CHAPTER XXX
UNDER NEW ORDERS
Her eyes were an invitation, a plea, yet with the major at her side, hisface full of wonderment, and Bell close behind us in the hall, I couldonly bow low over the white hands, and murmur some commonplace. Therewas neither opportunity nor time for more, although I felt my own deepdisappointment was mirrored in the girl's face. The continuous roar ofguns without, already making conversation difficult, and the hurriedtramp of feet in the hall below, told the danger of delay. It was amoment when the soldier had to conquer the lover, and stern duty becamesupreme. I hurried to the front window, and gazed out; then to others,thus making a thorough survey of our surroundings, quickly making up mymind to a definite plan of action. So swiftly had occurrences pressedupon me I had scarcely found time before to realize the rapid approachof this new danger. Now it burst upon me in all its impending horror.Already the results of battle were visible.
An hour before the pike road leading past the plantation gates had beenwhite and deserted, not even a spiral of dust breaking its loneliness.Through openings in a grove I had looked northward as far as the logchurch and observed no moving figure. But now this was all changed; asthough by some mysterious alchemy, war had succeeded peace, the verylandscape appearing grimly desolate, yet alive with moving figures. Andthese told the story, the story of defeat. It was not a new scene to me,but nevertheless pitiful. They came trudging from out the smoke clouds,and across the untilled fields, alone, or in little groups, some armed,more weaponless, here and there a bloody bandage showing, or a limpbespeaking a wound; dirty, unshaven men, in uniforms begrimed andtattered, disorganized, swearing at each other, casting frightenedglances backward with no other thought or desire save to escape thepursuing terror behind. They were the riff-raff of the battle, theskulkers, the cowards, the slightly wounded, making pin pricks an excusefor escape. Wagons toiled along in the midst of them, the gaunt mulesurged on by whip and voice, while occasionally an ambulance forced itsway through. Here and there some worn-out straggler or wounded man hadcrawled into shade, and lay heedless of the turmoil. Shouts, oaths, thecracking of whips, the rumble of wheels mingled with the ceaseless roarof musketry, and the more distant reverberation of cannon, while cloudsof powder smoke drifted back on the wind to mingle with the dust, givingto all a spectral look. Back from the front on various missions gallopedcouriers and aides, spurring their horses unmercifully, and drivingstraight through the mob in utter recklessness. One, a black-beardedbrute, drew his sabre, and slashed right and left as he raced madly by.
Toward the ravine all remained quiet, although here and there in theorchard some of the gray-clad stragglers had found opportunity to liedown out of the ruck. But the smoke and musketry gave me a conception ofthe Confederate line of battle, its left thrown across the pike withcentre and right doubling back into the form of a horse-shoe, allcentring on the Hardy house. Within twenty minutes we would be caught asin a trap. I sprang back to the stairs, and as I did so a sudden yellrose from the surging mob without, a shout in which seemed to minglefear and exultation. Bell, from a side window joined in, and a singleglance told the reason: up from the south rode cavalry, sweeping thepike clean of its riff-raff, and behind, barely visible through thedust, tramped a compact mass of infantry, breaking into double time. Theblack-bearded aide dashed to their front, waving sabre and pointing; theclear note of a bugle cleaved the air; the horsemen spread out like afan, and with the wild yell of the South rising above the din, the filesof infantry broke into a run, and came sweeping forward in a graytorrent. Chambers had come up at last, come to hurl his fresh troopsinto the gap, and change the tide of battle. Even the stragglers paused,hastening to escape the rush, and facing again to the front. I saw someamong them grasp their guns and leap into the ranks, the speedingcavalrymen driving others with remorseless sabres.
All this was but a glimpse, and with the tumult ringing in my ears, Iwas down stairs facing my own men.
"Where are the prisoners, Sergeant?"
"Here, sir, under guard."
"Open the front door, and pass them out. We'll be away before they cando us any harm. Step lively now."
I scarcely looked at them, moving on a run at the threats of the men,but wheeled on Hardy, who was half way down the stairs.
"Major, what do you mean to do? How will you protect your daughter?"
"Stay here with her," was the prompt reply. There will be disciplinedtroops here in a few minutes."
"Yes, and a battle."
"As soon as Chambers gets up in force I can pass her back to the rear."
That seemed the safer plan to me, and I had no time to argue.
"All right, you and Bell are free to do as you please. Get your men outthe same window you came in, Sergeant; I'll go last. Keep down behindthe fence, and make for the ravine."
He flung open the door into the parlor, and we crowded after him, butwere still jammed in the doorway when he sprang back from the openwindow with hands flung up.
"By God, sir, here come our men!"
They came like so many monkeys, leaping the balcony rail, plungingheadlong through the opening, and crowding into the room. It was like adream, a delirium, yet I could see the blue uniforms, the new faces. Inthe very forefront, flung against me by the rush, I distinguished thelad I had sent back into the lines the night before.
"What does all this mean, Ross? Who are these fellows?"
"Our men, sir," he panted, scarcely able to speak. "Here--read this,"and he thrust a paper into my hand. My eyes took the words in a flash,and yet for the instant they were vague, meaningless. It was only as Iread them a second time that I understood, and then I gazed helplesslyinto the faces about me, striving to grasp the full situation.
"HDQTS 9TH ILL. CAV."9:10 A.M.
"LIEUT. GALESWORTH:
"We advanced our centre and left at daylight, and have driven the enemyfrom intrenchments. Our right is under orders to advance up ravine andstrike their rear. We move at once. I send this back by Ross, who willtake twenty men with him to help you. Hold the Hardy house to the lastpossible moment. Our whole movement pivots there, and keeping possessionuntil we arrive is of utmost importance. Hold it at any price. These areGrant's orders."
"Who gave you this?--it is unsigned."
"The colonel, sir, I saw him write it."
"And they were ready to leave?"
"They'll not be more than an hour behind, unless something stopsthem--the whole brigade is coming."
I comprehended now--the plan was clear-cut, easily understood. Takingadvantage of the ravine in which to conceal the movement, Grant proposedto throw a brigade, or even a greater force, suddenly upon the enemy'sunprotected rear, thus crushing Johnston between two fires. The word Ihad sent back, disclosing the complete desertion of that gash in theearth by the Confederates, had made this strategy possible. And theHardy house was naturally the pivot of the movement, and the retentionof it in our possession essential to success. But the one point they hadapparently overlooked was Chambers' advance along this pike. He wassupposed to be much farther east, his column blocked by heavy roads.Instead of that he was here already, his vanguard sweeping past thegate, double-quicking to the front, with long lines of infantry hurryingbehind. For us to bar the retreat of Johnston's demoralized men, safelyintrenched within the house, might be possible, provided artillery wasnot resorted to. Even with my small force I might hold them back for anhour, but to attempt such a feat against the veterans of Chambers, wassimply a sentence to death. These men, fresh, undefeated, eager forbattle, would turn and crush us as though we were some stinging insect.Thirty men pitted against a division! Good God! if he could sendthese--why not more? Yet there was nothing to do except obey, and,feeling to the full the hell of it, I crushed the paper in the palm ofmy hand, and looked around into the faces about me. I was in command,and we were to stay here until we died. That was all I knew, all Iremembered, the words, "hold it at any price," burning in upon my brain.
"Men," I said sharply. "M
y orders are to hold this house until ourtroops come up. We'll make a try at it. Who commands this last squad?"
A sergeant, a big fellow, with closely trimmed gray moustache, elbowedhis way forward, and saluted.
"From H troop, are you not?"
"Yes, sir; we're all H; my name's Mahoney."
"I remember you; Irish to a man. Well, this is going to beat anyDonnybrook Fair you lads ever saw. Get busy, and barricade every doorand window on this floor; use the furniture, or whatever you get handson. Miles, take the south side, and Mahoney, the north. No shootinguntil I give the word; we won't stir up this hornets' nest until wehave to."
The newcomers stacked their carbines in the hall, and divided into twoparties, going to work with a vim, while I quickly stationed my old menwhere they could command every approach to the house, seeing to it thattheir arms were in condition, and that they had ample ammunition. Withinten minutes we were ready for a siege, or prepared to repel any attackother than artillery. The rooms looked as though a cyclone had wreckedthem, the heavy furniture barricading doors and windows, yet leavingapertures through which we could see and fire. Mattresses had beendragged from beds up stairs, and thrust into places where they wouldyield most protection. The front door alone was left so as to be opened,but a heavy table was made ready to brace it if necessary. Satisfiednothing more could be done to increase our security I had the men taketheir weapons, and the sergeants assign them to places. I passed alongfrom room to room, watchful that no point of defence had beenoverlooked, and speaking words of encouragement to the fellows. Afterthe fight began there could be little commanding; every man would haveto act for himself.
"Draw down the shades, lads, and keep it as dark as possible inside. Layyour ammunition beside you, where you can get it quickly. Mahoney, weshall not need as many men at these windows as we will toward the frontof the house--two to a window here should be sufficient. Carbines,first, boys, and then revolvers if they get close. What is that, Miles?Yes, detail a man to each window up stairs; two to the front windows.Have them protect themselves all they can, and keep back out of sight.Now, boys, keep your eyes open, but no shooting until you get orders.Sergeant Mahoney will command this side, and Miles the other, whileI'll take the front. There is a corporal here, isn't there?"
"Yes, sir,--Conroy."
"Well, Conroy, you are in charge up stairs. I'll be there and look youover in a few minutes; I want to take a glance outside first."
The brief time these hasty preparations required had witnessed a markedchange in conditions without. Where before it had been a scene ofdisastrous confusion, it was now that of disciplined attack. Chambers'men had swept aside the stragglers, and spread out into battle lines,the gray regiments massing mostly to the right of the pike, but withheavy fringe of cavalry extending past us as far as the ravine. From mypoint of vantage it all formed an inspiring picture, dully monotonous incolor, but alive with action; the long dust-covered lines, the riflebarrels shining, the constant shifting of columns, the regimentshurrying forward, the swift moving of cavalry, and hard riding of staffofficers, sent the hot blood leaping through my veins. And all this wasno dress review. Just ahead they were at it in deadly earnest--barelybeyond those trees, and below the edge of the hill. I could hear thethunder of the guns, continuous, almost deafening, even at thisdistance; could see the black, drifting smoke, and even the strugglingfigures. We were almost within the zone of fire already. Men were downin the ranks yonder, and a stricken horse lay just within the gate. Backand forth, riding like mad, aides dashed out of the choking powderfumes, in endeavor to hasten up the reserves. Even as I watched one fellheadlong from his saddle, struck dead by a stray bullet. I was soldierenough to understand. Within ten minutes Chambers would be out there,hurling his fresh troops against the exhausted Federal advance, whilethose fellows, now fighting so desperately yonder, would fall back inreserve. Could Chambers hold them? Could he check that victorious onrushof blue--those men who had fought their way five bloody miles sincedaybreak? I could not tell; it would be a death grapple worthy of thegods, and the Hardy house would be in the very vortex. Whether it wasdestined also to become a charnel house, a shambles, depended on theearly coming of those other, unseen men toiling up that black ravine.
Then suddenly there recurred to my memory that Major Hardy and hisdaughter still remained within. They had not departed with the others,yet in the stress and excitement their presence had slipped my mind. Norhad I seen them since the new recruits came. What could be done withthem now, at this late hour, the house already a fortress, the enemy inevidence everywhere? In some manner they must be gotten away at once,safely placed within the protection of friends. Not only my friendshipfor the father, and my love for the girl, demanded this, but the factthat they were non-combatants made it imperative. There was no time toconsider methods--already we were within range of the guns, and at anymoment might be directly under fire, obliged to resist assault. I was upthe stairs even as the thought occurred, and confronted Hardy in theupper hall. Conroy had him by the arm, suspicious of the uniform.
"That's all right, Corporal," I said quickly. "I had forgotten the majorwas here. Hardy, you must get out of the house--you, and Miss Billieat once."
His eyes glanced back toward the door of her room which stood open.
"I--I have no knowledge of where my daughter may be," he acknowledgedsoberly.
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