III
A fine mist was falling, and the night was so dark that we would neverhave found our way but for a small dog whose inhospitable bark directedus to the cabin. The dog was so disturbed by our approach that a womanopened the door to see what the trouble could be. We found Jack Bledsoeon a pallet, and saw at a glance that the woman had administered suchremedies as common-sense and experience had taught her would allay thefever of a wound. He recognized us at once, and Harry could hardly keepback his tears when he saw his college chum lying helpless on thefloor. He supported Jack's head while the surgeon was examining thewound.
"You are here sooner than I thought," said Jack, gripping Harry's handhard, "but I knew you would--I knew it. And there is Carroll Shannon,"he went on, holding out a hand to me. "You never were very fond of me,Carroll, but I always liked you."
I hardly knew what to say, and therefore I said nothing. I could onlytake his hand in mine and give him a grip that would tell him more thanwords could tell. "Don't worry, old fellow," Jack continued, observingthe expression of grief and anxiety in Harry Herndon's countenance."It's all owing to the way the cards fall. Some day your turn may come,and then I hope I'll be able to go to you." His eyes were unnaturallybright, and his lips trembled with suppressed emotion.
The tension was relieved by the woman, who looked at both the youngfellows, and then turned to the surgeon and asked almost unconcernedly,"Ain't war a hell of a thing?"
It was the surgeon who responded. "It would be hard to find a betterdefinition, ma'am."
"I've saw lots wuss'n this," she remarked, as if she would thus findexcuse for her sudden use of an expression that is rarely heard on thelips of a woman.
"Why, yes, ma'am--a great deal worse. This is not a bad case at all. Nogreat damage has been done. He will be lame for some weeks--perhaps fora longer time. The ball struck the bone, glanced, and is now close tothe surface."
In a few moments he had deftly extracted it, and the wounded man seemedto be greatly relieved. Medicine, strange to say, had been declared acontraband of war by the Federals, and the surgeon could spare but adriblet of quinine from his small supply; but he left some, and gavevarious directions with respect to the possible symptoms that mightarise.
Just then the woman's husband entered the door. He was an emaciated,unkempt man, whose movements were in strange contrast with hisappearance. He was one of the most trustworthy of General Forrest'sscouts, but neither betrayed the fact that he knew the other. On thecontrary, the man was both angry and rude. "What'd I tell you, Rhody?"he exclaimed, turning to his wife. "I know'd they'd crowd us out'nhouse an' home ef they got a chance; I could 'a' took oath to it! Cuss'em, an' contrive 'em, both sides on 'em, all an' similar! They'd aslief make a hoss-stable out'n the house as not, an' I built it wi' mytwo han's."
"An' what ef you did?" inquired the woman with some show of spirit."Hit ain't sech a beauty that you kin brag on it. An' who made your twohan's? You made 'em, I reckon, an' nobody else could 'a' done it."
The man made a gesture as though he could in that way weaken the forceof the woman's words, and he evidently knew when to speak, for he saidno more. On the contrary, sympathy shone in his eyes when he looked atthe wounded man. "Don't you worry, Bill; ef ther's any worryin' to bedone, leave it to me. It takes a 'oman to know how to worry right; an'ever'thing oughter be done right."
"Can you get a boat across the river?" inquired General Forrest,turning to the man. He was somewhat doubtful until he caught theGeneral's eye, and then he thought that nothing would be easier."Well," said the General, "go across and tell the Yankees that there'sa wounded officer at your house and that he needs attention. Tell 'emthat General Forrest says they can get him whenever they send afterhim."
"Is this General Forrest?" inquired Jack Bledsoe. "General, I hardlyknow how to thank you. I had just been dreaming of prison."
The General made a deprecatory gesture, and was on the point of sayingsomething, when the man of the house spoke up. "Ef you're Gener'lForrest," he said, "you'll be more than pleased to know that theYankees ain't never took time for to cook supper. After they hit thefurder bank they jest kep' on a-humpin', an' I don't blame 'em myself,bekaze 'twuz the only way wet men could keep warm."
"It's up to you, Herndon; he's your prisoner. He ought to be in ahospital where he could be looked after, but I reckon he'll have tostay where he is for a while."
"He won't put me out a mite ef he stays," said the woman. "He'll becompany fer me when Bill is pirootin' 'roun'."
General Forrest gave us permission to remain where we were for thenight. "We move at five," said he. "Bill here will put you across andshow you which way to go when he has found your horses for you." Justhow Bill would do that was a mystery, but we asked no questions.
We called for Whistling Jim when General Forrest had gone, but he wasnowhere to be found. He had shown us the way to the cabin and thendisappeared. I judged that he was afraid Jack Bledsoe would upbraid himor that Harry would give him a scolding; but, whatever his reasons, hedisappeared when we went in the cabin, and we saw him no more till thenext morning.
Harry and Jack talked of old times until the woman was compelled towarn the wounded man that it would be worse for him if he excitedhimself. But he talked away in spite of the warning. He talked of hissister Katherine, much to Harry's delight, and told of his ownsweetheart in Missouri. His colonel, he said, was very fond ofKatherine, but he declared that Kate still thought of Harry, whereuponthe young fellow blushed and looked as silly as a school-girl.
Tom Ryder was the Colonel's name, and he had a sister Lucy. Miss Lucywas Jack's choice out of a thousand, he said. The main trouble withJack was that his sweetheart's sister, Jane Ryder, didn't like him--andso forth and so on, till I nodded where I sat, and dreamed of Katherineand Jane and Lucy Ryder, until someone took me by the arm and told methat it was time to be up and going.
We delayed our departure on one excuse and another, until finally Bill,who was to be our guide, grew irritable; and even then we made afurther delay while Jack pencilled a note to his colonel, which Harrywas to take charge of as long as there was danger of his capture byroving bands of Federals, and then it was to be given to the guide, whothought he could insure its delivery.
When we were ready, and could invent no further excuse, Harry turned toJack. "The war doesn't touch us, dear boy. Good-by, and don't fail toput in a good word for me when you go home."
Jack Bledsoe's face brightened up. "That's so!" he exclaimed; "I can gohome now. Well, you may depend on me, Harry; but the two Miss Rydersare all the other way, and I'll be between two fires. Tell WhistlingJim I have no hard feelings. He has really done me a favor, if thingsturn out no worse than they are."
We bade our friend good-by again and went out into the damp morningair, each with his various thoughts. I congratulated myself that minehad little to do with the troublesome sex. The fog, hanging heavilyover the river, shut out the sunlight. We had to take the guide's wordfor that, for we could see no sign of the sun. Indeed, it was so darkthat we had considerable difficulty in making our way. But when we wereon the other side, and had mounted the somewhat steep bank, the fogdisappeared and the sun shone out; and not far away we saw WhistlingJim and the horses.
He hailed our coming with delight, for he had been waiting some time,and he was both cold and frightened. He took off his hat, as he said,to old King Sun, and he seemed to feel all the better for it; and weall felt better when our horses were between our knees. Even the horsesfelt better, for they whinnied as we mounted, and were for going at amore rapid gait than was necessary.
We entered the scrub timber and went through it for half a mile ormore, and then suddenly came out on the public highway. The guidesuggested that we smarten up our gait, and we put the horses to acanter. I thought surely that the man would give out, but he merelycaught hold of my stirrup to help him along, and when we came to across-road, and halted at his suggestion, he showed as little fatigueas the horses--this man who seemed too frail to
walk a mile.
Here he gave us such instructions as seemed necessary, and was justabout to so-long us, as he said, when he paused with his hand to hisear. "I'll be whopped," he exclaimed, "ef I don't hear buggy-wheels,an' they're comin' right this way." With that he slipped into thebushes, and, though I knew where he was concealed, it was impossible tocatch a glimpse of him.
There was a bend in the road about a quarter of a mile ahead of us, andwe waited expectantly, while Whistling Jim, with a cunning for which Idid not give him credit, pretended to be fixing his saddle-girth. As wewaited a top-buggy rounded the bend in the road and came bowling towardus. It was surprising to see a buggy, but I was more surprised when itsoccupant turned out to be a woman--a woman in a top-buggy, ridingbetween two hostile armies!