CHAPTER XXVII
THE OWNER OF THE MANSION ON THE HILL
Cuffy took care of the horses, for two of them were to belong to him,giving them even a feed of corn-meal mixed with water, which was all hehad to give them. He hitched them in the barn with the exhaustedsoldiers of the Riverlawn Cavalry, though it was rather close quartersfor them. Deck preferred the out-building to Cuffy's bed, which heoffered them.
It was four o'clock in the morning when the lieutenant and the sergeantretired upon their bed of straw, though there was plenty of it, and itwas a luxury to men who had been accustomed to lie at night on theground. They had been fully twenty-four hours on their feet, and hadbeen through a great deal of excitement during the day and the night.They were asleep about as soon as they struck the bed.
Cuffy came to the barn about nine o'clock in the forenoon to attend tothe horses. He led them all out to water, and then gave them anotherfeed in tubs. His guests had complained of fatigue, and he allowed themto sleep as long as they desired.
It was noon when Fronklyn awoke, and he had slept his full eight hours.Deck put in another hour; for he was younger than his companion, andneeded more sleep. The sergeant had worn his overcoat all the day andnight, though he had several times been tempted to throw it away,especially when they were climbing down the steep bank of the river. Hewas glad he had not done so when he went to bed on the straw.
He had given his blanket to Deck, though it required a great deal ofpersuasion to induce him to accept it; but Fronklyn had an overcoat. Itwas not so cold as to interfere with the slumbers of the wearysoldiers; and when they woke they felt like new men. They went to abrook that flowed through the negro's farm, and had a thorough wash tofreshen them up. The sergeant then renewed the plaster on his head, andexamined the wound of his companion. The swelling had nearly all gonedown, though there was still a soreness there; but the patient feltwell enough for duty.
"Here we are, Ben; what is the next move on the checker-board?" saidDeck, as they returned from the brook to the barn.
"Considering what we have been through since the sun went down lastnight, I think we are very well fixed to-day. We have a couple ofhorses to go where we please, and all we have to do is to ride back tothe outside of the Beech-Grove camp of the enemy; for we have seenenough of the inside of it," replied Fronklyn.
"We can't be many miles from it; and when we get there I think we shallfind our army in possession of it. That steamer whose boat we borrowed,and the other craft about there, must have been busy ferrying the enemyacross to the Mill Springs fortification," added Deck. "But what do yousuppose has become of all those cavalry men, and infantry too, that ranaway from the battle-field?"
"I don't imagine that a great many of them went back to theintrenchments, and probably most of them are wandering about thecountry in this vicinity," replied the sergeant. "The farmers'corncribs, if there is anything left in them, will suffer for the nextweek. They are not bashful, those fellows; and I have no doubt theywill visit the houses, and order meals as they would at a hotel."
"We are liable to meet them on our way back to the camp; and if we haveanything they want, they are likely to take it. Your blanket andovercoat would be useful to them, and so would the horses. But I fancythey would move about in small parties, and we may be able to take careof ourselves. You have your carbine, and I have my revolver."
"That looks like a big house on the hill back of us," said Fronklyn,pointing to the mansion.
"Mornin', Mars'rs!" shouted Cuffy, coming from his shanty to meet them."You done git up; I don't 'sturb you, coz I knowed you was tired out."
"We are glad you didn't, and we feel first-rate this morning. Whosehouse is that on the hill?" asked Deck.
"Dat's de mansion ob Cun'l Hickman, my ole mars'r," replied Cuffy. "Heowns all de land 'bout here, mor'n tousand acres. He let me live on discorner when he want me to run de ferry, and I stops here eber since."
"Then he must be very rich."
"Rich! Dat ain't no name for't. He's got more money'n de Bank obLondon, 'n I reckon he could buy out de State of Kaintuck. He's pow'fulrich, Mars'r."
"Is he a Secessionist?" asked Deck.
"Cun'l Hickman! Secesher! No, sar! He's de out-en-outenish Union man inKaintuck," returned Cuffy, whose politics were not at all in doubt withhis guests. "De Seceshers done raided his place fo' times; yesterdaywas de last time, 'n I reckon dem fellers dat wanted me to ferry 'emober de riber in de night is de ones dat did it. I done seen 'em on dehill fo' dark. I done see lots o' men wid guns, and some on hossbackdis mornin' strollin' 'long de riber an' ober de country."
"Which way did they come from, Cuffy?" inquired Deck.
"Most on 'em com 'd down de Harrison road, an' some on 'em was beat'n'across de farm."
"Have you heard of the great battle that was fought over by Logan'sCross Roads?" asked the sergeant.
"I don't hear ob no battle," replied the negro, opening his eyes wideenough to let them drop out of their sockets. "Gollywhimpers!" suddenlyexclaimed Cuffy, turning his gaze towards the mansion on the hill, "darcomes de cun'l on a hoss!"
The lieutenant and the sergeant looked in the direction indicated bythe ferryman, and saw a man riding down the hill at a breakneck speed.As he came nearer they saw that he was a person over sixty years ofage, with long, flowing white hair, like one of the patriarchs of old.He wore a soft black hat, well back on his head. He looked behind himfrequently, as though he expected something to transpire in thatdirection. As Cuffy said, his mansion had been raided several times,and he might have got used to such events.
"W'a--w'a--w'at's de matter, Cun'l Hickman?" shouted the ferryman,before the gentleman came within ten rods of him.
The rider did not check his speed till he reined in his horse in frontof the negro and his guests. He looked at the two officers withoutgiving any attention to Cuffy, and seemed to be astonished to find themthere.
"I see that you wear the blue," said the colonel, addressing Deck,whose shoulder-straps apparently excited his attention.
"We belong to the army of the United States, sir," replied Deck.
"Then how do you happen to be here?" demanded the colonel in a tone andwith a look of great severity.
"It would take some time, Colonel Hickman, to answer your question infull," returned Deck; "but I will say that we marched and foughtyesterday from four o'clock in the morning till dark, and werepractically prisoners in the camp of the enemy at the end of the day,but escaped in the night in a boat we took from a steamer alongside thefortifications at Beech Grove."
"Excuse me for speaking somewhat abruptly, Lieutenant, and give me yourhand; for I honor every man that fights or works for his country,"continued the colonel. "I am somewhat too old to do either, or I shouldnot be at home."
Deck took the proffered hand, and it was warmly pressed by the planter,and he extended the same courtesy to the sergeant.
"My mansion is beset by a band of ruffians, and I have been obliged toflee for my life," pursued the planter, glancing back at his house asthough he expected to see the flames rising from it.
"Do they mean to burn the mansion?" asked the lieutenant,misinterpreting the glance of the owner.
"Not at all; I have no fear that they will do that, for they arelooking for my money, for I have some concealed on my premises wherethey will never find it," said the planter with a significant shake ofthe head, which was as much as to say, "I have euchred them!"
"I suppose the banks in this part of the State are no longer saferepositories for valuables," added Deck.
"They are not, and I keep a comparatively small amount for currentexpenses at hand. This same band raided me three days ago, andthreatened to hang me in front of my mansion if I did not give up mymoney; but I would burn the bank-bills rather than permit them to fallinto the hands of these miscreants. I had a horse ready as soon as Isaw the ruffians coming down the private road from Millersville; and Ikeep several of my negroes on the watch for them. I escaped on my horsebef
ore, as I have done this time."
"How many are there in this band, Colonel?" asked Deck.
"My negroes counted ten of them. These raids are not uncommon events;and there were two or three of them within less than ten miles,sometimes by the enemy's foragers, and sometimes by partisan gangs. Themansion of Mr. Halliburn was captured a few days ago; but a very cleveryoung lieutenant, whose name was Lyon, in command of a detachment ofcavalry, entrapped the whole gang of ruffians in the house, and madeprisoners of every one of them, without the loss of a man."
"Perhaps I know more about that affair than you do, Colonel Hickman;for my name is Lyon, and I happen to be the officer to whom youallude," replied Deck, looking at the ground.
"Lieutenant Lyon! Is it possible?" exclaimed the planter, taking theyoung man's hand again.
"But we will not talk about things that are passed and gone, Colonel,"interposed the young officer. "I wish I had my platoon, or even half ofthem, here. Now, what can we do to aid you in this trouble, and freeyou from the annoyance of such enemies?"
"As you have only a sergeant with you, I don't see that you can doanything, my young friend; though I am as much obliged to you for yourgood intentions as though you had a whole army behind you," said theplanter. "I have been a soldier myself, and I was one of the youngKentuckians that fought in the battle of New Orleans under GeneralJackson."
"Have you any arms at your mansion, sir?" inquired Deck, as though hehad some scheme in his head.
"Plenty of them; enough to supply half of your platoon."
"Can you get back to your house without being seen, Colonel?"
"Easily; back of my house is an avenue, planted with trees, by which Ionce made my escape while they were looking for me. You can see it onthe south side of the hill; and it extends down to the river, the lastpart of it on the tongue of land, so that it has the stream on eachside of it," the old soldier explained.
"If you have such a quantity of arms, where do you keep them?"
"In the spring-house, the brick building on the brook, which you cannotsee from here. I have five sons and one daughter; two of the boys arein the army, and three are past the military age, though they belong tothe Millersville Home Guards, and were called out for duty three daysago. I expect them home soon; but they have been gone four days now. Myoverseer, his assistant, and two mechanics, went over to see the fightyesterday afternoon, and they have not yet returned."
"Dar dey is, Mars'r Cun'l!" shouted Cuffy, pointing to the Harrisonroad, down which three mounted riflemen were riding.
"I am glad to see them," added the planter, as the men came up thehill.
The father greeted them heartily, and they began to tell what servicethey had rendered during the preceding day on the right flank of thefield of battle. One of them happened to turn his head, and saw Deck;and, interrupting the conversation that was going on, he shouted,--
"Lieutenant Lyon!"
The other two, who had also been with the riflemen under command ofCaptain Ripley, repeated the exclamation.
"We fought under the command of Lieutenant Lyon most of the dayyesterday, and he is one of the ablest and bravest officers in theservice," said one of the sons. "He is"--
"We will hear that another time, Mr. Hickman; and you may have a chanceto fight under me to-day, for your father's mansion is beset by a bandof ruffians, who threaten to hang him," interposed Deck. "We muster sixmen now, and I propose to clean them out."
It was talked over for a little while, and the party soon rode off toone of the openings of the avenue by the river.