A Little Union Scout

by Joel Chandler Harris

  X

  It soon dawned on me that this surprising young woman was as nimblewith her feet as a schoolboy. She scampered away from me in a way toput me on my mettle, and she must have run nearly half a mile before Icould come up with her. I touched her on the shoulder lightly, crying"Caught!"

  "There is no getting rid of you," she answered.

  "Oh, but there is, as you will discover," I said. "Once with yourkin-people, you will see no more of me." I was vexed, but my ill-humorseemed to add to her high spirits, and she talked away quite blithely.When we came to the door it was open, and the mother, who had been kindto me, stood there waiting. She was crying and wringing her hands, and,for a moment, I thought she had been maltreated by those whose duty itwas to raid the house. But her trouble was of quite another kind.

  "What have you done with her?" she asked.

  "She is here with me," I replied. But when I turned to confirm mywords, Jane Ryder had disappeared. I could only stare at the womanblankly and protest that she had been at my side a moment ago before."I knew it!" wailed the woman. "First comes you to wheedle her away,and then come your companions to search the house for her. I knew howit would be. I never knew but one man you could trust with a woman, andhe was so palsied that a child could push him over. And the little foolwas fond of you, too." And with that she wailed louder than ever.

  "But, my good woman----" I began.

  "Don't good woman me!" she cried. "You don't look like that kind of aman, but I knew it; I knew how it would be!"

  "Fiddlesticks and frog's eggs!" I cried. "Stop your crying. She is heresomewhere. You know well enough that I wouldn't have returned withouther. She came to the door with me. I'd have you to know, madam, thatI'm not the man you take me for. Do you think I'd injure a hair of herhead? It is you that have injured her by allowing her to masquerade asa man--a little thing like that, with nobody to advise her. You are hermother and pretend to be fond of her; why didn't you advise her againstall this? Why didn't you take a hickory to her and compel her toremember her sex? You are the cause of it all--yes, you!"

  I spoke in a very loud tone, for I was very angry, and I knew that theonly way to contend with a woman was to make more noise than she could.Just as I was about to continue my railing protest, Jane Ryder camethrough an inner door, dressed, as she should be, in the garb of hersex. Her toilette would have been complete but for the fact that in herhaste her hair had fallen loose from its fastenings and now flowed overher shoulders and down to her waist, black as night and as shiny assilk.

  "I thank you both for your good opinions," she said, making a mockcourtesy, "especially the chivalrous Mr. Carroll Shannon, with hisstraps, and his hickories, and his riding-whips, and I hope he willsoon get a woman on whom he can use them all."

  "Oh, Jane! Jane!" cried the other, "why will you worry those who loveyou? Why will you try them so?"

  The young woman's face fell at that, and she seemed to be verycontrite. She went quickly across the room and never paused until shefound herself in the woman's arms, and showed her love by so manyquaint and delicate little caresses, and had such a dainty andbewitching way about her, that no human could have held out againsther. The woman's face had cleared on the instant and was no moreclouded with grief and anxiety. "You see how she is," said the woman tome; "hurting you to the heart one minute and making you forget it thenext."

  "I see," I replied; "but you should control her. You should make herremember who and what she is, and not permit her to go about as a manor boy. Don't you know how dangerous it is?"

  "Oh, but she's her own mistress," the woman explained. "She canwheedle, and no one can say her nay. But I'm glad she went awayto-night, though I was terribly afraid for her. She had no more thangot out of hearing before there came a pack of troopers, and nothingmust do but they must search the whole house from top to bottom. Theywere hunting for Leroy, too, and if she had been here there would havebeen trouble."

  "What did I tell you?" I exclaimed. "I captured her ahead of them,carried her to General Forrest, and now she is my prisoner. I amresponsible for her."

  "I believe I had rather the others had captured me," Jane Ryderdeclared. The woman looked at me and shook her head, as much as to say,"Never believe her."

  "Why did you trouble yourself?" Jane Ryder inquired. "I am sure I nevergave you any cause to worry yourself about me. If you think you havedone me a service you were never more mistaken in your life. You havesimply destroyed my usefulness for the time being; but you have givenme an opportunity to show you what I think of your intermeddling."

  "Jane! you know that he has meddled with you only for your own good,"said the older woman. "You ought to thank him on your knees."

  "On my knees!" she exclaimed angrily. "On my knees! I dare say he wouldlike to see me on my knees before him, but he'll see me dead first." Iwas surprised at the heat she showed over the matter.

  "Your mother," I said, "has simply used an unfortunate expression. Youowe me nothing--and if you owed me everything a kind word would morethan repay me."

  She bit her lip, but made no reply. "It's her way," explained themother, "and I'm free to say it's a very poor way. It has always beenher way. Love her and she'll hurt you; do her a favor and she'llpretend to despise you. Her kind words are as scarce as pearls amongthe poor. Scarce, but when they are spoken they make up for all therest. Don't be angry with her; a big man like you shouldn't care what achild like her says."

  "Child! I am older than he is," said Jane Ryder.

  "But age is not age unless it has experience and judgment," remarkedthe older woman, serenely. "Without them, age is another form ofchildishness."

  "What are you going to do with me?" asked Jane Ryder, turning to me.She was evidently weary of a discussion of which she was the subject.

  She had placed her finger squarely on my perplexity, for this wasindeed the great problem that I had to solve--what should I do withher? Not to-morrow, nor the day after, but now--to-night. The questionhad occurred to me a dozen times, but I had put it aside, trusting itssolution to the moment when it could be no longer postponed. Ihesitated so long that both of the women sat staring at me. "You havenot answered my question," said Jane Ryder, "and it is important that Ishould know."

  "I might give you your parole for the night," I answered.

  "You persist in regarding me as your prisoner?"

  "I have my orders," I replied. "You know that as well as I do."

  "Thank you for your information. Good-night!" and she was gone before Icould say a word, even if I had known what to say. All I could do wasto stare blankly at the door through which she had disappeared. I hadknown all along that if she once took the matter in her own hands Ishould be powerless, for she was a woman--and such a woman! I could nomore hold her prisoner against her will than I could fly. My wholenature revolted at the thought of it. She was a woman--a dangerouswoman, no doubt, but still a woman--and that settled it for me.

  And then, after I had looked at the door long enough to stare it out ofcountenance, if it had had one, I turned to the mother and stared ather. There was just the shadow of a smile hovering around her lips, andit nettled me. "She is parading as a man," I said, "and I think I shalltreat her as one. A man can be rapped on the head, tied up, and bundledabout, without regard for his comfort."

  "And yet," said the mother, with her knowing smile, "you wouldn't hurta hair of her head, nor give her a moment's discomfort." She made thestatement with so much complacency that I was more than irritated; Iwas vexed.

  "If you knew me," I declared, "you wouldn't say that. I have nopatience with women who try to play the man."

  "I know you well enough to say what I have said," she replied. "Youhave a face that tells no lies--and more's the pity."

  "Where has she gone?" I inquired.

  "That I can't tell you," the mother replied; "but it would be thewonder of the world if she had gone to bed. We who love her have nopower to control her. She needs a stronger hand than ours."

  "I
could tell you something if I would," she remarked presently; "butit would be like feeling my way in the dark, and I dare not. Yet thereis another thing I will tell you that can do no harm, though I promisedto keep it to myself. If you stay here you will get in trouble. The manyou shot night before last has a brother, and this brother isdetermined to capture you. I'm telling you this because I think you area good young man. I had a son once who, if he had lived, should beabout your age, and I would have thanked any woman in the world to havegiven him the warning I have given you. You can gain nothing byremaining here. You can return in the morning. Jane will be here; sheis not going to run away from you."

  "Nevertheless, I must do my duty," I said. "With your permission, Ishall remain here. Does Jane Ryder know of the purpose of this fellow?"

  "Oh, no; I wouldn't tell her. She has trouble enough." She paused andhesitated. "Why not go? There is the door; it is unlocked and you willstill have time to join your friends. This is all I can say to you--allI can do for you."

  "No; you can pray for me. And another thing: if you hear any noisecover up your head and make Jane Ryder cover hers."

  "I'm sure I don't know what to make of you," she said, puckering herforehead as she stood in the door.

  "But I think I know what to make of you and your daughter," I replied,with a laugh.

  "Above all things, don't misjudge us," and with that she was gone,closing the door behind her.

  How long I sat there I know not; it may have been one hour or it mayhave been many; but some time during the night there came a rap at thedoor and the pictures of Jane Ryder were blotted out of the fire andwent flitting up the chimney. The knocking was on the outer door, whichwas unlocked, as the woman had said, and I cried out, "Come in!"Responsive to the invitation, Whistling Jim made his appearance, and Iwas more than glad to see him. I discovered for the first time that Ihad been oppressed by my loneliness, for my spirits rose to a greatheight.

  He seemed very glad to see me, for he laughed aloud. "I bet a dollaryou ain't had no supper," he said, "an' I tuck an' brung you some.'Tain't much, but it's better'n none." But I had no appetite. "I'mmighty glad I brung yo' pistols, too, kaze dey's sump'n wrong gwine on'roun' here. I seed two er th'ee men prowlin' roun' in de bushes ez Icome 'long. Marse Cally, how come you ter leave yo' pistols in yo'saddle? You ain't been a-doin' dataway. I speck dat ar little man youhad up in front er you had sump'n ter do wid it." He laughed, but Ifound nothing humorous in the allusion. "Did I say 'oman, Marse Cally?"I shook my head. "Kaze ef I did, it slipped out des dry so. I wuzcomin' atter you anyhow, but Marse Harry holla'd at me an' tol' me ferter fin' you an' say dat de troops gwineter move in de mornin' an' ourcomp'ny starts fust."

  I nibbled the food he had brought me, with some particularly heavythoughts in regard to the course we were to take. Yesterday I was aboy, and a very foolish one, but to-day I felt myself to be a man. Thefeeling was the growth of a night, but it gave me new confidence inmyself, and, coupled with it, an assurance that I had never had before,and that has remained with me all through the long years that haveintervened. I think it must have caught the eye of Whistling Jim--thechange, I mean--for he regarded me curiously and closely.

  "Marse Cally," he said after a while, "I b'lieve you done got mo'settled, sence--dog ef I don't b'lieve dat it's been sence yistiddy! Idunner wharbouts de change is, but it sho' is dar. It mought be de wayyou look at me, an' it mought be de way you don't look at me--an' efyou ain't done grow'd bigger I ain't no nigger."

  "I have only ceased to be giddy for the time being," I said. "I amafraid I have some serious work cut out for me to-night. If you want togo you are welcome to do so, and if you stay I'll be glad to have you.I don't know anyone I had rather have near me when a row springs up."

  "Me, Marse Cally? You sholy don't mean me." It was plain that he wasdelighted. "You know how skeery I is, Marse Cally, when dey's a rowgwine on. I can't he'p gittin' skeer'd ter save my life. But it's desame way 'bout leavin' you; I'm skeer'd ter leave you. I couldn't goout dat door fer ter save my life." Whistling Jim held out his long,slim hands where he could look at them. Then he ran the scale of animaginary piano, once, twice, and shivered again. "I tell you, MarseCally, I'm a-gittin' skeerder an' skeerder. I wish dey'd come on ef deycomin'."

  "Well," said I, "I'll place the key of the door on the mantel here, andyou can go out whenever you want to."

  But he protested almost violently. "Don't you dast ter do dat, MarseCally! You put dat key in yo' pocket, an' let it stay dar."Nevertheless, I laid it on the mantel. The negro looked at it more thanonce, and finally, as if taking leave of the temptation it represented,blew it a kiss from his long fingers.

  As he sat down, four men filed into the room through the inner door,which had opened almost noiselessly.