Spake As a Dragon

by Larry Edward Hunt

  “You Yankee scum, don’t you be tellin’ us Southern boys what we need or don’t need to be doin’. You got a rifle in that there wagon yer ridin’ in?”

  “No sir, I don’t have a rifle in my wagon, but I have a Colt .44 in this gun holster I’m wearing.”

  “Hand it over to me, slowly now, General Lee might ’of give up, but we didn’t. We jest found out it’s easier to rob Yankee folks like you travelin’ through these parts.”

  “Major, you’re just an outlaw, robbing folks just because there are more of you fellers and you got guns just isn’t right.”

  “Oh, we do more than jest rob, we are goin’ to kill you too. We don’t leave any witnesses.”

  “Major, please reconsider what you are doing – you have survived the War and are alive. Why would you all want to go get yourselves killed today, now that the War is over!”

  One of the Major’s men rides behind Luke’s wagon, “I think you got it wrong Yank you’s the one that’s gonna get kilt,” he said starting to poke his rifle into the rear of Luke’s wagon.

  Before he has a chance to see inside Nate from his wagon, grabs his fully loaded Spencer, fires from the hip and punches a .56 caliber hole clean through the renegade soldier, knocking the rider over his horse’s flank onto the muddy road. Sam grabs his Spencer and begins firing too. Luke, has the Colt in his hand, the butt toward the Major, suddenly flips in into firing position and shoots the Major twice in the chest before the ex-soldier has a chance to respond.

  It was all over in a matter of seconds – the Major and all four of his men lay bleeding and dying in the trail. Luke steps down from the wagon approaches the dying Major, who’s gasping for breath, but manages to mumble, “I thought you said you didn’t have a rifle in your wagon!”

  Luke squats down beside the dying man, “I didn’t, but my two friends in the back wagon did. They had a couple of seven shot Spencers. Oh, sorry, did I forget to mention that? I guess you and your friends now know what them rifles can do, when fired up close and personal, huh?

  “I suppose you should have taken my advice Major and gone on home. Now you’re just going to be dead, laying here in this slimy Georgia mud because we’re moving on. Maybe someone will come by directly and bury y’all’s sorry souls, otherwise the buzzards are fixin’ to have a fine meal. Oh, Major do I sound bitter? You’re darn right I do, I didn’t lie, I am a Southerner and men like you cheapen the South’s whole War effort.” Luke reaches over and removes the “CSA” emblem from the Major’s muddy cap and tosses the piece of metal into the woods. “You don’t deserve to be wearing this!” Luke touched his own hat in a half-hearted salute, “So long Major, I believe this just hasn’t been your day!”

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  EARLIER THAT AFTERNOON

  Luke climbs back upon his wagon. Catherine is beside herself, she doesn’t know whether to cry or faint. “Luke, I was so terrified, I thought those men were going to kill us.”

  Luke grins, as he urges his mules forward, “I believe they thought so too, but I had to change their minds! Some people you can talk too, others just have to be shown.”

  “But, Luke aren’t you going to give those men a proper burial?”

  “What they got is as proper as they deserve, gitty up there mules, we got things to do and places to go.”

  Sam speaking to Nate as they ride toward Scarlettsville, “I believe Luke is a man of few words.”

  “Yeah, he shore is! And them fellows should’ve been listenin’ to the few ones he said!”

  “How much further do you think it is to Scarlettsville, Nate?”

  “Doesn’t know for certain Sam, but we should be there sometimes tomorrow, if these scoundrels will leave us be.”

  Pouring the remains of his coffee into the fire that night Luke tells them to expect to be at Scarlett around noon tomorrow. “You know,” he said, “I’ve lived around these wagons and slept beside this campfire so long, I believe I’m going to miss this.”

  Nate rubs his backside, “I’m for one ain’t gonna miss that wagon seat that’s for shore, and I believes I won’t never been able to sleep in a nuther soft bed!”

  SCARLETT PLANTATION

  Sitting at the front gate Luke is bewildered. The plantation house is gone! Doc Crawford only spoke of something happening to Isaac, his uncle, but he didn’t say anything about the big house being burned. If the house is gone Luke figures his family must be staying in the guesthouse, if they are here.

  Heading up the driveway Luke pulls the .44 and fires off a couple of rounds to announce their arrival. By the time, they arrive at the house the entire family is assembled awaiting the two wagons. Malinda recognizes Luke as the wagon turns the last bend in the driveway – she cannot wait. Running down the drive, she can only yell, “Luke! Luke!”

  Sary sees Nate and throws her hands into the air, “Glory be to God! Thanks you oh Lord! Thank you.”

  Everyone has been introduced to Catherine and all are sitting around on the porch. Refreshing drinks have been served, but Luke cannot wait, he must know what has happened. Levi tells the whole story of the Union deserters and the shoot-out. Choking back tears Levi tells of his uncle Isaac’s heroic attempt to stop the bandits, but how he got killed for his efforts. His aunt Amanda was killed in the shoot-out too. After plundering the main house, they set it ablaze. The only place they now have to live is in this guesthouse. He explains the farm has no money, no one to work and nothing to work with. All the livestock has been stolen or confiscated by the army, both North and South, he doesn’t know what they are going to do.

  Later everyone has gone to bed except Luke who sits on the porch steps; Kentuck lies beside him, both watch the moon slowly rising over the trees toward the east. The scene is so tranquil with the moonlight reflecting off Scarlett’s lily pond. Malinda quietly opens the screen door walks across the porch and sits down beside her son. She wraps her arm around Luke’s and says, “I’m so glad to get you home Luke.”

  Patting her on the hand, “I’m glad to be home Mother.”

  Malinda asked why in all the years he has been gone he never posted a letter to her or why did she not hear from his father and brother Matthew? Luke looked at her in amazement, he explained he had written dozens of times, but he never received a letter from her or from anyone back home. He told her he knew his father and Matthew had been sending posts regularly too, but they had never received an answer either.

  “Luke, I have been dying every since you arrived to ask: what about your father and Matthew? If it’s bad, I want to know anyway. You don’t know what it has been like for the past three years without a word from you three. I have almost gone out of my mind.”

  Luke takes his mother’s hand, “The last time I saw Father or Matthew Mother was during the Battle of Gettysburg. That was back in July of ’63. We were all together on the first day.”

  “Wait Luke, I thought Matthew was with General Jackson’s as an aide or something.”

  “He was Mother, but after the General was killed Matthew requested a transfer to be with me and Father. Like I said, on the first day of the fight at Gettysburg we were together, but we didn’t see much action that first day. They moved our outfit, the 48th Alabama on the 2nd day to a place known as the Devil’s Den. We were supposed to take a hill called Little Round Top. The area at the foot of the hill, Mother, is covered with huge boulders, some must weigh tons. During the initial charge, we all made it from the cornfield to the large rocks, but a Yankee stabbed Father in the chest with a bayonet during the Yanks counter attack. I worked my way over to him, and he was bleeding pretty badly. About this time, Matthew came rushing out of the corn and I left Father with him while I went to find some of the medical people.”

  “Did you get help and get back to Robert?”

  Luke related to her how he found a couple of litter bearers, but the battle was raging so hot and furious he could not return to the spot where his father was wounded. Malinda asked about Matthew.

&nb
sp; “Mother, the next day I returned to our company and found Matthew, he said the last time he saw Father two litter bearers were carrying him away. Matthew did not know is he was still alive or not. Matthew and I did not have much time to talk since we were getting ready to mount an assault on the Yankee line who was dug in on a hill about a mile away, they called it the Cemetery Ridge. They sure named it right, because we sure left a lot of dead fellows up there.”

  Luke described Pickett’s assault across the field and how Matthew was right beside him, step for step, as they ran toward the split-rail fence. Tears began to form in his eyes as he told his mother how Matthew was shot trying to climb over the fence, but he could not stop and help. He explained the bullets flying around sounded like a nest of hornets had gotten loose. Luke said after he had run a few yards toward the rock fence on Cemetery Ridge, he turned to see if he could see Matthew; however, the smoke was so dense he was unable to see the fence. Finally, he advanced to meet the Yankees in hand-to-hand fighting, but the re-enforced Yankees overcame his South’s forces. He then went on to tell her the whole story from his capture to the very minute they were sitting on the porch. By then it was close to mid-night.

  They sit for a few minutes listening to the crickets and tree frogs – off in the distance they hear the cooing of a mourning dove. “Luke,” Malinda said solemnly, “I must ask: do you think your father and brother were killed?”

  “Mother, honestly, I do not know – I know both were still alive when I last saw them, but I wish I knew what happened to them later. I tried to find out, but I just do not have the answers Mother.”

  “Luke, son, I’ve never asked you much, but now I’m asking, what do you really think?”

  “Mother, I cannot lie to you – I would say they did not make it! I think they are both dead.”

  The next morning at breakfast, Ora Lee tells Luke she is glad that he and his new wife Catherine, along with Nate and Sam, have joined them at Scarlett, but she is ashamed she has nothing to offer them, she is practically destitute.

  Luke thinks for a moment, then replies, “We have a wagon full of rifles, pistols and ammunition. I believe I can go into Scarlettsville and sell them for enough money to get the spring planting started.”

  “But, Luke we have no hands to help!”

  “Well now, there’s me, Nate and Sam. We may not be good farmers, but I believe we’ll do for a start.”

  “Don’t forget me Luke, I can help too,” chimed in Catherine.

  From across the table Malinda asks, “Once the spring planting is finished, I ask one favor?”

  “Certainly Mother, anything.”

  “Luke I want you to take a journey with me.”

  “Yes, Mother of course, where do you want to go.”

  “Son, I want to go to the battlefield of Gettysburg. I want to see for myself where Robert and Matthew were shot. I want to see if there are graves for them. I want to talk to the local people and see if any might remember them. I don’t know Luke, I must go there.”

  Luke knows it is of no use to argue says, ‘I understand Mother, I promise you here and now, I will do as you say.”

  Catherine sets her cup down, “And I will consider it an honor if you allow me to accompany you Mrs. Scarburg.”

  Malinda turns to Catherine, “My dear, you can go if you accept one condition.”

  “Certainly, Mrs. Scarburg, what is it?”

  “Please dear, call me Malinda, Mrs. Scarburg makes me feel too old,’ she said smiling.

  Sam and Nate both voice their desire to go to Gettysburg too, but Luke says someone must stay and oversee the plantation. Besides he says, they have to get the Mill back up and running too.

  Chapter Fifty

  THE MILL

  After breakfast Luke and Sam, hitch up the wagon and go into Scarlettsville to the Mill. Riding into the open expanse of ground in front of Scarburg Mill Luke can see three men sitting on the bench underneath the giant oak tree. He stops for a moment and looks at the magnificent old oak. Even though, it is three-quarters of a century older, it is the same tree the British used to hang his great-grandfather. It is still a glorious sight to behold. Driving the wagon closer to the wooden bench, although, it had been a long time, he recognizes Jethro, Rubin and Daniel. Three of Uncle Isaac’s hired hands, which have helped run the mill.

  “Howdy, Jethro, Rube, Dan,” Luke said. “It’s been quite a spell since I’ve seen you three. It’s me Luke Scarburg.”

  “Why,” said Jethro turning, “who done said that? Is that you Luke Scarburg, well I’ll be it is, it is you ain’t it Luke Scarburg? Yeah, it’s been a long time Luke.” The three men stood and walked to Luke as he steps from the wagon. “Good to see you Luke, somebody had done told your uncle Isaac that they though you, Robert and Matthew had been kilt in the War.”

  “Well, Rube, they were almost right, I made it back, but I haven’t heard from Father or Matthew since that little fight at Gettysburg. Enough War talk, what have you three been up to?”

  “We just come down here and sit on the bench everyday Luke since Isaac closed the mill, and dream about what used to be.”

  “What? Closed the Mill! When did all this happen?”

  “Oh,” said Jethro, “the Yankees or the Home Guard was constantly coming by and confiscating Isaac’s cornmeal and flour. Isaac said it was just plain stealing, so he closed the mill. Then a couple of months ago that band of deserters came through, burned Scarlett and killed Isaac and Amanda. We had hoped when the War ended Isaac would reopen the Mill, but with Isaac dead and gone we guessed the mill is done finished, just like the rest of Scarlettsville.”

  “Fellers, didn’t all three of you work for Isaac?”

  “Shore did Luke, we worked fer him fer years.”

  “Come over here men and sit back down on the bench, I’ve got something I want to talk to you about.”

  Luke explained the difficult situation Scarlett was in, how the mill needed to be reopened and he thought the three of them could re-open the mill and run it.

  Jethro spoke up first, “Luke, we won’t have no trouble grinding corn or flour and making the mill work, but Luke you knows neither me, Rubin nor Dan don’t have enough school learning to do that figuring end of the business.”

  “I may have an answer for that Jethro, Sam come here for a second,” Luke motioned to Sam sitting on the wagon bench. “Sam can read, write and cipher. He’s my brother-in-law, and he may be young but he’s sharp as a tack. What about it Sam, you want to take on the job as mill foreman?”

  “I don’t know Luke! This may be too big for me.”

  “Nah, Sam, you’re plenty big enough, your legs go all the way to the ground. All right, here’s what I propose. Sam, you Jethro, Rubin and Dan get this mill back up and get it making some money. I suggest a partnership – Sam and me will get half and Jethro, Rubin and Dan you get the other half. If you decide you need extra hands we will split their wages between our two halves, sound fair?”

  “Luke are you sayin’ me, Rubin and Dan are gonna be part owners in this here mill?”

  “What I’m saying Jethro is we are all going to be partners. Sam will be in charge and you three will run the day-to-day grinding operations. What do you say?”

  “Sounds good to me,” says Sam.

  “Darn tooting,” says Jethro.

  Luke knew Jethro, Rube and Dan have worked at the mill most of their lives, and should know all about the workings of all the various pieces of machinery, but he wants to know what is their opinion of the mills current operational readiness.

  “Luke, the Yankees come through here about a year ago and since we didn’t have no cornmeal or flour for them to steal they busted the big waterwheel. It’ll have to be fixed. They tried to set the Mill on fire, but we put it out, and it did not do much harm. They hitched a couple of horses to one of the grinding stones and pulled it off over yonder to the edge of that field. It ain’t hurt none, we just got to put it back in its place in the Mill. Then they wen
t and busted up the rest of the stores in town, them that had not already been tore up.

  They didn’t burn this here Mill, well they tried, and they didn’t burn the church nor the old Masonic Hall Number One. They’re still standing. We don’t know why they skipped them, theys must’a been religious or mason men.”

  “Well, I hate to hear about the town, and glad they spared the Meetinghouse and Masonic Lodge, but back to the Mill, so you believe you can get the old Mill back up and running?”

  “Shore nuff, in fact, yer brother William and sister Elizabeth came upstream with a man that had a whole boatload of corn he wanted to have ground into cornmeal. He’s still anchored a bit downstream, said he came a long way to get his corn ground and now don’t know ‘xactly what he’ll do.”

  “Daniel run down there and tell him we’ll have this mill back up and running in a week! If he can just wait.”

  “A week?” Said Jethro, shaking his head.

  “You bet’ya Jethro, you, Sam, Rubin an Dan can do it, I’m sure of it.”

  “Well,” says Jethro, “that makes one of us! First off Luke, we’re gonna need some cash money for supplies to fix thangs – you got any ready Yankee money?”

  “No, no I don’t Jethro, but I’ve got a load of guns in the wagon. Do you know anyplace I can sell them?”

  “No, but peoples around here’s got money, but nothing to spend it on. Most don’t have guns, the Yankees run off with ’em. I say next Saturday we have an auction right here at this Mill – we’ll put the word out and we’ll have them guns sold in no time.”

  “Sounds like a plan, let’s getter done fellers.”

  THE AUCTION