"Ah, but Mr. Keepe, his cunning was no match for mine, you know!" said
Capitola, smiling.
"Ha-ha-ha! so it was not! You took him very cleverly! Very cleverly,
indeed! In fact, if it had not been for you, I doubt if ever we should
have captured Black Donald at all. The authorities are entirely
indebted to you for the capture of this notorious outlaw. And really
that being the case, I do think it would be straining a point to refuse
you admittance to see him. So, Miss Black, you have my authority for
visiting the condemned man in his cell and giving him all the comfort
you can. I would attend you thither myself, but I have got to go to see
the captain of a militia company to be on the scene of action
to-morrow," said the sheriff, who soon after took leave of the warden
and departed.
The warden then called a turnkey and ordered him to attend Miss Black
to the condemned cell.
The young turnkey took up a lamp and a great key and walked before,
leading the way down-stairs to a cell in the interior of the basement,
occupied by Black Donald.
He unlocked the door, admitted Capitola, and then walked off to the
extremity of the lobby, as he was accustomed to do when he let in the
preachers.
Capitola thanked heaven for this chance, for had he not done so she
would have to invent some excuse for getting rid of him.
She entered the cell. It was very dimly lighted from the great lamp
that hung in the lobby, nearly opposite the cell door.
By its light she saw Black Donald, not only doubly ironed but confined
by a chain and staple to the wall. He was very pale and haggard from
long imprisonment and great anxiety.
Cap's heart bled for the poor banned and blighted outlaw, who had not a
friend in the world to speak a kind word to him in his trouble.
He also recognized her, and rising and coming to meet her as far as the
length of the chain would permit, he held out his hand and said: "I am very glad you have come, little one; it is very kind of you to
come and see a poor fellow in his extremity! You are the first female
that has been in this cell since my imprisonment. Think of that, child!
I wanted to see you, too, I wanted to say to you yourself again, that I
was never guilty of murder, and that I only seemed to consent to your
death to save your life! Do you believe this? On the word of a dying
man it is truth!"