Left to Ourselves; or, John Headley's Promise. Read online

  CHAPTER IV.

  _RESCUED: AN ALLEGORY._

  Another Sunday came round, and the brothers and sisters again claimedAgnes's promise to continue the story of the "Wordless" pages. They hadseveral times in the week asked if she could do so then; but she hadalways answered. "Wait till Sunday."

  "Now Agnes," said John, "let us have the rest of that dream."

  "I did describe to you all that dream," answered Agnes. "What I have totell you to-day is another dream--a new page as it were; not black, butred."

  "I thought it was to be a continuation," said Alice.

  "Yes, it is; but you will not let me begin."

  "Oh! yes we will," said Minnie. "Now then. Agnes."

  Red--Blood.

  Again I dreamed, and found myself in the same cavern where I had beforebeen such a terrified spectator. Should I be able to see the dismal endof those miserable boys? I asked myself. At first the darkness seemedimpenetrable, and as there was no sound to break the stillness, I fearedthat already the fierce beast had devoured those whom he had captured.

  But hark! was not that a sobbing sigh from some one?

  Again it met my ear, and I thought I could distinguish Alwin's voice,saying in a low, pleading tone:

  "Edred, I am sure I read something in the Guide-book about the King'sSon, who lives in that Palace we saw over the Hills there, being willingto rescue travellers, if they were in distress."

  "Hush!" said Edred, in a frightened voice, "the fiend will hear you, andwill spring upon us if he thinks we are meditating escape--howeverfutile it may be," he added bitterly.

  "He is half asleep over there," answered Alwin in a low tone; "see howhe rests, and his eyes are shut. Oh, Edred, our position is so dreadfulthat it is worth a desperate effort to get free."

  "No effort is of any avail," said Edred hopelessly. "If you only look atyonder monster, with his awful name shining on his forehead, you willknow that he will never let us enter the King's Palace; he told us justnow that his wages are death, and that we shall _not_ escape."

  "I know," said Alwin, "but all the same I have read enough of theGuide-book to believe there is some way of deliverance; do, Edred, tryto recall what it was."

  "I never read it," said Edred, "and to consult it now, when we are inthis dire distress, seems like mocking the King who ordered it to bewritten."

  He sighed heavily, and as I grew accustomed to the darkness, I couldfaintly perceive the two boys crouching down in a corner, watching theevil beast, never taking their wearied eyes from him for a moment.

  Alwin seemed unable to let go his last hope, and began againimploringly, "Edred, I _know_ it said if people got into these cavernsthey were to call to the King; do let us try."

  "Call and wake the monster?" asked Edred, mockingly. "Besides, who couldhear?"

  "I shall try," whispered Alwin, "for I feel I shall soon have nostrength left."

  Edred made a gesture as if to reply, when the enemy roused himselfsuddenly, and before either of them had time to speak or move, he hadsprung across the cavern. I saw the two boys disappear beneath his awfulform.

  A fearful cry rent the air, a cry of agony, but a cry too which seemedto expect an answer.

  The fiend grappled with them both, and gave them blow after blow. Stillspell-bound I watched, feeling myself turned to stone with horror.

  But what did I hear? Surely above the cruel strokes which resounded onthe bodies of these captive boys, surely above their cries for help, andmoans of anguish, I heard another sound--a sound of rescue, comingnearer and nearer?

  Did the evil creature hear it too? Did he not strike the faster, thatthere might be no deliverance; that the deliverance might be too late?

  A strange light approached along one of the passages, and all at onceOne entered the cavern, and dealt a swift blow at the fiend, which madehim relax his hold, only to tighten it more painfully. "I have come todeliver those that are appointed to die," said a voice of heavenlysweetness; but the fiend turned on Him with blows, fiercer and deadlierthan those he had given the boys, and there ensued such a terriblecombat that my very heart failed me.

  By-and-by I found that the fiend seemed to grow weaker and weaker, andthe Deliverer, though wounded and bleeding, was a Conqueror. The evilcreature at last sank down in the mire, motionless, his grasp loosenedfrom the poor boys, and the Conqueror came up to them and raised themfrom the ground.

  Alwin had just sufficient strength left to clasp the feet of hisDeliverer with a cry of love, but Edred neither spoke nor moved.

  "Edred," said the tender voice, "I have fought, and he who held thee isconquered; wilt thou come with Me?"

  Edred groaned.

  "Thou wilt not stay here, Edred?" again said the loving tonereproachfully.

  "I am not worthy," moaned Edred, "I disobeyed----"

  "Nay, nay, thou art not worthy; but I have loved thee, and have done itall for thee. Edred, wilt thou refuse?"

  Then I heard a broken cry of grateful acquiescence, and the two lost,hopeless boys were clasped to that bosom of love.

  And Alwin whispered, "Thou hast been wounded in the sore fight, for Ican feel Thy blood flowing upon me!"

  "That was the price at which I rescued thee," answered the Deliverer,"and thou shalt find when we come into the Light that the Blood of theKing's Son worketh marvels for thee."

  "Art Thou the King's Son?" asked Edred as they moved forward from thiscavern of Death.

  "Didst thou not know?" answered his Deliverer with a radiant smile, "noone else is 'Mighty to save.'"

  * * * * *

  When Agnes ceased the relation of her dream, she turned over the leavesof her Bible which lay on her knee, her brothers and sisters waiting tosee if there were any more of the story.

  At last she looked up, and said earnestly, "You all like allegories, butthey can only teach one side of a truth at once, and the Lord Jesus hasdone so much more than anything I can say for us. I have not told youhalf that Red page means, but you can seek it out for yourselves, dears.Think of all the love which brought Him down to redeem us, and what itcost Him, and let the Red page of the 'Wordless Book' impress this uponyour hearts, never to be forgotten, 'Without shedding of blood is noremission;' 'God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we wereyet _sinners_. Christ died for us.'"