by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXVII
MAJOR LYON PLAYS THE PART OF A SPY
Major Dexter Lyon had made up his mind that a portion of the hostilesharpshooters were concealed upon the narrow island in the centre of thestream known as Duff's Claim. Several shots had been fired, and both heand Life Knox had come to the conclusion that these had come from theheavily wooded strip of land.
The major was very anxious to know what the sharpshooters were doing inthis vicinity. No Union force had been in the neighborhood forforty-eight hours, and why should the enemy send such expert shots tosuch a spot unless it was known that they were wanted? Surely theConfederates had no sharpshooters to spare on a mere excursion intothese woods.
The major was in the habit of thinking rapidly, and his conclusion was,that the sharpshooters were guarding something, which must, necessarily,be of value, especially to the army. His mind went back to the timewhen he had captured the ammunition and gun on the raft. Would it be hisgood fortune to make another haul of as much, or greater, worth?
It must be remembered that at this time the Riverlawns knew nothing ofthe great battle which General Thomas had precipitated by sending outtroops to capture the brigade supposed to be isolated from the remainderof the Confederate command. To be sure, heavy firing was springing uphere and there, but then there had been heavy firing before which hadamounted to but very little when it came to summing up results.
When Deck had been conversing with Life, his eye had been caught by twogigantic willow trees growing along the banks of Duff's Claim. One treewas along the shore where the Kentuckian's men lay concealed; the othergrew on the shore of the island, directly opposite. Both trees were bentand twisted, and their branches interlocked some fifteen feet above thestream's surface.
Perhaps the task Deck had set for himself may look easy to the averagereader, but it was not altogether so, and the major realized this. Thewillows were old, and old trees often have rotten limbs which break whenleast expected. Moreover green willow limbs are very pliable and bendand twist beyond expectation. Under ordinary circumstances, Deck wouldnot have minded a tumble into the stream, but he knew that a tumble nowwould bring a shot meant to be fatal and one which would most likelyprove so.
For Deck had decided to cross the stream by climbing up the tree nearestto him and making his way from one set of branches to the next. The treewas easily gained; and catching a limb on the side away from the water,he hauled himself up. Two minutes more, and he was at the point where hecould grasp the branches which came from the opposite shore.
So far he had heard or seen nothing to awaken his suspicion, and he wasbeginning to think that no sharpshooter could be within a hundred feetof him, if as close. He caught the limbs, took a long step, and in asecond was safe on the tree beyond the stream.
Deck did not deem it best to descend to the ground immediately. Hemoved first to the main trunk of the willow, and then to the ends of thelimbs spreading toward the island's interior. Here there was a ridge,surmounted by some short but heavy brush, and behind the ridge wassomething of a hollow, although the surface was not below that of thestream.
The first thing that caught Deck's eye now was a barrel, rolled againstthe brush. Half a dozen boxes lay close by, and several barrels werebehind them. Back of all was another line of brush, but he felt thatmore boxes and barrels were not far off.
"Some quartermaster's stores," he thought. "And if I am not mistaken,two of those boxes are from the hospital department. Evidently the enemythink they have a sure thing of it in this vicinity. Well, theRiverlawns will surprise them, I reckon."
No one had been in sight, but now Deck detected the gleam of a gunbarrel but a few yards distant. The Confederate sharpshooter lay flat onhis chest, peering through the bottom of some brush.
"By the boots, but thet's a good shot!" Deck heard him mutter; and hesaw the fellow draw up his gun and take a careful aim at something.
Deck felt that he was firing at one of his own sharpshooters, andwithout hesitation the major drew his own pistol.
"Don't fire!" he commanded, in a clear, but low voice.
"What's thet?" demanded the Confederate, thinking one of his comradeshad spoken to him.
"I said, 'don't fire,'" replied Deck, taking care to keep out of sight.
"Who is thet talkin' to me?" And now the sharpshooter turned halfaround. "I had a dandy shot."
"The cap'n's orders are not to fire, but to retreat to the other side ofthe creek," went on Deck. "Pass the order along;" and he spoke in arough voice, and one apparently filled with disgust.
"Well, I swan!" came from the Confederate sharpshooter. "It was a dandychance to bring down a man."
"I had a dandy chance myself just now," answered Deck. He felt that hisposition was a delicate one, and he kept his finger on the trigger ofhis pistol.
"Are you going to retreat, too?"
"No; the cap'n says I'm to stay on guard here."
"Then he don't want me no more?"
"No. You are to go back--and don't forget to pass the word along. We'rerunning the chance of being surrounded, I've heard."
At this the Confederate sharpshooter muttered something Deck did notcatch. But he arose, and fell back, and in a few seconds more was out ofthe major's sight.
Deck's ruse had succeeded, but he knew that the success would be ofuncertain duration. His position was a perilous one, for discovery wouldmore than likely mean death.
Anxious to make the most of the present opportunity, he began toretreat, hoping to gain the position his command occupied and give thenecessary instructions to capture the Confederates as they crossed thestream on the opposite side of the island.
He reached the trunk of the tree and was on the point of moving to theouter branches, when a voice from below startled him.
"Wot yer doin' with thet Union suit on?"
Looking down, Deck saw a sharpshooter gazing up at him. The Confederatehad his gun to his shoulder and the barrel was pointed directly for themajor's head.
"Got to wear something," answered Deck, speaking as calmly as he could,although he was somewhat shocked by the salutation.
"Ain't you a Yank?" was the next question put.
"A Yank! over here?" queried Deck, in pretended astonishment.
The Confederate sharpshooter was silent for an instant, and shifted animmense quid of plug tobacco from one cheek to the other.
"Say, Major, tumble down right yere!" he ordered abruptly.
"Supposing I won't come down?"
"Then I'll have to tumble you."
"So you take me for a Union man?"
"I reckon I take you for a prisoner, or a corpse. Which is it?"
"I haven't any desire to become a corpse," answered Deck.
"Then you'll come down? Correct, Major. Toss them pistols down fust,though."
"SAY, MAJOR, TUMBLE DOWN RIGHT YERE!"
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The gun was still pointed at Deck's head while the sharpshooter remainedpartly screened by some brush. As there seemed no help for it Deck threwdown his pistol and also an extra revolver he had lately taken tocarrying. His sabre had been left in Life Knox's charge.
"Now come down, and no funny work," went on the Confederate. "I reckonyou didn't reckon on bein' took so quick like, did ye?"
"I didn't reckon on 'bein' took' at all," answered Deck. It was an easymatter to descend to the ground and soon he found himself standingbeside the man. He was a brawny mountaineer, all of six feet in heightand the picture of rugged health and strength. There was no doubt butthat he was a crack shot and would not hesitate to pull a triggerwhenever the occasion required.
"We-uns is lucky," murmured the mountaineer, on surveying Deck. "Them issplenderiferous clothes you have got, Major."
"It is a very good suit, that's a fact, Sergeant."
"Don't call me sergeant, Major. I'm plain Tom Lum, from Dog-faceMountain, down in Alabama. Them stripes was left behind by a man asain't got no further use fer clothin'. But you're a real major
, I takeit."
"Let us change the subject, Tom Lum. What do you propose to do with me?"
"Take you back to headquarters, I reckon. You're a spy."
"If I am a spy then all of the others in this vicinity are spies. But,Tom Lum, if you want to take my advice, you'll let me go, and save yourown bacon," went on Deck, earnestly. The mountaineer tossed his shaggyhead and combed his flowing beard with his crooked fingers. "Got a newwrinkle to work off on me, have ye? Wall, it won't work. We-uns know athing or two. March!"
"Where to?"
"Back to--"
Bang!
The gunshot rang out before plain Tom Lum from Dog-face Mountain hadtime to finish his sentence. With a groan the mountaineer threw up hisarms, staggered several steps, and pitched headlong into a hollow.
"Quick, Deck, or you'll never get away!" It was a cry from Life Knox,who had come up beside the willow on the other side of the stream andfired the shot, as Deck and the Confederate appeared through a smallopening. "Never mind your shooting irons!"
The shot amazed the major, coming so unexpectedly. But he was quick torealize that a chance to escape had come and equally prompt to make thebest of it. Like a flash he turned, picked up his pistols, and ran forthe stream.
"This way, Deck!" continued Life. "The jig is up! The enemy are comingup behind us!"
"Behind us?" repeated the major, in amazement. "What do you mean?"
"There has been a fight back of this woods, and several regiments ofinfantry are retreating in this direction. If we are not sharp, we'llcatch it on both sides!"
Before Deck had a chance to digest this information, he caught it fromthe rear. Another sharpshooter had espied him in the act of leapingacross the stream. As Deck went with a splash into the water, the fellowfired, and the major felt a stinging sensation in the left arm, justbelow the shoulder, where the ball had grazed him.
"Heavens I don't say you are struck, Deck," ejaculated Life, seeing himstagger. "Take that for it!" he added, and fired at the Confederate whohad delivered the shot. Whether he hit his man or not he could not tell,but the sharpshooter disappeared.
In another moment the major was beside the captain and orders were givenfor the sharpshooters to charge toward the island, which they did withvigor. In the meantime, Deck fell back to where the battalion lay.
"I have received orders to form on the road facing the stream," saidColonel Lyon. "Something is coming this way besides the Confederateinfantry. The enemy is retreating."
Without delay, the three battalions minus half of Captain Knox's companyand half of Ripley's sharpshooters, were faced about according to theorder. They had hardly taken positions favorable to each, when theoutposts came running in.
"Three regiments of infantry and a part of a battery!" was theannouncement. "They are coming along as though they were followed bythe Old Nick himself!"
Colonel Lyon looked at Deck, his first major.
"We must meet them, and stop them--such are my orders, my son."
"As far as the first battalion is able, the orders shall be carried out,Colonel," replied the son, with a true military salute.
Majors Belthorpe and Truman were also called up, and told what had to bedone, and the various captains were also instructed.
Hardly was this over, than a company and a half of infantry appeared,running at more than double-quick, over rocks and brush, some armed andsome unarmed, and more without knapsacks than with them. They werefollowed by what seemed to be remnants of several other companies.
"Halt! I command you to halt, you cowards!" yelled a frenzied major ofthe Confederates. "What are you running for?"
"Ain't got no more ammunition!" called back a soldier, almostbreathlessly. "Where's the ammunition they said was around here?"
"It is not far away. I say halt! Halt! Halt! and you shall haveammunition! Halt!" stormed the Confederate officer, but without avail,for a panic is a panic, and hard to subdue, even among those who arenaturally the bravest of soldiers.
"They are coming like sheep!" exclaimed Deck. "First company, takeaim--fire! Second company forward!" And around swung the battalion, onecompany after another delivering such an effective fire that the enemystopped in a state bordering on total despair. Then half a dozencompanies appeared which were not so panic-stricken. A cannon, draggedby eight struggling and almost exhausted horses, followed; and then camemore infantry, until the woods seemed alive with them.
"We are in for the greatest fight of our lives!" cried Major Deck toCaptain Artie. "How it will end Heaven alone knows!"
And then and there the Riverlawns got their first taste of thatnever-to-be-forgotten battle of Chickamauga Creek.
