Page:Popular Tales and Romances of the Northern Nations (Volume 3).djvu/209

Rh young bride, courage!—“Or—Or [sic] stay, may be the dove is a pet dove of your own?”

“No, it’s not that”—said Katharine—“but the dream has sadly sunk my spirits.” “Well, then,” said the commissioner, “If that’s all, pluck ’em up again! and so fire away, Mr. Forester.”

He fired: and at the same instant, with a piercing shriek, fell Katharine to the ground.

“Strange girl!” said the commissioner, fancying that she had fallen only from panic, and raised her up: but a stream of blood flowed down her face; her forehead was shattered; and a bullet lay sunk in the wound.

“What’s the matter?” exclaimed William, as the cry resounded behind him. He turned and saw Kate with a deathly paleness lying stretched in her blood. By her side stood the old wooden-leg, laughing in fiendish mockery, and snarling out—“Sixty go true, three go askew.” In the madness of wrath, William drew his hanger, and made a thrust at the hideous creature. “Accursed devil!”—cried he in tones of despair—“Is it thus thou hast deluded