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They stepped down the embankment, but the boats were nowhere to be seen. Rawbon, anticipating some trouble with his gang, had made a pretence only of securing the craft to a neighboring bush. The current had carried the boats out into the stream, and they had floated down the river and were lost to sight in the darkness.
At every shot, the negro jumped and screamed, but, from his accelerated speed, was apparently untouched. "After him, boys!" shouted Rawbon. "Five dollars apiece and a gallon of whisky if you bring the varmint in." With a whoop, the whole party went off in chase and were soon lost to view in the darkness.
Beverly and those who came with him must have changed their course to pursue the fleeing Rawbon. "Lead her out softly, Harold," murmured Arthur, without changing a muscle or altering his gaze. But the agony of suspense had been too great Oriana, with a convulsive shudder, swooned and hung like a corpse upon Harold's arm.
The lieutenant and sergeant left the room, and presently afterward there entered, closing the door carefully after him, no less a personage than Seth Rawbon. "You're late," said Philip, motioning him to a chair. "There's an old proverb to answer that," answered Rawbon, as he leisurely adjusted his lank frame upon the seat.
They immediately placed themselves in front of Harold, and Arthur, with his usual mild expression, looked full in Rawbon's eye, although the latter's pistol was in a line with his breast. "Stand out of the way, you two," shouted Rawbon, savagely. "What is the meaning of this, gentlemen?" said Beverly, quietly, to the excited bystanders, to several of whom he was personally known.
When we get along to my own company's bit of trench I'll tell you, and you can take some snaps when I'm not looking at you. Just tip the wink to any men about and they'll be quite pleased to pose or anything you like." "Loo-tenant," said Sergeant Rawbon earnestly, "you're doin' this thing real handsome, and I won't forget it. If ever you hit the U-nited States "
If they fight as hard as they drink, they'll give us trouble. Well, what do you calculate to do?" he added, after a pause, during which Philip was moody and lost in thought. Philip rose from his seat and paced the floor uneasily, while Rawbon filled a glass from a flask of brandy on the table.
They had been detained without by an unsuccessful pursuit of Rawbon, whose flight they had discovered, but who had easily evaded them in the darkness. A rude litter was constructed for Arthur, but Oriana declared herself well able to proceed on horseback, and would not listen to any suggestion of delay on her account.
The last quarter mile of the run to the headquarters introduced Sergeant Rawbon to the sensation of being under fire, and, as he afterwards informed Courtenay, he did not find the sensation in any way pleasant. "Loo-tenant," he said gravely, "I've had some of this under fire performance already, and I tell you I finds it no ways nice.
But Rawbon was not able to see much when, a little later, he had a chance to use the periscope.
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