CHAPTER XXXIV
THE FIRE THAT WAS STARTED AT RIVERLAWN
Levi and Deck were the bill-stickers, and the night was chosen as thetime to post them, in order that the paste might be well dried andhardened before they were seen. They had taken a wagon, and with thecoachman for driver they had gone their round after people generallywere asleep. Wherever a flat surface could be found by the light of alantern, on barns, fences, rocks, and shops, a placard was posted.
It would take the ruffian brigade a long time to pull them all down,after the paste was dry; and the very wrath of these men would assist inadvertising the recruiting office at Riverlawn. The fact that the paperswere ready for signature could hardly fail to be known all over thevicinity early in the morning, and all over the county in a day or two.The information was already circulating in Bowling Green; for the editorof _The Planter_, at whose office Artie had applied to have the billsprinted, had made it known soon enough to enable the three ruffians tomake an attempt to suppress the placards.
_The Kentuckian_ was the loyal paper, and would doubtless make at leastan item of the fact that the recruiting office had been established.Possibly the other journal would make a "dastardly outrage" of the shotwhich Artie had fired at the three ruffians who beset him on the road.There was no doubt in the minds of the active men at Riverlawn that therecruiting office would be known to the fullest extent even the dayafter the bills were posted; for even the women would gossip about it asthey went from house to house, and the loafers in the "corner grocery"would have an exciting theme for discussion.
The people had been terrorized by the ruffians, who had banded togetheras Home Guards in this locality; and they had made noise enough tocreate the belief among the less demonstrative citizens that theSecessionists were in a majority. But Squire Truman had punctured thisbubble by an actual canvass of the inhabitants, and proved, as did thevote of the Legislature, that loyalty was the predominant sentiment.
When Artie Lyon returned from his mission to the county town with thebundle of placards in his possession, there was so much excitement atFort Bedford that he said nothing about his adventure on the road.Lieutenant Gordon had counselled the sending away of the four woundedruffians, who had been carefully nursed and fed at the hospital. Theywere all recovering from their injuries, and all of them walked aboutthe premises during a portion of the day.
"We don't want a lot of spies and enemies in our midst, for they willreport everything that is done to their friends who have been permittedto visit them," he reasoned with the planter, and the major agreed withhim; and this was the work which was in progress when Artie arrived.
Deck had made a hero of himself at the cross-cut, and his brother wasnot inclined to wear a wreath of laurel for the little exploit on theroad. He slept upon it, and the next morning he felt that it was hisduty to inform his father of the occurrence, as one of the indicationsof public sentiment in the county. The ruffians evidently intended thatthe Union army should not be recruited in the county.
Major Lyon praised him for his spirited conduct, and the lieutenant madehim blush with his commendation. But the incident was discussed more asan exponent of the temper of the ruffians than as an exhibition of pluckand courage on the part of the boy.
"You were right in calling these fellows the ruffians, Major Lyon," saidthe recruiting officer. "I have no doubt there are many respectableSecessionists in this part of the State, but I am confident they do notassociate with such fellows as you have had to deal with."
"Such men are simply in favor of neutrality, which I look upon as afraud and a humbug," replied the planter. "They are gentlemen in thetruest sense of the word, and I am only sorry they are on the wrong sideof the question."
The American flag was flying on the newly erected staff, and during theforenoon the carpenters were busy preparing the fort for the new use towhich it was to be devoted. A skylight was put in the roof to affordbetter light, a desk was brought from the library, and enclosed in railsfor the officer. Dr. Farnwright, who lived at Brownsville, was appointedmedical examiner, and the office was all ready for business by noon.
Before that time a dozen men had presented themselves for enlistment,and had signed the roll. A camp for the volunteers was to be establishedin the vicinity as soon as practicable. The lieutenant had sent off arequisition for uniforms, arms, provisions, and such other supplies aswould be needed. At dinner all were in excellent spirits, and thelocation of the camp was discussed, and was decided after considerabledisagreement. When the party returned to the fort they found half adozen men waiting for the officer. While he was questioning them, atremendous outcry came from the direction of the mansion.
"Fire! fire!" screamed the two girls, assisted by all the females in thehouse.
The planter, Levi, and the boys ran with all their might to the pointfrom which the alarm came. Before they reached it a considerable cloudof smoke rose from the rear of the building, indicating the locality ofthe fire.
"The house is on fire!" screamed Dorcas.
Major Lyon ran into the house; but Levi, as soon as he saw the smoke,rushed around the mansion, followed by the two boys. In the rear of thebuilding was an ell, to which a one-story structure had been added as astoreroom. The flames rose from this part of the house. Against it washeaped up a pile of dry wood and other combustibles, and it wasinstantly apparent to the overseer that the fire was the work of anincendiary. No time was to be lost, for the flames were rapidlygathering headway, and in a few minutes the whole mansion would be onfire.
The hands began to appear on the spot, and Levi sent the first one tothe stable for pitchforks; but he did not wait for them, and began todraw away the combustibles with such sticks as he could obtain. The boysfollowed his example, and the dry wood, blazing against the side of thestoreroom, was soon removed from its dangerous proximity to thebuilding. The work was effectively completed with the pitchforks as soonas they came.
"There are three men running away towards the swamp!" shouted Deck.
"I see them!" added Artie.
"Put the fire out first, and we will attend to them afterwards!" saidLevi. "Keep an eye on them while you work, and see where they go."
The burning brands were removed from the house, but the flames werealready communicated to the building. Mrs. Lyon had not gone out at thefront door with the girls, but had rushed to the storeroom, where shewas soon joined by her husband. All the buckets in the house werebrought into use, including half a dozen leather ones that hung in themain hall, and all the women were carrying water to the exposed point.The fire had not yet come through the side of the building, and thebuckets were passed out the window to the overseer.
In a few moments the fire was thoroughly drowned out, and everybodybreathed more freely. The lieutenant and the recruits had followed theothers, and assisted in putting out the fire. Deck and Artie turnedtheir attention to the three men they had seen, and had started inpursuit of them; but Levi called them back. Then he sent to the fort forseveral revolvers, not doubting that the men who were engaged in thisdesperate venture were armed.
But he did not wait for them, and told Artie to bring them to him assoon as the messenger returned. Gordon and Deck went with him. The greatriver was directly in the rear of the mansion, with the road to thecounty town on its shore. The swamp between the lawn and the road was aquagmire of mud, which was impassable for man or beast. The green fromwhich the estate had been named was high ground, and bordered on theriver, with the swamp between them.
"I suppose this fire is the work of the ruffians," said the lieutenantwhen the party had reached the highest ground in the rear of the house.
"No doubt of that; but it is a mystery to me how any of them got thisside of the house without being seen," replied Levi.
"But there is the road I came over yesterday morning," suggested theofficer.
"And you can see that low place this side of it, where the ruffianscould neither walk nor swim. There is a pond farther along, with astream from i
t that flows into Bar Creek," the overseer explained.
While they were on this high land, surveying the surrounding region,Artie brought them the weapons which had been sent for, and informedLevi that his father and the recruits were following the creek, lookingfor the incendiaries.
"I should say they came across the river above the bridge," said thelieutenant, pointing in that direction.
"But the rapids run close to the shore, and they would not find verygood boating right there," replied the overseer with a smile. "However,we will go over to the river, and beat the edge of the swamp to thepond."
They went to the river; but nothing like a boat could be seen on theshore. Then they followed the swamp till they heard a shot ahead ofthem.
"That makes it look as though Major Lyon had fallen upon them," saidLevi, as he quickened his pace. "There is another and another;" and twoshots followed the first one.
The party broke into a run, and soon came in sight of the pond. On itswaters was a flatboat, or bateau, in which three men were paddling withall their might towards the shore near the road to Bowling Green. Theplanter had fired three shots at them; but they were too far off for therange of the revolver.
"Out of the reach of the revolver; and he had better have brought one ofthe breech-loaders," said the lieutenant. "It looks to me just as thoughthey had a first-rate chance to escape."
"We are not euchred yet," replied Levi, as he ran with all his might inthe direction of the pond, but to a point much nearer the road. "I haveoften thought of this place since the troubles here began. The highground extends very nearly to the road, over which a bridge goes over asmall creek, flowing into the pond. I have crossed this place on a plankto the road."
"Then we are all right."
"We are if I can find the plank. One of the cows got mired here, and itwas brought over to use in getting her out. There it is!" exclaimed theoverseer, rushing to the spot where it lay.
It was carried to the swamp; and though it was too short to bridge thedangerous place, it assisted, with the help of two long leaps, incarrying them over. It was now seen that the ruffians had a wagon, withwhich they had probably brought the boat to the pond. The party reachedthe road just as the incendiaries leaped from the bateau. Levi fired thesix shots of his weapon at them, and the others followed his example;but the enemy were too far off, and not one of them appeared to be hit.
The moment they reached the shore they ran for the road, and struck itat a considerable distance from the pursuers. The ruffians did not waitto recover the team, but bolted with all their might towards BowlingGreen. It seemed useless to pursue them; for they had an advantage of ahundred rods, and the overseer was too fat to compete in speed withthem.
The wagon was only a haycart, drawn by two mules; and the incendiariescould easily outrun them if they were used for the pursuit. The purposeof the villains had been defeated, and Levi was disposed to be satisfiedwith this result. The bateau was taken from the water, and loaded uponthe wagon. Major Lyon and the recruits started back to the mansion assoon as the ruffians had effected their escape.
The party seated themselves in the boat, and the mules were started fora new home. When they reached the bridge over the upper part of therapids, they were not a little surprised, not to say startled, to see acrowd of men marching over in the direction of Riverlawn. They were notexactly a mob, for the head of the column was in regular ranks, and themen were armed with muskets.
"What does that mean, Mr. Bedford?" asked the lieutenant.
"The placards we posted last night have waked up the ruffians, and theyare coming over here on the same mission as the three we have driven offto Bowling Green," replied Levi, as he whipped up the mules. "They arethe ruffians without a doubt, and we are going to have music of somesort before the sun goes down to-night."
The information was carried to Major Lyon, who had reached the fort inadvance of them. The ruffians had doubtless made up their minds that acompany of cavalry should not be enlisted at Riverlawn, as advertised,and it was evident enough to all that there was to be a fight beforethis question could be settled.