by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXXI
DR. FALKIRK VISITS RIVERLAWN
Levi Bedford, in spite of his threats to hang his prisoner, was akind-hearted man, and he did what he could for the comfort of BuckLagger. He had often been called upon to prescribe for the sick orinjured among the hands on the plantation. He examined the wound of theruffian; but it was beyond his skill, and he did not attempt to treatthe patient.
During the absence of the expedition for the defence of Lyndhall he haddone what he could for those who had been wounded on the creek road; buthe was not an expert in the treatment of gunshot wounds. There waslittle he could do for them; and early in the morning he had sent Frankto procure the attendance of Dr. Falkirk, who resided near the village.He had been called to a case on a plantation several miles fromBarcreek. He had not returned when Levi went to his bed.
Major Lyon and the boys had taken to their beds as soon as the guestsdeparted, and the overseer was in condition to follow their example. Thepremises were well guarded along the creek, and two men withbreech-loaders in their hands were in charge of the wounded prisoner. Inthe mansion Mrs. Lyon and her daughters, who had been up most of thenight, for they could not sleep while the major and his sons were indanger, had gone to bed to obtain needed rest.
Even the hands who had been on service the whole or a part of theeventful night were asleep, and the guard at Fort Bedford had beenrelieved. Levi slept soundly on the bed he had taken within the works,in spite of the groans mingled with curses of the wounded ruffian. Therewas no white person awake on the plantation to wonder what was to be theoutcome of the events of the night. Doubtless Colonel Cosgrove andSquire Truman were also sleeping off the fatigues of the night. Theaggressive ruffians had fled to their several homes, defeated,exhausted, and disgusted with the result of their labors in the cause ofSecession. There was a calm after the storm.
Dr. Falkirk appeared about the middle of the forenoon. He was of Scotchdescent; but his father had settled in New Orleans, and the son becameas violent a "fire-eater" as though he had been the possessor of half athousand slaves. He had made a fortune in the practice of hisprofession, and had purchased a plantation in Kentucky, on the outskirtsof Barcreek, where he intended to end his days in peace and quiet. Butsome of his investments had been unfortunate, and he had been compelledto resume practice.
His skill as a physician and surgeon had brought to him an abundantpractice, though his patients were widely scattered, and he was obligedto pass much of his time in his gig. When the troubles of the nationbegan, he developed into a Secessionist of the most ultra stripe. He wasa highly educated man and a fluent speaker in public and private. In theLyceum of the village he and Squire Truman were often pitted againsteach other, and one was quite as outspoken as the other.
But Dr. Falkirk was faithful to his patients, poor or rich, and withoutregard to their creed or politics. Though his fortune had been impaired,he was still in comfortable circumstances, and never refused to visitany sick person to whom he was called, with no regard to color or theexpectation of payment for his services. In fact, he was the beau-idealof a good physician, and held the honor of his profession above everyother consideration.
The men on patrol at the bridge conducted the doctor to the fort as soonas he appeared, in obedience to the orders of the overseer. When hereached Fort Bedford he manifested no little astonishment at theappearance of the old ice-house, with its four embrasures, through whichthe twelve-pounders could be seen. The negroes with breech-loaders intheir hands were a disgusting exhibition to him, and he turned up hisnose, though he made no remark.
The sentinel at the door politely ushered him into the presence of hispatient. Without asking any questions in regard to the manner in whichthe sufferer had received his wound, Dr. Falkirk proceeded to examinehim. Buck Lagger was still in great pain, and had kept up a continualgroaning all the forenoon. The doctor immediately gave him a couple oflittle pills, intended to ease the pain. The skilful surgeon discoveredthat a bullet was embedded in the shoulder, and he took from the handbagthe instruments for its extraction.
Then he called upon a couple of the guards to assist him. There were buttwo sentinels in charge of the fort, who were faithfully marching up anddown outside the door. But they paid no attention to the call of thedoctor. Each of them seemed to be impressed with the idea that theprotection of the plantation and the lives of all the family dependedupon him, and that it would be treason for them to leave their posts.
"Can't you hear me, you black rascals?" demanded the surgeon in a loudtone. "Come here, one of you!"
"Can't leabe de post, Mars'r Doctor," replied one of the men.
Probably there was no enemy within a mile of the fort; but they had beentold that they were not to leave their places for anything, and theywere disposed literally to obey their orders. But the angry tones of thesurgeon had awakened Levi Bedford, who was sleeping at one end of thefort. He sprang to his feet, and discovered the doctor at the couch ofhis patient.
"Good-morning, Doctor Falkirk," said he. "I did not know you were here."
"I knew I was here, and I ordered those black scoundrels to assist me,and they refused to do so," replied the doctor angrily.
"They only obey their orders, but they rather overdo it. I will assistyou, Doctor," added Levi.
"Orders!" exclaimed the professional gentleman contemptuously. "Onewould think this was a regular garrison."
"That is about what it is," replied the overseer.
"Humbug!" said the surgeon, as he turned to his patient.
Levi called in one of the sentinels, and the bed of the wounded man wasdrawn out before the door where the light was best, and the doctorproceeded with his work. The morphine pills he had given the patientappeared to have relieved his pain. The operator probed for the ball,and soon found it. Then he dressed the wound with as much care as thoughthe sufferer had been a Kentucky colonel. He had hardly completed hisoffice before Buck dropped asleep under the influence of the powerfulmedicine he had taken. The bed was moved back without waking him, andDr. Falkirk passed out of the fort, followed by the overseer.
"Keep the man quiet for a week, and give him anything he wants to eat,"said he, as he looked about him at the warlike preparations which hadbeen finished the day before.
"We have three more wounded men in the hospital who need a surgeon,"added Levi.
"What are those niggers doing over on the other side of the creek?"asked the surgeon, whose gaze had wandered to the grove at the side ofthe road. Some of the hands had been directed to bury the man who hadfallen behind the tree where he had taken refuge from the shots of thedefenders of the plantation.
He had been seen in the act of levelling his gun at the advancingcolumn, and Levi had brought him down before he could discharge hisweapon.
"They are burying a man that fell in the skirmish last night," Levireplied to the question of the doctor.
"What skirmish?" inquired Dr. Falkirk, with evident astonishment.
"You don't appear to have heard the news, Doctor," replied the overseer.
"What news? I was called to General Longman's plantation last evening; Ispent the night there, and did not get home till half-past eight thismorning."
As briefly as possible Levi gave the details of the events of thepreceding night, beginning with the meeting at Big Bend, and ending withthe final defeat and surrender of the ruffians.
"An Abolition row!" said the doctor contemptuously.
"Not exactly, Dr. Falkirk; it was a Secession row!" added Levi withenergy.
"Brought about by the insane wrangling of the traitors to the State ofKentucky!" snapped the surgeon.
"The traitors to the State of Kentucky are loyal to the government ofthe United States and the Union," protested the overseer.
"There is no longer any United States, and the Union has ceased toexist! The men who are making all this trouble in Kentucky are those whoare trying to make war upon the Southern Confederacy, to subdue andenslave a dozen sovereign States!" ar
gued the doctor, almost furiously.
"I reckon it's no use for you and me to argue this question, for wedon't live in the same world on that subject," said the overseer, with asmile on his round face. "But Kentucky is for the Union by a largemajority, and what you call sovereign States are in rebellion againstthe lawful authorities of the nation, and the insurrection will be putdown just as sure as fate."
"This used to be a free country, though it isn't so now; but every mancan have his own opinion as long as he is willing to be responsible forit."
"It isn't exactly a free country as long as the loyal citizens of thiscounty cannot hold a meeting without being attacked by the ruffians ofSecession, as was the case at Big Bend last night. Then the samevillains came over here in a mob of a hundred to burn Major Lyon'shouse, and capture his daughters, as they tried to do with ColonelBelthorpe's girls. They did not succeed, and some of them were shot downin the attempt. The right to commit such outrages as these is what youcall free; but we at Riverlawn don't understand it in just that way."
"But, according to your own statement, Mr. Bedford, your people hadstolen the arms intended for the company of the Home Guards whom CaptainTitus Lyon has enlisted," returned the doctor.
"We took possession of the arms and ammunition, including the two gunsat those embrasures, to prevent these ruffians from using them againstthe loyal citizens of the county in carrying out their ideas offreedom," said Levi stoutly. "Do you believe these ruffians, theoffscourings of the county, ought to be permitted to burn, ravage, anddestroy the homes of some of the most respectable people in thisvicinity, Dr. Falkirk?"
"But your people were the aggressors, and I think they were justified intrying to recover the property that had been stolen from them."
"The ruffians issued their threats to burn the mansion of Major Lyonbefore the arms entered into the question."
The discussion might have continued all day, if Sam, Colonel Belthorpe'shouse servant, had not ridden up at this moment.
"I come for the doctor, sar," said the man.
"Who is sick at Lyndhall, Sam?" asked Levi with much interest.
"Nobody sick, Mars'r Bedford; but Mars'r Tilford's very bad with hiswound, and Mars'r Cunnel send me for the doctor," replied the servant.
"Is this another of your victims, Mr. Bedford?" asked the doctor with aheavy sneer.
"It is Colonel Belthorpe's overseer. He refused to assist in protectingthe family from the ruffians, and left the mansion. It seems that he wasshot in attempting to join your army, doctor."
"He's a brave fellow! I will go and see him."
"But he deserted your army of ruffians, and crawled back to the house,where the girls nursed him and cared for him. Now the colonel sends foryou to patch him up, the ingrate!"
"True to his principles against his employer!"
The doctor was conducted to the hospital, where he did his dutyfaithfully to those who had been wounded, though Levi reminded him thatthey belonged to "his army." None of them were in a bad way, and thesurgeon said they would be all right in a few days.
All was quiet again at Riverlawn, and the sleepers used most of the dayin their beds. On the following morning, after the whole evening hadbeen used in discussing the events of the preceding night, everythingwent along as usual on the plantation. No more ruffians appeared on theother side of the creek, though Major Lyon and the boys remained on dutyat the fort.
"What is to be the end of all these disturbances, Noah?" asked Mrs.Lyon, as the family seated themselves at the breakfast-table the secondmorning after the battle, as they had come to call the events of thatstormy night.
"I think we all understand what is before us. We are to have war, and Idon't believe it will end in a hundred days, as the statesman atWashington says," replied Major Lyon; and even some of his family hadlearned to apply this title to him. "Within a few days we shall begin toform a company of cavalry. I am still of military age, and the boys areold enough to take part in the struggle before us. But Levi will remainon the plantation; and as the hands have proved that they can stand upunder fire, he will have the means of protecting you, Ruth."
"Of course we shall be sorry to have you go, but I agree with you, Noah,that your country has a claim upon you which you cannot shirk," repliedMrs. Lyon, struggling to repress a tear.
"Buck Lagger asked me this morning if I thought he was well enough to behung," said Levi, perhaps to break off the conversation in that line.
"Do you think of hanging him, Levi?" inquired the planter.
"That is what I promised him; but I leave that matter to you, MajorLyon. He is a murderer at heart, and the bullet from his gun passedwithin two inches of the top of my head."
"I should not like to have him hung at Riverlawn," added the planter. "Iwill talk with him, and see what can be done; but there is no law inthis part of the country just now."
The family were to dine that day at Lyndhall at one o'clock, so thatnone of them need be absent after dark. Major Lyon left the house, andwas directing his steps towards Fort Bedford for an interview, when hesaw Captain Titus Lyon driving over the bridge. He did not care to meethim, but he could hardly avoid doing so, and he stopped in front of theflower-garden. Titus fastened his horse to a post, and approached hisbrother.
