Who can express the horror of that night,

When darkness lent his robes to monster fear?

And heaven's black mantle, banishing the light,

Made everything in fearful form appear.

Brandon

Let it not be supposed that Black Donald had forgotten his promise to

Colonel Le Noir, or was indifferent to its performance.

But many perilous failures had taught him caution.

He had watched and waylaid Capitola in her rides. But the girl seemed

to bear a charmed safety; for never once had he caught sight of her

except in company with her groom and with Craven Le Noir. And very soon

by eavesdropping on these occasions, he learned the secret design of

the son to forestall the father, and run off with the heiress.

And as Black Donald did not foresee what success Craven Le Noir might

have with Capitola, he felt the more urgent necessity for prompt action

on his own part.

He might, indeed, have brought his men and attacked and overcome

Capitola's attendants, in open day; but the enterprise must needs have

been attended with great bloodshed and loss of life, which would have

made a sensation in the neighborhood that Black Donald, in the present

state of his fortunes, was by no means ambitious of daring.

In a word, had such an act of unparalleled violence been attempted, the

better it succeeded the greater would have been the indignation of the

people, and the whole country would probably have risen and armed

themselves and hunted the outlaws, as so many wild beasts, with horses

and hounds.

Therefore, Black Donald preferred quietly to abduct his victim, so as

to leave no trace of her "taking off," but to allow it to be supposed

that she had eloped.

He resolved to undertake this adventure alone, though to himself

personally this plan was even more dangerous than the other.

He determined to gain access to her chamber, secrete himself anywhere

in the room (except under the bed, where his instincts informed him

that Capitola every night looked), and when the household should be

buried in repose, steal out upon her, overpower, gag and carry her off,

in the silence of the night, leaving no trace of his own presence

behind.

By means of one of his men, who went about unsuspected among the

negroes, buying up mats and baskets, that the latter were in the habit

of making for sale, he learned that Capitola occupied the same remote

chamber, in the oldest part of the house; but that a guest slept in the

room next, and another in the one opposite hers. And that the house was

besides full of visitors from the city, who had come down to spend the

sporting season, and that they were hunting all day and carousing all

night from one week's end to another.




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