CHAPTER XVI.
After crossing the gully, and walking on through the woods for whatthey thought a safe distance, they turned into the path.
They were talking very merrily about the General and Hugh and theirfriend Mills, and were discussing some romantic plan for the recaptureof their horses from the enemy, when they came out of the path intothe road, and found themselves within twenty yards of a group ofFederal soldiers, quietly sitting on their horses, evidently guardingthe road.
The sight of the blue-coats made the boys jump. They would have creptback, but it was too late--they caught the eye of the man nearestthem. They ceased talking as suddenly as birds in the trees stopchirruping when the hawk sails over; and when one Yankee called tothem, in a stern tone, "Halt there!" and started to come toward them,their hearts were in their mouths.
"Where are you boys going?" he asked, as he came up to them.
"Going home."
"Where do you belong?"
"Over there--at Oakland," pointing in the direction of their home,which seemed suddenly to have moved a thousand miles aways.
"Where have you been?" The other soldiers had come up now.
"Been down this way." The boys' voices were never so meek before. Eachreply was like an apology.
"Been to see your brother?" asked one who had not spoken before--apleasant-looking fellow. The boys looked at him. They were paralyzedby dread of the approaching question.
"Now, boys, we know where you have been," said a small fellow, whowore a yellow chevron on his arm. He had a thin moustache and a sharpnose, and rode a wiry, dull sorrel horse. "You may just as well tellus all about it. We know you've been to see 'em, and we are going tomake you carry us where they are."
"No, we ain't," said Frank, doggedly.
Willy expressed his determination also.
"If you don't it's going to be pretty bad for you," said the littlecorporal. He gave an order to two of the men, who sprang from theirhorses, and, catching Frank, swung him up behind another cavalryman.The boy's face was very pale, but he bit his lip.
"Go ahead," continued the corporal to a number of his men, who starteddown the path. "You four men remain here till we come back," he saidto the men on the ground, and to two others on horseback. "Keep himhere," jerking his thumb toward Willy, whose face was already burningwith emotion.
"I'm going with Frank," said Willy. "Let me go." This to the man whohad hold of him by the arm. "Frank, make him let me go," he shouted,bursting into tears, and turning on his captor with all his littlemight.
"Willy, he's not goin' to hurt you,--don't you tell!" called Frank,squirming until he dug his heels so into the horse's flanks that thehorse began to kick up.
"Keep quiet, Johnny; he's not goin' to hurt him," said one of the men,kindly. He had a brown beard and shining white teeth.
They rode slowly down the narrow path, the dragoon holding Frank bythe leg. Deep down in the woods, beyond a small branch, the pathforked.
"Which way?" asked the corporal, stopping and addressing Frank.
Frank set his mouth tight and looked him in the eyes.
"Which is it?" the corporal repeated.
"I ain't going to tell," said he, firmly.
"Look here, Johnny; we've got you, and we are going to make you tellus; so you might just as well do it, easy. If you don't, we're goin'to make you."
The boy said nothing.
THE BOY FACED HIS CAPTOR, WHO HELD A STRAP IN ONEHAND.]
"You men dismount. Stubbs, hold the horses." He himself dismounted,and three others did the same, giving their horses to a fourth.
"Get down!"--this to Frank and the soldier behind whom he was riding.The soldier dismounted, and the boy slipped off after him and facedhis captor, who held a strap in one hand.
"Are you goin' to tell us?" he asked.
"No."
"Don't you know?" He came a step nearer, and held the strap forward.There was a long silence. The boy's face paled perceptibly, but tookon a look as if the proceedings were indifferent to him.
"If you say you don't know"--said the man, hesitating in face of theboy's resolution. "Don't you know where they are?"
"Yes, I know; but I ain't goin' to tell you," said Frank, burstinginto tears.
"The little Johnny's game," said the soldier who had told him theothers were not going to hurt Willy. The corporal said something tothis man in an undertone, to which he replied:
"You can try, but it isn't going to do any good. I don't half like it,anyway."
Frank had stopped crying after his first outburst.
"If you don't tell, we are going to shoot you," said the littlesoldier, drawing his pistol.
The boy shut his mouth close, and looked straight at the corporal. Theman laid down his pistol, and, seizing Frank, drew his hands behindhim, and tied them.
"Get ready, men," he said, as he drew the boy aside to a small tree,putting him with his back to it.
Frank thought his hour had come. He thought of his mother and Willy,and wondered if the soldiers would shoot Willy, too. His face twitchedand grew ghastly white. Then he thought of his father, and of howproud he would be of his son's bravery when he should hear of it. Thisgave him strength.
"The knot--hurts my hands," he said.
The man leaned over and eased it a little.
"I wasn't crying because I was scared," said Frank.
The kind looking fellow turned away.
"Now, boys, get ready," said the corporal, taking up his pistol.
How large it looked to Frank. He wondered where the bullets would hithim, and if the wounds would bleed, and whether he would be left aloneall night out there in the woods, and if his mother would come andkiss him.
"I want to say my prayers," he said, faintly.
The soldier made some reply which he could not hear, and the man withthe beard started forward; but just then all grew dark before hiseyes.
Next, he thought he must have been shot, for he felt wet about hisface, and was lying down. He heard some one say, "He's coming to," andanother replied, "Thank God!"
He opened his eyes. He was lying beside the little branch with hishead in the lap of the big soldier with the beard, and the littlecorporal was leaning over him throwing water in his face from a cap.The others were standing around.
"What's the matter?" asked Frank.
"That's all right," said the little corporal, kindly. "We were justa-foolin' a bit with you, Johnny."
"We never meant to hurt you," said the other. "You feel better now?"
"Yes, where's Willy?" He was too tired to move.
"He's all right. We'll take you to him."
"Am I shot?" asked Frank.
"No! Do you think we'd have touched a hair of your head--and you sucha brave little fellow? We were just trying to scare you a bit andcarried it too far, and you got a little faint,--that's all."
The voice was so kindly that Frank was encouraged to sit up.
"Can you walk now?" asked the corporal, helping him and steadying himas he rose to his feet.
"I'll take him," said the big fellow, and before the boy could move,he had stooped, taken Frank in his arms, and was carrying him backtoward the place where they had left Willy, while the others followedafter with the horses.
"I can walk," said Frank.
"No, I'll carry you, b-bless your heart!"
The boy did not know that the big dragoon was looking down at thelight hair resting on his arm, and that while he trod the Virginiawood-path, in fancy he was home in Delaware; or that the pressure theboy felt from his strong arms, was a caress given for the sake ofanother boy far away on the Brandywine. A little while before theycame in sight Frank asked to be put down.
The soldier gently set him on his feet, and before he let him gokissed him.
"I've got a curly-headed fellow at home, just the size of you," hesaid softly.
Frank saw that his eyes were moist. "I hope you'll get safe back tohim," he said.
"God grant it!" said
the soldier.
When they reached the squad at the gate, they found Willy still inmuch distress on Frank's account; but he wiped his eyes when hisbrother reappeared, and listened with pride to the soldiers' praiseof Frank's "grit," as they called it. When they let the boys go, thelittle corporal wished Frank to accept a five-dollar gold piece; buthe politely declined it.
Two Little Confederates Page 16
