The Courier of the Ozarks

by Byron A. Dunn

  CHAPTER XXI

  THE OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAINS

  It was the second day after Lawrence had left the valley of La Belle,and so far nothing of interest had occurred. Lawrence and Dan wereriding along side by side, when suddenly a stone struck in the road justahead of them, causing their horses to rear and plunge. The road ranclose to the bluff, and no doubt it was from the top of the bluff thatthe stone was thrown.

  A careful scrutiny of the bluff revealed nothing, and they were about toride on, when Lawrence suddenly exclaimed: "Hold on! there's a paperwrapped around that stone." Springing from his horse, he secured thepaper. It proved to be a rude scrawl, telling them they were beingpursued by a hundred men, and that another hundred had been sent to headthem off.

  "What do you think of that?" asked Lawrence, handing the scrawl to Dan.

  Dan deciphered it, after some trouble, and then remarked: "A hoax,probably."

  "It's no hoax, Dan. We may as well be prepared."

  "But where did the two hundred men come from?" asked Dan. "Even if thosefellows who were paroled turned back, they had no arms."

  "It's a raiding party from the South, in all probability," answeredLawrence, "and we left just in time to miss them."

  "Whew! Why couldn't we have stayed a few hours longer?"

  "What! And fought the two hundred?"

  "Sure; we could have licked them easily."

  "Well, I am not sorry we left. I am not aching for a fight against suchodds; but if they overtake us, we will show them what we can do. Whatpuzzles me is, who gave us the warning?"

  "Give it up," said Dan.

  Harry was now called, and told what had happened. "You take Jack andBruno and guard the rear. Don't let those fellows get close to us,without our knowing it."

  "No danger, as long as Bruno is alive," laughed Harry.

  "What about the front?" asked Dan. "We may run into those fellows whohave gone to head us off."

  "They haven't had time to head us off yet," said Lawrence, "and beforethey meet us, I want to teach those fellows in the rear a lesson."

  The horses began to show signs of weariness, and, coming to a settler'scabin, around which grew a fine field of corn, Lawrence, concluded tohalt, rest and feed the horses, and allow the men to make some coffee.There were some fine pigs running around, and two of these wereslaughtered. The owner of the corn and hogs made strenuous objections tothis appropriation of his property. He was a tall, gaunt mountaineer,and his face showed that he was both cunning and crafty.

  "Are you Union or Confed?" asked Lawrence.

  After emptying his capacious mouth of an enormous quid of tobacco, hedrawled: "I don't know. Yo' uns be the first Yanks I hev seen. I allersreckoned I was a Confed, but now that yo' uns hev tuk my cohn and hawgs,I reckon I be Union. If I be Union, I get pay for my cohn and hawgs,don't I?"

  Laughing, Lawrence handed him ten dollars, saying, "I'll bet you a tenagainst that one that you will be Confed before night. There's a band ofConfederate cavalry chasing us."

  "Is thar? Then I won't bet," replied the fellow, grinning. "It's toorisky. They might p'int a gun at me, and make me yell for Jeff Davis."

  "I reckon you wouldn't wait for the gun to be pointed before youyelled," said Lawrence; "but you're welcome to the ten."

  "Ought to be fifty," growled the fellow, as he turned and went into thehouse, and they saw him no more.

  That night Major Powell camped on his place, and made free with both hiscorn and hogs, but he made no objection; neither did he hurrah for JeffDavis, for he was not there.

  The Federals had not gone far from the cabin when the valley narroweddown and the mountains arose steep and precipitous on each side.

  "It's lucky," said Dan, "that these hills are not filled withguerrillas, or they would be taking pot-shot at us. I will feelsafer----"

  He did not finish the sentence, for there came the sharp crack of arifle from the hillside, and a piece of the crown of Dan's hat wentflying through the air. He pulled off his damaged headgear and, gazingruefully at it exclaimed: "A blame good hat spoiled; but my head issafe."

  "Charge the bluff!" shouted Lawrence; but there was no need of theorder. A half dozen troopers had already dismounted, and were scalingthe bluff to where a small wreath of smoke was seen curling. Before theywere half way up, there came the sound of another shot, but this timethe whiz of no ball was heard.

  Soon the men reached the spot where the smoke had been seen, and theirexclamations of surprise were heard.

  "What is it?" shouted Lawrence.

  "Dead man up here. No signs of any live one."

  "Well, look around sharp, and then come down," replied Lawrence.

  The men soon returned, and told a strange story.

  "We found," said the sergeant in charge, "whom do you think? Our friendwho sold us the corn and hogs. He was lying behind a rock; his gun,loaded and cocked, was on the rock, and no doubt he was just going totake another shot at us, when some one shot him through the head frombehind. He had just been shot, for the fresh blood was gushing from thewound as we came up. But we neither saw nor could we find any trace ofthe one who shot him. It's blame curious. I feel creepy. These mountainsmust be haunted."

  "If they are, the spirits who haunt them must be very friendly to us,"said Lawrence; "but, as you say, it is a singular circumstance. I can'tmake it out. Why doesn't the fellow show himself, if he is our friend?"

  Many and various were the opinions expressed, but no satisfactorysolution was arrived at.

  The day closed dark and gloomy; great clouds swept across the sky, andthe wind roared through the forest. It became so dark, and traveling sodifficult, that Lawrence decided to camp for the night, and risk thechance of being overtaken. The place chosen to camp was a naturalamphitheater which ran back into the mountains. It was overhung by thegiant trees growing on the mountain.

  Supper over, the men sat for some time around their little campfire,talking over the events of the day; but gradually the camp became quiet,and nothing was heard but the stamping of the horses and the roaring ofthe wind.

  It was nearly midnight when the soldiers were aroused, not by the guard,but by Bruno, who came bounding into camp, growling fiercely, every hairon his back erect. He was trembling violently, either from fear orexcitement.

  "Why, what's the matter, Bruno?" cried Harry. "I never saw you act likethis before."

  "I believe he is scared," said Lawrence. "Andrew Jackson! Bruno scared!"

  "I never knew him to be scared," said Harry, "but I believe he is. Seehow he trembles."

  Before an investigation could be made, the horses began to rear andplunge, and the sentinels called out they were breaking loose.

  "See to the horses," shouted Lawrence.

  The men were just in time, as several of the horses had broken theirhalters. As it was, they had hard work to keep them from getting away.

  "The horses are badly frightened. They are trembling like leaves," saidthe men.

  "It must be some wild animal," said Lawrence. "Men, stay by the horses;Dan, Harry and I will investigate."

  Lawrence took a burning brand from the fire, and all three, well armed,started to find the cause of the trouble. Bruno at first hung back, butwhen he saw Harry start, he followed; but it was noticed he kept closeto his master's side.

  The dog kept looking to the cliff back of their encampment. A large treegrew close to the cliff, and an animal could spring into it from thecliff. Cautiously the three men advanced.

  "See there," said Dan, pointing up in the tree.

  Lawrence looked, and saw up in the tree what looked like two coals offire.

  "Hold your brand where I can see the sights of my gun," whispered Dan.

  Lawrence did so. Dan took a quick aim and fired. There came a terriblescream, a crashing among the branches, and then a huge panther laystruggling on the ground, tearing up the earth in his death agony.

  Bruno seemed to have recovered from his fright, for he was about tospring on the str
uggling animal, when Harry cried, "Back, Bruno, back!"

  Still Bruno would have rushed to his fate if Lawrence had not struck hima sharp rap over the nose with the burning brand.

  At last the beast lay still.

  "That was a good shot, Dan," said Lawrence. The ball had struck thepanther squarely between the eyes.

  "What could have induced him to visit our camp?" asked Harry.

  "The smell of the meat the boys roasted for supper," replied Dan. "Youknow, we brought along some of those pigs we had for dinner."

  Some of the soldiers insisted on skinning the beast and taking the skinalong as a trophy. As it was, there was little more sleep in the camp,for the horses continued to be restless, and it was hard to keep themquieted.

  "The panther's mate may be around," said Dan. "It is well to be on thelookout."

  Bruno was of no more use, for he had become sulky and gone and laindown. He could not understand that the blow Lawrence gave him had savedhis life.

  If there was another panther around, he did not show himself, and at thebreak of day the troop was once more on the way.

  Along in the afternoon, Harry came rapidly riding from the rear, sayingthe foremost of the pursuers had been sighted. Hardly had he made hisreport when the faint sound of three or four shots was heard.

  "Harry, you, with Dan and Bruno, now take the advance," commandedLawrence. "That is where we will have to look now for a surprise. Dan,take command, and ride at a good pace. I, with ten men, will look to therear, and hold back the enemy."

  "Why not stop and fight them?" grumbled Dan. "I don't like this idea ofrunning."

  "Because I don't wish to have a battle here, if I can help it," repliedLawrence. "If we fight, especially on anything like even terms, some ofthe men will be sure to be killed or wounded. Think of leaving any ofthe boys here in the mountains, wounded! It would be better for them tobe shot than left wounded, for they would be sure to be murdered byguerrillas."

  "Reckon you are right; but it is against my principles to run," sighedDan.

  "Don't be downhearted, old fellow," laughed Lawrence. "I expect to givethem a fight; but I want to choose the ground and the manner offighting."

  Dan's face brightened. "That's all right, Captain," he exclaimed. "Imight have known you were up to some of your tricks."

  Lawrence now rode back to take charge of the rear. Major Powell, knowinghe had two men to Lawrence's one, eagerly pressed forward; but hisenthusiasm was a little cooled when his advance was driven back with aloss of one killed and two wounded, and he began to be a little morecareful.

  By taking advantage of every little inequality of ground, Lawrence wasable to hold the enemy well in check for some miles; but at length theycame to a place where the valley spread out, and flank movements wereeasy, and it soon became a test of speed and endurance of the horses.

  "This will never do," thought Lawrence. "I must find a place to stop andfight them, and that soon."

  Leaving the rear guard in charge of a sergeant, he rode rapidly to thefront.

  "Horses getting winded," said Dan. "We will have to stop and fight."

  "At the first favorable place, Dan. Tell the boys to keep up the pace alittle longer."

  Lawrence now urged his horse to his utmost speed. He rode two or threemiles without finding a favorable place for an ambuscade, and was aboutto halt and choose as good ground as possible and give battle. He had nofears of the result--only that many of his men might be killed orwounded. Just as he came to this conclusion, to his delight, he saw thevalley close in front of him. A great hill pushed into it, leaving onlya narrow gateway. Beyond this the valley turned, and the force would beentirely concealed by the hill. It took Lawrence but a minute to formhis plan of battle. Just before the gateway was reached, the road ranclose to the base of the mountain, which was thickly wooded.

  Dan, in command of the advance, now dashed up. "Captain, we must fight.The horses are all in."

  "Yes, Dan, it's fight now. Dismount your men, and have the horses takenaround that point, out of sight. One man can care for six horses.Conceal the rest of your force in the brush along the base of themountain. Be quick. If I succeed in leading them into the trap, you willknow what to do." Thus saying, Lawrence clapped spurs to his horse, androde for the rear.

  Lawrence found the rear guard hard pressed.

  "Look out, Captain; they are flanking us, and you are in range," calledone of the men.

  Just then three or four balls whizzed close to Lawrence's head. Wheelinghis horse, he shouted, "Follow me!" and the rear guard went down theroad as if in swift retreat. The enemy followed with wild cheers.

  The rapid pursuit had strung out the Confederates, and Major Powell hadridden back to hurry up the stragglers, leaving the advance in charge ofhis senior captain. This officer, thinking the Yankees in full retreat,and that he might gain some honor, pressed the pursuit with vigor.

  Straight past where Dan and his men were concealed, Lawrence rode, buthe halted his little squad where the valley narrowed.

  If the Confederates had not been so eager in the pursuit, they mighthave seen the bushes tremble or caught the gleam of a gun barrel; butthey only had eyes for the flying Yankees. When they saw the Federalshad halted, they also halted, taking time to close up, and that was justwhat Lawrence wanted.

  Ordering his men to fire a volley, Lawrence again wheeled as if inretreat.

  "Forward!" shouted the Confederate captain. "Charge! Ride over them!"

  Suddenly, from the side of the road, there came a crashing volley. Thedestruction was awful; men and horses went down in heaps.

  "Wheel and charge!" shouted Lawrence; and down on the terror-strickenConfederates came Lawrence with his ten men. The panic became a rout.The enemy thought only of getting away. In vain Major Powell tried tostop his men; he, too, was borne back in the confusion.

  Quickly as possible, Dan had the horses brought up, and he and his menjoined in the pursuit. For two miles it was kept up; then Lawrenceordered a halt. He saw that Major Powell had succeeded in rallying someof his men, and taken a position that could not be carried without loss.

  All along the road lay dead and wounded men and horses, and where thefirst volley was fired the road was filled with the dead and dying.

  It was a sight that made Lawrence's heart ache; but he could not stopeven to give relief, for Harry and Jack came back with the startlingnews that there was a large force in front, not more than three milesaway.

  Lawrence rallied his men, and, to his intense relief, found he had onlythree men slightly wounded. It was almost a bloodless victory. Thequestion was, what to do now. While debating, one of the men suddenlyexclaimed, "Look, there!"

  On a rock on the mountain-side, some three hundred yards away, stood thefigure of an old man. A long white beard swept his breast, and he wasbent with age. He stood leaning on a staff, as if weary.

  An old man leaning on a staff.]

  When he saw he was seen, he beckoned for some one to come to him. Two orthree of the soldiers started, but he peremptorily waved them back.Lawrence then started, and the old man stood still.

  "Don't go, Captain," cried the men. "It may be a trap."

  "I will be careful," replied Lawrence. "Shoot at the first sign oftreachery."

  A dozen carbines covered the old man, but he did not seem to notice it.When Lawrence was within about fifty yards of him, he motioned for himto stop; then, in a high, cracked voice, exclaimed: "There is dangerahead."

  "I know it," replied Lawrence.

  "A little ahead, close to that large tree, you will find a faint trail.Take it. It will lead you over the mountain into another valley, whereyou can go on your way in safety. Delay twenty minutes, and all will belost. Farewell."

  The old man stepped from the rock and disappeared. Lawrence rushed towhere he had been standing. Nothing was to be seen. It was as if theearth had swallowed him.

  He returned and told what had happened, and the wonderment was great.

  "No
time to lose," exclaimed Lawrence. "I shall take his advice."

  In single file, the men turned into the trail. The way was steep, butnot impassable, and soon the forest swallowed them up.

  Not until they were over the mountain, was there any opportunity ofdiscussing the strange warning they had received.

  "Can it be that old man has been our guardian angel all the time?" askedLawrence.

  "Impossible," said Dan. "We received the first warning when we hadhardly left the valley of La Belle. We have come fast. How could thatold man have come over the mountains and got ahead of us?"

  "And where did he go when he disappeared so suddenly?" asked one.

  "And who shot the guerrilla?" questioned another.

  "It's a secret only the mountains can tell. I have heard they werehaunted," said Dan.

  "It's God's hand," said one of the men, a solemn, clerical-lookingfellow, whom the men called Preacher. Before he was a soldier, he hadbeen a Methodist class leader; and there was not a braver man in thecompany.

  Argue as they might, they could come to no conclusion. To them it was amystery that was never solved.

  It was weeks before Lawrence fully knew of the danger from which the oldman had saved him. Captain Turner, in his swift ride to get ahead ofhim, had fallen in with a scouting party of fifty Confederate cavalry;not only this, but his force had been augmented by guerrillas until hehad fully two hundred men, well armed and mounted. Had Lawrence met thisforce in the narrow valley, he could not have escaped defeat.

  The horror and amazement of the advance guard of Turner's force may beimagined when they came upon the scene of conflict. That the battle hadjust been fought, was evident; the smoke of the conflict had notentirely cleared from the field. What was more surprising, not an armedman was in sight--neither Federal nor Confederate.

  They listened, but could hear no sound of conflict. Captain Turner cameup. For a moment he gazed on the scene of carnage, and then cried:"Great God! Major Powell ran into an ambuscade, and his force has beenannihilated. The dead are all our men. But where are the Yankees?"

  "Doubtless in pursuit of the few of the Major's force that escaped,"replied an officer.

  "That is so," cried Turner. "Forward, men! Let our war-cry be: 'Powelland Revenge!' Give no quarter! Let every one of the cursed Yankees die."

  They rode nearly four miles before they came on to Major Powell and theremnant of his force. They had continued falling back until they werecertain they were not pursued.

  Of his hundred men, the Major had succeeded in rallying about forty. Therest had been killed or wounded, or had fled. Some of them did not stopuntil they reached the valley of La Belle, bringing with them the storyof the disaster, saying that of all of Powell's force they aloneescaped.

  "Did you meet and exterminate the Yankees?" was the first question putto Captain Turner by Major Powell.

  "I have seen no Yankees," was the surprising answer.

  Major Powell could only gasp, "Seen no Yankees?"

  "No; not one."

  "Then the mountains must have opened and swallowed them."

  Full explanations were made, and the force returned to bury the dead andcare for the wounded. The only possible explanation they could make forthe disappearance of the Federals was that they had hid on themountain-side and let the force of Captain Turner pass, then come downand resumed their flight.

  As they debated, suddenly, above them, on the mountain-side, appearedthe figure of an old man, and his voice came down to them, loud andshrill: "Woe, woe, woe to them who raise their hands against the flag oftheir country!"

  "Damn him! Fire!" shouted Turner.

  A hundred rifles blazed. There came back to them a mocking laugh, andthe old man disappeared. The mountain was scoured, but not a trace ofhim could be found.

  A superstitious fear fell upon the whole force. The old man must havebeen the devil, they argued, and he had helped the Yankees to escape.