' AN INDEPENDENT FAMILY NEWSPAPER. fAtSE'
Vol. VTTT. New Bloomllchl, Pn., Tuesday, Jammry 27, 1874. IVo. 4.
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For the Bloomf.eld Times.
THE MYSTERIOUS FRIEND.
A Story of Old Virginia
CONTINUED.
OUR young hero slept during most of
the night, but that Bleep was dreamy
and uneasy, and when at length the day
beams began to peep through his window
he arose from his hard couch aad com
menced pacing the floor of his dungeon.
A dozen turns, perhaps, had he taken, when
the thought of the rats he had left at work
on bis broad entered his mind, and he turn
ed to observe the result of their operations.
The loaf had been nearly all eaten up, and
Orlando was upon the point of resuming
bis walk, when something at the foot of bis
couch attracted bis attention, which, upon
a closer observation, he found to be a dead
rat, and at a short distance from it, neater
to a small hole in the corner of the cell
through which the animals had evidently
made their way, he found another of the
little quadrupeds, which was also dead.
At first this circumstanco created but
little thought in the mind of the young
hunter, but gradually a strange idea began
to work its way through bis brain, and
with a trembling band he picked one of the
bodies up. Small particles of broad were
still upon the rat's nose ; aud an examin
ation of the other body gave the same re
sult. Orlaudo knew that these muBt be
the same that he had left eating his bread
on the night previous, and with one of
them in his hand he sat down upon the side
of bis couch. Hardly bad be assumed this
position, however, when the bolts of his
door were withdrawn, and on looking up,
he beheld the gigantic form of Chiron en
ter the cell. In an instant our hero cast
the rat upon the floor, aud with a bounding
heart he sprang forward to meet the man
whom he sincerely believed to be bis friend.
" Bo, so," uttered Chiron, as he shook
the youth warmly by the hand, "they've
begun the work sooner than I expected."
"They've begun it, at ail events," re
turned Orlando, in a tone of carelessness
that actually surprised himself;' but the
presence of Chiron bad served to dispel the
gloom of his heart, and instinctively the
feeling of safety came to his relief.
" Yes, and they came near accomplish
ing their purpose, too," said Chiron. " I
little thought that the game was to com
mence so soon, or I should have been on
the watch. But how was it that you esca
ped the Indian's bullet ? Lolowab was a
cunning fellow, and he had the reputation
of being a fatal marksman."
" He may have been a good marksman,
but his eye was not quick enough," re
turned Orlando, and then he went on to
relate the particulars of the recontre.
Chiron's eye sparkled as tho youth told
his story ; and when it was closed, he ex
claimed :
" Your eye must be a quick one. I had
thought myself next to invulnerable, but I
hardly think I should have escaped as you
did. 'Twas indeed a narrow chance, lint
tell me, did not the Indian speak to you
ore ho died ?"
" Yes, ho told me he never had aught
against the white man, but that one of
them gave him money and rum to kill me.
They plied him with the fire-water before
they sent him on the mission, and I really
believe the poor fellow was sorry for the
part ho had taken against me."
" No doubt he was," said Cliuon, " but
he was the tool of a subtle enoiny. Have
you told any one clue of the Indian's
avowal ?"
" No. You aro the (list one to whom I
liavo communicated It. t lion
nen, Oilman and Colton, who dogged me
u the woods, tried to get it from me. and
jvestorday Mi-, Berkley, plied mo most as
siduously to the same end, and I have come
to the conclusion that all three of them
know more of tho red . man's mission than
becomes honost men." . '
" Berkley 1" uttered Chiron, with a start
of surprise. " Has be been here ?"
" Yes, and he threatened me, too, be
cause I would not tell bim what Lolowah
said to me. Are you acquainted with this
Berkloy?"
" I have seen bim often, and I know
somewhat of his history," replied Chiron,
in a sort of thoughtful mood.
" And who is he ?" asked Orlando.
"He became rioh by the death of a
brother, and his riches have made him
proud. Blr Wallace Berkley and Roswell
Berkley came to Virginia many years ago,
and the former amassed a large fortune,but
his health seemed to be on the decline, and
he resolved to return to England, partly on
business, and partly for his health ; but
before he went he made his will, bequeath
ing all his property to his brother, and
then he went to England and died. Thus
Roswell came into possession of ono of the
most valuable estates in the colony, to
gether with a vast amount - of money ; but
with all bis wealth be has been of but little
service to the colony, for he is avaiicioua
and niggardly in the extreme, revengeful
in his disposition, and capable of stooping
to the lowest means to accomplish his
ends."
"And is it be, then, who is prosecuting
me?" asked Orlando, in an earnest tone.
"I think it is."
"And what, can he have against mo?
How have I ever come in conflict with his
interests, or how offeuded him ?' !
For several momenta Chiron remained
in a silent, thoughtful mood, but at length
bo said :
" That Roswell Borkloy is your enemy is
surely true, aud I have reason to believe
that he is at the bottom of this attompt
upon your life ; but why he is thus why
he reeks your removal from this world of
care I may not now tell you. But while
you are here you have nothing to fear from
him ; and when you go out from here, we
will take measures to secure you against
danger."
" And think you I have nothing to fear
while here in prison ?"
"Most assuredly not ; for you shall not
be convicted of this crime."
" Chiron," said the young man, whilo a
peculiar shade passed over his countenance,
" last night the jailer brought to me a small
loaf of bread and a mug of water. The
bread I could not cat, for I hod no appe
tite ; so I laid it carelessly upon the floor,
and shortly afterwards I laid down on my
couch. . Presently I was startled by the
sound of something near me, and on look
ing over upon the floor I saw two rats
gnawing my bread. I watched them till
the gathering darkness hid them from my
sight, and then I went to sleep. This
morning they had eaten my bread most all
up."
" Well," uttered Chiron, and what of
that? There is enough more bread."
" Perhaps there is. But look," said Or
lando, " as he pointed to the two dead rats,
there lie the poor follows, as I found them
this morning, stiff and doad 1"
"Dead I" iterated Chiron, starting from
his position, and gazing first upon the
ruts, and then upon his companion, "Dead!
a rat, even, could not have died without a
cause. Is the broad all gone ?"
"No, here is a portion of it," returned
drlando, as he picked up what remained of
the loaf.
"Is there any water in your mug?"
asked Chiron, aftor he had gazed for some
time upon the bread.
"There is a littlo," answered the youth,
and as he spoke he took the mug from bis
stool and brought it forward.
Chiron took the mug, and carefully
crumbled the bread into it as finely as he
could between his thumb nnd finger, aud
having accomplished this he stirred tho
whole quite briskly for a moment or two,
then he let it stand till the 'bread bad
mostly settled. He spoke not a word
while be was engaged in this woik, but tho
eager look that dwelt upon hu countenance
told that he was deeply interested in bis
experiment. As soon as tho mug had
stood long enough for the saturated bread
to settle, Chiion took his knife and began
slowly to stir the moss up again, and this
ho carefully continued until the bread and
water had become mixed into a sort of
pulp, and then bo cautiously turned it off
on to the floor."
As soon as the broad and water was all
out of the mug, Chiron took the vessel to
the window and carefully examined its in-side.
"Come here, Orlando," he exclaimed,
while his eyes sparkled more intensely than
ever. " There, look in there !"
"Well, and what is it?"
" Do you not see that fine, white sedi
ment?" "Yes, I see it."
"And that is arsenic. There must have
been enough in that loaf to have killed a
dozen men 1" .
" And 'twas meant for me," said Orlan
do, with a shudder.
"Of course 'twas meant forjrou, for the
loaf could not have been long made."
"No, for 'twas warm when the jailor
placed it in here."
" Then is this villiany hard upon you
even here," exclaimed Chiron, as be gazed
once more into the mug, and then dashed
it in pieces against the wall. "But you
shall not be long thus, for I will tear the
old jail down about their ears ere its walls
shall hold you in contact with such danger.
Here is bread of mine 'twill last you till
you can get some more safe to ' cat than
that. By my faith, but those poor rats have
done humanity a good service, at all events.
'Tis a pity, though, that the fatal experi
ment could not have been tried upon him
who compounded the infernal doBe 1"
As Chiron spoke he took from bis pouch
several slices of bread and venison, and
Orlando was just upon the point of making
some remark, when the jailer put his head
in at the door and informed the visitor that
the time allowed for his visit to the prison
er had expired.
"Here sir 1 Look you hero !" exclaimed
Chiron, in an authoritative tone, as the
jailer stood waiting for him to come out.
There was that about the towering form
and tho imperative look of the old hunter
that made the jailer almost forget his own
right to command on the premises, and
without hesitation ho entered the cell.
. " Was it you, sir, that brought this pris
oner bis food last night ?" asked Chiron.
" Yes," returned the jailer.
" And was that loaf of bread prepared
in the jail?"
Tho jailer trembled as be heard this
quostion, and ho silently gazed into the
face of his interlocutor.
" Was that bread prepared in the jail ?"
again asked Chiron. , '
" No sir, it was not,1' answered tho jail
er, with considerable perturbation ; " but I
trust you will not expose me for thus over
stepping the bounds of my duty. All the
bread in the jail was hard and mouldy, and
as the gentleman kindly offered to send the
unfortunate young man a warm loaf, I
could not find it in my heart to refuse him.
" Who was the gentleman that sent it?"
asked Chiron. . .
"I promised him that I would not toll,"
returned the jailer, with a simplicity scarce
ly to have been expected from one in his
situation. " He was very kind to the pris
oner, and wished him well out of the
scrape."
"Yes, ho was very kind," returned Chi
ron j " but tell me who he was, and you
may rest assured that no barm shall come
to you through the affair. I have particu
lar reason for asking, for to one in the
prisoner's situation a knowledge of his
friends may be of much service."
" Well, sir," said the jailer, with some
hesitancy, " it was Mr. Berkley."
" Mr. Roswell Borkloy?"
"Yes."
"Now, Orlando, you are pretty Bure of
one friend, at least," said Chiron, casting
upon tho youth a look of deep meaning,
"and," continued the old hunter, in a low
tone that could not reach the ears of the
jailor, " this is no place for you. Keep up
a good heart, for there is no danger."
This last remark was delivered in a loud
tone j and giving the youth a hearty shake
of tho hand; the old hunter turned and fol
lowed the juilor from the cell, and as his
footsteps died away in the distance, Orlando
turned his gaze upon the fragments of the
mug that lay scatte td upon the floor, and
his heartbeat with a wild emotion as ho
thought how narrow an escape from a hor
rible death hud fallen so strangely to his
lot.
CHAPTER VI.
IN WHICH A VILLAIN IS COrtMUlED.
When .Chiron left the jail be stood for
some moments in tho road engaged In deep
meditation. That Mr. Berkley bad intend
ed . to poison Orlando he had not tho least
doubt, but yet he resolved to make "as
surance doubly sure," and with this view
he took his way at once towards Roswell
Berkley's bouse. That gentleman was in
his sitting. room, and when Chiron entered
he found him pacing tho floor in anything
but an easy or unconoerned manner.
' " Ha I Who are you, sir, that comes thus
unbidden upon my privacy?" exclaimed
Berkley, starting back, as his eyes rested
upon the huge proportions of the new
comer.
" I think you have seen me before," cool
ly returned Chiron, as he set his ponderous
rifle against the panelling of the wall.
" Seen you, sir," uttered the agent, still
trembling before the powerful hunter. " I
have met you in the street, but wherefore
do you thus intrude upon me unannouced ?
Do you take my residence for a common
inn?" . . ,
" O, no, one of the servants in the yard
told me that you were in this room, and he
also bad the kindness to offer to call you
out, but as my business was somewhat of a
private nature I dispensed with his ser
vices." " Then, sir, I trust you will get through
with your business as Boon as possible,"
said Mr. Berkley, in a more confident tone,
for his presence of mind had begun to re
turn to him.
The old hunter bent a searching glance
upon the man beforo bim, and in a mean
ing tone he asked :
" Have you hoard that the young man,
whom you had confined in the jail yester
day, was dead?"
" Young Chester, do you mean?" return
ed Berkley, whilo a sparkling light shot
through his eyes.
" Yes, I mean Orlando Chester."
"No, I had not heard of it. At what
time did ho die ?"
" O, he is not dead yet."
" And is be sick ?" asked Boikley, with
an earnestness and nervous impatience
which he could not hide.
"No, be was never better in his life,"
returned Chiron. . : .
A single instant Roswell Berkley gazed
into the calm features of his gigantio visi
tor, and then, while a sudden tremor shook
his frame, be grasped the back of his chair
for support.
" You scoundrel I" uttered the agent at
length, " what mean you by this taunting?"
" It seems to afl'eot you wonderfully,
sir," said Chiron, in a sarcastic tone, still
keeping his eyes bent upon the man before
him.
" " I had thought tho poor youth might
he in reality dead, aud it is no wonder that
such a result should have moved me," re
turned Mr. Borkley, suddenly changing his
mannor to one of the utmost solicitude.
" There was a death in the jail last
night," said Chiron, " and I knew not but
you might have heard of it.- Two rats died
in young Chester's cell."
" What moan you by this flummery ?"
exclaimed Borkley, again shrinking before
the gaze of his visitor.
" But is it not strango, sir, that those
rats should have died in Chester's cell ?"
asked Chiron, seeming not to heed his
companion's manner.
"Sir I" cried Berkley, bursting into a
rago, "have done with your impudent fool
ing; and if you have auything to say, say
it quickly for I would be alone."
" Those rats, sir," resumed Chiron, with
the most imperturbable coolness, "ate moat
of the bread which was left for young
Chester last night, and I should not won
der if that caused their death. At any
rate, I think the matter had better be in
quired into."
"And was the bread all eaten? Was
there any part of it loft ?" asked Berkley,
with a sudden energy.
"There was a small piece loft, but it
was destroyed and thrown, away," answer
ed Chiron.
RoBwell Berkley breathed more freely as
he heard this, and after collecting his seem
ingly scattered senses, he said :
" This was some mere accident some
strange freak of nature this death of the
rats. They were probably half-famished,
and thus overate themselves."
"Very likely. Indeed, I think they
must have overeaten themselves," returned
the old hunter, and as he spoko, all signs
of the searching gaze that had dwelt upon
his features passed away, for he hud seen
enough to convince him that the man be
fore bim was the projector of the poisoned
bread. Chiron now knew with whom and
with youug Chester had to deal, and ho
could not repress the look of contempt that
worked up from his soul as he looked upon
the miserable villain before him.
"Now, sir," said Berkley, assuming his
usual haughty tone and manner, " if you
have nothing more to communicate, I
would thank you for your absence, and if
there Is anything wrong at the jail, I will
attend to it." Thou, as though an idea,
which until the present moment had es
caped him entered his mind, he asked,
with a sudden start :
" Who told you of this affair ?"
" About the rats, do you mean ?"
"Yes. Was it the jailor?"
" No, I saw it myself."
" Yourself? And do you mean to say
that you havo been admitted to the jail?"
"Certuinly, I have. I had business with
young Chester, and received admission to
visit him. . Is thero anything strange in
that?"
"O, no," returned Berkley, with con
siderable embarrassment. " Then you aro.
acquainted with tho young man." '
"Yes, I have seon him," said Chirou,
"and I fed some interest in his welfare."
For a few moments Mr. Berkley gazed
vacantly into the face of his visitor, and
then he cast his eyes upon the floor. The
old hunter smiled as he noticed the manner
of his host, and be thought he could guess
what was passing in his mind. Twice had
be been peremptorily requested to loavo
tho room, and yet the agent kept him now
in waiting. At longth Berkley raised hia
head, and while a look of anxiety rested
upon his features, he said :
" Young Chester has a mother liviug, I
am told."
" He has," returned Chiron.
" And do you know hor ?"
" Yes. I have seen her at her bouse in
the woods."
"They toll me she is crazy."
" Then they told you part truly and part
falsely. Tho poor woman's mind is shat
tered, but she is far from being crazy."
" Since I have been the means of having
this poor woman's son arrested, and as he
may never protect her more, I believe I
must take some measures to provide for
her welfare. It is hardly right that she
should suffer for tho sins of her son."
There was somothing so mean, so serpent-like
in the tone and mauner of Berk
ley, and then bis desiro to get the poor
mother within his power was so evidont,
that tho soul of Chiron could no longer
contain its indignation, and, while his eyes
flashed, he exclaimed :
" Roswell Berkley, you have managed
to got young Chester within the walls of
the prison-house, and you have managed,
too, to fasten upon him the imputation of
a dark crime ; hut you need not waste your
sycophantio fears upon his fate, for be will
not remain long in your clutches. He is
innocent of all crime, and you yourself
know it well. The red man who fell be
neath his rille was the unfortunate victim
of the base villain who sot him upon bis
bloody work. Tell me, if you think such a '
diabolical plot as has been hatched up
against young Chester can' escape the re
vealing light of day and toll me, too, if
you think its perpetrators can escape tho
retribution of an incensed and outraged
God 1 And now, not content with what
has already beeu dono, you would fasten
your poisonous grasp upon poor Morgiana
Chester 1 Roswell Berkley, if you dare to
lay a finger upon that woman, you shall
sorely run it. The lives of two thousand
like yourself were not worth one moment
tf that mother's peace 1 Now, beware 1 I
know that for some cause you seek yonng
Chester's ruin, but I'll yet show you that
you have counted without your host, for
I'll blow your flimsy fabric to the wind, and
yourself I'll give to the justice that de
mands you 1"
Like a whipped cur did Roswoll Borkley
quail before the tbwering form of the old
hunter. His face was pale, and his lips
trembled with a slavish fear. Twice he at
tempted to speak, but the words stuck in
bis throat, and he sunk into bis chair, ut
terly helpless.
"Villain," uttered the hunter between
his sot teeth, "Ikuowyou for what you
are, and I know where to meet you. You
asked if the bread was all gono that was
given to the young prisonor last night. I
found a piece of it, and analyzed it, and I
found it to contain a most deadly poison,
and, sir, I know that you prepared it, and
that you sent it iu thero 1"
Those last words scorned to call Berkley
to his senses, for with the balls almost start
ing from their eye-sockets, he sprang from
his chair. Ills face was livid with rago, and
his frame tremblod beneath the most in
tense excitement. With a nervous move
ment, he placed hia hand In his bosom, and
his eyes sparkled with a cat-like gioam,
he suddenly drew forth a pistol.
" Now, dog, go toll your story to the
angels of the other world I " You'll never
repeat it on earth I" Contluued next
week.