CHAPTER XVII
TRAILING RED JERRY
Lawrence sat reading a letter. It was from Harry and told of hisadventures since their parting. It closed as follows: "Captain, I wantto come to you. Bruno and I are becoming too well known in this section.Then it has been very quiet here since Porter and most of his men fledsouth. I understand General McNeil and most of his force have beenordered to Southeastern Missouri, so there is little here for me to do.Try and get me transferred if you can. I have a mate now, a boy about myage, by the name of Jack Harwood. He is a good one, and is crazy to comewith me. See if you can't get him transferred too."
Dan came in just as Lawrence finished reading the letter. "What do youthink of that, Dan?" asked Lawrence, handing it to him.
Dan read it. "Don't see what you can do for him when you can't keep me,"said Dan, lugubriously. He had been in the dumps ever since he thoughtthat he and Lawrence might have to part.
"Cheer up, Dan," said Lawrence. "I have good news for you. GeneralSchofield finds so much requiring his attention that he will not be ableto take the field in person for some time yet. He has requested me totake a force of fifty men and scout down through the Ozarks and thenmake my way to General Blount in Northwest Arkansas. Of course, you willgo with me."
Dan was so excited that he took three chews of tobacco, one right afterthe other.
"You can send for Harry now, can't you?" asked Dan.
"Yes, and to please him I will also ask for a transfer for that mate ofhis. He must be a good one to have Harry like him so well."
Lawrence had no trouble in getting Harry Semans and Jack Harwood,scouts, transferred to his command.
When the transfer came Harry was overjoyed, and lost no time inreporting at Rolla, where Lawrence was organizing his company.
"Hello, you here already?" cried Lawrence, as Harry made his appearance."Mighty glad to see you and Bruno, too. How are you, old fellow?" andLawrence patted the dog's head and heartily shook the paw extended tohim.
"Here is Jack, Captain, you mustn't forget him," said Harry introducinghis companion.
"Ah! Jack, glad to meet you," said Lawrence so heartily and cheerilythat Jack's heart was at once won. "Anyone that Harry recommends needsnothing more. You are more than welcome."
"I can never hope to equal Harry," replied Jack, modestly, "but where heleads I can follow."
"The trouble is he wants to go ahead where there is danger," laughedHarry.
"I reckon I will have to put leading strings on both of you," repliedLawrence, with a smile.
Just as Lawrence was ready to start for the Ozarks he received a messagefrom General Schofield, saying that Red Jerry and his band were making agreat deal of trouble along the Osage; that he had lately surprised andnearly annihilated a force of seventy-five men under a Captain Dunlay,and that the victory had encouraged him to commit further excesses.
"Can't you go and teach him a lesson he won't forget, before you startfor the Ozarks?" asked the General.
"Here, what do you think of this, Dan?" asked Lawrence, handing themessage to his lieutenant.
"Let's go by all means," replied Dan, his face brightening. "I am justaching to get a chance at that fellow."
"The same here," exclaimed Lawrence.
Hearing that Captain Dunlay, who had been in command of the force RedJerry had routed, was in Rolla, Lawrence hunted him up to learn all hecould of his whereabouts, and the supposed number of his band.
When Dunlay heard Lawrence was to go after Red Jerry with fifty men hewas astonished. "Captain," he exclaimed, "It's suicidal! Your force willsimply be exterminated. Red Jerry has at least two hundred men and theyfight like devils."
"Never mind the number of his men, or how they fight," said Lawrence."What I want to know is where I will be most likely to find him."
"I can tell you where I found him," snapped Dunlay, nettled at whatLawrence had said, "and I wish you joy when you meet him."
"No offence, Captain," replied Lawrence. "Just tell me what you knowabout his hiding places."
The Captain told all he knew, and when Lawrence thanked him and wentaway, Dunlay turned to a brother officer standing by and remarked, "Thatyoung popinjay will be wiser before many days."
The next morning Lawrence was on his way bright and early. It was notuntil the afternoon of the second day that he began to hear anything ofRed Jerry. He then learned that he had attacked and was chasing a smallscouting party towards Versailles.
"Dan, we are in luck," said Lawrence. "Jerry will not be expecting aforce from this way, and we may meet him on the way back."
The meeting took place quicker than Lawrence expected. Towards eveningthere came from the front the sound of several shots, and in a fewminutes Harry Semans, who was in command of the advance guard, camegalloping up.
"Guerrillas ahead, Captain," he reported.
"How many?"
"I only saw four, but I reckon there are more back. Bruno had hardlygiven a warning of danger ahead when these four came around a bend inthe road at full gallop. They seemed surprised at seeing us, and afterfiring one volley wheeled their horses and went tearing back. The boyswere eager to pursue, but I held them back, fearing an ambuscade."
"You did right, Harry. We have a wary foe to contend with, up to allsorts of tricks. We can't be too careful."
Leaving the troop in charge of Dan, Lawrence rode forward with Harry towhere the advance had halted.
"Seen anyone since I left?" asked Harry.
"No, but that dog of yours acts mighty queer."
"Plenty of rebs around then? Hello! There's a couple."
Two horsemen had appeared around the bend. When they noticed they hadbeen discovered they halted and one of them, who was on a magnificentgray horse, raised a field glass to his eyes.
"Don't fire, boys, the distance is too great and I want to look atthem," said Lawrence.
Lawrence took a look through his glasses and after a moment exclaimed,"Jerry Alcorn, as I live, on that gray horse. The one with him is ayoung fellow. Well, we have found the game we came after."
At the same time Jerry was saying to his companion, "I know that fellow,Agnes.[15] Curse the luck. It's Lawrence Middleton. It's run now insteadof fight. Where in the world did he come from? and how did he get here?"
[Footnote 15: Jerry called his wife Agnes only when they were alone. Atother times she was known as Billy and called so by his men.]
"Don't let's run until we have to," replied Billy. "This Middleton isthe fellow who cut your command all to pieces last fall, is he not?"
"Yes, and the same one who run me out of St. Louis; but I hold no grudgeagainst him for that, for if he had not I never would have met you.The ----"
This exclamation was caused by Lawrence and the advance guard chargingdown upon them. Lawrence had come to the conclusion that the guerrillaswere surprised and totally unprepared for a fight. This was true. Theywere returning from their pursuit of the scouting party and were strungout a long distance along the road.
Wheeling their horses, Jerry and Billy rode madly back and after themthundered Lawrence and the guard. When they turned the bend in the roadLawrence saw a sight that made his heart thrill. On each side of theroad for over a mile there were open fields. Scattered along the roadfor the whole distance was Jerry's band riding at leisure.
"Tell Dan to bring forward the whole troop at full gallop," shoutedLawrence.
Eager for the fray the troopers came. Jerry saw his danger and waswildly gesticulating for his men to turn back. They understood, andwheeling their horses, in a moment were in full retreat.
The troop came up and the order "Charge" was given. Soon the hindmost ofthe guerrillas and the foremost of the Federals began to exchange shots.A guerrilla's horse went down, but the rider scrambled to his feet andwas over the fence and running like a deer when a carbine rang out andhe fell, all crumpled up, and lay still.
Lawrence saw one of his men reel and then fall forward, clutching hishorse's neck. Some of the
guerrillas riding the fleetest horses formed arear guard, and taking advantage of every rise of ground would hold theadvance of the Federals back as long as possible.
The chase had continued some three miles, when the road became narrowand lined with bushes on each side. Jerry saw his opportunity; he knewthe pursuit must be checked, or his whole band would be captured ordispersed. As it was, he had already lost six or seven men. He dashed tothe head of the column and quickly gave orders. As the men passed him,three would spring from their horses and disappear in the brush, thefourth one riding on with the horses.
The road through the brush was a winding one, and Jerry was in hopes theFederals might not see what was being done and ride into the trap.
Mounted men would have but little chance in that narrow road against anenemy concealed in the brush. But Lawrence was not to be caught. He sawthe opportunity afforded for just such a move; not only this, but hecaught sight of the last of the guerrillas as they were disappearing inthe brush.
"Halt!" he ordered.
His men drew rein, wondering why they were halted. When the columnclosed up, Lawrence ordered half of the men to dismount, form a skirmishline on each side of the road and to advance cautiously.
This was done, and soon the crack of the carbines and revolvers showedthat the guerrillas had been aroused, and then the cheers of his mentold Lawrence the enemy were retreating. Jerry had failed to draw theFederals into his trap, but he had saved his gang, for night was nownear at hand and it would have been madness for Lawrence to continue thepursuit in the darkness.
Lawrence went into camp near a farmhouse, where he noticed there wasplenty of provender for the horses.
The house was tenanted by a woman and three children. At the sight ofthe Yankees the children shrieked in terror and ran cowering behindtheir mother, who tried to preserve a brave front, but could not concealher fears.
By questioning, Lawrence became convinced her husband was one of Jerry'sband, but he quieted her fears by saying, "There is no reason for you tobe alarmed. Your house will not be disturbed. I will see that no soldierenters it. What feed the horses need I will take. I also see some fatpigs. I shall let my men kill one. Some sweet potatoes may be dug and afew chickens killed, but nothing will be taken that we do not actuallyneed, and nothing will be destroyed. But for all I know we may beattacked. My advice is to go into the house, bar the door and keepquiet."
Lawrence had had two men wounded in the _melee_ and they were astenderly cared for as possible.
The men were soon busy preparing supper, and chicken, fresh pork andsweet potatoes added to their rations, made, as they thought, a banquetfit for a king. All were in the highest spirits as they discussed theincidents of the day.
"I tell you," said one, "that young Captain of ours is a good one. Notmany would have discovered that ambuscade, and we would have riddenplumb into it."
In this they were all agreed, and when they saw the preparations thatLawrence made to guard against a surprise at night they becameconvinced, more than ever, that their Captain was all right.
As for the guerrillas, they felt when night came that they were safe;but Red Jerry was wild with rage. As soon as he became convinced thatthe pursuit was over he called a halt. If he wished, he could have beenmiles away by morning, and out of all danger, but he did not wish. Hewas burning for revenge. He detailed two of his best men to go back andfind where the Yankees camped and then report as soon as possible.Runners were also sent out through the country to bring in all the menthey could. By morning he believed he could rally at least a hundredmen.
"They have not over fifty," said Jerry, as he discussed the matter withhis officers. "If we can't whip them we had better go out of business. Iwill have revenge or die in the attempt. We will wait until Carter andHolmes report, then lay our plans."
Lawrence, like Jerry, was not satisfied with what had been done. Aftersupper, when the men sat around discussing the results of the day, hesaid nothing, but sat buried in thought.
"Why so glum, Captain?" asked Dan. "Has anything gone wrong?"
"Yes," replied Lawrence. "We have just scorched the guerrillas insteadof capturing or dispersing them, and by morning they will be miles away.I look upon our expedition as a failure."
"Pardon me, Captain," spoke up Harry, "but I believe you are mistakenwhen you say the guerrillas will be miles away in the morning. Instead,I look for an attack tonight or in the morning."
"What makes you think so?" asked Lawrence.
"In the first place, from what you tell me of Red Jerry, I do not thinkhe is a man that will run away so easily. Then through that open countryhe had a good opportunity to ascertain our strength. He knows as well asyou that we do not number over fifty. I took care to estimate hisstrength and he has about eighty. By morning he will have a hundred.Instead of running away, I am confident he is not over three miles fromus, laying plans as to how he can get his revenge."
"Do you really think so, Harry?" asked Lawrence, rising.
"I not only think so, but I am going to know so."
"But how?"
"By going to see. By tracking them to their lair."
"How many men will you need to go with you?" asked Lawrence.
"I want Jack only. Bruno, of course, will be one of the party. Morewould be in the way. Come on, Jack."
"Aren't you going to take your horses?" cried Lawrence, seeing they weremaking preparation to start away on foot.
"Horses are no use on this scout. I hope to sneak up on them."
"Harry, I hate to see you go," said Lawrence, with feeling.
"Poof! I have had many a more dangerous job than this, but if we are notback by midnight, you may know something has happened. Come on, Jack."
The two boys and the dog were quickly swallowed up in the darkness. Themen watched them as they went, and shook their heads. "Cap oughtn't tohave let them go," said one.
"Don't worry," said Dan. "The boys can take care of themselves, and theyhave Bruno."
It was well they had Bruno, for after going a mile the dog turned up aroad that crossed the one they were on. "We would have gone right on,"said Harry. "It's funny how much more a dog knows about some things thana man."
After following the cross-road a space they saw the dim lights of ahouse ahead. They also became aware there were dogs on the place. Brunobegan to bristle up.
"Quiet, old boy, no fuss," said Harry.
Bruno obeyed and walked meekly by his side.
But the dogs of the house barked so furiously that two men came out.Harry and Jack sought shelter in a clump of bushes by the roadside. Itwas starlight and objects could be distinguished some distance away. Thedogs began leading the men directly to where Harry and Jack lay. Withrevolvers in their hands, the boys waited. They knew a shot mightdestroy the object of their scout, but saw no way out of it. Just atthis moment a rabbit scurried across the road, and the dogs, with yelpsof delight, took after it.
"Them blame dawgs," growled one of the men, "to make all that fuss overa rabbit. But, Hicks, we 'uns might as well git our hosses an' begoin'."
Just then two horsemen came galloping down the road. They halted at thesight of the two men and one cried, "Why, Sloan and Hicks, what's up?Why aren't you with Red Jerry?"
"Jes' goin' to start," said Sloan. "Whar hev' yo' uns been?"
"Watching the Yanks. We're on our way to report to Jerry. Hicks, theYanks are camped on your place."
"What's that? The Yanks camped on my place!" cried Hicks.
"Sure. Reckon you'll be short on fodder and pork and sweet 'taters bymorning."
"The ole woman and children?" gasped Hicks.
"Reckon they're all right, seeing their natural protector is not athome. The Yanks won't hurt them. Git your hosses and come on. We've beengone too long now. Jerry will give us the devil for not reportingbefore."
As he was speaking horsemen were heard approaching from the otherdirection, and in a moment Jerry and Billy rode up.
"Is that you, Stevens?"
Jerry demanded angrily.
"Yes," was the hesitating reply.
"I have a notion to have you cashiered for dawdling along the road. Youknow everything depends on your report. I've been waiting an hour."
Stevens was Jerry's lieutenant and he did not relish the idea of losinghis office.
"Captain, I came as quickly as I could," he responded meekly. "You toldus to make a thorough examination, and that took time. I arrived herejust a moment ago. Sloan halted me, saying his dogs were making a fuss.Then he asked us to wait a minute; saying they would get their hossesand come with us."
"Well, what did you find?"
"The Yanks have gone into camp on Hicks' farm. They seem to be makingfree with Hicks' fodder, pigs and 'taters (here Hicks was heard togroan), and it looks as if they intended to stay all night."
"What do you say, Billy? Shall we attack them there?" asked Jerry.
"Stevens saw how they were situated. Let's hear what he thinks."
"We might whip them, but it would be a costly job," answered Stevens."We had a taste of how they can fight this afternoon. My advice is tolet them alone tonight and they will think we have run entirely away.When they are not attacked nor hear anything from us, they will move outkind of careless."
"Then your idea is to attack them in the morning?" asked Jerry.
"Yes, and I know a capital place. It is where this road crosses the mainroad. This side of the main road is covered with bushes for about twohundred yards, then come clear fields. Along the edge of the fields theground descends this way. We can leave our horses in the field, the menhide in the brush along the road, and when they come along we canannihilate them with one volley."
"What do you think of the plan, Billy?" asked Jerry.
"It's all right. If it works well we ought to finish them without theloss of a man. Even if they discover us, we will have the advantage ofposition, and we have two men to their one. If we cannot whip them Ishall lose my confidence in you as a fighter."
"Well said, Billy. Tomorrow morning it is. I will never rest until Ileave the body of Lawrence Middleton swinging on a tree."
Then turning to his lieutenant, Jerry said, "As you know the ground,Stevens, I will leave the details to you. See the troop is on the groundby daylight. Mind you don't fail me."
Thus speaking, Jerry and Billy rode back and in a few moments werefollowed by the other four.
As soon as the sound of their horses' hoofs died away, Harry drew a longbreath. "I say, Jack," he exclaimed, "this is a cinch. Got all we wantwithout half trying. Now to camp as quick as we can."
They started back on the run, but Bruno soon gave notice of danger andthey hid while four men passed them.
"Recruits for Jerry," said Harry. "He may have two hundred men bymorning."
When they came to the main road both were breathing heavily from theirrun.
"Let's stop here a moment," panted Harry. "Here is where they propose toambush us, and a jolly good place it is for the job. But let's hurry on.Cap can't learn of this too quick."
Again they started on the run, and did not stop until they were haltedby the picket guarding the road.
The Courier of the Ozarks Page 17
