The Courier of the Ozarks

by Byron A. Dunn

  CHAPTER X

  THE GUERRILLA'S BRIDE

  "How did you come to be with the soldiers I met?" asked Lawrence of Dan.The two were now in Leavenworth, waiting for a boat to take them downthe river.

  "It was this way," answered Dan. "When those rascally cavalrymendeserted you and rode back to Platte City, word was sent post-hastehere, asking for a company to go to the aid of Captain Leeper, and helpchastise the band which had murdered you, and, if possible, to procureyour body. I was nearly wild when I heard you had been killed, andnothing could have prevented me from accompanying the company sent toCaptain Leeper. I tell you, charges ought to be preferred against thosefour men who so basely deserted you. They should be court-martialed forcowardice and shot."

  "Not so fast, Dan," replied Lawrence. "Those men heard the shots, lookedback and saw, as they supposed, the Corporal and myself both killed.They did not know how many guerrillas were in the brush, and they didthe best and about the only thing they could do--get to Platte City assoon as possible, and give the alarm."

  "They should have known there were but two from the report of the guns,"grumbled Dan. "I tell you it was a cowardly trick. Do you think I wouldhave left you, if I had been one of the four?"

  "No, Dan," said Lawrence, laying his hand on his shoulder,affectionately. "You would have charged back there if there had beenfifty guerrillas, instead of two; but all men are not dear old Dan."

  There was a suspicious moisture in Dan's eyes, but he only said: "Pshaw!Any fellow with any grit would have done it."

  A boat coming along, they took passage for Lexington, the boat makingquite a long stop at Kansas City. They found that all fear that theenemy might be able to capture the towns along the Missouri hadsubsided. Everywhere the guerrillas had been beaten, and they werefleeing south by the hundreds to hide in the Ozarks or among themountains of northern Arkansas. Still, numerous small bands remained inhiding. Within a radius of a hundred miles, taking Lexington as acenter, then were a score of these bands operating, but there were twoof them which were especially daring and troublesome.

  One of these bands was led by the notorious Quantrell, and the other byJerry Alcorn, known as Red Jerry.

  Jerry, the year before, had fled from St. Louis, being detected in aplot to assassinate Lawrence Middleton and Guilford Craig. He had joinedPrice's army, but soon deserted to become leader of a band ofguerrillas. Lawrence, with his scouts, had met this band the yearbefore, and given it a crushing defeat. As has also been seen, it wasJerry and his men that chased Lawrence and Dan as they were going insearch of Colonel Warner at Lone Jack.

  When Lawrence reached Lexington, he received dispatches from GeneralSchofield, saying he would not be able to go to Springfield to takecommand of the army quite as soon as he had expected, and that Lawrenceshould report to him at St. Louis; but before he reported he was to seethat all the guerrilla bands around Lexington were dispersed.

  Lawrence found that a force was being organized in Lexington to try tosurprise and capture Red Jerry and his entire band. He determined toaccompany it. But when he found the officer who was to command theexpedition was a Colonel Jennison, he hesitated. He had but little usefor that officer. He commanded one of those regiments known asjay-hawkers. The men composing the regiment were fighters, but in theirtactics differed little from the guerrillas. With them it was "an eyefor an eye, a tooth for a tooth."

  Lawrence talked it over with Dan, and they were so anxious that RedJerry be brought to justice for his many crimes that he decided toovercome his repugnance to the Colonel, and go, taking the place of theMajor of the regiment, who was sick.

  Jerry was reported as hanging around the plantation of a Mr. FloydTempleton, a very respected old gentleman, but a bitter Southernpartisan. Mr. Templeton had two children--a son who was with Price, anda daughter who oversaw the household, the mother being dead.

  This daughter, Agnes by name, was at this time about twenty, and was astrikingly beautiful girl. Her lustrous hair, dark as midnight, crowneda well-shaped head, which she carried as proudly as a queen. Her darkeyes, lovely in repose, could with a languishing glance cause the heartof the most prosaic of men to beat more rapidly; but in their depth wasa hidden fire which would blaze forth when aroused, and show thetempestuous soul which dwelt within. She was above medium height, andher body was as lithe and supple as a panther's.

  In vain had her hand been sought by the beaux for twenty miles around.When the war came, she told them no one need woo her until her belovedMissouri was free of the Yankee foe, and he who did win her must be asoldier, brave and true.

  Some months before, Jerry's gang had been attacked and scattered, andJerry, his horse being killed, fled on foot. In his flight he came tothe Templeton house, his pursuers close behind.

  He implored Agnes to save him, and this she did by secreting him in ahidden closet behind the huge chimney. To the Federal soldiers inpursuit she swore the guerrilla chieftain had passed by withoutstopping. A careful search of the house revealing nothing, the soldierswere forced to believe she told the truth.

  Jerry was not only grateful to his fair preserver, but fell violently inlove with her. The rough guerrilla soldier was not the soldier of thedreams of the proud, aristocratic girl. Concealing her repugnance to hisadvances, she gently but firmly refused him, telling him her duty was toher aged father. Jerry was so persistent in his advances that shefinally told him he must never speak of the subject again, or he wouldbe refused the house.

  More than once did Jerry conceive the scheme of carrying her off byforce and marrying her against her will; but he became aware that thegirl possessed as fierce a spirit as his own, and if need were she wouldnot hesitate to plunge a dagger in his heart.

  With the fires of unrequited love burning in his heart, he had to ceasehis advances; but, like the silly moths that flutter around a candle, hemade every excuse to call at the Templeton residence. The girl warnedhim by saying that by his course he was bringing not only danger onhimself, but on her father as well.

  Jerry knew this, and the dastardly thought came to him that if theFederals did make way with her father, Agnes, in her loneliness, mightcome to him. It was a thought worthy of his black nature, but that hemadly loved the girl, there was no doubt.

  The expedition against Jerry was well planned, but he got wind of it,and scattered his force.

  In a running fight that took place, Jerry captured two of Jennison'smen. These he calmly proceeded to hang, almost in sight of Templeton'sdoor, for the purpose of bringing down the wrath of Jennison onTempleton's head. Only too well did the damnable plot succeed.

  Jennison was beside himself with rage, and after pursuing Jerry untilall hopes of catching him had ended, he returned to the Templeton place,and, calling the old man to the door, he denounced him in the mostviolent terms, calling him a sneaking rebel, who made his house arendezvous for murderers.

  Mr. Templeton drew himself up proudly. "I may be what you call a rebel,"he exclaimed, "but I am not a sneaking one. My heart and soul are withthe South in her struggle for liberty, and every one knows it. As forthe men you call guerrillas, I can no more help their coming here than Ican help your coming."

  "You lie, you old scoundrel!" shouted Jennison. "You invite them tocome, and aid them in their nefarious work. The murderers you have beenharboring hanged two of my men yesterday, almost at your very door, andno doubt you looked on and approved."

  "I did no such thing," answered Mr. Templeton. "I did not know of thedeed until it was done; then I told Alcorn never again to set foot on mypremises."

  "More lies, you canting old hypocrite. Do you know what I am going to dowith you?" shouted Jennison.

  "I am in your power; you can do anything you wish," answered Mr.Templeton, with dignity.

  "I am going to shoot you, and burn your house," yelled Jennison.

  "You will never harbor any more guerrillas."

  At these words, Agnes sprang before her father, with a scream. "If youshoot any one, shoot me--not him," s
he said. "If there has been anyharboring, it is I who am to blame. I have harbored those fighting torid our State of such as you, and I glory in it. Shoot me--not him."

  Lawrence and Dan just now rode up and gazed in astonishment at thescene. The girl stood in front of her father, her arms outspread, herbosom heaving with excitement, her eyes blazing, inviting the deadlyvolley.

  Her tragic attitude, her wondrous beauty, awed the men, and they loweredthe guns that had been raised to slay the father.

  "Drag her away, and shoot!" commanded Jennison, with an oath.

  "Hold!" cried Lawrence. "Colonel Jennison, do you realize what you aredoing? What does this mean?"

  "It means I'm going to shoot this old villain and burn the house. Itmeans I am going to put an end to this harboring of guerrillas, if Ihave to burn every house in this accursed State," thundered Jennison."Now drag the girl away."

  "The first man that touches that girl dies!" cried Lawrence, drawing hisrevolver.

  "I'm with you," said Dan, drawing his revolver, and taking his place byLawrence's side.

  For a moment Colonel Jennison was too astonished to speak; then his faceturned livid with passion. "Young man," he hissed, "do you know what youare doing? By a word I can have you both shot--shot for mutiny--and, byGod! I ought to say the word."

  "But, Colonel, what you are going to do is an outrage," cried Lawrence,"a damnable outrage--one that will bring black disgrace on our arms. Itis an act that General Schofield will never countenance, and in his nameI ask you to countermand the order."

  "Which I will not do!" exclaimed Jennison, white with rage. "I have beentrammelled enough with orders from headquarters. I propose to deal withthese red-handed assassins as I please. We, along the border, propose toprotect ourselves. Captain Middleton, you and your companion are underarrest for insubordination. Lieutenant Cleveland, take their swords, andwith a detail of six men escort them back to Lexington. When I return Iwill make a formal charge against them."

  There was no use in resisting. The majority of Jennison's regiment wascomposed of men from Kansas who had suffered from the raids of theBorder Ruffians before the war, or had been driven from their homes inMissouri, and heartily sympathized with the Colonel in his warfare ofretaliation.

  Lawrence also knew he had committed a grave offence when, in hisindignation, he tried to prevent the execution of Templeton by force. Sohe quietly submitted to arrest; but as he rode away there came to hisears the shrieks of the girl, then the sharp crack of three or fourcarbines. Lawrence shuddered and, looking back, he saw great columns ofsmoke rolling up, and through the blackness red tongues of leapingflame.

  After the volley killing her father had been fired, the girl uttered onemore shriek, and then stood with dry eyes, gazing as if in a trance;then with a low moan she threw herself on the still body, enfolding itwith her arms as if she would shield it from the profane gaze of thosearound it. She lay as if dead; and so they left her.

  Hours afterward, Red Jerry came creeping up from his hiding place, andfound her. At first he thought her dead, but at his touch and the soundof his voice she aroused and stood up--but a changed being--changed froma woman into a demon.

  She spoke a few words to Jerry, but in so low a tone his few followerswho had gathered round could not hear. Jerry gently led her away fromthe rest; but the men noticed she walked as one seeing not.

  They stopped under a tree not far away.

  "Jerry," she said, in a tone devoid of the least sign of feeling, "youhave often told me you loved me, and wanted me to become your wife. Ihave as often refused. I am now ready to marry you, if you make me onepromise."

  Red Jerry's heart gave a great bound. He had won. The peerless AgnesTempleton was to become his wife--he, a guerrilla chieftain.

  "Anything you ask," he cried, rapturously, and attempted to take her inhis arms.

  "Do not touch me," she said, in the same passionless tones. "You mustnot touch me until you have promised, and not then until the words arespoken which give you a right."

  "What is it you want me to promise, Agnes? You know anything in my powerwill be granted," Jerry replied, his voice showing the depth of hispassion.

  "That you will let me dress as a man and ride by your side; that youwill never order me away, however great the danger; that where you are,I may always be."

  "For you to ride at my side would be bliss," said Jerry; "but, oh!Agnes, to lead you into danger--how can I do it?"

  "It must be as I say, or I can never be your wife," was her answer.

  Jerry promised, and side by side they rode away to the home of aminister. It was near midnight when they reached it, and there, amid theclashing of the elements--for a fearful storm had arisen--the words werespoken that made Agnes Templeton the bride of Jerry Alcorn, theguerrilla.

  Sacrificing everything feminine, except her luxuriant hair, which shecoiled tightly on top of her head and concealed under a wide sombrero,she rode by the side of her husband throughout his career. No Federalthought the smooth-faced, handsome young man who was always with Jerrywas a woman.

  The band became known as one of the most cruel and merciless in theState. It revelled in deeds of bloodshed, and of all the band, the youngman with the angel face and the heart of a demon, who rode by Red Jerry,was known as the most merciless.