Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-12-31
CHAPTER II.
COLONEL LIE NoIR's REVENGE.


+ When Colonel lie Noir left the chapel, his
heart was torn with rage and shame, and he
determined to wreak summary vengeance
Z on Capitola, not only because she had baf-
3 fled him in his schemes against Clara Day,
but because he knew her to be the child of
his murdered brother, Eugene, and feared
+ she would some day claim her dead fathers
estates.
In this mood of mind, three days before
his departure TO join his regiment, he sought
the retreat of the outlaw. He chose an
early hour Of the evening as that in which
he should be most likely to find Black Don
aid.
1t was about eight o'clock when he wrap
ped his large cloak around his tall figure,
pulled his hat low over his sinister brows,
and set out to walk alone to The secret cav
ern in the side of the Demons Punch Bowl
On arriving at certain spot, he gave a
peculiar whistle, which was Immediately
answered from within by the well-known
v)icc of the outlaw chief, saying:
" All right, my Colonel. Give us your
hand. Be careful now the floor of this
cavern is several feet below the opening"
LIE Noir extended his hand into the dark
ness within and soon felt it grasped by that
of Black Donald, who, muttering, Slow
ly, slowly, my Colonel !" succeeded in gui-
ding him down the utter darkness of the
subterfanean descent until they stood upon
the firm bottom of the cavern.
They were still in the midst of black
ness that might be felt, except that from a
cleaned. Toward this second opening
Black Donald conducted his patron.
And STOPPING and passing before him. led
him into an inner cavern, well lighted and
rudely fitted up. Upon large natural plat
form of rock, occupying the centre of the
space, were some dozen bottles of brandy
or whisky, several loaves of bread and some
dried venison. Around this rude table,
seated upon fragments of rock, lugged thith-
er for the purpose, were some eight or ten
men of the band, in various stages of intox-
ication. Along the walls were piles of bear
skins, some of which served as couches for
six or seven men, who had thrown them
selves down upon them in astate of exhaus- |
| i0n or drunken stupor
''Come, boys, we have not bound.ess
choice of apartments kere, and want to
talk to my Colonel. Suppose you take your
| liquor and bread and meat into the outer
cavern, and give us the use of this one for
an hour" said the outlaw.
The men sulenly obcyed and began to |
gather up the viands. Demon Dick seized |
one of the lights to go after them.
"Put down the glim. Satin singe your |
skin for you Do you want to bring a hue
and cry upon us Don't you know. light |
in the outer cavern can be seen rem the |
outside 2" roared Black Donald. I
Dick sulkily set down the candle and fol- |
lowed. his comrades
are aa see F6 All sRoTt MI
well enough and find your way to your |
mouth in the dark, you brute |" thundered |
The Captain.
But there was no answer to this, as the |
men had retreated and left their chief with |
his visitor alone.
Colonel LIE Noir's bargain with the out |
law was soon made. Black Donald was to |
waylay and kill Capitola as sogsas possible,
for which service Colonel Id Noir was to |
law said, on the bargains Being completed,
"You know my Colonel, how settled the |
hash Of the girls father-your elder broth
Grand now 1t is no more than Just amends |
that / should send his daughter to him in |
Heaven as soon as possible
In a few days after his interview with |
Black Donald, Colonel lie Noir started to |
join his regiment in Mexico, in which, as
ill-luck would have it, Herbert Greyson was
Days lover) had foolishly enlisted as a pri-
vate. As soon as tie Colonel had gone, his |
son Craven began to plot against him.
Having lost Clara Day, Craven thought the |
next best thing he could do would be to WOO |
and win Capitola and after securing her for
his wife claim all the lie Noir estates for her
as the heir of his uncle Eugene, and leave
his father to take care of himself as he best
could.
Craven Lie Noir proceeded cautiously with
his plans, knowing that there was time
enough, and that all might be lost by haste.
He did not wish to alarm Capitola.
The first time he took occasion to mset
her in her rides he merely bowed deeply,
even to the flaps of his saddle, and with a
melancholy smile passed on.
miserable wretch he is mean fellow
to want to marry girl against her will, no
matter how much he might have been in
love with her, and am very glad baked
him. Still, he looks so i'll and unhappy that
1 can't help plying him., said Cap, looking
compassionately at his white cheeks and |
languishing eyes, and little knowing that
the illness was the effect of dissipation, and
that the melancholy was assumed for the
occasion.
A few days after this Cap again met Cra-
ven lie Noir, who again, with deep bow
and sad smile, passed her.
''Poor fellow he richly deserves to suffer,
and hope it may make him better, for am
right down sorry for him; il must be SO
dreadful to lose one we lovel but it was too |
base in him to let his father try 10 compel
her TO have him!"
Now Craven lie Noir had been conscious
of the relenting ant, compassionate looks Of |
Capitola, but he did not know that they |
were only the plying regards of n noble and |
victorious nature over a vanquished and suf-
iering wrong doer. However, lie still deter
mined to be cautious, and not ruin his pros
poets by precipitate action, but to ''haste
slowly"
So the next time he met Capitola he raised |
his eyes with one deep, sad, appealing gaze
to hers, and then bowling profoundly, passed |
on.
''Poor mani" said Cap, to herself, she
bears no malice toward me for depriving him
of his sweetheart, that's certain And badly
as he behaved, suppose it was all for love;
for don't know how any one could live in
the same house with Clara and not be in love
with her. should have been so myself, if
I'd been man, KNOW"
The next time Cap. met Craven, and saw
again that deep, sorrowful, appealing gaze.
as he bowed and passed her, she glanced
after him, saying to herself:
"Poor soul, | wonder what he means by
looking at me in that piteous manner? I
can do nothing to relieve him. I'm sureif
could would. But the way of the trans
gressor is hard, Mr.. LIE Noir, and he whu
sins must sufferl"
For about three weeks their seemingly ac-
cidental meetings continued in this silent
manner, so slowly did Craven make his ad-
vances. Then feeling more confident he
made considerably long step forward
One day, when he guessed that Capitola |
would be out, instead of meeting her as |
heretofore, he put himself in her road. and,
riding slowly toward q five-barred gate al |
lowed her to overtake him.
He opened the gate, and, bowing, held 1t |
open until she had passed.
She bowed her thanks and rode on, but |
presently, without the least appearance OF
intrudng-since she had overtaken him
he was at her side, and, and speaking with
downcast eyes and deierential manner, he
said:
81 have long desired an opportunity to ex-
press the deep sorrow and modification /
feel, for having been hurried into rudeness
toward an estimable young lady at the Forset