The dark figures secured the horses, bridles and saddles and moved tothe next appointed crime.
The stolen horses were put in charge of the two sons, who had refused totake part in the events of the night. They were ordered to follow thehuntsmen carefully.
Again they crept through the night and approached the home of Wilkinson,the member of the Legislature from the County. Brown had carefullysurveyed his place and felt sure of a successful attack unless the houseshould be alarmed by a surly dog which no member of his surveying partyhad been able to approach.
When they arrived within two hundred yards of the gate, it was oneo\'clock. Brown carefully watched the house for ten minutes to see thatno light gleamed through a window or a chink. The wife had been sickwith the measles when the survey was made. There was no sign of a light.
Salmon and Owen Brown were sent by the men on a protest to Brown.
Salmon was spokesman.
"We\'ve got something to say to you, Father, before we take outWilkinson--""Well?" the old man growled.
"You gave every man strict orders to fire no guns or revolver unlessnecessary--didn\'t you?""I did.""You fired the only shot heard to-night.""I\'ll not do it again. I didn\'t intend to. I don\'t know why I did it.
Stick to my order.""See that _you_ stick to it," the boy persisted.
"I will. Use only your knives and cutlasses. The cutlass first always."The men began to move slowly forward.
Brown called softly.
"Just a minute. This dog of Wilkinson\'s is sure to bark. Don\'t stop totry to kill him. Rush the house double quick and pay no attention to hisbarking--""If he bites?" Owen asked.
"Take a chance, don\'t try to kill him--Wilkinson might wake. Now, alltogether--rush the house!"They rushed the house at two hundred yards. They had taken but tensteps when the dog barked so furiously Brown called a halt. They waited.
Then, minutes later the dog raged, approaching the house and retreating.
His wild cry of alarm rang with sinister echo through the woods. Thefaithful brute was calling his master and mistress to arms.
Still the man inside slept. The Territory of Kansas to this time hadbeen as free from crime as any state on its border. The lawmaker hadnever felt a moment\'s uneasiness.
Footsteps approached the door. The sick woman saw the shadow of a manpass the window. The starlight sharply silhouetted his face against theblack background.
Some one knocked on the door.
The woman asked:
"Who\'s that?"No one answered.
"Henry, Henry!" she called tensely.
"Well?" the husband answered.
"There\'s somebody knocking at the door."Wilkinson half raised in bed.
"Who is that?"A voice replied:
"We\'ve lost the road. We want you to tell us the way to Dutch Henry\'s."Wilkinson began to call the directions.
"We can\'t understand--""You can\'t miss the way.""Come out and show us!"The request was given in tones so sharp there could be no mistake. Itwas a command not a plea.
"I\'ll have to go and tell them," he said to his wife.
"For God\'s sake, don\'t open that door," she whispered.
"It\'s best."She seized and held him.
"You shall not go!"Wilkinson sought to temporize.
"I\'m not dressed," he called. "I can tell you the way as well withoutgoing outdoors."The men stepped back from the door and held a consultation. John Brownat once returned and began his catechism:
"You are Wilkinson, the Member of the Legislature?""I am, sir.""You are opposed to the Free Soil Party?""I am."The answers were sharp to the point of curtness and his daring rousedthe wrath of Brown to instant action.
"You\'re my prisoner, sir."He waited an instant for an answer and, getting none, asked:
"Do you surrender?""Gentlemen, I do.""Open the door!""In just a minute.""Open it--""When I\'ve made a light.""We\'ve got a light. Open that door or we\'ll smash it!"Again the sick woman caught his arm.
"Don\'t do it!""It\'s better not to resist," he answered, opening the door.
Brown held the lantern in his face.
"Put on your clothes."Wilkinson began to dress.
The men covered him with drawn revolvers. The sick woman sank limply onthe edge of the bed.
"Are there any more men in this house?" Brown asked sharply.
"No.""Have you any arms?""Only a quail gun.""Search the place."The guard searched the rooms, ransacking drawers and chests. They tookeverything of value they could find, including the shotgun and powderflask.
The sick woman at length recovered her power of speech and turned toBrown.
"If you\'ve arrested my husband for anything, he\'s a law-abiding man. Youcan let him stay here with me until morning.""No!" Brown growled.
"I\'m sick and helpless. I can\'t stay here by myself.""Let me stay with my wife, gentlemen," Wilkinson pleaded, "until I canget some one to wait on her and I\'ll remain on parole until you returnor I\'ll meet you anywhere you say."Brown looked at the woman and at the little children trembling by herside and curtly answered:
"You have neighbors.""So I have," Wilkinson agreed, "but they are not here and I cannot gofor them unless you allow me.""It matters not," Brown snapped. "Get ready, sir."Wilkinson took up his boots to pull them on when Brown signaled his mento drag him out.
Without further words they seized him and hurried into the darkness.
They dragged him a few yards from the house into a clump of dead brush.
Weiner was the chosen headsman. He swung his big savage figure beforeWilkinson and his cutlass flashed in the starlight.
The woman inside the darkened house heard the crash of the blade againstthe skull and the dying groan from the lips of the father of her babies.
When the body crumpled, Weiner knelt, plunged his knife into the throat,turned it and severed the jugular vein.
Standing over the body John Brown spoke to one of his men.
"The horses, saddles and bridles from the stable--quick!"The huntsman hurried to the stable and took Wilkinson\'s horse.
It was two o\'clock before they reached the home of James Harris on theother side of the Pottawattomie. Harris lived on the highway and kept arude frontier boarding place where travelers stopped for the night.
With him lived Dutch Henry Sherman and his brother, William.
Brown had no difficulty in entering this humble one-room house. It wasnever locked. The latch string was outside.
Without knocking Brown lifted the latch and sprang into the room withhis son, Owen, and another armed huntsman.
He surveyed the room. In one bed lay Harris, his wife and child. In twoother beds were three men, William Sherman, John Whitman and a strangerwho had stopped for the night and had given no name.
"You are our prisoners," Brown announced. "It is useless for you toresist."The old man stood by one bed with drawn saber and Owen stood by theother while Weiner searched the room. He found two rifles and a bowieknife which he passed through the door to the guard outside.
Brown ordered the stranger out first. He kept him but a few minutes andbrought him back. He next ordered Harris to follow him.
Brown confronted his prisoner in the yard. A swordsman stood close byhis side to catch his nod.
"Where is Dutch Henry Sherman?""On the plains hunting for lost cattle.""You are telling me the truth?" Brown asked, boring him through with histerrible eyes.
"The truth, sir!"He studied Harris by the light of his lantern.
"Have you ever helped a Southern settler to enter the Territory ofKansas?""No.""Did you take any hand in the troubles at Lawrence?""I\'ve never been to Lawrence.""Have you ever done the Free State Party any harm?""No. I don\'t take no part in politics.""Have you ever intended to do that party any harm?""I don\'t know nothin\' about politics or parties.""What are you doing living here among these Southern settlers?""Because I can get better wages.""Any horses, bridles, or saddles?""I\'ve one horse.""Saddle him and bring him here."A swordsman walked by his side while he caught and saddled his horse anddelivered him to his captors.
Brown went back into the house and brought out William Sherman. Harriswas ordered back to bed, and a new guard was placed inside until theceremony with Sherman should be ended.
It was brief.
Brown had no questions to ask this man. He was the brother of HenrySherman, the most hated member of the settlement. Brown called Thompsonand Weiner and spoke in tones of quick command.
"Take him down to the Pottawattomie Creek. I want this man\'s blood tomingle with its waters and f............