'Yes; she is now upstairs among the women. Nancy is trying to give her some comfort. O, she is so beautiful and innocent lookeen that it pains my heart to see her here.'

'Rely upon me. Here she will not remain if you be true. I swear it before the G.o.d who made me,' and he fell upon his knees while he made the oath. Then he arose. 'I will send Nancy to you, though I think she is also ready for a start.' In a moment Nancy was beside Roland.

'Is the hour come?' she asked with the slightest tremor in her voice; but it was not a tremor of fear. She was simply quivering at the thought of freedom.

'It is. The chief is absent, and we may reach the road before he enters the bush. Joe, I learn, is sleeping.'

'Yes, but the shriek of a mouse will awaken him.'

'I am prepared for that ruffian. Silent Poll and her mother we must gag.'

Both then ascended into the upper air, and Roland stepped quickly forward to see the intended victim of the libertine outlaw. She was sitting with her head upon her hands, and the tears were still streaming from her eyes.

'All merciful heaven, it is Aster!' and looking up, the poor girl saw her lover. She had only power to rise and throw herself into his arms, when she swooned there.

'Water, quick,' and he stretched her upon a lounge and dashed several handfuls upon her beloved face. She speedily revived, and opening her glorious eyes looked again upon her lover. But she seemed unable to realize it She believed indeed that her reason had forsaken her or that it was all a dream.

'Is it you, Roland,' she exclaimed, taking his hand. 'Where is this, and what are you doing here.'

'This, Aster, my love,' he replied, 'is a robbers' den. This is the head-quarters of the miscreants of Markham Swamp. On the day of the duel I was captured and brought hither, and watch has since been kept upon me. I resolved many timed to leave and endeavour to reach the United States, till the feeling over my crime had subsided.'

'What do you mean?' Aster enquired, laying her hand with its crooked little finger upon his.

'The duel, of course.'

'Why, haven't you heard? Why, he recovered from his wound.'

'Merciful heaven, then I am free to stand up among my fellow men, in my own place again! No; they told me nothing of it, though the villainous chief must have heard, for nothing pa.s.ses without his cognizance.'

During this conversation the hag looked as if the world was coming to an end, that such language should be used by the upstart in the very midst of her stronghold.

'Poltroon,' she shouted to The Lifter, why do you not strike him down?'

'That is all over now,' Roland said, suddenly seizing the old woman and forcing a handkerchief into her mouth. This act was the signal for The Lifter, who at the same moment accorded similar treatment to Silent Poll. Roland bound the old woman, and The Lifter secured the young one.

'Granny,' The Lifter said, bending down to her ear, 'I am going to leave and to try to be an honest man. I shall watch constantly in the papers for news of your hangeen. As for you,' stooping down to the ear of Silent Poll, 'I believe the devil will carry you off before the gallows gets you. I know you must always have been a great favourite of his.'

Silent Poll replied by spitting in his face.

'Are you ready, my friends?' Roland said, looking at his confederates.

'Yes, yes,' both had answered.

'Come, my darling,' giving his arm to Aster, 'we go from this spot: these two are faithful; but there will be some hot work before we get out.'

She only replied by a fervent pressure of his arm and a glance of proud confidence in her lover.

'What is this?' thundered a hideous voice. 'Where going? Where off, Lifter?' This was Murfrey, with rage, hate and apprehension written in his face.

'I am away from the bush forever. If nothing better happens, Joe, I'll give myself up to the law.'

'And where are you off, Nancy?'

'To seek an honourable life. In a way, I leave this place stainless, and I go to give myself back to my father.'

The terrible oaths that this foiled ruffian swore, I could not repeat here. He resembled a devil fresh from the infernal regions.

His flaming eyes were turned anxiously along the path, expecting the captain; then he drew near with a brace of pistols in his belt.

'Nancy,' our hero said, 'you lead off with the lady and we shall cover your retreat. Keep a sharp look-out ahead.'

Blinded with rage, Murfrey drew forward, hastily raised his pistol and fired. The ball grazed Roland's cheek and left a pink streak across it. But he had no sooner fired than Roland discharged his weapon, and with a loud cry the robber drew his remaining pistol with his left hand, our hero's shot having broken the right arm a little below the shoulder. 'Put down your pistol or I will shoot you without mercy,' Roland thundered; but the fellow was insane with rage, pain and disappointment, and heeding not the warning, he took new aim upon Roland. But he had not time to fire before he fell, shot in the leg.

'On now,' cried Roland, 'we have only one other to deal with'.

Aster, with Nancy leading, made slow way through the deep snow and tangled bushes. Nancy had a quick ear and an eye of unusual sharpness, and this was well; for about three hundred yards distant, she saw the robber captain coming towards her.

'This way, miss, this way,' she whispered to Aster. 'We shall keep in shelter of that duster of cedars yonder. The robber chief comes this way.' Aster followed her guide without question; but she turned her head every few minutes to look for Roland. He was now far in the rear, but he was following the lead of the girls by their tracks.

Suddenly Roland and the chief found themselves face to face. The robber's brows grew dark as the night.

'What is this,' he demanded of his son.

'We are both leaveen the place.'

The villain was simply struck dumb with amazement. When he did speak, he asked,

'Where is Murfrey?'

'We just have been disableen him.'

'Where are my mother and Poll?'

'We have just done gaggeen them.'

'Where is Nancy; where is the young lady?'

'They are cleareen out of the swamp.'

'h.e.l.l and--' he did not finish his pious e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n, but felt for his pistol. It was not there; and he gave a cry like a baulked lion.

'Here's at you,' looking at our hero who just then remembered that he had no charge left in his pistol; and like a jaguar he sprang at Roland's throat. But this brutal robber had no child now in hand; our hero was slight, but his sinews were elastic and reverberant; and they were as enduring as twisted steel. A fair hold was taken on either side, and it was a nice test of the respective powers of the combatants.

The robber was the heavier man by far, but the activity and the skill were upon the other side.

'I would put a pistol to his head,' the Lifter said,' but bad as he be he is my father.' There is no need to describe the _rencontre_, further than to say that After about a minute's fierce strife the chief vent down and Roland's knee was planted in his breast.

'Cords now,' he cried to the Lifter.

'I'll help to do the bindeen,' The Lifter replied cheerfully, and he did so. When his father was bound he stood before him and thus spoke: