Two Little Confederates

by Thomas Nelson Page

  CHAPTER XIV.

  The next day was Sunday. The General and Hugh had but one day to stay.They were to leave at daybreak the following morning. They thoroughlyenjoyed their holiday; at least the boys knew that Hugh did. They hadnever known him so affable with them. They did not see much of theGeneral, after breakfast. He seemed to like to stay "stuck up in thehouse" all the time, talking to Cousin Belle; the boys thought thisdue to his lameness. Something had occurred, the boys didn'tunderstand just what; but the General was on an entirely new footingwith all of them, and their Cousin Belle was in some way concerned inthe change. She did not any longer run from the General, and it seemedto them as though everyone acted as if he belonged to her. The boysdid not altogether like the state of affairs. That afternoon, however,he and their Cousin Belle let the boys go out walking with them, andhe was just as hearty as he could be; he made them tell him all aboutcapturing the deserter, and about catching the hogs, and everythingthey did. They told him all about their "Robbers' Cave," down in thewoods near where an old house had stood. It was between two ravinesnear a spring they had found. They had fixed up the "cave" with boardsand old pieces of carpet "and everything," and they told him, as asecret, how to get to it through the pines without leaving a trail. Hehad to give the holy pledge of the "Brotherhood" before this could bedivulged to him; but he took it with a solemnity which made the boysalmost forgive the presence of their Cousin Belle. It was a littleawkward at first that she was present; but as the "Constitution"provided only as to admitting men to the mystic knowledge, sayingnothing about women, this difficulty was, on the General's suggestion,passed over, and the boys fully explained the location of the spot,and how to get there by turning off abruptly from the path through thebig woods right at the pine thicket,--and all the rest of the way.

  "'Tain't a 'sure-enough' cave," explained Willy; "but it's 'most asgood as one. The old rock fire-place is just like a cave."

  "The gullies are so deep you can't get there except that one way,"declared Frank.

  "Even the Yankees couldn't find you there," asserted Willy.

  "I don't believe anybody could, after that; but I trust they willnever have to try," laughed their Cousin Belle, with an anxious lookin her bright eyes at the mere thought.

  That night they were at supper, about eight o'clock, when somethingout-of-doors attracted the attention of the party around the table. Itwas a noise,--a something indefinable, but the talk and mirth stoppedsuddenly, and everybody listened.

  There was a call, and the hurried steps of some one running, justoutside the door, and Lucy Ann burst into the room, her face ashypale.

  "The yard's full o' mens--Yankees," she gasped, just as the Generaland Hugh rose from the table.

  "How many are there?" asked both gentlemen.

  "They's all 'roun' the house ev'y which a-way."

  The General looked at his sweetheart. She came to his side with a cry.

  "Go up stairs to the top of the house," called the boys' mother.

  "We can hide you; come with us," said the boys.

  "Go up the back way, Frank 'n' Willy, to you-all's den," whisperedLucy Ann.

  "That's where we are going," said the boys as she went out.

  "You all come on!" This to the General and Hugh.

  "The rest of you take your seats," said the boys' mother.

  All this had occupied only a few seconds. The soldiers followed theboys out by a side-door and dashed up the narrow stairs to thesecond-story just as a thundering knocking came at the front door. Itwas as dark as pitch, for candles were too scarce to burn more thanone at a time.

  "You run back," said Hugh to the boys, as they groped along. "Thereare too many of us. I know the way."

  But it was too late; the noise down stairs told that the enemy wasalready in the house!

  As the soldiers left the supper-room, the boys' mother had hastilyremoved two plates from the places and set two chairs back against thewall; she made the rest fill up the spaces, so that there was nothingto show that the two men had been there.

  She had hardly taken her seat again, when the sound of heavy footstepsat the door announced the approach of the enemy. She herself rose andwent to the door; but it was thrown open before she reached it and anofficer in full Federal uniform strode in, followed by several men.

  The commander was a tall young fellow, not older than the General. Thelady started back somewhat startled, and there was a confused chorusof exclamations of alarm from the rest of those at the table. Theofficer, finding himself in the presence of ladies, removed his capwith a polite bow.

  "I hope, madam, that you ladies will not be alarmed," he said. "Youneed be under no apprehension, I assure you." Even while speaking, hiseye had taken a hasty survey of the room.

  "We desire to see General Marshall, who is at present in this houseand I am sorry to have to include your son in my requisition. We knowthat they are here, and if they are given us, I promise you thatnothing shall be disturbed."

  "You appear to be so well instructed that I can add little to yourinformation," said the mistress of the house, haughtily. "I am glad tosay, however, that I hardly think you will find them."

  "Madam, I know they are here," said the young soldier positively, butwith great politeness. "I have positive information to that effect.They arrived last evening and have not left since. Their horses arestill in the stable. I am sorry to be forced to do violence to myfeelings, but I must search the house. Come, men."

  "I doubt not you have found their horses," began the lady, but she wasinterrupted by Lucy Ann, who entered at the moment with a plate offresh corn-cakes, and caught the last part of the sentence.

  "Come along, Mister," she said, "I'll show you myself," and she setdown her plate, took the candle from the table, and walked to thedoor, followed by the soldiers.

  "Lucy Ann!" exclaimed her mistress; but she was too much amazed at thegirl's conduct to say more.

  "I know whar dey is!" Lucy Ann continued, taking no notice of hermistress. They heard her say, as she was shutting the door, "Y' allcome with me; I 'feared they gone; ef they ain't, I know whar theyis!"

  "Open every room," said the officer.

  "Oh, yes, sir; I gwine ketch 'em for you," she said, eagerly openingfirst one door, and then the other, "that is, ef they ain' gone. Imighty 'feared they gone. I seen 'em goin' out the back way about alittle while befo' you all come,--but I thought they might 'a' comeback. Mister, ken y' all teck me 'long with you when you go?" sheasked the officer, in a low voice. "I want to be free."

  "I don't know; we can some other time, if not now. We are going to setyou all free."

  "Oh, glory! Come 'long, Mister; let's ketch 'em. They ain't heah, butI know whar dey is."

  The soldiers closely examined every place where it was possible a mancould be concealed, until they had been over all the lower part of thehouse.

  Lucy Ann stopped. "Dey's gone!" she said positively.

  The officer motioned to her to go up stairs.

  "Yes, sir, I wuz jes' goin' tell you we jes' well look up-stairs,too," she said, leading the way, talking all the time, and shading theflickering candle with her hand.

  The little group, flat on the floor against the wall in their darkretreat, could now hear her voice distinctly. She was speaking in aconfidential undertone, as if afraid of being overheard.

  "I wonder I didn't have sense to get somebody to watch 'em when theywent out," they heard her say.

  "She's betrayed us!" whispered Hugh.

  The General merely said, "Hush," and laid his hand firmly on thenearest boy to keep him still. Lucy Ann led the soldiers into thevarious chambers one after another. At last she opened the next room,and, through the wall, the men in hiding heard the soldiers go in andwalk about.

  They estimated that there were at least half-a-dozen.

  "Isn't there a garret?" asked one of the searching party.

  "Nor, sir, 'tain't no garret, jes' a loft; but they ain't up there,"said Lucy Ann's voice.

&
nbsp; "We'll look for ourselves." They came out of the room. "Show us theway."

  "Look here, if you tell us a lie, we'll hang you!"

  The voice of the officer was very stern.

  "I ain' gwine tell you no lie, Mister. What you reckon I wan' tell youlie for? Dey ain' in the garret, I know,----Mister, please don'tp'int dem things at me. I's 'feared o' dem things," said the girl in aslightly whimpering voice; "I gwine show you."

  She came straight down the passage toward the recess where thefugitives were huddled, the men after her, their heavy steps echoingthrough the house. The boys were trembling violently. The light, asthe searchers came nearer, fell on the wall, crept along it, until itlighted up the whole alcove, except where they lay. The boys heldtheir breath. They could hear their hearts thumping.

  Lucy Ann stepped into the recess with her candle, and looked straightat them.

  "They ain't in here," she exclaimed, suddenly putting her hand upbefore the flame, as if to prevent it flaring, thus throwing thealcove once more into darkness. "The trap-door to the garret's 'roun'that a-way," she said to the soldiers, still keeping her position atthe narrow entrance, as if to let them pass. When they had all passed,she followed them.

  The boys began to wriggle with delight, but the General's strong handkept them still.

  Naturally, the search in the garret proved fruitless, and thehiding-party heard the squad swearing over their ill-luck as they cameback; while Lucy Ann loudly lamented not having sent some one tofollow the fugitives, and made a number of suggestions as to wherethey had gone, and the probability of catching them if the soldierswent at once in pursuit.

  "Did you look in here?" asked a soldier, approaching the alcove.

  "Yes, sir; they ain't in there." She snuffed the candle out suddenlywith her fingers. "Oh, oh!--my light done gone out! Mind! Let me go infront and show you the way," she said; and, pressing before, she oncemore led them along the passage.

  "Mind yo' steps; ken you see?" she asked.

  They went down stairs, while Lucy Ann gave them minute directions asto how they might catch "Marse Hugh an' the Gen'l" at a certain placea half-mile from the house (an unoccupied quarter), which shecarefully described.

  A further investigation ensued downstairs, but in a little while thesearchers went out of the house. Their tone had changed since theirdisappointment, and loud threats floated up the dark stairway to theprisoners still crouching in the little recess.

  In a few minutes the boys' Cousin Belle came rushing up stairs.

  "Now's your time! Come quick," she called; "they will be backdirectly. Isn't she an angel!" The whole party sprang to their feet,and ran down to the lower floor.

  "Oh, we were so frightened!" "Don't let them see you." "Make haste,"were the exclamations that greeted them as the two soldiers said theirgood-byes and prepared to leave the house.

  "Go out by the side-door; that's your only chance. It's pitch-dark,and the bushes will hide you. But where are you going?"

  "We are going to the boys' cave," said the General, buckling on hispistol; "I know the way, and we'll get away as soon as these fellowsleave, if we cannot before."

  "God bless you!" said the ladies, pushing them away in dread of theenemy's return.

  "Come on, General," called Hugh in an undertone. The General waslagging behind a minute to say good-bye once more. He stooped suddenlyand kissed the boys' Cousin Belle before them all.

  "Good-bye. God bless you!" and he followed Hugh out of the window intothe darkness. The girl burst into tears and ran up to her room.

  A few seconds afterward the house was once more filled with the enemy,growling at their ill-luck in having so narrowly missed the prize.

  "We'll catch 'em yet," said the leader.