"Remove the prisoner," said the judge, peremptorily.
The constables approached and led away Black Donald.
Old Hurricane rushed upon Cap, seized her, and, shaking her fiercely,
exclaimed, under his breath: "You--you--you--you New York hurrah boy! You foundling! You vagabond!
You vagrant! You brat! You beggar! Will you never be a lady? To go and
shake hands with that ruffian!"
"Sure, uncle, that's nothing new; I have shaken hands with you often
enough!"
"Demmy, you--you--you New York trash, what do you mean by that?"
"Of course I mean, uncle, that you are as rough a ruffian as ever
Donald Bayne was!"
"Demmy, I'll murder you!"
"Don't, uncle; they have an uncivilized way here of hanging murderers,"
said Cap, shaking herself free of Old Hurricane's grasp, and hastening
out of the court-room to mount her horse and ride home.
One night after tea, Capitola and her uncle occupied their usual seats
by the little bright wood fire, that the chilly evening and keen
mountain air made agreeable, even in May.
Old Hurricane was smoking his pipe and reading his paper.
Cap was sitting with her slender fingers around her throat, which she,
with a shudder, occasionally compressed: "Well, that demon Black Donald will be hanged the 26th of July," said
Old Hurricane, exultingly, "and we shall get rid of one villain, Cap."
"I pity Black Donald, and I can't bear to think of his being hanged! It
quite breaks my heart to think that I was compelled to bring him to
such a fate!"
"Oh, that reminds me! The reward offered for the apprehension of Black
Donald, to which you were entitled, Cap, was paid over to me for you. I
placed it to your account in the Agricultural Bank."
"I don't want it! I won't touch it! The price of blood! It would burn
my fingers!" said Cap.
"Oh, very well! A thousand dollars won't go a-begging," said Old
Hurricane.
"Uncle, it breaks my heart to think of Black Donald's execution! It
just does! It must be dreadful, this hanging! I have put my finger
around my throat and squeezed it, to know how it feels, and it is
awful. Even a little squeeze makes my head feel as if it would burst,
and I have to let go! Oh, it is horrible to think of!"
"Well, Cap, it wasn't intended to be as pleasant as tickling, you know.
I wish it was twenty times worse! It would serve him right, the
villain! I wish it was lawful to break him on the wheel--I do!"