In the Saddle

by Oliver Optic

  CHAPTER XIV

  A LONG WAIT FOR THE ENEMY

  The only feeling Major Lyon had in regard to his unfortunate brother wasthat of sorrow. If he had been disposed to do so, he could not leave hissoldiers to converse with him, as Titus evidently desired; for he washurrying the first company forward in order to unite his forces andsecure a favorable position before the enemy in his rear could overtakehim. Doubtless Titus desired to make a request of some kind; perhaps tobe set at liberty, perhaps only to demand a ration of whiskey.

  The captain was so imprudent that he was as likely as otherwise toreproach him, call him a thief, or something of that kind, as he haddone before, in the presence of his command. He had been captured in theact of committing a dastardly outrage, as well as being in the militaryservice of the enemy. He was willing to extend to him every reasonableprivilege; but he was a prisoner of war, to take the mildest view of hiscondition, and the major was not a man who could be conveniently blindto an obvious duty.

  The first company proceeded on its rapid march, and in a short timereached the cross-roads, where it was halted, with the head of thecolumn near the camp at the railroad bridge. Captain Truman hastened tothe major as soon as he halted, and the commander extended his hand tohim.

  "I commend you, Captain Truman, for the good work you have accomplished;and I thank you for the skill, courage, and devotion with which you havedone your duty. But the enemy are in motion in this direction on thesouth road, and we have no time for anything but preparation for theimmediate future. It is possible that a detachment of the enemy mayapproach by the east road."

  "I have a picket stationed a mile up that road, and we shall have earlynotice of any force coming from that direction, Major Lyon," replied thecaptain of the second company, which had just been sent back by theorder of which Artie had been the bearer.

  "Very well. You have fought a severe fight, Captain; in what conditionare your men?" inquired the commander.

  "They are in excellent condition; for they have found that they arefully the equals of the Texans on fighting ground, and they are readyand anxious to meet the enemy again. We have buried our dead, and ourwounded are doing well."

  Major Lyon had carefully studied the face of the country for severalmiles in the vicinity of the planter's mansion, from his elevatedposition on the building, and had observed it for the present situationas he rode down from the plantation. He had confidently expected anattack while he was near the house of Mr. Barkland. He had arranged hisplan to receive the assault; and Lieutenant Belthorpe, with one-third ofthe company, had been sent around through the grove to a position behinda knoll, which would effectually conceal him from the enemy till thetime came for him to assail the Texans in the flank and rear.

  Captain Gordon had heartily approved this plan, and they had forceenough to carry it out successfully. Major Lyon regretted very much thatthe issue had not come in the manner he had anticipated. The planof the captain of the Rangers had evidently failed because he had notheard from the detachment sent by the hill road, as the natives calledit. He must have had some means of knowing where this flanking partywere, or he would have moved sooner. Probably a swift rider was to havebeen sent back when the force reached the cross-roads; but they had notgot so far as that. His first news must have been the defeat of thisportion of his command.

  "Captain Truman, have you noticed a considerable knoll on the left ofthe south road, just above the cross-roads?" asked the major.

  "I have; and I thought of posting my reserve under Lieutenant Gadburythere; but I found it was too far off for the time at my command,"replied the captain.

  "Can it be reached without going by the south road?"

  "Very easily; by riding through this field, where we were posted thismorning, crossing the east road, and then through a valley, which willconceal the force till they reach the shelter of the knoll."

  "How many men can you muster in your company?"

  "About eighty, if you are to remain in this vicinity; for ten or fifteenwill be a sufficient guard for the prisoners."

  "Then you will march your available force to the point indicated. I seethat you have hoisted the American flag on the railroad bridge," addedthe major.

  "It is the camp flag, and I wanted it in the most sightly place I couldfind," replied the captain.

  "It will answer a double purpose, then. Could you see it from behind theknoll?"

  "Perfectly; we did not get the flag-pole elevated till half an hourago."

  "I shall send Deck to lower that flag, and remain by the staff till Igive him the signal to hoist it again. Then you will march to the southroad with all speed, and attack the enemy in the rear or on the flank."

  "I understand you perfectly, Major Lyon, and your order shall be carriedout to the letter," replied Captain Truman, as he saluted, and hurriedto his company, which had been formed in the field by the side of theroad.

  "Dexter!" called the commander, when he had found his son in the ranks.

  Both of the boys had been used as messengers during the morning, andthis service had led them into the most dangerous positions; and both ofthem had fought like heroes as volunteers while their company was at theplantation.

  Deck came out of his place in the ranks, saluted his father, andexpected to be called upon for more messenger service, hoping it wouldlead him into the thickest of the action, as it had before.

  "Do you see that flag on the railroad bridge, Dexter?" asked his father,pointing at the ensign.

  "I do; and I take off my cap to it," replied Deck, suiting the action tothe word.

  "You will go to it and haul it down, my son."

  "Haul down the American flag!" exclaimed Deck.

  "As long as it is not for a surrender or the abandonment of the camp,you need have no scruples about it," replied the major, with a smile atthe boy's objection. "You will obey the order, and you will remain atthe staff. When you see me wave my handkerchief three times in the air,you may set your conscience at ease by hoisting the flag again."

  The commander made the signal over his plumed hat, so that themessenger would be able to recognize it when it was given in the fight,if there should be one, of which he was not altogether sure after thedisappointment of the morning.

  "I shall see that signal from the bridge if it is made three miles off."

  "Keep your eyes wide open after the engagement begins; for it is asignal, really an order from me, of the utmost importance, and theresult of the action may depend upon it," added the major veryimpressively. "I have called upon you for this service because I know Ican depend upon you, Dexter."

  "Of course I shall do my duty and obey my orders to the best of myability," replied Deck; but judging from the expression on his face hewas not pleased with the mission assigned to him.

  "You can go to the bridge at once; but you will not haul the flag downtill I make the signal agreed upon to you," added Major Lyon.

  "But, father, do you expect to fight this battle without me?" askedDeck, with a very cheerful smile on his face; and he would not have saidas much as that to any other person, even as a joke.

  "You have made yourself the hero of the day, and perhaps you ought tohave a little rest," replied his father, quite as cheerfully as the son,for he took the question as it was intended.

  "I don't exactly like the idea of squatting on that bridge, and lookingon while there is any fighting going on," continued the young soldier.

  "But the position to which I have assigned you is one of the mostimportant on the field. I can trust you to be watchful, while another,interested in the action, might neglect his duty."

  "I have nothing more to say, father," replied Deck, as he rode off inthe direction of the bridge.

  Major Lyon had made his dispositions and issued his orders before hespoke to his son. Captain Truman was galloping over the field towardsthe east road, with sixty men, which was the number finally designatedfor the service at the knoll. Captain Gordon had posted his men alongthe roads and the ad
joining fields. The baggage-wagons and the prisonershad arrived from the plantations, and Captain Titus had an opportunityto rejoin his company; but the glory of his military life seemed to havepassed away. He was treated the same as the rest of the prisoners, andno one took any notice of him. He was not in good odor even in his owncompany; for his men declared that he had deserted them the nightbefore.

  The enemy had not yet appeared; and even the pickets that had beenposted a mile down the south road had not been driven in, which would bethe first indication that hostilities were at hand. Those from thesecond company who were scouting the east road had not been heard from;and they had been ordered to proceed as far as a certain hill, whereArtie had first seen the detachment sent that way.

  Noon came, and the soldiers ate their dinner from their haversacks, andthe horses took their oats from the grass. It was a very quiet time, andthe Riverlawn battalion would have been glad to receive an order tomarch upon the enemy wherever they could be found. They were impatientfor something to do, especially the first company, which had not yetseen any fighting.

  Major Lyon improved his time as he took his lunch with Captain Truman,in listening to a fuller report of the action on the east road. Thecommander asked particularly in regard to the lieutenant who had fallenunder the onslaught of Deck Lyon. He had been wounded in the chest by aball, and he had gone down from a cut of the young soldier's sabre. Hehad been stunned by the blow, and left on the field. But he had beenconveyed to the camp in the wagon with other wounded men, and thesurgeon had dressed his wounds. He believed he would recover.

  "I should like to see that man," said the major.

  "I saw him walking about the shanty hospital not long ago. I spoke withhim, and he is a very gentlemanly fellow. You can send for him if youwish, Major. But it is time for me to join my company, as I sent the menin charge of Lieutenant Gadbury; for I had to give some orders in regardto the prisoners."

  "I will not send for him; but I will ride down to the hospital, which isonly a few rods from the cross-roads. Captain Gordon, I wish to havesome one near me to carry my orders, if need be," said the commander, asCaptain Truman rode off.

  "Your orderly?" asked the captain.

  "I prefer Artie Lyon; I have already sent Dexter on duty upon thebridge. I am going down to the hospital; send me notice at once if anymovement is apparent."

  Artie was sent to him at once; but Deck had told him where he was going,and he hoped he would not be sent to join him. He followed his father tothe hospital, where Dr. Farnwright received him. He asked for the Texanlieutenant; and the surgeon pointed him out, seated on a log at the sideof the road.

  "This is Major Lyon, commanding the squadron," said the doctor,introducing him.

  The officer rose from his seat, and saluted the major very politely.

  "This gentleman is Lieutenant Makepeace, of the Texan Rangers," addedthe surgeon.

  "That does not sound like a Southern name," replied Major Lyon, and hetook the hand of the wounded officer.

  "I am a Northern man; but my home has been in Texas for seven years,though I came from a New England State."

  "I regret to see you on the wrong side in this war, though I am sorrythat you have been wounded."

  "I don't know exactly how I came in this service; but I was very nearbeing elected to the captaincy of this company, though I am not aTexan."

  "Who is the commander of the company?"

  "Captain Dingfield."

  "There comes the picket down the hill!" exclaimed Artie, who haddiscovered half-a-dozen men running their horses down the descent.

  "Then I must leave you; but I shall see you again," added the major, ashe dashed up the road at full speed.