CHAPTER XI.
THE BANNER ON THE WALL.
"You seem to be very much surprised at a very simple proposition," saidJack, at length.
"And you seem to have a deal more cheek than you did the first time Imade your acquaintance," replied Marcy.
Jack laughed heartily.
"Why, what is there to hinder you from taking me down to the fleet?" hedemanded. "Haven't I often heard you boast of the _Fairy Belle's_sea-going qualities? If she can cross the Atlantic, as you have morethan once declared, she can surely ride out any blow we are likely tomeet off the Cape."
"Oh, she can get there easy enough," answered Marcy. "I was not thinkingabout that. But suppose I take you down to the fleet and the Yankeeswon't let me come back? Then what?"
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Jack. "They'll let you come back. They are notobliged to force men into the service against their will. They've gotmore than they want."
"But there's another thing," continued Marcy. "There are two forts atthe Inlet; and suppose some of the rebels in those forts should see alittle schooner communicating with one of the blockading fleet. Wouldn'tthey take pains to find out where the schooner belonged, and who herowner was? And then what would they do to me?"
"They would put you in jail, of course," replied Jack, with refreshingcandor. "But I take it for granted that you are sharp enough to go andcome without being seen by anybody. If you magnify the dangers of theundertaking by holding back or raising objections to the programme Ihave laid out, I am afraid you will frighten mother into saying that Ican't go."
"I'll neither hold back nor object," said Marcy resolutely. "When youare ready to go say the word, and I will do the best I can for you."
"I knew you would. Now let's lie down for a while. I have tramped it allthe way from Boydtown since daylight, and am pretty well tuckered out."
"If you had telegraphed to Nashville, I would have met you with acarriage," said Marcy.
"Of course. But I thought I would rather have a talk with you and motherbefore I let any one know I was in the country. And now that I have gothere and had the talk--what would you do if you were in my place? Keepout of sight?"
"No, I wouldn't. What good would it do as long as the servants know youare here? Make it a point to say 'hallo' to all the neighbors, talkpolitics with them, and tell them how you ran that schooner into Newbernthrough Oregon Inlet. By the way, what was done with the cargo that wasintended for that house in Havana?"
"It wasn't intended for Havana. It was sold in Newbern, as the ownersmeant it should be, and when I left, the _West Wind_ was loading up withcotton for Nassau. Well, suppose I play that I am as good a Confederateas any of the people hereabouts; what then? When I leave for theblockading fleet they will want to know where I have gone, won't they?And what will you say to them? We must think about that and cook up somesort of a story on purpose for them."
The boys tumbled into bed while they were talking, but it was a longtime before Marcy could go to sleep. He shuddered every time he thoughtof what the consequences would be if by any misfortune it became knownin the settlement, that Jack Gray, whom everybody took to be a goodConfederate, and who had been permitted, while at home, to go and comeas he pleased, had seized the first opportunity to go down to Hatterasand ship on board a Union gunboat.
"This house would be in ashes in less than twenty-four hours after thenews got noised about in the neighborhood," said Marcy, to himself,wishing that the sound sleep that so promptly came to his weary brothermight come to him, also! "Then I should learn by experience how it seemsto live in a negro cabin. But there's one consolation. They couldn'tburn the cellar walls, so mother's money would be safe."
The clock struck nine before the boys got up that morning, but there wasa hot breakfast waiting for them. A family council was held while theywere seated at the table, during which it was decided that the onlycourse for Jack to pursue while at home was to do as he always haddone--go about the settlement as though he had a perfect right to bethere (as indeed he had), and act and talk as though such a thing as warhad never been heard of. If political questions were forced upon him, hecould tell of his voyage on the _West Wind_, and show Captain Frazier'sletter; but he must be careful not to say anything about his shortcaptivity in the hands of the _Sumter's_ men. Accordingly, when Marcy'sfilly was brought to the door after breakfast, there was another horsebrought with her for Jack's use. The coachman, who had been so soundlyrated the day before, came also, for the two-fold purpose of making hispeace with Marcy and welcoming the returned sailor.
"Sarvent, Marse Marcy. Sarvent, Marse Jack," said he, dropping his hatupon the ground and extending a hand to each of the boys. "So glad tohave you back, Marse Jack, and so proud to know that you wasn't tookprisoner by that pirate Semmes. We saw by the papers that he run out onthe high seas las' month, and I was mighty jubus that you might run ontohim. Glad to see you among us again, safe and sound, sar."
"And Morris, I am very glad to see myself here," replied Jack, givingthe black man's hand a hearty shake. "So you take the papers, do you?"
"Well, no sar; I don't take 'em, but the Missus does, and she tells mewhat's into 'em, sar."
"I don't know that it makes any difference how you get the news so longas you get it. But I am rather surprised to see you on the plantation. Ithought that of course you had run away and joined the Yankees beforethis time. You had better dig out, for you are an Abolitionist, and theyhang Abolitionists in this country."
"Now, Marse Jack, I don't like for to have you talk to me that a way"said the coachman in a tone of reproach. "All the other niggers may goif they want to, but Morris stays right here on the place. He does for afac'. Who going to drive the carriage if Morris runs away."
"Well, that's so," replied Jack, gathering up the reins and placing hisfoot in the stirrup. "I didn't think of that. Help Marcy into his saddleand then tell me what I shall bring you when I come from town--a plug ofstore tobacco for yourself, and a big red handkerchief for Aunt Mandy?"
"Thank you kindly, Marse Jack," said the coachman, with a pleased laugh."You always thinking of we black ones."
"Yes; I have thought of them a good many times during the two years andbetter that I have been knocking around the world," said Jack, as he andhis brother rode out of the yard. "Especially did I think of home whenthe brig was dismasted by a tornado in the South Atlantic. We came asnear going to the bottom that time as we could without going, and Ipromised myself that if I ever again got a foothold on solid ground, Iwould keep it; but here I am thinking of going to sea once more, as soonas I have had a visit with you and mother."
"I can't bear to think of it," said Marcy.
"I'd like to stay at home, but these fanatics who are trying to break upthe government won't let me," answered the sailor. "Now that you havehad a chance to sleep on it, what do you think of the proposition I madeyou last night?"
"About taking you down to the blockading fleet at the Cape?" inquiredMarcy. "Well, if you are bound to go, I don't see that there is anythingelse you can do. Of course I shall do all I can to help you, and ifthere was some trustworthy person to look out for mother, I would gotoo; but I should go into the army."
"Of course. Your training at Barrington has fitted you for that, and youwould be out of place on board ship. What color is the hull of the_Fairy Belle_?"
"It's black," replied Marcy, catching at the idea. "But it wouldn't takeyou and me long to make it some other color. That is what Beardsley didwhen he turned his privateer into a blockade-runner."
"And that is what we will do with your little schooner--we will disguiseher," said Jack, "and by the time we get through with her, her bestfriends won't recognize her. More than that, if we have to run withinspyglass reach of the forts at the Inlet, we'll hoist the rebel flagwith the Stars and Stripes above it, to make the Confederates think thatshe has been captured by the Yankees."
"But we haven't any rebel flag," said Marcy.
> "What's the reason we haven't? When the _Sumter's_ boarding officer toldour captain that we were a prize to the Confederate steamer, he hauledour colors down, and ran his own up in their place; and they were therewhen we took the vessel out of the hands of the prize-crew. I jerked itdown myself, said nothing to nobody, and brought it home as a trophy.It's in my valise now. When we return from town I intend to stick it upin the sitting-room where every one can see it."
"You do?" exclaimed Marcy. "Mother won't let you."
"Oh, I think she will," said Jack, with a laugh. "She will know why itis put on the wall, and so will you. Every time you two look at it, youwill think of the part I played in turning the tables on Semmes and hisprize-crew; but the visitors who come to the house on purpose to wheedlemother into saying something for the Union and against the Confederacy,will think they are barking up the wrong tree, and that the Gray familyare secesh sure enough."
"I hope they will, but I don't believe it," answered Marcy. "When youjoin the blockading fleet and the neighbors ask me where you are, whatshall I tell them?"
"That's a question I will answer after I have been here long enough toget my bearings," said Jack. "Did you remark that you would have to stopat Beardsley's? Well, here we are."
The rapidity with which news of all sorts traveled from one plantationto another, before and during the war, was surprising. Among the lettersthat Marcy Gray had been commissioned to deliver was one addressed toCaptain Beardsley's grown-up daughter, and the girl was waiting for themwhen they rode into the yard and drew rein at the foot of the steps.
"Morning, gentle_men_," was the way in which she greeted the two boys."I was dreadful frightened when I heard that the Yankees had run ontoyou, and that you had got your arm broke, Mister Marcy. But it seems pawwas into the same boat. Was he much hurted? Hope your venture in quininepaid you well, Mister Jack. You done yourself proud by running thatschooner into Newbern with all them supplies aboard, but you oughterstayed with her and helped her through the blockade."
"Oh, the skipper will find plenty of pilots in Newbern," replied Jack,who was not a little astonished to learn that the news of his return hadalready got abroad in the settlement. "If I can't ship on somethingbetter than a blockade-runner, I will stay ashore."
"But they do say there's a power of money in it," said the girl. "Isthat a fact, Marcy? Paw must have got safe out and back from Nassau, orelse you wouldn't be here now. Did he make much, do you reckon?"
"I believe he calculated on clearing about twenty-five thousanddollars," answered Marcy, who was looking over the package of letters hehad taken from his pocket.
"I say!" exclaimed the girl, fairly dancing with delight. "If paw madethat much he must get me the new dress I want, and that's a word with abark onto it. That letter for me? Sarvent, sar. Good-bye."
"I don't see why Beardsley went to the trouble of writing to her," saidJack, as the two turned about and rode away. "She can't read a word ofit."
"And I am very glad she can't," answered Marcy. "She will take it to oldMrs. Brown, most likely, and if she does, she might as well stick it upin the post-office. Mrs. Brown is a regular built gossip, and if thereis anything in the letter about me, as I think there is, I shall be sureto hear of it. But don't it beat you how things get around? Just see howmuch that girl knows; and I haven't been out of the house since I camehome yesterday afternoon. I tell you there are spies all about us. Don'ttrust any one you may meet in town. Tell just the story you wantpublished, and nothing else. And don't forget that before you sleepto-night I want you to bury seventeen hundred dollars for me. You've gottwo good hands."
"Marcy, I am almost afraid to do it," replied Jack. "Suppose some oneshould watch us and dig it up as soon as we went away?"
"We'll take Bose with us for a sentry, and slip out of the house aftereverybody else has gone to bed. We'll take all the precautions we canthink of and trust to luck. There's Nashville; now be as big a rebel asyou please. I know they'll not believe a word of it, but that won't beyour fault."
As Marcy expected, the first one to rush out of the post-office andgreet them, as they were hitching their horses, was young Allison. Hegave the sailor's hand a hearty shake, and then he turned to Marcy.
"Really, I am surprised to see you here, and in citizen's clothes, too,"said the latter. "I should have thought that your zeal for theConfederacy would have taken you into the army long ago. Man alive,you're missing heaps of fun. Look at my arm. I've suffered for the causeand you haven't." ["And what's more to the point, you don't mean to,added Marcy to himself.]
"It's fun to have a broken arm, is it?" exclaimed Allison. "I can't seeit in that light. The reason I haven't enlisted is because I thoughtthat perhaps you would bring me a favorable word from Captain Beardsley.Did you speak to him about taking me as one of his crew?"
"I did, before I had been aboard the schooner half an hour."
"And what did he say?"
"His reply was that he couldn't accept you. The crew is full; you knownothing about a vessel; he wants nothing but sailor-men aboard of him,and if you want to do something for the South, the best thing you can dois to go into the army."
"Well, I'd thank him to hold fast to his advice until he is asked togive it," said Allison spitefully. "I'll not carry a musket; I can tellhim that much. I have seen some fellows who were in the fight at BullRun, and they say that the privates in our army are treated worse thandogs. If I could get a commission the case would be different."
"That's the idea," said Jack. "Why don't you pitch in and get one?Begin at the top of the ladder and not at the foot. Crawl in at thecabin windows and don't bother about the hawsehole. I mean--you see,"added the sailor, seeing by the blank look on his face that Allison didnot understand his nautical language, "aboard ship we take rank in thisway: First the captain, then the mates, then the captain's dog, andlastly the foremast-hands. And I suppose it must be the same in thearmy."
"You don't mean it!" exclaimed Allison, opening his eyes.
"I do mean every word of it. Ask any seafaring man and he will tell youthe same. Whatever you do, don't go before the mast--I mean don't gointo the ranks. Get a commission and be a man among men." ["You'd lookpretty with straps on your shoulders, _you_ would," said Jack mentally."I'd like to gaze upon the man who would be foolish enough to puthimself under your orders."]
"Don't go into the office yet," said Allison, when the boys turned aboutas if to move away. "There's a crowd in there, and I want you to stayand talk to me. Tell me how you got wounded, Marcy."
"Let Jack tell you how he piloted that Yankee schooner into the port ofNewbern with a cargo of supplies for the Confederacy," replied Marcy. Hesaid this with an object in view; and that object was to find out howmuch Allison knew about Jack's movements and his own. Consequently,after his interview with Captain Beardsley's daughter, he was notgreatly surprised to hear Allison say:
"Jack hasn't much to tell, has he? As I heard the story he had notrouble at all in bringing the schooner through--he didn't even see thesmoke of a blockader. But there's one thing about it," he added, in alower tone, "you boys have shut up the mouths of some talkative peoplearound here who have been trying hard to injure you, especially Marcy."
"Why should anybody want to injure me?" exclaimed Marcy, lookingastonished. "I don't remember that I ever misused any one in thesettlement."
"I never heard of it," continued Allison. "But they say that you are forthe Union, and that the only reason you shipped on Beardsley's schoonerwas because you had to."
"Some people around here say that I am for the Union?" repeated Marcy,as though he had never heard of such a thing before. "And that I shippedbecause I had to?"
"That's what they say, sure's you're born; but your broken arm gives thelie to all such tales as that. And as for Jack--did he know that the_West Wind_ was a smuggler when he joined her in Boston?"
"Of course he knew it," answered Marcy. "He brought out a venture andcleared twelve hundred dollars by it."
"Whew!" whistled Allison. "I wish I could make as much money as that;but somehow such chances never come my way. But what is a venture,anyway?"
"It is a speculation that sailors sometimes go into on their own hook,"replied Marcy. "For example. Captain Beardsley wanted me to invest mywages and prize-money in cotton, sell it in Nassau for more than doublewhat I gave for it, put the proceeds into medicine and gun-caps, and sodouble my money again when we returned to Newbern. If I had taken hisadvice, I might have been four or five thousand dollars ahead of thehounds at this minute."
"You don't mean to say that you _didn't_ act upon his advice?" exclaimedAllison.
"Yes; that's just what I mean to say. You see, we stood a fine chance ofbeing captured by the Yankees, and Beardsley was so very much afraid ofit that he wouldn't load his vessel himself, but took out a cargo heobtained through a commission merchant.--I see Jack is going into thepost-office, and we might as well go, too. If you hear anybody sayingthings behind my back that they don't want to say to my face, tell themto ride up to our house and look at the Confederate flag in oursitting-room, and then go somewhere and get shot before they take itupon themselves to talk about one who has risked his life while theywere stopping safe at home."
"I'll do it," said Allison, and Marcy was almost ready to believe thathe meant what he said. "But are you really flying the Confederatecolors? Every one says that your mother----"
"Yes, I know they do," said Marcy, when Allison paused and lookedfrightened. "They think she is for the Union, and have set some meansneaks at work to get evidence against her; but you ride out to-morrowor the next day and take a look at that flag. How do you do?" he added,turning about to shake hands with Colonel Shelby and Mr. Dillon, whocame up at that moment and greeted him with the greatest cordiality.
"We were very sorry to hear of your misfortune," said the latter, "butyou have the satisfaction of knowing that you have suffered in arighteous cause. Did Captain Beardsley send any word to either of us?"
"No, sir; but he sent a letter to each of you," answered the boy,thrusting his hand into his pocket. "And there they are. This other oneis for the postmaster, and perhaps I had better go in and give it tohim."
The Colonel and his friend were so very anxious to learn what CaptainBeardsley had to say to them that they did not ask the woundedblockade-runner any questions, but drew off on one side to read theirletters; and this action on their part went far toward confirmingMarcy's suspicions that these two men were the ones Beardsley had leftashore "to do his dirty work" while he was at sea. He was as certain ashe could be, without positive proof, that those letters told of theunsuccessful attempts the captain had made at different times to findout whether or not there was any money hidden in Mrs. Gray's house. Thatmoney had been a constant source of trouble to the boy, but now he feltlike yelling every time he thought of it. If their "secret enemies" tookthe course that sailor Jack was afraid they might take--if they told theConfederate authorities that Mrs. Gray, after repudiating her debts toNorthern merchants (debts that she never owed), had concealed the moneyinstead of turning it into the Confederate treasury as the law provided,then there would be trouble indeed.
When Marcy and Allison went into the post-office they found Jacksurrounded by an interested group of old-time friends, to whom he wasgiving a humorous account of Captain Beardsley's unsuccessful effort tocapture the vessel to which he belonged.
"It happened right here on our own coast," said Jack. "She first triedto fool us by showing the figures that were painted on her sails; butthat wouldn't go down with our old man. Then she hoisted the Englishcolors, but that made us sheer still farther away from her; for whatwould a pilot-boat be doing in these waters with a foreign flag at herpeak? Than she cut loose on us with her bow gun, and we yelled and shotback with sporting rifles. What do you think of a fellow who will tryhis best to bring trouble to his only brother by showing a friendlyflag, and then shoot cannons at him when he finds he can't do it? That'sthe way Marcy served me and more than that, he had the face to tell meof it when I came home last night."
Of course this raised a laugh at Marcy's expense, but he didn't seem tomind it. He gave the postmaster Captain Beardsley's letter and asked forthe mail in his mother's box.
"And of course when the brig escaped you yelled as loudly as any Yankeein the crew," observed one of his auditors. "I suppose you had to inorder to keep out of trouble."
"But I don't reckon he'll do it again in a hurry," said another. "Whenhe brought that Yankee schooner into Newbern he proved to mysatisfaction that he is as good a Confederate as any man in the State.Why didn't you stay with her. Jack, and make yourself rich by runningthe blockade?"
"I had two reasons," answered the sailor. "In the first place I wantedto come home for awhile; and in the next, there is too much danger thesetimes in cruising about on an unarmed vessel. The next time I ship itwill be aboard of something that can fight."
"Did you hear any talk of an ironclad that is being built in the river afew miles above Newbern?" asked a third.
Jack winked first one eye and then the other, looked sharply into theface of each member of the group around him, and then turned about andsoftly rapped the counter with his riding-whip.
"You needn't be afraid to speak freely," said the postmaster, who knewwhat the sailor meant by this pantomime. "There isn't a traitor withinthe hearing of your voice. We are all true blue."
"One can't be too careful in times like these," replied Jack, turningaround again and facing the crowd. "After I have been among you awhile,I shall know who my friends are. I did hear some talk of a heavy vesselthat is to be added to the defensive force of the city, and which mightsome time go outside and scatter the blockading fleet, but I didn't goup to take a look at her. I couldn't spare the time. She'll need a crewwhen she is completed, and if I leave the settlement between twodays--if I am here to-night and gone to-morrow morning--my friendsneedn't worry over me."
"We understand. You'll be on board an armed vessel fighting for yourprinciples."
"You're right I will. Now, George," he added, turning to the clerk andslamming his saddle-bags upon the counter, "I want one of those pocketsfilled with plug tobacco, and the other stuffed with the gaudiestbandanas you've got in the store."
The clerk took the saddle-bags, and when they were passed back to theirowner a few minutes later, they were so full that it was a matter ofsome difficulty to buckle the flaps. Then the boys said good-bye andleft the store. They started off in a lope, but when they were a mile orso from the town and alone on the road, they drew their horses down to awalk, and Jack said:
"Do they take me for one of them or not?"
"They pretend to, but everybody is so sly and treacherous that you can'tplace reliance upon anything," answered his brother. "What you saidabout leaving home between two days was good. It will help me, for I canrefer to it when you are gone. Now, Jack, you must put up that rebelflag the minute you get home. I told Allison about it, and if he shouldride out some day and find the flag wasn't there, he would suspect thatwe are not just the sort of folks he has been led to believe."
"All right! And our next hard work must be to hide your money and paintthat schooner of yours. We'll go about it openly and above board. We'llsay she is scaling,--if she isn't she ought to be, for it is a long timesince she saw a brush,--and that she needs another coat of paint toprotect her from the weather."
This programme was duly carried out. Of course Mrs. Gray protested,mildly, when Jack brought down his rebel flag, and, after spreading itupon the floor so that his mother could have a good view of it,proceeded to hang it upon the sitting-room wall; but when the boys toldher why they thought it best to place it there, she became silent andpermitted them to do as they pleased. While they were putting the trophyin position, Jack found opportunity to whisper to his brother:
"Now, if any of our officious neighbors give the Confederate officers ahint that mother is keeping back money that she ought to turn into thetreasury, and they come here to
search the house, they'll take a look atthis flag and go away without touching a thing. Mark what I tell you."
"But suppose the Yankees come here and take a look at it; then what?"whispered Marcy, in reply.
"Well, that will be a black horse of another color," said Jack. "They'llcome here--don't you lose any sleep worrying about that; but when theycome, you must see to it that this flag is out of sight. I'll say onething for the rebels," he said aloud, turning his head on one side andgazing critically at his prize, "they've got good taste. I've seen thecolors of all civilized nations, and that flag right there on the wallis the handsomest in the world, save one."
"But think of the principles it represents," exclaimed Mrs. Gray."Disunion and slavery."
"Of course," replied Jack. "But when these fanatics have been soundlythrashed, there will be no such things as disunion and slavery. Theywill be buried out of sight. I was speaking of the rebel flag, which,next to our own, is the prettiest I ever saw. Their naval uniforms arehandsome, too."
Of course it soon became known among the servants that there was aConfederate banner displayed upon the walls of the "great house," andthose who came into the room turned the whites of their eyes at it andthen looked at Marcy and Jack in utter astonishment. But the boys didnot appear to notice them nor did they volunteer any explanation--noteven when old Morris came in to satisfy himself that the astounding newshe had heard was really true. The sight of the emblem, which he knew wasupheld by men who were fighting for the sole purpose of keeping him andhis race in bondage, struck him dumb, and he left the room as silentlyas he had entered it. In less than half an hour the news reachedHanson's ears, and that worthy, astonished and perplexed, waitedimpatiently for night to come so that he could ride into town and tellColonel Shelby about it.