第99章

Besides we must dismount to break in the door."They rode back a quarter of a mile, and then dismounted.The sheriff took two heavy axes that hung from his saddle, and handed them to two of the men.

"I reckoned we should have trouble," ho said."However, I hope we sha'n't have to use these.My idea is to crawl up through the corn-field until we are within shooting distance, and then to open fire at the loopholes.They have never taken the trouble to grub up the stumps, and each man must look out for shelter.I want to make it so hot for them that they will try to bolt to the swamp, and in that case they will ho covered by the men there.I told them not to fire until they got quite close; so they ought to dispose of three of them, and as they have got pistols they will be able to master the others; besides, directly we hear firing behind, we shall jump up and make a rush round.Do you, sir, and James Wilkins here, stop in front.Two of them might make a rush out behind, and the others, when they have drawn us off, bolt in front."Several shots were fired at the party as they made their way across to the end of the field, where the tall stalks of maize were still standing, though the corn had been gathered weeks before.As soon as they reached the shelter they separated, each crawling through the maize until they arrived within fifty yards of the house.

There were, as the sheriff had said, many stumps still standing, and each ensconced himself behind one of those, and began to reply to the fire that the defenders had kept up whenever they saw a movement among the corn stalks.

At such a distance the shutters were but of slight advantage to the defenders of the house; for the assailants were all good shots, and the loopholes afforded excellent targets at such a distance.After a few shots had been fired from the house the fire of the defenders ceased, the men within not daring to protrude the rifles through the loopholes, as every such appearance was instantly followed by a couple of shots from the corn patch.

"Give me one of those axes," the sheriff said."Now, Withers, do you make a rush with me to the door.Get your rifle loaded before you start, and have your revolver handy in your belt.Now, Captain Wingfield, do you and the other two keep a sharp lookout at the loopholes, and see that they don't get a shot at us as we run.Now, Withers," and the sheriff ran forward.Two rifles were protruded through the loopholes.Vincent and his companions fired at once.

One of the rifles gave a sharp jerk and disappeared, the other was fired, and Withers dropped his axe, but still ran forward.Tho sheriff began an onslaught at the door, his companion's right arm being useless.A minute later the sharp crack of rifles was heard in the rear, and the sheriff and two men rushed in that direction, while Vincent and the other lay watching the door.Scarcely had the sheriff's party disappeared round the house than the door was thrown open, and Pearson ran out at full speed.Vincent leaped to his feet.

"Surrender," he said, "or you are a dead man."Jonas paused for a moment with a loud imprecation, and then leveling a revolver, fired.Vincent felt a moment's pain in the cheek, but before he could level his rifle his companion fired, and Pearson fell forward dead.A minute later the sheriff and his party ran round.

"Have you got him?" ho asked.

"He will give no more trouble, sheriff," the young man who fired said."I fancy I had him plum between the eyes.How about the others?""Dick Matheson is killed; he got two bullets in his body.The other man is badly wounded.There are no signs of old Porter."They now advanced to the door, which stood open.As the sheriff entered there was a sharp report, and he fell back shot through the heart.The rest made a rush forward.Another shot was fired, but this missed them, and before it could be repeated they had wrested the pistol from the hand of Matheson's wife.She was firmly secured, and they then entered the kitchen, where, crouched upon the floor, lay some seven or eight negro men and women in an agony of terror.Vincent's question, "Dinah, where are you?" was answered by a scream of delight; and Dinah, who had been covering her child with her body, leaped to her feet.

"It's all right, Dinah," Vincent said; "but stay here, we haven't finished this business yet.""I fancy the old man's upstairs," one of the men said."It was his rifle, I reckon, that disappeared when we fired."It was as he expected.Porter was found dead behind the loophole, a bullet having passed through his brain.The deputy-sheriff, who was with the party, now took the command.A cart and horse were found in an out-building; in these the wounded man, who was one of those who had taken part in the abduction of Dinah, was placed, together with the female prisoner and the dead body of the sheriff.

The negroes were told to follow; and the horses having been fetched the party mounted and rode off to the next village, five miles on their way back.Here they halted for the night, and the next day went on to Marion Courthouse, Vincent hiring a cart for the conveyance of Dinah and the other women.It was settled that Vincent's attendance at the trial of the two prisoners would not be necessary, as the man would be tried for armed resistance to the law, and the woman for murdering the sheriff.The facts could be proved by other witnesses, and as there could be no doubt about obtaining convictions, it would be unnecessary to try the charge against the man for kidnaping.Next day, accordingly, Vincent started with Dinah and Dan for Richmond.Two months afterward he saw in the paper that Jane Matheson had been sentenced to imprisonment for life, the man to fourteen years.