CHAPTER XV
WARLIKE BEES
Slowly, and striving to appear indifferent, although he was keenlyobservant of every action of his guard, Noel began to pace back andforth behind the row of horses. He was well aware that, in spite of theapparent carelessness of his guard, he was watching his every action.Any attempt on the part of the young prisoner to escape would at oncebring a shot from the soldier.
However, the guard did not interfere with the actions of his prisoner,and a half-dozen or more times Noel slowly paced back and forth as if hewas simply striving to relax his muscles and was ignoring hissurroundings.
Not more than twenty feet away from the rail was the row of beehives towhich reference has been made. Several times the young prisoner stoppedand watched the busy little insects that were buzzing about the hives.Glancing each time at the guard, he was convinced that any suspicions ofany plan his charge might have in mind as yet had not been aroused.Apparently the soldier was so confident in his ability to meet anysudden act that some of the time he was not even looking at the youngprisoner.
Noel's excitement became keener. He glanced toward the house to seewhether or not any of the Confederates who had entered were now to beseen. Slowly he turned his head and looked once more at his guard. Theman was seated on the grass, and still to all appearances wasindifferent to the actions of his charge.
Suddenly Noel stumbled over the projecting root of a huge magnolia treeand fell directly against the nearest hive in the row. With both handshe struck and with such force that it was thrown against the hive nextto it.
"Better look out there!" called the guard, when Noel arose. "Some ofthose bugs 'll bite you, if you don't watch out!"
Whether or not the "bugs would bite," the anger of the bees instantlybecame manifest. In clouds they poured forth from the hives and thesounds of their buzzing became louder.
Darting in every direction they soon discovered the disturber of theirdwelling-places, and, aware of their intentions, Noel hastily rantoward the guard and the rail to which the horses were hitched. To allappearances he had done this simply to avoid the pursuit of the littletormentors. That he was acting on design, the guard did not evensuspect. The cloud of bees, however, did not all abandon the pursuit,and as Noel halted near the horses, the furious little insects, withoutrhyme or reason, began an attack upon the innocent animals.
Pandemonium instantly followed. The horses were rearing, plunging,squealing, and kicking in every direction. The actions seemed to incitethe attacking insects to still greater anger. Nor was the guard himselffree from the onslaught. With muttered exclamations of anger and pain,he was striving to ward off the little pests from his face or preventthem from stinging him on his hands and wrists.
Noel was doing his utmost to bear up under the suffering he himself wascompelled to undergo. One bee had stung him on the very tip of his nose.Another had attacked him under his right eye, while still another hadinserted his sting near a corner of the young soldier's mouth.
Noel could feel his face swelling, but he heroically strove to bear hissuffering, and, although he did his utmost to drive away histormentors, he nevertheless was relying upon the very attack that hadbeen made to assist him in the plan which he had formed.
In the midst of the confusion one of the horses broke loose, and withmany snorts of fear and rage started swiftly toward the lane.
The example was contagious and a moment later two more horses freedthemselves by breaking the straps by which they were tied and followedin the direction in which the leader had disappeared.
"Catch them! Catch them! Help me! Catch them!" called the guardexcitedly. "Why don't somebody come out of the big house? I can't doeverything myself! Help me! Never mind the stings! Don't let thosehorses get away! Rouse yourself, Yank!"
"I'll do my best," called Noel loudly, as he seized the bridle of one ofthe remaining horses and apparently strove to quiet the terrifiedanimal.
The horse with which Noel was struggling was the one in the line whichhe had noted as being undoubtedly the swiftest and best of them all.
"Whoa, there! Keep quiet! Be still, can't you?" he called as he slappedthe plunging horse on its neck and then on its flank as if he wasprotecting it from the angry bees. Meanwhile, however, Noel had untiedthe horse and was holding the animal by its bridle.
At that moment some of the Confederate soldiers, who had entered thehouse, appeared at the door. Noel glanced anxiously at the men and thenlooked at the guard, who was doing his utmost to prevent one of theremaining horses from escaping.
The moment for which he had been waiting had arrived, the young soldierdecided, and whatever he did he must do instantly. There was no time tobe lost.
Looking once more toward the house, he saw the men call to those whostill were inside, and then turn as if they were about to run swiftly tothe place where the commotion was occurring. A single glance at theguard showed him that the man's rifle had been laid upon the grass andthat he was still struggling with one of the frantic animals. Pullingupon the bridle of his horse Noel quietly had worked the animal awayfrom its companions. His horse had been squealing and kicking morefrantically than any of the others. To all appearances Noel was having asevere struggle to prevent him from breaking away and running in thedirection in which the other horses had disappeared.
The shouts of the men, who now were advancing from the house, increasedthe confusion. Doubtless they were unaware of the source of the troubleand might visit their anger upon him, thought Noel.
The time, however, did not permit of delay. He had now worked his horsenearer the corner of the house. Suddenly the young soldier, placing onefoot in the stirrup, leaped lightly into the saddle, and shouting intothe ears of his horse, turned around the corner of the house before thestartled band were fully aware of what had taken place.
The bees were no longer in pursuit. The terrified animal, however, wasstill making many frantic leaps, and Noel was compelled to exert theutmost of his strength to retain his seat. His disappearance wasfollowed by a shout from the man, and only a brief time elapsed before,glancing behind him, he saw that two of the men were mounted and nowwere in swift pursuit.
His hopes now were dependent upon the speed of his horse and thepossible inability of his pursuers to shoot.
"Stop, you Yank!" called one of them. "Stop where you are! Stop, orwe'll shoot!"
Bending low upon the neck of his horse, Noel gave no heed to the demandsand continually urged the beast into greater efforts. With long andpowerful leaps the horse was bounding forward. The entrance from thelane into the highway was now only a few yards distant. Out in the road,Noel saw the horses which had already broken their halters and had fledwhen the bees first had attacked them. He would have been glad to secureeither of them, but now his main purpose was to escape, and successdepended much upon the endurance of the horse he was riding.
As yet the men behind him had not shot at the escaping young soldier.Grimly Noel thought they were more fearful of injuring the horse thanthey were of harming him. However, there was inspiration in the thoughtthat thus far he had succeeded, and almost with a feeling of rejoicinghe turned into the road and urged his terrified steed into still morefrantic efforts. The pursuit was not abandoned, and he was aware thatthe mounted Confederates evidently were as determined as was the fleeingyoung soldier.
The speed of the running horse increased under the continued demands ofhis rider. It was a powerful animal on which he was mounted, as Noelwas now aware, and if his endurance was equal to his strength there wasa possibility of escaping from the region.
A glance behind him showed that he was gaining upon his two pursuers, afact which was as manifest to them as it was to him. Suddenly one ofthem fired. Noel heard the bullet as it whistled above his head.
NOEL HEARD THE BULLET AS IT WHISTLED PAST]
The pursuit, however, was not abandoned, and, leaning forward, Noel drewhimself closer to the neck of his panting steed, and then as he lookedhastily behind him he saw tha
t both men were again about to fire.