Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 June 1893 — In Sheep's Clothing. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

In Sheep's Clothing.

By Capt. Ormond Steele

CIIAPTER XXl—Continued. Dinah pointed her staff in the direction she wished them to take; but Old Somonk, the only one that was not In an attitude to start right off, called out: “We were left here by the chief, and told to stay as we value our lives. “Hold!” cried Untilla in clear, silvery tones, “ (Incas, chief of the Montauks, is at this moment in tho settlements of the whites, and he cannot command. I am his sister; I am Untilla, a descendant gt the mighty Wyandauch, and, in my brother’s absence, my word Is law. I command you to leave hero at once, and open not your lips about what has happened till my brother or I bid you speak.” While Untilla was speaking, Old Somonk’s wife secured her pot; and now she headed the procession that marched off at the bidding o< the princess. The Indians were out of sight in a few minutes, and then Dinah’s manner changed like magic. Tho trappings of the priestess had answered her purpose, so she threw them off, and, going to the vault, she seized the flat stone that answered for a door, and rushed in. Untilla was close behind her. The light was dim, as compared with the glaring sunlight without, but was still sufficient to enable them to distinguish the bed, and on it the form of a man. “We must get ’im out, honey,” said Dinah. “Tink ye kin lift de half?” “Yes, Dinah; if need be, I can carry him alone,” replied Untilla. One seized the head of the bed and the other the foot, and in a few minutes they had carried Ralph Denham from the vault and placed him in the shadow of a tree. With amazing quicknoss, the old woman drew the cover from his face. Except that it had a flushed, pained expression, as of one trying to break a bond by a tense physical effort, or to rally failing memory by an effort of will, it looked very natural". Dinah was now all activity. She tore open his coat and underclothing, till his white breast was exposed, and against this she pressed the side of her face, increasing its blackness by the strange contrast.

She remained in this attitude so long that Untilla, unable to suppress her anxiety, called out: “Dinah, Dinah! tell me if he will live; ” “He ’pears strong, but he’s droogid. Ha, I knowed he was droogid, or dead.” “An i he’ll live, Dinah?” Untilla was beside him, chafing the strong hand, which the sun had bronzed to a hue mtfch darker than her own. “W’e’ll fotch ’lm to. Doan’t skeer, honey. Dr. Hedges he sez Dinah’s sham; now you see wat Dinah know.” The old woman removed the white turban from about her head, and handing it to Untilla, told her to wet it at a neighboring spring, and then fasten it about the captain's brow. While Untilla was doing this, Dinah took off Ralph’s shoes and stockings, and running back to the lire, took therefrom the pot of herbs. Tearing off part of her dress, just as if she carried it for surgical purposes, Dinah took the herbs, now steaming hot, and bcund them about the captain’s leet.

He moved as if tho heat gave him pain, and he heaved a long sigh. Dipping one of the unused herbs in the liquor in the pot, Dinah skillfully pressed open the Captain’s mouth and teeth, and, by means of the moistened herb, slowly dropped several spoonfuls of the liquor into his mouth. To her great joy, she saw by the movements of his throat that be was swallowing, and that with each effort ihe pained, intense expression on his face gave way to one of peaceful rest. They kept up their efforts for an hour, when Dinah said: “Now let him rest a wile. ” “And then you think he will be better?” “Den we can wake ’em an gib ’im suthin’ to eat. Massy, won't 'e be s’prised when ’e does wake up en see whar ’e ez.” They walked back to the fire, and Dinah took from the bottom of the wonderful basket some large green leaves, inside of which -were a trout a.nd a fat woodcock, both ready for the lire. “Now, honey,” said Dinah, pointing to the articles of food, “dem tings’ll taste better es you cook ’em.” “But will lialph be able to eat?” “A man ez can’t eat ain’t got long to lib; well tempt 'im, honey,” replied Dinah. The old woman lit a short black pipe and smoked while she watched the beautiful Indian girl preparing the meal for Ralph Denham. When the woodcock and trout were done to a turn and placed on the corn cake which answered for an edible dish, Dinah knocked tho ashes from her pipe and said, as she rose briskly to her feet:

“Now I’ll see ’o 'e ’pears.” rntilla watched tho old woman, and in her anxiety was about to to.low, when she saw Ralph’s hand thrown up and pressed to his eyes, as when men rouse from a long sleep. Before Dinah could reach him, Ralph Denham was sitting up. Then he turned bis head, looked about him, and pressed his bands to his eyes, as if to stop the dream that haunted him into wakefulness. The old woman, with that rare penetration that distinguished her, divined the trouble. Running up to Ralph from behind, she laid both hands on his shoulders, and said, in her most cheerful accents: “ ’Taint a dream, Ralph Den’ara; yer heah wid me en b'ntilla. Ye bin rackt. u ait till I put on yer shoes en stockin’s, en I’ll tell ye ’bout it.” She could not have lit on more appropriate words. Ralph Denham, in his own sea experience, had known of men who lay down calmly in bunk or hammock on shipboard, and woke up on a strange strand with „ strange faces about them. Men, who frequently act bravely and conspicuously on occasions of great danger, have not the slightest recollection of their acts, when the danger and excitement are over. Something Ike this flashed through Ralph Denham’s mind, as with his eyes closed he threw himself back on his couch, while Dinah put on his shoes and stockings. “Last night I took too much wine on the Wanderer. She must have been wrecked off Montauk Point, after the rudder was repaired, and in some way I Was rescued; and here I am among old triends.*

“Dar, de shoes am on,” said Dinah, gleefully. “Now, try en walk to de flata, where Untilla’s got somethin’ to eat” Dinah gave him her hand, and he grasped it in affection, rather than with any thought of wanting its support. He was stiff and sore, and when he gained his feet, he staggered, and would have fallen, had not a lithe,' strong form sprang to his side, and thrown one arm about him. “Untilla,” he whispered. “God bless you, Untilla!" They led him over near the fire, and made him sit down, with his back to a tree. “Where are the rest?” he asked, glancing about him, with an expression, half-awe, half-wonder, on his handsome face. “Am I the sole survivor? How did I get here?” “Wait, honey, en arter a bit I’ll tole ye.. But now I’ll say dat de Fader of de lan' en water, en of all de worls, de Fader dat save ye from de waves in de pas’, hez now saved ye from de chief of de Montauks,” said Dinah, standing behind him, and smoothing Lack his curly brown hair, She had often stroked it when it hung in golden ringlets to his shoulders, in the days beyond his memory, in that other Long Island that was his home. “The Wanderer is wrecked,” he said looking appealingly at Untilia, who was fanning him with a bunch of graceful ferns. “Not that; wait and we will tell you,” said Untilla. “But how did I come here? Speak, I am strong enough to hear; or, if you have aught to communicate, that you think would unnerve me at this time, let me assure you that my anxiety to hear it frets me more keenly than anything you can say.” “I 11 tell ye; but mebbe fust it’d be mo’ bettah es ye was to tell us all ye kin rekmimbah sense ye lef Sag Harbor on dat ship,” said Dinah, squatting on the ground, where his eyes could rest on her.

Captain Denhanj stroked his forehead, and briefly recounted everything, up to the breaking of the ruddor chain and his going to sleep. “En dat’s all ye know?” “That’s all, Dinah.” “Den ye mus’ hov bin a sleepin’ nigh goin’ on to six days.” "What!” he exclaimed. “Of co-az we does not know; but I’ll tell ye wot me en Untilla does know, foh we’vobeeu watchin’ foh dat ship to come back, and I never ’spected she’d bring Balph Den’am back to land.” Then, with great precison, Dinah told nil she knew, but she profaced her recital of the present case by telling Balph the story of his early life, substituting, with nice art, another name, and somewhat dissimilar conditions. With rare skill, she told of the part Fox played, and how Uncas was to complete his work. Without disclosing her own sources of information—he could imagine them 1 —she told of everything that had transpired among the Montauks and at Sag Harbor, in which he could have interest, up to the last night. “And you say a letter is said to have been sent by me from New York to Sag Harbor, telling Mr. Hedges to turn over the command of the Sea Hawk to this man?” asked Balph, still pressing his eyes, as if determined, by will-power, to dispel an illusion. “Dat is wot I say, en de Wandrah’s now at Sag Harbor.” “My God, the man’s name can’t be Fox.” “En it ain’t,” chuckled Dinah. “His name’s Captain William Kidd.” “Captain Kidd!” Balph Denham’s eyes flashed like, fire, and, with an energy that was miraculous, he leaped to his feet. “Dat’s de man; I know ’im.” Without heeding Dinah’s words, Balph Denham raised his clenched hands aoove his head and cried out; “Oh, I have been a blind fool. Why did I not act on my suspicions, and not from the promptings of my heart? I dreaded the man, and yet I had no proof. I must away at once. The Sea Hawk, my honor, must be saved, or I die in the attempt." He would have dashed off through the woods at once, but Untilla raised her hands before him and he stopped, with his head bowed. “I have a boat and strong rowers awaiting you beyond the cliff. Come with us, and before the sun has been down an hour you shall be in Sag Harbor.” “En Uncas ’ll see a ghost. Ha, ha! Wait, honey; de ind ain’t yet.” Under the cliffs, about a mile from this point, they found a canoe awaiting them, manned by six powerful Montauk rowers. Into this Balph Denham got, and Dinah and Untilla followed.

CHAPTER XXII. SAG HARBOR BECOMES WILDLY - EXCITED, AND THE CONTAGION REACHES THE SURROUNDING ISLANDS. Captain Ealph Denham Jiad passed through an ordeal that would have piostrated an older, or less vigorous man. Indeed, if it had not be“en for the mental excitement under which he was now laboring he could not have kept up. He sat back In the canoe, watching the rowers as, with regular sweeps, they plied their paddles, and flew across the shadows near the shore. Quick as was their speed, it was too slow for him. At moments, he woulu close his eyes, and try to reason that it was all a dream, and that he would wake up to find himself on board the Wanderer, in New York harbor, for it was expected the ship would reach that port the morning after leaving Montauk Point. But Dinah’s voice, as she spoke in low tones to Untilla, recalled him to a full sense of s he wakeful reality of his position.

Dinah’s voice, with her strange acl cent and earnest manner; it seemed to i him that all his earliest recollections wero associated with that voice, j Memory could not carry him back be- ] yond a time when it was not familiar, ■ &nd often since reaching manhood, when wondering if ever the veil would be lifted ! from the mystery of his early life, the thought would come to him, and his reason would weigh it and reject it, that the old woman would explain it all. So great was the speed made by the rowers that before dark Ealph Denham could see away to the westward the outlines of his own and Fox’s ships. Shortly after dark the men at thepad- | dies, acting under the instructions of j Untilla, direct?dtheir canoe into a little , cove and made a landing, j “Why not keep straight on to the i town?” asked Ealph. “Wait till I send back the canoe and I | will explain,” replied Untilla. She went back to the canoe, spoke to the Montauks in their own language, and they at once pushed out the canoe, and started back to the point from which they had come. They were still on the land of the Montauks, and near by there was a fishing hut which was frequently occupied by the chief. To this Ealph Denham followed Untilla and old Dinah. The place was provided with seats and a rude couch, and after carefully : closing the door Dinah made a light on 1 the hearth, and said-

“It 'pears to me Itke ye don’t seem to •ee as dar’s a sight of trouble on han’.* “I assure you, Dinah, I fully appreciate that, and hence my anxiety to get on board of my ship,” replied Balph. “Now, jes’ let me ’splain ’ow I feels 'bout dat,” said -the old woman, coming nearer, and adding force to her words by her quick, nervous gestures. “En she’ll bar me out in Bayin’ dat I’m jes’ ’bout right. En wen ye’ve heard me, den es ye sez don’t keer, I’se gtiin’ ’board any ’ow, wy, den ye’ll go, dat’s all.” “Go on, Dinah; I will listen,” said Balph, crossing his arms and letting his chin rest on his breast, Dinah used no long words; she only knew a few of that character, and she was never quite certain that she comprehended the n. Now, she wanted Balph Denham to understand her distinctly, and not to be diverted from her reasoning by any unusual address in her speech. Her vocabulary was limited to words | of one syllable, which she invariably j mispronounced She seemed to prefer I arranging them in ways that assured their inaccuracy from a grammatical standpoint; yet she never left her hearer in doubt as to her meaning. Again sho rehearsed all that had taken place in Sag Harbor during Kalph’s absence. She showed him that his friends believed he was in New York, that one of his foes at least—Colonel Graham—believed that he was dead, and that the others arrayed against him were sure he was in their power. Dinah went on to show him that neither friend nor foe looked for him in Sag Harbor, at this time, and that if he were to enter the town at once, Fox, who was in virtual command of both ships, not only could, but would have him killed at once, and so defeat the object, which Balph himself rtad in view. This, and much more, she advanced, in her quick, earnest way. closing by saying that she and Untilla would go to the town at once, find Mr. Hedges, and Valentine Dayton, quickly tell them the whole situation, and bring them to the Captain, who, after a conversation with them, would know how to act. Balph Denham was burning with anxiety , to bo away, yet he was impressed by Dinah’s reasoning and Untilla’s pleadings; aDd he saw that they were right. “Very well, how long will you be gone?” he asked. They told him they would return ae soon as they found the officers they went in search of; they would be back by midnight, certainly by daylight. “But you leave me unarmed," he said. “Ah!” exclaimed Untilla, “I came near forgetting what has been on my mind ever since we came here.” She stepped on a bench, and reaching up to a few boards that made a little loft above the fire-place, she brought down a belt and handed it to Balph. It contained two fine pistols, a dagger with a horn hilt, and pouches well lilled with powder and ball. “You see.” said Balph, as he strapped the belt about his waist, “there is no knowing who may pay me a visit while you are gone. ” They assured him that there was no danger of any one’s coming, and then shaking his hand again and again, they left him alono in the hut. |TO BE CONTINUED. 1