CHAPTER XXXIV.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 2082, 22 March 1873, Page 2 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XXXIV.

A DREADFUL EXPERIENCE. Ate, where was Honor ? She had fallen back upon hor seat in the cab, as we have said, and the door had slammed shut, with tho sudden impetus given to the vehicle by the great bound of the frightened horse, in the very momont succeeding that in which Mrs. Early had sprung out upon the lonely road. For a minute, perhaps, Honor remained where she had fallen, half stunned by the shock of her downfall, while the driver yelled and whipped up his steed, in what appeared an uproarious paroxysm of drunkenness. Then the girl sprang up, and caught at the arm of Bing through the still open window, crying out : " Stop ! lam still in here. Let me out !" Bing chose to carry out still further the part he had assumed. It was not his purpose yet to enlighten the young girl as to his real character. " Wha' ?" he exclaimed stupidly, half turning around, but not relaxing his speed. " Wha' ye want ? Ye both got out. Ye know ye did. Don't bo'r. Don't bo'r me, I say. Lem me 'lone." He jerked himself free from the girl's grasp, and applied himself to the task of quickening his horse's speed to a dead run. Honor's hand trombled upon the door. She was tempted to open the door and spring out, but a timely remembrance of the deep ditches restrained her. She thought of Mrs. Early with a pang for her friend's distress. She believed that tho horse was beyond the control of the apparently drunken driver, and that the cab was liable at any moment to be upset. She murmured a prayer softly between her pale lips. When they were beyond the Bight and hearing of Mrs. Early, Bing ceased his outcries and lapsed into a state of what Honor believed to be drunken stupidity. Yet he lashed the horse now and then, keeping him at a rate of speed which rendered it impossible for Honor to effect her escape. At longth, as they approached Holcombe Moor, the weary beast began to flag, and the young girl, resolving to make no more appeals to the supposed cabman, tried to opeu the door. It was quite dark within the vehicle, and for some minutes she groped in vain for the fastenings. When she found them, she discovered that they were peculiarly hard to open. By dint of hard work, sho presently pushed open the door, and at the same minute the vehicle came to a standstill at a point where several roads met. Honor sprang out upon the ground. At the same moment the driver leaped from his box, uttering a low, peculiar whistle. A man who had been lying upon the ground in the darkness uproso from the midst of the furze, with an answering whistle. "All right!" said Bing. " All right !" said the man, who was the owner of horse and cab, and the friend of Darrel Moer's valet. Bing pressed five gold pieces in the cabman's hand, aud slammed the door of the ! empty cab. The driver climbed lightly up into his place, turned, and drove back towards Bolton by another route than that by which Bing had come. ■ All this had transpired so swiftly that Honor had not time to comprehend what had occurred before the cab and its veritable driver had departed. She was alone upon a desolate stretch ' of common, under the dun gloomy sky of the March night — alone with a man whom her awakening instincts now told her was her enemy. She looked at him with wild eyes. His ragged beard and wig disguised j bim beyond her knowledge. His long frieze overcoat, which came to his heels, and his slouched hat, perfected his disguise. But although she did not know him, she was afraid of him. Her heart seemed to rise to her throat. Without a word to him, she screamed loudly to the departing cabman, and ran in the direction the vehicle had taken. With giant strides Bing overtook her. He seized her arm in a fierce grip. " Who are you ?" cried Honor, panting. " Why have you brought me here ?" The man did not answer. He dragged her after him over the furze across the dreary moor. " Speak to me !" exclaimed the girl. " Are — are you going to kill me ? Is — is it Darrel ?" She knew now that the man had feigned drnnkenness — that the lying telegram she had received, and which had brought her to Bolton, had not been sent by Glarette Milner — that a trap had been laid for her by an unscrupulous enemy, and that she had fallen into it. What enemy had she but Darrel Moer ? She believed this man to be Moer in disguise. Bing did not answer her. She took his silence for assent. " You have brought me out here — to kill me !" said the girl, struggling, and raising her wild eyes to heaven. " Oh, Darrel, how have I ever harmed yoi ? Be merciful to me. Oh, Heaven pity and save me !" The man uttered an oath and dragged her over the lonely common, regardless of her prayers. Honor made no further appeal. Her brave young soul gathered all its forces to meet this peril dauntlessly and calmly. She could die, bat she would not give her murderer the pitiful triumph of her groans and anguish.

"Let me walk," sho said. "I am no longor afraid. Tho pangs of death are brief, aud beyond thorn is Lifo. But for yon, Darrol, for you thero will bo tho second death. Bettor ray lot than yours." ! Tho man suffered hor to walk bosido him, but ho did not relax his grip upon hor arm. Presently a glimmer of light as from a lantern down amid the furze caught thoir eyes. Bing hurried her toward it. They soon reached it, and found themselves in close proximity to a gipsy wagon of a superior typo, being a very neat aud pretty house on wheels. There was a door at the front and another at the rear of this travelling dwelling, buckets and baskets hung under it attached to hooks, and there were two windows, which were shuttered. A pair 1 of powerful horses wore harnessed to the wagon, and seemed impatient to begin or x*esurae their course, whichever it might bo. Bing came to a halt beside the wagon. " Gusty," he called, in a low, guarded, yet penetrating voice. Honor started. She knew that her captor was not Darrol Moor. There was a rustling in the furze on the t other side of the wagon, and a girl of some 1 fifteen years came round to them, and picked up the lantern from tho ground, its light falling upon her. This girl was Bing's own daughter, and had been named Augusta. She was a miniature copy of himself. He had a large family living somewhere in Lancashire, and he was wont to visit it at his convenience. This girl was the oldest of his children, and his favorite. She had inherited his shrewdness, cunning, and secrotiveness, and was an invaluable aid to him in his designs. She was his partial confidant in his pi'esent undertaking, and was devoted to his evil interests. Relieved of her worst fears — that her captor was Darrel Moer — Honor looked at this girl in the hope of seeing some gleam of kindness or pity in her face. She might as well have sought for pity in a stone. I Gusty Bing was an overgrown, swarthy creature, with black eyes and coarse black hair, cut short at her neck. She wore high boots, a scarlet petticoat, and a blue bodice. A short scarlet cloak was flung back over her shoulders, and a scarlet hood hung loosely at her neck. She looked like a gipsy, and Honor thought her really one. " All ready, dad ?" asked the girl, in a husky voice. " All ready, Gusty," heanswered. " Show the lady to her lodgings." Gusty ran around to the rear end of the wagon and lowered a flight of steps. Then she unlocked the rear door, throwing it open. "Come this way, miss," she said. I " Here you aro, as comfortable as at the Victory. Come along." But Honor refused to stir. " Who are you ?" sho asked Bing. " You are this girl's father. Who then ?" " Gusty," said Bing, " stop this way. Guard the girl while I tell her who I am." Gusty came back with the lantern, and composedly drew a small pistol from her bosom, pointing its dark muzzle at tho prisoner. "If you try to run, I'll shoot!" she warned Honor. " Dad, go ahead. I can take care of her." Bing took off his slouched hat, and flung it on the ground. Gusty threw the light of the lantern full upon him, and Honor regarded him. He pulled off his shaggy wig, his long and ragged beard and flung them also upon the earth. And lastly he removed his long frieze coat, and stood before her completely transformed, yet as unrecognisable as before. He was now the very ideal of an ordinary gipsy. He was swarthy of visage ; his hair was black as jet and cropped short, and he had gone to the length of putting gold hoops in his ears. He wore a suit of black velveteen, somewhat shabby, as if it had been long in wear, rings on his dirty fingers, now ungloved, and tall top boots, into which the legs of his trowsers were thrust. Honor regarded him in puzzled amazement. There was a familiar gleam in his eyes, and she knew that she had seen him before. Who would naturally abet Darrel Moer in any schemes against her ? His man Bing. Who had made an attempt to rob her of her marriage certificate at Southport ? Bing. And although his transformation was so complete that * her instinct rather than her eyes guided her to a conclusion, yot suddenly flashed upon Honor the full conviction that this man was Darrel Moer's valet and confederate She spoke his name involuntarily. The seeming gipsy showed his white teeth. "See here, miss," he said. "Is life dear to you ?" "It is as dear to me as to others," said Honor calmly. "Do you mean to kill me ?» " I've got my orders," said Bing ambiguoasly. " You are not wanted in London at present, miss. If you will go with me peaceable, I'll treat you with respect and let you go free in due time. But yon must promise to give no alarm while on our journey, to raise no outcry, to appeal to no one whomsoever, to make no attempt at escape." " And if I refuse to promise all this ?" The pretended gipsy showed his teeth again. " T am the agent of a man who scruples at nothing," he said. "Tf you refuse to give me the promise I demand, I shall leave this common immediately, but I shall leave your life'ess corpse among the furze. Mr. Moer is ia London. The deed can never be trascd homo to him or me.

Speak ! Tako your choico. Will yon go peaceably and living, or will you stay hero doad ?" Honor scarcely noeded timo for consideration, but sho took it. Sho reflected that if Bing meant to kill her ho would do so now, and not bo at tho risk of transporting hor across the country. She believed that she was threatened only with imprisonment in somo lonely spot. Trusting in God and in Sir Hugh Trogaron, of whom sho thought now, sho believed she might be rescnod from the hands of her enemies. 111 1 only need that she should be brave, stedfast, and patient. There was no possibility of present escape ; that she knew. Making the best of her situation, she replied : \ " I promise what you require." "It is well," said Bing. " Follow Gusty into the wagon." Honor monnted the steps after the girl, and outerod tho little house on wheels. It was small, of course, but was larger than Honor had supposed. The floor was covered with a pretty Brussels carpet of minute j>atlern, and a divan covered with chintz ran around the walls. The windows wore covored with Holland shades and draped with damask. There were various conveniences upon the walls — a mirror, a rack for dishes, and other articles. Tho wooden ceiling was painted blue, and so also were the walls. This establishment, horses and all, Bing had hired of a gipsy chief whom he had encountered at Manchester, leaving a deposit of mone7 that fully covored its value. Ho had sent for his daughter to como to him at Manchester, and he had seen her that very morning, and ordered her to have the wagon at Holcombo Moor by eight o'clock in the evening. This the girl had been able to effect, having.horsolf driven tho hoi*ses and wagon from thoir camping ground, some fivo miles from Holcombe Moor. The girl pointed out the advantages of the dwelling with considerable pride. " You and me is to occupy this here," she remarked, hanging up the lantern on a hook in the ceiling. "If you keep your promise and act half-way civil, you'll find me easy to get along with. If you try the other way, you'll find me a regular cat. I tell you fair to start with, and it's your own fault if you como to grief. Now there's one thing that'sgot to be done. If you don't do it peaceable, you'll have to be left under the furze, that's all. That complexion and that hair will have to bo changed. Dad has fixed a walnut dye, or some such thing, which will mat", y—"hair and fnco i;i«r- miner It '11 wash off, but you've got to put it on and keop it on while on this journey." The girl spoke with decision, having received her orders from her father. Honor received the proposition with repugnance. " What if it should never come off !" she exclaimed. " I can't do it. I have given my promise not to attempt to escape. This disguise is not needed." "Dad's the best judge of that," said Gusty coolly. "Here are the bottles — two of 'em. The lightest is for your complexion, the darkest for your hair. Dad's beside the wagon. I'll call him if you refuse. Look here. You hold out your hand and try the dye." She caught up the bottle containing tho darker fluid, and snatching Honor's hand, poured a quantity upon it. The delicate palm was stained with a blackness like that of a negro. Honor looked at it in dismay. Gusty lifted a lid in the divan, and displayed toilet appurtenances. Honor hastened to wash her hand, and the dye came off, leaving the hand with its pristine beauty and whiteness. " You see ?" exclaimed Gusty. " Now this darkest dye is to go on your hair. The paler dye is for your face. Will you let me put them on or no ?" She stepped to the door, as if to summon her father in the event of Honor's refusal. The young lady tried both dyes upon her hands, and fully assured herself of their harmless qualities, and signified her assent. Gusty opened the door. Bing sat on the steps outside. •'It's all right, dad," sho said. "She hears to reason. I'll show you another fine gipsy girl in the morning. We can travel on, if you're ready." Bing withdrew the key from the lock and passed it in to her. Gusty locked the door on the inner side. Bing picked up his discarded garments, rolled them up into a small parcel, and stowed it in a locker under his seat in front of the wagon. The horses were tethered to a stake that had been stuck loosely in the ground. He freed them, mounted the box, seized the lines, and drove away to the eastward. Within the wagon tho work of transforming Honor into a seeming gipsy progressed. Gusty produced a sponge, and dipped it into the lighter dye and passed it over the pure, fair face of tho prisoner, over the rounded throat, the arms, wrists, and hands. The result was a delicate olive tint, which looked natural. " Your eyes are black, thank fortune," said Bing's daughter. "If they'd been blue now, I don't know what we should have done." She unbound Honor's pale gold hair, unfastened tbo thick braids, and let the' whole fall in a golden shower over Honor's shoulders. Then, with a sponge, slowly and carefully she applied the darker liquid to Honor's hair, transforming 1 it to a glossy and jet black. The unique, bizarre beauty of Honor had given place to a brunette loveliness. It would have been hard to recognise in this gipsy-liko beauty tho fair, hau'cd youuy bi-idu of iJarrol Muiu\

" That is finished," said Gnsfcy, with a sigh of relief, as she deposited tho bottles in tho lockors. " You must put fresh dyo ! on your faco and hands ovoi'y day — especially on your hands. Any moisturo will remove this dyo. Arc you hungry ?" She opened anothor locker in tho divan and brought forth cold meat, delicate biscuits in tin boxes, and various other refreshments. Honor declined them all. "I want nothing-," she said. " Tell mo, where are you taking- me ?" " When you gob there you'll find out," responded Gusty, putting away the larger share of the fooc 7 , yet reserving a portion for her immediate consumption. " Just now you're on s long ja'nt. Dad is runuing the machine. All you've got to do is to sit still and iake things easy. You're in powerful hands that are able to hold you." At this moment Bing slid back a small panel in ihe front door behind his box, and whispered : " We're out on the highway. Douse pur glim, girl. Wo must be forty miles away from here by daybreak, and we must not be seen while we are going." He closed the panel. Gusty extinguished the light of the lantern, aud flung herself down upon the divan and went to sleep. Honor sat down upon the opposite divan, but she could not sleep. All night long she sat thore in the darkness, her black eyes glowing, her thoughts endeavouring to probe her future. And the idea grew upon ler that she did not know all she had to expect — that terrors, darkness, and perils were yawning in her pathway. i Perhaps the doom sho had dreaded that night on Holcombe Moor waited for her like a touching demon in tho place to which die was going ! I [to be continued.] ,

The K.'tioxamty of Mimtaiiy Otficeus. — Tho following is an official return of the nationalities of officers now serving in the British Array in different arms of the service : — Housohold Cavalry, G4 English ; 11 Scotch ; 15 Irish. Cavalry of the line, 005 English ; 81 Scotch; IGI Irish. Royal Horse Artillery, 212 English; 30 Scotch; 27 Irish. Royal Artillery, I,oßß English; 104 Scotch ; 190 Irish. Royal Engineers, 424 English; 52 Scotch; 121 Irish; Foot Guards, 201 English ; 30 Scotch; 15 Irish. Infautry of the Line, 3,387 English ; 505 Scotch ; 1,103 Irish. Army Service Corps — no returns. Army Hospital Corps, 1 English. Total, 5,932 English; 813 Scotch; 1,711 Irish. A Practical Joke. — The San Francisco correspondent of tho Sydney Morning Herald writes — " The husband of the celebrated actress, Miss Neilson, since ho has been here has been tho victim of all sorts of practical jokes. He seems naturally born to be a butt, aud Sothern O- h ° <s playing Dundren*^ »na u.-otkci sani again this season with tremondous success), and a gentleman popularly known as ' Billy' Florence, have taken all sorts of liberties with him. Among other things, they gave him a dinner to introduce him, as they aaid, to tho bost knickerbockor society. Tho ' best society' was a number of star nigger minstrels, most of the troupes of the city being represented by ono or two of their loading men. This burntcork brigade had been carefully drilled, and as soon as the guests were seated, Lee was horrified to see his connives tako out thoir revolvers and bowie knives, and lay them carelessly by the side of their plates. * What does this mean, Sothorn ?' asked ho, in a. whisper. 'Bo quiet, my dear boy," replied Dundreary.' Don't tako any notice of them ; they have been indulging too freely in wormwood oocktails, but they aro good-hoarted fellows, and I hope there won't be any difficulty, for I should bo sorry to see any one killed.' Of courso thero soon ensued a general melee. Men wildly plnnged about the room, contriving to upset the soup tureen over poor Lee, and brandishing knives and firing off pistols close to his head. Sothorn professed great alarm, and Lee rushed for the door, only to find it locked. Panting with terror, and horror, stricken to soe Dan Bryant already covered with gore (some stage blood procured for tho purpose), ho was fairly paralysed with fright when Sothern again sprang to his side, and putting a huge bowio knife in his hand, cried, c Let us die like brave men and Englishmen, Lee ; let us defend ourselves to tho last against these demons, who are now mad with you and me, though I don't know what about. Curse the country.' But at this moment the door was qnietly opened, and Lee, covered with mock turtle soup and brandishing his knife, rushed down stairs. Rather a rough joke, wasn't it, and just a trifle over-pi-actical ? But Lee is said to bo such a greenhorn that the temptation to a man like Sothern was irresistible. Thero is a sequel to it, about a mock challenge for a duel, but it is too long for me to tell." In a recent speech in tho House of Commons, Mr. Mundolla said :—": — " The employment of women at the collieries was utterly degrading and a disgrace to a Christian nation. He could not conceive anything more humiliating than tho spectacle of a lot of these women, dressod in the garb of men, unsexed, and blackened, and smoking their pipes, walking with the men into a public house, and turning out of it again, and fighting, perhaps, in the street." Cricket is becoming acclimatised in Geneva, though its popularity is retarded by tho Swiss terror for fast bowling. A iveaveu at Whittlefield, Lancashire, was dismissed without notice for attending to his dying wife instead of his work. During a thunderstorm at Newcastle, it hailed pieces of ico two inches in length. Manning's Worm Powders. — A certain, safe, and effectual remedy for both thread and round worms in children. Tho enormous sale for these powders, and the universal approbation of those who have tried them, induce the proprietor to make them universally known, that all may benefit by them. Few children in this country are freo from worms, yet one small packet of theso powders is sufficient entirely to expel them from the child, and induce a perfectly healthy state of the stomach I and bowels. If the child be pale and thin, without appetite, and the aspect feeble and delicate, a few bottles of a tonic mixture containing iron, should be given, with plain and wholesome food. Sold in packets, Is. and 2s. Gd. each. Prepared by J. C. Sharland, Shorl tan d -street, Auckland. Manning's Pim,s. — Tho best Family Aperient known : The action of the PilJs is Tonic, Alterative, and Purifying. Through them the appetite and strength aro restored, bilo removed and tho bowls relieved. They sustain and nourish the vital powers in a marvellous manner, inducing perfect health, freedom form pain, sound sleep, and cheerful disposition. Thoy ripidly euro Costivolioss, Giddiness, Billious nead-acho, Neuralgia, Dyspepsia, and Indigestion, imparting tono and energy to tho system. They giro no pain, yet. arc so effectual, that their action appears rather like a. charm than tho natural resnlt of a valnablo medicine. They arc specially recommended to I'Vmalcs and nil Invalids ; are free l'iom !Muronry ; and may be taken at s'll limoj without (V.wr of exposure to the ivontlior. \l't"r Liking thorn ;i plOitsuut fooling of onto and comfort .s expLiiouoci, lo^olhcr with clearness of nund, i-.v.d chcoidil spirits. Sri'? in boxos, I <=. and :!s. M. oach. Piopureii bv.r. (!. Sn.irlmul, Shortl.imUstrcot AuckL\ml.