Raiding with Morgan

by Byron A. Dunn

  CHAPTER XIII.

  UNDER ARREST.

  Calhoun did not wake until the light of the morning sun was siftingthrough the branches of the trees. He arose stiff and somewhat chill, butthe day promised to be a warm one, and a little exercise put a delightfulheat through his body. All he lacked was a good breakfast, and he must notlook for that until he had crossed the river; he was yet too close toNashville to try to cross it. Then he must secure a horse, and where wouldhe be so likely to secure one as at the home of Mr. Edmunds, the gentlemanof whom he had obtained the skiff, and who had given him all possible aid?He had no hopes of finding his men, for at the end of three days theywould return to Morgan, taking his horse with them.

  He slowly made his way up the river, dodging two or three scoutingparties, until he thought he must be nearly opposite to where Mr. Edmundslived. The place seemed favorable, as there were woods on both sides ofthe river, so he determined to cross. But if he had known it, he hadselected a very dangerous place. A road which led down to the river wasbut a few yards in front of him, and it was one of the places to which theFederal cavalry came as they patrolled the bank of the river.

  Just as he was about to remove some of his clothing, which he would carryover on his head as he swam the stream, he was startled by the sound ofhorses' hoofs, and he hastily concealed himself in a thicket. Soon aFederal sergeant, accompanied by two soldiers, came down the road, andriding near the edge of the river, dismounted.

  "Here is the place," said the sergeant.

  "What are we to do here?" asked one of the men.

  "Keep watch to see if any Johnny attempts to cross the river," answeredthe sergeant; "but I doubt if we see anything larger than buzzards, and wecan't stop them."

  The men made themselves comfortable, and lay in the shade smoking theirpipes. Calhoun was considering the proposition whether he could notquietly withdraw, and flank them without being seen, when one of the mensaid: "Sergeant, let me go to that house we passed and see if I cannot geta canteen of milk. It will go good with our hardtack."

  "You can both go," replied the sergeant; "I guess I can stop any one whoattempts to cross the river while you are away. But don't be gone long."

  The men quickly availed themselves of the opportunity, and mounting theirhorses rode away. The sergeant stretched himself on the ground, and lazilywatched the river. Now was Calhoun's time. He had secured a good revolverwhen he left Nashville. This he had kept dry when he swam the river bywrapping it in his outside clothing, which he had made into a bundle, andcarried over on his head. Taking the revolver in his hand, ready forinstant use, he cautiously crept up on the sergeant.

  HE CAUTIOUSLY CREPT UP ON THE SERGEANT.]

  That individual leaped to his feet as if he had springs when he heard thestern command, "Surrender!"

  He reached for his weapon, but suddenly stopped when he saw he was lookinginto the muzzle of a revolver.

  "Hands up! Be quick about it!"

  The hands of the sergeant slowly went above his head.

  "Pardon me, but I will relieve you of this," said Calhoun, as he took arevolver from the belt of his prisoner, and tossed it into the river.

  Up to this time the sergeant had not said a word, but now he exclaimed,with the utmost disgust, "How thundering careless of me! Sergeant Latham,you are no good; you ought to be reduced to the ranks."

  "Oh! don't feel too bad about it; better men than you have been caughtnapping," replied Calhoun, consolingly.

  "But no bigger fool. To be gobbled in like this, and by a blamed skulkingcitizen, too. Now, if--"

  "Rest your mind there, if it will make you feel any better," broke inCalhoun, "I am no civilian, I am Lieutenant Calhoun Pennington of Morgan'scommand."

  "You don't say," replied the sergeant, apparently much relieved."Lieutenant, allow me to introduce myself. I am Sergeant Silas Latham. Wehave had the pleasure of meeting before."

  "Where?" asked Calhoun, in surprise.

  "Down in Tennessee, when you got away with Lieutenant Haines's horse soslick."

  Calhoun's face darkened. "Did you have anything to do with the persecutionof the Osbornes?" he asked, threateningly.

  "Not I. That was the blamedest, meanest trick I ever knew Haines to do.But he was dead gone on the girl. I half believe he would have turned Rebif he could have got her."

  "I saw Haines the other day," remarked Calhoun.

  "Where?" asked the Sergeant.

  "In Nashville. I had the pleasure of knocking him down."

  The Sergeant chuckled. "Served him right. He threatened to have me reducedto the ranks because I told him he ought to be ashamed of himself, the wayhe persecuted that girl."

  "Are you in his company now?"

  "No; he is the captain of another company. Glad of it."

  "Sergeant Latham, I would like to continue this conversation, but timepresses. Give me your parole, and I will be going."

  "By gum, I won't do it!" exclaimed Latham, with energy. "If you want totake me prisoner, take me. But do you think I am going sneaking back tocamp with the story that I let one Johnny gobble me? No, sir, not by ajugful!"

  "Latham, you are a character. Can you swim?"

  "Never learned when a boy."

  "Will your horse carry double?" asked Calhoun.

  "No, he is a poor swimmer, he would drown us both."

  "Latham, I am afraid I shall have to shoot you. I don't see any other wayto get rid of you."

  Latham thought a moment, and said: "Let me ride the horse across and youswim."

  "A brilliant idea, declined with thanks."

  Latham scratched his head as if for an idea. "Perhaps I can hang on by thehorse's tail," he remarked, hesitatingly.

  "That's better. It's either a parole, the tail, or death. Which shall itbe?"

  "I will take the tail."

  "All right; but you must give me your word of honor that you will hangon."

  "Like grim death," answered Latham.

  "Come, then, I have fooled away too much time already."

  Marching his prisoner up to where his horse was tethered, Calhoun tookLatham's sword and carbine which hung to the saddle and pitched them intothe river after the revolver.

  Mounting the horse, Calhoun said, "Now, no fooling. The slightest attempton your part to escape, and I shall shoot you without compunction ofconscience."

  "I am not fool enough to run when there is a revolver at my head," growledLatham.

  "Nevertheless you will bear watching. I am of the opinion you are aslippery customer. You just walk by my side here until we reach deepwater."

  They entered the river. Latham wading quietly by the side of the horse,until the water became so deep the horse began to plunge.

  "Now, grab his tail," commanded Calhoun, and he watched Latham until hehad taken a firm hold of the horse's tail and was in water beyond hisdepth.

  "For the Lord's sake, keep his head above water," shouted Latham frombehind, as the horse made a fearful plunge.

  For the next few minutes Calhoun had enough to do without looking to seewhat had become of Latham. The horse, as the Sergeant had said, proved apoor swimmer. Twice he came near drowning; but at last managed to strugglethrough. When he got to where the water was shallow enough for the horseto wade, Calhoun looked around to see how Latham had fared.

  To his surprise he saw that worthy leaning against a tree on the bank fromwhich they had started, and apparently he had been watching the strugglesof the horse in the water with a great deal of satisfaction.

  Calhoun hardly knew whether to laugh or get angry. Riding to the edge ofthe water, he turned his horse around, and yelled over, "You are a prettyfellow, you are! Like most Yankees, your word of honor is worthless."

  "Did just what I said I would!" yelled back Latham.

  "You did not. You told me you would hold on that horse's tail like grimdeath."

  "And so I did. I am holding on to it yet," and to Calhoun's surpris
eLatham shook a large piece of the horse's tail at him. He had neatlysevered it.

  Calhoun shook with suppressed laughter, but assuming a severe tone, hesaid: "You lied to me like a Turk, anyway, you miserable Yankee; you toldme you could not swim."

  "I told you no such thing, you skulking Rebel," yelled back Latham,wrathfully. "Come back here and fight me like a man, and I will wallop youuntil you can't stand, for calling me a liar. I would have you know I am amember of the church in good standing."

  "Didn't you tell me you couldn't swim?"

  "No; I told you I had never learned to swim when a boy."

  "When did you learn to swim?"

  "After I became a man."

  Calhoun exploded. "Say, Latham," he cried, "I forgive you. You are theslickest Yankee I ever met. I must be going, for I see your men arecoming. Ta! ta!"

  Calhoun turned and urged his horse up the bank, but not in time to escapehaving two balls sing uncomfortably close to his head.

  Sergeant Latham had little trouble in recovering his arms from the river,as the water was not deep where Calhoun had thrown them.

  The Sergeant made the following report of the affair to his superiorofficer:

  Sir: I have the honor to report that a Rebel scout crossed the Cumberlandto-day near the post where I was stationed. I followed him into the river,but my horse being a poor swimmer, I was forced to abandon him inmid-stream to save myself.

  SILAS LATHAM, Sergeant.