With a loud laugh Hannah rose up in bed, looking as wild as the wildest maniac (see cut in No. 22). With eyes glowing in passion, and with a long, ‘lean arm pointed at him, she hissed out, rather than said— * Curses befall you, man of blood! Curses be- fore, behind, and on every side attend you ; for wherever you are, wherever you go, you despoil the innocent! I haye longed to see this hour, Colonel Blood,” continued Hannah, in a fierce voice ; “ your hand robbed me of my husband and my daughters ! My children have been dragged into a life of infamy through you, and my husband slain for defending them! I have done with life; my time has come. I die satisfied, knowing that with my last breath I have cursed you and the very ground you tread upon |” With these words she fell back into bed and expired ! Gomichooksscom