CHAPTER IV.
VISITORS IN PLENTY.
Although we have said that Marcy Gray appeared to be as calm as asummer's morning, he was not so in reality. He had the most disquietingreflections for company during every one of his waking hours, and theytroubled him so that he found it next to impossible to concentrate hismind on anything. On this particular morning he felt so very gloomy thathe did not ride his filly to town, as was his usual custom, but sent oldMorris and a mule instead. What was the use of going to the post-officethrough all that rain just to listen to the idle boasts of a fewstay-at-home rebels who could not or would not tell him a singlereliable item of news? He and his mother had been talking over thesituation--it was what they always talked about when they werealone--and the conclusion to which they came was, that their affairscould not go on in this way much longer, and that a change for better orworse was sure to come before many days more had passed away.
"I suppose our situation might be worse, but I can't see how," saidMarcy, rising from his seat on the sofa and looking out at one of thestreaming windows.
"Would it not be worse if we had no roof to shelter us in weather likethis?" inquired Mrs. Gray.
"It would be bad for us if our house was burned, of course," answeredMarcy. "But as for a roof, we shall always have that. If they turn usout of here we'll go to the quarters; and if they burn us out of there,we'll go into the woods and throw up a shanty. As long as they leave meor a single darky on the place the weather will never trouble you,mother."
"But I am afraid they will not leave you with me," replied Mrs. Gray."You know that General Wise has asked the Richmond authorities tore-enforce him at Roanoke Island, and they have told him to re-enforcehimself. You know what that means?"
"Yes; it means a general drumming up of recruits among the lukewarmrebels hereabouts. But it doesn't scare me. When I see such fellows asAllison, Goodwin, Shelby, and Dillon, and a dozen others I couldmention, shoulder a musket and go to the defence of the Island, then Ishall begin to worry about myself, and not before. Mother, CaptainBeardsley and his friends will not permit me to be forced into the army,and neither will they let harm come to you, if they have influenceenough to prevent it."
"Marcy, I am afraid you are placing too much reliance upon Aleck Websterand his friends," said his mother. "They have not brought Beardsley homeyet. Suppose he has the courage to defy them?"
"But he hasn't," said the boy earnestly. "He hasn't had time to answerthat letter yet, but he will do it, and he will answer it in person. Iknow he would have the courage to brave an open enemy, especially if hewas driven into a corner and couldn't run, but it worries him, as itdoes everyone else, to have people work against him in secret. He willcome home before he will allow his property to be destroyed, and Aleckassured me that if anything happens to us, Beardsley will have to standpunishment for it. But I do wish he had not caught Jack and me atCrooked Inlet. He will tell all about it the minute he gets home--hewould die if he had to keep it to himself--and I am afraid the folksabout here will do something to us in spite of all Beardsley and hisfriends can do to prevent it. I wonder where those two horsemen aregoing in such haste. Why, mother, they are rebel officers, and they areturning toward the gate. Yes, sir; they are coming in. Now what do yousuppose they want here?"
This was a startling piece of news, and a question that Mrs. Gray couldnot answer. Although there were two garrisons within a few miles of theplantation, one being located at Plymouth and the other at RoanokeIsland, Marcy and his mother seldom saw any soldiers, unless theyhappened to be neighbors who had enlisted, and come home on a few days'furlough. These furloughed men never came near the house, but rode bywithout looking at it; while the two men who were now approaching wereheaded straight for it, and their actions seemed to indicate that theyhad business with some member of the family. Marcy glanced at hismother's pale but resolute face, and then he looked up at theConfederate banner--the one Captain Semmes hoisted at the _Sabine's_peak when he put his prize crew aboard of her, and which Sailor Jack hadcaptured and brought home with him. That flag had twice taken the little_Fairy Belle_ in safety past the rebel fortifications down the river,and Marcy had great hopes of it now.
"It may not serve you this time as well as it did before," said hismother, who seemed to read the thoughts that were passing in his mind."I was afraid you would miss it by passing those batteries in broaddaylight, but I do not understand these things, and did not think itbest to raise any objections to Jack's plans."
"Why, mother, we never could have run those works in the dark withoutbeing seen and fired at and perhaps sunk," replied Marcy. "The veryimpudence of the thing was what disarmed suspicion and saved us frombeing searched. We'll soon know the worst now, for here they are at thebottom of the steps. I shall ask them right in here."
So saying Marcy opened the door that gave entrance into the hall, andcalled for Julius to run around to the front door and take charge of acouple of horses he would find there, after which he stepped out uponthe gallery just as the Confederates were getting ready to hail thehouse.
"Good-morning, gentlemen," said he. "Alight, and give your nags over tothis boy."
The officers replied in courteous tones, and when they had ascended thesteps to the gallery and turned down the wide collars of their grayovercoats, Marcy was somewhat relieved to find that they were bothstrangers, and that they did not look at him as though they had anythingunpleasant to say to him.
"I am Captain Porter, at your service, and my friend here is LieutenantAnderson; no relation, however, to the Yankee hero of Fort Sumter, who,so I am told, is about to be canonized by the Northern people," said theelder of the two; and then he waited a moment for his subordinate tolaugh at his wit. "If you are Marcy Gray and the head man of theplantation, you are the man we are looking for. Who wouldn't be asoldier this fine weather? How is your arm coming on by this time?"
Marcy was beginning to feel a little at his ease in the presence of hisunwelcome visitors, but this abrupt question aroused his fears on theinstant. Did the captain know what was the matter with his arm? and ifhe did, which one of their gossiping neighbors told him about it? He wasanxious to know, but afraid to ask.
"It is getting better every day, thank you," was his reply. "Will younot come and speak to my mother? Julius will put your horses undershelter."
"We are 'most too muddy to go into the presence of a lady," said thecaptain, looking down at his boots, "but as I don't want to blot mynotebook by taking it out in the rain, I think we'll have to go in. Wehad a short but interesting chat with your captain a while ago."
"Beardsley?" Marcy almost gasped. "Has he got home?"
"Of course he has. You didn't think the Yankees had captured him, Ihope. He gave us a good account of you, and since you can't run theblockade any more, I wish you would hurry up and get well so that youcan join----"
Right here the captain stopped long enough to permit Marcy to introducehim and his lieutenant to Mrs. Gray. They sat down in the easy-chairsthat were brought for them, made a few remarks about the weather, andthen the captain resumed.
"Yes; we saw Beardsley this morning, and would have been glad to spend alonger time with him, but business prevented. He says you are a braveand skilful pilot, and I happen to know that they are the sort of menwho are needed on our gunboats; but, of course, you can't go just now.Hallo!" exclaimed the captain, whose gaze had wandered to the rebel flagthat hung upon the wall. "Where did you get that, if it is a fairquestion?"
"It is one my brother brought home with him," answered Marcy, speakingwith a calmness that surprised himself. "He was second mate and pilot ofthe blockade runner _West Wind_ that was fitted out and loaded in theport of Boston."
"Oh, yes; we heard all about him too," said the captain, and Marcyafterward confessed that the words frightened him out of a year'sgrowth. "He went down to Newbern to ship on an ironclad he didn't find;so I suppose he went into the army, did he not?"
"Not that I know of," answered Marcy, look
ing first one officer and thenthe other squarely in the eye. "Almost the last thing I heard him saywas, that he was going to ship on a war vessel."
"Then he will have to come back here to do it, for there is no ironcladbuilding at Newbern, and I don't see why he did not ship with CommodoreLynch in the first place," said Captain Porter. "But doubtless he wantedto serve on deep water. Now to business. We want negroes to work on thefortifications on and about the Island, and Captain Beardsley sent ushere to get some. He said he thought you might spare, say fifty ormore."
Marcy was suspicious of everything Beardsley said and did, and wonderedif this was a new move on the man's part to bring him and his motherinto trouble with the Confederate authorities. If it was a trap Marcydid not fall into it.
"You can call on my mother for double that number," said he without aninstant's hesitation. "We can't spare them, of course, for there's workenough to be done on the place; but all the same you will have to getthem."
"All right," answered the captain, pulling out his notebook. "Send themdown to Plymouth as soon as you can and in any way you please, and wewill furnish them with transportation and take care of them after that.By the way, it's rather queer about that overseer of yours. Where do youimagine he is now?"
If Marcy had not been fully on the alert this question would have struckhim dumb; but the captain, whose suspicions had not been in the leastaroused, and who believed Marcy and his mother to be as goodConfederates as he was himself, had unwittingly paved the way for it bytalking so freely about Captain Beardsley.
"It was a very strange as well as a most alarming proceeding," admittedMrs. Gray, who thought it time for her to take part in the conversation."I have not yet fully recovered from the fright it gave me," she added,with a smile, "and we have not the faintest idea where Hanson is now."
"What was Hanson anyhow? Which side was he on?"
"I don't know," replied Marcy. "Sometimes he claimed to be one thing,and then he claimed to be another."
"Captain Beardsley thinks he was in favor of the South."
"That proves my words, for he assured me that he was a Union man, andwanted to know if I was going to discharge him on account of hisprinciples. I told him I was not, and added that if Shelby and Dillonand their friends wanted him driven from the place they could come upand do the work themselves, for I would have no hand in it. I desire tolive in peace with all my neighbors."
"Oh, you can't do that, and it's no use to try," exclaimed the captain,getting upon his feet and buttoning his heavy coat. "Beyond a doubt youroverseer was a Confederate in principle; and if that is so, hisabductors must have been Union men. If Confederates had carried him awaythey would not hesitate to say so. Those Unionists must be your nearneighbors, and if I were in your place, I should not show my colorsquite so plainly," added the captain, pointing to the banner on thewall. "I am surprised to learn that there are so many traitors in myState, and we shall turn our attention to them as soon as we have beatenback the Yankee invaders of our soil."
"Do you think there will be any more fighting, captain?" asked Mrs. Grayanxiously.
"Yes, madam, I do. I am not one of those who believe that the North isgoing to be easily whipped. They do not belong to our race, I am glad tosay, but they are a hardy, enduring people, and although they don't knowhow to fight they think they do, and they are going to give us astruggle. We must hold fast to Roanoke Island, for the possession ofthat important point would give the enemy a chance to operate in therear of Norfolk. We expect to have a brush with them soon, and when itcomes, we intend to make another Bull Run affair of it. I wish we couldremain longer, but our duties call us away. I trust you will have thosenegroes down to us to-morrow."
Mrs. Gray replied that they should be sent without loss of time, andMarcy went out to tell Julius to bring up the horses. When he came backand followed the officers to the front door, he inquired if they hadheard what Beardsley's reason was for quitting a profitable business andcoming home so unexpectedly.
"Oh, yes; Beardsley told us all about it. He said he was afraid of theYankees, and he didn't act as though he was ashamed to confess it. Theircruisers are getting so thick along the coast that a sailing vesselstands no chance. I asked him if he was going to enlist and he thoughtnot. He wants to do his fighting on the water."
"He wants to do his fighting with his mouth," was what Marcy said tohimself. "He will neither enlist nor ship; but he will stay at home andtry by all the mean arts that he is master of to keep mother and me introuble." Then aloud he said: "I am glad he came home, for it lets meout of the service. I have no desire to face any more steam launchesthat carry howitzers."
"I suppose not," said the captain, giving Marcy's hand a hearty farewellshake. "The more I see of those people the less I like to face them inbattle. I hope you will soon have the use of your arm again, and that Ishall see you by my side fighting for the glorious cause of Southernindependence. Good-by."
The two officers mounted and rode away, Marcy remained upon the gallerylong enough to wave his hand to them as they passed through the gate,and then he went into the house and to the room in which he had left hismother.
"What did I tell you?" were the first words he uttered. "Didn't I saythat Beardsley would not let harm come to us if he could help it? I tellyou, mother, he is afraid of the men who carried Hanson away and orderedhim to come home."
"Well, then, is he not aware that we are looking to those same men forprotection?" inquired Mrs. Gray.
"If he doesn't know it he suspects it pretty strongly. Aleck Webstertold me that Beardsley had been warned to cease persecuting Union peoplein this settlement. That includes you and me, for the minute Beardsleysaw and recognized my schooner in Crooked Inlet, that very minute heknew where to place us. He knows where Jack is now as well as we know itourselves."
"And will he not tell of it?"
"Of course, for it is to his interest to do so. If he has been home longenough to ride into Nashville, he has told Shelby and Dillon of itbefore this time. I wish I could see a copy of the letter that was sentto him by Aleck and his friends. I am sorry to lose all our best handsat the very time we need them most, but all the same I am glad thoseofficers came here. They didn't say _money_ once, and that proves thatBeardsley could not have spoken of it in their hearing."
"O Marcy," exclaimed Mrs. Gray, rising from her chair and nervouslypacing the room. "I little dreamed that that money would be the occasionof so much anxiety to all of us. I almost wish I had never seen it. Ican't sleep of nights for thinking of it, and sometimes I imagine I hearsomeone moving about the cellar."
"I don't wish you had never heard of it," replied Marcy. "We can't tellhow long it will be before a dollar or two of it may come handy to us.Say, mother," he added, stepping to her side and placing his arm abouther waist, "do you think you would be any easier in your mind if you didnot know just where that money was, so long as you knew it was safe?"
"I know I should," was the reply, given in cautious tones. "But, my son,you must not attempt to remove it to another hiding-place. There seem tobe so many who are on the watch, that I am sure you would be detected atit. That would mean ruin for you and arrest and imprisonment for me."
Marcy Gray was surprised, frightened, and angered by thewords--surprised to learn that his mother was tormented by the very fearthat had been uppermost in the mind of the absent Jack; frightened whenhe reflected how very easy it would be for some of their secret enemiesto bring evidence to prove that every dollar of the money that wasconcealed in the cellar-wall rightfully belonged to Northern men, andthat Mrs. Gray was hoarding it for her own use in violation of the lawin such cases made and provided; and angered when he thought of the manyindignities that would be put upon his mother by the Confederateauthorities, who had showed themselves to be brutally vindictive andmerciless in dealing with those whose opinions differed from their own.He drew a long breath which was very like a sob, and led his mother backto her seat on the sofa.
"All right," said he, wi
th an appearance of cheerfulness that he was farfrom feeling. "I thought it would be a load off your mind if you couldsay that there is no money about the house except the little you carryin your pocket."
Mrs. Gray noticed that the boy did not promise to let the money alone,but before she could call his attention to the fact Marcy faced aboutand went into the hall after his coat and cap.
"It is almost time for the hands to have their dinner," said he, "andwhen I get them together I will tell them the news. Of course they willbe delighted with it."
"I am afraid they will put them under some old overseer who will abuseand drive them beyond their strength," observed Mrs. Gray.
"I think it likely that they will see the difference between working foryou and working for somebody else," admitted Marcy. "But these are wartimes, and when we can't help ourselves we must do as we are told. Ourdarkies ought to be glad of an opportunity to labor for the governmentthat is fighting to keep them slaves. I wonder how many CaptainBeardsley will send!"
"You said a while ago that it would be to the captain's interest to tellof his meeting with you and Jack at Crooked Inlet," observed Mrs. Gray."I didn't quite understand that."
"Well, you see Beardsley needs help to carry out his plans, and his gamenow is to do nothing that will cause Hanson's abductors to turn theirattention to him and his buildings. He believes, and he has good reasonto believe, that certain men around here have it in their power todamage him greatly; and if he can bring Shelby and Dillon and the restof the gang to his way of thinking, they will be apt to let us alone.Now I will go out and make a detail of the men we need about the place,and tell the others that they must be ready to march at daylight in themorning. I am not going to send them off in this rain."
"The captain said nothing about picks and shovels," suggested Mrs. Gray."Perhaps it would be well----"
"Picks and shovels cost money," interrupted Marcy, "and we are not goingto send any down there to be stolen. Let the Confederate governmentfurnish its own tools. Now I am beaten again! Here are two morevisitors, and this time they are Captain Beardsley and Colonel Shelby."
This very unwelcome announcement brought Mrs. Gray to her feet in atwinkling. "What do you think they can want here?" she almost gasped,with a good deal of emphasis on the pronoun.
"They are coming to make friends with you, so that you will not tell theUnion men to destroy their property," replied Marcy.
"But, my son, I never would do anything of the kind. And besides, I donot know the Union men, or where to find them."
"No difference so long as they think you do. Now sit down and be asindependent as you please, and I will let them in. Julius, stand by thefront door to take those horses."
These men were admitted as the others were, but with very differentfeelings on the part of those they came to visit. Captain Porter and hislieutenant had donned uniforms and were ready to risk their lives forthe cause in which they honestly believed, but these two lacked thecourage to do that. Beardsley was ready to do anything that would bringhim a dollar, provided there was no danger in it, while Shelby would nothave enlisted if he knew that he could thereby earn a right to the titlethat was now given him out of respect to his wealth. They were ready tourge or drive others into the army, but it hurt them to be obliged tosend their negroes to work on the fortifications. Colonel Shelby enteredthe room and seated himself with an air of a gentleman, while Beardsleyacted the boor, as he always did. He gave Marcy's well hand a tremendousgrip and shake, and said, in the same voice he would have used if he hadbeen hailing the masthead:
"Well, how do you find yourself by this time? Ain't you sorry now thatyou didn't take out a venture when I wanted you to, so that you might beshaking thousands in your pocket at this minute, when you've only gothunderds? My respects to you, Mrs. Gray; but when me and this boy ofyourn get to talking we don't know when to stop. Hope you have been wellsince I saw you last, and that the carrying away of your overseer didn'tscare you none."
Marcy was well enough acquainted with Captain Beardsley to know that hedid not rattle on in this style for nothing. The man was excited andnervous, and tried to conceal his feelings under a cloak of hearty goodnature and jollity that ill became him. Marcy sat down and looked at himin a way that made Captain Beardsley mutter to himself:
"I'd like the best in the world to wring that there brat's neck. He'sgot the upper hand of me and Shelby and all of us, and dog-gone theluck, he knows it. I'd give a dollar to know what he's got on his mindthis very minute."
After a little talk on various subjects that were of no particularinterest to anybody, Captain Beardsley introduced the subject ofblockade running, and gave a glowing description of the manner in whichhe had hoodwinked the Yankee cruisers by dodging out of Ocracoke Inletwhile they were busy fighting the forts at Hatteras. He seemed to lookupon it as a very daring and skillful exploit, and yet it was nothingmore than any alert shipmaster would have done under the samecircumstances.
"After that we had fun alive," added the captain; and Marcy wassurprised to see him put his hand into the pocket of his overcoat andbring out a good-sized canvas bag which was filled so full of somethingheavy that it would not hold any more. "All we had to do was to run downto Nassau, discharge our cargo, and load up and come back again; and allthe while we was making money till I couldn't eat nor sleep on accountof it, and the Yankees never showed up to bother us."
"You were fortunate," said Marcy, when Beardsley stopped and looked athim.
"That ain't no name for it. We had the best kind of luck. I kept abright watch for that steam launch when we passed through Crooked Inlet,but she had got tired of waiting and went off somewheres. We seen one ortwo little blockade runners like ourselves, but no Yankees. Now there'syour share of the profits, Marcy," said the captain, and he got up andplaced the canvas bag upon the table. "We made two runs, and I promisedyou I would give you five hunderd dollars----"
"But, Captain," exclaimed Marcy, while Mrs. Gray looked troubled, "Ihave no right to take that money. I wasn't aboard the _Hattie_ when shemade those two runs."
"That's the gospel truth; but didn't I say I would keep your place openfor you while you was laid up in ordinary with your broken arm? I didfor a fact, and I always stand to what I say."
"But I haven't done the first thing to earn that thousand dollars, and Ihope you will believe that I am in dead earnest when I assure you thatI'll not touch it," replied Marcy.
There was no doubt about his earnestness, and the captain lookeddisappointed. He settled back in his chair and nodded at Shelby, andthat was a bad thing for him to do. It told Marcy as plainly as wordswhat their object was in coming there to call upon him and his mother.
"Even if you were not on board the _Hattie_ when she made thosesuccessful trips, you belonged to her, and have a right to demand payaccording to contract," said the colonel.
"And while I belonged to her I took pay according to contract," saidMarcy quickly. "I was paid by the run and not by the month."
"I have never heard that the pay of an enlisted man ceases the moment heis injured," added the colonel.
"Nor I either; but I am not an enlisted man, and what's more, I do notintend to be."
"Well, if you won't take the money, you will acknowledge that I tried todo the fair thing by you? 'said Beardsley.
"I am willing to say that you offered me some money and that I declinedto take it," answered the boy, who knew very well that Beardsley was nottrying to do the fair thing by him. "As it is nobody's business, I neverexpect to be questioned about it."
The captain took little share in the conversation that followed. He putthe canvas bag into his pocket, folded his arms and went into the dumps,where he remained until the name of the missing overseer was mentioned,and then he brightened up to say:
"That there was a little the strangest thing I ever heard tell of.What's went with Hanson, do you reckon?"
"I haven't the least idea where he is," was Marcy's answer.
"I know you wasn't to
home when he was took off--leastwise I have beentold so," said Beardsley, "but I didn't know but mebbe you and your mawmight suspicion somebody. Now what you going to do for an overseer?There's that renter of mine, Kelsey his name is. I know you don'tcollogue with no such, but mebbe you know who he is."
Marcy started, and looked first at his mother and then at CaptainBeardsley. The latter sat with his bearded chin on his breast, regardingMarcy through his half-closed eyelids, and there was an expression onhis face that had a volume of meaning in it. Taken by surprise at last,the usually sharp-witted boy had betrayed the secret he was most anxiousto keep from the knowledge of everybody.