From Kingdom to Colony. Devereux Mary

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      The girl nodded, and touched a second finger.

      "She thinks the men on the ship may do us harm?"

      "Say don't like looks – got bad black faces," replied Joane, scowling as though to illustrate her meaning.

      "Have any of them come ashore yet?" he asked anxiously.

      "Yes – so many," holding up seven brown fingers, "come 'shore. Get water to drink – then go back to ship when sun shines. But no go 'way yet – no mean to go. Tell gran'mudder want somethin' eat. Take our corn, and pay no money."

      "Pirates!" John Devereux exclaimed, now starting to his feet, while he looked at his wife, whose face paled.

      He hurried across the room, bolted and barred the stout door, and examined the window fastenings, the Indian girl still crouching by the hearth and watching him placidly, as if a pirate raid were a matter of small moment.

      But her sparkling eyes, and the heaving bosom agitating the many bead necklaces hanging from throat to waist, betrayed her.

      "See thou to the children, sweetheart, and warn the maids," John Devereux said to his wife, as he took down his gun and examined it carefully, "while I go to the men and see that the cattle be safe, and the back of the house made secure."

      "Good!" exclaimed Joane, with quick approval. "English Chief no sleep – heap good. Give Joane gun, too."

      "Had thou not best return to the wigwam, Joane, and to the Squaw Sachem?" inquired Anne, pausing as she was about to leave the room.

      "What go for?" the girl demanded, while her eyes flashed with fierce intensity. "No good go – can fight here – fight good, too. Joane stay and fight by English Chief and his 'Singing Bird,'" – this being the name given by the Naumkegs to Anne, on account of her musical voice.

      Knowing that nothing would turn Joane when once her ideas were fixed, and knowing too that her skill with the bow and gun was equal to that of any warrior, Anne was silent, – grateful indeed for any addition to the slender force at hand for defence.

      There were in all but nine men, servants and laborers, – two of them white, and the others either Africans or Indians; but they were all, saving old Noah, young, stalwart, and fearless.

      John Devereux posted these men in the outbuildings and sheds, as cattle were generally the spoil sought by the marauders when they visited the coast. And when assigning them their positions, he warned them, should they find themselves in danger of being overpowered, to give a signal and retreat to the house, where a side-door would be opened for their entrance. Then, having left with them a plentiful supply of ammunition, he went within to mount guard over his wife and babies.

      He had five guns wherewith to arm his household, without counting his own piece, and every woman in his service was acquainted with their use. Even Anne herself had, under his own tuition, become no mean markswoman.

      Within doors he found the women greatly excited, and fluttering about aimlessly; but a few quiet words soon brought order amongst them, and with it a return of their courage. Then, having accomplished this, he went once more through the house, from the rooms downstairs to the low-ceilinged sleeping apartments above, and satisfied himself that all was secure.

      In the nursery he found his wife looking at the little boys, who were lying on two great bags of ticking, stuffed with the feathers of wild geese, and placed on the floor, in lieu of bedsteads.

      They were sleeping soundly, oblivious of the alarm about the house; and standing beside his wife, his arm around her waist, John Devereux looked down at them.

      On one of the pallets lay Humphrey, his strong young arms outstretched, and his chest – broad for his years, and finely developed – showing white as alabaster where the simple linen garment was rarely buttoned by his impatient fingers.

      On the other were the two younger boys; and Robert, the gentlest of the three, with his father's own winsome nature, lay with his head half pillowed against his brother John's shoulder.

      "What a blessed thing is childhood, and ignorance of danger!" murmured Anne, looking at her husband.

      "Aye," he said softly, as they turned away. "So may we know no fear of dangers that threaten, sweet wife, while we trust to Him who watcheth us, – who 'slumbers not, nor sleeps.'"

      And as she had answered him ten years before, so she said to him now, "So long as we be together, I have no fear."

      A long and shrill sound now broke the silence. It was the blowing of the conch shell suspended in front of the outer door; and it announced a visitor seeking admission.

      Surprised at this, and alarmed as well, husband and wife hurried to the front room below stairs, where they found Joane still crouched upon the hearth. Her bow, now unslung, lay close at hand, and she was examining with pleased curiosity the clumsy blunderbuss resting across her knees, – one that John, at her earnest request, had intrusted to her.

      "No enemy – make heap too much noise," was her sententious remark, as she looked up from her inspection of the weapon.

      "Mayhap they but do that to disarm us," John replied, as he went cautiously toward the door.

      He knew there was no way, except from the beach, for any one to approach the house unseen by his faithful outposts. And he had reckoned upon no attack coming from that quarter, as there was no sailing breeze. Then, again, the pirates would be more likely to come from the direction of the forest, hoping to effect a greater surprise than if they came from the water.

      The wailing cry of the conch shell pierced the air for the second time, to echo again in falling cadences that died away in the woods and over the sea.

      Placing his lips to the loophole near the door, John Devereux now demanded to know who was outside.

      A nasal, whining voice replied; and although the words were indistinguishable, their sound caused the Indian girl to laugh scornfully.

      She said nothing, however, but springing quickly to her feet, sped to the small opening. Then, before her purpose could be understood, she thrust the muzzle of the blunderbuss through the aperture.

      "Hold, Joane!" commanded John, as he caught her arm. "What is't thou wouldst do, – kill, perchance, an innocent man? Put the gun down, child, until I challenge again, and know for a surety who it be. Methinks the voice hath a familiar sound."

      Joane obeyed him, still smiling maliciously as she said: "Only want give him heap big scare. Him big 'fraid – him coward."

      "'T is Parson Legg!" exclaimed Anne, now recalling the piping voice, and enlightened by Joane's contemptuous words.

      Her husband opened the door, and a slim, weazen-faced, bandy-legged little man stepped hastily within, his eyes, small and keen as those of a ferret, blinking from the sudden passing out of darkness into light.

      "Good e'en to thee, Parson Legg; thou art late abroad," said Anne, coming forward. She did not smile, nor was there aught of welcome in her voice or manner.

      But this lack of cordiality was not felt by the unexpected visitor, for he doffed his steeple-crowned hat, which, like the rest of his apparel, was much the worse for wear, and responded briskly, "Good e'en, Mistress Anne, an' the same to you, neighbor John; I hope the Lord's blessin' is upon all within this abode. Ah, who have ye here?" and he peered СКАЧАТЬ