Two Little Confederates
Page 9
CHAPTER IX.
The boys were not sure that they had even fallen asleep when theyheard Lucy Ann call, outside. They turned over to take another nap.She was coming up to the door. No, for it was a man's step, it must beUncle Balla's; they heard horses trampling and people talking. In asecond the door was flung open, and a man strode into the room,followed by one, two, a half-dozen others, all white and all inuniform. They were Yankees. The boys were too frightened to speak.They thought they were arrested for hiding the silver.
"Get up, you lazy little rebels," cried one of the intruders, notunpleasantly. As the boys were not very quick in obeying, being reallytoo frightened to do more than sit up in bed, the man caught themattress by the end, and lifting it with a jerk emptied them and allthe bedclothes out into the middle of the floor in a heap. At this allthe other men laughed. A minute more and he had drawn his sword. Theboys expected no less than to be immediately killed. They were almostparalyzed. But instead of plunging his sword into them, the man beganto stick it into the mattresses and to rip them up; while otherspulled open the drawers of the bureau and pitched the things on thefloor.
The boys felt themselves to be in a very exposed and defencelesscondition; and Willy, who had become tangled in the bedclothes, andhad been a little hurt in falling, now that the strain was somewhatover, began to cry.
In a minute a shadow darkened the doorway and their mother stood inthe room.
"Leave the room instantly!" she cried. "Aren't you ashamed to frightenchildren!"
"We haven't hurt the brats," said the man with the swordgood-naturedly.
"Well, you terrify them to death. It's just as bad. Give me thoseclothes!" and she sprang forward and snatched the boys' clothes fromthe hands of a man who had taken them up. She flung the suits to theboys, who lost no time in slipping into them.
They had at once recovered their courage in the presence of theirmother. She seemed to them, as she braved the intruders, the grandestperson they had ever seen. Her face was white, but her eyes were likecoals of fire. They were very glad she had never looked or talked soto them.
When they got outdoors the yard was full of soldiers. They were uponthe porches, in the entry, and in the house. The smoke-house was openand so were the doors of all the other outhouses, and now and then aman passed, carrying some article which the boys recognized.
In a little while the soldiers had taken everything they could carryconveniently, and even things which must have caused them someinconvenience. They had secured all the bacon that had been left inthe smoke-house, as well as all other eatables they could find. It wasa queer sight, to see the fellows sitting on their horses with a hamor a pair of fowls tied to one side of the saddle and an engraving ora package of books, or some ornament, to the other.
A new party of men had by this time come up from the direction of thestables.
"Old man, come here!" called some of them to Balla, who was standingnear expostulating with the men who were about the fire.
"Who?--me?" asked Balla.
"B'ain't you the carriage driver?"
"Ain't I the keridge driver?"
"Yes, _you_; we know you are, so you need not be lying about it."
"Hi! yes; I the keridge driver. Who say I ain't?"
"Well, where have you hid those horses? Come, we want to know, quick,"said the fellow roughly, taking out his pistol in a threatening way.
The old man's eyes grew wide. "Hi! befo' de Lord! Marster, how I knowanything of the horses ef they ain't in the stable,--there's where wekeep horses!"
"Here, you come with us. We won't have no foolin' 'bout this," saidhis questioner, seizing him by the shoulder and jerking him angrilyaround. "If you don't show us pretty quick where those horses are,we'll put a bullet or two into you. March off there!"
He was backed by a half-a-dozen more, but the pistol, which was at oldBalla's head, was his most efficient ally.
"Hi! Marster, don't pint dat thing at me that way. I ain't ready todie yit--an' I ain' like dem things, no-ways," protested Balla.
There is no telling how much further his courage could have withstoodtheir threats, for the boys' mother made her appearance. She was aboutto bid Balla show where the horses were, when a party rode into theyard leading them.
"Hi! there are Bill and John, now," exclaimed the boys, recognizingthe black carriage-horses which were being led along.
"Well, ef dee ain't got 'em, sho' 'nough!" exclaimed the old driver,forgetting his fear of the cocked pistols.
"Gentlemen, marsters, don't teck my horses, ef you _please_," hepleaded, pushing through the group that surrounded him, andapproaching the man who led the horses.
They only laughed at him.
"GENTLEMEN, MARSTERS, DON'T TECK MY HORSES, EF YOUPLEASE," SAID UNCLE BALLA.]
Both the boys ran to their mother, and flinging their arms about her,burst out crying.
In a few minutes the men started off, riding across the fields; and ina little while not a soldier was in sight.
"I wish Marse William could see you ridin' 'cross them fields," saidBalla, looking after the retiring troop in futile indignation.
Investigation revealed the fact that every horse and mule on theplantation had been carried off, except only two or three old mules,which were evidently considered not worth taking.