In the Saddle
Page 18
CHAPTER XV
THE AMERICAN FLAG ON THE BRIDGE
As Major Lyon rode out from the hospital he encountered Sergeant Sluderpressing his horse to the best of his speed; but it was hardly necessaryfor him to deliver the message of which he was the bearer, for there wasmovement enough among the men to assure him that the enemy wereapproaching, even if Artie had not seen the return of the pickets.
The major waved his handkerchief three times above his plumed hat, andthe American flag came down at once on the bridge. Deck had not fallenasleep at his post, though he found the situation very monotonous. Thesergeant reached the commander, and delivered a message from CaptainGordon. The major had never been in a regular battle, only in theaffairs with the ruffians at Riverlawn and Lyndhall.
In fact, there had been nothing in the present campaign which couldproperly be called a battle. The second company had done all thefighting so far. At the bridge a few shots had demoralized the HomeGuards; and though the action in the road had been severe, it was hardlymore than a skirmish. But the commander had proved before that he hadabundance of courage, though he had engaged in less actual fighting thanhis two sons.
Major Lyon reached the position of Captain Gordon just as the picketscame in, headed by Life Knox. The men were all in position, and those ofthe first company were eager for the conflict; for they had donenothing, and rather envied their companions in the second company, whohad fought and won a victory against a portion of the enemy. They werevery much excited, and it would have suited them better if their captainhad led them in a charge at once against the Texans; for the most tryingposition of the ordinary soldier is when he is in the presence of theenemy, and is permitted to do nothing but wait; and they had been doingthat all day.
"You have been driven in, Knox," said Captain Gordon, as the sergeantsaluted him.
"Not exactly driven in, Captain," replied the Kentuckian with a cheerfulsmile, as though events were not moving half fast enough for him. "TheTexicans are marching as though they were going to a funeral, and theydon't seem to be in no hurry to git here."
"But you came down the slope as though you were not going to a funeral,"added the captain.
"Where are the enemy now, Knox?" asked the major.
"They are about half-way betwixt here and the mansion-house of theplanter. I didn't hurry up to tell you they were coming, but to let youknow that I had seen a force over on the road in the hills. I thought Isaw something moving; and I climbed to the top of the tallest tree Icould find, on the highest ground 'twixt here and the planter's house."
"What did you see?" demanded the major.
"I got a look through a small notch between two hills, and I saw somecavalry pass along; but I reckon I saw only the tail end on 'em, forthey was out o' sight in two seconds, and I couldn't find nothin' moreon 'em. I knew then why the company wasn't in no hurry."
"Then, I suppose we are in no hurry," added the major. "I see thatCaptain Dingfield intends to carry out his plan as he laid it out forthis forenoon."
"Who?" asked the captain.
"Captain Dingfield, who commands the Texans; I learned his name from thelieutenant who was wounded. I hardly supposed he would send anotherflanking party by that road," replied Major Lyon, "This news calls forsome change in our plans."
"I reckon that captain on the south road hain't got over fifty men withhim, if he has that," continued the sergeant.
"How could you estimate the number, Knox," asked the captain.
"When I am sent out scouting, I generally find out all I can," repliedthe sergeant, who looked as though he felt that the correctness of hisinformation had been questioned.
"We know you do, Knox; and we only want to know your means of arrivingat a conclusion, in order to judge of the accuracy of your report," thecaptain explained.
"I looked them over when I climbed the tree," continued the scout withenergy. "The force was just coming round a bend in the road down a hill,and I counted in fours up to forty. I don't know how many scouts theyhad out ahead, but I added ten to what I had counted."
"I have no doubt you are quite correct, Sergeant," added the captain. "Idid not doubt your statement in the first place, and I was only curiousto know how you were able to make up your estimate."
"I saw that six of you came down the hill together; have you left nopickets in front of the company?" inquired the major.
"The captain gave me nine men to scout the region over there, and six of'em have come in, for I thought they might be wanted," answered Knox.
"You knew that we had nearly two hundred men at this point," suggestedthe major, who realized that the sergeant had something in his mind towhich he was slow to give utterance.
"If this is a council of war, Major Lyon, I ain't in it, and I've toldall I know," replied Knox. "I have reported that the Texicans is dividedinto two bodies, one on 'em comin' down the south road slower'n coldmolasses runs, and the other's movin' over the hill road; and I reckonthey ain't goin' to no funeral over yonder."
"In other words, you think the two divisions of the enemy intend toattack at the same time," added the major.
"What be they goin' over that way for if that ain't what they mean?"asked the Kentuckian in answer to the question. "But I don't feel sartinthat they mean to come down here by the east road."
"What else can they do?" inquired the major, much interested in drawingout the sergeant.
"I don't reckon I'd better say anything more. I obey orders, but I don'tgive none," answered Knox, who was evidently afraid of thrusting himselfinto the counsels of his superiors. "Captain Dingbat"--
"Dingfield," interposed the captain with a smile.
"Captain Dingfield sent them men over here to knock down and burn thatbridge; and I reckon he's go'n' to do it if he can."
"And I am sent here to prevent him from doing it; and I shall do so if Ican. You may speak out loud, Knox, just what you wish to say," said themajor rather impatiently.
"If you look at that map you had on the housetop, you will see that thehill road crosses the east road, just as this south one does here. Ain'tthat so, Artie? You have been over there, they say," said the sergeant,appealing to the major's aid.
"It does; I was up there some time this morning; but I don't know whereit leads to," replied Artie.
"It stands to reason that it crosses this railroad somewhere within fivemiles of this cross-road. That's the way the Texicans are coming downhere to destroy the bridge. I've said my say, and I hain't got nothin'more to say," added Knox, wheeling his horse out of the circle thatsurrounded the commander.
"Artie, do you know where Captain Truman is posted with his command?"asked the major in rather hurried tones.
"I do not," replied the aid, as he had now practically become, thoughthe position was not regular for a private.
The commander pointed out the knoll behind which the captain's force hadbeen sent.
"Follow the east road till you can see behind that hill. Captain Trumanis there, and you can readily find him," continued Major Lyon. "Givehim my order to move his command out to the east road, and there awaitfurther orders."
Artie's steed was well rested after his several forenoon jaunts, and hewent up the slope of the road like the wind. Sergeant Knox had retiredfrom the immediate presence of the superior officers, afraid that he wasgetting to be too forward for his rank. He believed that the forcemoving by the hill road had been ordered to the railroad. While themajor was not disposed to accept his view in full, he intended to beprepared for a movement of the kind suggested by the Kentuckian.
"What do you think of the idea advanced by Knox, Captain Gordon?" askedthe commander.
"Of course it is possible that he has correctly divined the intention ofthe enemy," replied the captain. "But it would not be wise to ignore theenemy in front of us."
"I have no intention of doing so; for I have ordered Truman to the eastroad, in readiness to act to the north of us, while we give ourattention to the enemy in front of us. We have me
n enough to annihilatethis force, if it is no larger than Knox states."
"I believe he is entirely correct in his figures; and I am inclined tohave considerable confidence in his theory of Captain Dingfield's plan."
"Probably we have double the force of the enemy in this vicinity; and itwould be a crying shame if the bridge were destroyed because we wereoutmanoeuvred," said the major, with more than usual vigor in hisspeech. "There is the structure within a quarter of a mile of us, and Iwonder if they intend to destroy it under our very eyes. But where arethe Texans in front of us? Even at a funeral march they ought to be nearenough by this time to send in our pickets."
"It begins to look as though they were amusing us while they were makingarrangements to burn the bridge elsewhere," replied Captain Gordon,quite as anxious about the situation as his superior. "Artie has madequick work of his orders, for Captain Truman is half-way to the road,just coming out from behind the hill."
Major Lyon thought of Deck on the bridge in this connection, and lookedin that direction. The signal for Captain Truman's command to move intothe rear of the force advancing by the south road would not be needed.If he deemed it advisable, he could send part of the first company to apoint near the road he had already selected. He rode to a place wherethe ground was a little higher than where the conference had takenplace, and there made the signal above his plume upon which he hadagreed with Deck and the captain of the second company. He repeated ittill he had made it three times; and he could not help thinking what arelief it would be to his son to be permitted to leave this solitarypost.
"A cheer for the American flag, which will be hoisted on the railroadagain in a moment!" shouted Major Lyon to the soldiers near him; and theword was passed along through the column.
The cavalrymen were always ready to cheer the flag; and in a few momentsthe eyes of the entire company were fixed upon the flagstaff on thebridge. The major watched it with as much interest as any one present;and he was ready to join in the cheer, and to lead it off. He waitedpatiently for a couple of minutes, and then he wondered if his son hadgone to sleep at his solitary vigil; for the flag did not mount to theproud position it had held before it was lowered.
Major Lyon waited full five minutes, but no flag appeared. He could notunderstand it after the careful charge he had given Deck in regard tothe importance of the position to which he had been assigned. It wasfortunate that the plan of receiving the assault had been changed; forCaptain Truman's command would have remained behind the hill, and out ofsight of the conflict, if there had been one, while his men were neededin the road.
As the hoisting of the flag was no longer needed as a signal, the majorwas not inclined to say anything about his son's failure to do his duty;for all his men might be needed at any moment to repel an attack on thesouth road, and another on the east road. But he was very indignant, aswell as very much grieved, at Deck's neglect of duty; for it did notoccur to him that there could be any excuse for or justification of theboy's conduct.
Major Lyon used his field-glass diligently for some time, while he waswaiting for the appearance of the first company's pickets, as he had notthought to do at first. With this aid he examined the top of the bridgevery closely; but he could see nothing of the absent soldier. It did notenter his mind that anything could have happened to the young man, forthe bridge was a high one, and in sight of all in the ranks, and in thecamp on the shore of the creek; though the stream was large enough to becalled a river in any Northern State.
Close by the flagstaff, over the abutment of the bridge, was a highfence extending a short distance. Some thought it had been built wherethe snow was troublesome in winter; others, that it was the side of ashanty which had stood there, and only the roof and ends had beenremoved. If Deck was not behind this fence, he was not on the bridge,was the conclusion of his father. But a movement on the east road calledhis attention away from the subject.